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Post by bobbarker on Sept 16, 2010 11:42:29 GMT -5
I know it's not really street ready, and yes, the VAM is sandwiched between the intercooler pipes, and the intercooler itself isn't even secured to the car other than the clamps on the pipes going in and out, but it's running!!! Boy did I miss the way she humms!
I hope the audio works... can't hear anything on this work computer.
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Post by Stinger on Sept 16, 2010 12:32:12 GMT -5
Yes, audio works (and is LOUD). Is your base timing set correctly? The initial crank sounded like the timing wasn't right...could just be a very low battery though.
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Post by bobbarker on Sept 16, 2010 12:49:00 GMT -5
battery was completely dead. Base timing shouldn't have moved since it last ran, and everything was fine. I had the battery hooked to my truck to get it to start.
Hope to get the MStinger in soon so I can chunk the VAM.
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Post by bobbarker on Sept 27, 2010 14:04:53 GMT -5
I took the down pipe off and wrapped it with exhaust wrap to try to keep some heat off that coolant hose until I figure out how I want to shorten it to keep it off the pipe. Does that wrap stuff smoke a ton or is it something else?
Now the battery won't hold enough charge to start the car on it's own, but it will jump off and idle fine, until the temp rises and then it won't idle. I have no idea why. I kept it running and took it on a 5 minute trip around the block, started smoking from the exhaust wrap, and the oil drain line... Then got back into the drive way and it died and wouldn't restart. It would turn over slowly but not spark. The fuel pump primes every time I turn the key on but it just won't idle when it's warm, and still won't hold enough charge to start on it's own.
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Post by Stinger on Sept 27, 2010 22:12:00 GMT -5
I'd question whether the alternator is charging...maybe it's losing voltage as it runs so the voltage gets too low to run properly by the time the engine is warm?
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Post by bobbarker on Sept 28, 2010 2:06:47 GMT -5
How important is a good ground from that cable coming off the block onto the fire wall? It was arcing when I first put everything back together until I smashed it under one of the header bolts. If that's not a clean ground would it have any effect on the alternator not charging?
and it ran fine going down the road, just wouldn't idle. I would be rolling and press the clutch and the car dies, then just dump the clutch and it would start again and run fine so long as I have my foot on the gas a little.
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Post by Stinger on Oct 3, 2010 22:33:34 GMT -5
Good ground is very important. The alternator is a pretty simple system. Verify it's getting key on power, verify it's output is at least 13.5v at 2000 rpm.
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Post by bobbarker on Oct 4, 2010 13:20:03 GMT -5
Swapped the battery and it still dies.
I'm going to try to test the alternator tonight and then recheck base timing with the how to guide on your site.
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Post by Stinger on Oct 4, 2010 13:35:11 GMT -5
Have you reset base idle, cleaned the IAC, and reset the TPS and such as outlined in our tech articles?
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Post by bobbarker on Oct 5, 2010 7:47:32 GMT -5
Not yet. I've been riding my bike to work daily and the hours I work already take up a lot of my day so that will have to wait until this weekend when I get some time off. I'm going to go through all the basic tune ups again (short of buying new parts) just like I did when I first bought it.
Reason I didn't do the base idle rest first is because I didn't think it would have moved since turning the car off some time ago...
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Post by bobbarker on Dec 19, 2010 21:33:13 GMT -5
I've been working on it, just not much that can be seen. Took out a lot of the excess wiring from the passenger compartment, engine bay and so on. Removed all the stuff that would make this car any sort of luxurious like the window's, electric door lock and mechanisms, window tracks and motor, glass, all speakers and the CD player head unit, all related wiring, and had my first attempt at shaved door handles/locks. I'm deffinantly on the track to make this car a rat rod. I'm excited now since I have made up my mind on a direction to take the car in. Started by cutting the slots out where the door handle went Then I used this super cheap metal mesh stuff from Bondo, along with some body filler to fill in the hole. Did the same with the hole for the antenna and the driers side door of course and went ahead and make a quick pass with some cheap-o primer to cover the raw metal More progress to come. I'm gonna start searching for a door popper that will work on the hatch so I can smooth that key hole out as well.
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Post by Stinger on Dec 19, 2010 23:38:38 GMT -5
That large of a hole will almost certainly crack out with the mesh/putty. It needs to have a piece of sheetmetal welded in place to be a proper fix.
You're making a rat rod SVO?
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Post by bobbarker on Dec 20, 2010 5:44:23 GMT -5
Well that sucks. No chance it will hold up? If it does crack I'll bring it to work and have a piece welded into the hole.
Sorta, it's not a true rat rod since it will be all Ford parts, but in the sense of no luxury pieces it will be rat rodish.
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Post by Stinger on Dec 20, 2010 12:44:10 GMT -5
I suppose there is a chance it will work but it's a pretty high stress area considering it will constantly be slammed shut and such.
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Post by bobbarker on Dec 22, 2010 14:02:30 GMT -5
I've gotten the whole car primered now, but no pics because my memory card is somehow corrupted, or broken, or whatever and it doesn't work.
I do have a couple new ideas though, I bought a battery relocation kit and it was a cheap plastic box and a long positive battery cable for the most part. Now I want to make a new box, probably a shallow bot and use the hold down plate and bars that came with what I have now. I am gonna look around the scrap at work and see if I can find some diamond plate to bolt together.
Also, I am really not liking the way the factory fuel tank looks, all huge and white hanging out of the back of the car. Anyone here have experience with putting a fuel cell in the spare tire well? I want to do that now, and it would probably make it easier to get a stronger fuel pump in there than buying a larger hanger for the Walboro I have waiting to go in now. Could I use the Walboro 255 pump I bought? Would probably depend on the fuel cell I got if it comes with it's own pump, or if it works with a specific pump, huh?
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