rmoltis build thread 96 aspire

[zoom zoom]

I think a couple years of the escorts had the same rotors, without the screw holes. Doesn't really matter, does it? 50 people have no problem but one guy does....so he should probably use them. They are nice if your still messing with lug BOLTS lol..

[rmoltis]

How come if I have a problem.
To which I isolate and find a solution for myself personally.

Then explain said solution to others.
It feels sometimes as if I'm being told it is wrong
Even if these thoughts solved my problems.

I always thought online forums were places for open discussion.
As well as archives of personal experience written down in words with pictures.
For people online to use as a resource for diagnosing and solving their own problems with.

No matter how low the chances are this may be someone's problem.
It is wrong for people to write these things off as nonsense.

It makes it really hard for online guests to navigate these kinds of things
and formulate a solid idea on whether or not this may help their current situation.

I am open for discussion on any subject
Because I am not perfect, nor am I always right.
And if I know nothing about a certain subject.
I just stay away from it until I've learned more.

But to have a back and forth flow of ideas from member to member and still be productive in the conversation.
Means we can't say how we feel/personal opinion unless it is spoken and noted as being opinion only and not fact.
there needs to be a logical and rational description or explanation as to why others think in their ways

Whether you call them arguments, debates, or conversations.
I am always open to new views and ideas.

They only get bad when others bring feelings into the mix.

Please be constructive guys.
I by no means try to be offensive in any way.
I'm just constantly trying to improve my understanding of how everything ties together
While sharing my thoughts as I go.
Engineers see a lot more variables when designing something than we might expect sometimes.

I always figure when in doubt.
Try and find the patent, company, inventor of the things in question you are searching for.
Or some big study about why these things were/are needed.

They always seem to share insight on why certain things exist.

And on a side note. No one in this subject has openly bashed my ideas or said flat out I'm wrong.
It has been relatively pleasant with feedback from members giving me new ways to look at it.
It is just a statement to remind us sometimes each of us can be a little forceful trying to change someone's mind on a subject.

But ultimately works best when ideas and information are presented by people to the person.
And allow the person to formulate their own understandings from the information presented.

These back and forth sessions are just as productive for me
as it can be for others participating in the conversations at hand

[bhazard]

Just FYI I had a fender get bashed in and corner light broke in my old festy back in 09 or so. They valued the car at $1800 after I bought it for $450 and they had $1400 worth of work done. Guess I got lucky.

[bhazard]

Also why would you spend all that money on iridium plugs just to change them at copper plug intervals?

[nitrofarm]

Moltis did you rotate your tires ?

[fastivaca]

The alignment screws slowly came loose from not being torqued down a 2nd time.
But they were still in their slots just slightly loose.

...once the wheel fasteners are torqued properly, the rotor can't move and is hub centric on an aspire or Miata hub. ... If those screws were loose enough to hold the wheel out from the rotor slightly when tightened then you would most certainly feel that as a vibration.

If you had vibration before re-tightening the screws and none afterwards then I believe you have experienced what Charlie mentioned in his post. As an aside, I have Aspire brakes on my car with aftermarket rotors. Those rotors did not have the screw holes and I don't have any vibration.

Hope that helps clarify the issue a bit.

[rmoltis]

Also why would you spend all that money on iridium plugs just to change them at copper plug intervals?

I tend to take mine to high rpms on a quite reqular basis.
Not always but I do when I feel.

And they were only 6.99each so $27.96 and a $5 rebate on top so $22.96 doesn't seem expensive lol.

But after you peaking my interests I read up on the two metals.

And copper seems to be the best performer with lowest life.
And iridium has lower conductivity but much higher longevity.

Next round tune up I will switch to copper plugs
And report back.

Moltis did you rotate your tires ?

Yes they were rotated and balanced within the past few weeks.

If you had vibration before re-tightening the screws and none afterwards then I believe you have experienced what Charlie mentioned in his post. As an aside, I have Aspire brakes on my car with aftermarket rotors. Those rotors did not have the screw holes and I don't have any vibration.

Hope that helps clarify the issue a bit.

It definitely sounds like a possibility.
When I had initially installed them they were hand tight.
And the wheels went over them tight.

But since I had my wheels rotated and balanced recently.
It may be "possible" they worked their way loose between install and tire removeal for wheel balance.
Then I could also see the shop technician not noticing and putting a wheel back on over it.

[bhazard]

I can get a set of NGK V powers for under $10...just sayin

[nitrofarm]

Is it possible that it helped the vibration?

[rmoltis]

Continuing on with my fuel adjustments.
It was a pretty hot day today.

And I noticed after yesterday's settings and driving for a day to let the computer relearn.
Set a new baseline.
wot setting had changed back down to .79-.80v on the o2 sensor readings.
Now this was after warming up my car then going for a drive and pulling over once at operating temperature of 195-200degrees helps with setting idle air mixture for idle rpm.
As well as ensuring the warmed up engine has thermally expanded accommodating it's maximum amount of combustion chamber airspace when running.

So I bumped up the fuel pressure another .25 psi approx.
It brought the wot voltage reading between .81-.83 which is about the range I wanted (seems to give me "lean rich best power"

Then once done I grounded the jumpers and reset idle air mixture for an idle rpm of 700 on the lowest rpm Cycling.

I think this setting is close to ideal because now as my car sits at idle I am not seeing any ignition timing being pulled by the knock sensor.
It seems to sit at a steady advance of 10-11 degrees.

Now the range of rpms between off idle acceleration and the torque peak at 4 200 rpms
Has smooth acceleration and idle characteristics.
Which makes it easier for me to shift early and cruise in a taller gear than needed to acquire better mpgs.

But once airflow into the engine has peaked and remains stable past 4200rpms.
The fuel during this time or "wot" is important it must remain precise throughout the rest of the rpm band.

I figure put your power in the lowest rpms you can.
Because the lower rpm the power is available.
The lower you keep the engine revolutions

Effectively increasing engine life and reducing fuel usage.
While giving you more power in the useable rpm ranges of daily driving.

For example 5000 rpms will wear the engine 5x faster than 1000rpm

Same is true for mpg driving.

The lower the rpms you apply power at the less air you draw in compared to higher rpms.
No equations here just made up examples
At 1000 rpms you consume 5x less fuel than at 5000 rpms
Because the cylinders can only fill up so far each revolution with air.
And that said air content only requires so much fuel.


So overall the driveability during most normal street driving circumstances has increased.
Once my wideband wiring comes in the mail I'll install it and see where I ended up at.

[Movin]

We have the cheapest car to keep on the road. The flip side is anything cool seems expensive but so what, it is still the cheapest car to keep on the road. Not many cars can have more mods , each one worth more than the car ! Lol

[rmoltis]

Today I went for another drive and verified that I was at the correct narrowband voltage that I was aiming for.
It was sitting right at .83v sometimes would peak to .85v but only momentarily then back down to .83

So now that that was consistant.
And let me remind you vehicle was fully warmed up 195-200 degrees.

Since air fuel ratio had been set.
I wanted to refine my ignition settings.
So I jumped my efi thingy.
And proceeded to fiddle. (And no not the instrument, the adjective)

I started noticing that I was gaining rpms as I retarded my ignition.
So I kept going until I got my highest vacuum reading with idle mixture set at 700 rpms.
Then I backed the ignition off or (advanced it).
Just to make sure I was in a good zone.

Readjusted idle, tightened down distributor and drove away.

My initial settings had been good for the lower fuel pressure (but fp was still above stock).
And advance was almost still lined up with the mark I put on the distributor before adjusting the first time.

But once I was done it was about 1/4" retarded from the almost stock timing mark.
I was a little skeptical of all the sensor readings I was seeing.

But I went for a test drive and it seemed to improve a large area between the idle and 5k rpms.

My only (reasoning/theory) for this is.
I feel like the air fuel ratio I was aiming for between 13 and 13.5@wot once achieved
Meant the flame front speed or burn rate was quicker. It burns fastest around 12.5-13 afr
Meaning the vehicle must retard timing slightly
In order to take advantage of this increased burn speed

Also I think coolant temp dropped by a degree or 2 after settings.
It was sitting at 195-200 degrees in this hot sunny day.
But afterwards it sat around 193 degrees consistant.

So increased response, reduced acceleration hesitations, and reduced coolant temperature (even if it was a rather small drop in temperature)


Because if the ecu has to pull timing it end up reducing overall average power throughout the rpm ranges.
Acceleration has become more "apparant" and there seems to be no hesitations upon acceleration anymore.
From idle to 5k rpms.


It seems to be responding well to the changes made.
From day to day I'm sure it will be refined even further.

There is a learning curve to this stuff for me.
But I'm getting there.

One day I would like to get this thing on the dyno.
Just to know what I am working with.

I'm guessing 75-80hp at the crank
Maybe 63-68hp at the wheels assuming %15 drive train parasitic losses.
Maybe I'm being hopeful lol
Butt dyno isn't the most accurate thing there is.

[rmoltis]

I was poking around online to add to my last post and found this tidbit.
But alas my 30 minute window to edit my post has expired so here it is seperate.

As the effective burn rate of the gas is increased.
The ignition timing can be retarded a little bit and still achieve MBT.
This retarding of ignition timing will decrease the combustion gas pressures before TDC,
which will reduce the force required to move the piston on up to TDC.
This reduced drag effect on the pistons will increase the pumping efficiency of the engine.
Increased pumping efficiency results in less drag on the engine and more resulting engine output power.

This is what I felt after my test drive.

[sketchman]

So basically upping the efficiency lets you run less ignition timing, further increasing efficiency.

Nice.

[rmoltis]

So basically upping the efficiency lets you run less ignition timing, further increasing efficiency.

Nice.

Precisely. I had never thought about this.
Everywhere online always talks about how advancing ignition is the way to go.
So never thought I need try the opposite.
But I keep learning new things everyday.