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FE Power Forums => The Road to Drag Week 2011 => Topic started by: jayb on July 18, 2011, 12:04:06 AM

Title: July 17, 2011 - The Road to Drag Week 2011
Post by: jayb on July 18, 2011, 12:04:06 AM
Today could be subtitled "Equipment Failure Day" because of all the things that went wrong with various pieces of equipment I needed to get the work finished on the engine.  As a result I didn't get as far as I wanted, and have yet to make a full dyno pull on the engine with the new intake.  But I'm getting very close, and I think the bigger question is how badly these further delays will delay the finishing of the car.  I continue to get more and more concerned about making Drag Week, given these repeated delays.  Just have to keep plugging along, I guess...

This week I decided to take a couple of days off work to help move this project forward.  I had a bunch of family activities planned for the weekend, so I figured I'd better take a couple of precious vacation days if I was going to get the engine on the dyno this week.  Also, Thursday this week was my son's birthday, and I wanted to spend some time with him on his birthday since my wife was stuck working all day.  I managed to free up about six hours on Thursday to keep working on getting the engine assembled, and once again, despite thinking that I was done with the intake manifold, I still found I had a few more loose ends to tie up with it, including rubbing it down with steel wool to make it look decent, assembling the radius plates into the plenum, drilling and tapping the manifold for a manifold pressure fitting and the air temperature sensor, etc.  Here's a couple of photos from last week's work on the intake, showing the holes bored in the intake for the EFI injector bungs, and also planing the head mating surface of the intake to make it flat.  You can see in the planing photo the shape of the warpage that the manifold showed after the welding; it took about .050" of planing to make that surface flat.

(http://fepower.net/Photos/Road to Drag Week 2011/efiholes.jpg)

(http://fepower.net/Photos/Road to Drag Week 2011/planeintake.jpg)

At the end of the night Thursday I still wasn't ready to bolt on the intake, but I wanted to get the engine on the dyno to at least feel like I was making some progress, so I took the engine off the stand, put it on the cart and rolled it into the dyno room.  By 11:00 PM on Thursday night I had it mounted on the dyno, and ready to be hooked up .

Friday morning I had the whole day up until about 5:00 PM to devote to the engine, and I was up early to get started.  I finished up a couple of minor details on the intake, and then spent most of the morning fitting it to the engine.  This involved some custom gasket trimming and test fitting, to make sure that the ports in the intake lined up with the ports on the heads.  With a custom intake this is always a question mark, and I was prepared to do some last minute machine work if it was required, but everything looked pretty good, so I coated all the sealing surfaces with Motorcraft gray RTV and installed and torqued the intake.  (By the way, the Motorcraft sealer is kind of like Ford's version of The Right Stuff, and it really seems to work well).  Here's a shot looking down one of the intake runners after the intake has been installed.  No restriction here...

(http://fepower.net/Photos/Road to Drag Week 2011/runnershot.jpg)

After I got the intake installed my friend JC showed up to give me a hand, so between the two of us we got the engine mostly assembled by the time JC had to leave.  Here's a shot of the engine on the dyno stand at this point, with the fuel system plumbing, cooling system plumbing, and belts/pulleys still to be finished up:

(http://fepower.net/Photos/Road to Drag Week 2011/ondyno.jpg)

That is a badass looking engine, if I do say so myself ;D  Friday night I had more family plans, and Saturday most of the day was tied up with an activity with my son's Scout troop, plus a neighbor's graduation party, and we also ran out to the local bike store and bought my son a new bike for his birthday.  I did manage to get a couple hours out in the shop on Saturday night, to finish up the plumbing on the engine, and install the EFI box and wiring.

Sunday morning I wanted to get the last hookup details taken care of so that the engine could be fired before 1:00, because after that we had a birthday party arranged for my son which would tie me up for most of the afternoon.  Unfortunately, the day did not go that well, because things started to break.  After getting the fuel system installed on Saturday night I tested it for leaks Sunday morning and found none.  However, when I tried to fill the engine with water I created a flood in the dyno room.  After coming out of the engine, the water for the cooling system empties into an open topped 10 gallon reservoir fitted with a sump pump; when the water in the reservoir reaches a certain level, the sump pump turns on and pumps it back into the cooling water tank.  The flood happened because the sump pump failed, and the cooling system reservoir overflowed when I turned on the pump that pumps the cooling water into the dyno's cooling tower.  This was unexpected, but it had been quite a while, at least six months, since I had used the dyno last, and it seems like every time the dyno sits for an extended period, some little thing goes wrong.  In any case, this wasn't a huge deal, because the sump pump can be purchased at any building supply store, but it would require a trip to the store, taking away time to work on the engine.  I decided to wait on filling the engine, and check the dyno's main water supply system to make sure there was no problem with that as well.  Unfortunately, that check didn't work out very well either, because I nearly created another flood.  There is a valve in the water tank in the dyno stand that is supposed to shut the water going into the tank off when it reaches a certain level, but the water blew by that level and nearly overflowed the stand.  With the engine installed on the stand and all the cover plates in place I couldn't see inside the tank to find the problem; it looked like I was going to have to pull the tank out of the dyno stand, which is not a trivial job.  I left the shop at around noon to go pick up food for the afternoon's birthday party, but on the way back home I stopped at Menards and picked up another sump pump, so at least that problem could be resolved fairly quickly.

By 5:00 on Sunday I was back out in the shop.  Just as a test I turned on the cooling system pump on the dyno to check to sump pump, and sure enough, now it was working again.  I've had them go intermittent in the past, so I'll keep the new pump on hand in case this one goes out again and I need to replace it quickly.  Next I tackled the dyno stand tank, and in about an hour I had it out of the stand and sitting on the floor of the shop; photos below of the tank, and also the back of the dyno with the tank missing:

(http://fepower.net/Photos/Road to Drag Week 2011/dynotank.jpg)

(http://fepower.net/Photos/Road to Drag Week 2011/dynonotank.jpg)

Inspection of the shutoff valve in the tank (which is attached to the big float that kind of looks like a toilet tank float) didn't show any problems, but I was able to locate a fairly major leak in one of the aluminum pipes inside the tank.  Superflow makes the entire tank out of aluminum, including the pipes that run through it.  Seems like a questionable practice to me, given how easily the aluminum could corrode over time.  Superflow gets about $3K for a new tank, and this one is 15 years old.  I've already had to repair it once, because the aluminum pipe that holds the shutoff valve in place corroded through, creating a leak.  I had replaced that with brass pipe when I repaired it before, but there is some aluminum pipe that is welded into the wall of the tank that is not easily replaced.  It was this tubing that had developed a hole, bypassing the shutoff valve and allowing the water to overflow the tank.  I made a temporary repair by sliding a rubber hose over the pipe and clamping it in place over the hole, but I will have to work on a permanent repair for this problem soon.

After this repair I reinstalled the tank into the dyno stand, and by 7:00 I was ready to try to start the engine.  However, I found the next equipment failure in this process, my timing light.  The crank sensor used with the eMS-Pro EFI unit is up to the user, and I had two to choose from, a Hamlin 55075 magnetic sensor, and a Ford VR sensor.  The Hamlin sensor is the one I preferred to use, because it has a threaded barrel and I have a CNC'd bracket that I built for it allowing me to slide it along the outside of the crank trigger wheel to easily change the timing.  Unfortunately, no matter what I did, I was unable to get this sensor to work.  It appeared to be working properly when I monitored the signals at the wires, but I got no indication of spark from my timing light.  Finally, not trusting the light, which has given me intermittent problems before, I started checking for spark by pulling a plug wire and putting on an external plug, and watching for the spark.  But still no luck; I would get random, sporadic sparks, and nothing more.  I tried several DIP switch settings on the EFI box to try to  remedy this situation, but nothing seemed to help.  Either the sensor was no good, or the EFI box wasn't processing the sensor signals correctly.  I had spent a lot of time fighting a problem like this with the Hamlin sensor / eMS-Pro combination last summer, and finally gotten it solved, but it seemed at this point that I was back where I started on this.

Finally around 8:00 I swapped out the Hamlin sensor and hung the Ford VR sensor in place.  This time I got good sparking at the plugs, but still no joy from the timing light.  And, unfortunately, I needed the timing light in order to set the initial timing on the engine correctly before it would start.  I tried to do it manually, but the engine would just cough and spit when I tried to start it; seemed like it was retarded.

This week I'll pick up a new timing light, and use the Ford sensor to get the engine tuned on the dyno.  Hopefully this will be done next weekend, and I can work next weekend on getting the fuel system and brake lines installed on the car, and maybe get a start on the wiring.  I need to be making some progress on that stuff soon if I expect to get the car to the track before Drag Week...






Title: Re: July 17, 2011 - The Road to Drag Week 2011
Post by: WConley on July 18, 2011, 09:53:51 AM
Wow Jay!  I feel your pain  >:(  That's a crummy streak of luck.

I'm looking forward to hearing rumbles from an Easterly direction soon!
Title: Re: July 17, 2011 - The Road to Drag Week 2011
Post by: plovett on July 18, 2011, 10:48:12 AM
Wow!  That is a gorgeous engine!   Very intimidating looking.   The throttle bodies look like the eyes on a killer engine/robot.  Might make the BBC guys faint.  ;D

Sorry to hear about the dyno troubles.  That damn entropy gets into everything.

Hey, I have question.   Why does the EFI plenum/box above the runners taper towards the rear?  It's probably elementary, but I don't know the answer.

paulie

Title: Re: July 17, 2011 - The Road to Drag Week 2011
Post by: jayb on July 18, 2011, 11:53:29 AM
I tried to set the plenum volume to the same displacement as the engine, 585 cubic inches.  This is supposed to be an ideal volume for a race application.  The throttle bodies are 4.25" tall in front.  If I had made the plenum the same height all the way back, I would have ended up with around 700 cubic inches of plenum volume.  So, to reduce the plenum volume to the desired amount, I tapered the plenum from front to back.
Title: Re: July 17, 2011 - The Road to Drag Week 2011
Post by: plovett on July 18, 2011, 12:01:57 PM
I tried to set the plenum volume to the same displacement as the engine, 585 cubic inches.  This is supposed to be an ideal volume for a race application.  The throttle bodies are 4.25" tall in front.  If I had made the plenum the same height all the way back, I would have ended up with around 700 cubic inches of plenum volume.  So, to reduce the plenum volume to the desired amount, I tapered the plenum from front to back.

Ah, that makes perfect sense now.  Thanks!

paulie
Title: Re: July 17, 2011 - The Road to Drag Week 2011
Post by: cammerfe on July 18, 2011, 12:04:46 PM
It's easy for me to sit back, read your weekly blog and make comment. BUT---you do realize that you are, virtually singlehandedly doing what, most often, requires a full full-time crew of professionals to accomplish? I remain in total awe of what you are doing, and actually have little doubt that you WILL get it done, done right, and ultimately triumph! I doff my hat!!!

KS
Title: Re: July 17, 2011 - The Road to Drag Week 2011
Post by: jayb on July 18, 2011, 12:08:24 PM
Thanks Ken, but it doesn't really seem like I'm accomplishing all that much.  When the car is running and driving - that's when I'll really get a sense of accomplishment, I think...
Title: Re: July 17, 2011 - The Road to Drag Week 2011
Post by: Hemi Joel on July 18, 2011, 12:32:20 PM
Proffesor Brown

If you think it will result in completion for Drag Week 2011, I can schedule 1 night per week to come and help. Give me a call and let me know,

Captain Stabbin'
Title: Re: July 17, 2011 - The Road to Drag Week 2011
Post by: jayb on July 18, 2011, 01:44:55 PM
Joel, that would be much appreciated.  I will think on that and get back to you on what would be the right night.  You can come over as long as you drive the '32 Ford...
Title: Re: July 17, 2011 - The Road to Drag Week 2011
Post by: cammerfe on July 18, 2011, 02:39:20 PM
Jay,
It's been my experience that, up to a certain point in a project, you're so swamped in details that it seems as if no progress is being made. But then it begins to really come together and every little thing moves you onward and the progress is easy to see. You are undoubtedly very close to that point. And as Red Green says, "We're all pullin' for yuh". With friends like Joel, (even with 'Hemi' in his name ;)) it just gets that much closer!!

KS
Title: Re: July 17, 2011 - The Road to Drag Week 2011
Post by: machoneman on July 18, 2011, 03:06:17 PM
Yah! That Joel is quite a pal, even for a Hemihead!
Title: Re: July 17, 2011 - The Road to Drag Week 2011
Post by: 427stang on July 18, 2011, 04:36:16 PM
Incredible work!!
What are you running for ignition control? I noticed on a prior post that you have an MSD crank trigger but it looks like you have a trigger wheel behind the damper also. Are you experimenting with a crank trigger with more teeth for greater resolution like some OEM triggers or is it for something else?
I am planning on a distributor less system also and I am looking into the FAST XIM module.
Thanks for the information you provide for everyone!!
Duane
Title: Re: July 17, 2011 - The Road to Drag Week 2011
Post by: jayb on July 19, 2011, 07:36:20 AM
The ignition control is all run through the eMS-Pro EFI system.  The MSD trigger wheel you see mounted on the front is a relic from my previous crank trigger setup, and is not used anymore.  Behind the harmonic balancer I have installed a Ford 36-1 toothed wheel from a modern Ford engine.  This wheel has 36 teeth, except that one is missing at TDC for #1 to let the computer know when the engine is there.  The sensor just watches the teeth on the Ford wheel, and so it gets a trigger signal every 10 degrees of crank rotation, allowing for very precise ignition control.  You can see this on the RPM output signal from the eMS-Pro; it is very stable right up to peak RPM.  With the distributor, and later the MSD crank trigger, I always had some noise on this signal that ended up showing up in the engine's power output one way or the other.

The eMS-Pro has four trigger outputs for coils that can be configured in a variety of different ways.  I've set mine up to run in "wasted spark" mode.  So, the first trigger output fires the #1 and #6 coils, the second fires the #5 and #3 coils, etc.  When #1 is on the firing stroke and #6 is at overlap, both coils fire, resulting in "wasting" the spark on #6, while #1 gets the spark it needs.  The advantage with the individual coil setup is that there is more time to charge each coil before it fires, since each coil only fires once per engine revolution, rather than four times like a conventional coil triggered by a distributor.  There also is no spark scatter issue or rotor phasing issue with this setup like you would have with a distributor.  When I installed this setup on this engine last summer it picked up 25 HP and smoothed out substantially at the top end; see the graph here:

http://www.fepower.net/dyno_results.html

As a result of this performance I'm really sold on this setup, but it does have a few drawbacks as compared to the FAST setups I've used before.  One is that the injectors can't be set up as full sequential; the options are batch fire or bank fire.  I was worried about this at first when I went to the eMS-Pro, but I shouldn't have been because the engine idled just as nicely in bank fire mode as it ever did in sequential with the FAST setup.  Another issue is that there is not a lot of datalogging power built into the eMS-Pro, so you need to set up some kind of a separate datalogging system to get all the information you need.  Finally, I've had a lot of issues with getting the crank trigger signal to work properly, and even had some issues with that this week.  Tech support for this setup is great though, with Scott Clark (dieselgeek) almost always being available to help with questions and issues.  Overall the eMS-Pro gets a big thumbs up, based on my experiences.
Title: Re: July 17, 2011 - The Road to Drag Week 2011
Post by: falcon428 on July 19, 2011, 02:54:20 PM
Jay I would enjoy coming over and helping a day a week also, but thats a long drive back and forth from Ohio.  So I will regretiblily only be able to offer a prayer or two.  Best of luck!!  Keep pushing forward and thanks for the interesting blog that reminds me of all those last minute crunch times I too run into on projects.  Now I need to get started on a new project, been to long for me.
Title: Re: July 17, 2011 - The Road to Drag Week 2011
Post by: Qikbbstang on July 21, 2011, 11:58:01 AM
The first Timing Light I purchased was direct connect full voltage through the bulb jobs that cost me several hours wages about $5.00.  It always needed to be in heavy shade and held close to damper to see the flash.  I've gone through 2-3 power timing lights but still have that old non-power one..Besides the old-cheapie ALWAYS working and being accurate the bonus is with modern high energy ignitions it is brighter then ever.
Title: Re: July 17, 2011 - The Road to Drag Week 2011
Post by: machoneman on December 30, 2011, 03:16:51 PM
Ooophs, wrong page!