DrFishbone Engine Build Thread 2017

You gonna have that thing shootout ready? I will likely be flying by the seat of my pants myself since I have so much crap to do with the move coming up (I'm sure you feel my pain) lmk if you need anything

Yeah, we're pretty much in the same boat! lol

I just need to figure out why it's misfiring at WOT before I would race it. Might have just been spark plug boots popping off.

I'd sure like to get it set back up for E85 before then, but that's not likely to happen in time. Maybe this winter. I'm still keeping an eye out for a MK8 tank to do two fuel pumps.

Do you know when you're moving yet?
 
We finally moved a couple of weeks ago, so I now have a 15-mile long "honey-do" list....plus the normal homecare things. :eek:

My wife told me that I am required to spend two nights a week working on the SC to get it ready for the Shootout...I need a kick in the butt!

I've got the misfiring taken care of now! :D Not sure if it was a spark plug boot or the crankcase evac. I unhooked the crankcase evac tubes and found that the stupid check valves weren't working at all! :mad: So, I need to cap them on the exhaust and figure out what I want to do from there. Right now, I have no PCV system....just two breathers with 5/8" silicon hose hanging below the car.....just like the old "draft tube" days! :D It runs great this way - tune isn't even too far off! I won a box at the TBU raffle last year of what davec73 used for awhile for a PCV system - I can probably reuse / replumb that kit to work with what I have - we'll see. I may just go draft-tube style for now too. :D

I DO need to getting the steering figured out though...it's very hard to steer in the driveway / taking turns slowly. I don't know if the (old) reman pump that I used isn't working, or my PS rack rebuild was a failure.....or maybe there's SOMEHOW still air in the lines. One thing is for sure....not bench-bleeding the PS rack was DUMB. :(
 
maybe there's SOMEHOW still air in the lines. One thing is for sure....not bench-bleeding the PS rack was DUMB. :(

Factory manual says to get the front wheels in the air, spin the engine without starting, and turn the steering wheel lock to lock a few times. I've seen the bleed valve, but can't get to it when everything is put together.
 
Factory manual says to get the front wheels in the air, spin the engine without starting, and turn the steering wheel lock to lock a few times. I've seen the bleed valve, but can't get to it when everything is put together.

Thanks! I'm going to have to remember this since I have a similar issue with the PS on another project car.
 
Thanks! I'm going to have to remember this since I have a similar issue with the PS on another project car.

I just replaced my ps pump while i was in that deep doing head gasket re-new (left the rack as-is, tho), and followed that process. So far, so good.

I ended up with spare o-rings, BTW...the ones you order from the dealer for the EVO, I think, in the ten pack. Anyone interested can shot me a PM.

Ken
 
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Factory manual says to get the front wheels in the air, spin the engine without starting, and turn the steering wheel lock to lock a few times. I've seen the bleed valve, but can't get to it when everything is put together.

Yeah - I followed the 89 Ford Service manual...seemed like an excessive procedure to me, but I followed it anyway....still ended up with these issues.

With front in the air, with or without engine running, I'll still get a few bubbles almost every time I return the wheel to center. It's been left-to-right 100's of times like this....something seems wrong.

I'll probably pull a vacuum on it one more time and try to bleed before taking anything off. Not sure if I want to spend time to troubleshoot or just buy reman'ed stuff and throw it on at this point. Definitely want to have it ready for the Shootout this year. I still have tuning and driving to do!
 
I'd just throw a reman pump at it at this point - AZ charged me $43 for mine earlier this month.
 
My wife told me that I am required to spend two nights a week working on the SC to get it ready for the Shootout...I need a kick in the butt!

:(

I like your wife, Matt! Not many like her with a young family, new home, you ... that would 'require' the hubby to work on the car two nights a week! She is, without a doubt, a 'keeper'.
Looking forward to seeing you folks again.
Alan
 
I like your wife, Matt! Not many like her with a young family, new home, you ... that would 'require' the hubby to work on the car two nights a week! She is, without a doubt, a 'keeper'.
Looking forward to seeing you folks again.
Alan

She's great yes - but she'll still be mad when I'm out in the garage at night rather than watching TV w/her...lol
 
LOL I was going to say....TV + couch might make her happy.

And yes...TV + couch + wife in the garage means no work gets done....no matter the mood! :eek: ;)
 
Got out to do a little work on it this past Sunday.

It took me several hours to find the catch can / hose / fittings box-o-crap that I got at last Shootout's TBU auction...turns out I might not use much of it though! I'm working on doing a upgraded crankcase vent / PCV system replacement. Probably will end up with two catch cans like this....

pcv.PNG

Anybody have any comments about how dumb of an idea this is? I mainly want to have a high-flowing, clean path to vent WOT crankcase pressure that doesn't make a mess or embarrass me on the street (like the crank evac to the exhaust did! lol)....while maintaining some degree of PCV function at idle /cruise conditions. I've looked at several diagrams and came up with one this one - I think it will be easy-ish to implement and work well. Making sure you don't have an unmetered air leak kinda limits options too.
 
Update on the power steering.....

So, I...
1) jacked up the car, steering wheel left-to-right slowly several times....got a couple of small bubbles out.
2) Lowered the passenger side, did it some more, lower the driver side, did it some more.
3) Then, applied vacuum on the PS pump (engine off), left-right-right-left, etc. There is a little resistance in one direction (turning left, IIRC)....feels like I can feel the gear teeth meshing in 1), 2), & 3)
4) started the car, added fluid, left-to-right was MORE DIFFICULT than no assist. :confused:
5) pulled a vacuum on the pump w/engine running left/right/left, etc.
6) lowered car and drove....it's still very hard to turn when stopped. once moving, it's "OK" car died a couple of times maneuvering in a parking lot...probably tune and additional load related.

Few other odd notes: fluid seems dark (greyish)....it has 200 miles on it w/ rebuilt, fully cleaned rack and reman'ed pump....all new lines. Seems to possibly be leaking a little at the driverside tie rod boot...could be from spilling/burping though.

Power steering system worked fine before the rack rebuild, PS pump replacement and PS line re-config....just leaked.

I can't throw parts at it right now...don't have the time to guess around mainly....I have the old PS pump (perhaps this reman'ed one collected rust on my shelf in the past several years?) and Jacob/Chris have volunteered to help with the PS rack (I rebuilt it myself....went mostly well, but some seal sizes vs. OEM were iffy...they seemed to fit though)....other option is to procrastinate, but having this issue really takes away the fun out of driving it.
 
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I ran dual vapor traps for a while - just tapped in upstream the PCV, then to the traps, then back to it. See http://www.sccoa.com/forums/showthr...-filter-mod-for-the-PCV&highlight=vapor+traps

But yes, any time you add fittings/hoses, there is an opportunity for that many more more leaks. I used the wrong tubing first time, and it split under heat/oil/gas where I couldn't see it. And while the traps did their job, I yanked them when I did the head gaskets over the summer and went back to OE routing. Not sure I'd abandon the PCV system...and agree, that diagram seems to include a vac leak.
 
Update on the power steering.....

So, I...
1) jacked up the car, steering wheel left-to-right slowly several times....got a couple of small bubbles out.
2) Lowered the passenger side, did it some more, lower the driver side, did it some more.
3) Then, applied vacuum on the PS pump (engine off), left-right-right-left, etc. There is a little resistance in one direction (turning left, IIRC)....feels like I can feel the gear teeth meshing in 1), 2), & 3)
4) started the car, added fluid, left-to-right was MORE DIFFICULT than no assist. :confused:
5) pulled a vacuum on the pump w/engine running left/right/left, etc.
6) lowered car and drove....it's still very hard to turn when stopped. once moving, it's "OK" car died a couple of times maneuvering in a parking lot...probably tune and additional load related.

Few other odd notes: fluid seems dark (greyish)....it has 200 miles on it w/ rebuilt, fully cleaned rack and reman'ed pump....all new lines. Seems to possibly be leaking a little at the driverside tie rod boot...could be from spilling/burping though.

Power steering system worked fine before the rack rebuild, PS pump replacement and PS line re-config....just leaked.

I can't throw parts at it right now...don't have the time to guess around mainly....I have the old PS pump (perhaps this reman'ed one collected rust on my shelf in the past several years?) and Jacob/Chris have volunteered to help with the PS rack (I rebuilt it myself....went mostly well, but some seal sizes vs. OEM were iffy...they seemed to fit though)....other option is to procrastinate, but having this issue really takes away the fun out of driving it.

I remember the first time my PS rack failed, I replaced it with an aftermarket one and I had hard steering and stalling, I had to replace it again with another unit. Try raising the idle to test if the pump will do the job better, with a large cam I had stalling issues when loading the engine with steering as well. You might need to try a rebuilt rack. It was a painful job with the stock Kmember, another great thing about the tubular one I have.
 
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