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  • #91
    Weather is getting better out but today was overcast all day, so I figured I'd better get busy on the car work before it gets too nice out! Still waiting on the Quadspark to come so I decided to work on some ancillary projects to prepare for when it does.

    Because I have the CZT manifold and it's throttle cable mount was broken when I received it, I have a home made mount that I cobbled together years ago. I noticed a while back that the throttle felt pretty loose, and realized the cable wasn't fully taut with the butterfly in the closed position. I adjusted the mount to fix the slack issue, but in doing so I realized that the butterfly was fully open a good half inch before the throttle pedal hit it's stop. As my first project this morning I set about fixing this.

    Took 2 huge washers I had in a bin, made a couple cuts, and drilled a couple holes.


    Installed. The throttle fully opens about 1/16th of an inch before the pedal hits the stop, but I figure it's close enough... would rather have 1/16th too much travel than 1/16th too little travel.


    When I had gone in to adjust the throttle cable mount, I remembered just how ugly it was. All in all the design really isn't terrible, it's just so poorly constructed. So the next project was to cut and weld it into something with the exact same functionality, but just a bit prettier/sturdier. Started off with this.






    Drew up some basic plans for what I wanted it to look like


    got to cutting


    and welding






    And how she looks installed. Better than before, still not great, but at least it wont fall apart. This is all just rough draft stuff, mind you.


    Decided to cut down the upper radiator brackets as well




    I very much want to de-power my steering rack and remove all the accessories, but I also don't want to attempt to remove the rack with the engine in. So in the short terms I decided I'd at least remove the cooling loop.
    Before


    Bypassed the loop all together and ran it right back up


    All gone


    I realized the other day, when attempting to actually start the car, that I no longer have any sort of valve cover ventilation system. I purchased a mazdaspeed catch can a number of years ago and realized I'm finally at a point that I actually need to install it.
    Can in all it's glory




    These were cut to attach to the can and the mounting location in the engine bay


    Measured out and tacked an intermediary piece. tacking is difficult in such tight spots!


    Welded her up




    Installed






    Still need to run the lines from the valve cover vents to the catch can (obviously), refill the coolant, change the oil, figure out why the start button for my alarm doesn't work (or just use a different start button), figure out the brake wiring, and install the Quadspark when it gets here.
    Last edited by proboner; March 19, 2017, 08:56 PM.
    Beautiful Beast- 1997 PGT in process of becoming an SC/NA Beast...
    Elo- 1990 BMW 325i weekend car
    Brunhilde- 2003 BMW Z4 3.0 6-speed daily driver
    The Beast- Sleeping in the junkyard...

    Comment


    • #92
      Nice Progress!
      1992 Probe LX_Rust in Peace
      1989 Probe GT_Weekend Warrior
      2002 Focus SVT_Powerworks Supercharged_Gone
      2014 Fiesta ST_Lemon
      2017 BRZ Premium_Daily

      Comment


      • #93
        Thanks! Figting the good fight!
        Beautiful Beast- 1997 PGT in process of becoming an SC/NA Beast...
        Elo- 1990 BMW 325i weekend car
        Brunhilde- 2003 BMW Z4 3.0 6-speed daily driver
        The Beast- Sleeping in the junkyard...

        Comment


        • #94
          Well lets just get on with it, shall we: [ame]https://youtu.be/fGHTLiL-Qac[/ame]


          Apologies for the weird string of nonsense above, but it's the only way I could even got the link to post! not sure why.

          Anyways, that's right, SHE RUNS!

          Got the Quadspark last night and got to work installing it. Started off labeling/adding connectors to necessary wires, and extending/adding connectors to the grounds.


          Found a place to mount it


          Drilled holes, screwed screws, and connected the correct wires


          Was super stoked and decided to **** it all and just see if it would start. Cranked it over, and it caught for a tenth of a second, and never tried again. The battery wasn't particularly strong so I left it to charge overnight and figured I'd just deal with it later.

          Got home from work early and got to work trying to diagnose why it wouldn't run. Put the MS in spark output test mode, and pretty quickly found that somehow spark B and C are swapped. I double checked and it looked like it was all correct... my thought now is that perhaps the DIYAutotune directions may be mislabeled in terms of wire color.

          Anyways, swapped the wires, turned her over, and BAM! Started right up! Many things still left to do, but wow is this a ginormous milestone!
          Last edited by proboner; March 23, 2017, 10:02 AM.
          Beautiful Beast- 1997 PGT in process of becoming an SC/NA Beast...
          Elo- 1990 BMW 325i weekend car
          Brunhilde- 2003 BMW Z4 3.0 6-speed daily driver
          The Beast- Sleeping in the junkyard...

          Comment


          • #95
            I was laughing at your car choice.

            '06 Si. Good times...




            Can't believe peeps are still Probing. They almost instantly disappeared.
            90 Mazda 323 - KLZE, fender-flared, right hand drive, 2350 lb fully loaded sex machine. || Pic Thread ||- SOLD
            93 PGT FRANKENPROBE - 10.24 @ 139.9 mph ||545 whp @ 20 psi || Timeslip || Dyno slip|| Build Thread - GONE
            97 GTS - Rear Wheel Drive KLZE, 6-speed, 3.90 Torsen LSD, 2650 lb, daily driver! - Build Thread - GONE
            90 Ghettocet KLiata - forever WIP

            Comment


            • #96
              Haha no shit! They're pretty fun cars... I like mine a surprising amount! We should meet up at Sac Raceway in our Z4's and Tyler will bring is Z3 3.0
              Beautiful Beast- 1997 PGT in process of becoming an SC/NA Beast...
              Elo- 1990 BMW 325i weekend car
              Brunhilde- 2003 BMW Z4 3.0 6-speed daily driver
              The Beast- Sleeping in the junkyard...

              Comment


              • #97
                It's like we're all on the same page again! Let's start ztalk.com!

                Comment


                • #98
                  Blasphemy!!! Where's your Miatas?
                  Probe out for Harambe
                  94 PGT KLZE http://i882.photobucket.com/albums/a...psr6dk8q1m.jpg
                  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aauXMeITcdM

                  Comment


                  • #99
                    Originally posted by kroymander View Post
                    It's like we're all on the same page again! Let's start ztalk.com!

                    Or at least get some more commotion going on zpost... that place is almost as dead and probetalk!

                    On an unrelated note, does anyone know why I cant embed or even link a video correctly? Even if I just try to share the youtube link, it wraps [url] tags around it automatically and then completely disappears

                    For example, here's the unaltered link to the first start video from a few posts above: https://youtu.be/fGHTLiL-Qac

                    edit: WTF! Now I'm even more confused! I've posted the EXACT SAME LINK on post #94 and no matter what I do it wont show up, but I do it in this post and it works no problem. So lost!
                    Last edited by proboner; March 23, 2017, 10:01 AM.
                    Beautiful Beast- 1997 PGT in process of becoming an SC/NA Beast...
                    Elo- 1990 BMW 325i weekend car
                    Brunhilde- 2003 BMW Z4 3.0 6-speed daily driver
                    The Beast- Sleeping in the junkyard...

                    Comment


                    • Very impressed at the time and effort your putting into this. I only wish I had the time to do the same.
                      93 PGT CAI, Egay headers, high flow cat. 2.5 mandrel bent with Borla, Yonaka coilovers,19mm rear bar,CM 12lb fly and stage 2 clutch

                      She tends to argue with me daily...yep it's a Probe

                      Comment


                      • There has been more than one occasion in this (now mulit-year) project when it has just seemed like a practice in futility. NEVER getting the MS to pick-up crank signal is definitely one that comes to mind. Back around Christmas when I finally said **** it and pulled the entire harness, the end had never seemed so distant.

                        Over my extended Christmas break I spent a lot of time on this car... to the point that my girlfriend was genuinely sad that I was "choosing the car over her". But even with those many days of straight car work, I had really only made a decent sized dent in the to-do list. I kept slogging at this project weekend after weekend and as many weeknights as I could, all with the understanding that I was WELL into uncharted waters and really flying by the seat of my pants. The small successes along the way kept me going, but the small failures always had a particularly deflating effect.

                        Getting crank signal for the first time last week was probably the biggest victory for me in this fight. Megasquirt had this mysterious hold over my psyche, like a unicorn that was all together understood but elusive at the same time. Starting the car this week, for the first time in over 2 years, while an enormous accomplishment, wasn't quite as exciting as it should have been. There are still trials ahead and some potentially large obstacles presented by relatively small items. Months ago I had assumed the brake electrics would be a straight forward task, but after my first failed attempt, I was left baffled at their operation. I'd also tried and failed to wire 2 separate starter buttons, and was left to starting the car with a remote button from the engine bay. As well, on Wednesday night when going to start the car again, I found that the fuel/ignition relay wasn't clicking on when I flipped the switch. Ugh, the setbacks were coming almost as quickly as the victories!

                        The latter half of this week I spent obsessively buying parts to redo the fuel system in the engine bay and get the car REALLY running this weekend. I had 2 orders from Summit and 3 from Amazon to get the parts that I needed, from Wednesday to today. I was reservedly excited for the work ahead.

                        Well when I got home from work today I was greeted by boxes on my doorstep. I diagnosed last night that the issue wasn't with the ignition/fuel relay, but that the main 150amp remote battery isolator (with all of like 1 hour of overall use) was only intermittently transferring power across it's posts. I opened the new Cole Hersee (brand name and expensive hopefully equals quality) isolator and installed it in place of the broken no namer.




                        Went in the passenger compartment and checked the switches... all is well again. At that moment I looked up at the brake pedal switch and saw that one of the electrical wires coming out of hit was bare and unconnected. Huh, surely that must have been connected when I'd previously attempted to wire the brake lights. Lets just plug it in real quick and see what happens. ****ING BRAKE LIGHTS WORK! YES!


                        As I was basking in joy, I realize that this may be the fix to the starter button as well... let me explain. I purchased this ebay alarm system that has an included/hard wired remote start button. It requires that you disarm the system before the start button can be used. There are a couple harnesses that connect to this alarm, and I had installed the main one, but couldn't get the start button to work, despite the main box being wired directly to the starter solenoid. Looking over the installation instructions, which were written in VERY broken English, I found step 3 which stated: "Foot brake inspection wire. This wire need to connect or not able to use smart push start/stop button. The input wire for this foot brake inspection wire is positive (+) 12V wire. If this wire not correct connect, when press the push button which just blinks but not able to keep lighting on continuously."

                        Well with the brake lights now working, this is the time to test that theory. Quickly spliced a few wires together, got in the drivers seat, flipped the main and MS isolator switches to the on position, pressed the braked, and pushed the start switch and guess what happened. When I press the push button it no just blinks it able to keep lighting on continuously!


                        For those of you who are rightfully confused as to what that means, she starts from the security system push button! YES!

                        Anyways, this is massively long winded. I've just got very high spirits and am excited for the work to come this weekend! The list consists of:
                        -redoing all the engine bay fuel lines/routing
                        -mounting the AFPR
                        -replacing the fuel filter
                        -setting the timing (except I don't have a timing belt cover to go off of, so I'll by trying to set it to 0 off the camshaft timing marks?
                        -replacing the spark plugs
                        -changing the oil
                        -changing the coolant
                        -setting the base and WOT fuel pressure
                        -bringing her up to operating temp for the first time
                        -reinstalling the dash
                        -reinstalling the passenger seat
                        -trying to do some custom wiring of the exhaust cutout
                        -ALL THE THINGS!

                        See you all on the other side!
                        -
                        Beautiful Beast- 1997 PGT in process of becoming an SC/NA Beast...
                        Elo- 1990 BMW 325i weekend car
                        Brunhilde- 2003 BMW Z4 3.0 6-speed daily driver
                        The Beast- Sleeping in the junkyard...

                        Comment


                        • Bored at work, but I did test fit the dash, center console, and run Shadow Dash on my tablet in demo mode yesterday...
                          Last edited by proboner; March 28, 2017, 09:54 AM.
                          Beautiful Beast- 1997 PGT in process of becoming an SC/NA Beast...
                          Elo- 1990 BMW 325i weekend car
                          Brunhilde- 2003 BMW Z4 3.0 6-speed daily driver
                          The Beast- Sleeping in the junkyard...

                          Comment


                          • Congrats on the most recent victory. Keep at it.

                            My project car is not nearly as detailed of a "rebuild" as yours and mine took a while too (probably longer than yours so far). Still working out bugs here and there too.

                            Don't let the setbacks discourage you. When you have one - try to slow down mentally and break down the problem into smaller steps, don't look at it as one big problem. It can help you from feeling overwhelmed and getting discouraged.
                            '94 Red PGT Gone, but Project PGT has begun
                            '04 Black SRT-4 Um, no it's not stock. But "It's just a Neon, right?" 379whp @ 20lbs *Sold*

                            Comment


                            • Originally posted by Greg 94 PGT View Post
                              Don't let the setbacks discourage you. When you have one - try to slow down mentally and break down the problem into smaller steps, don't look at it as one big problem. It can help you from feeling overwhelmed and getting discouraged.
                              Yeah, learning this one slowly and the hard way. I try to break all the individuals projects down into specific steps, and if I get to the end of one and it doesn't work out well, I just move on to the next project for the day and let it all process overnight. Usually I come to much more rational conclusions and ways to troubleshoot later on in the evening than I do on the spot in the midst of frustration.
                              Beautiful Beast- 1997 PGT in process of becoming an SC/NA Beast...
                              Elo- 1990 BMW 325i weekend car
                              Brunhilde- 2003 BMW Z4 3.0 6-speed daily driver
                              The Beast- Sleeping in the junkyard...

                              Comment


                              • So things have been happening, despite my lack of posted updates. Starting off with last weekend...

                                Had leaks in the fuel system, notably at the fuel pressure regulator and fuel filter. This was my fault, trying to use -6AN steel braided fuel lines to rubber fuel hose push on connections. Also went ahead and put new fittings at the fuel rail inlet and outlet to run the lines a bit cleaner.
                                AFPR before


                                AFPR after


                                Routing before


                                Routing after

                                It's not particularly visible, but there is a new black anodized 90*, 45* bend, 135* bend at the AFPR, and -6AN fuel filter all hidden in there. Allows the fuel lines to be run a bit more out of sight, and below the TB/intake system.

                                I had long finished the power wiring from the battery to the interior, and went on to run all the accessory stuff from the interior out to the front of the car as well. Turn signals, fans, and fan. I did this so that I could cover the individual "harnesses" and button everything back up.
                                General idea of what it looked like before (minus the new stuff)


                                How it looked after it was all wrapped


                                And the fender and bumper back in place


                                Even reinstalled the stock grommet




                                Decided to test fit the headlight idea again




                                And then for shits and giggles, as I posted evidence of previously, I threw the dash back in to remember how it all looked


                                This weekend I was determined to get the car back on the ground. to do this I had to pull the exhaust back off to paint the underside of the cutout cover, replace the 10 year old wideband, mount and run the ancillary pieces of the nitrous bottle, and reinstall part of the exhaust shield.


                                Pretty much 100% that I can put it down for good, but decided to leave it up until I'm ready for it's first drive. Next I pulled the dash and front seat and started into some more wiring, specifically mounting the relay box.


                                Took a step back during the process to document the insanity!


                                Managed to get the fuel pump/ignition relay and fans relays wired up, however my initial attempt to trigger the fans from the MS3X VVT output was a failure. Haven't researched it much, but casually read it was a negative trigger, which it doesn't seem to be... or I'm missing something in my Tuner Studio settings.

                                Finished covering the MS/Main power wiring as well... it's the lone piece covered in black loom in the mess below, heading to the switch panel

                                That is the example of what all of this will eventually look like

                                Lastly I finished up the modifications to the drivers door, including filling all the unneeded holes and painting it. Just need to order some new (3M this time) carbon fiber vinyl to cover the door panel and its good to go. Also removed the hood, which really should have been done like 3 years ago, but hey! How she looks now (don't mind the overflow canister sitting there):
                                Last edited by proboner; April 3, 2017, 02:17 PM.
                                Beautiful Beast- 1997 PGT in process of becoming an SC/NA Beast...
                                Elo- 1990 BMW 325i weekend car
                                Brunhilde- 2003 BMW Z4 3.0 6-speed daily driver
                                The Beast- Sleeping in the junkyard...

                                Comment

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