Hijacker's Money-Ain't-No-Thing Build

[VStar650CL]

Oh, hey -- if you want to test PWM fans to see if they work and what their characteristics are, getcha one of these. It's the same one we use in our lab, and for $10 it's indispensable:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/404499588251

[Hijacker]

Oh, hey -- if you want to test PWM fans to see if they work and what their characteristics are, getcha one of these. It's the same one we use in our lab, and for $10 it's indispensable:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/404499588251

https://www.amazon.com/EC-Buying-1Hz-15 ... 0B397TLPS/

I had one of these delivered yesterday so I could test the PWM functions of the controller. I haven't put together a test rig yet is all

[VStar650CL]

Those work too. The only problem we saw with them is that the output didn't drive as much current as the knobby unit, so it had some trouble with strong-pullup fans like the 10 Hz Benzes. But that one has a different color faceplate from the one we tried, so it might be from a different manufacturer and maybe better.

[Hijacker]

Those work too. The only problem we saw with them is that the output didn't drive as much current as the knobby unit, so it had some trouble with strong-pullup fans like the 10 Hz Benzes. But that one has a different color faceplate from the one we tried, so it might be from a different manufacturer and maybe better.

It was a cheap unit. So if you noted a similar unit having issues, then I assume this one will as well. I'll find out soon enough. But at least I'll know what its problem is if it doesn't work

[Hijacker]

Good news is the PWM generator I picked up works and I was able to successfully test the motor



Now to finish making brackets for the shroud and get it mounted

As for brushless, I may end up sticking with the brushed motor for now. It's already got a soft start and will be a major upgrade over my existing setup. But I'll keep an eye out for a drop in replacement, though. I think Bosch designed the FED brushless motor to be a drop in replacement, but I can't find many details on it as it's not in the current catalog for electric motors. The thing I see most with brushless motors is that the casing shape is incompatible with the shape that this shroud accepts

[VStar650CL]

Very cool. Most of those Fazda variables are very unfussy about PWM rate, they run at anything between 20 Hz to 3 KHz. However, that's not hard-and-fast. I notice you're at 250, but if you want to use the WM controller in SSR mode it outputs 100 and C6 mode 128. So you should make certain it will run at that frequency.

[Hijacker]

Very cool. Most of those Fazda variables are very unfussy about PWM rate, they run at anything between 20 Hz to 3 KHz. However, that's not hard-and-fast. I notice you're at 250, but if you want to use the WM controller in SSR mode it outputs 100. So you should make certain it will run at that frequency.

Good call. Just verified it works at 100Hz. I chose 250Hz only because I had seen someone on another forum run it at that frequency

[VStar650CL]

I see it quit at 7%, so you probably want to use the "Proform Universal" setting. That's 128 Hz with 5% off, 10% minimum, and 90% full speed. That's the most useful thing about those testers, guys don't realize that every variable has an off-on-top profile. There are lots of SPAL's that wig out above 95% and lots of OE fans that run flat-out if there's an incorrect signal. So determining the right profile is a must if you want it to work right.

[Hijacker]

I see it quit at 7%, so you probably want to use the "Proform Universal" setting. That's 128 Hz with 5% off, 10% minimum, and 90% full speed. That's the most useful thing about those testers, guys don't realize that every variable has an off-on-top profile. There are lots of SPAL's that wig out above 95% and lots of OE fans that run flat-out if there's an incorrect signal. So determining the right profile is a must if you want it to work right.

Remember, I had a s*** amazon controller for testing. The factory bosch unit works at the proper duty cycles. The factory unit will give no output when the PWM is turned off. The amazon unit actually has potential on the output (when my bench tester was set to 14.5, the output was around 13). Once PWM engaged, the amazon unit would then increase output voltage to the same as input. Basically, it’s what I expect from a $20 piece of s*** off Amazon. Two reasons I picked it up: testing and I wasn’t sure if the Bosch unit was working as I was under the impression that a floating PWM signal wire would default the unit to full speed and it was staying off regardless of the PWM wire’s state

I guess I can confirm that feature is not present on the bosch style controller as both units leave the fan off when PWM is lost

[VStar650CL]

If the motor has enough "oomph" to creep at low PWM rates and the controller doesn't cut it (which it may not, it may just be a dumb FET), then treat it like an N-channel Solid State Relay (SSR). The WM controller has a special SSR mode for that which outputs 0% below turn-on temperature and 15% at turn-on.

FYI, none of the DC variables I know about have a full speed safety. Lots of brushless fans do, but DC's are usually just glorified SSR's with little or no native intelligence. When DC's go flat out without a signal it generally means the FET is melted, like a blown blower VBC.

[Hijacker]

If the motor has enough "oomph" to creep at low PWM rates and the controller doesn't cut it (which it may not, it may just be a dumb FET), then treat it like an N-channel Solid State Relay (SSR). The WM controller has a special SSR mode for that which outputs 0% below turn-on temperature and 15% at turn-on.

FYI, none of the DC variables I know about have a full speed safety. Lots of brushless fans do, but DC's are usually just glorified SSR's with little or no native intelligence. When DC's go flat out without a signal it generally means the FET is melted, like a blown blower VBC.

The Infiniti dual fan controller from the M series has a full speed safety. Ground the PWM wire to stop, leave it open and it full sails. Mazda used that style controller in the Mazda 6 as well from what I gathered. The limited research I've done on the MS3 controller I have seen people talking about a full speed safety on it, but I only saw that come up when trouble shooting why the fan was full on. And in true forum spirit, no OP came back and reported on results of repair so there was never any confirmation on what caused their issues. However, I would agree that any full speed issue is likely due to a fried controller not an issue with ECM connectivity based on what I've seen while playing around with this particular unit.

[VStar650CL]

Didn't know that about the M's, that system never made it to Nissan and I can't recall a WM customer ever asking about it. It must have a gate pullup like a brushless. Good to know, thanks!

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Nerds.

[VStar650CL]

Nerds.

Proud of it.

[float_6969]

Nerds.

This coming from the Site Admin of an internet forum...

[VStar650CL]

Nerds.

This coming from the Site Admin of an internet forum...

Nerds "R" Us

[VStar650CL]

Did you know...
While the legendary Grace Hopper is often credited with introducing the term "bug" to the electrical world, the use of the word in engineering actually goes back much further. The first recorded use of it actually belongs to the equally legendary Thomas Edison:

Now I don't feel so weird every time I find one in a MAF.

Nerds rule.

[Hijacker]

Nerds.

Takes one to know one




-New alternator is in. I"m honestly kind of surprised by the exterior quality of it. I was expecting something cheap like what you got from the parts store. But the casing appears to be of good quality and the pulley is plated and chromated more like a factory unit (using the more modern clear blue chromate)




-Mounted and belts installed


-One cool thing about this motor is that it has original Pitwork belts from Japan. These belts are in surprisingly good shape. I ordered some spares through Amayama and may end up running those and keeping these as backups

I still need to finish rerouting the coolant lines for the turbo and then I have some wiring changes I need to make to the Wiring Specialties harness so I can run the new Defi gauge sensors inside the EFI loom as well as set up the boost controller for the Power FC

[PapaSmurf2k3]

That is one shiny alternator you've got there.

[Hijacker]

Dusted off the old 3D printer and prototyped some shroud brackets this weekend









Now that these are done, I'll add some brass inserts so they can be bolted in place. The final products will be printed in PETG


-I also ordered a new HMIC from Partshop Max to replace the knockoff Spearco I've been running for the past 17 years. This one is significantly wider than my old one. I also ordered the premade pipes to fit the S14 SR. The hotpipe will need some modification since it's made to fit the factory T28




-Lastly, I finished setting up the turbo lines. The 90° bend is a high flow elbow and I like how it gets the line out of the way

I'm getting ready to put in a big wiring order to do some more body harness work and get the DEFI gauge sensors all integrated into the EFI and body harnesses

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Is that big coolant line in the foreground of your last picture not going to hit the wheel well/side of the engine bay once the engine is in the car?

[Hijacker]

Is that big coolant line in the foreground of your last picture not going to hit the wheel well/side of the engine bay once the engine is in the car?

I had the same fear. I don't think I'll have too much of an issue. I did some measurements of how that line sticks out and compared it to the existing spatial dimensions of the S13 setup. I'm more worried with it cutting in the way of the intake pipe for the turbo inlet. Regardless, I can always change the length of the line if need be

And I'm having to make a slight course correction on the fan shroud bracketry. I was going to print them in PETG, but PETG is only good to about 80°C and wouldn't be suitable for attaching to the radiator. I could make the upper brackets out of aluminum L brackets, but I'd still be lost on what to do for the lower connectors

My friend who had printed out the shim tool for me also has resin printers. We're going to print the bracketry with heat resistant resin that has an HDT of 180°C at 0.455 MPa. That should in theory be good enough for the brackets to have a reliable life. It'll just need to be something I keep an eye on and see how it works in the long run

[float_6969]

Yeah, I think if it's an issue, you could go upwards instead of down with the coolant line and it would be fine. Throw some heat sleeve on there and it'll be fine near the manifold.

[Hijacker]

So I went out to get in the car and go to work to get some break in miles on the transmission, and after I put the top up, I had some plastic from the windshield header fall in my lap. The top uses these latch guides in the top of the windshield frame to make sure the top is lined up before the latches are closed. Since these are ASC pieces, I assume they're actually s*** GM plastics, which means I should be amazed they lasted 30+ years before completely breaking


-Both of them had split down the middle years ago, but this one finally decided to break even further. What's weird is that I don't let the top slam into them anymore after the great mirror debacle of 2011 (putting the top up and letting it hit the windshield frame caused the mirror to fall off and it delaminated the glass of the windshield where the mirror was glued on). The passenger side guide was still in decent shape


-Since i had finally gotten my 3D printer operational, I went to making replacements based on the passenger side. I went through a few iterations before I was happy with them




-There's a guy on the 240SX Convertible facebook group who sells replacements, but his lack the section of the guide that goes into the frame, it's just a flat piece. Also, why buy them when I can make them




-It took a few iterations to get them right, but they fit really well. I don't know CAD software enough to get the front chamfered like the originals. These are printed in blue PLA for rapid testing, but the final versions will be in black PETG

The fan shroud mounting is done as well.




-The brackets were printed in high temp resin like I said. My big concern with these will be vibrations I think. I've seen some people use resin prints as fan brackets before, hence why I decided to use them, but I can see these failing eventually. I will look into other engineered 3D print options like carbon fiber as future potential replacements. For the lower brackets, I added brass thread inserts so I could run small machine screws from inside the shroud to hold them in place. For retention, I used epoxy on everything as well as the hardware. All hardware got blue loctite as well as an added bit of security







All the brackets got a coat of black high temp paint and high temp clear coat








-Final installation fitment looks good. I may end up running some insulation foam around the edges to help fill the gaps

I also did a final flow test and ran the fan through its speed range. I really wish I had a flow meter so I could see how many CFMs this thing is pulling. Regardless of whatever it pulls, it'll be doing a much better job than my existing setup


I started pulling the cooling system and old HMIC to get ready to pull the S13 SR this weekend. I plan on getting the old engine out of the bay so I can spend the weekend cleaning up 18 years of grime and grease. I have a bit more work to do on the WS harness to get it ready for prime time, but I've ran the DEFI gauge wires through the firewall grommet, tapped the coolant signal for the PWM controller, and began setting up where I want the circuits to run certain sensors and controls. I'm rerouting the factory boost controller connector to run it in the body harness in its final configuration


-The old S14 radiator and condensor fan I've been using for eons. It's done me well, but it's time to say goodbye


-South Bend Clutch came in as well. I'm running the larger 250mm flywheel, so I opted for a 350Z setup that uses a kevlar disc rated for 475 ft-lbs. This should retain some decent streetability

[PapaSmurf2k3]

-The brackets were printed in high temp resin like I said. My big concern with these will be vibrations I think.

Can you print the OD smaller and put a bushing around them? Or even use the print as a mounting point for a dowel or something to then put a bushing around? Just thinking out loud here.

-The old S14 radiator and condensor fan I've been using for eons. It's done me well, but it's time to say goodbye

RIP Good friend.

[Hijacker]

Can you print the OD smaller and put a bushing around them? Or even use the print as a mounting point for a dowel or something to then put a bushing around? Just thinking out loud here.

It's something I considered. If these fail, I'll likely do something like that in addition to remaking them in a different material. The one that goes under the curvature of the fan opening is the tricky one

[VStar650CL]

I also did a final flow test and ran the fan through its speed range. I really wish I had a flow meter so I could see how many CFMs this thing is pulling.

Check out the anemometer and calculations Dave Barton uses for his fan flow tests. Amazon $69 plus a few calculations, which he details in the blog. Seems like a good methodology:
https://www.240turbo.com/BrushlessFans. ... stingtools

[Hijacker]

The big day arrived this past weekend






-The S13 SR is out of the engine bay. I've had a lot of fun with this engine and it has been rock solid for 18 years and 60,000+ miles. I hope her next owner will have just as much fun with her as I've had


-I took the opportunity to pressure wash the engine bay. It's so filthy even after being cleaned. The end goal is to use the funds from selling the S13 SR to take the car in for body work and I'll have the engine bay repainted and restored while I'm at it. There are some areas of rust I'm cleaning up and sealing temporarily until the car can get to the body shop. The plan is to have her ready for paint and body in mid-late summer. I'm also on the lookout for a good donor strut tower and reinforcement for the passenger side tower since I've let the rust get real bad over there. I have a feeling the rot will have spread to the frame and body underneath the reinforcement




-I've been debating on where to put the remote oil filter. I wanted easy access, a place that causes as little mess as possible when removing the filter, and is still well protected. I had debated on attaching it where the AC compressor would go, but I really like the frame rail for overall access. Our 91 Isuzu Impulse has a factory installed remote filter located in the corner by the radiator support which is fantastic to access. Unfortunately, I have TC rod brackets in the way so I couldn't put it in a similar spot. However, I found the perfect spot for me on the S13. There's an M8 threaded hole just aft of the steering rack and a locating hole next to it that just happens to be the right size for an M8 rivnut. Both holes are close enough that the remote filter head can be bolted to them. It's up high enough that I won't have to worry about anything contacting it, and it's out of the way enough that it won't interfere with the engine and transmission. To keep the tubing simple, I've ordered some 150° 6AN fittings to install on my lines


-Don't mind the lack of a dust shield. I pulled a Papa Smurf and forgot to put it on before the flywheel. I had to remove the pressure plate ANYWAYS because the s*** pressure plate bolts the motor came with rounded out the last one. They've been replaced with ARPs. I just like that I can use my extra input shaft as a clutch alignment tool. LOL. My mechanics mentor had one that he had cut off a main gear and we used that all the time over the plastic ones that came with clutches.

The S14 SR will be going in either tonight or tomorrow if anything just to clear up my garage floor space a bit. In the meantime, I have some more wiring work to do




-The Widget Man PWM generator was installed in an IP65 sealed project box that I used a Molex MX150 sealed connector to pass through the wiring. I took inspo from Volvo guy that VStar linked as I want to be able to make changes to the DIP switches in the future. I would have loved to have used a Yazaki or Sumitomo style connector to make it look factory, but the Molex will just have to be a "modern" equivalent. The stabs on the PWM board are the perfect size to accept the same Yazaki connectors Nissan used for relays and big fuses in the fuse box.

I still have some wiring work to do on the EFI and lower harnesses to get them ready to install. I've routed all of the Defi gauge sensors and Apexi MAP sensor through the harness, tapped a branch from the ECT sensor to run for the fan controller, and I still need to reroute the wastegate control solenoid connector to get it ready for the Apxei boost controller. Eventually, I plan on running a custom base model body harness that I've rewired to run the Silvia setup and all of these extra sensors and controllers. But that will get finished and installed after the body work. In the meantime, I'll have to rig up the existing body harness to run my new toys and un f*** a bunch of stuff younger me screwed up

I feel like that could be the byline of this entire project: "Un f*** ing the things younger me f*** ed up"

[VStar650CL]

I feel like that could be the byline of this entire project: "Un f*** ing the things younger me f*** ed up"

If some parts on your car are the only thing your younger self f#cked up, then you're iin an elite club of people who didn't f#ck up very much. I don't even want to think about half the stuff my younger self f#cked up. My grandpa self is just no longer in denial about it.

[Hijacker]

I feel like that could be the byline of this entire project: "Un f*** ing the things younger me f*** ed up"

If some parts on your car are the only thing your younger self f#cked up, then you're iin an elite club of people who didn't f#ck up very much. I don't even want to think about half the stuff my younger self f#cked up. My grandpa self is just no longer in denial about it.

20 year old me thought he was a whiz with wiring. 43 year old me knows better now. LOL At least I wasn't using s*** like wire nuts which I've seen way too many times working on other cars