JohnCh

Hi guys, I shared a few emails with the seller when he was having trouble joining the site to post the ad. This was done via his work email address which is a very well known company, and he paid the $20 membership fee to make the post in this section, so no reason to think he isn't legit. He might be having access issues again or not receiving reply notifications. I'll reach out to him and let him know about the interest. Thanks, John

One option is to get a wide piece of thicker aluminum stock, bend it into a bracket that matches the scuttle back-bottom angle, and then attach both throttle assemblies to it. You could also weld in some webbing for added strength or to simply allow use of thinner aluminum. Shouldn't add too much weight and will help keep the relationship between the two throttle assemblies pretty rigid. -John

Sorry, poor writing on my part. To clarify, I was planning to play with the map yesterday. However, when starting the car, the symptoms had once again disappeared. It was fine when cold, when warming up, and when driving a short distance. Therefore, there was no point in adjusting fuel or ignition tables since there was nothing to "correct." -John

It gets better. I decided to play with the fuel and ignition maps. The plan was to rev the engine into the lean zone and then start adding/deleting fuel and ignition timing via the Live Map screen to see what happens. Well guess what? The car is once again operating perfectly. This marks the second time it's fixed itself. I love intermittent issues... -John

Thanks for the additional responses and sorry for the delay, but work got in the way this week. I checked a few things yesterday and the plot has thickened. Additional mapping from cold to hot shows that the injection and ignition corrections are working as expected. The new wrinkles are the WBO2 is now suspect and the issue has started to affect idle. When trying to do a free air calibration for the O2 sensor prior to the test drive, the Innovate went through the normal process, but instead of stopping when it hit the free air target, the AFR just kept climbing. I finally switched it off after a few minutes when it broke the 60:1 barrier. Mapping was consistent with previous sessions with AFR very lean at light throttle, but normal when approaching 1/2 throttle and above, including at higher rpm (ran to 5000-5500rpm a few times). My gut tells me the readings are directionally correct, but may the numbers themselves may be off by some percentage. About 1/2 way through the drive, the engine started hunting at idle, and sounded like random misses. Fuel pressure check shows it's correct and stable when revving the engine with the car stationary. Given how the car sounds at idle, I'm beginning to suspect the ignition system. I've had to change the coil pack in the past (similar idle issues) so may try that next. If I have time today, I'll also check engine compression and perform a leak down test to make sure something more ominous isn't at play. -John

I used one on my Alfa, but unlike the one you linked to, it covered both sides of the crank and supposedly helped to stiffen the block. It was done as part of a major engine build, so I can't make any comments on effectiveness, but it didn't cause any problems -John

Yep, definitely a head scratcher. But then again, I never do things the easy way If a sensor is failing, it should cause the injector to "correct" which is a loggable channel with the Emerald. I hope to have time this weekend to try that. -John

The map I'm referring to isn't the default map that came with the ECU. It's the map I've been running for 4 years that was done on a dyno. I simply uploaded the version stored on my laptop in case the map in the ECU had somehow become corrupted (long shot, but only took a couple of minutes to test). -John

Nope, ruled that out too. I uploaded the original version of that map to my ECU yesterday and the results were the same. -John

No turbo. It's a Euro 2.0L Duratec with Kent DTEC10 cams, a tiny bit of head work, Jenvey DTHTBs, lightweight flywheel, 4-2-1 header, Raceco silencer, etc. Wouldn't clogged injectors and/or filter impact running at larger throttle openings/higher rpms where there is a bigger demand for fuel flow? My car runs fine in those situations and at idle, it's just the inbetween that's problematic. Also, there was no change to the running in either closed loop or open loop mode. It really feels like TPS is bad -- but that's been replaced -- or the ECU is applying a correction in those situations. Hopefully more logging will add clarity. Thanks, John

It certainly drives like a lean condition: roughness and small backfires as the unburnt mixture hits the hot exhaust system. The wideband O2 that feeds the ECU also shows things are lean. Preliminary logging showed around 13:1 at idle trending to 18:1 (where the WBO2's data logging range tops out) at part throttle and returning to 13-14:1 at heavier throttle. I suppose spark could also be the culprit. If the logging shows no timing or injection corrections when the problem occurs, and the fuel pressure regulator checks out, I might swap out the coil pack. -John

That was my initial guess given how this started, but as indicated above, both the air and water temp sensors appear to be working correctly based on data logging (i.e. steady and showing temps that sound reasonable.) Karl at Emerald gave me a few specific channels to log to help trouble shoot. They should show if anything in the ECU chain, including battery voltage and sensors are acting up and causing the fuel injectors to turn down output, or if the problem lies elsewhere in the fueling system. Occam's Razor never seems to be correct when I'm troubleshooting, so I'm assuming this is a case of MADB (Murphy's Awkward Dull Blade: the most convoluted explanation is correct). Thanks, John

I pulled the O2 sensor out of the loop when switching to open loop mode, so even if that's bad, it wouldn't affect how the engine runs, and there is no MAF (Direct to Head Throttle Bodies with a Throttle Position Sensor). I just heard back from Emerald and Karl suggested I also log the battery voltage and injection corrections to see if those are okay, as voltage issues can impact injector pulse width. He suspects that the issue could also be a faulty fuel pump or fuel pressure regulator. The latter is pretty easy to check, so I'll add that to the list when I log the items above. Thanks, John

I need some help diagnosing a sporadic issue with my 2.0L Duratec running an Emerald ECU. The engine runs very lean at light throttle above idle, but is normal at idle and above 1/2 throttle. The issue presented itself after letting the car sit in a parking lot for 15 minutes after 20 miles of driving on a hot day. I initially suspected a heat soak related issue, but when starting the car up the next morning with temps in the mid 50's, the problem was still there. I drove the car for several days in an attempt to get a better handle on the issue, and it miraculously fixed itself. However, after repeating the initial circumstances (~20 miles on a hot day and then letting it sit in the same parking lot for 15 minutes) the problem reappeared. A new TPS did not fix the problem. Temp gun shows similar temps on each primary pipe, and after increasing idle speed to about 2300rpm where the lean condition is very obvious, pulling plug wires in turn had similar results for each cylinder. I haven't done a leak down or compression test yet, but it doesn't seem like I have a bad cylinder. I've also confirmed that the air and water temp sensors that feed the ECU are operating correctly, and have turned off closed loop running, and fuel cutoff on the overrun to no effect. Any ideas? Thanks, John

Shhh! And please don't tell anyone about my front turn signals either. http://www.throttle-steer.com/uploads/1/1/0/8/11083275/9036596_orig.jpg -John

No reason to hide. You are absolutely right about Seattle. It rains constantly here. In fact the only time I ever see the sun is when travelling on business. As proof, here is a photo taken earlier this morning after returning from a rain-soaked blat. That green stuff in the foreground that looks like grass? Mutant strain of moss. The highlights that look like the sun streaking through the incredibly dense, green, and oh so wet foliage? Simply areas where the acid rain has washed out the natural colors of the landscape. Whatever you do Croc, don't...move...to...Seattle. It sucks. Really. :jester: http://www.throttle-steer.com/uploads/1/1/0/8/11083275/5440785_orig.jpg -John

I've run both, and for street use, prefer the RA1. Although the R888 feels slightly grippier, the RA1 feels a little more lively; a little more engaging. According to Toyo the sidewall is 10% softer, which may be what I'm feeling (our cars need all the help they can get in that area) but regardless, the difference is noticeable to me. That said, if Toyo discontinued the RA1 tomorrow, I'd be happy to run the R888 again. They are both great tires. -John

And you'd also know you're still single -John

I didn't realize my telekinetic powers were so strong. Let that serve as a lessen to the rest of you who dare to jinx the site :jester: -John

Good point. Damn attorneys* are always trying to create loopholes. -John *this seemingly disparaging comment about attorneys is made in jest and does not represent the poster or the website's actual opinion on this noble group of professionals. i.e. no need to sue anybody.

Actually it was coffee break who jinxed us in post #51 above. His posting privileges are currently under review as a result, although his attorney has proposed a voluntary cylinder deactivation in his crossflow for 2 weeks to serve as an example to others. Not sure where this one will end up... -John

Well, if you suddenly find yourself without posting privileges...you'll know why :jester: -John

I've had standard A-arms and Cat Motorsport wide track, which I believe is a little narrower than the Westfield item, but still allows full lock. The difference in turning radius is significant. Agree about the sale price. Those also have the camber adjusters which is a nice feature. -John

Anyone remember the Berzerkeley, Grassroots Motorsports' project Berkeley powered by a 140hp GSX-R engine? http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/media/img/projectcars/DSC_1827.jpg -John

I need a higher res version of that photo for my garage wall -John