Stoneleigh success (ish)

I got to Stoneleigh and back.

Trigger wheel failures above 6000rpm.

Tune isn't great.

Exhaust clamp fell off.

One fuel injector is gummed up

Engine vents gases into cabin

Problem with hot starting (trigger wheel related I think)

Nothing that isn't easily fixed. The only bad one is the "heavy breathing". It seems to be blowing off something more that air. Not sure what is going on there, but it may improve. COmpression test wasn't great yielding 9.6, 8.6, 9.3, 8.0. Which is disappointing.

Interestingly I did a massive datalog all the way to Stoneleigh (50mins) which showed up some interesting tuning features.

I had read that you could run a tuning map that was based on MAP and RPM. It actually turns out that TPS plays a significant role (my finnish buddy Arttu told me this, but he is in the minority of 1). I have put the whole log file into the computer and simulated different maps. It turns out that Alpha-N with multiplicative MAP scaling is pretty close to perfect. I am going to run a MAP table so that I can tidy up the low speed running (where MAP works really nicely).

If you look at the megaviewer screenshot, you can clearly see the AFR (air-fuel-ratio) modulating with TPS even though MAP stays pretty constant. When running the TPS didn't affect fueling, and clearly it should.

Falling towards Stoneleigh

The Stoneleigh kit car show (Warwickshire showground) is the "largest kit car show-- in the world", and is a good place to meet up with virtual friends from the internet world with a common interest in car stuff. It is free to attend if you arrive in a kit car, and I have never managed to take advantage of this (this is only the second year that I have had a road legal car).

Anyway, the plan had been to put the new engine in map it on the road, and then drive to Stoneleigh. Simple.

That is still the plan, but there was set-back last weekend when the triggering failed and I ended up getting towed home. (BAD).

I have since fixed the ECU. It turned out to be a dead ignition driver, that combined with carboned up plugs and a low battery. I still don't really understand why the triggering wasn't working, but when an ignition driver fails I think it can stuff up the earthing, which can corrupt the trigger. The triggering circuit was designed by me (and hence a bit random), so I assumed it was that, and adjusted a couple of things. Anyway, I tidied up some of the cable routing too, and sorted the shift-lights, also I built a megasquirt simulator, and used matlab to output representative trigger signals (via the headphone output) for the MS to trigger from.

So, after installing and testing, and testing and installing the engine fired up from its own battery this morning. I think the batteries (both the normal bike battery that I run, but also the backup battery, which I use when starting is a problem) were flat, so have charged those, and have ordered some Anderson connectors (these will allow me to use the bigger battery whilst driving, as the jump leads can fall off, so I presently can only use the big battery for starting).

Anyway, back to the plan. Here is a list of things I need to do before I can leave:

1) Oil change (the present oil is contaminated with everything, it has seen over fueling, a track day, about 1k miles, and most recently a cracked barrel), I get lots of interesting vapours from the vent which are very petrol based). So a new filter and oil fill are a necessity.

2) New lambda sensor. The cracked barrel put water into the exhaust which knackered the old Lambda sensor. This is a bit annoying because they are expensive, but it is essential to have these signals to map against, so I got a new one. Hopefully this will last.

3) Mapping. This is the big problem at the moment. It seems that it should be possible to map it using the MAP (manifold pressure) (also known as Speed-Density), but then again some folk say you need to take the TPS into account. At idle MAP is fine as the turbo isn't doing anything, at high RPM its fine as the throttle is open and its all going on, at intermediate revs is where the problems happen (4kRPM) as the throttle is fairly closed but the turbo gives a bit of boost. I think I need to include TPS (megasquirt allows this).

The problem is that although I can probable tune using MAP before Sunday, but tuning to include TPS would take too long. So I am hoping that I can manage the "cruise" settings. A 70mph cruise is about 5.8kRPM so I think the turbo will give about 5psi of boost, so that should take me out of the difficult region. But it could make for an interesting drive!

Hopefully, I can go and do a few datalogged runs, which should allow me to get the tune to a point where the car is driveable. If not then its Stoneleigh 2012.

4) Other tasks. Bolt down the ECU. Set up the sat-nav. Install speedometer (optional as sat-nav). Get together a tool-kit and spares. Tyre pressures. Top up water levels.

A bit nervous (silly really as it doesn't matter!)

Engine runs, but got home on wrong end of tow rope

Lots of progress. Mostly good, some bad.

The last set of cylinder barrels got cracked owing to boost combined with already high compression, and me being an idiot by not stopping sooner.

So, I built up a new engine.

1192cc barrels (up from stock of 1074cc)

New head gasket

3mm base spacer (to lower the compression)

Stock head and valves (not the big ones)
gsxr600 TBI's

Sorted out all the little things (like valve shims), and valve guide seals (gsxr1000k5 ones are the same, wemoto sent me the gsxr1100 oil cooled ones, which are wrong, so look out for this).

Got the engine in, topped up with fluids, bolted together.

Fuel leak, fixed.

Fuel pressure too low (fuel pump leak inside tank) fixed.

Throttle position (too wide open due to sticking choke cable) fixed.

Got it to idle, and seemed to idle lower than the last (Kent) cams at around 1100rpm. Throttle is still more open than is ideal, but its a detail.

Finally (4pm Monday) got out, went to fill up. Car ran poorly. Not smooth (felt like 3 cyls) but reved a bit and seemed to sort itself. Filled up with fuel and the car did restart (a bit surprising). Thought about heading back, but decided to do a longer up the bypass run. All went fine, rubbish jumpy spot just as boost comes in (3-4k), so that needs some mapping work (unfortunately the O2 sensor isn't working nicely at the moment, maybe needs calibrating).

So, I datalogged, and got 10psi at 8.8kRPM, which should be worth a few BHP. At the moment I don't have an intercooler and intake temps got to 65degC, but the lower comp engine didn't seem to mind (no detonation). The engine gave decent power from 5kRPM, and popped and banged like a crazy thing on the over-run (quite nice, but probably should turn it down a bit). I think the fueling is rich up top, not sure what is happening at 3-4k though.

Bad news, going around the Woodstock roundabout there was a bit of a plastic burning smell, not sure what that was. Then coming back along the dual carriageway I stopped at the traffic lights and the engine idled fine. Then it cut out, and the lights changed. Tried to restart, but failed. Eventually pushed to side of road and tried to fix the problem.

Not sure what it was but ECU wasn't happy, and it dumped gallons of fuel into the engine (bad news). Couldn't get the ECU to recognise the trigger, which is a wierd fault. I have a few suspects:

Blocked injector (I was messing with the fuel lines, so could easily have blocked an injector).

Megasquirt hardware problem (need to bench test it)

I'm keen to get the car to Stoneleigh.

List of things to sort:
Lambda sensor (I need a better map if I am going to go any distance)

Megasquirt (I need to get the engine running again)

Speedo (this is needed as at present I have to guess the speed). Not essential.

Oil and filter change (maybe fix the odd tiny oil leak whilst I am at it)

So, mostly good, but lots to do.

Progress, but now the water has got out

Went for another run.

Turns out that I had blown the head gasket the last time I went out. Still runs and goes, but over heats and plumes of white smoke on the over-run.

Not a big deal as this was always a disposable engine. Plot shows the megasquirt log of a run. Shows a few things:

1) fuel pressure in the rail drops (gsxr1000 pump isn't man enough) and engine leans out. This is bad, but I have an uprated pump to fit.

2)it boosts, apparently to 0.33Atm (i.e. 5psi, same as spring) and then I get more boost, but it goes up more slowly, to around 7.5psi.

3)internal dump valve might be a bit whoosy. MAP is measured after the throttle plates, but even after the plates are closing the pressure stays high. This indicates that the dump valve isn't dumping (easily fixed, but I'd need to get on e-bay).

Lots of other stuff, but basically, it is mad, and broken.

I need to book the kitchen table to get it up and going again.

Boost seen!

Went out for the second run with the turbo on.

The first run was a disaster as I dropped my bike helmet onto the laptop screen, which cracked and put a swift halt to a tuning session. I only replaced it yesterday. It did highlight that I needed to protect the bonnet from the heat from the turbo.

So today, I drove a short maybe 10mile route at a steady pace collecting data and gradually becoming braver.

The good news, I get boost (5psi spring, which seems to give me 7.5psi at 7krpm). The fueling isn't great at the moment as I am having to build a new table (the old table was Alpha-N, now I am going SD), but that is something to iterate on. The engine is now officially mad. It was mad before from about 7krpm, now it is mad up to 7krpm too! I didn't rev above 7k today, as I want to get fueling approximately right first.

The bad news. Stopped to fill with fuel at the petrol station (still got last years fuel in), and I flattened the battery trying to restart. Mostly this was my fault (flattish battery, careless when turning the lights on as they are HID and so require a blip to avoid the engine cutting out!). So I need to charge it and set up the warm-starting fueling. Nothing too difficult, but I ended up having to walk home to collect a battery which wasn't in the plan. At least my wife got a laugh out of it.

The exhaust sounds nice too.

At the moment it is running slightly lean, which is really bad for a turbo engine, but that is easily solved. So, I'll get the battery charger on tonight. Looking forward to the weekend!

Startup video

Lots more to do (fuel pump, injectors, fuel pressure regulator, manifold leak, air filter, tuning, intercooler)

But here is a startup video.

Manifold problems

Tried to finish the manifold, but when I welded the collector (this is where the pipes come together) it came together alroght, but the the heat (actually the cooling) caused all the pipes to point in the wrong directions and not match up with the exhaust ports.

Damn, all my work for nothing. Planned to cut off the flanges and start again. At least I was getting a little better at welding.

In the end I decided to cut and weld in extra metal to make it fit. Not pretty, but I can always build another manifold next winter. So, I did that and it fitted the head again, I bolted it up and started up. Very loud.

Lots of gas escaping between head and manifold. All the pipes fitted the holes, but the faces were not 100% parallel, so were not sealing.

So, I built a frame to hold the manifold, and filed down the ends so they were all parallel. THen I checked for leaks, and found loads (20 maybe), so I welded all of those up, and.... guess what, the manifold doesn't fit the head again. This time I used brute force and ignorance to cold work the pipes. Then I had to file down the ends again, and then eventually bolt it all up.

These short paragraphs took me 2 complete weekends. This is ridiculous as all the problems were completely self inflicted. When making manifolds, make the collector first, and then check for leaks, if no leaks then join the collector to the head. Alternatively, tack is, and get someone with TIG to weld it up (less heat, less distortion, neater welds). That is what I will do next time.

Anyway, I bolted it all up and I still have one small leak between head and manifold. I will file it a bit more, and get new gaskets. They are the crush type, so should compensate for any small inaccuracies.

Here are some photos of where I am;