BLOZ UP

[BLOZ UP]

It's here. Boost still working. Needs a tune bad. Fuel pump is complaining as usual. But no lifter noise? It fixed itself!

 

Neighbors probably hate me as it was slick out and I couldn't resist.

 

 

 

[BLOZ UP]

Well, the shipping was cheap. Would have been cheaper had I gone straight to a company. The shipper was nice, but failed to mention that the cars parked above mine leaked like a sieve. Especially onto the rear portion of the roof.

 

He cleaned it off the roof and hood, but I found a sizable pool of oil above the tail lights and on the hatch seal. Nasty thick stuff. Maybe real old oil or ATF.

 

Anyway, after test driving it and such, all the problems I forgot about when the car was gone are back. Specifically:

 

1. Fuel system needs work
2. Fix tire rubbing
3. Fix BOV
4. Needs PCV via catch can
5. Install carpet
6. Cleanup wiring
7. Check motor mounts

After those, it should be ready for some autocross. I figure I'll miss the first two of the season, but be out for the one mid-April.

 

My fuel pump really whines and I believe I've nearly killed it. So, the fuel tank is getting cleaned up and a sump added to it. I've got the lines waiting to route a new feed and return to the fuel pump. Hopefully that will alleviate the cavitation I'm hearing from it, if it's not too late. If it is, on the other hand, I'm eyeing one of Fuelab's sweet pumps with integrated low-level PWM input that I can control with MS's PWM boost control output.

 

Tires rub and need to be rolled, I guess. Not sure how I'm going to do that quite yet.

 

BOV is too tight and causes light fluttering. Might try another brand.

 

Carpet is easy to install and has just been waiting for me to not be lazy.

 

Some of the wiring is whack in the engine bay and near the transmission.

 

I figure the PCV catch "can" (more likely to be a box) will go here somewhere. What I'm thinking is making a dual coolant overflow up top, catch can on bottom thing that mounts where the current overflow is.

 

I'm guessing I'll route the valve cover tubes down to the frame rails since I can't see any way to go up top without going close to the exhaust manifolds. From there will be a connection to the turbo inlet pipe.

 

 

 

 

So, here it is as of now:

 

 

Other things I need to do:

 

• Add 220v outlet to garage
• Get welder supplies
• Mount gauges.
• Replace intercooler and some of the piping

[78zstyle]

Step 1: remove engine

step 2: put in v8

[BLOZ UP]

Step 1: remove engine

step 2: put in v8

 

Not too far from the truth:

 

Step 1: Blow up rest of VGs

Step 2: Put in V8.

 

In other news, I got my fuel tank back. Not too impressed with the work they did for the price. But, it's ready to go in.

 

 

 

It's kind of a large sump...

[BLOZ UP]

Meh. I feel like this is overkill, but I'm also not in the mood to replace my fuel pump again, and Aeromotive says: "Warranty voidy voidy if no sumpity dumpity".

 

 

 

So, I think I am going to plug the sump's return, and use the stock return line on the tank since I can't find a -8 to 5/16" barb. I found a -6 to 5/16", but it's Aeromotive and $22. No thanks. I have a few Ace Hardware fittings (on top of the bumper in the first photo) to convert from -8 to 5/16", but...

 

Also, the Jeg's filter I have is disgusting. I'll run it for the first fill-up just in case, but I'll have to order another. Plus, I managed to whack the Male AN flare of the filter housing against the floor and dent the tip of it. I think it's repairable and it's low pressure, but still irks me.

 

Oh, and I spilled more gas out of the "empty" lines on to the floor. And yes, that is a space heater blowing on spilled gasoline.

[RebekahsZ]

The second fitting on the sump is for running a redundant fuel supply system for nitrous. Save it for then and go ahead and use your stock return as you planned. Hang in there, the fuel was the most miserable part of my conversion-or was it the brakes? Hated them both. Looking back it was worth it but don't want to do it again.

[BLOZ UP]

Oh, I figured it was the return. I suppose it could be if I wanted, but yeah, the stock return is just way easier to hook up.

 

I filled up the tank and primed everything and started it. The pump whined for a minute before getting fuel. Then it still whined but was obviously getting fuel. Not sure if better than before. Part of me was wishing it would die so I can get a Fuel Lab. The other part doesn't want to pluck out the cash.

 

But, I checked this morning, no leaks. Now I just have to roll the fenders, tune it, and pass emissions somehow.

[rags]

Pass emissions?? Where are your Historic plates? No inspection with Historic plates!

 

Joe

[RebekahsZ]

They all whine-kind of like people. It lets you know it is alive. A lot of nitrous guys run a second fuel pump-I just talked to 1QUICKZ-the fastest guy on our Timeslips page: he grenaded his nitrous motor last race due to fuel starvation. A lean mixture is instant death for those guys. It is better to have your return far from your pickup to avoid aeration of the fuel, although I can't imagine the air wouldn't rise pretty quickly. If you look inside a stock tank, the return is outside the baffle/sump. On a carbureted tank, the return is separated from the pickup by a wall. You did well.

[BLOZ UP]

Pass emissions?? Where are your Historic plates? No inspection with Historic plates!

 

Joe

 

Hm, well I thought my mods threw it out? According to the MVC: "The vehicle must be owned as a collector’s item and used solely for exhibition or educational purposes. Please note that the vehicle cannot be altered from the manufacturer’s original design in any way and must be equipped for legal operation on New Jersey roadways."

 

Or do they not really check?

 

They all whine-kind of like people. It lets you know it is alive. A lot of nitrous guys run a second fuel pump-I just talked to 1QUICKZ-the fastest guy on our Timeslips page: he grenaded his nitrous motor last race due to fuel starvation. A lean mixture is instant death for those guys. It is better to have your return far from your pickup to avoid aeration of the fuel, although I can't imagine the air wouldn't rise pretty quickly. If you look inside a stock tank, the return is outside the baffle/sump. On a carbureted tank, the return is separated from the pickup by a wall. You did well.

 

Yes, but when I first installed it, it was much, much quieter. Like stock pump volume level. I believe the cavitation over time has damaged it.

 

In other news: I'm borrowing a real fender roller from a friend who just bought one randomly. Score!

[BLOZ UP]

"I am never rolling these fenders"

 

-Me.

 

 

 

Slight fender bender bending this fender:

 

 

I, in my infinited wisdom, tried trimming the fender insets, which made it harder to roll. So, the parts that were trimmed didn't roll so well. It's the rolled edge that's a little inconsistent, not the flat fender "bill", or whatever it's called. I did the passenger side first in the theory I'd see it less.

 

The driver's side came out way better:

 

 

But in both cases, I lost a ton of paint. I knew it would be a lost cause when the heat gun itself caused the paint to crack and fall off, before the roller ever came in to play.

 

So I test drove it and it's so nice not having to worry about shredding my tires as I hit all eleventy billion potholes that adorn every NJ road.

 

I also checked plugs as I can hear a miss under light loads. Number four was completely fouled it seemed. Replacing it with a new one cleared up a lot. Now I have to retune since my wideband reading was skewed rich since I was tuning with a cylinder that wasn't firing. I believe the cause is low compression on that cylinder.

[rags]

 

So I test drove it and it's so nice not having to worry about shredding my tires as I hit all eleventy billion potholes that adorn every NJ road.

Lol, I think you underestimated the amount of potholes here!

 

Seriously, glad the rolling went well.

 

Joe

[BLOZ UP]

Ha, thanks.

 

I changed the oil today. I added some seafoam on the weekend before I drove it around. I've been bad. The oil was really low. Didn't even register on the dipstick (whose tube is bent and it's not going in as far as it should, but still). I think I mentioned it earlier, before I moved, but on "brisk' acceleration and deceleration, the oil pressure drops.

 

Not anymore! Plus, after hard driving... no lifter tick. I really think I was on the threshold. The lifters were losing pressure before the main or rod bearings is my guess. Any less oil and I could have toasted a bearing. Or, maybe I have a lightly toasted one and just don't know it yet!

 

Perfect time to autocross and find out.

 

I tuned it a lot more today. Found an empty road where I can go WOT in first to redline. My tach gives up around 5k RPMS.... and when my rev limiter kicks in, it also gives up (I'm cutting spark, not fuel for rev. limiting). So, I'm probably going to switch it to Megasquirt's tach output. But, the car is not hitting some soft fuel or timing problem anymore, as far as I can tell. Since replacing that spark plug, my datalogs have been a lot cleaner. Less EMI!

 

Annnnnddd... my heater core gave up. I'm literally in the middle of replacing the carpet (although, I have been for the past month), and I noticed a coolant spot under the passenger area on the floor in the garage. I have the rear carpet in already, but thankfully not the front. I was going to put in the rest before this autox, but it looks like that's not going to happen. The autox may not happen now, either .

tune-datalog-04-2013.zip

[BLOZ UP]

Heater core doesn't appear to be leaking, it was a loose host connection on it. Car is running great--except now I'm getting MS resets out of the blue, Like 10 when I went for a short drive.

 

I moved a ground to a different spot on the intake. That's all I changed.

[BLOZ UP]

Resets still happening. Right at 2100 rpms and no where else. W. T. F.

 

Fuel tank still slowly leaks from my NPT plug it looks like. Too bad I have to drain the damned thing to fix it. It'll have to wait until the tank's near empty. The tank also rusts and is not something I'm happy with. I should have had it cleaned and done the welding myself, then had it coated.

 

Heater core is not leaking as far as I can tell, so yay.

[MrCleburn]

Glad to hear you worked out some bugs and got it on the road!

 

That sucks you had to roll the fenders but good your tires don't rub. I remember one day your fender peeled off some rubber like an onion. I'm sure I will end up rolling mine in time at least in the rear to go bigger than 245's. 

 

I haven't messed with MS in awhile, that is strange that your getting resets right at a certain rpm though.. You figure out anything with this? 

 

-Pat

[BLOZ UP]

Thanks. The only thing I can think of that changed is the distributor. I clocked it advanced as far as it will go, and added the 15 degree or so offset in my MS trigger settings. So, the plug wire for #1 hits my TPS. That's all I can think of.

 

In other news, I checked and tightened everything. My exhaust is whack and hanging low, one of the straps on the transmission just isn't cutting it. A lot of the weight of the exhaust is on the turbo and manifolds now I am guessing. I need to fix that.

 

Finally bolted the radiator on completely since I kept forgetting to fasten two of the tabs. Added some padding to the charge pipe that runs next to the radiator. Removed dangling speed sensor wires from transmission. Checked coolant. Checked motor mounts. Once I fix that exhaust I can make it to the Z meeting next week.

Edited April 29, 2013 by BLOZ UP

[BLOZ UP]

Since last time, I've done a few things:

 

• Redid middle part of exhaust, added more hangars; it's a lot better.
• Fuel pump overheated/was clogged/something and the car died from lack of fuel pressure
• Fixed my fuel sending unit
• Fuel pump has fixed itself (or eaten whatever clogged it), and doesn't whine abnormally any more (!?)
• Put in and finished nearly all the carpet
• Started rebuilding a VG33 from a Frontier

 

The exhaust was hanging too low, so I remade part of the downpipe and middle section, as well as part of the rear. It hugs the car now and never* dips lower than the frame rails. (*Ok, one of the hangar clamps is lower, but that is an easy fix.)

 

Not sure what happened but my fuel pressure dropped and the car died whilst driving. Very annoying. Almost got to take advantage of my free towing, but then car magically started working again. Made it home, opened up the inspection lid and noticed it was half full. Also noticed that sending unit wire was cut for some reason. Fixed the sending unit, got gas, and it's been working ever since. Working better, since now it doesn't whine incessantly anymore. I mean, it's still loud, but it doesn't modulate and sound like a dying sheep.

 

I also started on the carpet, which has been pretty involved. Just need to trim and tuck it up near the firewall and it's done.

 

Pulled apart a Frontier engine I've had for a little while. I thought it was going to be somewhat wasted but other than a bit of oil coking, the bearings are all clean. I'm going to drop it off at a machine shop to clean it all, possibly polish the bearing surfaces if needed, and check the rods and pistons and put in some ARP rod bolts. Just a stock build should be fine for a while.

 

 

 

 

[78zstyle]

Dude, you have had such awful issues with your fuel pump.

 

My walbro 255 has never died or done anything wrong.

[BLOZ UP]

Dude, you have had such awful issues with your fuel pump.

 

My walbro 255 has never died or done anything wrong.

 

Yep. Not a big fan of Aeromotive. Their regulators are cheaply made and overpriced. Fuel pump crap has been all my fault, but I'm switching to Fuel Lab anyway for the built in PWM, whenever I have some spare cash.