Engine Art & Funcion (Finally)

Getting the motor to function as well as it looks has proved to be quite a challenge. Add the facts that I'm not a professional mechanic and find myself constrained by a tight budget. I must admit though, I am thrilled with the results.

So what were the culprits denying me this victory? It turned out there were several:

1. The stock wiring harness has shielding added for wires that connect from the PCM to the Distributorless Ignition System. On my harness, some of this was missing. In addition, I extended two of these sections, initially without shielding, because I relocated where the DIS was mounted. It was necessary to go back and rebuild this portion and add the shielding.
2. The main ground connection from the PCM passes through a single-pin connector. On previous testing, this ground circuit tested fine. Now it wasn't. The culprit turned out to be the pin on the male side of the connector was making intermittent contact. By cleaning & widening the end of the pin I was able to get a reliable ground connection. A new connector will be secured for the final installation.
3. When the motor was originally rebuilt I replaced the coolant temperature sensor with a new one. So this was one of the last sensors I got to when trying to resolve the running issues. It turned out that one of the two pins in the sensor failed - probably the last time I assembled the motor and reconnected the sensor to the harness. Fortunately I kept the original sensor which tested fine.

So at long last the motor runs well. It will still need hours of bench running so the new rings can seat and the computer can relearn its configuration settings, but it purrs like a kitten and roars like a lion.

Engine Art & Function (Partially)

Well as you know I've been focusing a lot of attention on turning this beautiful engine art into a working motor. With the stand, the clutch adapter plate, and engine wiring complete it should just be a matter of breaking in the motor a little. So I had hoped too.

It did run, just not as good as I wanted. First there were a series of CEL (Check Engine Light) codes to deal with. This meant isolating the cause for the codes and taking appropriate steps; sometimes requiring sensor replacement.

So here's the motor running once I reached the No CELs stage. If you listen carefully you will hear valve noise off and on. This still existed after I pulled the covers off and reset the valve clearances a second time. It started becoming apparent that something else was amiss. Keep in mind this is a used motor that someone did a partial rebuild/service to.

As I continued to test the motor under running conditions it continued to sound worse. I then decided it was necessary to tear it down again and dig into the details.

Right head after cleaning/lapping

Once I pulled the heads and started inspecting the valve assembly it started to get clearer:

• All exhaust valve seals were loose - these were OK when inspected years ago. They'll get all new seals.
• Most intake seals were dry-cracked - probably because the motor sat for several years before getting to this point. These seals will get replaced also.
• Valve seats needed cleaned up - especially the exhaust. All valves/seats will be lapped.
• Spark plugs were partially soaked - from blow-by of the exhaust seals. Two cylinders were worse than the others so those injectors will get tested. All were professionally cleaned before being installed.

Also inspected the pistons/cylinders in the block. There appears to be an excessive amount of oil in each cylinder. Even though some of it is due to loose exhaust valve seals, I don't think that can account for all of it. The pistons will get pulled and checked for stuck oil rings.

So I'd have to say at this point that I have partial function. I'll post back when it's all back together and hopefully have reached full function.

Engine Cradle - Final

The cradle is complete, the engine wiring is in place, and the switches and gauges are hooked up. I decided to use the instrument panel directly from a SHO to simplify dealing with gauges. I'll work out the final gauges once the test install of the engine is completed.


The bench test start-up is scheduled for next weekend. If everything works, I'll post some video.

Engine Cradle - Phase 3

It took a while to get the adapter plate and clutch assembly for the SHO 3.2 to the 914. Once that was installed I could finalize the engine cradle.
First I had to test-fit the supports with the engine. The cradle had to be placed on cinder blocks to give me enough clearance to get the engine lift under the cradle. Back and forth a couple of times to adjust and locate the vertical supports was all that was needed.



Now its back on the ground and assembly of the engine components can continue. Basically anything needed to run the engine has to be added so I can test all components and wiring before attempting to install in the 914.

 

Engine Cradle - Phase 2

Been working more on the engine cradle while waiting on parts for my son's 914. Have the horizontal and vertical supports now done for the SHO motor. It's actually starting to look like an engine stand.

The mating brackets for the engine are going to be plasma cut by a shop in Tucson. The intricacy of the design and steel thickness was beyond my hand tools. Once their done, I'll get them test fit and attached. Then I can move on to the 914 engine supports.

Engine Cradle - Phase 1

Spent the weekend & Monday working on my son's 914. Pulling the engine to reseal everything.

I said I'd never pull another 914 engine without the use of a lift. Never say never. It went pretty well - except that he needs seals bad so everything is an oily mess.

It occurred to me that since I was building an engine cradle for the SHO project, it wouldn't be much effort to build supports that would work with the 914 engine & transaxle. I could have them done before the engine is ready to go back in.

Did manage to get some time in on the engine cradle - one of the side benefits of my son's infatuation with games.

Spent the morning cutting, beveling, and cleaning pieces for the base, and the caster extensions.

Got the base welded together and ran out of welding wire just as my son showed up.

It was a beautiful crisp morning - and by noon it felt like 70 degrees. This is why I love southern Arizona.


Time to shift gears and guide him in the rest of his engine tear-down.

More to follow . . .

Back on the 914

Well after a couple of years working on other cars (for my sons), I'm back into the saddle on my 914 project. I was doing plenty of planning/designing during that time also so the project wasn't completely idle.
Here's the engine cradle design. It's a variation on the cradle design I bought on line from Russ Green.

Since this is going to serve multiple purposes, I needed to modify a few things:

1. I need to mount engine & tranny together with flywheel & clutch
2. Use the cradle to bench-test the engine, harness, & components
3. Use the cradle to install the engine & tranny

To support the 914's transaxle I added support plates that will mount behind the bell-housing fasteners. The lower one acts as a cross-member, while the upper just tie to the support posts.

Not shown are the two additional cross members I added so that I can lift the whole assembly with my ATV lift. This will make installation much easier and safer.

I've also designed the engine bar that supports the engine in the car. It will mount in the stock position, but sitting on top of the receiver plate rather than hanging down. It looks like I can use the stock transaxle mounts, but I may need to add a small adapter plate once I do the test fit.

Now that I have the material together I can begin fabrication and assembly. Ahhh - the fun begins.

Tha Cave - Under Construction - 2

Well I reached a stage of completeness - the framework and fixed shelves are up, painted, and ready for the facing and doors. I was so thrilled to finally have all this stuff off the floor and room for two cars in the garage again.

Just in time to get pulled off for a couple of weeks to tackle another project. I'll be back.

Tha Cave - Under Construction

Well the first phase is coming along nicely. The framework for the cabinets is in place. Everything is primed and ready for paint.

The unpainted portion of the stringers doesn't get primer since I'll be gluing and fastening the faces to the framework. I've also taped those mating surfaces in preparation for paint.


I added some extra bracing in the middle of the cabinets that spanned more than 50 inches so that I can use 1/2 inch plywood for these fixed shelves instead of 3/4 inch. The 3/4 inch will be used for the adjustable shelves though. I won't be adding the adjustable shelves until I see how the space gets utilized.

You can also see the steel post legs I made to support the front of the cabinets. I used two pieces of 1-1/2 inch angle iron welded at right angles, then welded the 3/4 inch pipe with threaded foot onto the angle. The threaded foot provides the adjustment needed for a snug fit, and the angle portion is screwed to the underside of the framework. The pair of legs is duplicated on the other side, but weren't attached in the picture above (behind the engine).

Mini Man-cave

One of the key benefits to the house we bought in Benson was the over-sized, two-car garage. This means that in addition to storing stuff for the kids, I can still have room to park my wife's car and continue work on my project 914. However, to continue work on any project the space needs to be managed properly. That means cabinets for all the kids boxes, and storage for all my car parts. So to reach my goal of building the "mini man-cave", I've broken it down into a few phases:

1. Wall cabinets for storage on west & south walls
2. Concrete floor sealant
3. Semi-portable car lift
4. Driveway & canopy

Phase 1
Along the west side of the garage I have nearly 24 feet of wall space, and have already designed some built-in cabinets. Here's an image from the model that I worked up for the west wall.

I left the doors off on the right side so the structure is more visible. These cabinets start one foot above the floor and extend 9-1/2 feet to the ceiling. The upper most sections will be open without doors to use for body parts like bumpers and exhaust pieces. They're 24 inches deep, so they provide a lot of storage area.

I left two sections at the ends open to the floor to allow storage of vertical items and some hand tools. These two sections and the center (open section) will get peg-board that will be used as a mounting medium for various hangers.

The south wall is a section about 11 feet wide between the front of the garage and the entry door to the house. The cabinets here are roughly the same enclosed style, without the upper open storage area.

I'm quite pleased with the design, as my goal was to provide a maximum of storage space at a more reasonable cost compared to cabinet components sold at the local home improvement stores. They build sectional units that you connect together. The drawback is all the duplicate side-walls and backs you end up with.

I eliminate all that by building then right onto the back & side walls of the garage. I begin with 2x4 stringers, screwed to the wall studs, and run horizontally at the bottom, middle, and top of the cabinets. End panels are fastened to the side walls at the studs, and are notched for the stringers. These end panels, together with the stringers, support the cabinet frame. To provide additional support, metal legs are added at the front of the cabinets and extend to the floor to alleviate side loads on the back wall.

Here's some pictures of the right side under construction. Everything is covered with primer, and once the framework is all up, it will be painted. The outer facing and doors will likely get stain.

What it took to get here . . .

Here it is May; I'm enjoying my new position with Arizona Electric Power Cooperative, I've found a decent extended stay motel where I can actually cook without the use of a microwave, I look out over the valley and the San Pedro river to mountains, clear air, clouds, and rain in the distance, and think - Wow, what a great place to be!

Unfortunately, I'm enjoying this by myself. Back in heat-quenched Phoenix, Darla, Davin, and the girls are huddled indoors to stay cool, preparing for a pending move that none are exactly sure when it will occur. At this point my plans were to just find a decent place to rent, scope the place out for a year, then finally buy. At some point I realized, duh - this isn't Phoenix; it's not going to take a year to scope out. I was also fortunate to stumble across some information about the 2008 & 2009 tax credits for first-time home buyers. Since we've been renting after we sold our last house - hoping to find something more rural and not controlled by an HOA, we would qualify for this tax credit. That's pretty good incentive. Also, my new employer will pay a good portion of the fees involved in either selling or buying as part of their relocation package. Another good incentive.

Now if only I could find some way around having to make a down payment - since almost all our savings was used up over the last four months of unemployment. Enter the USDA National Rural loan program. Since we were locating to a rural part of Arizona (tip: most of AZ is rural), the USDA provides 100% financing for families as an incentive to help grow these rural areas. It's not necessary to be a first-time buyer. One just has to be within their income range per number of household members, and the property has to be within their very generous price caps. An additional plus is that NO mortgage insurance is required, since the USDA is guaranteeing the loan. Well that was enough to convince me that I should probably be looking to buy instead of rent.

The next step was to locate a lender familiar with this loan program. It just so happens that the USDA has a list of "Approved Lenders". Its' even been revised for 2009. Use it, but don't trust it. It would be interesting to find out what it takes to be an "approved lender". I suggest one should qualify not just the lender, but the loan officer you'll be working with, to verify that they have recent experience funding one of these loans. If you don't, the mortgage road is sure to be a bumpy one - with more potholes than the dirt road to that beautiful rural oasis you find. Ask me how I know.

In that mistake I violated one of the core principles I strive to operate from - always go to the source. It turned a month to six-week process into more than double that. We also wasted time looking at properties that didn't even qualify. Not because of price, but because they were used manufactured homes. USDA only funds new manufactured homes, or used ones that it has previously funded. Out here in rural Arizona there are a lot of manufactured homes. The "approved lender" I chose didn't have clue that such a requirement existed until after the appraiser submitted their info to the underwriters. But hey - that's OK. Life's about learning, and I'm willing to give some time to allow someone else an opportunity to learn.

Suffice it to say this was not the first snag in the process. Darla and I had to backup on a couple of occasions during our four-month process and re-focus on our primary goals. Thankfully the sellers were accommodating, our realtor was pro-active, and my employer was very supportive.

The trick for us was to not get attached to a particular house or the "possibilities" that would emerge with each one we liked. We had a goal of buying before Dec. 1st, staying away from freeway traffic, being within 20 minutes of Benson, having at least an acre of usable land for horses, and using the USDA Rural financing so we didn't have to pay mortgage insurance.

Refocusing on our goal helped us realize that there was more than one house that would be a good choice, so we didn't get too hung-up on any particular one. We even had the option of buying land and either building a home or buying a new manufactured home.

That way the whole process becomes more like the ideal relocation. You're making your decisions and choices (based on your goals) and letting others do the work (their job) to bring it all together. The lesson we learned there is to try and find others who are proactive in how they do their work. If they are not, then the process can take a little longer, but it usually gets done.

At one point we asked ourselves if this particular house was worth the additional time it was taking to complete the closing. The answer was yes, but only to a point. We set that point in time, and fortunately everything came together in time. If it hadn't - no problem - we had found another house that had possibilities too.

Settled in - at home in Benson, AZ

Greetings all,

Well after more than four months in a motel, the family and I are initially settled into our new home in Benson, AZ. Since my recent hiring on at Arizona Electric Power Cooperative in May, I was doing the preliminary house hunting and then having Darla come down to help choose the most desirable. The first house we found was a very nice manufactured home with a huge RV garage in addition to a two-car garage. Unfortunately it took the mortgage company a month to determine that the loan program we were using (USDA Rural) doesn't fund used manufactured homes, only new ones.

So we changed our criteria to only site-built homes on acreage. Fortunately it didn't take too long to find this one. It was built in late 2007, and finished in 2008. It's not the typical southwestern style, which was fine with us, we've had our share of constantly cracking stucco.




One of the real pluses is porches front & back. Front faces east, and back faces west. Since we're in a flood plain, the house was built elevated nearly 3.5 ft above the natural grade. This makes for some great views.






Since its elevated, the floors are built on joists with a crawl space underneath. They used an Australian Cypress hardwood throughout the house, with tile in the bathrooms. Never seen this type of flooring before, but it sure looks great.

That means all the vents are in the floor instead of the ceiling - much like it would be in a mid-western home. They also went to the trouble of insulating the garage and finishing it.

The house is located on just one acre, but that will be enough to manage a couple of horses. With open BLM range land about 1/2 mile east and the San Pedro river about the same to the west, there's plenty of open areas for riding. That's Ashley's plan anyway - should be doable.










Darla and the girls have been watching these home design shows on HGtv during our stay in the motel. So I see some accent wall colors and creative wall designs in our near future. We'll be sure to post the progress here as well.

Now I'm just waiting for my car and engine to show up. Ooops -I better get rid of some of these boxes in the garage.

Engine Art - semi fini

Well the engine is in its final form, and a beautiful form it is. I can't wait to verify the function.


With the engine harness and intake manifold on, the remaining items are minor in comparison. However, with a pending move to southern Arizona in the next six weeks, its not likely that I will get much more done until after that.

Just as a reminder, here are a few things left to prepare for the bench run.

• Rebuild A/C compressor and mount it.
• Complete main harness and test it.
• Locate and install used exhaust system (only used for bench test)
• Fabricate engine/transaxle cradle.

The engine cradle will be another piece of form and function, as its going to serve a dual role. It will function as the cradle for the engine, transaxle, and exhaust during the bench test. It will also serve as a lifting aid to install the engine/transaxle assembly into the car, but more on that later.

Facing the Giant - Unemployment

My wife and I, and our three teenagers sat down together recently to watch "Facing the Giants." And even though our teens noticed the difference in the production level when compared to other movies they've seen, the message of the movie wasn't lost. In fact we found the "behind the Scenes" story of how the movie was made just as stirring.

As my wife and I prepared for bed that evening, my wife stated - "If only life could be that way." - referring to this movie and one we viewed earlier in the week named "Joshua".

Hearing that, some might conclude that my wife is out of touch with the "Christian" life. Quite the opposite. The context of that question involves the last several months where I have been out of work, collecting unemployment, and she is working a part-time job; both doing everything we can to keep things together while our three teens complete their school year.

I have applied for over one hundred jobs, mostly in the depressed area we currently live, but also in other adjoining states. The few responses I have received are primarily - "Thanks for applying, but". What's been even more frustrating is that the two interviews I did have, both of which went very well, didn't produce jobs because the positions were withdrawn due to economic reasons. So she has seen how diligently I have prepared my field - yet no rain.

So from that context her statement takes on deeper meaning, especially since the day prior we drove over six hours together to visit another area and I could interview for a another position. Again, the interview went well. So all we can do is wait patiently and see. And we did. I spent that Friday morning in the usual way - researching and applying for several jobs here and in adjoining states.

It wasn't until lunch time came, and my wife was overdue, that the call came. It was the company I interviewed with earlier in the week. They were calling to offer me the position. It was like I was standing on the stage of one of those games shows - having won the grand prize - because the offer just continued - "Wait, but there's more!"

After hanging up the phone, I was completely overwhelmed - even to tears. My wife finally arrived for lunch, seeing me in tears and fearing the worst, sat down next to me. I was so choked up, but managed to get out my response to the statement she had made the previous night - "Remember what you said last night? 'If only life could be that way.' Well, it is!"

Not only did they offer me the job, but the salary was ten thousand more than I was expecting. Not only did they offer me the job, but they were going to pay for all the moving expenses, including extra costs that might occur due to duplicate housing, selling and closing fees, etc.

Just your standard job offer? Not when you realize that my wife had her part-time job already approved for next year. We were expecting that I would just find an inexpensive room to live in at the new location and commute back home once or twice a month over the weekend. However, the ten thousand difference in pay will make up almost exactly what my wife was making. So now we can all move together, and stay together as a family.

And for that I thank God and all those involved with this movie for the refreshing and encouraging message I received - NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD!

More Engine Art - continued . . .

The engine continues to come together. I haven't had much time to spend on it due to another project I'll post about later. Here are a couple of pictures of the current status. Once I get the harness wrapped and the fuel injectors on finally it will get the intake manifold.

More Engine Art - continued . . .

A lot of time has gone by, but progress continues slowly. Here is the pre-assembly of the famous SHO Intake Manifold. I've been taking my time making sure everything is fitting together properly.

(Here are two pics. For some reason the yellow gets washed out in the sun)











It will be some time before this goes on the engine as I have to clean, lengthen & rewrap the engine wiring harness before the intake manifold can go on. The harness sits down inside the middle of the valve covers under the intake.

Engine Art - continued . . .

Well, as my engine assembly continues, the Art is taking form. It will still be some time before we get to see if the function follows as closely to the form as intended. But I remain optimistic.

The yellow and red colors will correspond to the split-color bumpers - front & rear. The cars overall color is Signal Orange. The split-color bumpers were used on the factory GT cars to aid in identifying them on the track. Though this will be far from a factory-like car, I still like the concept.

Nas-Car

Well my wife and I recently attended our first NASCAR race. The Checker 500 held here at PIR last Sunday was the first NASCAR event either of us has attended. I first would like to thank Mark (with a subcontractor we're using on a current project in the valley) for providing the tickets. Overall it was a wonderful, though sobering, experience. We had a delightful time together, and I was pleasantly surprised at my wife's genuine interest the whole afternoon.

We set off for the track several hours before the 2pm start time. I wasn't sure what to expect as we came within miles of the track, which is located out in the southwest valley. Surprisingly the Sherrif's Dept had a well organized and planned out set of routes to brings cars into the enormous parking area. That made the self-parking less chaotic. Since we were arriving on Sunday for an event that basically started Friday afternoon, you can imagine how far away we had to park. Quite right - it was a 30 minute walk from our car to the ticketing gate. My wife quickly noticed how all the cars, RV's, campers, etc - seemed to be a "maze of metal."

The maze of metal soon morphed into a stream of flesh as we were swept along in the crowds of people moving toward their repsective seats as race time approached. A flash of ancient Roman colosseum with venders lined all around the outside selling their wares, the smell of food, crowds of people moving in all directions - anxiously awaiting the main event - came to mind. There was, as you would expect, no lack of alchoholic beverages available, together with your typical desert thirst-quenchers. It could easily be likened to a circus, carnival, fair, or any such event intended to overwhelm the senses and lure the weak into over-consumptions of all kinds.

We were fortunate to find our seats two-thirds up the grand-stands. This allowed a gracious view of the entire infield, along with the complete track. We were also positioned just at the end of turn four and at the beginning of the long main straight (long for a one-mile track). Unfortunately (at first anyway) it also allowed us an uninterupted view of the sun. Even in the mid-80's it can still be quite sweltering with no shade. Did I mention they don't allow umbrellas! Who would need one anyway - it rarely rains in the desert - right? Not. It wasn't long before there was an abundance of shade - and even a little rain to cool things off. Many complained as it brought the race to a halt for 20-30 minutes, but we saw the blessing in it and appreciated it.

As the race gets underway, the most obvious feature during the whole event is the SOUND! We were prepared with ear plugs, but the shear consistency of it was amazing. Equally amazing to my wife was the closeness of the cars at such speeds with so few mishaps. Though there were a few in this race - expecially at the end of the race - they mostly moved around the track, one after the other - like an endless chain of pearls. I must admit it was a bit like watching a carousel - almost hipnotic.

As you might imagine, the race continued lap-after-lap, much the same. An occasional yellow flag, due to debri, to shake things up a bit. There were occasions where cars bumped each other and one or both ended up in the wall. This provoked the mass exudos of the other cars from the track into the pits. It also generated some of the biggest shifts in position. Some benfitted - others didn't. Finally in the end it was Jimmy Johnson who one the race - after leading it for most the laps.

As we left the track, we realized it was an enjoyable experience, and are glad we had the opportunity. Have we been bittin by the NASCAR bug? I think not. But that doen't mean we wouldn't welcome the opportunity to experience it again.

Up to grade?

OK, I know I haven't been keeping up on this Blog. I've been a little over-whelmed with work and school. Fortunately mid-terms are over and I managed an A on one and a B on the other. I could have squabbled over a couple of marginal corrections to push the B to an A, but it seems rather trivial. The A in the other course at least allows me to skip taking the final - as long as I get the same grades on homework and quizzes. A worthy goal indeed!

Electric!

I came across a couple of articles that fit in with our previous Electric discussion. One discusses a new electric vehicle and hybrid-electric that can be run run for pennies/mile, and provide a range of over 120 miles on all electric.

Aptera Test Drive

The Aptera

The other article is about roof-top wind turbines of unconventional design.

This is very encouraging reading. Enjoy!