Air-Fuel Ratio and the SRF Air-Fuel Curve

The Slopes of the Curves
As you can see above -- and in the chart below --- power is rapidly affected by lean mixtures...and not affected as dramatically by rich mixtures.

The SRF Air-Fuel Curve
The graph below shows the torque of a Spec Racer Ford motor plotted vs. the RPM.   Torque is shown on the red line and uses the left-side “Y” axis.  Also plotted on this graph is the air-fuel ratio at the same RPM.  The air-fuel ratio is   the dotted black line and uses the right-side “Y” axis.  The blue horizontal line is the stoichiometric point with lean mixtures occurring above the line and rich mixtures below. 
The plots below were derived by averaging data from 5 back-to-back dyno “pulls”.  In these pulls, the motor is brought to wide open throttle (WOT) with the dyno water brake holding down the motor RPM and then turning control of the motor over to the dyno’s computer.  The computer then reduces the load on the motor such that RPM increases at 300 RPM per second...all the time holding the motor at WOT.

There are a couple of key points in this data:
1) Between 4000 RPM and 4250 RPM, when the motor is approaching its peak output, the air-fuel ratio is mostly on the lean side of stoichiometric.

2) Above 4750 RPM, the motor goes very rich.

“Detonation and Pre-Ignition -- Evils or Curses?”
Both detonation (spontaneous ignition of part of the fuel charge after ignition) and pre-ignition (premature ignition of the fuel charge by a “hot spot” in the cylinder) can be aggravated by lean mixtures and high engine loads.  Think about how a car “knocks” (detonates) when you accelerate at full throttle in high gear.   This situation is not dissimilar to the SRF situation between 3250 RPM and 4250 RPM....a lean mixture and a high load.  I’m aware of two SRF engines that have been destroyed due to detonation.
To make matters worse, the air-fuel ratio shown above is from data taken from an air-bell mounted at the inlet of the air filter housing.  In other words, we were measuring the total airflow of the motor.  The problem is that the air is not distributed evenly between the cylinders.  The Mass Air Flow (MAF) sensor is providing readings to the Engine Control Unit (ECU) to compute injector pulse width based on the total air flow.  There can be, however, variations between the cylinders of over 15%.   This means that while, on average, the air-fuel ratio is what is shown in the graph above, a specific cylinder might have 15% more or less air at any given moment (with cylinders 2 & 3 flowing the most air)...but the fuel is based on the average.

First, pay attention to your fuel.   Back in the old Renault days, we found that lower octane fuel made higher power.   This is basically true with the Ford, too.  The problem though, is that if everything isn’t right (e.g. air’s too cold, you’re running Denver fuel at a Florida race) you could potentially damage the engine with low octane fuel.  On the other hand, you can get too much of a good thing.  Fuel with octane higher than required to prevent detonation will typically reduce the power output -- and usually with the additional “benefit” of having to pay more money for the privilege.  We’ve had very good luck with 92 or 93 octane pump gas.  No engine damage and good power.  One word of warning here.  Many places use oxygenated fuel in the 92 and 93 octane grades.  While it’s great fuel, it’s also illegal per the rules.

Second, make sure you don’t have problems with fuel delivery.  You want all the fuel you can get at the mid RPM range.   You need to make sure your fuel filters are clean and that your fuel system isn’t restricted either with a blockage or excessive vacuum in the fuel cell.

Third, run the cold spark plugs only.  Two plugs are legal: Motorcraft AGSF24C (the “cold” plug) or Motorcraft AGSF34C (the “hot” plug).  In 4 years of racing the SRF we’ve never fouled a plug with the AGSF24C’s... and they provide better protection against pre-ignition than the 34’s.

Rev. 2/21/98

Barry