Author Topic: DS a-arm kit information needed.  (Read 101868 times)

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Offline dsrace

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Re: DS a-arm kit information needed.
« Reply #285 on: July 22, 2021, 07:09:47 AM »
i would like to know how they are getting the stock tfi to function with all the bypassns you described. i wouldn't believe that to work but somehow they have.

auto enrich ( ae) is like the accel pump shot in a carb. its done a few diff ways but in your case ( with a stock ecu) its done via the vam and or tps. that vam is a very early and poor version of a mass air flow sensor, (maf sensor). they do work but there not as a instant response as tps/map based. my megasquirt ecu doesnt use a maf but rather just a map and tps for ae.

as fabr stated above.....replace the tps and verify it operating the correct voltage range. that should help the stumble. beyond that, would have to know what/why whomever bypassed the tfi. if they truly bypassed it then there must be something else controller timing. i wonder if they went with a mechanical advance from the older carb version??
Don't never argue with an Idiot!
Because he will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience

Offline fabr

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Re: DS a-arm kit information needed.
« Reply #286 on: July 22, 2021, 07:49:21 AM »
i would like to know how they are getting the stock tfi to function with all the bypassns you described. i wouldn't believe that to work but somehow they have.

auto enrich ( ae) is like the accel pump shot in a carb. its done a few diff ways but in your case ( with a stock ecu) its done via the vam and or tps. that vam is a very early and poor version of a mass air flow sensor, (maf sensor). they do work but there not as a instant response as tps/map based. my megasquirt ecu doesnt use a maf but rather just a map and tps for ae.

as fabr stated above.....replace the tps and verify it operating the correct voltage range. that should help the stumble. beyond that, would have to know what/why whomever bypassed the tfi. if they truly bypassed it then there must be something else controller timing. i wonder if they went with a mechanical advance from the older carb version??
I bet you would be right.
"There can be no divided allegiance here.  Any man who says he is an American,
but something else also, isn't an American at all.  We have room for but one
flag, the American flag... We have room for but one language here, and that is
the English language... and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a
loyalty to the American people."
Theodore Roosevelt 1907

-----------------------------------------------------------
 " You have all the right in the world to believe any damn thing you'd like, but you don't have the right to demand that I agree with your fantasy"

Offline dsrace

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Re: DS a-arm kit information needed.
« Reply #287 on: July 22, 2021, 08:50:58 AM »
thats the only way i can imagine. i am not sure why one would go to that amount of time and effort then use a carb mechanical advance??!! the motorcraft tfi modules had lengthy lives. the ecu has an effect on timing and uses tps and vam ( vane air meter) for ae fueling. so bypassing that , imo, was counter productive by that person.   at the same time i feel the vam is no kill mouse trap  :D  but it does work
Don't never argue with an Idiot!
Because he will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience

Offline Aprilfools

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Re: DS a-arm kit information needed.
« Reply #288 on: July 22, 2021, 01:29:01 PM »
Sorry,I had it in my head you were running the Ford engine with VW controls but it's the other way around. I worked at a VW dealership in the engine/trans dept about 45 years ago. If the head to cylinder surfaces were not good we would lap them in just like doing valves. If that didn't do the trick there were annealed aluminum crush washers/gaskets that we would use. You are correct that there were no head gaskets as such from the factory.

Glad you found the ground issues and the TPS being glitchy. Fix that before you do more to it . You may find all is well then.

My VW engine builder is a close friend of mine, he tried and tried to get the old heads to seal using that lapping method. I even machined the floor of the heads to give a "new surface" and no luck. It was best to make them boat anchors instead of trusting them on this engine!

Offline Aprilfools

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Re: DS a-arm kit information needed.
« Reply #289 on: July 22, 2021, 01:36:11 PM »
i would like to know how they are getting the stock tfi to function with all the bypassns you described. i wouldn't believe that to work but somehow they have.

auto enrich ( ae) is like the accel pump shot in a carb. its done a few diff ways but in your case ( with a stock ecu) its done via the vam and or tps. that vam is a very early and poor version of a mass air flow sensor, (maf sensor). they do work but there not as a instant response as tps/map based. my megasquirt ecu doesnt use a maf but rather just a map and tps for ae.

as fabr stated above.....replace the tps and verify it operating the correct voltage range. that should help the stumble. beyond that, would have to know what/why whomever bypassed the tfi. if they truly bypassed it then there must be something else controller timing. i wonder if they went with a mechanical advance from the older carb version??
I bet you would be right.

I am surprised as anyone that this combo runs, not sure why they went this way either. Maybe a cheep way to get EFI on a VW? Not sure really.  I think you guys are correct on the distributor, we bought spare one at salvage yard for parts last fall and it ended up having the guts inside completely different.

The VAM thing is definitely not ideal, i just done know a way around it. I am hoping to get it to run good or at least decent and then figure out how to improve it. Or if not change it over to a blow through carb!

Offline Aprilfools

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Re: DS a-arm kit information needed.
« Reply #290 on: July 26, 2021, 07:57:01 PM »
Managed to do a little more on the front end while waiting for the TPS on the other project. Still got a long ways to go as far as bracing and such but definitely making progress. Been a fun project for my son and I.
















« Last Edit: July 29, 2021, 06:15:05 AM by Aprilfools »

Offline dsrace

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Re: DS a-arm kit information needed.
« Reply #291 on: July 28, 2021, 07:37:19 AM »
looks really good. for some reason i cannot expand the pictures. i see you went a diff route on shock mounts and they look like they'll work very niecely. did you weigh the steel beam front end?   wont be long and you'll be testing that rail.

completely transformed the look of the rail!!   i like them better this way but i may be a smidge biased  ;D
Don't never argue with an Idiot!
Because he will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience

Offline Aprilfools

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Re: DS a-arm kit information needed.
« Reply #292 on: July 29, 2021, 06:28:00 AM »
looks really good. for some reason i cannot expand the pictures. i see you went a diff route on shock mounts and they look like they'll work very niecely. did you weigh the steel beam front end?   wont be long and you'll be testing that rail.

completely transformed the look of the rail!!   i like them better this way but i may be a smidge biased  ;D

Hopefully i fixed the picture issue, i used my phone to post them the first time and had an issue with the size. I have removed them and out them back up with my PC so hopefully that fixes that.

I did end up going a different route on the shock mounts. I played around with the pieces you cut for me and i had these mounts in garage so we ended up going this route. We worked on this some more last night, we have it close! Just have to brace the top shock mounts and finish off the bumper to clean that up and it will be ready to assemble. Really hoping to have it on wheels and give a try sometime this weekend. Then the fun part will be re-making the body, that will be time consuming i'm sure.
Its definitely gave this a whole new look! I sure like it as well. Everyone that stops in to check it out seems to really like at as well.
I have not weighed beam assembly that was cut off yet, that's on our agenda to do this weekend, i am really curious on that as well. I will get some updated pictures of our progress and get the weight of that and let ya'll know.

Offline fabr

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Re: DS a-arm kit information needed.
« Reply #293 on: July 29, 2021, 06:32:10 AM »
Looking really good!!!I like it.
"There can be no divided allegiance here.  Any man who says he is an American,
but something else also, isn't an American at all.  We have room for but one
flag, the American flag... We have room for but one language here, and that is
the English language... and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a
loyalty to the American people."
Theodore Roosevelt 1907

-----------------------------------------------------------
 " You have all the right in the world to believe any damn thing you'd like, but you don't have the right to demand that I agree with your fantasy"

Offline Aprilfools

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Re: DS a-arm kit information needed.
« Reply #294 on: July 29, 2021, 07:03:03 AM »
Looking really good!!!I like it.

Thank you.  Definitely cant wait to see it sitting on wheels  ;D

Offline Aprilfools

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Re: DS a-arm kit information needed.
« Reply #295 on: July 29, 2021, 08:00:01 PM »
Bracing done. Just need to finish up bumper. I have one more place I may put another 45 brace but need to see if it will interfere with the body panel. The hood is gonna be fun to make!! We have a good idea for it but its gonna be tricky, all part of the fun doing these builds tho.
Thoughts? Look strong enough to ya'll ??












Offline Aprilfools

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Re: DS a-arm kit information needed.
« Reply #296 on: July 31, 2021, 05:36:55 PM »
👍👍👍










Offline Aprilfools

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Re: DS a-arm kit information needed.
« Reply #297 on: July 31, 2021, 05:53:02 PM »
Pictures do not even begin to give this justice!! Wow I like it. I'll try to get this outside tomorrow and get better pictures of it. I ordered some different shock valving and coil springs (total guess) but unfortunately they haven't came yet so setting it on it's own weight hasn't happened yet. I have a set of springs I can use for the time being so I can at least roll it outside to get a better view. I am really hoping mid next week I can give a try!! I hope it rides and handles half as good as it looks. 

One question, what are you guys at for a width to the outside of your tires? I changed the rear to 3x3 and it is at 78-79, I assumed this would be real close to that, its 82-83 so I am a bit wider than I anticipated and hoped for. I picked up spindle mount wheels so i wouldn't be running my 5 bolt hub and 5 bolt wheel as I knew that set up would be wider. Even with the spindle mounts I'm wider than i thought. My daily rear wheels are 15x10, my paddles are 15x12 so I may have to update my rears to 15x12 for both sets of tires. That would get me closer to the front width. 

Still have one more idea on the bumper as well to finish up,  hopefully can get to that tomorrow to. Did I mention I love the looks of this?!!?

Offline dsrace

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Re: DS a-arm kit information needed.
« Reply #298 on: August 01, 2021, 07:08:41 AM »
the last one i measured was 79" wide with spindle mount wheels but that was at full droop running 24" wheel travel. so since your running around 18" up front ( just a guess) the front widened up a few inches. i personally run 5 bolt cms rims on my rail, front are 5.5" wide and 3.5" back spacing. i think they offered 4" or 4.5" back spacing also. i run front brakes and that widens me up even more. that is why went 3.5" back spacing to offset the brake assy. i am a flat 80.5" with 8.80 cutting tires.  i do run 24" wheel travel in the front as well.  i barely squeeze by the wheel wells on a stock car trailer which is why i bought a full width deck with drive over half fenders. only hauled it once on that trailer lol. spindle mounts are centered on the hub and not sure what your 5 bolts are but most that i have ever seen run on beam front end were spindle mount or min back space to widen up. just a thought if you haven't ordered new wheels yet.

i can view the pics but cannot expand to look closer at them. not sure why unless the pic was downsized before upload or there is some new feature on post image. either way the conversion looks really good! based on the pics looks like you have braced it well. you should post a before and after pic as they won't even look like the same rail!

nice work!

Don't never argue with an Idiot!
Because he will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience

Offline dsrace

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Re: DS a-arm kit information needed.
« Reply #299 on: August 01, 2021, 07:20:01 AM »
the part i always enjoyed with the a arm conversions is that none of them ever look the same! there all custom fabricated!
Don't never argue with an Idiot!
Because he will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience

 

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