When Well Enough Can't Be Left Alone; Backdate, EFI/ITB, AC, and more!

[chrisbalich]

What if you chucked some fluted lenses on?
They'd hide 80% of the modernity of those lamps.
(They also may scatter the light oddly...)

[al lkosmal]

Everything you wanted to know about the Fuel Regulator reference port...

https://www.fuelab.com/blog/11-boost-reference-fuel-pressure-regulators/49

I typically use a small filter, as shown in Timmy2's pic.....never an issue.

[Showdown]

Day 3

As a followup to last week's questions:

I decided to try the little air filter on the oil breather first and if it vomits all over the place I'll install a catch can.

I connected the charcoal filter but and going to omit the hoses to the rain hats for now. I can always add them later but I'm trying to eliminate all unnecessary hoses and wires; coming from CIS this is a compulsion, I guess.

----

My delivery drivers are visiting me on an almost hourly basis and the number of cardboard boxes is now a life size Tetris in the corner of my studio.

I woke at 4:30am and was at my studio before 5am with a head full of steam and a list of what I wanted to accomplish today.

By 11:30 I was done and headed home to tag in as a functioning parent and give my wife a break.

Sometimes you look at the day’s work and feel disappointed that more wasn’t accomplished. Today was filled with a mix of success and failure. Nothing that will stop my progress but the time required to address these issues (some that shouldn’t be issues at all) was frustrating and disappointing.


The Successes

I finally finished running the fuel lines with a switch to crimped clamps from the screw ones I had. I really like the location and tidiness of the fuel pressure regulator and vacuum manifold. I’m trying to be conscious of where every hose and wire runs in an attempt to keep it organized and looking clean.



I drilled and tapped the vacuum manifold plug for the NPT barb for the vacuum MAP hose.





I ran the ECU harness to the engine bay. I ditched the plastic cover for a flexible one as the plastic wouldn’t have made it through the tunnel. I’ll install a Deutsch connector where the harness enters the engine bay for easy engine drops, more on that later.

I drilled a hole into the SSI heat exchanger for the sensor bung. At this point one would expect the jitters of drilling/cutting/grinding nice pieces of kit to be gone but I still had to pause before punching a hole in my SSI heat exchangers. I bought a clamp on one that can also be welded if necessary. I’d rather not have to remove the exchangers so I’ll start with the clamp and pray that it cooperates.



I decided this week that I hated green and as such said goodbye to my engine shroud in favor of an amber fiberglass one. It required a bit of trimming and finessing but eventually it played nice. I really like the look of the amber shroud. The green was distracting and now the engine bay has a unified color palate, which feels and looks deliberate. This car isn't going to be a race car, nor is it going to be a juiced engine (yet) but I don't care and I like the fiberglass.



I made a mount for the MSD Streetfire; didn’t have any aluminum that size but I did have a piece if 1/8” carbon fiber. In addition I mounted a fuse panel and the lambda controller. I didn’t use the fuse panel that Al supplied as it would have taken up too much space and I wanted all the electronics to fit on the panel and under the plastic cover. Maybe I’ll make an amber fiberglass cover…



I pulled the tangles mess of the CIS harness and ran Dennis’ harness. Anyone want a Pertronix Digital HP? That was no fun and Dennis warned me that without an engine drop or lift it would be a bear. The harness is a thing of beauty but getting to the reverse switch without a lift is an exercise in frustration and cursing. I had to trim off a few inches from the Big Fat Red Wire as the one we measured against from Classic Retrofit was just too long, would have looked unkempt (and potentially interfered with the throttle linkage) and given it's gauge, bending it just wasn't an option.



FAILS

Because it’s basically Christmas now (it starts Memorial day, I guess) it feels appropriate to hoist my Festivus pole and share my grievances. Some of this is venting, and some is hopefully to aide in those that might come across these issues in the future.

Unfortunately the Deutsch connector I ordered weeks ago is stuck somewhere between there and here. I also had to get a 47-pin as opposed to the 23-pin I wanted because everything in the world is out of stock and delayed. That will have to wait until next week.

The X-Faktory supplied MAP vacuum hose is too short. I don’t know why it wasn’t longer. Huge pain to run the hose only to find out afterwards that it’s too short. Al's going to send me a new one; of course he is because he's a boss but I still have to wait for it...



SSIs don’t come with an O2 bung. Before they were sold to JP Group. They used to provide the option but no more and given the price for a set they should be embarrassed that one isn’t part of the kit. Price goes up and options disappear; hurrah! Seriously, if someone is listening, add the $10 to the cost and just weld in the damn bung, you can even call it an "upgrade" and make people feel good about getting a better version.

The Classic Retrofit Wosp alternator has a threaded shaft that’s larger than the Porsche original. The nut is also larger and has different threads; no problem there. The problem comes when trying to reassemble the pulley wheel and the little domed fitting that goes between the nut and the shims that clamps everything down. Because the shaft is larger, the domed fitting won’t fit over the shaft. I’m lucky that I have a mill and lathe and was able to enlarge that hole but given the cost of the alternator a new fitting should be included or at least a mention of this problem in the instructions.



The bolt that comes with the Rennline fan strap is too short. This has been a recurring theme with Rennline products that I’ve bought and I just can’t understand it.

Unfortunately the bumpers that I bought from Germany don’t fit so I’m in a holding pattern on them until the new Rennspeed bumpers arrive. I really think I ought to wait until I have bumpers before welding in the light boxes. Lord knows it’s not going to be plug and play. I'll be selling a whole bunch of bumpers soon so keep an eye out in the classifieds.

So a day with a lot of cursing, but no hurdle that won’t be overcome next weekend. Also, no skinned knuckles, so I go that going for me

Happy Thanksgiving to all those that celebrate!!

[chrisbalich]

J,
You bought two sets of longhood bumpers? If so, you're a wildman. I love it.

Keep going and keep pointing out the good with the bad. It may feel like useless griping some days, but it'll help someone else down the road.

Excited to see the new iteration of this car in the spring.
Hoping you get to go to Ruchlos 2 (II?) with us next year as well.

[AlKidd]

Keep at it. It will happen. I find all car projects, not just 911 take longer and cost more than planned. Have a question on your fuel lines. I tried to zoom in on the picture but it got a bit pixelated. It looks like your exiting the fuel filter at the bottom and then going to the FPR. Assuming return exits the bottom of the FPR and then mates to the hard line back to the tank? Is that what Im seeing?

[LUFTKUL]

I peeled the MSD StreetFire sticker off of mine. I like the inconspicuous black & silver box look much better than the look-at-me red sticker.

Feel the same about a few Rennline products I've purchased. I'm thankful they are a thriving business making unique Porsche parts, but I've had some head scratching on the fit and finish several times.

[Showdown]

Fuel from the pump to the top of the filter, out the bottom to the left of the fuel pressure regulator, out the right of the regulator and down to a T fitting, then off to the fuel rails. The return comes out the bottom of the regulator and heads left to the return line.

The return line is hidden by the manifold and the brake booster vacuum hose but it’s there.

[chrisbalich]

Originally Posted by Showdown

Fuel from the pump to the top of the filter, out the bottom to the left of the fuel pressure regulator, out the right of the regulator and down to a T fitting, then off to the fuel rails. The return comes out the bottom of the regulator and heads left to the return line.

The return line is hidden by the manifold and the brake booster vacuum hose but it’s there.

This is set up for double dead-head rails, right?

I have the same Aeromotive FPR, but I've routed my fuel lines quite differently.

My fuel lines run as such.
Tank -> pump -> filter -> 1-3 rail -> crossover hose -> 4-6 rail -> FPR side inlet -> FPR return outlet (bottom) -> return line -> tank

It's less hose, but then there is a crossover hose in plain sight. My thinking is less hose, less fittings, less chance for leaks/failures. And I can see the all the engine bay hoses and fittings without lifting the car. (not the filter tho)

[Showdown]

Yup, double headed RHD rails. I’m running them this way because:

1.) it’s literally the diagram in Al’s instructions and he knows way more than I.



2.) less plumbing is less chance for failure

3.) (ain’t nobody dope as me) I dress (my engine bay) so fresh, so clean. So fresh and so clean, clean.

[chrisbalich]

1. Fair play.
2. Agreed.
3. Don't you see I'm so sexy?

[AlKidd]

Thanks. Were you able to bend the inbound hard line to get it to the filter or just cut and join? Reason Im asking is Im setting up for a FI system and want to ditch everything but the filter.

Originally Posted by Showdown

Fuel from the pump to the top of the filter, out the bottom to the left of the fuel pressure regulator, out the right of the regulator and down to a T fitting, then off to the fuel rails. The return comes out the bottom of the regulator and heads left to the return line.

The return line is hidden by the manifold and the brake booster vacuum hose but it’s there.

[Showdown]

There's no way that the fuel line will make that bend without a kink... maybe a braided one but not the rubber ones I have. Luckily Al's kit comes with a billion 90 degree bend fittings so I didn't have to force the hose.

The photos also show the mounting bracket I had to fabricate... All of $1 of aluminum angle and 10mins of work.

[AlKidd]

I was asking about the factory steel lines that look like they go into the bottom of your filter.

[QUOTE=Showdown;11526049]There's no way that the fuel line will make that bend without a kink... maybe a braided one but not the rubber ones I have. Luckily Al's kit comes with a billion 90 degree bend fittings so I didn't have to force the hose.

The photos also show the mounting bracket I had to fabricate... All of $1 of aluminum angle and 10mins of work.

[Showdown]

Oh, sorry, reading too fast.

I bought new cohline fittings from Belmetric to go into the bottom of the fuel filter. I reused the original fuel line that went into the accumulator- it just fit.

[AlKidd]

Thanks. Pic shows all I need. I havent pulled the CIS yet so working with limited space till I do. Just wanting to make sure I have all the lines and fittings before I start. One last thought though, I thought the fuel filter was directional?

Originally Posted by Showdown

Oh, sorry, reading too fast.

I bought new cohline fittings from Belmetric to go into the bottom of the fuel filter. I reused the original fuel line that went into the accumulator- it just fit.

[Showdown]

It is, but I flipped mine. Normally the accumulator exits at the top and then goes into the fuel filter at the bottom via a long "S" fitting and then out the top to the fuel distributor. There are markings for "in" and "out" or an arrow on the filter just in case.

Turn it upside down and you don't need to mess with the fuel line from the fuel pump; it *just* fits.

Heads up however- I had to buy a few fittings from Belmetric to make the connection from the exit of the fuel filter to the pressure regulator- you might too depending on what your car comes with- there's a lot of variation.

Good news is that Belmetric has whatever you need. It's not cheap and expedited shipping isn't either but it's the donations we make to the P gods...

[AlKidd]

I think my filter doesnt have the step that yours does but to make it simple, I may just mount the filter where the accumulator is. Then it will fit.

[Showdown]

Day 4

In every project a nemesis begins to coalesce and for me their presence has been laid bare: The Unites States Postal Service.

Body components and materials: delayed by the Post Office

Electrical connectors: lost in the bowels of the Post Office

Replacement electrical connectors: somewhere in the USPS ether with no indication that this box will fare better than the last two orders.

I would gladly pay twice the price if I knew for certain that the shipping would be handled by anyone other than the USPS.

Sigh.

With some careful negotiation, I had secured two full 8-hour days during this long holiday weekend to work on the car; it was supposed to be a mammoth session that saw the completion of the EFI/ITB conversion (maybe even a fire up) and major work on the body.

Instead, I worked a half day and all I could do was cut wires and start to run them…

So cut wires I did. After about 3 hours I was able to run all of the inner engine bay wiring up to the point where the delayed Deutsch connector will be. I was actually surprised at how easy it was, largely thanks to an incredibly detailed schematic by Dennis, the factory wiring schematic, and my harness being straight stock and unmolested. Once I get the engine running I'll sleeve all the wires and make it tidy.







With nothing left to wire I took the opportunity to daydream, look at Instagram, read every post in Pelican… and practice some TIG welding.



This is not a gorgeous weld, it is not a stack of dimes and it will not win me a gold medal at Welding World 2022. But it is a successful >1/8” wide TIG weld using .023 MIG wire on 26 gauge sheet metal, which is basically tissue paper. It has me feeling confident that I might just be able to pull off TIG welding the light boxes to the fenders. The light boxes are such light gauge that I can’t actually imagine successfully welding them with MIG without major issues. When I bought them, I was assured that they were “very thick and strong” Sigh.

But of course, just as I was getting the hang of TIG on thin sheet metal… I ran out of Argon.

Ugh.

It’s incredibly frustrating to be hung up because of logistical issues that can’t be controlled for (yeah, I should check my gas regularly but the USPS really f*cked this stranger in the a*s)

I have to keep reminding myself that these delays are inevitable and better they are the result of shipping issues rather than car issues. Delayed package > finding rust.

Anyhow, hopefully I’ll be able to steal an hour here or there to make some headway before next weekend when I have to attend a wedding and will likely miss out on P Car time.

[chrisbalich]

USPS has been nightmarishly slow since ~Nov2019.
And to add insult to injury, Chicago is the worst offender. There is nothing you can do except request alternate shipper or wait. I've been round and round with USPS in the last two years and there's just nothing to do about it. Even Priority and Express won't guarantee expedient delivery.

Best thing I can advise is to have plans B-F on deck for work days so you can keep moving forward.

[Showdown]

Originally Posted by chrisbalich

Best thing I can advise is to have plans B-F on deck for work days so you can keep moving forward.

Ain't that the truth.

I've started really looking closely at sellers and websites that allow me to use my own FedEx or UPS account as it gives me so much more control. Even if it's not the cheapest the shipping matters.

Wasn't it once said:

Fool me once, shame on me. Fool me twice, well you ain't gonna fool me twice.