Finishing the racecar blog. Yes?

[Horsewidower]

Well, another 12 hour day. Car is ready to go to the computer doc again. Let's go over the list.

Fire system finished except for installing the cable in the bottle, don't want to do that until we are done crawling around inside. We don't want to hook the cable and set off the system.

Flywheel and starter seem happy. We checked the backlash and the depth. Everything seemed happy. Puzzling. We then tried to start the car (no tranny in). Solenoid click and nothing. Then smoke, oh ****!! Couldn't find any burnt wires (I was thinking I'd need lessons from Pat on how to put smoke back in the wires). Well hit the start button again, solenoid click, then smoke, again!! We pulled the main wiring harness out of its cover, still no burnt wires I crawled under the car and told Roger to push the button. Holy crap, the braided steel line that goes to the oil pressure gauge was smoking along its entire length. As any normal American male, I reached up and grabbed the line, and burnt my hand. The car was trying to ground itself through the line and actually welded itself to the hard brake line that it was touching. Insufficient grounding for the starter, and I would assume most of the rest of the systems. We fabbed up some grounds and the starter spun like its supposed to. Of course we had to replace the oil pressure gauge line.

Transmission in. Done
Driveshaft in. Done
Dropped the Circle wheels and Kumhos off to have the tires shaved.
Exhaust system in. Done
Changed the oil and plugs.
Dropped it on the ground and got it ready to go.

Called Shad and told him we needed the car back by Friday COB in order to make the Jan 2 track day. Being a cautious guy, he said "maybe." He also knows this bitch and how difficult she can be.

Some gratuitous pics:

[8T6 SVO]

Then smoke, oh ****!! Couldn't find any burnt wires (I was thinking I'd need lessons from Pat on how to put smoke back in the wires).

That Magic smoke is hard - once it comes out, it doesn't go back in.

Best of luck with Shad, please post when you plan on being around his shop and having him tune the car.

[Horsewidower]

I'll be at Shad's at about 9:30 today, for probably about an hour. Then sometime tomorrow. Probably around 4:00??

Bob

[8T6 SVO]

Dang,

I spent most of the day today in Rancho Cordova. I'll call you and try to stop by tomorrow afternoon.

Shad's in the Gold River area right?

[Horsewidower]

Driving Ambition
2378 Gold River Road #11
Gold River

[Horsewidower]

AAARrrghhhhhh ":IM":I:M":J}{>>}{>()*^&*$#$!!!!!!! POS haltech!!

Bob

[CP86SVO]

AAARrrghhhhhh ":IM":I:M":J}{>>}{>()*^&*$#$!!!!!!! POS haltech!!

Bob

What happened?

My impression is that the Haltech is faulty...time to get it replaced with a known working unit.

WS

[Horsewidower]

Yep, that's what I'm thinking. Its either that or there are some bad wiring connections. I'd like to shoot the guy that did the wiring, we've found several bad connections.

Its a funny problem, it'll work fine, then you shut it off, turn it back on and its scrambled.

I'm going to give Shad Weds and Thursday to get it going, he's going to call msd and haltech, and if it isn't fixed I'll bring it home and R&R the wiring, and probably send the Haltech in for a once over. Meanwhile, I think I'll swap in a stock harness and ECU and at least get it running and out to the track.

Bob

[Horsewidower]

Well I'm looking at alternative engine management systems.

I looked at just throwing on a stock ECU, but I'm eventually going to need to run 2 injectors per cylinder. Given the success folks seem to be having with the Megasquirt, I think I'll head that direction.

My biggest concern is whether or not the box can take the vibration and beating that happens with roadracing. Anyone have an opinion? Sure you do!!

Bob

[CP86SVO]

Well I'm looking at alternative engine management systems.

I looked at just throwing on a stock ECU, but I'm eventually going to need to run 2 injectors per cylinder. Given the success folks seem to be having with the Megasquirt, I think I'll head that direction.

My biggest concern is whether or not the box can take the vibration and beating that happens with roadracing. Anyone have an opinion? Sure you do!!

Bob

Get a Megasquirt 2 with the surface mount board:

http://www.diyautotune.com/catalog/megasquirtii-system-pcb357-assembled-unit-p-165.html?osCsid=e555b0c5a56b39b8d3b4d317c8fb438c

and this:

http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=MSD%2D8823&N=700+115&autoview=sku

then tell me how it works!!!

[Horsewidower]

That's what I'm thinking. I'll write it up when I'm installing. I'm thinking more and more of just cutting Shad off and going for it. At 125 an hour, I can pay for this thing pretty quickly! At least I'll know how the wiring system works!!

Bob

[Horsewidower]

Well, went up to see Shad today and discuss where we are. I've given him until Friday afternoon, he thinks that the issue is the wiring between the Haltech and the MSD. We discussed whether or not it was an EMI problem, grounding, trigger, programming etc. Its interesting to note that there is almost no discussion on the Haltech forums about this problem, but there are 65 threads about Haltech and MSD compatability on the MSD forum. Somebody had to point out to me that the MSD forums might have a solution.

The MSD box is giving the LED code for a loss of trigger signal, yet the haltech shows that it is getting a strong and steady trigger as the RPM on the screen is steady.

When I got there today, they were going through the wiring between the two boxes, we'll see what happens.

Bob

[8T6 SVO]

I stop by Shad's and met Bob today. He's got the motor running real smooth......up to 4800RPM. The car looks GREAT! It's one of those cars that you have to see in person to really appreciate. LOTS of detailed work. It's bad a$$.

Looking forward to seeing this car in action. For us 2.3 Turbo guys - It's an exciting thing to see.

[Horsewidower]

Thanks for the kind words Greg.

Shad seems to be on the right track. He had to rewire several things and separate out some wiring to get rid of the EMI problems. It seems to run fine up until 4800 rpm then starts breaking up. Shad says it seems like almost a rev limiter, but those have been disabled in both the MSD and Haltech.

We'll see what happens. Just two preliminary runs on the dyno 202 hp and 230 torques at 4800 rpm, 11psi. Very little tuning done. We'll easily make the 290 limit for AI legal. We may be running as little as 8-9 psi.

Bob

Bob

[Horsewidower]

I finally went back and talked to Brian Kennedy at BMEP out of Austin Texas. Brian sold the Haltech to Clay Autery, I bought it from Clay. I had talked to Brian about two years ago. Brian distributes the Haltech to dealers, and is intimately familiar with them.

He was very emphatic that the MSD and Haltech are pretty incompatible. They can be made to work together with some filters and other work arounds, but in the end would be unreliable. Funny, when I told Shad that, he stated that he hated MSD boxes also and agreed that it was best to take it out.

We are going to use 4 individual coils with integral ignitors. That should work quite well, according to Brian, provided that we haven't damaged the Haltech in the meantime. I should have everything together by Thursday and hopefully have the car up and running by this weekend.

Cross your fingers folks, Mike throw on some crocodile tongues and I'll get out the spray and hose everybody and everything down with it. Maybe we'll finally have it working.

Bob