Build Thread 1978 Mercury Cyclone. The pig is in the pen.

CarMichael Angelo · Apr 28, 2020

droopie85gt said:
And....then what happened?

I ordered the gauge. Summit tells me that “due to Covid 19 it might take forever for my sht to get here”.

I get called by my GM today. He tells me that I’ve gotta make a decision......”Do I wanna come back this month, or wait it out?”

Theres “ Politics” in that question.

I can wait it out, collect unemployment for the next month , and make more than most of my contemporaries have made for the last month...

Or,...

I can be the company man, suck up the fact that I’ve been off for the last month, while my homies at work have suffered through the storm ( though everyone of them had the same option I had) and say “ Yes, I’ll come back....When can I start?”

And take my chances that I’ll make maybe more, maybe less, working 50 hours a week until 7:30 pm every other night.
And maybe catch a case of the “Vid”.

If I say,...”No,....I’ll stay pat....I’m good”.

I‘m sure that’ll cost me brownie points. Maybe.......the job.

If I start back,. It’ll be sometime in the next week. Our Governor decreed today that retail would start back at 50%...
No Sooner did she do that,.....I get the call.

Ive discussed it with Kate....I’ve been fortunate enough to stay at home with little down side,...I’m going back when they call.

02 281 GT · Apr 29, 2020

CarMichael Angelo said:
I couldn’t find a stinkin 2.49ko resistor in this city.

( I may as well be living in bumfck)

That forced me to improvise. After a phone call to Steve, he confirmed that I could put two together to get to the value I needed.
The supplier I got them from had a 2.2ko, and they had a 300 ohm. Tying those two together produced 2.47ko. ( they were rated at 2% variance)
After installing them on the board, I put the ecu back together, and tested it.

First, I took the infrared thermometer I had and pointed it at the engine,........69 degrees.
Then I keyed the car, let the ECU sync to TS, and the water temp registered at........69 degrees.

This thing is ready to start.

I need a base tune.

On a separate note, I bled the brakes. It took for-freakin-ever to get fluid through to the calipers. once completely bled to where clean fluid was coming out of each caliper, the brake pedal was still kinda....meh.

Not knowing what else I could do, I bought a pressure testing kit to check line pressure at each caliper. It cost a whole whopping 50 bucks, so I’m not too worried about spending money on a gauge that’ll tell me that I need to replace something in my brake system. I want these things to work like Power brakes, it’s important that I be able to slow this bitch down.

I just pictured you at the supplier like Dora the explorer: "We need your help! Which of these resistors almost adds up to 2.49 kilo-ohms? ... The 2.2 and the 300! Correcto! Now we can start the Monster!"

CarMichael Angelo · Apr 29, 2020

Back in September I posted an update about a conversation that I had with a guy that owned a 1971 Plymouth Scamp that had a 2jzgte VVTI in it. At that time, he said that he didn’t have a problem sharing his tune with me.

Problem is,...I cant find any evidence of our conversation. He called me, and we actually shared a couple of photos via text.

But I changed phones between then and now.

I have the old phone, I just transferred the SIM card out of the old phone into the new one..Yet, there is a dead space in my text records since I’ve traded phones that would’ve been the same time that that SIM card was in the old phone...
Im pretty sure all of that sht should’ve just moved over into the new phone when I swapped over...

Right?

Olivethefet · Apr 29, 2020

Have you tried putting the sim card back in the old phone?

CarMichael Angelo · Apr 29, 2020

Olivethefet said:
Have you tried putting the sim card back in the old phone?

Trying it now,..the phone was so dead..it’s fighting me just to get it to power up.

droopie85gt · Apr 29, 2020

And then what happened?

jrichker · Apr 29, 2020

CarMichael Angelo said:
Trying it now,..the phone was so dead..it’s fighting me just to get it to power up.

Most smart phones have PC compatible USB port that they use for charging and accessories, The charger cords have a rectangular Type A USB connector that plugs into the charger or a USB port on the computer. You can use the computer to charge the phone, and I have done it many times. When you connect the computer and phone together, the phone looks like a USB memory storage device: AKA flash drive or thumb drive. Windows Explorer can open the phone's file system and copy, paste, or delete files on the phone.

CarMichael Angelo · Apr 29, 2020

The phone finally booted, and Lo and behold, there was the text. I reached out to the guy, he replied that he’ll look for it..I’m thinking I’ll have a working/workable tune here by tomorrow.

Heres to hoping.

Olivethefet · Apr 29, 2020

Glad it worked!

CarMichael Angelo · Apr 30, 2020

Well, a good day.

As a byproduct of needing to get the contact information for the guy that had the tune file, I had to drag the broke assed Galaxy S9 out of the drawer, and fire it back up. I had an old HTC11 for about a year when I decided to upgrade to the Samsung, but as luck would have it, no sooner did I do that, then I dropped it.
And broke the back glass
Then I dropped it again,
And broke the front glass
(This was the phone that the text correspondence took place on back in September with the guy. )
I woulda thought that the sim card kept all of that, but NOOO....it stays with the device.
Once I got it back up and running however, it made sense to just go ahead and have the glass(es) replaced, and use it instead of the janky ass HTC11 I've been using since then.
So,..I took the phone and had it fixed.
Cost me like 250.00, but its so much better than the other one.
And besides that,....

It takes much better pictures.
Here he is,...waiting on his tune..I built the hard lines from the EBC to the waste gate.
I just spent the better part of an hour trying to get oil pressure. I finally had to remove all 6 plugs to get the engine spinning fast enough to do that, but I prevailed.
And now I have a primed engine.

I aligned the front end using a string. It's close enough to drive.

The beginnings of my back to normal interior.
No drivers seat yet, but it's coming.

This was just a giant waste of time...(Like I have nothing better to do)

What looks like a map of the lower US is actually scrap pieces of left over leather that I've had for years now, cut and fit like a jigsaw puzzle. I figure some day I'll get around to finishing the monster theme in the trunk, so...you get the above.
It still needs the stain, and there is a whole bunch of additional work to finish the trunk, but that divider is done.
( I needed something ugly to hide the even uglier back of the seat delete).
Steve has the tune, it is a working 2jzgte VVTI tune from a ms3pro. I hope he can make it work.

droopie85gt · Apr 30, 2020

I bought alignment plates. I am sure it was a Friday or Saturday night after 2 or 3 32 ounce XX. I seem to come home and then SHOP. But you can easily make them at home. 2 aluminum plates a bit wider than your tire. Cut a couple of horizontal slots about 1 inch and then maybe 2 inches off the floor, in front and behind the tire..oh yeah, bend a 1 or 2 inch 90 at the bottom so the things stand up. Get 2 tape measures. Hook them in the slot in front of and behind the tire. Read your toe (in/out). About 1/16 toe in will get you in the ball park. I took a magnetic angle finder, removed my center cap and set the camber.

CarMichael Angelo · Apr 30, 2020

droopie85gt said:
I bought alignment plates. I am sure it was a Friday or Saturday night after 2 or 3 32 ounce XX. I seem to come home and then SHOP. But you can easily make them at home. 2 aluminum plates a bit wider than your tire. Cut a couple of horizontal slots about 1 inch and then maybe 2 inches off the floor, in front and behind the tire..oh yeah, bend a 1 or 2 inch 90 at the bottom so the things stand up. Get 2 tape measures. Hook them in the slot in front of and behind the tire. Read your toe (in/out). About 1/16 toe in will get you in the ball park. I took a magnetic angle finder, removed my center cap and set the camber.

I do something similar with a straight edge against each sidewall, and a helper. After determining a fairly straight line based on the rear tires with a string pulled from front to back, I measure the distance from the sidewall in front, and back of the front tire.

Then reduce the width of the toe by about 1/8”.

Then, I take it to BMW, and have my son evacuate and charge the AC system, then align the front end.

95BlueStallion · Apr 30, 2020

I tell you what Mike, after working on my car and looking at the dirty ugly stock wiring and cables and lines running everywhere, it sure does put in perspective how much attention to detail you gave your bay. It looks very nicely laid out, and with quality pieces throughout. Job well done.

02 281 GT · May 1, 2020

Get yourself a Magpul case for that Galaxy. I drop my phone all the time and it never breaks.

CarMichael Angelo · May 1, 2020

02 281 GT said:
Get yourself a Magpul case for that Galaxy. I drop my phone all the time and it never breaks.

I bought one that was highly rated “ military grade” on Amazon. If I can just keep from dropping the damn thing till it gets here.

CarMichael Angelo · May 1, 2020

Business as usual.
Me and the 2:30 AMD were talking last night. ( the 3amd’s cousin)
This morning, he’s worried that the torque converter may not be engaging the front pump.

After cranking the engine long enough w/o plugs in it to build oil pressure, I moved 2 additional qts of oil out of the pan, and through the system by the time it was all said and done. I knew that because the dipstick told me so. I had to add two qts back. So,...the new engine oil cooler is holding about a qt+, the lines, and remote filter, the engine itself making up the rest, required that I add that.

I expected to see similar evidence of fluid movement in the trans via the dipstick, considering that there was 4 qts in that pan.
Not the case though...that dipstick registered just as high before, as it did after after....

Wouldn't that just suck ass?

Since I have a transmission oil cooler up front, it’ll be easy to pull one of the lines off, and check for fluid there....if there is, then it’s moving, cause those lines were dry when I installed them.
If not.....

I gotta go check.

CarMichael Angelo · May 1, 2020

Power steering w/o the belt.

Adieu · May 1, 2020

CarMichael Angelo said:
Power steering w/o the belt.

Absolutely on my II-do list because of you.

CarMichael Angelo · May 1, 2020

As an update to the above....obviously the car is on the ground. Brake line pressure is huge..like 1200 in the rear, 14-1600 up front.
Heres the funny thing about that. I get my youngest son down to help. The proverbial 97 lb weakling. 6’ tall, and maybe 125 lbs wet. He is literally a walking skeleton.

I tell him to watch the gauge needle that I have screwed into the rear caliper while I step on the pedal. According to the instructions, manual brake line pressure for rear disc brakes is supposed to be in the 900-1000 psi range.
I step on the pedal as hard as I can,....he reports 600 psi.
” That can’t be right, are you sure you’re reading the gauge properly”? I Ask.
” I can take a picture of it with my phone if you’d like” he smart asses back.
I try again,....650.
I decide to move to the front Caliper, I step on it,.....he says 800. Are you freakin’ kiddin me !!!
On a whim, and to rule out him reading the gauge wrong, we swap. He gets in the car, I read the gauge.
” Stand on the pedal Like a dog just ran out in front of you Connor” I tell him...
1600 psi.
No
Fckin
Way.
“Do That again.”
1550....
“Something is wrong here, there ain’t no freakin way your twig leg has more muscle than mine, let’s swap again.” I say,....
We swap.
I jab that pedal like I’m gonna go over a cliff if I don’t stop RIGHT NOW!......
And the gauge reads.....1000 psi.
I do it again,...950,...Again,...1000...
We move back to the back again,...he stabs the pedal,..1000 psi. I start turning the bias adjuster...1100,...then 1200.

I got brakes. I just don’t have the leg muscles to make them work.

With that done..I went ahead and put the wheels back on, and once done, put the thing back on it’s tires for the first time...Since October.

The video posted was immediately afterwards.....I was so pleased with how that freakin EPS system works,..I just had to post that before the actual update.

As to the question concerning whether or not I have transmission line pressure,...I just couldn’t bring myself to test it. Talk about demoralizin......If something’s wrong there I’m gonna undo those great brakes,.......

And drive that bitch over the cliff.

jeremythedestroyer · May 1, 2020

CarMichael Angelo said:
Power steering w/o the belt.

Oh wow, that looks effortless!

Build Thread 1978 Mercury Cyclone. The pig is in the pen.

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