Drag Week 2012 - Project GIRTST 71 Mustang (get it right the second time)

[CDMBill]

I'm working on the fuel tank project at the moment and I think I'm going to go a slightly different route. I bought a new tank rather than fight the used tank welding issues and I have the Aeromotive sump and related parts. The picture gives a sense of relative size.



I was going to add baffles and one way valves dividing the tank into 3rds roughly with a front 'triangle' and two sides, but it doesn't help with getting all the fuel as much as possible into the sump, especially when I want to run the least fuel possible without starving the pickup.

So my plan is to use a small submersible pump that will in effect be a lift pump with the sump acting as a surge tank wthin the larger tank. This view sort of shows the relationship the two will have. I'll add baffles at the top of the sump to control slosh. A small pump and filter sock adds less weight than all the baffles and one way valves, and a hatch in the top of the tank and in the trunk floor withh give me easy access for repairs or servicing. At least that is the thinking. I'll add one drain to the main tank to ensre I can empty it when I need to, but I'm very open to other ideas as well as suggestions for the small lift pump.



These are the other parts including the one-way valves. I may keep the larger one in the fornt of the sump and add two smaller baffles so I can do stop start slosh into the sump in the event the pump fails. I know I'm adding complexity, but that seems to be my SOP.

[CDMBill]

Exactly!

[squirrel]

Next TNT in Tucson and Phoenix for hot weather testing, then back to LA for the Pomona NMCA True Street event.

when? Aug 11th?

[BBR]

It sound a lot like the lash opening up which I am paranoid about.

I'm glad I'm not the only one that gets fooled by this!!! haha

[CDMBill]

I was able to get the DW trailer back on track tonight with the help of a cut off wheel, grinder, die grinder and welder. Now it's down to the height I wanted so I can just see over it to the rear and it'll load easier and be better balanced when loaded seems like a bunch of non-sense but I think it'll pay off on the road.

Next TNT in Tucson and Phoenix for hot weather testing, then back to LA for the Pomona NMCA True Street event.

[CDMBill]

The good news is the recalibrate on went well, the external map sensor that reads crankcase pressure/vacuum is being logge and displayed in the software, and the other stuff is working too.

Having the opportunity to remove the intermediate pipes allowed me to properly clean and re-seal the collector flanges and an exhaust leak that was haunting me is finally gone. It sound a lot like the lash opening up which I am paranoid about.

Put the road race/auto-x, long drive tires and wheels on today for the Tucson trip coming up this week. Little brakes in 18's look stupid.

[Scott Liggett]

Oh joy. Here I was redoing the white wire from the MSD box on the Impala I'm using as a kill switch because it was frayed.

I think your car has more sensors and wiring than the 2011 Suburban I drive.

[CDMBill]

Classic WTF moment today. I had to pull the the intermediate exhaust pipes which are the collectors and Dr.Gas x-pipe in order to upsize he the race exhaust to a 4" pair of dumps and to make access to the trans pan easier. At Irwindale last weekend the Overdrive Lockout wasn't working. On the AOD the OD lockout keeps 100% line pressure on the clutch packs and ensures the trans doesn't up shift into OD as its only good for 450 Ft/lbs. You have to pull the pan to inspect the OD lockout solenoid and it's function.

To pull the intermediate pipes mean' disconnecting the AFR sensors. I had to cycle the ignition several times to figure out the the illuminated OD Lockout switch was fried and I forgot to re-calibrate the the MTX AFR's when I put everything back together. So when I started it be gauges went nuts.

So back up on the jack stands pull the sensors, recalibrate, reassemble, back off jack stands. Back to square one.

Isn't technology fun?

[Bob Holmes]

Thanks, needed the chuckle.

And I know exactly what your talking about.

[CDMBill]

I don't know what you guys are talking about. And even if I did writing about it would violate a tuner/client privledge.

[SuperBuickGuy]

ABS would require an ABS pump, ditribution system and other stuff to pulse the brakes, something I wouldn't do on this car. As to traction control, well that idea idea is just silly and wouldn't work and we would never consider it and please don't bring it up again.

It would be as if we could control launch timing or pull fuel and spark like a two step or manage AFR's during WOT at each each RPM window or gear change down track. Of course we can't do those those things.

You are a smart guy. I aren't.

it's not like you know anyone who could program such a thing and even worse, that'd be something only a lawyer would do (look for exceptions to rules)

[Bob Holmes]

As to traction control, well that idea idea is just silly and wouldn't work and we would never consider it and please don't bring it up again.

It would be as if we could control launch timing or pull fuel and spark like a two step or manage AFR's during WOT at each each RPM window or gear change down track. Of course we can't do those those things.

You are a smart guy. I aren't.

[CDMBill]

Here are a few more photos that show some of the other parts that encompass the EFI system. I mentioned the cam sensor, this shows the little bracket we fabbed and the relationship to the tab we added to the cam gear of the belt drive. I remain nervous about the balance of the cam gear which most people say isn't material but I will add an additional counterweight on the opposite side anyway unless someone talks me out of it.





I also mentioned the four tower coils which come from Pantera EFI. They also make the IGN-1A COP coils many of you have read about. These are in essence two IGN's in each module. Spark energy has yet to be an issue and as you'll gather, these operate in wasted spark mode meaning that each pair of coils fires twice in the firing order. For example, that would be lighting off the first cylinder in the firing order and harmlessly firing the fifth hole at the same time while the piston is nearing the top of the exhuast stroke. I mounted them where the distributor would normally be to keep the plug wires easy to access for spark plug changes and to keep them off the valve covers to make checking lash easy too.





While doing the conversion we simply bundled wires like these sensor leads for the Manififold Air Temp (inlet Air Temp or MAT), Coolant Temp (CLT) and Throttle Postion Sensor (TPS) and Cam Position Sensor (CAM). I'll be going back now that everything works and has been debugged and wrapping them up and making them as neat as possible while still being servicable and easy to remove should more major repairs ever become necessary. The MAT sensor attaches to the air cleaner base and needs more individual length so the air cleaner can be moved aside without disconnecting the MAT sensor. If you run the car with that sensor disconnected the default mode is -40* and it'll run rich as hell. Ask me how I know. You can also see the dual four barrel throttle bodies under the air cleaner base.



Easily the worst part about EFI is all the wires. While we don't use all of them, the back of the MS3X box has two 37 pin connectors and most of those connections have to go through the firewall to injectors, ignition and sensors. You have to be able to remove both the ECU, injector driver, coil driver and the harnesses for use on an engine dyno and for on the road diagnosis and repair. So in my case you end up with a wad of WeatherPak connectors for each set of functions. Here you see the two injector bundles (5 wire), the sensor bundle (5 wire) wheel sensor (3 wire) and a bunch of others including the currently unused nitrous fogger wiring.



Pre-clean-up this is what things look like behind the the ECU and injector driver box. The forest of wires includes the two AFR guages, all the other bundles shown above plus the fuel pressure guage/sensor, EMS power, injector power, other sensors etc.



This will never be really pretty but everything is labeled and will be tie wrapped and secured out of the way of big feet. Stock bodied cars with roll cages can be a bear to work in and around. I use split wrap and tape where the wiring bundles go through the fire wall grommets and cold shrink wrap tape for the wire looms to keep out moisture and avoid the risk of exposing wires to bare meal..

[hauen]

that idea idea is just silly and wouldn't work and we would never consider it and please don't bring it up again

Forget I ever mentioned it. ;)

You are a smart guy. I aren't

I'm the guy who's having my ass handed to me by a gas tank replacement while you're doing golly-gee-whiz-hi-tech-bang-zoom stuff. I think my reputation as the dumbest guy in the room is safe.

[CDMBill]

ABS would require an ABS pump, distribution system and other stuff to pulse the brakes, something I wouldn't do on this car. As to traction control, well that idea idea is just silly and wouldn't work and we would never consider it and please don't bring it up again.

It would be as if we could control launch timing or pull fuel and spark like a two step or manage AFR's during WOT at each each RPM window or gear change down track. Of course we can't do those those things.

You are a smart guy. I aren't.