mobythevan Posted April 28, 2004 Share Posted April 28, 2004 To lighten things up and to show that if I can install MegaSquirt then anybody with a little car knowledge can also get it working. 1. Remember to unhook the battery when messing with the wiring. This would have been funny to see, I decided I was going to remount my megasquirt relay box and forgot to unhook the battery. One of the bolts I had holding it through the bottom of the case popped up and hit the 12volt supply ring, it didn't hit solid though, kind of on,off,on. Sparks flying all over, me in a panic trying to realize what the issue is and realizing I can't shut off power. Luckily I grabbed it before it hit solid and melted the supply wire. 2. Double check the schematics. I misread some of my relay hacking by not looking closely at the schematics and wired my electric fan relay wrong. The good things is that I tested the 12 volt supply by hand and when I touched the wire to the battery terminal I had 12volts grounded through a small 20awg wire to the car. It immediately turned into a fusible link and no other damage was done. oops, oh yeah it goes on that pin of the relay. 3. Remember to reconnect fuel lines. Pulled my fuel rail off to test a couple injectors and in the excitement forgot to reconnect it to the FPR. Hopped in and tried starting, hey, why is it only firing a couple times? What is that sound like gas running all over? Oh sh....... 4. The GM HEI module and the turbo coil can throw some spark, watch out. Yeah, thought I could pull plug wires with the engine running. Worked good until I realized the spark can jump like 4 inches now and shock the crap out of me. 5. Don't waste weeks of engine not starting right, just install the fast idle valve up front. For only taking about 10 minutes to install I just would not do this. Kept messing with a hard to start engine, uhhh. 6. Believe what they say about the ACT clutch, it engages fast. When my wife asked what the buring off in the garage was about I just said "ehh, just having some fun" With these kind of adventures it is a wonder anything works, but hey, the car is running better than it ever has. One major problem now is my 185 tires. Going to be hard to get some 1/4 mile times with narrow tires like this. On to the next thing..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jersey Posted April 28, 2004 Share Posted April 28, 2004 LOL.. funny stuff Moby. Reminds me of someone i know... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
280zedx Posted April 30, 2004 Share Posted April 30, 2004 ...i'm sure every one has a few "words of wisdom" from similiar experiences! I know i do... Keep up the good work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted April 30, 2004 Share Posted April 30, 2004 RE: #4 Yes, with a Perlux Flame-Thrower HEI module, I also found out that the PCV hose from the valve cover to the inlet hose is conductive when I cranked the engine only to see a 4" spark jump to the black hose, and send off a puff of white smoke each time. The stock HEI was sparking about as far, but not with a blue-white spark that made a CA-RAAAK! noise each time it fired. Additional MSS things to remember: The realy board has hot things on it---do NOT try to remove the board from the box without removing power (don't even ask!) You can repair blown solder traces from the relays with wire soldered onto the board. (goes hand in hand with remove battery lead like Moby said!) A Z31 Turbo Coil makes 4" sparks, in conjunction with the above setup, and it fires ONCE when you power on the box. Pray no excess fuel exisits in the cylinder that spark goes to, as it WILL fire and move the car forward if it's in gear... Do not use jackstands on dirt. (I won't even go there...I knew better, and paid the price!) An Osilliscope is an unnatural draw for a 12 year old--who will not stay away from it no matter how many times you tell him. Hide the scope if you expect to use it later in the week. Batteries all over the table is a bad sign... People who make their living selling "Real" fuel management systems will see you as a threat, and will become cold when you mention the name of the system---gawd forbid you actually build something that WORKS for you without paying $2000 to them for the privilege of being ignored. Soldering upside down is best left to professionals with leather throat protectors. The soldering iron is HOT, do not pick it up off the floor by anything other than the handle, even if you did think you unplugged it two hours ago... Most definately do not jerk the cord and swing it up into your other hand. Do not go for test drives without the rivets, or at least several of the little nuts holding in your tail lights. Do not go for long test drives right away, this gives you the opportunity to realize you have left the driveway without lube in the tranny, and thought it's perfectly quiet and shifting nicely now, unless you are verrrry ginger wit hthe throttle, it may NOT be by the time you return home! (DOH!) It happens to everyone, don't sweat it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tannji Posted May 1, 2004 Share Posted May 1, 2004 I could add a couple... been down the spark gap road myself, was hooking up the starter, asked for wrench, female helper turned the motor over instead.... I guess I am thankful the car was not in gear, not to mention that she was reluctant to help me after that... Some of you have probably strained your abdominal muscles leaning over the Z fender, working on something just barely in reach.... Make sure you enunciate what you need, or your helper may lower the car onto your foot.... Weight lifters should always have a spotter.... so should single guys in a hurry to get the tranny back in in time for Friday night cruising.... I arrived at a buddies house probably 5 minutes after he separated his shoulder trying to bench-press the tranny into position. Between the pain, the fact it snagged his overalls, and wedged against the tranny tunnel.... he was helpless and out of breath.... Dont forget to get the reverse lock-out for a B&M slap shifter working, you may put the car into reverse at 70mph instead of neutral.... and end up bass-ackwards in light traffic, at 60mph..... Dont reinsert the pin that holds your shifter to the tranny in traffic, while moving.... the PO that pulls you over will get more angry the more you explain how often you had to do it, especially if he pulls you over right across the street from an auto parts store. (good news was, I got escorted into the store, and picked up the nylon bushings as well as the new pin and c-clip) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobythevan Posted May 1, 2004 Author Share Posted May 1, 2004 Dont forget to get the reverse lock-out for a B&M slap shifter working, you may put the car into reverse at 70mph instead of neutral.... and end up bass-ackwards in light traffic, at 60mph..... I did that one in a 66 impala SS that I owned. Had an old quicksilver ratchet shifter without lockout, thought I was in 1st gear but was really in drive, 2 shifts later I went neutral then reverse. That wasn't bad enough it killed the car, I just pushed the pedal to the floor and started it up again to find I was in reverse still. That was a long time ago when I wasn't as smart. I also had the engine mount bust in that impala and just hitting the trottle slightly would cause the eninge to rock over an take the throttle linkage with it pulling the pedal to the floor and giving a scary ride while your trying to figure out if ghosts really exist and decided to take you for a ride. Funny stuff after the fact anyway....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tannji Posted May 1, 2004 Share Posted May 1, 2004 lol.... Yeah... difference with my reverse lock-out was that it was in a Z.... with a 350. didnt even stall the motor..... I like to think that I am a much different person now.... some of the crap I pulled back then and walked away from.... No wonder kids think they are invulnerable. I also had a old Kaiser-Willys jeep with a powerglide tranny.... and a bad battery. Car died at an intersection late one night, but I got someone to jump it. Little 4-banger ran kinda rough tho.... and shook the tranny into drive, without me, and the hood still up. Picture the PO that pulled up wanting to know why I was chasing a jeep (fortunately in a circle) around an intersection. He threatened me with reckless driving, but in my teenage naivety I pointed out that I wasnt actually driving.... He let me off with a warning, to the effect that he didnt particualry want to see me driving that piece of crap again..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted May 1, 2004 Share Posted May 1, 2004 Oh yeah, ALWAYS chain the side of the engine in ANYTHING powered by a Small-Block Chevy! A broken motor mount in a given, and it makes for an interesting ride while the fan works it's way through the hood.... I went on Mr. Toad's wild ride in a 67 Chevy Shortbox C10 pickup with a 400CID SBC due to that throttle bind propensity (withet hte broken motor mount). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bastaad525 Posted May 1, 2004 Share Posted May 1, 2004 4. The GM HEI module and the turbo coil can throw some spark, watch out. Yeah, thought I could pull plug wires with the engine running. Worked good until I realized the spark can jump like 4 inches now and shock the crap out of me. ROFLMAO... if I had a dollar for all the times I had done this after installing my MSD. One time it got me so bad when I was testing spark at the coil that my elbow hurt for like four days. Lord knows I've made a few of those other mistakes on your list as well... I definately have a propensity for creating fuel leaks... must subconsiously like the high??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2many280s Posted May 1, 2004 Share Posted May 1, 2004 One of my friends had one of those alarm style remote starters on his Suzuki Samurai once, and one day while changing the plugs and wires over at my house, he leaned over the fender with the coil wire in his hand wich pushed the remote button in his pocket.... The look on his face was priceless hehe =) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted May 1, 2004 Share Posted May 1, 2004 never leave your celphone on "vibrate" while working near anything electronic. My partner did this all the time due to high-noise environments. One day, I taught him a lesson. While he was sweating like a pig, and leaning his head into a Variable Speed Drive (right over like 600VDC Caps bigger than 24oz beer cans) I called his phone number. You have not lived until you see your partner literally levitate backwards out of a cubicle screaming, then realizing he was not getting electrocuted, but that someone was calling him on the phone. It's even more satisfying when he looks and sees' your name on the caller I.D. Sometimes I can't help myself! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tannji Posted May 1, 2004 Share Posted May 1, 2004 Lol.... similar thing happened to me.... I used to manage 1-hour photo labs, and had to repair equipment frequently. I got zapped by 110 and 220 a couple times, the last time after double checking the breaker on the machine, the power switch on the machine, and the breaker at the wall. (can ya tell I was getting a little paranoid? ) well, this machine had been "field engineered" and had a separate, hidden 110 power source to run something that shouldnt have been in there in the first place.... ZAPP. Fast forward 10 years, I am once again managing photo labs, and had to tear into a really decrepit machine.... did all the double-checks, and finally got inside it. Just as I am up to my elbow in the innards, my Brand New pager, bought that very day, Vibrates about 3 inches from my crotch. Broke the clip off trying to get it off my belt, and did my best to imbed it in the nearest wall. To this day, I always keep the vibrate disabled on the cell phone.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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