TheSamba.com :: View topic - Gene Berg Exhaust Analyzer: Anybody Use One?

Fri Jun 13, 2014 10:59 am

I acquired one, but I don't seem to be able to get it to work correctly. These are not as cool as, say, the Innovative ones because they do not read specific A/F ratios; they have LED lights that show lean, about right, rich. Mine only registers either rich or lean no matter what jetting I use. These analyzers were the cat's meow back in the 90's before affordable units like Innovative came out. Surely, SOMEone out there knows how to use these. Any help? Thanks.

Fri Jun 13, 2014 11:16 am

I never used a Berg one before but I use the Innovative LM-1 and the O2 sensor has to be calibrated from time to time in free air, maybe it needs a calibration to bring it alive.

Fri Jun 13, 2014 12:06 pm

smkn_vw wrote: I never used a Berg one before but I use the Innovative LM-1 and the O2 sensor has to be calibrated from time to time in free air, maybe it needs a calibration to bring it alive.
Hmm... The Berg instructions don't say anything about calibration. How is this done?

Fri Jun 13, 2014 12:10 pm

I hate to break it to you but that analyzer is junk .. yeah your right it was ok back in the day because there was nothing else , but its not a great tunning tool at all ... widebands are what you want for some serious tunning unless you just want 2 use it as a little help but not 2 accurate ??

Fri Jun 13, 2014 12:42 pm

Calibrating the LM-1 is too easy, just disconnect O2 sensor from exhaust and press the Calibrate button on the meter and check results are within spec.. Maybe call Berg and see what your options are...well they're closed today but you never know they may hook you up.

Fri Jun 13, 2014 12:50 pm

smkn_vw wrote: Calibrating the LM-1 is too easy, just disconnect O2 sensor from exhaust and press the Calibrate button on the meter and check results are within spec.. Maybe call Berg and see what your options are...well they're closed today but you never know they may hook you up.

Talked to them yesterday. They hemmed and hawed. Since Gene passed and the Berg bros. all went their separate ways GBE is a shell of its former self. I think I'll "bend over" and get one of the Innovative units.

Fri Jun 13, 2014 1:06 pm

Just buy a mtxl. Cheap. Mount it in a project box from Radio shack and wire it to a cigarette lighter plug. Easy and portable.

Fri Jun 13, 2014 1:06 pm

It is a normal 4 wire narrow band. You will only see rich or lean unless you land right at stoich.

Fri Jun 13, 2014 1:12 pm

I've been one since the early 90s, and am looking forward to getting something better soon.

If you want, I can look up the wiring diagrams, there are two fuses needed, one for the heating, one for the meter, and thd thing will not survive a polarity inversion!

If you open the black box, there is a variable resistance you can use to calibrate, if you know how.

Its better than notning to see comparative changes, but not a source of accurate absolute values...

The bit tou calll "about right" is actually around stoichiometric, so be careful. IIRC, 2nd or third green up is about 13.2:1, good for WOT on my build. I could check...

Fri Jun 13, 2014 1:44 pm

britegreenVWSB wrote: Talked to them yesterday. They hemmed and hawed.
Berg hemmed and hawed? You mean they didn't ship you free stuff like me? just kidding.

The downside using the handheld meter like the LM-1 is that I have to place it on the passenger seat and do three things at once, focus on driving, watch the tach/rpm's, and turn my head to read the LM-1. Also it has an LCD display not easy to see.

But you can connect the meter to a laptop and graph the rpm range using their software. I think i need a dash gauge nice bright and visible or velcro the meter to the windshield.

Fri Jun 13, 2014 2:03 pm

smkn_vw wrote: britegreenVWSB wrote: Talked to them yesterday. They hemmed and hawed.
Berg hemmed and hawed? You mean they didn't ship you free stuff like me? just kidding.

The downside using the handheld meter like the LM-1 is that I have to place it on the passenger seat and do three things at once, focus on driving, watch the tach/rpm's, and turn my head to read the LM-1. Also it has an LCD display not easy to see.

But you can connect the meter to a laptop and graph the rpm range using their software. I think i need a dash gauge nice bright and visible or velcro the meter to the windshield.
"Connect it to a laptop..." Does this mean you can connect to a laptop while you are driving and it will graph and save the data for you? Will the unit save the data w/o a laptop that you can plug into after driving and view the data?
"Just buy a mtxl. Cheap." $190 is cheap? Lord, I must just make s--- for money!

Fri Jun 13, 2014 6:28 pm

I built one myself about ten years ago. Told me less than I already knew by feel.

Fri Jun 13, 2014 6:49 pm

A Narrow Band sensor is pretty useless. If you want a wideband for a reasonable price, check www.14point7.com, I have used his older stuff for years with no problems, add a gauge for display to a Spartan Controller and you will be golden.

Fri Jun 13, 2014 7:32 pm

The first time you use it and jet a car in 30 minutes the expense will look minuscule. Each jet change you do one webers costs about 20-25 bucks....each circuit. I also bought a set of jet reamers and gauges ....another 200 bucks, but now everything is a piece of cake. Money well spent. I love tools.......

Fri Jun 13, 2014 7:53 pm

MURZI wrote: The first time you use it and jet a car in 30 minutes the expense will look minuscule. Each jet change you do one webers costs about 20-25 bucks....each circuit. I also bought a set of jet reamers and gauges ....another 200 bucks, but now everything is a piece of cake. Money well spent. I love tools.......
Murzi - I love tools, too. Every one I buy that actually helps me with something, I get almost giddy, like a kid in a candy store. Kind of embarrassing...