IAC Sunny Florida Send-Off

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Amskeptic
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IAC Sunny Florida Send-Off

Post by Amskeptic » Thu Apr 10, 2014 2:53 pm

What do you have to do to prepare the BobD for an extended 3,000 mile road trip down to Miami then up to New Jersey and back to Pensacola by way of Maryland and Virginia and Georgia?
. . . Wash the windows.

In actuality, I am so very newly nervous about wrecking this gem, I hope it passes.
I rubbed out and waxed the roof. Waxed the entire car. Gummi-fleged all window seal rubber inside and out. Talc'ed the door seals, used non-gloss vinyl treatment on the dash, Rain-X'd the windshield,
THEN
. . . washed the windows.

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That is jackstar's 1979 Cabriolet to the right of the BobD.
It needed some attention this morning, good thing too, the timing was at 25* at idle and the points were in need of some filing/gapping. What a lovely day to drive a convertible with the engine in the rear:

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The jackstar Westy is . . . slowly . . . progressing through its metamorphosis:

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We are at 89,530 miles. I shall install the new EGR filter tomorrow so we can do CHT comparison test on the way to Miami to see Jivermo and Againes agains:

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BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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Amskeptic
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Re: IAC Sunny Florida Send-Off

Post by Amskeptic » Fri Apr 11, 2014 1:21 pm

Well, I can do this, I can talk to MYSELF ALL summer.

Installed the EGR.filter and resurrected the EGR valve from its disuse over the past ten years.
I am sorry that I did not have my camera with me to show you how to replace the rubber diaphragm in the late model bus EGR valve. The symptom of a blown diaphragm is a brownish dust layer that deposits all over the front tin and upper left cylinder cover. This is exhaust soot. It would also add heat and exhaust smell to the engine compartment > heater air. Normally. we don't have to worry about that little diaphragm if the muffler take-off point is blocked.

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SO FAR, I am surprised at how much lower the CHTs appear to be, but no conclusions yet. Could not get above 360* at full throttle with my other foot on the brake pedal at 65mph on the interstate at midday temps of 74*. I am going to put at least 600 miles on the engine with the EGR hooked up, and plan to run through a number of tests, most anticipated will be what happens to the LM-1 readings. Here's the lovely little lever that I had stuck in the glove box up in Glencoe IL on July 12, 2004 at 30,500 miles:

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Driveability has plunged from exquisite to a little lopey at cold idle and a little hesitationish upon partial throttle, but I hope to tune it out.
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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Re: IAC Sunny Florida Send-Off

Post by Amskeptic » Tue Apr 15, 2014 11:18 am

Here in Sun City, I looked down at the CHT gauge not five minutes after doing an adjustment on the AFM, the damn thing is blinking madly! 535* !!

Running well, instant calculus was to just shut off the ignition and keep it in gear to at least allow oil to flow through whatever the heck is going on back there. It was a good long downhill so 4th gear let me rotate the engine, fan got temps down to 474* by the time I had to declutch. I could smell some definitely unhappy heat.

Opened up the engine hatch, plastic bag was smothering the fan guard. I thought it was my trans oil pump bag, but it was still there.

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Then I recalled a slight traffic feignt we all went through avoiding a blowing bag a long time ago. That stupid thing must have finally blown through one of my scoops. All of this trash along the highways has me newly irritated to death.

Temp after cleaning up the shards:
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Poor BobD. It sits outside here at Panera, having missed a disaster by maybe a minute. It was sounding quite annoyed when I restarted it. A shrieky little sound was emanating from the pulley/alternator belt, and the distributor was chirping.

[edit 11/24/18: this very moment destroyed the alternator's front bearing race-to-housing fit. The frozen bearing spun directly in the housing for 12,140 miles]

I drove nice and easy for ten miles and waited for the head temps to drop down to 388* and finally 362* where it seems to hang at 65 mph right now into a pretty insistent headwind.

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I thanked Dakota, Dakota Digital, for saving my day. My first serious Example of why monitoring our engines might not be a bad idea in this chaotic American Decline.
ColinInSunCityFL
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

Jivermo
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Re: IAC Sunny Florida Send-Off

Post by Jivermo » Tue Apr 15, 2014 11:31 am

Whoa!

Lanval
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Re: IAC Sunny Florida Send-Off

Post by Lanval » Tue Apr 15, 2014 5:01 pm

I agree; I had the gauge discussion on the Volvo boards, because stock 240s were set up for a minimum of two auxiliary gauges, while there were more than 7-9 to choose from (I can't remember now). You could, if you wanted, add a second three gauge pod (came standard on the turbo-equipped models). So I had the full dash (4 gauges) plus 5 additional on my Volvo (one was a clock, so a throw-away). A number of guys thought it was overkill, but I argued then, as now, that more information is a plus, and you need only scan occasionally to check approximate position, and then if you see something moved, either stop and check or monitor.

When I get a chance, I'll see if I have a pic somewheres that shows the set up I had. On my old 82 (air-cooled) I ran an oil temp and head temp; it was useful and informative. I found the inverse relationship between the two interesting when I drove to Vegas mid-day in August.

ML

Air Cooled gauges: I couldn't find a picture of my Volvo set up, but here's what I used on my 82 air-cooled. The gauge pod came out of a late 80s Trooper, maybe ~ can't remember, I found it at a junkyard. The gauges are all Volvo or Porsche 944 from the junkyard. In order, from left to right: Oil Pressure, Oil Temp (in Celsius, which I find easier to read) and voltmeter. Those are the minimum I think, and I am reminded of something too; years ago I was talking with my Grandmother about a car I had, and mentioned something about the gauges; she commented that my grandfather (an old school engineer who built his own campermobile out of a Ford van) swore by gauges.

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Amskeptic
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Re: IAC Sunny Florida Send-Off

Post by Amskeptic » Tue Apr 15, 2014 6:52 pm

Lanval wrote: I argued then, as now, that more information is a plus, and you need only scan occasionally to check approximate position, and then if you see something moved, either stop and check or monitor.
That is what has been gnawing at me ever since. I am a good and relentless gauge scanner. I had indeed scanned the CHT gauge only moments before, since I had just done an AFM adjustment. It was doing FINE at some 365 or something, and I remember thinking that I would record the number at the top of the hill (little bump, Glasseye, just a little updulation). It must have been only a minute or two. I don't want to test how quickly the CHTs can rise again, but I might have to. It was a good 3/4 throttle hill at 65.

Maybe I should, we'd need a driver and I can throw a bag onto the fan screen and the driver can holler out when it climbs 100*. The engine can take that. I need to know how fast that gauge climbs.

Anyways, Jivermo, if you are reading this, I have to do a cold valve adjustment tomorrow morning first thing (7:00AM) to see what damage may have occurred to the valve seats, then I will hie on down for a CUP OF JOE (9:00AM + maybe a 30 minute delay, we'll add it to the other end). I am in the Big Cypress Preserve, and I am loving it:

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This is my first real night out in the 2014 Itinerary. Sure, had to squall and rain all day but clears up at night. Good enough for me.

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There is a weird gate "lock" with two gates and a box between them that you have to walk through to get into the actual preserve. Now why? Why would a single gate not suffice? There is a sign, "shoot the bucks, not the does."

Better view out the windshield than Alexus ever could conjure up here in Florida:

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Off to sleep, I can hear the concert of crickets once more . . .
Colin
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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Re: IAC Sunny Florida Send-Off

Post by glasseye » Tue Apr 15, 2014 9:05 pm

We should all regularly thank whatever gods there be for good instrumentation. Looks like it might have saved BobD's green little butt that day. =D>

One of my best purchases for Frito is an "Ultragauge". It reads engine control unit data off the CAN bus and displays it. About $70, IIRC.
"This war will pay for itself."
Paul Wolfowitz, speaking of Iraq.

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Re: IAC Sunny Florida Send-Off

Post by Jivermo » Wed Apr 16, 2014 3:35 am

Yep, I'm reading this. Take your time; hot, fresh coffee will be prepared upon your arrival. Big Cypress is one of my favorite places in the 'Glades. Hope the mosquitoes were not too thick!

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Re: IAC Sunny Florida Send-Off

Post by rustbus » Wed Apr 16, 2014 7:04 pm

Oh wow 500*+! i'd personally be worried sick :pukeright:

Makes me feel a little easier about my tapping 429* run through the desert down there.

but i'll add my appreciation for gauges. here's what i run, on top of the DD CHT, the AFR is real nice and shows alot about todays fuels, fuel suppliers, and how the environment affects the engines breath:

Image

remarkable the correlation between oil temp and pressure too.

PS - miss you colin!

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Re: IAC Sunny Florida Send-Off

Post by Boxcar » Thu Apr 17, 2014 9:07 am

rustbus wrote:Oh wow 500*+! i'd personally be worried sick :pukeright:

Makes me feel a little easier about my tapping 429* run through the desert down there.

but i'll add my appreciation for gauges. here's what i run, on top of the DD CHT, the AFR is real nice and shows alot about todays fuels, fuel suppliers, and how the environment affects the engines breath:

Image

remarkable the correlation between oil temp and pressure too.

PS - miss you colin!
Nice mounting arrangements Rustbus..?Which AFR meter are you running?
thanks//Eric
1975 003 Auto Westy L90D

repair!!!!aug2015
Jan/16 Bumped mixture a few notches richer. finally developing HP.


1.8L/LJet/Pertron DVDA+PertronixCompufire 42/36Ham Heads/AA 93mm pistons/barrels.Porsc.Swiv.Adjusters/CromoSteel pushrds/ Web 9550Cam/55cc chmbr.,035 squish,8.6:1CR/German Supply VWCanadaReman Rods/Schadek 26mmPump/vdo dualOP8/10#low sender/Quart Deep Sump
Backdate Htr bxs,reflanged 914 4into1. Two and three eighths inch collector,magniflow*muffler

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Bleyseng
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Re: IAC Sunny Florida Send-Off

Post by Bleyseng » Thu Apr 17, 2014 9:39 am

I see the correlation between a unplugged fan and a plugged fan too. I still can't believe some people run without the plastic screen over the fan inlet as tons of stuff will get sucked in caking onto the top of the heads. Seen too many clogged heads/cylinders and folks wonder why it ran so hot and blew up...
500F would scare me and yep, time to adjust the valves and all.
Geoff
77 Sage Green Westy- CS 2.0L-160,000 miles
70 Ghia vert, black, stock 1600SP,- 139,000 miles,
76 914 2.1L-Nepal Orange- 160,000+ miles
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hambone
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Re: IAC Sunny Florida Send-Off

Post by hambone » Thu Apr 17, 2014 9:57 am

That plastic screen...it seems like a finer, metal mesh would have been better. Oh the 1970s.
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Re: IAC Sunny Florida Send-Off

Post by rustbus » Fri Apr 18, 2014 6:29 pm

Boxcar wrote:
rustbus wrote:
Image

!
Nice mounting arrangements Rustbus..?Which AFR meter are you running?
thanks//Eric
Thanks, the gauge panels match well and it fits nice.

The AFR is a PLX Devices unit. It's a multi gauge with a touch screen. You can get multiple modules and sensors and run more info on it than just AFR. Store min/max and even a little live graph (more cute than useful). They've updated it too. Gauge, sender, module etc for under $200 if I remember correctly

If you want more info on my install just ask, I've got a bunch of pictures. It's very useful and worth every penny to me

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Amskeptic
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Re: IAC Sunny Florida Send-Off

Post by Amskeptic » Mon Apr 21, 2014 5:40 am

rustbus wrote:
Boxcar wrote:
rustbus wrote:
Image

!
Nice mounting arrangements Rustbus..?Which AFR meter are you running?
thanks//Eric
Thanks, the gauge panels match well and it fits nice.

The AFR is a PLX Devices unit. It's a multi gauge with a touch screen. You can get multiple modules and sensors and run more info on it than just AFR. Store min/max and even a little live graph (more cute than useful). They've updated it too. Gauge, sender, module etc for under $200 if I remember correctly

If you want more info on my install just ask, I've got a bunch of pictures. It's very useful and worth every penny to me
Tell me about this reminder of what you are driving. Do people come up to you,
"Hey, that is a nice van, man."
"Oh no, it is a BUS, a . . . hang on, . . . a "Volkswagen" bus."
Colin
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

rustbus
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Re: IAC Sunny Florida Send-Off

Post by rustbus » Tue Apr 22, 2014 6:23 am

oh sorry - i'll get the3 bus specs in the signature!

its the 1972 model with the raby CS installed, with stock Ljet induction - remember?

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