CIH Turbo EFI by RallyBob

[RallyBob]

This is the position of a fully extended advance weight. For this year distributor, mechanical advance is listed as 28-32 degrees. My intention is to set the baseline timing at 10 degrees, and let it advance to a maximum of 25 degrees. So I need 15 degrees of maximum advance for this to work, which is roughly half of what the stock advance happens to be.

[RallyBob]

Here's the same advance weight in its' fully retracted position. Note the gap between the two black marks....it's about .400" wide. I'm targeting reducing this gap to .200" to cut my advance in half.

[RallyBob]

This is my solution for reducing the amount of advance this distributors sees. I drilled and tapped the advance weight stops, and used a couple of 4mm allen screws as limiters. The screws can't be too long or they will hit the inside of the distributor housing BTW....

I used high strength Loctite to secure the set screws. Both sides are needed, and they must be adjusted equally.

[RallyBob]

I couldn't finish the distributor today, I'm missing a couple of pieces like one advance spring and a rolled pin for securing the drive gear. I also have to make an aluminum sheetmetal cover for where the vacuum advance used to be. But this is what the polished housing looks like with the Compufire ignition pickup in place.

[tekenaar]

Originally Posted by RallyBob As I need to order some components to create my EFI compatible fuel tank, I decided to concentrate on the distributor for the engine instead today. After the tear-down, all the parts were cleaned in preparation for modification to the advance mechanism. Here they are, layed out.

So Bob, what is the trick to removing that pesky little clip to separate the distributor cam assembly from the center shaft???

[RallyBob]

No trick Otto, takes 5 seconds. Clamp the cam portion in a soft-jawed vise, remove the felt plug from the center of the assembly, take a suitable drift (I used a 3/16" drift), tap once with a hammer, the main shaft falls right out.....
Best done with a set of helping hands so the parts don't fall to the floor. I usually end up doing it myself, but I taped the parts loosely together so they don't fall far.

Now replacing the clip is another story. Sometimes it takes me 10 seconds to put it back on, other times 10 minutes. Thankfully this time it only took me three attempts. I just drop the clip in place over the end of the main shaft, then using a pair of tiny needle nose plier push downwards. That's it.

[tekenaar]

Originally Posted by RallyBob No trick Otto, takes 5 seconds. Clamp the cam portion in a soft-jawed vise, remove the felt plug from the center of the assembly, take a suitable drift (I used a 3/16" drift), tap once with a hammer, the main shaft falls right out..... . . . . . . . That's it.

NOT thinking outside the box again . . . basically the same thing as popping the Getrag shifter out of its bracket. Hmmmm!

[Thom71GT]

Bob,

Is there some way I can do some kind of Mind Meld with you so I can learn how to do this stuff quicker?

I too watch all the new shows and can only dream to know how to do this stuff. Job well done. Awesome!!!

[RallyBob]

Originally Posted by Voodoou Bob, Is there some way I can do some kind of Mind Meld with you so I can learn how to do this stuff quicker? I too watch all the new shows and can only dream to know how to do this stuff. Job well done. Awesome!!!

Scary thought, if you could read my mind I think you'd go insane! I usually have 10 different projects being thought out in my head at any given moment. My only escapes from this dilemna used to be bicycling in my youth, then later on martial arts, and these days...fabricating. While fabricating I can concentrate on just what is in front of me, which helps clear up the mental clutter a bit. In fact I don't sleep much because I have tomorrow's whole planned schedule of events swirling around in my head.

Hmmm, the Zen of Fabrication, that'll be the title of my book one day....

[Travis]

Originally Posted by RallyBob Hmmm, the Zen of Fabrication, that'll be the title of my book one day....

I suspect a book about fabricating Opels will be even less profitable than the Opels parts business....

-Travis

[RallyBob]

Originally Posted by Travis I suspect a book about fabricating Opels will be even less profitable than the Opels parts business.... -Travis

Who said anything about Opels?

[davegt27]

yeah i was digging around last month and found some old PICS of a very nice Turbo Nissan SER setup done by Rally Bob very trick


great work Bob

davegt27

[RallyBob]

Originally Posted by davegt27 yeah i was digging around last month and found some old PICS of a very nice Turbo Nissan SER setup done by Rally Bob very trick great work Bob davegt27

Thanks Dave. Those are VERY old pics, circa 1994 or so. Every once in a while someone mentions that project from the SE-R forums. Cool cars....

[gtzero]

Hey Bob,

AWESOME...just AWESOME. I've been busy lately and haven't checked on your progress. And today was like Xmas. I got to open all the cool images. If you were in SoCal, I'd bug the hell out of you to become your apprentice. To hell with Trump...Rally Bob all the way!!!

[namba209]

Bob, I noticed on your response to the Fuel Starvation thread you're using 3 check valves in your fuel system. If you don't mind, I'd like to make a suggestion for a baffle tank in your gas tank that may eliminate the need for the check valves. You've got the "Soup Bowl" out of the tank, why not put it back in, with 1/2" or smaller holes around the bottom, and have your fuel pickup inside the bowl. It will act as a baffle tank and be a continuing source of fuel during spirited driving. We had something similar in our fighter type aircraft that would sustain fuel flow for a period of time in an inverted position. For the Blue Angels and the Thunderbirds, they have very large tanks for inverted flight that have pickups in the top of the tank. Of course the tanks are presssurized to 15 psi by the jet engines to insure fuel is under preliminary pressure to the boost pumps and then the main fuel pumps. But that is a real complicated system of valves and regulators. Anyway JMTCW.

Ron

[RallyBob]

Ron, in theory the 'soup bowl' makes sense, but in reality it doesn't go to the bottom of the tank, it is suspended from the top of the tank. So at some point when the fuel level drops low enough, it will get no fuel at all. The check valve pickups are a better idea, I think, for a car that will be driven hard, especially through the turns. They are designed for exactly that purpose, and pull fuel from the bottom of the tank. If any of them are uncovered, the check valve closes without drawing air, and whatever valve is still submersed in fuel (ex: left hand pickup in a right hand turn), will continue to suck fuel into the pump.

I needed to open the tank up anyway to install the in-tank pump, so putting the three pickups in place is relatively easy at this point. Just waiting impatiently for the parts however...

[namba209]

Bob, I'm going to have to take articulate lessons I guess. The idea was to put the bowl upside down on the bottom of the tank, therefore the reason for the holes around the lowest part of the perimeter. I noticed on one of you previous pics you had a fairly large hole in the top on the tank, and that was the reason for my suggestion, you had access. Your statement that the bowl was on top of the tank caused me to think why, and the only thought that comes to mind is to shrink the capacity of the tank by whatever the size the soup bowl is. Possibly some taxation thing for the size of the tank. I dunno. I appreciate your response and reasoning. All I can say is keep on keeping on, you do fantastic work.

Ron

[RallyBob]

Gotcha now! That makes more sense now that you describe it. I suppose I could try that route, just unsure how I'd secure it and install the pump is all...

[namba209]

Bob, looking at the pics of the hole in the fuel tank, two methods of securing the pump come to mind. One would be semi-circular flanges, maybe 3-4 welded to the bottom of the floor, with gaps between them for fuel movement, and studs welded to them to bolt the bowl and pump to. The other is, presuming you are going to have the cover sealed and bolted to the top of the tank, is to have a perforated sleeve extend from the cover panel to the bottom of the tank with a floor to attach the fuel pump to or attach the fuel pump to the wall of the sleeve. These are ideas off the top. Maybe you can use them, maybe not.

Ron

[RallyBob]

After much thought Ron, I'm going with my initial concept. I had already ordered the fuel pickups, they should be here in another day or two, so I may as well stay with my original thought pattern. But thank you for the input, I will have plenty of other turbo EFI cars to build over the next few years, so I have time to think about other avenues to try for the fuel tank and related hardware.

So, what did I get done today? Not a lot frankly, I jumped from piece to piece but didn't finish anything fully. Another few steps closer I suppose, regardless.

I decided to make a short throw shifter for the Getrag 240. I shifted the fulcrum point by 3/4", which will reduce the throw substantially.

[namba209]

Hey Bob, no problem, like I said it was just a suggestion and you know what you've got far more than I. I still think you do fantastic work, and the shifter just proves it again.

Ron

[BQS4]

Bob;
Did you thread the end of the shifter to accept that new rod?

[RallyBob]

In order to fit the short-throw shifter in the limited space created when a Getrag 240 is modified to fit a Manta A, I had to move the pivot ball higher up within the shift tower. This was acomplished by cutting the pivot ball housing, and moving it up 3/4" using some 2.5" tubing as a spacer.

It would have gone smoothly, except the person who originally shortened the shift tower to fit a Manta A used bondo (!) to smooth out the welds, plus some really funky primer and paint. In short, it made my job of welding the shift tower spacer a real bear, since the weld was contaminated from the get-go by body filler in all the seams. I should have MIG welded it it turns out, because using a TIG was a real issue. Eventually it got done, but not before welding, grinding, rewelding.....

[RallyBob]

Originally Posted by BQS4 Bob; Did you thread the end of the shifter to accept that new rod?

Yup! Heated and bent the stock lower shifter further back and towards the driver some more, then added the extension.

[RallyBob]

Made a sheet metal cover for the open holes in the distributor housing.