JohnCh

Thanks Skip. This photo from the thread made me laugh http://www.usa7s.net/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=16071&stc=1 -John

Hard to be wound up by that statement given car companies have taken that approach long before the invention of the PC, let alone the founding of Microsoft I'm a firm believer in PPIs, particularly when buying remote, but finding a local shop that understands a se7en and can do that is difficult. I do encourage people looking to buy a se7en out of their area to post a request here for a local with knowledge to look it over. I'm sure if people have the spare time, they'd be happy to accommodate the request. -John

Why wait for their plans and be reactionary? Be offensive (you're good at it :jester: ) and set a high bar to which they need to respond. -John

Small list for me: Refresh and upgrade the engine, repack the silencer, install AEM WBO2 (replacing old Innovate LC1 and will be incorporated into new engine loom), replace failing heat barrier on tub by header, aesthetic clean up under bonnet wiring, re-torque everything, check suspension wear items, and a few other things I don't yet realize are needed Who else has big plans? -John

Wow, he didn't keep that long! -John

I carefully use a pick to remove/replace. Just run it between the underside of the rubber gasket and the top of the lens (or metal trim ring if you have that style) and pry down as you pull up on the lens. There is generally a lot more swearing and need for alcoholic beverages when attempting to reinstall it. -John

I'm using a slightly modified factory rail (AN fitting brazed onto inlet end) which includes a schrader valve. Simply screw on a test gauge when you want to check fuel pressure. Very easy to do and eliminates additional fittings and failure points. -John

Good idea, but everything is clean on the other side of the throttle plates. #2 also has the problem, but not to the same degree. I suspect that it's a combination of TB wear and dirty/failing injectors. Although the engine only has about 33k miles, it's been in the car for 15 years. I plan to speak with Pete at Raceline in the morning to discuss. Thanks, John

It's the same runner in the head and the TB. Here is better photo of that port and back of the valves. As you can see, it's very clean, just like the rest of the head. Although it looks like oil in the seal area, it's present to varying degrees on all of them, and it's a tacky consistency with a fuel odor. Given there is no way for oil to get there except through the valves or from a outside leak, my guess is it's a mixture of fuel and carbon giving it the color of oil. The Raceline/Jenvey DTHB are fed through a Pipercross sausage filter with nothing venting into that system. http://www.usa7s.net/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=15884&stc=1 http://www.usa7s.net/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=15885&stc=1 Thanks, John

Nope. I'm wondering if I'm getting some wear in the spindle assemble for that TB? I need to call Raceline next week about some related items, so I'll ask them if they've seen this before. As for the 2.5L, you have a PM and you now have me rethinking the head decision Thanks, John

The plot thickens. Yesterday afternoon I warmed up the car and redid the test. I set #1 to TDC then confirmed it was correct with a dial indicator. Leak down was 10%. Hmm... Did again, with the same result, then checked the other cylinders using the dial indicator to confirm TDC. Those numbers were all the same as the last test. I suppose something was stopping a valve in #1 from fully seating and a short drive knocked it out. With that done, I started prepping the engine for removal, ending up with this Saturday morning. And then I found another head scratcher. http://www.usa7s.net/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=15857&stc=1 Removing the Raceline/Jenvey DTHTBs revealed another "what the?" moment. The rear set looked fine, with a bronze cast of dried fuel running from the back of the throttle plates to rear of the tract. The front TB, however, was filled with shiny black crud that looks like a combination of fuel and carbon. #1 is the worst, yet the ports and back of the valves are very clean. Any idea what would cause this? I'm not running breathers into the filtration system so it's not oil. Pics below show #1 and #4 TBs for comparison purposes, and #1 intake ports. Tough to photograph, but outside of the very front, the intake ports and back of the valves look very, very clean. http://www.usa7s.net/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=15858&stc=1 http://www.usa7s.net/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=15859&stc=1 http://www.usa7s.net/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=15860&stc=1 Thanks, John

Good to see a new member from the PNW! Agree with Bruce on your choice in cars and the request for photos -John

Glen, really great write up that captures the spirit and fun of doing a group tour. The only downside to reading it is that I'm now compelled to read the fist 70 pages of your thread. I guess I know how I'm spending the weekend... -John

Of course I can't handle all that horsepower. That's part of what makes it fun. As for the Elan, it runs just fine, thank you. Unlike your 400i.... BTW I forgot to address your comments regarding oil filler proximity to #1. I was too distracted trying to figure out how a corporate finance guy could subtract 27,894 from 32,853 and come up with just 4,000. But I digress. It's a fair point and the breather is back by #4. I'll take a closer listen to the various leak points when I redo the test later this week. Thanks, John

Yeah, I know. Life has gotten in the way of long tours to nowhere over the last few years No signs of head gasket or other issues. I went with TDC and did that test twice on a couple of cylinders including #1. That involved rotating the engine a full revolution between tests to reset the TDC point. I can't confirm that it was perfect, but I doubt I got it wrong in just the same way twice on that one cylinder. The difference between those tests was less than 1%. Someone else suggested repeating at BDC to see if it's an issue at the top of the bore. I'll try that when I re-run the test over the next couple of days before draining engine and trans oil in prep for the engine removal. If I do the upgrades I'm contemplating this is all moot as the pistons, head, and head gasket will all change, thereby renewing/replacing all the failure points. But I'm still riding that fence. Thanks, John

I could use some help interpreting compression and leak down tests on my 2.0L Duratec. Compression remains high and within 10psi across the board, but #1 now has very high leak down. No audible noise from the exhaust, and the sound from the intake didn't seem louder than the other cylinders, however, the whooshing sound from the oil filler was much louder. To me that means rings, but if it's rings, then why is the dry compression fine in that cylinder? Below are the results of tests taken about every 6k miles. As you can see compression numbers have remained pretty consistent, but #1 has always been the leak down outlier and has gotten much worse over the past 6k miles. Any ideas? I need to pull the engine to deal with a faulty oil pressure relief valve, and am contemplating a refresh and possibly upgrades as long as I'm in there, so don’t want to miss addressing an issue while it’s easier to tackle. [TABLE] [TR] [TD] Date[/TD] [TD]4/28/12[/TD] [TD]10/19/14[/TD] [TD]8/27/19[/TD] [TD][/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD] Miles[/TD] [TD]22,146[/TD] [TD]27,894[/TD] [TD]32,853[/TD] [TD][/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]1[/TD] [TD]205 psi[/TD] [TD]190[/TD] [TD]210[/TD] [TD]Compression[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]2[/TD] [TD]205 psi[/TD] [TD]198[/TD] [TD]210[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]3[/TD] [TD]215 psi[/TD] [TD]195[/TD] [TD]200[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]4[/TD] [TD]215 psi[/TD] [TD]201[/TD] [TD]210[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD][/TD] [TD][/TD] [TD][/TD] [TD][/TD] [TD][/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]1[/TD] [TD]10%[/TD] [TD]13%[/TD] [TD]23%[/TD] [TD]Leak Down[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]2[/TD] [TD]7%[/TD] [TD]8%[/TD] [TD]10%[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]3[/TD] [TD]7%[/TD] [TD]11%[/TD] [TD]10%[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]4[/TD] [TD]7%[/TD] [TD]9%[/TD] [TD]9%[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] Thanks, John

Here you go: http://www.usa7s.net/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=15829&stc=1 http://www.usa7s.net/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=15830&stc=1 -John

The windshield is installed incorrectly and too upright. The base of the mount should be parallel with the join line of the scuttle and tub. And yes, that certainly looks like Derek Bell. I seem to recall he is involved with a car dealership in Florida where that car is located. -John

That's outdated information. Many of the communists in power have been replaced by conflicted anarchists. Agree about the microbreweries though. Also a good foodie town. If you like books, make sure to visit Powell's which bills itself as the world's largest independent bookstore -- it's enormous! -John

If you decide to stick with traditional lighting, Daniel Stern is a great resource. I have the Cibie lenses couple with Navra +50 bulbs and have no complaints about the lighting; sharp cutoff and very good output. -John

Just remember to drain the transmission first or you will have an oil slick under the car once the driveshaft separates. -John

Al, glad to hear that good old fashioned guilt is still an effective motivator Any recent pictures of the car? -John

Thanks, but Mazda installed Spam-O-Matic a couple of years ago when we another big influx of spammers. As long as Croc posted the link to the other thread, and I have people's attention given the use of the word "porn" in this thread, I have a favor. I made a minor tweak yesterday to solve the issue of massive thumbnails when attaching images, and although it works perfectly for me, it's not for Shane. Only the thumbnail posts, not the inline image. Would folks mind going to that thread and seeing if it works correctly for them? http://www.usa7s.net/vb/showthread.php?12426-Testing-thumbnail-changes Thanks, John

I just banned over 40 more and discovered it stops being fun after 10 in a row... Time for a beer. A really big beer. -John

The daily total is now 42 threads and 6 users. Hopefully the minor tweaks I just implemented will slow things down a bit. -John