Progress? I think yes...

Verdicts after driving to work this morning:

1. No exhaust leaks when I started it, and it was colder this morning.
2. Thanks to the fixed exhaust leaks, the wideband was showing sane numbers
3. Valve tick is gone
4. I was crossing an AFR border on my target table on the way in to work today. I've raised my 16.0:1 AFR cruise block by one row to try and get a leaner cruise at highway speeds. The difference appears to be large. Using the calculated instang MPH in the log viewer, at 65mph, an AFR of 16.0:1 = ~24mpg. 15:1 = 17mpg. Its huge. Just hope running it at 16:1 doesn't melt anything.

Oh, and click on my google ads and send me pennies.

Moving along...

Fixes from tonight after work:

• Valve adjustment on #5 exhaust valve, got rid of a tick
• New driver side valve gasket, should eliminate my only oil leak (so far)
• Checked #5 plug (because it was easy to get to), looks good
• Put a spring on one of the bolts to the driver side header to hold the flange tight when cold
• Tightened a finger loose bolt holding the driver side header around #7.

Took a ride. Car starts wonderfully now since a cranking pulsewidth tweak during lunch at work. Dunno about peppy, which it really isn't, but some acceleration enrichment adjustments made it feel peppier, and it makes neat noises when you rev it in neutral. The wideband is no longer showing ridiculously lean conditions at idle, which was really an indication of a super rich condition (opposite day!).

We'll see how it does on the way to work. I just finished some dinner, I'm going to take a shower and look at the datalog from the drive home and see how the gas mileage was.

Well, drove it to work again...

...plus to the Y and back during lunch, and just now got back from AutoZone. No fuel leaks. The annoying exhaust leak at the passenger header is back. I got some exhaust bolt springs at AutoZone, I'll try to get them on tonight and hopefully solve that leak once and for all. Then I can listen for leaks elsewhere and get rid of all the weird O2 readings.

Car's a dog again. It was kind of peppy the other night, but it's not feeling quite as spunky today. Then again, it's 20 degrees warmer than it was the other night, so that may have a lot to do with it. I also may have an ignition miss. Again. Fucking cars...

Snowballs

A interesting tale of cause and effect:

I've been fighting with this Pontiac for a long time. I couldn't seem to catch a break. Stuff just didn't work right.

To catch everybody up, I've had massive fueling problems for awhile. Just way too rich. Gas mileage, which was near 15 mpg right after I put the Megasquirt on, had fallen to 10-12.

I'd found a torn diaphram inside my fuel pressure regulator. The tear was allowing fuel into the intake via the vacuum line on the regulator. Fixed that. Still too rich, even with the FPR backed all the way out.

I dyno'd the car, and got a stellar 109 hp. Not right. I took the car to an exhaust shop and had them look at the catalytic convertor. It was fine, but there was lost of unburned fuel in the exhaust tract.

I finally got a decent fuel pressure gauge, and pressure was pegged at 60psi at idle. Way too much. Then, to top everything off, it started leaking from a fitting at the fuel filter. I parked it. Tests with the new gauge revealed I had a restriction INSIDE the fuel rail.

So, today I pulled the rail off, filled it with carb cleaner, and blasted it out with compressed air. I put it back on. I then pulled the line that runs from the fuel filter to the fuel rail out of the car and re-did the AN fitting on the end. I put it back on. I hit the fuel pump relay with 12v to fire the pump and watched the gauge.

46psi. I'd done it. I took the car out for a test drive and when I got back, my heart sank. It was leaking from the filter still, plus a leak out of the schrader valve on the fuel rail.

I pulled the filter off, and found the problem as soon as I loosened the clamp. I was greeted with a fine spray of fuel from a crack in the filter. I replaced the filter and put it back on. I then pulled the schrader valve from the rail, slimed it with thread sealant, and put it back on.

Fixed. Finally. I hope.

So, to recap:

A small amount of dirt in the rail caused a restriction in the return line that forced pressure from the outlet of the pump to the rail to not drop below 60psi. Over time, that pressure tore the diaphram in the regulator, causing a massive fuel leak into the engine. Once I repaired the regulator, it burst the filter and compromised the seal on the schrader valve, causing leaks onto the ground and onto the top of the intake manifold. It's a miracle the thing hasn't caught fire yet.

A little dirt, months of frustration. Months. And wasted gas. 10mpg with $3.50 gas sucked. Now that it's $4, I'm glad it's fixed, and I hope it stays that way.

Blah

So, I finally got my fuel pressure test kit and hooked it up. With the pump on, pressure in rail shoots to 60psi. Turn off the pump, and it drops to 20psi and holds, which is about where it should be with the regulator turned all the way out like it is.

I unhooked the return line and ran it into a bucket, same result, so the restriction is in the rail. Yippee.

I won an auction for another rail assembly last night. $23.50. Hopefully it isn't all full of crap like this one was.

On the bright side, the Datsun has been running beautifully. No smoke, good fuel mileage, though I can't tell exactly how good since the speedometer doesn't work. derp.

Yee-haw!

Well, I drove the Z to work today. Vast improvement over the truck, though a radio would be nice to have.

No smoke. It's wonderful. I'll pay attention when I start it today to go home, but it looks like the new valve stem seals did the trick. Warm idle needs to be raised, but that's all that's wrong so far. I even got most of the interior panels installed last night.

For reference for anybody out there:

If you're rebuilding your Z-car head and using anything other than bone stock valvetrain parts, save yourself three head rebuilds, and throw out the standard valve stem seals. The seals you want are Fel-Pro part number SS 72686. They're for a Ford Capri V6. They fit the Z guides perfectly, and are much shorter than the stock guides, giving you lots more room for those thicker spring retainers and larger camshaft. They're also designed to be immersed in oil and still not leak, which is a big consideration if you use a high volume pump and end up with a lot of oil up in the valvetrain. Autozone usually has them in stock.

More gas on the ground...

So, I started the Bucket up yesterday, and then moved the wife's car out from behind it. As I was backing out of the driveway, I noticed a puddle forming under the Bucket. That puddle was gasoline, leaking from the outlet of the fuel filter. Seems fixing the leaky regulator just pushed the problem to the next weakest link.

I've ordered a fuel pressure test kit to help me troubleshoot this. Until that comes, the Bucket is parked. Too much risk of a fire.

However, I did get the Datsun started again last night. A four month ordeal with that car has ended, and I now have a new cam, followers, and valve stem seals that don't leak. It started on the first turn of the key, and I ran the cam in for 10 minutes last night, then changed the oil. I'll probably have to change it again in a week or so to make sure I got all of the cam break-in lube washed out.

Hopefully I can put it back on the ground tonight, take it for a test drive to make sure I haven't missed anything, and start driving that to work until I get the Bucket fixed again.

Fixed again...

Got the FPR diaphragm replaced. The one in the car had completely ripped off the spring assembly. Not good. It was an Accel adjustable kit. I put a GP Sorensen diaphragm in to it. We'll see how it goes. Car is running much smoother now, though acceleration isn't very good. I may have to get run a compression test on it and see if I did manage to wash out the rings.

I think I need a power resister for the fuel pump. With the adjuster backed all the way out, I'm running 60PSI of fuel pressure at idle. That's too much, and probably why the regulator failed. If anybody out there is an EE and can tell me a part number for a resister that can survive 30 amps and cut voltage from 14 to about 12, contact me.