update on my project: no fuel, no spark, but she cranks!!

[fiznat]

Just thought Id give you guys an update since I'm so excited about all of this....

I finally cranked the engine over today for the first time ever! ....And that was it. Turns out I have neither fuel nor spark, but I'm still extremely happy. Oil pressure is perfect, coming out of the turbo feed hose quite nicely and I can see oil inside the valve cover through the oil fill hole. Beeeautiful.

As far as the no spark no fuel thing, well my MSD box has no power whatsoever, so I think the +12v that I hooked up there might not quite be +12 volts. Heh. No problem, I'll run a wire tomorrow for it. Fuel I dont think is too complicated either. The MAP sensor isnt quite all the way set up yet (still missing 1 pin), so I think the EMS is not spraying fuel because it doesnt have a load value quite yet.

Anyways I'm VERY happy-- I was really worried having the engine sit in my cold damp garage for months on end. To hear the thing turn under its own power and know that there is oil pouring through its veins makes me feel so much better.

Next step: make her start!!!

[Bronze MFP]

Baby steps man, baby steps. I'm glad you've taken your time so far and not screwed anything major up like I would just trying to get it all done in a weekend or something... It'll all come together soon enough, and when it does, we want lots of vids and pics

[fiznat]

dude Im pic crazy, beleive me. I documented everything haha-- I have like 99 pictures of me pouring the first 5 gallons of high test into the car today..

Heh heres an example...



Muscle car carb purists everywhere are rolling in their graves, but dammit this AEM setup is freaking SWEET. I dont have a good enough laptop haha so yup its a complete desktop computer siting right next to the driver's seat. DANGER TO MANIFOLD!
Modified by fiznat at 1:04 AM 1/25/2005

[klattr1]

haha, that picture is great. mount that thing in your car. jk

[Bronze MFP]

danger to manifold, OH NOES! dont hit the super naws power booster hyperdrive again or your floor boards will immidiately rust out!

yeah, carbs are old n busted, i have wet dreams for the EMS. I want to get one just to tinker with it even thought my engine is bone stock. you gotta let me know how the setup wizard is, and if it will actually make a base map for you to get your engine running.

ps, was the 5 gallons of gas to fill up the tank after the little mishap you had the other day?

[WDRacing]

Rock on Fizzle...

[hannibal]

Hey man, looks great!

Ivan just posted about the AEM for S14 being available. Man, it looks awesome but its so expensive. But youre doing it the right way. Cant wait to hear her run.

That PC pic does it for me

[fiznat]

you gotta let me know how the setup wizard is, and if it will actually make a base map for you to get your engine running.

The setup wizards are awesome.. honestly I was very suprised at all the little things that you can do with this system. As far as getting a startup map, you dont even have to make it with a wizard. AEM includes a startup base map along with every EMS just to get your car started and running. You have to adjust it for your sensors and injectors (which there are wizards for - 3 clicks and everything else adjusts to the modifications), but really I continue to be impressed every time I start the program up.

If you're interested in finding out more what the software is capable of, AEM has it available for free download on their electronics forum at http://www.aempower.com -- check that out!

Thanks for the compliments guys, I've been doing my best to "do things the right way" and its been paying off, but dammit it takes so much longer! haha

[WDRacing]

I remember talking a year or two ago when you were just starting this project. Weren't you going to build a DIY kit at first? Now your going with a full standalone and a built motor. Man how time flys by. It's really good to see things coming together in a good way for ya FIZZLE...heh.

WD

[fiznat]

Yeah I know WD... lol it's kinda funny to see these old posts getting bumped cause I can read myself in there asking all these n00b questions and not really knowing what I was doing.... I started with plans to do a SAFC and BTM on a stock motor, then JWT ECU on a stock motor, E-manage on a stock motor, emanage on a built motor, and finally this.... hahah amazing how I kept just adding and adding and adding.

Honestly though I couldnt have done all of this if it werent for people on NICO helping me out with each step. I've learned so much over the past couple years, it truly does amaze me that I'm actually answering questions for other people now, with suggestions I've learned from actual experience-- not just hearsay on the internet.

Man oh man... NICO may not have given me any money, but I am DEFINETLY NICO sponsored

[gabossie]

Looks really good, and so similar to my plans (should I ever get myself back out of trouble). The right way is always the better way, even if it takes longer. Better get some good vid when she's running!

[WDRacing]

Yeah I know WD... lol it's kinda funny to see these old posts getting bumped cause I can read myself in there asking all these n00b questions and not really knowing what I was doing.... I started with plans to do a SAFC and BTM on a stock motor, then JWT ECU on a stock motor, E-manage on a stock motor, emanage on a built motor, and finally this.... hahah amazing how I kept just adding and adding and adding.

Honestly though I couldnt have done all of this if it werent for people on NICO helping me out with each step. I've learned so much over the past couple years, it truly does amaze me that I'm actually answering questions for other people now, with suggestions I've learned from actual experience-- not just hearsay on the internet.

Man oh man... NICO may not have given me any money, but I am DEFINETLY NICO sponsored

Very Well Said

[fiznat]

^^ thanks dude XXOO

Anyways I found out why I'm not getting any freakin spark! The MSD 6al box I bought off of ebay is BUSTED and is emitting ZERO spark. I made SURE it has a good constant 12 volts (its actually 13 for some weird reason...), and the switched line is also getting a good 12 volts when its supposed to. I ran the diagnostic tests from MSDs website (checking for an arc off of the distrib wire while grounding the white wire on the box), and Im getting nooothing. Heh so yep I guess bad box would get me no ignition... Ordered another one up tonight but there we go: another delay to getting this thing started, and another expense to tack onto the list

...Now, I wonder why I have no fuel either....

EDIT: on the plus side, I was able to get my gauges working and lit up! haha I guess if you cant do something mechanically, work on the ricey stuff!


Modified by fiznat at 7:30 PM 1/29/2005

[WDRacing]

I love the Cobalt gauges.

[Bronze MFP]

EDIT: on the plus side, I was able to get my gauges working and lit up! haha I guess if you cant do something mechanically, work on the ricey stuff!

cobalts arn't rice, the gauges and tachs that change color as they sweep through are. your gauges will look pretty rockin' at night

so you figured out the spark prob, are you getting fuel yet or is that still on the checklist?

[fiznat]

Uhmmm well fuel Im 99% sure I have figured out, but lol Im just to embarassed to say what it was. Suffice to say it was stuuuuupid.

I need to buy some real connectors and some more fuel line since I cut mine up too short now... Uhmm yeah and once the new MSD box comes in Ill be able to hopefully start her up then.

[klattr1]

Uhmmm well fuel Im 99% sure I have figured out, but lol Im just to embarassed to say what it was. Suffice to say it was stuuuuupid.

I need to buy some real connectors and some more fuel line since I cut mine up too short now... Uhmm yeah and once the new MSD box comes in Ill be able to hopefully start her up then.

hmm, well you hooked up the fuel lines backwards already. lolwhat was it this time? no gas in the tank?

[Structure240sx]

nice boost gauge

0psi for the Fiz

j/k dude

come on tell us what u did now. i have a few stories about me.. wait i forget them all oh well

[crzycav86]

nice boost gauge

0psi for the Fiz

j/k dude

come on tell us what u did now. i have a few stories about me.. wait i forget them all oh well

I bet he forgot to put the fuel pump fuse back on..

C'mon! Don't be ashamed. I've done lots of stupid stuff on cars that I'm not ashamed to share.... but the spotlight is on you!

[fiznat]

hahahah ok ok... well the fuel lines were never on backwards... I just thought they were. I then proceeded to "fix" them by putting them on backwards. Obviously that right there stopped me from ever getting fuel. Turns out before when I thought they were on backwards (because I was leaking fuel) it was just leaking because my connector on the rail isnt big enough. Argh. I say this every time I make a stupid mistake, but dammit I SHOULD HAVE JUST LOOKED IN THE FSM BEFORE I HOOKED IT UP. That would have solved a ton of problems.

HOWEVER

It was a GOOD THING that I put those lines on backwards, a VERY good thing. While I was troubleshooting the fuel delivery stuff I decided to put the lines in an emtpy cup thing I made to see how well the fuel was flowing. This is the crap that came out:



Naaaaaasty. Look at all the particles floating around in there. That's 5 month old gas that was just sitting in the lines and tank, pretty much left un-filtered by the fuel filter that probably has never been changed since the car was made in 1993. Haha Im actually kinda glad my stupidity actually prevented this nasty stuff from ever touching my brand new injectors!

I ended up turning the key on and off about 20 times while draining the fuel into a big jug until I got this:



Much better.

heh another day in fiznat's garage... I tell you I'll be a pro mechanic one of these days!

[Naro182]

Yeah it's always the little things that hold you back.

Well everything seems to be coming together for you fiznat, good to see you're almost at completion. I know alot of people are anxious to see how this turns out...

[WDRacing]

Dude, I can't believe you taped two cups together. Between that and your desktop in the garage you are definitly the official KA forum "Mr. Shadetree". I humblyrelease the crown over to you my friend...lol.

[fiznat]

Dude, I can't believe you taped two cups together. Between that and your desktop in the garage you are definitly the official KA forum "Mr. Shadetree". I humblyrelease the crown over to you my friend...lol.

Hey now wait just a second there! I admit I may mickey mouse some things from time to time, but I was actually kinda proud of my fuel catching contraption thing there! What does everyone else do if they want to catch fuel? Send it into some elaborate pre-labeled jug with a cap? I dont THINK SO! The cup worked out great and I'm stickin by it!

[skatanic28]

What does everyone else do if they want to catch fuel? Send it into some elaborate pre-labeled jug with a cap? I dont THINK SO! The cup worked out great and I'm stickin by it!

i just dumped mine into an open plastic cup....after about a half hour of that i had to stop and go outside because my garage was spinning. i gotta start thinking about that kinda stuff...

[Bronze MFP]

HO-LY-CRAP thats some nasty fuel. See, things happen for a reason. Imagine if you had run all that crap through your engine.