[DanG]

Turned 10k on the hybrid, so I used my day off to do some routine maintenance while the wife was out with the girls.

Pulled all the plugs- Please let me know what they tell you, for they look almost perfect to me, despite no dyno tuning and indiscriminant dumping of fuel by my S-AFCII LE above 4500RPMs. Gap had degraded on all 6 uniformly to between .056" and .058". I was a bit concerned with the electrode wear after only 10k- Anyone else think this is an issue? I regapped to .053" and re-installed with a bit o' anti-seize on the threads and dielectic grease on the wire contacts.

Note: Schmutz on the threads is just old anti-seize... Nothing to worry about.

Testament to the air/oil separator I installed- This is a look down the throat of the UIM. Mmmm... Shiny... :thumbsup:

New Mobil 1 plaque I got from the CEG group buy. Looks pretty schweet!

Full on shot of the engine bay after a quick shot of Foamy Engine Brite... Mmmm... Shiny... :thumbsup:

Thoughts? Comments? Suggestions?

 

[FastCougar]

According to this chart, things couldn't be better (slight redish hue on the insulators). As for the electrode wear, that is probably due to the fact that the electrode was very thin to begin with.

 

[PuckPuck]

2 things....

1) what's this oil seperator you speak of? me very impressed with the cleanliness of the intake
2) you gotta optimize that TB.... at this point every bit helps right?

as for the plugs, they look great to me also... heck if you say you are running rich, it doesn't look it at all on the plugs... not sure why the gap has widened so much over a short period

 

[JScullin]

I would gladly pay you Tuesday for a 3.0l/hybrid today.

 

[DanG]

Puck: One of these:

Installed like this (looking up from under the car) under the battery box:

The route goes from the crank breather via 5/8" power steering hose to the inlet side of the air/oil separator, then back out via another hose to plug into the underside of the PCV valve. In the winter, you have to empty the damn thing ONCE A WEEK due to all the condensation that occurs when a sub-freezing engine warms up. It's disgusting. Good thing my garage is clean so I don't have to freeze my arse off!

During the summer, this was what it looked like after 3k miles:

Care to jog my memory on this "TB optimization" thing?

Scullin: I've done it, and I can do it again- You game?

 

[FastCougar]

Granted, this is for the secondaries (would also recommend), but the objective is the same ... less surface area in the intake path = less obstruction = better

http://www.exigentracing.com/prod03.htm

 

[PuckPuck]

Optimize TB:

Remove linkage assembly
Dremmel and smooth out entire casting. Make as much of a venturi effect as possible with the TB, while keeping opening size at the plate the same.
Make leading edge of plate when open a V using gringer / dremmel
You can also remove one entire half of the main shaft, which in turn will get you even more surface area...
Put linkage/plate back in using countersunk set screws cut to the perfect length so they won't obscure any air flow


if you ask me... good for maybe 1-2%... but it's still an extra few ponies

 

[Buckshot77]

Originally posted by: PuckPuck
Optimize TB:

Remove linkage assembly
Dremmel and smooth out entire casting. Make as much of a venturi effect as possible with the TB, while keeping opening size at the plate the same.
Make leading edge of plate when open a V using gringer / dremmel DON'T DO THIS STEP
You can also remove one entire half of the main shaft, which in turn will get you even more surface area...
Put linkage/plate back in using countersunk set screws cut to the perfect length so they won't obscure any air flow


if you ask me... good for maybe 1-2%... but it's still an extra few ponies

The risk versus gain on grinding on the leading edge of the butterfly just isn't worth it. Numerous people have wasted their TB's by doing this step. The gains come from knifing the front lip, cutting the throttle bar, and countersinking the screws.

Rick

 

[FastCougar]

This is what you want to do ... in another post on CEG, Brad Noon states

I have dyno proof of an SVT gaining 3 HP across the whole RPM range and 6-7 HP at peak from a BNM optimized TB. That's enough for me to do it again to any car I would own from here on out.

 

[Zalec]

Originally posted by: DanG

Thoughts? Comments? Suggestions?

yea i do

not my most greatest work...then again it is like 6am when i did this. but ya get the idea.

 

[CougarGT]

Vortech crappy reliability and 11:1 compression.
I dont think so..............

 

[DanG]

Zalec: AWESOME!!! :evil::banana:

However, CougatGT is right... 11.08:1 compression + Vortec = BOOM no matter how you look at it.

 

[Zalec]

then what do you guys recommend if the vortech if you feel it is a bad kit? whats a better kit....

i will do a chop of that one for ya

 

[MeccaManx2]

question about the air/oil separator

so where is the oil in our intake tract coming from? is it from those 2 hoses coming from each valve cover? or is it from under the intake manifold that is connected to the pcv valve? or both?

and does anyone know how the greddy oil catch can is made? it just looks like a can with hose fittings or is there some kind of filtering method inside to separate the air/oil?

if its just a can that literally just lets oil drip in it without any complex filtering method, i think i can build one myself. i would just have to build a can with 2 nipples on top.

 

[DanG]

Mecca:

A vast majority of the oil in our intake systems comes from the PCV valve hole at the bottom of the UIM (visible in my picture). This is either because of a completely inadequate breather on the top of the block before the PCV valve, excessive vacuum in the engine due to the throttle/IAC system, just a plain higher level of atomized oil in the crankcase due to the engine's compact yet complex design, or a combination of all three. A small amount does come through each of the valve cover breathers, but not nearly as much as the PCV valve.

The air/oil separator I bought from Sears probably isn't rated for this type of duty, but it seems to work quite well. I have to empty the damn thing every week when it's cold out due to tremendous amounts of condensation in the engine as it warms up. Better than than in my intake manifold, I say... :shrug:

Never heard of the Greddy catch-can, so I can't comment on it...

 

[CougarBalla2k5]

cold air intake...

 

[DanG]

Catch-can, Balla... Catch-can. Not CAI.

 

[Cougaritus]

I think he was saing you need a cold air intake... I think at this point it would be a great mod...

Also, those screws for the UIM that Exigent sells makes a great amount of sense....

An optimized TB would be nice as well...

Next Big mod??? Those cams they are selling now..

 

[CougarBalla2k5]

Originally posted by: DanG
Catch-can, Balla... Catch-can. Not CAI.

, I meant get a CAI silly. You crack me up.

 

[CougarGT]

Originally posted by: CougarBalla2k5

Originally posted by: DanG
Catch-can, Balla... Catch-can. Not CAI.

, I meant get a CAI silly. You crack me up.

:rofl: