Safari Turbo/Megasquirt Fuel Injection Project

[Clonebug]

Is that a Sansa music player? looks like the one I have. I also have a similar Sony head unit in my truck.

Yes it is.. I play most of my music through that MP3 player.
The buggy rides a little too firm for the CD player to work without skipping.
I used to have the MP3 player plugged directly into the Amps but I got the stereo for my Birthday and figured I better install it.
It is great to have music playing especially now that I have a SuperTrapp on the turbo and it is nice and quiet.

Clonebug

[shok]

Yeh its a nice simple set up. My company gave us all Sansa players for free when they came out because we were working with them, I ran the set up you have on a commuter for a couple of years with no problem. I'll stop the audio de-rail now

[Clonebug]

Update,

Mileage 60134
Idle 50
Main jet 170

I purchased a LM-1 last week and got a bit of time to jury rig the innovate into my buggy.

I had gone to my brother's house last week and installed a bung into the dump pipe and I picked up a couple Molex connectors to match the plugs that were on the wiring harness.
This afternoon I soldered up the molex connectors and hooked up the power to the LM-1 and let it calibrate itself to the sensor heater.

I set up the camera to video my first start up with the LM-1 installed and since the video will only last one minute I ended up taking four one minute videos of the cold start and warmup.
I could not video my drive but it was interesting to say the least.
Here are a few videos of the start up. This is the first dead cold start up from my settings that I have been driving on for the last month or more.

Remember that I have removed the choke plate from the carb top and I only use the choke element ofr the fast idle when it is cold, hence the high rpm when it is running at first.



This is the second minute of warmup.



Third minute.



And the fourth minute.



I took it for a drive and after a mile I adjusted the idle mixture to get it a bit leaner and the engine did not like it at all. It starts popping through the exhaust as soon as I lean it out even a 1/4 turn on the idle mixture.
I ended up putting it back to where it was and ran it through the gears and found that under boost at first it will dip to 16 to 1 and then go to 14 to 1 and pretty well stay there through third gear.
I have to say it is closer than I ever thought it would be.
I am going to solder up the sensor wire to pin #23 on the MS-1 and get a data log tomorrow night. I have a feeling that my lag when shifting to third gear is a lean spot and not the turbo. I might be able to squeeze a bit more out of this thing yet!!!

Clonebug

[Clonebug]

Update,

Mileage 60192
Idle jet 45
Main jet 170
Emulsion tube - 4 lower holes soldered shut.
Float .022 washer
Boost 12.915 lbs.

I took the buggy to work this morning with the Innovate LM-1 running and watched the air/fuel ratio as best I could while driving.
I have not gotten the sensor wired to the MS-1 yet.
Start up idle would run around 13.5 to 1 to 14 to 1 cold and then go to 12.7 to 1 after warming up.
I got a 17 to 1 lean sag going into third gear at throttle tip in and then it would settle to 14.5 to 1 to 15.8 to 1 at 5 to 10 lbs. boost and up to 13 lbs.
That is the sag I have been fighting for the last few weeks. I didn't dare hold it there too long.
As Mario mentioned to me in a recent conversation we had talking about some detonation I was having in third gear, He said it probably needed to be enriched instead of retarding the timing like I had been trying to do and he turned out to be right on the money. I had not thought it was lean since I did not have the LM-1 at the time and was going by SOTP and the exhaust color.

Tonight I pulled the carb and tried a few things to see if I could get it to run a little richer in high load boost.

Raised the carb float from a .033 washer to a .022 washer.
Soldered the fourth hole shut leaving only 2 large holes open and the top tiny hole.
Adjusted the pump squirt to come in quicker.( I did this to fix a lean throttle tip in as soon as I added throttle. It would go to 17 to 1 for a couple seconds then settle back to 13 or 14 to 1.) It seemed to fix it.

I took it out for a drive again tonight and it has not done as much as I hoped. It does better but is still lean in high load high boost at 15 to 1 and I want it to be 12 to 1 or 13 to 1.
Steady cruise at 2500 rpm is pretty good at about 13 to 1.
Engine at idle wants to be at 12.7 to 1 or richer. Any leaner and it pops out the exhaust.

I might try to solder one of the two big upper holes shut to see if that will work. I think if I go up a size in main jet it will be way too rich but that remains to be seen.

I need to do one step at a time so I know which change did what.

Clonebug

[miniman82]

You most likely need a biggest pump shot going in to 3rd gear, sounds like the main jet could be larger as well. I like to see 12.5 AFR under boost, no leaner.

[kubelguy13]

I would try a bunch of different main jets with LM-1 you will see what changes you get right away.
I have a sack of solex main jets. You could drill to different sizes if you want them.

[Clonebug]

I would try a bunch of different main jets with LM-1 you will see what changes you get right away.
I have a sack of solex main jets. You could drill to different sizes if you want them.

Hey Kubel,

Thanks for the offer... I am using a 170 main right now and have been as high as a 190 main.
I also have a bunch other ones too. I have been from a 140 all the way to a 190 main.

It actually ran the best on a 155 main driving around like a little old lady and not going into boost.
Of course, you know that is no fun. I am going to try a 180 main in the next day or so.

I should just bite the bullet and get the FI intakes and go to the Dark Side.

Right now I am trying to figure out a mount for the LM-1 where I can see it yet it isn't in the way.

The rains are coming and it is raining as I type so I won't be driving as often unless it dries out again. It could happen since the real rains don't start until the middle of October.

Clonebug

[Clonebug]

Update,

Mileage 60215
Idle jet 45
Main jet 170
Emulsion tube - 4 holes soldered
Boost 12.915

I got my first rain day of the year so I though I better put it to good use.
I needed to get a mount made for the LM-1 so I could get rid of the ghetto wiring I had spread all over the passenger seat. I puzzled over where to mount that thing for two nights and since I didn't have a welder handy I couldn't put a nut on the tunnel and call it good.
I bent a bit of metal last night and today and I came up with this.....It is not exactly what I wanted but it will have to do for now because I don't plan on keeping it in the car all the time since it would be too easy for someone to lift it.



If the rain holds off tonight I want to pull the carb again and install the 180 main to see what happens.

I have to finish the power and log signal side of the wiring yet but that won't take too long. I should be able to hide that in the cluster of wiring under the hood.


Clonebug

[Clonebug]

Update,

Mileage 60266
Idle jet 50
Main jet 180
Emulsion tube 4 lower soldered
Boost 12.915

I decided to try a larger main jet to see if I could get rid of my slight lean spot at full load boost.
I pulled the carb and installed the 180 main jet, reinstalled and took it out for a drive.
It did the exact opposite that I thought it would do.
The 170 main was running at 15.5 to 1 at full load boost but when I loaded the engine on the 180 it jumped as high as 19 to 1 and would settle at about 17.5 to 1.
I can't believe it.... I really figured it would take it right about where I wanted it. I even bumped the idle back to a 50 to see if that would help but there was no difference.
I brought it back into the garage and pulled the carb again and figured I would go the opposite way.....So I installed a 160 main to see what happened.
It also ran lean under full boost but my cruise AFR seems to be a lot better.
It does want to go lean at tip in like it needs a bigger pump shot but I have that pretty well maxed out.
Tomorrow I am going to put the 170 main back in and then solder another hole shut in the Emulsion tube to see if that will richen it up on boost.
The 170 main is pretty damn close otherwise but a little lean under full load boost.

Clonebug

[Hotrodvw]

Nice work!

[CobraJet]

........
I decided to try a larger main jet to see if I could get rid of my slight lean spot at full load boost.
I pulled the carb and installed the 180 main jet, reinstalled and took it out for a drive.
It did the exact opposite that I thought it would do........

Could it be that the 180 was dirty or had something in it to make it go leaner?

[Clonebug]

Could it be that the 180 was dirty or had something in it to make it go leaner?

I thought about it most of the day and I think that might have a bit to do with it. The biggest jet I could get was a 170 main and it is stamped 170.
I had The Kaddie Shack drill a 180 and 190 main for me and I think that the factory one might have a tapered opening where as the drilled one might be 180 straight through.
I am going to have to get a tapered reamer and size it myself or see if someone can ream a jet to 180 for me.

I am not interested in buying a drill and reamer set since I might as well just put that money into a set of FI intakes and go all the way.
I have just about everything else to go to Fuel injection.

Clonebug

[Clonebug]

Update,

Mileage 60304
Idle Jet 50
Main Jet 170
Emulsion tube 6 holes soldered

I pulled the 180 Main jet out last night and reinstalled the 170 main and also pulled and soldered two more holes on the Emulsion tube. I was quite disappointed when I took it for a run and found it even leaner than with the 180 main.
I have come to the conclusion that the emulsion tube area is just too small on the Pict 34 to give a lot of adjustment in high speed ranges. I need to work on the power jet but the drill size is just too small for me to mess with.
There is just not an easy way to richen up the high speed circuit reliably without causing problems else where.
I guess I have to admit that I am a bit over my head on this carb tuning stuff.
It has come to the point that I don't want to put much more money into the carb blow through system when for a max of $300.00 or a bit more I can just go to Fuel Injection.
I am going to try dropping the boost to 10 lbs. and see if I can get rid of the lean spot that way. I am not going to be happy with that low of boost after tasting 13 lbs. and knowing that the turbo can put out 20 lbs. since I have seen it push that much even if only for an instant.

My battery also puked last night. I know it owes me nothing since it is a 60 month battery and I have had the buggy running for over 7 years now. WOW.
My brother found another battery for me for a whole $30.00 and it is the same as what I pulled out.
I've been screwing around with this little car for a long time now.
I think this has been the longest I have stuck with a hobby in all my 51 years of life...

Clonebug

[Clonebug]

Update,

Mileage, 60310
Idle jet 50
Main jet 170
Emulsion tube, 80z, lowest 5 soldered shut.
Boost 12.915

Update,

I installed the new battery and decided to pull the carb once more. Removed the top and pulled the emulsion tube. Heated it and blew all the solder out of the holes. I then proceeded to re solder the 5 lowest holes which left one upper large hole and the highest hole which is up against the threads that hold the tube in. Decided to check out what is sometimes called the power jet in a Solex. It is located under a plug right next to the idle jet on the right side of the carb.
If you look at the hole in this jet it is absolutely tiny. I would guess that it is maybe .025 or .030 and that is just too small for me to try to change.
I am going to see if I can find a bit more info on that jet and try to understand how it works.

Reinstalled the carb and took the Buggy for a ride.
It is back to it's old self again...excellent response from idle to full throttle with it going to 15.3 to 1 at full load third gear at 3000 to 3500 rpm.
First and second gear do not go lean and it will rev right to 6000 rpm by the time I glance at the AF meter and back to the road. As soon as I hit third gear it will lean out since the engine gets a bunch more load on it. I think I heard just a tinkle of pinging too.
I am going to drive it this way for a while and do some more research to see if there are any other changes I can do.
I am going to try to get a 180 jet reamed with a tapered reamer to see if that will flow better than the 180 jet I have.

Oh Kubel...... Paging Kubel!!!!


Clonebug

[Clonebug]

Update,

Mileage, 60330
Idle jet 50
Main jet 170
Emulsion tube, 75z lowest 5 soldered shut.
power jet 47.5
float .020 washer
No choke plate
Boost 12.915

I had a bit of free time this weekend so I did a bunch of research on emulsion tubes and power jets.
I found that the lower the number on Emulsion tubes the richer it would run since the jet is an air correction jet that meters air which is the same as a weber jet.
I found my magnifying glass and pulled a bunch of jets out of my spare two Solex carbs and found that those air(emulsion tube) jets are 75z jets.
Today I pulled the emulsion tube out of my Bocar carb and found the air(emulsion tube) jet is an 80z.
Well I'll be darned... I can try something!! So I whipped out my trusty little soldering torch and proceeded to solder the same 5 holes shut in the emulsion tube as I had in the other one.
I have it all installed and back together but will need to wait for the rain to stop before testing.
The power jet that is next to the idle jet on the right side of the carb had a marking of 47.5 and all three carbs had the same size so there is no chance to change that jet. I would really like to try it since the range this jet works in (4000-5000 rpm) is the same range that my carb goes lean in boost.
I have not fully confirmed that the power jet meters air but as far as I can tell by where the passages are it is also an air jet. I will continue research to confirm.

I will post again on my findings when I get it out for a drive.

Clonebug