Spenser's Street FD

[spenser8797]

OK it behaved on a little test today... I'm guessing, but I think what I felt yesterday might have been a bit of coil heat soak. Bay temps are still up there, and it was a warm old session yesterday. Much less anxious now and dare I say I actually enjoyed the drive earlier? Not sure, unfamiliar feelings .

Can't remember if I said on here or not, but I'm going to make some bonnet raisers for the time being, purely to let the heat out. That's the plan this weekend if I get time, along with oil & filter (still on running in oil).

 

[Francob]

Vented bonnet and proper heat management, none of this funk wank. Hit up Thermomet, I know it’s a lot of money but it’s the fucking shit! Reduces under bonnet temps massively.

Fit and forget, get turbine housing, down pipe and manifold done. Especially if the car is a keeper.

 

[spenser8797]

Yep I doubt the car is going anywhere given how deep I'm in mentally and financially . I'll definitely have a look at some point, need to get the kitty up first!

 

[spenser8797]

Productive day today... The car has been running like ass on low throttle and did a no start on me after getting fuel today. Both leading and trailing plugs were super fouled. So I think what I thought was coil heat soak is actually fouled plugs. It does seem to be quite intermittent though, as after cleaning up it started running like ass after less than 5 mins, then after doing an oil change it was pretty good for about 25 mins or so before fouling again. I'm gonna speak to Stu and see what he thinks. It's tuned on 97, I had put 99 in today for the first time, but I don't think it's that as it's been playing up on 97 too. This might just be a consequence of running in under 5k though/ not clearing her out...

Dropped the running in oil & have stuck some Millers 10w-40 semi in. Touch over-filled so will suck some out. Then on to the bonnet spacers, they actually came out pretty well... 25mm aluminium bar, M8 sleeve nuts & we're away. I'm aware it isn't the prettiest, but I made do with the available tools . Please don't hate me, it's functional, but also looks kinda cool? More importantly, bay temps are way happier! Can feel & see the heat escaping!

 

[Francob]

I ran my engine in for all of 30 mins. Then sent it to 9k. Fuck that 5k limiter shit.

 

[spenser8797]

I ran my engine in for all of 30 mins. Then sent it to 9k. Fuck that 5k limiter shit.

It's such a mixed bag with running in! I've got a pretty good run of form with car failures at the moment, sending straight away scares me

 

[Francob]

The other 3 engines I ran in as you did all ended up dead fast. That’s the irony.

 

[spenser8797]

Oh god! Sometimes I really wish my hobby was something else

 

[spenser8797]

Hadn't touched the car in about a month as admittedly it had pissed me off . Spoke to Stu a few weeks ago, Jay was away at the time and he was going to chat to him when back. Haven't heard back but I'll chase up tomorrow. We did speak about a few possible causes of the plugs being in the state they were but ultimately I think it's too rich. Particularly when the car is warming up (it's messy), then potentially idle & cruise. This is me going off how the car feels on low throttle compared with heavier throttle situations.

After I changed the oil, I did a 20 min drive back and the plugs were as below. Bear in mind they all looked like T2 when I put back in.

I guess there's potential that my lambda sensor might be dying, Stu said he might put one on but will see what he reckons. I'm also not overly happy with my ignition leads, they're on but not the fit isn't the most satisfying (I don't think this is causing an issue though) so I'll probably change.

So yeah I've had a few weeks of sulking. I think the money side gets to me every now and then - but it's an FD. I need to remember I chose this life so the only solution is to earn more I guess .

Anyways I've done enough sulking, test drove it yesterday and a bunch of teenage lads ran up to car, jaws on the floor, screaming at me for a rip! Obvs driving the car gives me enough anxiety but I somehow strung enough words to explain that I'm running in, gave a little rev and some gate noise for them in 2nd - which made my day!

There's also a really annoying plastic rattle near the exhaust but that's the least of my worries atm

 

[Francob]

 

[spenser8797]

View attachment 45015

 

[spenser8797]

More fun and games

Spoke to Stu, he's in agreement that the car is rich but also wants to know why T2 isn't firing. Interestingly this happend before (after the fire). I know Stu isn't keen on my coils, but this is a replacement coil on T2, which has failed twice - so I was like surely not! So he spoke to Phil who's let us know that my original wiring from IRP is in place powering the coils, it's only signal that he's added for my direct fire. So... There's a chance that something is wrong with the power side of things.

I'll pull T2 tonight and see what it looks like, just to rule out perhaps an ignition lead not being seated correctly before. If T2 is still clean, then yeah I've got some sort of hardware problem, & wiring problem along with the richness.

So I guess my options right now are, get the IGNs wired in properly/ have Phil sort all that out, make sure we've got all 4 sparking and try again. Or, move to R35.

I'm unbelievably torn. The IGNs are more appropriate for my use, and I suppose R35s are technically a downgrade, but with any case they're only as good as the install & setup.

Again, is this part of the reason it blew up...?

Sometimes it annoys me that mumma didn't raise no quitter. Pretty sure spens in another universe is nice and happy in a v8 vantage. Anyways, this a great place to air - onwards and hopefully upwards

 

[Temujin]

Stu seems to dislike ign1a greatly.
They are supposedly incredibly picky with earthing so if you haven’t earthed your keg to your battery directly I’d recommend it.

IIRC there are three separate earths for the harness to avoid any issues, but I could be wrong.

 

[spenser8797]

Stu seems to dislike ign1a greatly.
They are supposedly incredibly picky with earthing so if you haven’t earthed your keg to your battery directly I’d recommend it.

IIRC there are three separate earths for the harness to avoid any issues, but I could be wrong.

Yeah signal, power & 3 grounds. I'll have to check what the IRP wiring does and also what's actually on the car (I know some bundle the grounds). I'll admit I thought Phil covered this part with my engine harness redo.

This is what's on the car for ref: https://www.rx7club.com/ir-performa...r-manifold-plug-play-ignition-system-1154346/

How it's actually been installed, no idea, shall check...

 

[Temujin]

Are yours mounted on the keg like that? I’d always be a little concerned about the heat.

Looks like a decent spec harness so should be good but if all those individual earths are to a similar spot might be an issue.

I think pin 3, or at least one of the earths, cannot be with any other of the earths from the coils or something like that so defo worth a check.
Also might just be a bad coil

 

[spenser8797]

Are yours mounted on the keg like that? I’d always be a little concerned about the heat.

Looks like a decent spec harness so should be good but if all those individual earths are to a similar spot might be an issue.

I think pin 3, or at least one of the earths, cannot be with any other of the earths from the coils or something like that so defo worth a check.
Also might just be a bad coil

Thanks mate and nope mine are mounted where the A/C pump would be as I was worried about the heat.

Yeah something like that, I don't think it's a bad coil though, it's too much of a coincidence for another to fail so soon I think...

 

[Temujin]

Thanks mate and nope mine are mounted where the A/C pump would be as I was worried about the heat.

Yeah something like that, I don't think it's a bad coil though, it's too much of a coincidence for another to fail so soon I think...

You’re probably right on that. Easy to switch them round and just see if the problem moves to the other housing too.

Probably not an issue but it’s the first time I’ve seen two different types of plugs in one motor, what are you running leading and trailing

 

[spenser8797]

You’re probably right on that. Easy to switch them round and just see if the problem moves to the other housing too.

Probably not an issue but it’s the first time I’ve seen two different types of plugs in one motor, what are you running leading and trailing

Yeah true, but honestly I don't even want to run it right now as I'm all types of paranoid!

I had 10s all around (NGK R7420), but Stu put 9s in the leading at some point, I think this was after fire and was to prevent fouling up whilst running in. I had 10s all around on the old setup which were fine, had to change from 9s as I was getting ignition breakup. It's common to run a hotter plug in the leading as far as I'm aware though!

 

[Temujin]

Yeah true, but honestly I don't even want to run it right now as I'm all types of paranoid!

I had 10s all around (NGK R7420), but Stu put 9s in the leading at some point, I think this was after fire and was to prevent fouling up whilst running in. I had 10s all around on the old setup which were fine, had to change from 9s as I was getting ignition breakup. It's common to run a hotter plug in the leading as far as I'm aware though!

Aye tis!
I think I’m running 9s all round iirc but who knows, I certainly don’t recall

I was more meaning the electrode design, probably makes no difference at all I just noticed it is all

 

[spenser8797]

Aye tis!
I think I’m running 9s all round iirc but who knows, I certainly don’t recall

I was more meaning the electrode design, probably makes no difference at all I just noticed it is all

Ohhh I see, yeah I have no idea why. There's probably some sort of difference but no idea haha. Either way they're both rotary specific plugs from the NGK range.

Just pulled T2 and yep, not firing. So I'm going to have a think about next steps.

Ground wise, I can see the coil grounds for each rotor and one to the chassis (didn't fully trace but same labelling). There isn't a ground directly to the battery negative... So if we're going by the pin diagram, that's what the coils want and what I don't have...