rmoltis build thread 96 aspire

[rmoltis]

Went out today and bought a vacuum gauge kit from harbor freight.
Got the idea from tominmo.
After following his tuning experiments.
Probably got the same kit he did it was $15.

Went outside and let my car warm up for a while.
It was cold outside so it didn't heat up above 165* parked and idling.
But adjusted the ignition timing+fuel pressure+idle.
Might have to readjust on a the next hot day just to make sure its not overadvanced due to colder weather tuning.

We live at 1200ft above sea level so the max vacuum possible is reduced by around 1.2"hg.
I started at the stock ignition position from the mark on the distributor before I started messing with everything.
And turned the fuel pressure down to stock pressure 38lbs.
Readjusted the idle and started from there.
And made sure I had the jumper in place.

After fiddling around with everything.
Bumping the fuel pressure up to 40lbs brought the vacuum up to 20".
Then adjusting the ignition timing steadied the needle reading.
Full advance on the distributor brought it to 21+
But I to thought that was too advanced so brought it back down a couple degrees.
It's not advanced much above stock timing just a smidgeon.
Maybe 1-3*
I run premium gas always so I'm not worried.
And finally adjusting the idle back to stock range got it sitting at 20" steady.

Which at sea level would be slightly above 21"hg.
Went for a drive and everything is smooth and better adjusted than I could ever get it by hear and feel.
No pinging.
Smooth idle.
No hesitations while accellerating.
No bogging.
Low end torque is also there as well.

Everyday you learn something new.
And hone in on your skills/techniques.

[rmoltis]

I know my last post said everything was spot on but..

on different days.
My car responds differently to tuning.
And its been a while trying to figure out exactly why.
The timing is in the correct spot.
I can tell because when I achieve highest vacuum without adjusting timing ridiculously advanced maybe 1-3*
I also check my scanguage.

The engine loading shows lowest numbers at highest intake manifold vacuum.
So the vacuum gauge gets me close with inches of hg.
Then I fine tune based on the lowest number the scanguage shows through the ecu data which relies on the sensors.
Which is 14% engine loading at idle.
Which is done with a fully warmed up engine at 195-200*coolant temp.

So the timing has been spot on for days.
But the fpr changes daily.

So the past couple days I have been adjusting fuel pressure based on local barometric pressure.
Because since I'm above sea level the actual fuel pressure I see on the gauge doesn't technically show what it should be.

For example at sea level or 14.7 psi of atmospheric pressure.
The stock fuel pressure should be 38psi with vacuum advance disconnected.

Since at wot the intake pressure is based on the local barometric pressure.
Since manifold vacuum is removed with the throttle plate fully open.

So I found that fuel pressure should be adjusted in relation to local barometric pressure.

Because at higher altitudes setting the afpr to 38 may be equivalent to setting it to 39-40+etc.
Causing you to think the adjustments are not efficient when in fact it may just be running rich with less air density.

And if I drove to pittsburgh from sea level with those settings to 900ft above sea level.
My gauge would show maybe 36-37psi at wot.
On an average day.

But today it was cold and the air was dense.
So the local barometric pressure was slightly higher than sea level.

The local barometric pressure today was 30.41"hg
Converted to psi which was 14.935

So I figure at sea level or 14.7psi of air pressure the stock fuel setting is 38psi at wot.
So I took 38psi fp/14.7psi barometric pressure=2.58psi fp per-->1lb barometric pressure.

So 2.58x14.935=38.5psi fuel pressure required for local pressure to be equivalent to stock pressure baseline.
throughout pressure changes in the environment.

Power is solid.
Torque was gained.
And I'm not a dyno.
But my butt dyno feels it.
And I'm still learning.

I don't even know if I need any extra fuel pressure.
Now that I've done all this.
It makes sense why one day my settings were good and the next day they were off.
But now everything should stay linear.
And ill give it a few days/weeks and report back on what changes occur.

Hope some of this helps out others.
Just use your local weather for local barometric pressure readings.
Which is usually in "hg.
Which you'll have to convert to psi online.
To find your baseline setting.
Then adjust from there.

[TominMO]

Two interesting posts there. I too like adjusting ignition timing with the feedback from the vacuum gauge; makes it more precise in getting what you want.

As far as daily, or even hourly, fluctuations in barometric pressure due to weather and elevation, I think that is what the VAF and MAF will (at least somewhat) correct for. It would hardly be practical to be adjusting it virtually daily based on the weather report! I could see where race teams would do so, but we hardly need to.

[rmoltis]

I don't plan on setting it daily.
Rather I wanted to know the day I set it.
That it was set correctly.
So that as the barometric pressure changed from day to day it would be calibrated to the correct setting automatically.

As opposed to setting it from day to day just by visual readout on the gauge face.
Which wasn't constant.

So now that I've got it set to the equivalent of stock fp at sea level.
As the barometric pressure fluctuates.
If the air pressure falls one day the afpr may read 36-37psi
If the air pressure rises on day the afpr may read 38.5-39
The afpr will adjust with the air density automatically and stay linear from day to day.
And will keep it in the correct zone.

Say the air pressure one day is 14.3psi and my afpr is showing 37lbs.
I will know for a fact that at sea level pressure14.7 it is 38psi.
Or say the air pressure the day I set it was 14.935psi which on the afpr was 38.5psi
But at sea level its still 38psi.

Really its for a point of reference.
And now if I raise or lower the fuel pressure I will do it based on sea level pressure and do the conversions with local air pressure.
So that everything stays constant.

But you have a wideband so it takes more of the guess work out of it
Since you have direct feedback.

[TominMO]

OK, I get what you're saying now. Yeah it's nice having tools like a wideband and vac gauge, and Matt's adjustable FPR. Plus the adjustable cam gear, which might come in handy in the future for some other car.

[rmoltis]

So today I decided to go ahead and replace my lifters.
It was in the high 50's yesterday and today
compared to the recent snow and ice weather and below freezing temps.

Borrowed a friend's torque wrench.
It's pretty sweet its a digital snap-on one.

So I got inside and took the valve cover off.
This was the first time I've cracked the engine open.
And at first glance I had a smile.
Because it was fairly sludge free and pretty damn clean inside.
which means I've been taking good care of it.
Here's a pic taken at first opening.



Here's the inside of the valve cover.
Which was the "dirtiest" part.
Besides the outside of it.



So I first brought the valve cover inside and went on a mission
to find the dawn power dissolved everyone had recommended.
After trying a few chains wal-mart had it.

So I sprayed the dawn on the inside and out and used a scrub brush
Inside and out while it was still soaking.
Rinsed it off then repeated where necessary.
After 3 seperate soak/scrub sessions it was as clean as it was gonna get.

There was a little bit of rust bloom just between dry time after the cleaning session so I used an air dryer to speed up the process.



You might think the top of the valve cover could have gotten cleaner.
But I think those dirty looking spots are just aluminum oxidation.
It looks way cleaner than before.



Old lifters taken out.


New lifters put in/already installed.
I used the black plastic bag for the exhaust rockers.
And I used the white plastic bag for the intake rockers.
So I would more easily remember which was which.


So anyways I got everything back together.
And I was checking and double checking everything.
Like not cross threading bolts,
Or having a rocker on a ledge while tightening.
But when I started to torque the bolts down I stopped.
Because I heard a cracking sound.
Looked everything over and I had 1 spacer just barely up on a ledge.
And it had cracked.....
And right when it was almost finished so I could go for a drive too :-(.


I'm so peeved right now.
Because I'm leaving for Arizona on Monday.
And was hoping to finish this before leaving.
So I could have it opened and closed again in a few hours.
But now instead I have to leave the head exposed to the elements.
I did put some plastic film over the head and rocker arms tho.

So now I'm gonna need some spacers from an aspire.
They are little black cylinders that sleeve over the rocker shafts.
It'll be back on the road again soon hopefully.
I'll be back in town after new years.

[zoom zoom]

Nice job man! You can consider yourself lucky that you didn't have to fight the Festiva spring spacers haha, those are a real pita!

Unfortunately I don't have any extra spacers at all lol, I have used them! But getting ahold of one shouldn't be too much of an ordeal. If you need it I could send you a Festiva /spring/ spacer, it would do the same job just as good but a little pita to install.

Hopefully that'll fix your ticking issue!!!

[rmoltis]

Forgot to say that I replaced my valve cover gasket with a new one while It was open.
So I'd rather install the valve cover only once to ensure a great seal.

Id love to get a spacer if possible.
Keep everything the same.
I'll start a wtb thread for it.

And if I can't source one within a week or two
Then worst case scenario ill use a festy spring/spacer.

[rmoltis]

Ordered a new pcv valve grommet today.
Figured if I wanted to finish "rebuilding" the valve cover while it was off this would be about it.
Might as well get a new pcv valve as well.

I've been poking around with the idea of powder coating the valve cover.
And found a place nearby pittsburgh I'm going to check out tomorrow.
I would like to find a color as close to stock color as possible.

My aspire has the hot red mica metallic
And If possible I'd like the same red as the exterior
But in a candy color.
And some high gloss clear.

[rmoltis]

Went to the powder coating shop and talked with the people there.
Checked out a few colors trying to find the closest match.
Found a candy red that was the closest.
It was slightly a shade lighter.
So they are gonna first coat it Gray.
And then put the candy red over top of it.
To darken up the red.

It should be available within the next 10 days or so approximately.
Can't wait!

[zoom zoom]

Lol how did you find a powder coating shop?

[rmoltis]

Got my rocker arm spacer in the mail today. Thx zoom!!

Went ahead and installed it and torqued down the rocker arm shaft bolts.
Since the valve cover is gone for powder coating
ill have to wait to see if it fixes the noise.
Also while I have my friends torque wrench I went ahead and torqued down some bolts
From previous repairs to spec just to be safe

Torqued down the water pump inlet housing from when it was shortened to clear the header.
The header from when it was installed
And the thermostat housing from when the t-stat was replaced.

It's a brand new snap-on digital torque wrench I used so I could see how many ft-lbs I was applying
Then once there it beeped.

It just showed me how far off my hand was compared to torque specs.
There was a big gap for example the water pump inlet housing specs were 19-30 ft-lbs.
And I had it at 10 by hand lol.

I didn't have any leaks anywhere but still.

My question is.
if the manual says torque spec is... Say for example 16-21 ft-lbs on the rocker arm shaft bolts
Then technically anywhere in between those numbers should be fine right?
Or should I aim for a certain tightness.
For example when I see the specs I tend to aim for the middle.
So I went for 19ft-lbs

I figure torque wrenches have an accuracy range
and usually less on the low end or high end of the tq-range it has.
And this wrench goes from 5-150 ft-lbs.

So I figure if I aim for the middle of the fsm torque specs if anything it would be above the low end of what it should be torqued to depending on torque wrench accuracy right?

[rmoltis]

Lol how did you find a powder coating shop?

Just typed in powder coating pittsburgh in google and found the closest shop.
It wasn't even close it took 40 minutes to get there.

[zoom zoom]

That's cool.. I need to find somebody to do some work for me, so hard to find someone to do it.

I know if you use some kind of lube like oil or whatever your supposed to decrease the spec by 5%. I used to chase all the holes with a tap and clean the threads then use Q tips to make sure the holes were cleaned out good. I kinda have up on that because I don't care as much anymore I just want to get it done when I do stuff, b3's don't seem to care either way. ...but I'll probably use the procedure for stuff like head jobs next time I get into that.

[rmoltis]

So I got my valve cover back from the powder coating shop today and got it installed. Here's a couple pictures.
I had them use a candy tango red color.
I thought it would be a lot more mettalic looking.
But then again this is powder coat not car paint so it works a little different.
There were small dimples in the metal from sandblasting where there was oxidation of the aluminum.
But overall it looks good I like the color.
They almost got it to match my cars color.
Which is all I wanted.

Also I repainted the throttle cable bracket black, and put in a new pcv valve gasket along with the new valve cover gasket.





The downside to this whole fiasco is...
I was torque-ing down the valve cover bolts.
And the fsm says 44-80ft-lbs.
And I had the initial setting on the digital torque wrench to 20ft-lbs.
And one of the bolts broke off in the head!!!! Grrrrrr!!!
Made me so angry. Everything that can go wrong does go wrong.

So I went out and bought a screw out kit to use in the future to try and remove it. But first I want to go order some new grade 10.9 steel bolts from fastenal to replace them all with. That way it won't happen again.

Even with that bolt not there I had everything installed and ready to start the car anyways so I could get the new lifters pumped up.
So I went ahead and did that.

You don't have to fill lifters up with oil by soaking them for days because when you go to install them its a pita.

I was reading that nowadays you put them in dry.
Then remove your spark plug wires and crank the engine over for a bit to get oil in them and then when sufficiently lubed up to start the engine.
That way they are not hammered on before full.

It worked quite well but I still had to start the engine and let it warm up for the ticks to completely go away.
Then went for a short drive and came back to park.

The other downside to this whole fiasco.
Is that sound I was chasing by replacing my lifters.
It still exists.
So I still have some investigating to do before it is solved.


Also I think I need to clean my iac valve.
That hunting idle that people report having is a symptom of mine every now and again along with a hesitation at low idle sometimes.

Any suggestions?