COILS

 

NOT COILS.

Next?

 

Grounds? Any electrical problems means check all the ground wires/straps first.

 

I can't imagine what would happen to a ground on a drive that would cause it to do this. I say injectors next, cause it definitely sounds like it's running on less than 4 cylinders.

Rich, you've got a timing light? With the inductive clamp, you can check for a steady heart beat on all 4 spark plug wires. Ask ms. mobius to check the rhythm if you're unsure.

Next I'd want to check that all the injectors are getting gas. Sounds like your FP is working? And the filter checks out? Then I'd check that the Xede is putting out a signal for both channels. Or do you have sequential ignition? I dunno. Is there a way to data log on the xede?

 

Hey Mobius, you mention a new fuel pump in your 4/13 post. Have you checked fuel pressure? Electromechanical devices are known to suffer infant mortality on occasion.

 

Every time I have pulled the plugs (4 so far) they have been black. They are getting enough fuel to be rich.

The pump is new, yes. I can hear it spin up. It sounds no different now than when it was brand new. I don't think it's the pump.

Spark: we pulled the leads one by one. Each time we pulled a cylinder, the engine almost died and we could hear the spark jumping the gap from the lead to the plug as we pulled it and re-attached it. So each plug is getting spark.

The Xede appears fine. It can datalog but not AFR. Thinking perhaps the map had somehow simply become completely fubared I re-loaded the last map. It uploaded and burned to eeprom fine. I downloaded it again and it had no changes. I don't *think* it's the Xede.

The car sounds like ... it sounds soft. There's a pfft in it that shouldn't be there. When I gas it half throttle from idle, it bogs and almost dies. AFR goes super rich. If I WOT from idle, it doesn't bog so bad, but revs climb one onethousand 1k two onethousand 2k 3 onethousand 3k etc. It's like there's a banana in the tailpipe or the cylinders had 100psi compression instead of 180.

I still have not pulled the EGR valve. My other duties I have been neglecting are snowballing.

Regarding the pump: I wonder about my FPR. I have seen a couple of reports of NB1 FPR's being overwhelmed by the DW300. I have not found any such reports for NB2 FPRs.

And I didn't get the fuel filter changed. But seems like I would be having lean problems if I had a fueling problem, not rich problems.

 

You definitely shouldn't be that rich. Maybe this is your chance to go MS? Curious what you and Curly find on Tues.

 

Pulled the valve cover and the plastic bits over the timing belt. Everything looks like it's supposed to. Timing is correct.

Let's keep comments for this particular problem consolidated into the lost all power (allofit) thread please.

 

2013 problem resolution - crank bolt apparently was insufficiently torqued. Crank was undamaged but had to replace pulley boss and a couple of other bits.

2014 update: no updates to the car itself. 225/45R15 Toyo RR's replace the 225/45R15 RS3's on my 9's. My initial feedback after one track day is that I really like the RR's. They drive like Rcomp street tires. I must clarify that I have not ever driven true R-comps - the RR's are the stickiest tires I have ever driven. However, my understanding is that race tires are more sensitive to slip angle and more unforgiving when the max grip slip angle (somewhere around 7degrees, if my research is correct) is exceeded. Driving the RR's, they simply felt like more sticky street tires, that made little to no noise until they were approaching their limits. Basically, to me, they feel like stickier, quieter, RS3's. At the end of the first track day I was still adjusting to their higher limits.

 

Great track day 3/15. RR's are beautiful. They drive (to me) like better RS3's that don't ever overheat. By the end of the day I was beating my best solo laptime on RS3's with a passenger in the car with me.

Upon de-trackification today, I discovered this. Stuck rear caliper? This was drivers inside left, Hawk DTC-60.

 

Upgrade #1: My transmission shifts like a stir spoon in a mash tun. In gear the shifter has enough slack to move sideways/back and forth almost a couple of inches. Granted, this is with a long shifter handle on it, but it is very sloppy. This was made extremely apparent to me when I had the opportunity to drive Turbofans' MSM around the block. He has the same shifter I do (Miata Roadster short shifter with the tall, angled handle) but it shifts NOTHING like my transmission. His shifter barely moves when in gear, and gear changes go snickety-snick.

So I have acquired and installed an 80k miles MSM 6 speed. Initial dry shifts on the jackstands are promising, it feels like it has much less slop than my original transmission. A winter project will be to disassemble my original 6 speed and go through it, replacing synchros and forks.

Upgrade #2: my AC hasn't blown cold air in 3 years. In that time I only tried to use it twice. Therefore - it is gone.

Weight savings: 30.5 lbs. Airflow savings - big.

Got the new mounting solution for the rotrex cooler installed today. A piece of angle aluminum runs across the bottom, using the AC condenser rubber feet in their original holes. This takes all the weight and a small strip of aluminum bolted to the top provides the fore/aft support. Seems super sturdy. Took longer than it should have, but all of my car projects take longer than they should.



Changed out the rotrex filter and the fluid while I was at it.

Up next: new ducting, then completing the passenger fender well oil cooler.

Edit: thanks to Doppel, greddygalant, and Curly for a bunch of help Thursday/Friday tearing into the car.

 

I need a job that gives me more time off but pays me the same. Any ideas? I want to come wrench on cars with you guys but I'm always working :(

Nice work on the progress!

 

Looking good! Can't wait to see the oil cooler finished up and all this buttoned up. Needs more turbo though.

 

The laundry list of updates:

1. The original MSM transmission I acquired shifted beautifully into every gear on my test drive until I tried 5th. Didn't like upshifting into 5th, was impossible to downshift into 5th from 6th. So, bummer. Swapped the original transmission back in.

2. Shifter fixage! Ed (turbofan) noticed the play in my transmission didn't seem to be in the transmission. After some shifter teardown and examination it turned out there was a bushing missing from my installation. A quick check of my instructions and an email to MiataRoadster later, and magically USPS delivered me a bushing. Voila! Much better shifter feel! Win. Props to Miata Roadster.

3. AC removal has been win for coolant temps. Today was a 90 degree ambient day, coolant temps never went over 207. Previously they would have been 227. Once I ventilate my hood I should be sub-200 on temps always. Plus, bonus, set a new personal best at PIR in the second session this morning, and finally cracked the SM record.

4. Autocross. This past Sunday was my first opportunity this year to autocross on the Toyo RR's. I haven't been able to since May, and all of the early ones were wet. I also decided to run the wing for the first time for autocross.
All teh wins.
In the two years I have autocrossed with this particular group (Oregon PCA) I have never been close to FTD, wet or dry. I have usually been a good 2 seconds off of either a nationally competitive Boxster on Hoosiers, or a local 2010 Cayman also on Hoosiers. Yesterday, with the Toyo RR's, wing set at maximum attack, and rear sway disconnected, I was FTD. On the second run of the day in the colder morning run group, no less. The RR's never got more than lukewarm to the touch, so never reached operating temperature, but still had more grip than my RS3's or Rivals ever had.

5. MSM transmission #2! It has been acquired and is mine. Since it was local, I was able to verify it shifted properly in all gears before it left the donor vehicle. A change to it shall be made at some point.

6. Spare hoodage From the same MSM, I have acquired the hood, which shall become my ventilated track hood. Or, depending on how things work out and how true that hood is, my current hood will be ventilated and that one will be the nice hood. Whichever. Datatested louvers from ThePass on the way.

No Rotrex updates because it just works. Curly and I did do some guerilla driveway tuning on Saturday to pull fuel since it has been noted on numerous videos I'm too rich, especially on cold mornings. My track-day eyeballing of the AFR gauge on front and back straights seemed to show pretty solid improvements, AFR mostly in the low 11's.

 

I'm not an AXer but congrats on the FTD! Bigger props on beating the SM record!!! Good to hear you've got a good trans...it sucked to have to go through what you did on the first one. I too have heat issues and it's good to hear, if I can't solve them, removing the AC will do it. I have ventilated my hood and it does help. For me probably 5-7 degrees. Mine came off an MSM also (totaled at Road America). PM me your email and I'll show you my hood vents.

Was it on track you saw a 20* improvement by removing the AC heat exchanger or street driving? If track I guess I have to do it.

 

Track. Street cooling has never been a problem for me.

 

I guess I gotta do it then. At least it's a free mod!

I was thinking about relocating my Rotrex oil cooler into the side of the bumper using the new TDR cooler, designed for his Rotrex kit, but with my brake ducts in the way this may be the way to go. Thanks Mobius!!

 

I should have pulled my A/C yesterday. Dangit. Debated and decided not to, but should have.

Nice updates.

Next time you need me to solve a simple problem for you, don't call me -- I can only get that lucky once and I wasted it on your car :(

Tee hee

I'll bring your radiator back soon. I have it out of my car but I left the fans at KO, will have them back prolly tonight.

 

Quick question, if you don't mind. I ordered the 28x7x2.5 tacotaco intercooler since I've seen a few guys run them without problem. The ebay listing shows a pic like this...



The intercooler I got has a lot more tube than fin, is yours like this?



It's stamped "JDM" on the top and bottom, which I wasn't expecting.

Did they cheap out in the last few years, because it's still $68 shipped? Half tempted to send it back.

Thanks!

 

Umm .... no idea. Mine's on the car at the moment, hard to check. I think I bought a second one as a spare, if I can find it in the garage I'll check.