dhubbard422

Nice catches, the fuel leak especially. And you've given me more items to put on my list of things to check! I'm almost ready to start in on my list... Don

http://www.secondstrike.com/Technical/ServiceBulletins.htm

Tom, Have you tried contacting Webcon? The manual indicates that it is a "Alpha Temp sensor". I found these links for a quick search on Webcon Water Temperature Sensor: http://www.webcon.co.uk/Downloads/K40016%20Ford%20Zetec%20(Black%20Top)%20Eng%20Temp%20Sensor.pdf http://www.webcon.co.uk/Downloads/K97018%20(FL0406)%20Ver2.pdf Water Temperature Sensor WTS005 ??? If you get some good info, please share. Don

Love the colors! Enjoy your new toy.

Bowling for cones! Gotta' love it. :rofl: Yeah, I've wondered how the fenders on the S-1 will fare against a cone at speed. I've considered making a set of molds, before I whack a fender, but I have to admit that I'm lazy. I've also done this type of work before and know that I don't really want to build the molds. Building some light, yet super strong carbon-kevlar fenders might be interesting though... Oh well, if/when I whack one and have to repair it, maybe I'll get inspired to build some molds or find someone with a chopper gun to build the molds for me.

Dave, Thanks for the suggestions!! I will check the wiring. I will also look at the fuel pickup. I also want to find a good solution to monitoring the fuel pressure. The heat coming off the trans tunnel is quite high in my 7 (as Klasik has said - it's an oven!). I wonder if the belly pan needs some venting... maybe an adjustable NACA duct? I was planning to do a quick test and just see if the temps coming off of the trans tunnel are lower when running without the belly pan. Tom and I also discussed the fact that most 7s seem to have considerable venting on the bonnet. Maybe the Superformance needs a vented hood. Again a quick test would be to run without the hood and see if the temp inside the car is lower. Thanks again for the suggestions, Don

I have a Superformance S-1 and wear size 13 shoes in medium to wide. When I recently picked up my 7 (which I purchased sight unseen...) I found that I could drive it with minimalist shoes, as others on this list had told me I could, but that it was really, really hard to get my left foot behind the clutch pedal. I could not simply move my left foot under the pedal, but if I was careful I could slip it between the clutch and brake - if everything was at just the right angle... I practiced this maneuver until it was reasonably repeatable. However, long stints in traffic with my left foot up above the pedal were agony; the seat position is not adjustable in the S-1, but the pedal box is and mine is all the way back into the footbox, yet I still do not have enough space to have my clutch foot above the pedal as my knee is uncomfortably jammed up under the dash. Anyway, after my 3.5 day, 1,600 mile trip to get the car home... I found that I could easily slip my foot underneath the clutch pedal when barefoot! So, I went searching for shorter, even more minimalist shoes. I found a pair of water shoes that allow me to slip my clutch foot under the pedal fairly easily. My 7 may even encourage me to try a pair of "fivefingers" as they may be the most form fitting shoes I can find. So, can you slip your foot under the clutch pedal when barefoot? If yes, maybe a different pair shoes will fix the problem. Else, maybe you can easily modify the clutch pedal such that it hangs down less and makes it easier to get behind the pedal. I still plan to see if it is possible to reduce the width of the clutch and brake pedals so that it is easier to slide my foot between the pedals and/or to decrease the height of the clutch pedal pad such that it is easier to slip my left foot under the pedal. The angle of the pedal at rest also effects the space between the bottom of the pedal and the floor. The pedal will transcribe an arc as it is pushed in and if it is near the bottom of that arc you may be able to adjust it so that the space between the pedal and the floor is greater by bring the pedal closer to you. Of course this will require you to adjust all of the pedals relative to each other and their fore-aft position in the footbox. I've also wondered about adding a small tab to act as a dead pedal - it seems that a bigger tab would be more comfortable, but even a small one may help a bit. I'm curious if folks on this list have been successful in adding a small dead pedal/tab and if it helped.

Central Texas does have some nice roads. I had planned to do The Twisted Sisters on the way home, but I made an executive decision on day 4 to just make a bee-line for home. I plan to find time to do the Twisted Sisters in November... http://www.motorcycleroads.com/75/555/Texas/The-Three-Sisters-(AKA-The-Twisted-Sisters)--Ranch-Roads-335-336337a.html

All, Thanks for the great comments and suggestions! I'm looking forward to fettling my 7. Also looking forward to the first autocross. However, it may be a few weeks before I can give the car much attention as I also help organize a vintage motorcycle rally (and trials event) for charity and it's rally time! http://www.harvestclassic.org Thanks again, Don

That was one of my thoughts too, but apparently, a bad electrical connection can cause the same symptoms. Per a Superformance service bulletin: "As the weak connection (between fuel pump fuse and fuse block) heats up, the spade expands and looses it grip on the fuse or relay. The increase resistance cause the fuel pump to lose voltage and the fuel pressure drops off until the car dies." Seating the fuse appears to have solved the problem, but I need to keep an eye on this issue. I also need to replace the fuse. Troubleshooting issues with fuel systems that return the unused fuel to the tank are new to me... I have more experience with old-school systems, i.e. carburetors! I have learned that there are some new systems for fuel injection that do not return (warm/hot) fuel to the tank, but that they are somewhat more complicated to tune.

I've heard good things about "Purple Ice", but I'm gonna' try Evans Coolant. A friend used it on his Indy car team with great results. http://www.evanscooling.com/ I'm also going to lower the temperature of the thermostat and the fan switch as suggested by Superformance to 160 from 190 degrees. They claim that this change will also reduce "cabin" temps.

I wondered why I lost 4 pounds on the trip! I did eat better and less, but I expect that you're right and that I just need to drive the 7 more! :rofl: Thanks for making me laugh!

No. I paid a good deal more for mine. This was gbilawsky's #53. It had less than 2,300 miles on the clock when I picked it up in Cali. Still, it was a good deal and the car was as described - like new.

Day 4: Ruidoso, NM to Austin, TX (583 miles, 10 hours) Before leaving Ruidoso I again tried to get under the dash in order to see if I could find anything loose. I pushed up on the wiring connectors and down on the fuse… and the fuse suddenly moved a significant amount before seating securely. I was relieved, yet I felt like a doofus… could a lose fuse have been my problem from day 1? By the start of day 4 I was simply ready to be home. Unfortunately, the hottest and longest day was ahead of me. I considered breaking this day up into 2 days, but I figured that I’d have plenty of time to explore the best roads that West Texas and the Hill Country have to offer in the near future. Highlights: The car didn’t simply die. It ran strong all day long. It ran hot occasionally, but the pump never whined Lowlights: It was hot. I saw 95-degree temps in Odessa, Texas. The temps inside the car were very high and uncomfortable. It was a very long day. In summary: My favorite roads were: · Big Bear Lake to Lucerne Valley (a fast downhill blat) · Wilhoit, AZ to Prescott, AZ (very tight, low speeds and unfortunately a speed limit that was too low...) · Prescott, AZ to Jerome, AZ (very tight, low speeds and again, a very low speed limit... very scenic though) · Cottonwood, AZ to Payson, AZ (a beautiful fast run through the pines) I heartily recommend all of these roads, but the sections of desert between them may be better enjoyed in a car with AC! My Superformance S-1 is very nice, but it needs additional sorting: · I need to address the highly variable engine water temp and I’ll start with the service bulletin. · I plan to also investigate the fan. Something may be odd with the forward mounted fan… · The temperature in the car is too damn hot. Need to investigate solutions to venting the tunnel. · I need to look for side mirrors that do not rely on the doors. Maybe something mounted to the windshield? Doors are nice at speed, but they do add to the heating problem. · The exhaust is loud. I need to review solutions that others have done to quiet the BLAT a bit… · I need to see if the car is in need of additional modifications as described in the service bulletins · I need to add a limited slip diff… This was a 3 and a half day trip in a 7 (that was new to me) covering just under 1,600 miles. It was fun, but… it had it’s moments that were flat out boring and uncomfortable. The section of the trip between Wilhoit, AZ and Payson, AZ was very, very nice. I’m looking forward to enjoying and updating my 7 – it should be an interesting experience!

Day 3: Cottonwood, AZ to Ruidoso, NM (470 miles, 9 hours) It was another beautiful morning. I made an early start and headed south on Hwy 260. The section of 260 between Camp Verde and Payson was one of, if not the best of the entire trip. This section is very fast and scenic. It is at elevation and in the pines and very pleasant. Tom, another Superformance S-1 owner, is a lucky guy to have this area so close to home. Hwy’s 60 and 380, the bulk of day 3… were unfortunately not quite as much fun or as scenic. Highlights: The road between Camp Verde and Payson. Lowlights: The car had unplanned stop #3 in the middle of nowhere on 380 in western NM… Again, it died at the hottest part of the day, as the engine temp was climbing and as we were climbing a modest hill. 20 minutes later we were on our way again, although I was more worried that it might not continue to restart. http://usa7s.com/vb/picture.php?albumid=64&pictureid=455

Day 2: Big Bear to Cottonwood, AZ (390 miles ~8 hrs) It was 37 degrees in morning so I wandered around town, had a leisurely breakfast and then I tried to troubleshoot the random problem while waiting for it to warm up a bit. It’s really hard to see the fuse/relay block under the passenger side of the dash…. so, I took pictures of it with my phone and blindly felt around under the dash, but, I couldn’t see or feel any loose connections. Highlights: Three sections of road on day 2 were really quite nice. The first was a fast downhill blast out of Big Bear to Lucerne Valley. The next two were on either side of Prescott AZ; the roads from Wilhoit to Prescott and from Prescott to Jerome, AZ were nice and curvaceous, although the speed limits were way too low… Troubles: Had 2nd non-scheduled stop while climbing out of desert near Congress, AZ. http://www.usa7s.net/vb/picture.php?albumid=64&pictureid=453 http://usa7s.com/vb/picture.php?albumid=64&pictureid=453 Troubleshooting: Again, the car abruptly started running rough and quickly stopped as the water temp increased to just over 200F in the afternoon as I was climbing a hill. I also noted that the fuel pump was whining loudly. By late afternoon, the heat coming off the transmission tunnel is pretty high too. Spent some time on my knees with head under the dash… Car again started after a short delay and ran well the rest of the afternoon in the cooler temps at the higher elevation. Lowlights: The desert was really warm and boring, especially in a 7… I bought a bandana in TwentyNine Palms, soaked it with cool water, wrapped it over my head and snugged my cap down tight. This gave some relief from the sun, but the cool comfort evaporated way too quickly at speed in the dry desert air. Then the 2nd unplanned stop was less than 50 yards from a cyclist that had lost control of his sport bike while going up the hill; some emergency personnel were already on the scene and more arrived while I again waited for car to cool down. There was also a stretch of road that was simply covered in grasshoppers... mile after mile the 7 was greeted with the sickening crunch of grasshoppers. http://www.usa7s.net/vb/picture.php?albumid=64&pictureid=454 http://usa7s.com/vb/picture.php?albumid=64&pictureid=454

The following is a summary of my recent 3 and a half day trip driving my new-to-me Superformance S-1 half way across the US. With some luck, I got the car back home without too much trouble... I bought a 7 (a Superformance S-1) sight unseen a little over a week ago from a member on this list… While the seller and I are both from the Austin, TX area, he had shipped the car to LA while working there. I considered shipping the car back to Austin, but I decided I’d rather have a little adventure and do a fly-n-drive. Other than getting the 7 (and me) back to Austin - without resorting to towing it back - the primary goal was to enjoy as many wonderful roads as possible between LA & Austin. http://usa7s.com/vb/picture.php?albumid=64&pictureid=450 Day 1: Marina del Rey to Big Bear Lake, CA which was only 150 miles, yet it took almost 5 hours on the curviest roads I could find out of LA. Highlights: The 7 was exactly as the seller described it – like new. I also fit in the 7, although my left foot has trouble getting behind the clutch, even with minimalist shoes I brought with me; I have size 13 feet. LA is also car crazy. Several folks were hanging out of cars to take photos of the 7. At the first gas stop a pretty woman says “nice car”… this isn’t normal behavior. The Angeles Crest Hwy & Rim of the World Hwy were very scenic, but fairly slow due to Sunday afternoon traffic. http://usa7s.com/vb/picture.php?albumid=64&pictureid=451 http://usa7s.com/vb/picture.php?albumid=64&pictureid=453 Troubles: The 1st break down occurred in the hottest part of the afternoon while climbing a hill on The Angeles Crest Hwy – the water temp started climbing towards 200 – 205F, then the car abruptly started missing and lost power. After a short cool down period the car restarted and then ran great all the way to Big Bear Lake… Troubleshooting: Read service bulletins that night to see if there were any similar symptoms reported. Found a bulletin that seemed relevant about a loose fuel relay/fuse connection.

The GT3 also has a different engine and does not suffer from this issue. IMO, Porsche's reputation for quality has suffered a big hit due to this issue. There are fixes for this problem, here's a description of the problem and a fix from Pelican: http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarticles/Boxster_Tech/14-ENGINE-Intermediate_Shaft_Bearing/14-ENGINE-Intermediate_Shaft_Bearing.htm