Berkeley tune up AK

[Jonny Hotnuts]

Roughed in a gasket, figured out to give up on gasket punches and razor blades the new material is just too tough for them. My pocket knife does a fair job as I can put some body weight behind it.

I have found golden grahams gasket material really easy to cut!



Sorry Eric....just an other lame attempt at humor~

Keep up the good work.

~JH

[Nexxussian]

You funny guy.

So what is that, a layer with Photoshop?

[Jonny Hotnuts]

You funny guy.

So what is that, a layer with Photoshop?

You would be correct.

All joking aside Photoshop has been very useful for examples in LSR. Truth be known while it was retarded that I shopped another cereal box for a gasket if you really had a question that needed explanation a pic it is certainly easier onion skinning a PS layer then cutting an actual box!

~JH


I am wondering if you have designs for a different motor in the future?
Not that there is anything wrong with the current mill but I could see that car doing some real damage with something like a 2JZ-GTE (this is the motor I would use if I had a front engine RWD) or maybe even something like the Honda S2K motor.

Just wondering.

~JH

[Nexxussian]

Trying this again. 

I have the remains of a Quad 4 we used to race, I have been contemplating scrounging the billet rods and forged short stroke racing crank for it if we decide to stay in G class (have to see how the Cit / Pug engine develops).

If I wanted to go after G Blown (not currently, major case of flat wallet itis) I would likely try the SR20DET as I have been involved with them for a while. They make exceptional power when you don't screw up the tune.

But that's normal for just about everything these days.

Or perhaps one of the Ecotec drag engines (the ones that were claiming 1400 ish a few years ago). The big question would be how much would you have to detune it to get it to survive 12 X the distance (20 if I could get enough traction to qualify for the long course  ).

The obvious question is where would we get the funds to do any of that?

Burn that bridge when we get there, eh?

[Nexxussian]

I got impatient today and fabbed a set of nozzle lines frome brake tubing and hydraulic fittings. Ugly, but it shoulnd't leak.

I hope to run it tommorrow.

[Nexxussian]

Oops, forgot to add, the hard lines are just temporary till the hoses get here, so I can run the engine.

[Nexxussian]

Engine Runs!!!!!

Much better than it did too.

Especially after putting the smallest pill I own in it and shortening the link rod between the barrel valve and the throttle shaft by a turn and a half.

I like that Kinsler quick change pill holder too.

But for now I'm out of race fuel.

I figure I should run it on as close to what I'll be using on race day as I can.

I'll have to wait till Monday to be able to get more without taking the trip to the local drag strip (I can't afford to take the time at the moment).



Is it Monday yet?

[Nexxussian]

Cleaned the nozzles, got the MSD mounted again, hopping on one foot and the other waiting for the race shops to open so I can get more fuel.

I had to move the MSD because the throttle shaft is longer out that side and it was close enough that I didn't want to have to work in that cramped of a space it I had to make an adjustment, or change the throttle cable.

I drained the cooling system and I'm going to try running the engine with some vinegar in the cooling system to clean it out. A few cycles of that and lots of water afterwards should make for a clean system (or at least cleaner than it is now).

I hesitate to use any of the commercially available 'radiator flush' kits as they are fairly caustic.

Hopefully tomorrow I can get the stacks cut to length.

[Nexxussian]

So I got called in to work about 4 Hrs early on Monday and it screwed up my schedule all week.

Oh well.

I got the engine running with the vinegar in the cooling system (trying to clean it out, more on that later).

So I had this highly technical, 'high dollar' stationary cooling system for running the car while parked.















What, you were expecting a cooling tower maybe??

Not on this budget.

So I heat cycled the engine several times (checking the level of vinegar each 'cold' part of the cycle) and I was able to clean the inside of the engine well enough to spring a leak on one of the expansion plugs on the cylinder head (it's later).

It was leaking from the inside radius of the cup plug itself.

Metric too.

Believe it or not, I found one (1) on a Friday night the weekend of Memorial Day in Anchorage Alaska.




For anyone that needs one, that's a Doorman part (evidently each Shucks / Orieley's here in town has one, I'll have to make the tour and see, as there are two more plugs like that on that side of the head).

Here's the bag it came in, sorry, I haven't quite mastered close ups of text.

[Nexxussian]

Got the other two, and flushed the engine with lots of water. Ewwww, you shoulda seen the muck that came out.

The ram stacks are cut to length, I've taken my best guess (at this point) at 6900 RPM, now lets see if the body fits over that.

New hardware here and there.

I re-indexed the throttle plates (put loctite on the screws too) so I could turn the idle down. I wound up having to turn the idle up to 1500; with the throttle blades closed it wanted to try and idle just under 800, not quite fast enough to keep it running.

All good so far.

[Rex Schimmer]

Erik,
Going on the basis that the only stupid question is the one you don't ask because it might make you look stupid, tell me how you re-indexed your throttle plates. I looked at you injection and it has a single throttle shaft, so what was the process?

I ask because my injector body is the same as yours and I cut the shaft in the middle and put in a small flex coupling which allows me to set the throttles plates on each side of it but I still cannot get my idle below 1400.

Dilute my ignorance.

Rex

[Nexxussian]

I loosened the hardware (2 screws per butterfly) and wiggled them around till they all agreed on what 'closed' was (still had the return springs on, with the idle stop screw backed out to the point of almost falling out).

I got quite allot of movement out of the shaft (several degrees) as I took the second screw loose for cylinder #4 (the forward most cylinder in the car on this particular engine family  ).

I'm sure removing and reassembling everything left something (apparently Cyl #4's) out of align somewhat. I wasn't sure I would get enough out of it with that, but I figured it was worth a try. It idles better and seems much more crisp on application of power (still no load though  no place long enough, and I'm really getting tired of the knuckleheads here saying 'why don't you take it to the strip?' maybe because you need to multiply the acceleration area by 12 to get what this car needs??? ).




NEW PROGRESS

I haven't a picture yet but I have the new throttle cables fabricated (1 + a spare).

I will really have to post a picture as they are an odd conglomeration.

Starting at the go pedal it hooks on with a clevis pin (3/16") through a homemade swivel clevis to an aircraft 'stop' swage fitting (it's shaped like a ball with a tail) to aircraft cable (3/32" 7x7 flex) through a clip nut, then a Harley Davidson control end (take off, apparently not shiny enough for some ) then motorcycle control cable sheathing (Screaming Eagle brand if I remember the label on the roll correctly, note: per the rule book, NOT plastic lined sheath) then another swage on Aircraft end (this ones' threaded for a turnbuckle) threaded into a marine Morse type quick release ball and socket connection.

Pictures will make it better, I'm sure.

[Nexxussian]

Okay, pictures as promised.

First the pedal end, in this picture the cable is pushed out of the fitting (I'm calling that a 'swivel clevis' at this point) you can see the ball shaped stop fitting on the cable, the swivel clevis, the clip nut (it actually has a captured square nut on there) and the motorcycle contoll end.




Next I have the throttle end as a loose mock up, you can see the cable sheath and the threaded end swaged on the cable. I have next to the end the boot I intend to run on the cable and the marine 'Morse' type QD end (that one's still in the bag).



Here is a picture of the cable installed at the pedal end, note the bail is yet to be installed on the go pedal.



That leaves the throttle end, please ignore the current return spring setup and the metal nozzle lines, those will both change when the flex lines get back. Yes the wires will be secure before we leave.

Here it is attached



And detached for a better look at the QD end and swage assembly.

[Stan Back]

Rex --

Did you get my PM?

Stan

[Rex Schimmer]

Stan,
Yes I got it and thanks for the input. I am thinking that if I would loosen the butterfly retaining screws I would red loctite them before I ran the engine again. My little 4 cylinder is a pretty good shaker and I would think that Nexxussian you should loctite also.

Rex