Starting a 1973 restoration, Restoring a left for dead $500 914... Options

[bcheney]

John,

I was thinking about your progress on the car just the other day. It really looks great. Congrats! Your patience, enthusiasm and skill have paid off. Can't wait to see it in person. I'll give you a call the next time we are in Indialantic.

Brian

[FourBlades]

Hey Brian,

Next time you are over we can actually drive a 914 instead of just admiring
them sitting on jack stands.

John

[oz371]

Awesome work, Awesome thread!!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beer3.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/shades.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/aktion035.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_pokal.gif)

[FourBlades]

Starting the balancing and tuning process for my carbs. I noticed that CB
performance sells a kit to relocate the throttle spring on the left side carb so that
both carbs have the spring on the front (of the car) side. This is supposed to even
out tension on the cross bar.

Is anyone using this or is this a recommended thing?

John

http://www.cbperformance.com/catalog.asp?ProductID=551

[McMark]

Syncing and tuning the carbs is a slow, methodical, and iterative process. You're going to go through everything more than once. Just accept it now. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

If you want a type rundown of my process, let me know and I'll start the fingers working on it. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool.gif)

[FourBlades]

Yes, please on the procedure!

I have the syncrometer tool. I have an LC-1 wideband AFR I need to install.

Anyone using the CB Performance weblink???

Where do people get their CHT and EGT sensors?

John

[oz371]

There comes a time in every restoration when your engine must find a transmission to mate with and leave the security of the living room.



Now I just need to figure out how to wire it up, set timing, synch the carbs, and
maybe attach a car to it.



John

In the Living room? Really?!?!? You are my Idol. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_pokal.gif)

[carr914]

Looking Very Good

About a car without Title I agree. When I got #673, it came with a (really) Rust Free 71 914-4 ( from Albany New York, originally) The DAPO ( the guy that said I ruined #673) would not give me the Title for for the 71. I sold it for $500 as a Bill of Sale racecar. I later saw the car here on the F/S Classifieds with a $4k paint job. I asked the guy if he hadn't gotten a Title - "No, it is supposed to be easy here". Here like in Florida? Where cars go out of ports everyday?.


Now get to the IMSA car (IMG:style_emoticons/default/welder.gif)

T.C.

[FourBlades]

> About a car without Title I agree. When I got #673, it came with a (really) Rust
> Free 71 914-4 ( from Albany New York, originally) The DAPO ( the guy that said
> I ruined #673) would not give me the Title for for the 71. I sold it for $500 as a
> Bill of Sale racecar. I later saw the car here on the F/S Classifieds with a $4k
> paint job. I asked the guy if he hadn't gotten a Title - "No, it is supposed to be
> easy here". Here like in Florida? Where cars go out of ports everyday?.

I ended up getting a Maine title and transferring it to Florida. Getting a Florida
title seemed like a non-starter unless you know a shop or a towing service
that can put a lien on it.

> Now get to the IMSA car (IMG:style_emoticons/default/welder.gif)

I am back to buying parts for the IMSA car. I found a local soda blaster that
should be able to save me a lot of time. The big thing I need is an engine
that is reasonable $$$. I did some cleaning of floor tar and window bead the
other day and it felt good.

Driving the Rockin 914 today, the idle kept getting faster and faster. Would
having a vacuum leak in the intake manifold gaskets cause that? Looking at
Mark's post lately about how crooked the plates were on a new set of manifolds
has me worried.

John

[McMark]

John,

Definitely check those manifolds. I don't think anything was done to them, but better safe than sorry. Plus you'll be starting over on the sync anyway. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

Syncing (somewhat abridged)

0. You want the motor nice and warm, because heat expansion can affect these settings.

1. Remove the linkage. Seat the air bypass screws completely (next to the idle mixture screws, 8mm lock nut). With the motor idling, check the airflow on both throats. Back out the air bypass screw on the throat that is flowing less air. Once the two throats are matched, tighten the lock nuts and double check. Now repeat on the other carb, but don't try and match the air flow on both carbs. This step just equalizes the individual carbs and must be done correctly before moving on.

2. Using the idle adjustment screws (by the linkage, not the mixture screws) to match the air flow between the carbs. You'll also want to get it roughly idling at the correct speed.

3. Now reconnect the linkage with the motor idling, and make sure that your linkage doesn't change things. Adjust your drop links as necessary to maintain the correct airflow. You don't want your linkage holding anything open when it shouldn't.

4. Shut down the motor and check that both carbs are hitting WOT at the same time (or at all). You may have to adjust the location of the arm on the hex bar in order to get both idle and WOT at the same time. Don't worry about if you drop links are vertical or equal length or anything else like that. If you're getting idle and WOT at precisely the same time, then that's perfection.

5. Restart the motor and check the idle airflows and check the airflows off idle (what RPM doesn't really matter, but you'll need to have someone help hold the RPM up). Any discrepancy here must be adjusted out in the linkage geometry. Expect to go back and forth on the linkage geometry for an hour or so.

6. Double check all of the airflows on all four throats at idle. And NOW you can start playing around with idle mixture screws to clean up the idle.

7. Triple check the airflows on all four throats and if they're off, go back to step 4.

If your idle airflows, off-idle airflows, linkage geometry (hitting idle and WOT), and idle feel/sound/vibe/mixture are all right, you can test drive it and see how that all feels and then start another round of tweaking. As much as you want it to be over quick, you'll get much more positive results by really digging in, assuming nothing, and triple checking everything.

Good luck!

[FourBlades]

Thanks Mark, that is really helpful.

I'm gonna start in on it tomorrow.

My manifolds came from Jake so I'll check with him if they trued them up.

I may just need to tighten the nuts on the engine and carb up.

John

[dr.wood.2000]

WOW Is all I can say. You did a great job and have given me alot of info in my rebuild my rust bucket. Congrats!

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[FourBlades]

I retorqued the intake manifold and carb nuts and brought the idle down a lot.

Then I played with the linkage bar arms and got it idling pretty smooth at about
900 rpm. I compared my timing light against my tachometer and my tach is
actually working and fairly accurate. Each cylinder showed 910-930 rpm on
my timing light. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/piratenanner.gif) Camera is dead so no pictures.

Bled my front brakes again and had zero air bubbles. Brakes are a little weak.
I can't come close to locking the tires up. There must be air in the rears still
or WTF?

Had my first break down!!! Wife and I went out for a drive and she was bitching
about stopping to get gas. 30 seconds later, car dies like it ran out of gas. I
walk down street, get gas can, still won't run. Open engine and the jumper I was
using to power my fuel pump had come off. Put it back on, car fires right up and
we go home. Wife still sure we ran out of gas. Its possible two things could
have hit me at once. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Not sure why I am getting no fuel pump signal. I have a brand new ignition
switch. I am thinking something wrong on my engine relay board.

John

[FourBlades]

I switched out my relay board for another one I had. Now I am getting a fuel
pump signal and some other stuff is working.

My brand new alternator is dead. I had noticed the posts about new Bosch
alternators shorting to the 914 alternator cover. I was confused about which
bolt was shorting. The longer bolt on mine has a rubber cover so I though it
was ok. It is the other bolt that shorted. I swapped alternators with another
car and my alternator started working.

Now I wonder if I can replace the diodes in the alternator I killed? Does anyone
know if this is possible or what the specs on the diodes are? I have a multimeter
with a diode test feature but I have no idea what it is telling me.

Still fiddling with getting my horn and headlights working.

John

[Katmanken]

Yup, diode replacement is easy if you have the right ones. For parts that old, the the part number might be on them

If my memory serves, the diodes have a hex base and screw in and out.

There's a section on diode checking in the factory manual.

Hope that helps,

Ken

[FourBlades]

Thanks Ken, I will check it out in the factory manual.

Maybe someone here knows a replacement diode that will work?

John

[EdwardBlume]

Awesome build! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_pokal.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_pokal.gif)

[Zaney]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beer.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beer3.gif)
Great Job John!

See your build come to a Happy Ending makes me want to finish my Suby Conversion NOW! (Except, I am being good and saving money rather than using the plastic (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif) )

Now give yourself a moment to step back and admire the teener before diving into the Racecar!

Cheers!
Nate

[PeeGreen 914]

Wow, I didn't see that you finished it (IMG:style_emoticons/default/piratenanner.gif) . Nice work John. This is simply amazing that you were able to bring this back from where it was. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[Katmanken]

Sorry for the delay, I've been out of town.

Open that puppy up. If memory serves from my alternator rebuild, there was a part number printed on or stamped into the diode. Diodes are one way doors and pretty easy to check.

Connect one way across the diode and the the meter should show a very low resistance. Connected the other way across the diode, it should show a very high resistance. If it is the same, the diode is an open door - aka piece of junk.

And, diodes are like playing horseshoes- close counts. It's probably a safe bet that any diode that mounts in the hole and is for an automobile alternator will work. Got a scrap VW alternator in a junkyard down there???

Do clip a heat sink to the solder area to prevent heat damage to the diode when soldering. On stereos and the like, I steal one of my wife's hair clips. For this, needle nose pliers (or a connector crimper) and a rubber band would suffice.