Patchy's Fawlty Towers risk management. Enter at own risk

[StanTheMan]

Rx8 injectors went in tonight.

My old injectors must have been totally flocked. It runs soooo much smoother & more powerful too...i got a real surprise.

massiive surprises there. only 28 years old with 320K on it....never been cleaned. To my knowlege.

[StanTheMan]

I'm finding that Patchy likes to run super rich.

she just runs smoother.


Idle is much more stable down at around 13.5. that could be due to the cams. I'm trying to have her run at around 14.2....but it just feels better in the 13.5's at 14.7 to 15 she just wants to complain.... I mean there is some oscilation..... regardless of where I run her.

but overall on the map she prefers to run rich.

I was trying to address the oscillation Ive been having during idle. The place I got the injectors from said they were 450cc but we all read all over the net Rx8 injectors yellows are 420cc

so this morning I adjusted the injector size to 420cc which would make it run a little richer. And it did. But soooo smooth. so sock-like behavior compared to running a little leaner.
Currently ive been getting about 300 k's on a tank of E85. Ive been running exclusively e85. I know or Ive also read, that E 85 likes to run about 0.5point leaner than 98 and Ive adjusted the AFR table for that. (yes I know about 9.7AFR stoich & so on)

I wonder if my 0 2 sensor is giving me correct read outs. its an LS2 unit with a 4.9 Bosch sensor. and that's what I have set tuner studios to.

I calibrated the sensor when i installed it in October or November last year. I re-calibrated it about 4 weeks ago because I have a different reading in TS than the gauge is telling me. the gusge is telling me about 0.5 richer than TS.....the guage & LS1 controller are set so factory defaults. But Ive been taking the TS reading as gospel. and really been looking at data-logs.

anyway your thoughts, commentary .......all welcome

[StanTheMan]

Started playing around with Virtual Dyno.

This is what I got.
ugh.....

My first go no smoothing.jpg

then I added a smoother into it,,

I can only assume thats averaging it out a little over the top there

My first go smoothing.jpg

[StanTheMan]

Well there has been some developments here....
Been missing this place
There was in interesting doscussion on Facebook. I had to resort to Facebook's to get my daily fix of mx5 stuff

This is more about induction noise of CAI

[youtube]https://youtu.be/eW_9rL8N_2U[/youtube]


So glad okibi managed to get us back

[StanTheMan]

so a few post back I started playing around with Virtual Dyno.

For this to work I assume I need to do the same piece of road.

So over the weekend I repaced all the valve guide seals.
I had a little trouble rsetarting that car but the thing I noticed is that I must have had a brain snap when originally adjusting the cam timing.

Turns out I had the cam sprockets adjusted the wrong Direction. Insead of the intended -8 deg in exit. I had them adjusted to +8 on the exit.

Tok her for a spin & she fe;lt dramatically differentr.

The below graphs should be taken with a grain of salt......at least with the top hp as I started with a different RPM to the previous one.Although thje same piece of road, started at the same location and since it is not perfectly flat......
But the imortant thing is its a gain and a decent one.

CamTiming Correction.jpg

[speed]

So patchy goes even better now. She must fly!

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[StanTheMan]

Thank you speed

our cars are quite different. I find when I'm driving a much more powerful car I tent to stay in lower gears for longer. you can only go so fast around the twisty bends and it is limited by grip. It is the long gradual uphill bends and long straights where your car will shine. The only way to make mine quicker now is by geometry & better tires. You also had a female passenger which in most cases demands more respectful driving.

New tires & an alignment are due and seriously required on Patchy. The tires will be done when rego is due late this year probably.

I have no idea on tires but it will be something not too short of dot approved serious street performance. Something which will last about 2 years and about 15,000 k's. I used to use the Falken RT 615 years ago when they first came out 2005?. The previous one to that was the RT215 which I loved. Most exciting Tyre I've ever dríven on.It will be something very similar.With an appropriate alignment to suit those tires. But they are old technology & I need to get up to date on whats available now days.I currently have a crap alignment even more crappy tyres.

next up is the vTPS & Flex fuel sensor. Then a DIY respray on various panels.

plenty of stuff to muck around with in the foreseeable future. Will eventually need to think about track days too. It will soon start getting out of control for street driving.

[speed]

Maybe due to the wife onboard but i actually never hit full throttle whilst you were directly behind me.
Maybe once when i was behind Andrew and he gave his a bit overtaking.
I was also being cautious in the bends due to all the cyclists on the road that day and the fact that I'm not confident with my stock brakes.

When i build the motor and dial in more boost i may have to join the mx5 club of nsw and hit the track.

So far, I'm finding the car lots of fun for weekend drives as it is.

I was very impressed with how your car pulled and it must be even more of a blast now.

Great work there

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[StanTheMan]

So this mornings plan was to get a base power run on my favourite strech of flat road & change the spark plug & see if there is any improvement.....via the virtual Dyno.

The therory is/was that with a hotter spark plug & richer mixture of E85 & some added timing.....little extra power.


so off went & did my base run & co,me back to change the plugs.

while fasteing the plugs I felt something odd. Pressuer kind of let go & the plug keept turning....
Took it out & this is what it looks like

20170520_104008_HDR[1].jpg

Once I released the gravity of what going on I slowly had a heart failure.....
In my entire life, Ive never had a spark plug break on me. Ever.I don't feel I went overboard with tightening either.
Ive cross threaded a spar plug thread on an alloy head.....but not this....
so one half of a new so\park plug is in my hand. The other is screwed deep inside the head.

packed up.
Closed bonnet
went to a cafe at Manly Beach for brekky.

Ttttttooooo....be cc..cccc...continued

[StanTheMan]

So while having a sensational coffee & some toast I figured.

although Ive never heard of this happening I cant be the first. There must be some tools that can get the spark plug out. Bit like when you drill out a screw....reverse thread.....
I calmed down a little.

some time later.....My mother who had heard via god knows what or who....rang & said. Ive got the tool youre looking for . Your old man had it hiding in the shed....

Cool.

Good on you old Girl. Youre the best. Mothers day was last week after all....

Then I figure....what if I ram a screw driver into it & it might have enough hold to get it out.....but dangerous....bu worth a try.

20170520_111015[1].jpg

It worked......phew

[93_Clubman]

WTF indeed! Seen tops break, but not the bottom - well done getting it out!

[bigdog]

Could only happen to you Stefan

Time to buy a lotto ticket.

[StanTheMan]

Could only happen to you Stefan

Time to buy a lotto ticket.

Yes indeed. There is good reason this thread refers to Fawlty towers & risk management. In the same sentence

[bigdog]

[StanTheMan]

Supercheap were surprised too. They were quite good about it too. Took photos & replaced the oggending spark with no issue's.

Replaced sparks and it idles a little bit smoother. But no difference noticed in the Butt Dyno

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