She Followed Me Home, Honest
Vaingloriously, I kinda think that if manual premixing is too onerous, I could come up with a more automated system...despite the many who have previously failed.
Then again, such a system would actually be moving the complexity from one end of the car to the other (presuming that the theoretical oil tank and pump would be near the fuel tank) and a fault in the system would be just as catastrophic as an OMP failure.
Sheesh.
Then again, such a system would actually be moving the complexity from one end of the car to the other (presuming that the theoretical oil tank and pump would be near the fuel tank) and a fault in the system would be just as catastrophic as an OMP failure.
Sheesh.
MECP Certified Installer
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 3,176
Likes: 3
From: Mesquite, TX-DFW
Premixing at the gas pump isn't really all the hassle it is said to be.
I take the price of gas and figure up roughly how many gallons I am going to get based on how many dollars are going into the tank. It's just a rough calculation of gallons and ounces and takes minimal brain power.
Now if you plan on being exact and right on the money, yeah it's going to suck. There is absolutely no reason to be that precise at all though.
I take the price of gas and figure up roughly how many gallons I am going to get based on how many dollars are going into the tank. It's just a rough calculation of gallons and ounces and takes minimal brain power.
Now if you plan on being exact and right on the money, yeah it's going to suck. There is absolutely no reason to be that precise at all though.
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 2,614
Likes: 31
From: Freeland, MI
Originally Posted by jjwalker
Premixing at the gas pump isn't really all the hassle it is said to be.
I take the price of gas and figure up roughly how many gallons I am going to get based on how many dollars are going into the tank. It's just a rough calculation of gallons and ounces and takes minimal brain power.
Now if you plan on being exact and right on the money, yeah it's going to suck. There is absolutely no reason to be that precise at all though.
I take the price of gas and figure up roughly how many gallons I am going to get based on how many dollars are going into the tank. It's just a rough calculation of gallons and ounces and takes minimal brain power.
Now if you plan on being exact and right on the money, yeah it's going to suck. There is absolutely no reason to be that precise at all though.
MECP Certified Installer
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 3,176
Likes: 3
From: Mesquite, TX-DFW
Gas is $1.83 here. I round that to $2.00 a gallon and $10 will give me 5 gallons. Toss in 2 ounces and just a smidge more due to the rounding error and done.
Last edited by jjwalker; Dec 9, 2015 at 12:00 PM.
I always run the tank down, and then fill, in whatever car it is and driving. I've had people tell me it's a bad thing because then your getting all the bad yucky stuff in the bottom of the tank. I personally think it's a wive's tale. But, if you run the tank down, how would the yucky stuff build up?
for the most part it is a exaggerated myth, put a straw in a glass full of water with a small bit of sand at the bottom, about 1/4 above the bottom and may get some junk here and there but no more than when the straw hits the bottom of the liquid to draw it up.
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 2,614
Likes: 31
From: Freeland, MI
IMO its better to run it low than fill up, that way you burn through any water that you've gotten. Granted it should've already been sloshed around and mixed, but still, water sinks
Time passed, paint happened:
I admit I'm conflicted...appalled by the painted over fasteners and the dirt undoubtedly bedded under the black, while simultaneously thinking it doesn't look all that bad.
The pulley was painted separately and the timing marks were filed clean and filled with white paint.
The pointer is white also, a detail that doesn't show well here.
I left the old CAS, oil pan, filter and plugs in during paint, I won't be using any of 'em and they were good hole fillers during the whole process. Same with the hoses.
I used VHT engine enamel in semi-flat black. I'd prefer a bit more satin but glossier paint is more resistent and should look better longer.
And it's what I had.
No runs I can see and I'm heartened by the fact that very little of this is visible when I slather on the ancillaries.
I admit I'm conflicted...appalled by the painted over fasteners and the dirt undoubtedly bedded under the black, while simultaneously thinking it doesn't look all that bad.
The pulley was painted separately and the timing marks were filed clean and filled with white paint.
The pointer is white also, a detail that doesn't show well here.
I left the old CAS, oil pan, filter and plugs in during paint, I won't be using any of 'em and they were good hole fillers during the whole process. Same with the hoses.
I used VHT engine enamel in semi-flat black. I'd prefer a bit more satin but glossier paint is more resistent and should look better longer.
And it's what I had.
No runs I can see and I'm heartened by the fact that very little of this is visible when I slather on the ancillaries.
Last edited by clokker; Dec 10, 2015 at 05:47 PM.
Thanks.
For a change, the pics aren't lying...it looks pretty much just like that in person.
I'd like to replace all the visible (mainly, front cover) hardware with new, but we'll see.
Meanwhile, I decided to at least clean up the manifolds to see if they were maybe better than my old stuff, so that's been happening. Unfortunately, half my tools are over at S.'s and each manifold seems to have one piece of hardware I can't deal with using what's on hand.
Of course, all this cleaning leaves plenty of time to explore silly flights of fancy as I imagine ways of "improving" the engine. To date I've taken great pride in rearranging the engine bay while keeping all the stock systems intact...now I'm feeling a bit friskier.
I've already started thinking of the engine harness and that's bubbling around in my subconscious, ready to pop up when something gels. I'm now looking at the solenoid rack/vac spider...they are hard parts that need cleaning anyway.
Although I've worked with the system before, I never got beyond the minimum requirement of knowing that Tab A fits in Slot B and before I can screw with things I need to better understand them.
Because of the modified throttle body and deletion of the AWS solenoid, I already know the metered air feed to the BAC can be streamlined and that lead me to question the vacuum spider altogether.
If I could move the solenoid rack to the passenger side (which may be possible due to the reconfigured intake tract), it's seems like the spider would (mostly) go away and I wouldn't need to drag the electrics all the way across the block.
Need to look into this more...
Meanwhile, I'm also prepping for the next housesit/Z flog over at Sigfrid's.
Starting this Friday, I move over for two weeks and hope to get something worthwhile done to the interior.
Weather permitting.
For a change, the pics aren't lying...it looks pretty much just like that in person.
I'd like to replace all the visible (mainly, front cover) hardware with new, but we'll see.
Meanwhile, I decided to at least clean up the manifolds to see if they were maybe better than my old stuff, so that's been happening. Unfortunately, half my tools are over at S.'s and each manifold seems to have one piece of hardware I can't deal with using what's on hand.
Of course, all this cleaning leaves plenty of time to explore silly flights of fancy as I imagine ways of "improving" the engine. To date I've taken great pride in rearranging the engine bay while keeping all the stock systems intact...now I'm feeling a bit friskier.
I've already started thinking of the engine harness and that's bubbling around in my subconscious, ready to pop up when something gels. I'm now looking at the solenoid rack/vac spider...they are hard parts that need cleaning anyway.
Although I've worked with the system before, I never got beyond the minimum requirement of knowing that Tab A fits in Slot B and before I can screw with things I need to better understand them.
Because of the modified throttle body and deletion of the AWS solenoid, I already know the metered air feed to the BAC can be streamlined and that lead me to question the vacuum spider altogether.
If I could move the solenoid rack to the passenger side (which may be possible due to the reconfigured intake tract), it's seems like the spider would (mostly) go away and I wouldn't need to drag the electrics all the way across the block.
Need to look into this more...
Meanwhile, I'm also prepping for the next housesit/Z flog over at Sigfrid's.
Starting this Friday, I move over for two weeks and hope to get something worthwhile done to the interior.
Weather permitting.
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 3,785
Likes: 30
From: And the horse he rode in on...
Still in cleaning mode, everytime I reposition the block I find all new deposits of grime.
I believe the engine has been apart, the aluminum parts were painted silver-poorly- but the cast iron was left bare and there's more sealant squeeze out than I'd expect from the factory.
As j9 might put it, I spend a lot of time "skiing" when doing mindless tasks and this little diversion happened as I washed the waterpump housing...
On the lower hose boss (inlet) is an untapped/undrilled casting that I think is the turbo water return in boosted cars, left unfinished in the lowly NA.
It appears beefy enough to fit a 5/8" hose barb (probably not a screw in, but a press fit tube should work)...which, coincidentally enough, is the size of the heater core return bung on the radiator.
Last summer, faced with replacing my leaky Godspeed radiator, I was frustrated by the restrictions the stock setup imposes. Were it not for the extra heater fitting, many more generic rads might be considered. Having deleted the stock airbox and mechanical fan, I no longer need the downward angled top hose bung either, a standard straight fitting would do fine. In fact, that would allow for a more generic upper hose as well.
I've already replaced the rad and have no immediate need to do this but can anyone see a problem with bringing the heater return in at the engine side instead of further down the hose at the radiator?
While I have the pump housing in hand there are three other projects planned for it...the heater fitting being theoretical for now.
-I'd like to replace the 90° hose fitting on the back with a straight one. I think the diversion of this hose over the BAC is absurd and a different fitting gives me a cleaner shot to the thermowax.
-Drill/tap the unused boss on the upper (thermostat) neck to accept the BMW fan trigger switch I used on the Z. This switch is 16mm compared to the 22mm Audi part I now use, which requires an adaptor in the upper hose. Be able to clean up the wiring some as well.
-While rooting around I found a metal thermostat cover/hose bung that I must have snagged years ago. No idea what it's off but it looks pretty good...certainly worthy of an attempt at fitting.
Now back to cleaning.
I believe the engine has been apart, the aluminum parts were painted silver-poorly- but the cast iron was left bare and there's more sealant squeeze out than I'd expect from the factory.
As j9 might put it, I spend a lot of time "skiing" when doing mindless tasks and this little diversion happened as I washed the waterpump housing...
On the lower hose boss (inlet) is an untapped/undrilled casting that I think is the turbo water return in boosted cars, left unfinished in the lowly NA.
It appears beefy enough to fit a 5/8" hose barb (probably not a screw in, but a press fit tube should work)...which, coincidentally enough, is the size of the heater core return bung on the radiator.
Last summer, faced with replacing my leaky Godspeed radiator, I was frustrated by the restrictions the stock setup imposes. Were it not for the extra heater fitting, many more generic rads might be considered. Having deleted the stock airbox and mechanical fan, I no longer need the downward angled top hose bung either, a standard straight fitting would do fine. In fact, that would allow for a more generic upper hose as well.
I've already replaced the rad and have no immediate need to do this but can anyone see a problem with bringing the heater return in at the engine side instead of further down the hose at the radiator?
While I have the pump housing in hand there are three other projects planned for it...the heater fitting being theoretical for now.
-I'd like to replace the 90° hose fitting on the back with a straight one. I think the diversion of this hose over the BAC is absurd and a different fitting gives me a cleaner shot to the thermowax.
-Drill/tap the unused boss on the upper (thermostat) neck to accept the BMW fan trigger switch I used on the Z. This switch is 16mm compared to the 22mm Audi part I now use, which requires an adaptor in the upper hose. Be able to clean up the wiring some as well.
-While rooting around I found a metal thermostat cover/hose bung that I must have snagged years ago. No idea what it's off but it looks pretty good...certainly worthy of an attempt at fitting.
Now back to cleaning.
The Griffin rad didn't cool all that well.
Jack
Hi Jack, Merry Christmas!
Just a gentle reminder...I'm still holding the "C" that was stolen from your name, I believe you've "forgotten" to pick it up three years running. As an added inducement, this year I covered it in pumpkin spice, which should make it irresistible. Please don't make me regift it to someone less deserving.
I've always been surprised that the Griffin didn't work out for you but then again, didn't you have like eight heat exchangers and an EazyBake oven in front of it?
Just a gentle reminder...I'm still holding the "C" that was stolen from your name, I believe you've "forgotten" to pick it up three years running. As an added inducement, this year I covered it in pumpkin spice, which should make it irresistible. Please don't make me regift it to someone less deserving.
I've always been surprised that the Griffin didn't work out for you but then again, didn't you have like eight heat exchangers and an EazyBake oven in front of it?
Well, I began the two week housesitting stint at Sigfrid's Friday night.
Spent Saturday cleaning/drying out the garage, finally got the Z inside and ready to work on.
Sunday I dragged all the big interior panels down from the attic...first I've seen them in two years.
They were dirty and cold, so they went into a bathtub full of soapy hot water for cleaning and defrosting.
The doorpanels are fiberboard and can't be soaked, they were just wiped off.
The doorpanels and armrests are now installed.
I need a trip to B&D to acquire the plastic pushpins that hold everything else on and the interior will be mostly in place.
Then it can all come out again.
The Z interior is pretty rudimentary and most of it will probably be redone with new panels (the door cards for instance, do not match our Miata dash at all...) but it's easier to start with what we have and go from there.
Plus, it all gets stripped out for sound deadening later this spring anyway.
Work on the FC engine bits will continue after Christmas, mostly manifold painting/refurb. I did manage to remove all the injector diffusers intact, so that's nice.
I'll send out the injectors to Witchhunter and place the first parts order next week also.
Happy holidays, y'all.
Spent Saturday cleaning/drying out the garage, finally got the Z inside and ready to work on.
Sunday I dragged all the big interior panels down from the attic...first I've seen them in two years.
They were dirty and cold, so they went into a bathtub full of soapy hot water for cleaning and defrosting.
The doorpanels are fiberboard and can't be soaked, they were just wiped off.
The doorpanels and armrests are now installed.
I need a trip to B&D to acquire the plastic pushpins that hold everything else on and the interior will be mostly in place.
Then it can all come out again.
The Z interior is pretty rudimentary and most of it will probably be redone with new panels (the door cards for instance, do not match our Miata dash at all...) but it's easier to start with what we have and go from there.
Plus, it all gets stripped out for sound deadening later this spring anyway.
Work on the FC engine bits will continue after Christmas, mostly manifold painting/refurb. I did manage to remove all the injector diffusers intact, so that's nice.
I'll send out the injectors to Witchhunter and place the first parts order next week also.
Happy holidays, y'all.
How bad were the orings on the diffusers? When I took mine out of the Tii they were rock hard and broke apart like like brittle plastic(the orings).
The secondary o-rings seem fine but the primaries are all rock hard, so I'll replace 'em all.
The 1/4 window and lower b-pillar panels are now in, only three pieces left.
Even faded and discolored, the interior makes the car look more complete and it's certainly quieter.
Yesterday I pulled the rear wheels and brake drums to see why the rear brakes are not "self-adjusting". I understand the concept and can see the mechanism but cannot operate the lever and observe the wheel at the same time.
When installing new brake shoes, all you are supposed to do for adjustment is ratchet the ebrake handle a few times and ours is obviously not working, so temporarily, I manually adjusted and went for a drive.
Much, much better.
She could reasonably be pressed into daily service just as she sits.
The suspension and steering are good but we're going to need the rear fender lips rolled as they eat the tire under full compression. Besides that, it drives great.
Carburation is clean and hesitation free, she pulls clean from idle to whatever...remember, we have no gauges so I have no clue what speed,rpm or anything.
The efan system seems to work great...I was a bit concerned it would run on for a long time with the car off but the longest so far is about 15 seconds, which is fine.
About the only thing left unchecked is the lighting at night, the head/fog lamps almost certainly need aiming. That will come soon.
I'm getting about 3-4 hours of bearable sunlight a day but the weather is supposed to get wintery soon, so we'll see.
I haven't even started the FC since last Friday but will start on her new engine bits again in a day or so, she isn't being totally neglected.
Working in wintertime is hardly optimal but I'm fairly pleased with progress so far.
The 1/4 window and lower b-pillar panels are now in, only three pieces left.
Even faded and discolored, the interior makes the car look more complete and it's certainly quieter.
Yesterday I pulled the rear wheels and brake drums to see why the rear brakes are not "self-adjusting". I understand the concept and can see the mechanism but cannot operate the lever and observe the wheel at the same time.
When installing new brake shoes, all you are supposed to do for adjustment is ratchet the ebrake handle a few times and ours is obviously not working, so temporarily, I manually adjusted and went for a drive.
Much, much better.
She could reasonably be pressed into daily service just as she sits.
The suspension and steering are good but we're going to need the rear fender lips rolled as they eat the tire under full compression. Besides that, it drives great.
Carburation is clean and hesitation free, she pulls clean from idle to whatever...remember, we have no gauges so I have no clue what speed,rpm or anything.
The efan system seems to work great...I was a bit concerned it would run on for a long time with the car off but the longest so far is about 15 seconds, which is fine.
About the only thing left unchecked is the lighting at night, the head/fog lamps almost certainly need aiming. That will come soon.
I'm getting about 3-4 hours of bearable sunlight a day but the weather is supposed to get wintery soon, so we'll see.
I haven't even started the FC since last Friday but will start on her new engine bits again in a day or so, she isn't being totally neglected.
Working in wintertime is hardly optimal but I'm fairly pleased with progress so far.
I had the Z aligned yesterday, one more thing done.
Our camber is more extreme than stock because of the lowering springs but the toe adjusted fine.
She was the star of the shop, at one point I think every employee was underneath, checking her out.
Sure wish I had a lift, it was nice to walk beneath rather than crawl.
I haven't tried it out on the highway yet, but she seemed fine before and should only get better now. Meanwhile, I'm just finishing off a lot of little stuff, like finally installing the bellypan. The engine has not leaked oil/coolant for a few weeks now, so I'm saying she's good and the pan can go back on.
It's kinda a milestone...the bellypan was one of the first parts I rehabbed 2 1/2 years ago and it's fitting it's one of the last to go back on.
So, YAY.
I even splurged on nine new bolts to hold it, as befitting the occasion.
It's basically silly to keep working on the interior until we get the sound deadening in and the carpet laid...neither of which are happening in this weather.
What we need now are gauges and Sigfrid and I are working out a plan.
The Speedhuts he favors are @$700 and the the VDOs I like are @$500 but we can't agree on what gauges to get. I think a tach is useless and would prefer a large speedo flanked with four subgauges (oil, water, volts, fuel) but he's a purist and wants a tach.
It's just a question of money.
As usual.
Our camber is more extreme than stock because of the lowering springs but the toe adjusted fine.
She was the star of the shop, at one point I think every employee was underneath, checking her out.
Sure wish I had a lift, it was nice to walk beneath rather than crawl.
I haven't tried it out on the highway yet, but she seemed fine before and should only get better now. Meanwhile, I'm just finishing off a lot of little stuff, like finally installing the bellypan. The engine has not leaked oil/coolant for a few weeks now, so I'm saying she's good and the pan can go back on.
It's kinda a milestone...the bellypan was one of the first parts I rehabbed 2 1/2 years ago and it's fitting it's one of the last to go back on.
So, YAY.
I even splurged on nine new bolts to hold it, as befitting the occasion.
It's basically silly to keep working on the interior until we get the sound deadening in and the carpet laid...neither of which are happening in this weather.
What we need now are gauges and Sigfrid and I are working out a plan.
The Speedhuts he favors are @$700 and the the VDOs I like are @$500 but we can't agree on what gauges to get. I think a tach is useless and would prefer a large speedo flanked with four subgauges (oil, water, volts, fuel) but he's a purist and wants a tach.
It's just a question of money.
As usual.
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 3,785
Likes: 30
From: And the horse he rode in on...
Later today I return home for Christmas dinner and planned on taking the Z.
I could take the highway route and see how the alignment feels at speed and the return trip in the dark would be the first look at the lighting.
Noticed the license lighting wasn't working.
Damnit, that has been complete for over a year...I KNOW they worked at one point and have no clue what's happening.
Best case scenario is the bulbs are bad but nothing is open today, so I'd have to risk driving dark till tomorrow. And "risk" it is...that's just the kind of petty bullshit cops love to harass you with. They're already cranky working on a holiday, pissy little **** like bad bulbs is a golden opportunity for them.
When the sun comes up I'll have to do some exploratory work.
Damnit.
Just a poor connection, old socket and all. Reading your Z section makes me miss my 73 240. Such a fun car. Many road trips it made, had four snow tires in the winter, as it was my ski car. 3 hours one way to ski resort. Solid car in the snow.
Last edited by HRnico; Dec 25, 2015 at 10:52 AM.
Surprisingly, no.
It was just one of those silly things...when the rear valence trim finally went back and the license plate was bolted on, the bullet connectors for the lights got pulled and disconnected.
It's especially galling because I distinctly recall looking at those two connectors and realizing they were probably the very last of the original Datsun harness and rather than replace with a nice 2-pin connector, I kept them for sentimental reasons.
It's all fine now and there's rarely a reason to be mucking about back there, so I expect they'll be fine.
The silver lining is that at least it wasn't a failure or fuckup on my part, just a bit of haphazard installation...which admittedly, was my fault.
I can live with that.
It was just one of those silly things...when the rear valence trim finally went back and the license plate was bolted on, the bullet connectors for the lights got pulled and disconnected.
It's especially galling because I distinctly recall looking at those two connectors and realizing they were probably the very last of the original Datsun harness and rather than replace with a nice 2-pin connector, I kept them for sentimental reasons.
It's all fine now and there's rarely a reason to be mucking about back there, so I expect they'll be fine.
The silver lining is that at least it wasn't a failure or fuckup on my part, just a bit of haphazard installation...which admittedly, was my fault.
I can live with that.
The Z survived her trial by fire with flying colors.
She drove- without drama or incident- through 35 miles of 15° snow and ice.
Conditions were pretty bad, had there not been prime rib waiting at the end, I would have stayed here. Everyone was slipping and sliding, there were accidents everywhere but the Z just kinda drove through it.
I wasn't even worried.
The heater works well, the interior was comfortable and fog free.
I had planned on taking the highway for part of the trip but conditions kept me on surface streets instead, so lighting was not an issue. The lights work and no one flashed me...that's about all I can say about that.
We seem to have a pretty decent street car finally.
I was, and continue to be, ecstatic...this ex-pile o'crap has blossomed.
Best Christmas gift ever.
She drove- without drama or incident- through 35 miles of 15° snow and ice.
Conditions were pretty bad, had there not been prime rib waiting at the end, I would have stayed here. Everyone was slipping and sliding, there were accidents everywhere but the Z just kinda drove through it.
I wasn't even worried.
The heater works well, the interior was comfortable and fog free.
I had planned on taking the highway for part of the trip but conditions kept me on surface streets instead, so lighting was not an issue. The lights work and no one flashed me...that's about all I can say about that.
We seem to have a pretty decent street car finally.
I was, and continue to be, ecstatic...this ex-pile o'crap has blossomed.
Best Christmas gift ever.
Oil Metering Pump Adapters - Rotary Aviation<br />.com
The one thing to keep in mind is that the rate of oil injection is much reduced with the S5 vs. the S4, except under higher load and/or higher RPM operations. This was done mostly to help meet the new for 1990 emissions standards. I still have the stock set up on my S5, but I started to premix as a sort of cheap insurance policy for the apex seals. Based on the oil and gasoline consumption rates, I calculated that on average my S5 is running as if pre-mixing at a 1/4 oz per gallon of gas rate. Based maps I have seen this is about 1/2 of what the S4 would be running at.
So to help make up the difference I pre-mix at a rate of 1/4 oz per gallon at each fill up. I printed up an easy to read/use chart that shows me how much TC-W3 oil needs to be added to the tank after I pump the gasoline. How many gallons did I pump? Read down the listing and it tells you how many ounces of TC-W3 to add. No more trying to do math in my head at the pump. I keep the TC-W3 2-stroke oil in an old Sta-bil gasoline additive bottle. That make measuring quick and easy and I don't need to carry or use a funnel. I keep the bottle in a gallon kip lock freezer bag next to the relocated battery in the passenger side storage bin. It is fairly easy and quick work at the gas station and because TC-W3 mixes / disperses so well in gasoline, there is no need to add it before you pump the gasoline just to make sure it is well mixed in the tank.
For track day or HPDE events, I pre-mix at a higher rate again just to be on the safe side.
Last edited by DeaconBlue; Dec 26, 2015 at 01:12 PM.
I kinda have to decide whether this is a more permanent commitment to the FC or if this engine swap is just a "cross your fingers, keep me going" deal. If the former, I'd really like to try some of the things I considered two years ago when the '91 engine got swapped into the '90 chassis.
Like headers and a lightened flywheel, for instance.
Dunno.