Engine Runs!!!!..and leaks
 

The Engine is finally running! Fired on the first turn of the key. A little bit rough but I got through the 20 minute break in and first oil change. I have a lot of people to thank: First my Wife and Kids for being so patient throughout the last 10 months as I spent many hours in the garage and many dollars online ordering parts. Thanks to our host; Wayne your book really makes this possible, I wouldn't have attempted the rebuild without it! Thanks to the Pelican support community. Especially Norm, Rob and Dean (all DTA converts). And thanks to John Walker for rebuilding my tranny, I hope to use it soon!

I cannot explain the fear in the moment of turning that key and the excitement in hearing that sound and smellin' that smoke!
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1096083386.jpg

Nice job! Congrats!

Very cool! Are you going to do some street tuning before you put it on a dyno? What's you're tuning plan of attack?

I'll be street tuning for a while and see how I do but will eventually take it to a dyno for fine tuning. The system has a wide band O2 and a good logging system which will help with the fuel maps, the difficulty is the timing maps and the relationships with Manifold Pressure (turbo!). It is currently using throttle position for load with a manifold pressure compensation map.
During the intitial 20 minute run it ran very rich and rough including flames out the pipe above 2200RPM, and carbon stains on the driveway. I also need to hook up a timing light to see if the timing reported by the ECU corresponds to the real world before attempting to drive it. I was happy to see that all the sensors were reporting reasonable values... including the oil temp sensor located in the cam cover.

Congrats! watch that AFR!

I well remember that fear in the pit of my stomach as I first started the engine and went throught the 20 minute break in! Congratulations!

Thanks for the info magic. I would like to see updates on how your tuning goes since this is similar to the approach I'll be taking in a few months.

Exasperating day yesterday. The car would not start at all after its first oil change the day before. I was testing everything from coils to injectors etc, pulling plugs to see if they were fouled. etc. Finally this morning after messing around with timing and fuel maps, increasing the fuel pressure from 45 to 50psi and the clincher turning off sequential injection, the car started and ran really well. I need to check my cam sensor since the sequential injection is dependent on it. It would not maintain an idle well when cold but ran smoothly through the rpm range up to 6000RPM.
So I took it for a drive! I have slight hestitation at lower rpms. But great acceleration after 3000RPM. Under load the fuel ratio looks good around 13.1 but when just cruising its running lean. When I returned from the drive I actually had a pretty good idle though it was hunting from 950 to 1000.

Do you notice improved power before the turbo spools up? If not, do think you're still running rich off boost?

It's really too soon to tell. My drive consisted of going around the neighborhood about 2 miles and only up to 45mph. I jumped on the throttle 2-3 times and got up to .6 bar boost, the k27 kicks in and builds boost much faster than my old K26, while on boost the AFR was 13.1 while off it was 17 or more. I won't be attempting much more tuning this weekend... I need to get new license tabs this week before I take it out on the main roads!

Magic:

I'd try to get that AFR down a little on boost.

Good job. I know how you feel man. When I fired mine up for the first time, I actually had my friend Chad do it while I sat in the passenger seat and watch the laptop. I was so nervous I was almost shaking. Pretty scary feeling when you know you have that much of your own time and money tied up in such a project.

Good job!

Brian
(930 EFI Convert, TEC3)

Took the car for its first major drive today. It runs pretty well, small hesitations at some rpms. Drove about 60miles altogether. Then the disappointing news... after retunring home I noticed some dripping... I have oil leaks at what looks like the flywheel seal and somewhere on the case above the #8 bearing. Its bad enough that I feel like I will need to take it out again. This project is exhausting.

Magic:

I've installed 2 new flywheel seals in mine since the rebuild. All of them have leaked equal amounts.

Mine still leaks a drop or 2.

Brian

How did you diagnose that it was definately the flywheel?
I seem to have oil on top of the tranny case as well which I supposed could get there as the flywheel sheds the oil.

Is there much pressure in the crank breather? Mine was only slightly moist at the point where it connects so I ruled it out as the main source of the leak.

As for the leak near the #8 I have not figured out where it is really coming from. It is definately somewhere above the distributer hole.

Well, it wasn't leaking from the top side, and it wasn't leaking from the sides as all, it it appeard to be dripping from the small cutout in the tranny at the bottom where it mates with the engine.

So, we had to pull the engine anyway, because of the cylinder base gasket fiasco I encountered, and when we did we could easily see that it was leaking from the flywheel seal. So I asked about different approaches, since I had used Waynes Curil-T approach the first time. The second time was used a thin layer of aviation sealant. It appears though to be leaking between the crankshaft and the seal, not the crankcase and the seal.

I'm guessing the reason for this is that I had my crank polished, and when they polished it they polished the area where the flywheel seal rests. So I'm guessing that is the reason. It is diminishing though over time, and once the engine gets good and warm (like at the track) no leakage whatsoever.

But when it is cold, it does leak.

BUT, its certainly not bothering me enough at this point. I'll wait until I have to pull the engine again to address it.

I would drive it a little, if it isn't bad. It may get better. I didn't think mine would get better, but it has.

Brian

Hi Magic,

You say you have oil on top of the tranny, then I would be looking for something on top of the motor. There are a number of things up there that can cause this problem. I can't see the flywheel thorwing oil up there. As for your #8 bearing oil leak. Check the cam tower oil line where it enters the crankcase. You might need to tighten this a bit.

Cheers.

Tried the cam tower line. unfortunately it is not the source of the #8 leak. Oil comes down from under the fan, in fact a drip appears on the front lip of the fan so I am not sure if it is being drawn up from the bearing then blowing though the fan and coming out the other side.
At the tranny side of the engine it looks like it might be the oil cooler where it mates to the case, I suppose if its leaking bad enough it would blow around all over the place.
Regardless of where the leaks are coming from, the engine has to come back out.

Hi Dave,

I have not been on this forum for a while and just read your "Engine Runs" postings.

Congratulations! So glad you had success.

I also have a very slight flywheel seal leak ( drip once in a while). But I am not going to worry about it. Otherwise, my engine has about 1000 miles on it now and I can tell that it is breaking in nicely. I have been thoroughly enjoying it since the end of August.

We have had great weather here so I have been able to delay winterizing it.

Kindest regards :D

Norm:

Its kind of strange that me, you, and Magic have all experience flywheel seal leaks...

Which makes me wonder, do you remember how far in you pressed your flywheel seal when you installed it. My first seal was pressed in just past the outer edge of the case, the 2nd time we pressed it in as far as it would go. I've heard some people say to press it in flush with the case edge.

Do you remember how you installed yours? Just want to compare notes.

Brian

I am not positive mine is a flwywheel leak yet, I got the car jacked up last weekend but have not pulled the engine yet. As for installation I pressed it in as far as it would go and used curil-T around the outside... perhaps this was a mistake. My front leak appears to be at the case half just beneath the fan, oil runs down towards the distributer plug.