Tuning for peak horsepower is a common goal on the dyno, especially for drag racing engines that run in high, narrow power bands. But the dyno exercises conducted by Danzio Performance Engineering on Mike Carwin’s 3.0-liter 2JZ go much deeper than finding a number for bragging rights – which, by the way, they couldn’t do during this session. More on that later.

Carwin’s Toyota 6-banger is for a ’94 Supra that he races at the strip and tools around on the boulevard when the urge descends. The original engine was a naturally aspirated version, but Carwin found a twin-turbo block that has integrated piston oil squirters to serve as the foundation for his version of a boosted 2JZ. The crank is factory but polished, and it’s mated with Carillo rods and JE asymmetrical pistons from Titan Motorsports that provide a 10.5:1 compression ratio. Underneath is a full Dailey Enginering 5-stage dry-sump system. Powerhouse Racing provided the oil-pump block-off plate that allowed the switch to dry sump. Another shortblock upgrade is the custom ARP head stud kit, but Carwin, who is a Toyota technician, relies on a factory head gasket.

The original cylinder head was retained with Carwin applying his own grinding skills to open up the breathing. He also added oversized Crower valves and R/D dual valve springs. Kelford cams with a profile of 290 degrees duration and 10.5mm/10.3mm lift are hidden from view by a custom billet valve cover from OCD Works.

Running out of fuel

The engine runs on E85 through Injector Dynamics 2,000cc injectors that are controlled with a MoTeC M800 ECU. Providing boost is a Turbonetics billet unit with a 83 mm compressor and 82 mm turbine. Darian Wilcox fabricated the headers and the intake plenum that is adapted to the factory lower inlet runners.

“At this date we’ve run only 30 pounds of boost and it made 1,300 horsepower,” says Carwin. “Power was limited by the fuel pump. The motor actually has a lot left in it. We’re just out of fuel.”

An upcoming solution is a Weldon mechanical pump adapted to the back of the Dailey dry-sump pump.

“Ultimately we were finding out where it was making power,” says Carwin. “Also, tuning for as much boost as we could to find the limit of the fuel system.”

Danzio’s job was building the custom mil-spec harness for the Motec, then getting the tune while the engine was the DTS dyno.

“We were also testing a new Turbonetics turbo,” says Chris Muzio, manager at Danzio. “This turbo delivered very well and efficiently.”

Muzio’s big-picture goal was setting up the fuel map with precise steady-state tuning on the dyno. The engine is brought up to a specified rpm and held under a series of different throttle openings and boost levels.

“Then you tune every cell in the ECU to the air-fuel 100 percent at every possible load,” says Muzio. “When you’re done the tune is about 99 percent accurate. It’s hard to that in a chassis dyno where you’re relying on the cooling system and traction on the rollers.”

Muzio also performed a variety of sweep tests to check other engine functions and performance levels.

Off-road turbo power

When Muzio finished discussing his role in the Toyota, EngineLabs couldn’t keep from asking about a Danzio LS engine found at the Off-Road Expo the weekend before our phone conversation.

“We do a lot of LS engines for the off-road market. This is based on an RHS block, Brodix BR7 heads and twin Turbonetics turbos,” says Muzio. “On E85 it’ll make upwards of 1,400 to ,1500 horsepower, depending on the setup.”

The 72mm turbos are set at 20 to 22 pounds of boost, and the forced charge is sent through a CBR intercooler. Dailey Engineering supplies the dry-sump oil system.

“We put Dailey on everything we do. It’s all integrated and makes for clean installation,” adds Muzio.

The rotating assembly is made up of a Sonny Bryant crankshaft, Dyer’s connecting rods and either JE or CP pistons. On top of the Brodix heads is a Hogan intake. The fuel system is controlled with a Life Racing ECU.

Danzio is the first engine builder to try twin-turbo technology in the highly competitive and highly treacherous environment of desert Trophy Truck racing. A crash early in the truck’s first outing didn’t give the engine much of a chance to show off, but EngineLabs hopes to get an inside look at this bullet in the near future.