Has anyone had any experiences with these in kit form? Looking at getting something like the innovate kit with the tunning software package.

Experiences alternatives? Just after a bit more info for some self tunning feedback/data.

Thanks, Shaun.

tech edge aussie company

g'day mate,
I had one a while ago with a pretty worked ca18 with aftermarket management and used the innovate LC-1 kit. It was hands down the most valuable and usefull tuning tool I ever used. Especially with an injection setup I could never go without one again, without one everything is simply guess work. The innovate kits are pretty much the best too as they really are the most cost effective for what they do, and they use the newer type/better (and cheaper to replace) bosch O2 sensor.
A carby engine might not be as usefull as once you have everything setup they still don't really offer the infinate fuel control an efi setup does. I would expect it would just show a heavily rich condition with carby's under most power situations. I would think for setting up idle and off idle mixtures and balancing carbs it would be very useull though. It would probably be usefull to have the gauge on the dash as a warning should anything go wrong with a jet or carby as you would see the result as an abnormal fuel ratio hopefully before anything got damaged.
But certainly EFI is where it is truly amazing as a tool because the mixture through the whole load range is controlled perfectly, not just a whole bunch a fuel crudely shoved into the carby throat but a finely controlled metered dose. Most aftermarket computers also interface with the kits too which allow another complex range of fuel control scenarios that you couldn't utilise with a carby engine like closed loop mixture controls or self learning functions.
Further to that I have an LC-1 kit with gauge that I was going to put on the datto I just sold prior to selling it and getting my mk1 racecar (best move I ever made). It's still in the box and would be happy to shift it for less than you'll find them on ebay. I was going to use it but like I said for a carby engine I don't think it would be as usefull, Not that I wouldn't like to use it but the car isn't quite complete yet and there are more usefull things I could fit before this. Let me know if your keen or have any other specific questions about their use.
Cheers,
Llewellyn

definately still a good tool on a carbed car, for getting good setup.
dont know why you would think that it would be heavily rich under power conditions on carbed cars there llewellyn, a well tuned carby will not dump mass amounts of fuel in under power conditions.
i have a LC-1 kit in my mk1, and it is a good indicator of mixtures, i run twin 45's and it is really good for getting mixtures right.
its no good for balancing carbs as it only reads the oxygen levels of combined exhaust gases so if one carb is lean the other rich then it evens out, but it is good for seeing the mixtures under normal driving conditions, assuming carbs are setup ok and your just looking at mixtures. i think it was worth the money in getting the jetting close and saving the extra time at the dyno stuffing around with big jetting changes.
 
Gazz

Thanks guys, sounds like it is the way to go. Engine is pinto with injection and a large turbo. Controlled by EMS ecu, just trying to maps closer before some eventual dyno time.

Thanks, Shaun.

Gazz,
Certainly I agree a well setup carb should provide good a/f ratios, I guess I was just generalising on the differences between it's usefullness between a carb and an EFI setup that has the ability to tune a/f ratios much closer to an ideal mixture across the entire load range. Also you can't turn of any accelaration/power circuits on a carb like you can in an EFI setup while tuning, i'm sure this would make it a little harder to deduce the right tuning approach if your tuning/driving the car yourself without a dyno. I have personally never used it on a carbed engine so please take that statement really as just an assumption. But one can certainly deduce from the added functionality/interfacing capabilities of a good aftermarket ECU that it would allow far more flexibility with tuning on an EFI setup than a carb one. As i stated though, it would still certainly have a use setting up carbies.

i borrowed an lc1 once it was a long time ago , i don't know if they have changed , but i there was still too many wires for my liking, and it had a short sensor cable, the tech edge has 1 power 1 earth and is long enough to sit under my passanger seat loop the cable a few times then run into the engine bay down the firewall and to the common exhaust point on my extractors , and its an aussie company quick delivery.. , i have used it with twin webers , to efi na , efi turbo with megasquirt
 

I use 1 of tech edge's kit versions. I feed it back into my megasquirt ecu or run it standalone on the twin weber car. Good portable unit.

I ended up with the Inovate kit from Llewellyn.
Will be a little while before it goes in as I need to build an exhaust tunnel to fit the new turbo in.
 
Shaun