Date: Wed, 25 Apr 2001 11:10:08 -0500
Reply-To: Max Wellhouse <maxjoyce@ipa.net>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Max Wellhouse <maxjoyce@ipa.net>
Subject: Long time to get the 1/2 Lilly running!(long)
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
It's important to know when you've met your match working on your Vanagon.
Installing the Boston Bob 1/2 Lilly motor, well within my skill level,
figuring out why it wouldn't start, sorta within my skill level. Installing
the Haltech ECU and wiring loom, sorta within my skill level, figuring out
why it wouldn't start after that, way behyond my skill level.
Started out as a 3 day planned project to swap long blocks and replace the
tired motor in my 90 GL. That part ended up taking more like a week. Aw,
what the heck, replace all the coolant hoses while yo're at it Max, and
another week goes by. Now the darn thing won't start and smells liike gas
is flooding the combustion chambers. Triedanother ecu from a friend's
crippled van. Not the problem So I jump in and prematurely(by my month
long plan to break in the Boston Bob motor with the stock FI system and then
do Haltech after the first 1k) instal the Haltech. it was a challenge to
get everyting adapted to the 2.1, but except for a couple of idle stabilizer
issues, I thought it was ready to start. Still wouldn't start. Went back
to basics: spark, timing, fuel and compression. well the 3/4 compresson
was fat ZERO!! Oh wait aminute, yeah I took the rocker arm off the 3/4 side
was was "positive" i'd properly seated the pushrods before bolting it all
back up. Wrong. Fixed that. Then it started and ran for about 10 minutes,
belching black smake all the while. Afte shutting down not wanting to clog
the cat and turn the break in oil into WD-40, I figured som major re
programming of the ECU was in order. When it was obvious I wasn't doing it
any good, in comes Robert Longhofer in "moonlighting mode" after work. He
playedaround with spark/ timing/fuel just like me. I was feeling better
about"having done all I could do" at this point. Turns out the programming
of the ecu didn't favor the VW cold starting characteristics. He backed it
off some and boom, it started. Lifters quiet, but still running rich, so it
was time to back off the enire fuel map. Yes the header pipes were glowing
for a while, but we did get the first 30 minutes in and the break in oil
out. Progress. Perhaps tonight or tomorrow I'll get up the nerve to take
it around the block Another problem was not having a vaccum line hooked up
to the MAP sensor(Berg's suggestion) and youare pretty much up to date. I
fell comfortable tweaking the various RPM rangges and cold start stuff now,
and there's always time to play with the full throttle maps and ignition
maps etc. as time goes by.
Many thanks to Ken W. David B, Darrel B. Boston Bob, David Marshall, and
anybody else's shoulder I cried on during al lthis hassle. I'll write an
extensive article on how to adapt the haltech to the waterboxer so future
stabs at this conversion will go a lot smoother. Prolly still need to rig
up a micro switch forthe throttle to tell the idle stabilizer when it's
idling(had to remove the stock one to make room for the throttle position
sensor for the Haltech).
Progress willbereported on as needed. Gas mileage will be watched closely
after break in.
It's a gtrreat day to be alive, finally!!
DM&FS
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