TPI swap questions/sources

[Togo]

phew!

i have no idea where to look for that pump box anyway!

[Donbecker]

Bryan,

Not going to be able to make it today, as I need to get two 90o fittings, the straight ones coming off the fuel rail will put the lines too close to the AC belt and the fan itself.

I'll be getting the right ones down at Loper's on Monday. Let me know if there is any time this week that I could stop by.

[Donbecker]

Well I got the 90o fittings at Loper's.

But they didn't have a fuel pump :/

So... ordered one from Jeg's, also ordered a K&N filter that is supposed to fit (my fan shroud is pretty close to the TB).

Those should be here by Wed. so I'll be dropping the tank tomorrow night.

I also ordered the water neck from rockauto.com (they rock! (sorry)).

I have some vac. line plumbing to figure out, and some thread identification to do to block a steam crossover hole and to hook the brake booster hose to the plenum.

I need to change the oil and drain the radiator fluid tonight.

Also still need to run the serial cable from the controller back to the PC, put the controller and relay board in, clean up some wiring and run the 12v constant and switched lines.

Still have to run my ground line as well. Is there a good place on the pass. to ground everything? Maybe the A/c compressor ground?

I'm rushing to get done this week as I still need about 2-3 solid days of testing / tuning to get it stable.

I put in my 2 weeks notice at my old job and I carpool, so in about 2 weeks it needs to be fully functional or my a$$ is walking to Biltmore from Chandler.

Back at it!

BTW, if anyone does have time, I wouldn't mind a hand or two, even if you want to come over and heckle.

I'm on the map for our forum. Send me a message and I'll get you my digits.

[Donbecker]

Got the oil changed, when I pulled the drain plug I had about 1 liter of anti freeze come out first. I'm guessing it sank to the bottom?

That would be good as I had a ton go into the block oil passages.

Drained the radiator as well. Where is the block drain at?

Got the vac. hoses routed for the EGR, vac. advance and the fuel regulator.

Got the area where the filter will go cleaned off with degreaser (front pass. frame rail). Man that was dirty.

Dry fit the 90o fittings to the rail. The 90o's look like they'll work great, they will put the hoses right behind the mount for the Ac compressor and away from the fan & belts.

The hose I got for the brake booster is the wrong size, I need 11/32" hose, guessing Napa?

I picked up an assortment of Vac. "T" fittings, but don't have the one I need to run the hose for the headlights/ac controls into the vac. advance.

I'm headed down now to get the serial cable installed and possibly the 12v constant and switched.

[Donbecker]

Well, I got the serial cable, the 12v constant and the ground run thru the center console. Took me a little bit longer as I needed to clean up the wiring under the console (I had previously run all the cabling for the touchscreen (power and vga)). Put plastic wire loom on everything, should prevent shorts.

I did some digging on the megasquirt forum, turns out that I can run the switched 12v off the "+" wire on the dizzy, so I ran that into the engine compartment.

Tonight I'll be working on getting the battery area cleaned up, I have a ton of cabling that really needs to find a 'proper home'

(I have a vga for screen,

usb for screen,

serial for megasquirt,

usb for GPS,

the 12v & GND for megasquirt,

the 12v& GND for the PC,

and the 12v & GND for the car amp).

I'm thinking of cutting some notches in the bottom of the top deck lid to get it all in there nice.

Can probably get the switched 12v wired up as well.

Need to get the PCV valve done, my old one uses 3/8", but the connection on the TB looks like 1/2". Thinking I can find one down at Autozone that works.

[Donbecker]

Well, got a bit done last night.

I got all the fuel lines cut, headed to Bryan's tonight to get the fittings on (thanks Bryan!)

Got the switched 12v spliced into the "+" wire on the dizzy.

Got the 12v constant hooked to the battery.

Got the main GND run to the battery.

'Dry fit' the controller behind the pass. side dash pad. Looks like it will fit fine, need to check to see if it should be secured.

I ran the vac. line for the map sensor thru the firewall, need to pick up a "T" fitting to splice it into the other vac. lines.

I put the pc in the car, installed the Megatune software and gave it a go. I calibrated the TPS sensor, and checked that the IAT (intake air temp) sensor was reading (78-80o) and that the MAP (manifold air pres.) sensor was reading (94 kPa).

So.. those all work.

I didn't want to try to crank it, besides no fuel, I can wait...

I looked at where the fuel lines go back to the tank, I'm thinking about running the fuel pump wire back along them.

Ground for the fuel pump wire will run along the bumper, up the driver's side frame rail to the rear storage area (from putting the amp & pc in, I know there is a grommet to the pass. compartment) and down to the battery.

Just checked fedex, my water neck should be here on Saturday. I still have a few loose ends, but it is looking like this weekend or early next week will be the first starting attempt.

This Saturday or Sunday would be perfect as I will probably need a couple days to tune the thing to get it drivable.

I should see immediate fuel economy benefits, but it will be tons better once I get a wideband O2 sensor.

[BSeery]

What was the web site / company that had the wideband O2 that you are using?

[Donbecker]

http://www.ltbmotorsports.com/inmo.html

The one I'll be using is here:

http://www.ltbmotorsports.com/lclacaswicow.html

Forums:

http://www.innovatemotorsports.com/forums/index.php

[Donbecker]

Well,

Got the fuel pump and lines installed.

Got the tank reinstalled in record time (it was like the 5th time arg.)

Now I'm trying to get this thing started.

I am suspecting that I have the distributor rotated 180o.

Yeah I said it.

After you stop laughing, can one of you post how I can figure out if I have it in the right way?

Also, for some reason I'm getting nil on a tach signal during cranking. This may or may not prevent start, but is definately not going to work if/when I get it started.

Will having the distributor turned affect it?

[BSeery]

well, even if you are 180 degrees out you should get a tach signal. If you are using a standard HEI distributor there is a good chance it's the module that is bad.

If you are using the older HEI (pre 1981) I have a spare that works that you can try with.

Distributor installation: Here is a pre-typed up bit I always post on the Corvette forum because someone asks about this every month.

just look at my picture above. That is a view of the distributor from above. The front of the car is labeled, and you can see the orientation of the wire pack on the HEI distributor.

so, find your number one tower, then go down to where the cap meets the body of the distributor. Draw a line on the distributor body right under the terminal of the #1 terminal. Then when you have the cap off and are installing the distributor you want the rotor to point to that line when you have the distributor fully seated in the engine and the engine is set to top dead center. Know that when you are installing the distributor the rotor will turn as it goes into the engine, so you need to set the rotor ahead a little. If you did it right, the rotor will line up with #1 when installed.

HEI distributor correctly installed in car, front of car on left, viewed from drivers side. Note #1 terminal.

Under the #1 terminal make a mark on the distributor body. See black mark on distributor body, under the #1 terminal.

Now remove the cap.

Start installing distributor body in engine. Note that rotor is not pointing at the mark for number 1 on the body, but is turned pointing more at the fender. That is because as the distributor drops into the engine and the gear engages the cam gear, the rotor will turn. The objective is to have the rotor point to the mark for #1 when the distributor is FULLY SEATED.

As such.

If the distributor will not full seat in the engine it is most likely because the oil pump shaft slot is not lining up with the notch at the end of the distributor shaft gear. You will have to take the distributor back out and with a very long flat screwdriver turn the oil pump shaft. You need to turn it so when the distributor drops in the engine fully it lines up with the inside of the distributor shaft gear. This takes some practice.

If all is seated well the rotor should be pointing very close to the #1 mark when fully seated. If you have the crank set at 0 degrees timing it should point right at it. If you want to set your static timing, turn the crank to about 10 degrees before top dead center and then turn the distributor body so the mark lines up with the rotor. You will then be able to secure the distributor, install the cap, wires and fire it up. Time with a timing light after that.

To determine top dead center you can remove the #1 spark plug and as someone bumps the starter, put your finger over the spark plug hole. As it is coming up to TDC you will feel compression in the cylinder. This will put you at before top dead center, BTDC. You want to get the balancer's TDC mark to around 10 degrees BTDC, 10 degrees before zero. If it goes to zero or a little bit beyond this is not a problem, but it helps to have the engine stop at BTDC. Once you know that you are on the compression stroke use the directions above to install the distributor. This way you will not be 180 degrees off.

[Desertdawg]

Let me shoot in the dark here too.

On my 82, if the puter doesn't see a tach signal (rotation) it won't run the fuel pump after the prime shot, or provide power to the dist. for spark....

[knkayotte]

Nice write up Bryan. Plan on upgrading to HEI in the future (distant future, all my points stuff is new). Will come in handy.

Keith

[BSeery]

Keith -

I know you have the cable driven tach so it's a bit harder to go HEI. They make some HEI distributors with the cable drive for the tach but they run around $500+. You may want to use a Pertronix kit to convert your current distributor from points to electronics. Also about $100 - $115 for the conversion.

[knkayotte]

Yeah, knew it would be hard to convert to HEI because of the Tach. Was going to change my guages anyway to white faced gauges. So shouldn't be an issue. Long ways down the road. Tach doesn't work anyways, problem is on the distributor side. Probably a simple fix, just to many other priorites.

[Donbecker]

Hey guys (and gals),

Just posted an update to the megasquirt forums regarding tonights progress (or lack thereof).

http://www.msefi.com/viewtopic.php?t=13323

Sorry, I hate to post a link, but it's kinda late over here, long day.

BTW, if anyone has some time this week and they'd like to come over and heckle me as I try to get this started, please shoot me an email or give me a ring: 513.379.4993 (yes I live in Phoenix)

For those not in the know, I am starting a new job on Monday and I'm losing my carpool from the other place, so I need to get this beast running ASAP.

Thanks!

-Don

[BSeery]

I can try and make it over on Wednesday night.

What is your address and do you need me to bring any tools? I will see if I still have that spare distributor sitting around. Standard HEI right?

Did you have the HEI in there before? Did you do anything to it since the car last ran?

Remind me to bring my external tach and we will make sure you are sending RPM signal.

[Desertdawg]

Ok, so let me revise my shot in the dark...

If the ecm doesn't see OIL pressure, it won't run the fuel pump, and so on...

[Donbecker]

Destertdawg, I'm running a custom controller, non-OEM.

www.megasquirt.info

Bryan, sounds great!

I'm at:

754 East Saddle Drive

If you get to Fry & Mcqueen, head west on Fry, then turn left onto Ithica (right before the school), then left onto Saddle. 3rd on left.

You'll know it's my house, the garage door will be open.

Oh, my tach stopped working about a year ago and I replaced the circuit board, but I always thought I had screwed up the dash gauge or something.

I have a dwell/tach meter that I have used before and it seemed to read fine right off the tach coil (after the dash gauge stopped working).

Someone replied to my post on the megasquirt forum, turns out that the RPM signal I was seeing was an internal thing and not really RPM (let me know if you want to know more about it), abit misleading to say the least but no big deal.

[BSeery]

I just got called up to go fix a laptop for some asshole doctor on the other side of town. I won't be able to help you tongiht.

[Donbecker]

That's cool.

Asshole doctor = proctologist?

Bet he drives a probe too...

[Overkill]

That's cool.

Asshole doctor = proctologist?

Bet he drives a probe too... 

You've gotta be $hitting me?

[anmracing]

That is too F_ _ _ _ n' funny.......

Andrew

[BSeery]

Nope - a black 2003 Viper. He's a radiologist.

[Donbecker]

I got it started!!

Had to bypass the tach filter, but it runs!!

http://www.msefi.com/viewtopic.php?p=85134#85134

More details to come!

I have the day off work tomorrow, time to tune!

[BSeery]

congrats !!!

My tach filter cause the tach to work fine from 0-2500 RPM, then it would go backwards back down to 0 again. I yanked it and have only had minor issues. At about 2000 RPM I have a little "flutter" in the tach, but I can live with it. The flutter does not show up on the fuel injection computer logs.