Making Power in High Humidity

[GNDriven]

I guess it is prob not a great idea to turn up the wick in high humidity so, what humidity do you guys starting trying to make serious power?

My car is ready for some shake down passes, but perhaps I should wait until October sometime where the humidity is down to around 70% in my state, what do you think?

 

[theCATman]

More like dew point. Anything at or below 60° dew point is dry air.

The lower the better obviously.

 

[Nick Micale]

My thinking is humidity would help power and be safer, as many racers inject water and alky which acts to cool the intake charge for more HP?

Here in the desert our cars run better on a cool, humid day, this weekend the 107 deg temps will keep the GN's in the garage!

 

[GNDriven]

I will admit I haven't done much research on this topic, but I would think that humid air would be displaced by water too much so that it would be increasingly difficult to shove oxygen molecules into the cylinders.

 

[turbo nasty]

High humidity helps to a point with latent heat evap to cool the charge air but when its combined with hot air that's the issue. High humidity and high air temp is going to hurt performance. Thats on both intake air as well as the heat exchanger doing its job. No way around it cooler air with other than south MS swamp/humid air will be easier to make power.

 

[Pwt]

I guess it is prob not a great idea to turn up the wick in high humidity so, what humidity do you guys starting trying to make serious power?

My car is ready for some shake down passes, but perhaps I should wait until October sometime where the humidity is down to around 70% in my state, what do you think?

Where are you on the Gulf Coast?

 

[TurboTnZ06]

With alky injection, not much of a problem. I gain maybe 1-2 mph going from 100% humidity in the 90's in SW FL up to BG to race in the 50's-60's at low humidity. I don't tune around it. It runs what it runs.

 

[GNDriven]

Where are you on the Gulf Coast?

Gulfport, Biloxi

 

[GNDriven]

2 mph can be a significant amount depending on your current power level.

So I guess even if I do decide to run in high humidity say > 80% then it perhaps won't be making max power, but maybe less prone to detonation..
That could be a good thing for some test and tune passes, although the tune will change some when the humidity comes down this fall.

BTW we had a nice break in humidity this weekend. Yesterday's high was 34%. Therefore I went to our local track. Unfortunately I had a MAP sensor issues and MSD rev limiter issues on top of that, but the car is leaving real nice!!

Scott

 

[SS/GN]

High humidity is one thing but water grains is another and when they are both high my stuff runs slower. Nice cool dry air with a heavy barometer and low DA and I run faster

 

[usetaboost]

Some n/a cars respond well to a bit more timing in high humidity. Don't know if this is the same with boosted engines. I know mine feels like its pulling a trailer when its muggy and hot even with a fmic and alky.