Yes Mel, hopefully later today. I'm putting the plugs in this afternoon, priming the fuel circuit to test for leaks and should have it Started at Home later on!
Guy
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Yes Mel, hopefully later today. I'm putting the plugs in this afternoon, priming the fuel circuit to test for leaks and should have it Started at Home later on!
Guy
Finally made use of that nice Halfords tool kit. The 14mm Spark Pug socket fits down into the heads a treat and really holds onto the plugs nicely, keeps them straight and should really reduce the risk of cross threading. I even managed to get the rear bank in without removing the plenum which is a first for me (the old plug spanner wouldn't fit without removing it).
Primed the fuel circuit remotely, straight up to a healthy, steady 6 Bar with nothing spraying out of any connections (probably only because I had the fire extinguisher handy. Reconnected the Motronic fuel lead and had one last check around.
Then started it on the key first time. Happy days!
Guy
Excellent news Guy :-) I wonder what the issue was?
Good news on getting it running! I think I would be a bit concerned though unless you found a fault, as an intermittent connection will always come back at some point:(Quote:
Originally Posted by Guy Mayers
6 bar is a good pressure for testing the fuel system for leaks, but if the regulator is in circuit, I am sure it should only be 3 or 3.5 bar......
Thanks Neil, I think I need to do some research to see what it should be running and back the regulator off a little. The motor was "rebuilt and uprated" before I got it but needed a proper strip and reassembly due to excessive oil consumption and lack of compression. It's a Cloverleaf with slightly raised compression and C&B cams so I'm not sure if there was a need for more fuelling or if this would be achieved from higher pressure? Any further advice on recommended pressure gratefully accepted!
As to what the fault was I can only put it down to a bad connection somewhere. I did have the impression that the earth terminal on the Motronic Relay block was loose the first time I pushed the test wire into it and that it "clicked" when I pulled the spade connector out of it. Other than that I suspect there must be an intermittent contact somewhere and that it's going to come back to haunt me sometime!
Time will tell but at least I know that it runs with the loom set up as is so if I do end up rewiring from front to back at Christmas it's based on a sound diagram!
Jobs for this afternoon are to drive it in and out of the garage to ensure the clutch is still working as it should and bleed the coolant system, tightening or replacing any clamps as necessary, find the wiper fault and fix that, check the brake lights and see if the new gearbox has cured the lack of reversing lights I've suffered for the last couple of years. Or I could just check the bulbs having got a stash of spares in the Alfa donor.
Once all is well I'll scrap the donor and list the engine crane and engine stand on eVilbay to make some space in the garage again!
Guy
I am not sure of your engine, but pretty sure most engines are around 3.5 bar - with the vaccuum hose disconnected... it may have been tweaked slightly, but i doubt more than 4bar. Asking 6 bar from the pump will seriously affect its capacity.....
I did have a manual with the settings, but cant find it at the moment - all i can find is for teh 2.0 twin spark which is 3.3-3.7 bar... I am sure someone else will know the stock alfa setting.....
Good news on getting your engine going Guy, I agree 6 Bar is high, you should really be looking at 3.5 Bar max with the vacuum hose disconnected.
Vince.
3 bar is what it needs to be set at as standard Guy. The ECU then opens the injector for longer when it needs to be richer.
The standard injectors flow enough unless you have any more serious mods. The pump would also be matched to this. It may well supply higher pressure but is not designed to and may not last long doing it.
Higher pressure will make it run richer throughout and probably wash the bores with unburnt fuel.
There have been a few people on here that have had their fingers burnt listening to some of the bull onforums, trying to get more power with bigger injectors or higher fuel pressures. Unless the engine needs it it and flows the additional air to match, it will only wash the bores and wear the engine out in no time. If that's what the previous owner was running it like, then that'll have been a significant factor in it needing a rebuild. Keep it standard and it will be fine.
Hope that helps
Rob
Thanks for the valuable insights Rob! Whilst I'm running in the newly rebuilt engine I've set it run at 3.1 kg/cm2 (my eyesight isn't as good as it was, the gauge doesn't read in bar!). There's a chipped ECU that came with the donor but that can stay out until later when I'm happy with the state of the engine and can do a full compression test after the running in or get it on a rolling road to check it over.
Cheers
Guy
More progress this afternoon, DROVE the car out of the garage and let it sit on the driveway ticking over to get the water temperature up and bleed the system fully. One water leak found that took a little tracing as it was dripping off the front of the gearbox. Turned out to be from the cylinder head outlet next to the oil pressure sender, couple of turns and that cured that but I'll have to keep an eye on all of them for a while. Once up to temperature the thermostat worked properly and the radiator heated up plus the cabin heater too, it chucked a little water out before I got the radiator cap on but not much. Needle got up to a fairly steady 90 and then switching on the radiator fans brought it down nicely. Decent oil pressure on tickover too. And for the first time in 20 years I've got a functioning oil temperature gauge!
Half an hour of annoying the neighbours I DROVE the car back into the garage. Wipers sorted, loose connection. Reversing light sorted (new gearbox) plus one earth iffy. All other electrics working properly bar the horns which are a pathetic parp. New ones on order, the donor Alfa ones are rusted and not much better!
I'm letting it cool down for a couple of hours and will then go round the hose clamps for a quick check. Remaining jobs are refitting the side ducting plates to the front of the radiator and checking the suspension geometry. I may leave that until next weekend. I also need to source a 3/8UNF bleed screw.... The brake banjo I tried needed two sealing washers and still didn't seal properly and a bolt/washer isn't ideal when hot water is pouring out as you try to relocate the first threads!
Only other query is fuel pressure again. The gauge on the regulator (connected to the plenum) is now reading 2 - 2.5 kg/cm2 on tickover, rising slightly with revs. Is that too low now?
MOT next week perhaps?
Guy