Csx4005la

[twobjshelbys]

So my friend said "find the scanner port and bring it up" to see if there were any codes. Well, it's not that modern. So he recommended I take it to the local Ford dealer (where I get my Mustang worked on) to see if they have the old style stuff (they don't any more either ! ).

Their diagnosis is ignition. One of their old time guys (who is older than me) sent the kid in to get a temp meter. It's missing on 3:

0 0
0 0
0 x
x x

(top is front , left is drivers side).

This car has three controllers. The basic fuel injection controller is Roush but the others are Accel. They suggested just bolting to a MSD, changing out the plugs and wires and starting over. Thoughts?

Here's what is there:

O2 sensor:




Ignition controller:





Note that to get to the distributor the fuel rails have to be removed (or at least, moved). I will also add a fuel pressure gauge. I've seen them internal in the engine compartment although I might consider switching an oil temp for fuel pressue gauge if one was available. Wow, the mod opportunities abound. I could make it a supersnake and add a Paxton too. After driving it for a couple of weeks I'm not sure 550HP is enough






Roush fuel injection controller. EFI by DFI (Is that Accel? It seems to be in their trademark on the other components.)





Also, I was looking at the pictures of the engine on the Roush site and it says it has a powder coated oil pan and the capacity is 8 qts. When we changed the oil last Friday it took 11, and the pan is aluminum. I'm still trying to figure out exactly what "mods" have been done, but apparently this was changed for some heavy duty use.

[Rick Parker]

It looks like a cad plated steel pan. Are you sure it's aluminum, is the shiny color throwing you off? Magnetic?

[Got the Bug]

That looks like a standard issue Roush oil pan (similar to my my 402 SR). 10 to 11 quarts is probably about right.

[twobjshelbys]

More about what I found tonight but does anyone know of someone with a chassis dyno in the Boulder area (or Loveland/Ft Collins), or Denver if nothing closer.

Throttle bodies are all jacked up and adjustments ran into a roadblock of "it says this shouldn't be but doesn't say what to do if it is", plus the next adjustment after this would require the electronic fuel injection controller link and WOT adjustments that I'm sure should be done on a dyno and not on the driveway.

It runs better though.

[Allan A]

I would not worry about the fuel cell, there are a number of people who have had them in for over 10 years without any problems. The only reason some people discourage their use is the additional costs to supply them with the car.

Allan

[Balance_Point]

The only reason some people discourage their use is the additional costs to supply them with the car.

Allan

I have had numerous fuel safe cells, as well as others, have serious degredation of the foam in as little as 1 year (severly clogging the filter) and the bladder in 5 during my 15 years with a euro auto manufacturer as a race engineer. You may consider limiting these kind of responses to actual personal experience and not conjecture and supposition from others. This forum seems to be a great community and people rely on good advise to make quality educated decisions. While I don't think your intent was malace I hope you can see how it could be counter productive. My 02.

[Allan A]

I have had numerous fuel safe cells, as well as others, have serious degredation of the foam in as little as 1 year (severly clogging the filter) and the bladder in 5 during my 15 years with a euro auto manufacturer as a race engineer. You may consider limiting these kind of responses to actual personal experience and not conjecture and supposition from others. This forum seems to be a great community and people rely on good advise to make quality educated decisions. While I don't think your intent was malace I hope you can see how it could be counter productive. My 02.

Ok smart ass I have had my car for 6 years without any problems, is that personal enough. Your an engineer what is a filter used for and why does it have replaceable parts? If you don't want a fuel cell then don't get one, but don't make it sound like they fail everyday, that is total BS!

[Balance_Point]

Nice productive response. Grow up.

[twobjshelbys]

Engine system update.

The rough idle and startup problem had some interesting twists this week. I got the cable and software and was able to connect up to the engine controller. The fellow from Roush was very helpful and noted that I hadn't done a calibration (it was late Monday), so yesterday AM I sent him the info. Bottom line is that the throttle position sensor cable was wired backwards! This made an immense difference in the operation of the engine right away, but pretty much negated the throttle body adjustments I had done a couple of weekends ago. I also reloaded the original "factory tune" which also helped. We're on the right track.

[twobjshelbys]

Originally Posted by twobjshelbys

Engine system update.

The rough idle and startup problem had some interesting twists this week. I got the cable and software and was able to connect up to the engine controller. The fellow from Roush was very helpful and noted that I hadn't done a calibration (it was late Monday), so yesterday AM I sent him the info. Bottom line is that the throttle position sensor cable was wired backwards! This made an immense difference in the operation of the engine right away, but pretty much negated the throttle body adjustments I had done a couple of weekends ago. I also reloaded the original "factory tune" which also helped. We're on the right track.

Today was the last day to get it in for retest - it still failed HC at idle, even worse than it did the first time. It certainly runs smoother but it still out of adjustment. I'll repeat the throttle body adjustments again this weekend and try again next week. I have until Friday to get it to pass since that is when my Arizona temp plate expires.

[twobjshelbys]

Yesterday I reran the Roush throttle body calibration process one more time and this time everything converged quickly. [It may be iterative and need 3 or 4 times to actually get full convergence although they don't say that.] Part of this process is to set idle at 1000RPM.

So yesterday I spoke with the emissions exception gods at the State of Colorado and he suggestedsetting the idle from 1000RPM to as close to but below the limit of 1350RPM. I chose 1250-1300 from the software (not the mechanical tach).

Guess what! It Passed!





The tech guy at the state said that this is pretty close to perfect and that any tweeks I do will now be in the 10% range but not 1/2 again. So I'm done. I may still take it to a tuner for a final "tune" but the basic mechanical and electrical problems that came with engine have been overcome.

This software has a "real time dynamic tune" wizard and I may run it just to see what it does. Like any tuner it's easy to put stuff back.

Now I have to get the VIN inspection repeated because the officer didn't fill it out correctly (they told me what he should put in the boxes), and I have to get it weighed. Plate SPRSNAK is waiting...

Sales tax hurts...

[Got the Bug]

Congratulations twobjshelbys! Registration and smog....always an adventure...then the tax man cometh.

Will your car need to pass smog on a periodic basis, or is this a one time deal?