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ecoboost_xsport Consolidated Build/Maintenance Thread

Started by Ecoboost_xsport, October 21, 2020, 10:18:05 AM

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Admin

Quote from: Ecoboost_xsport on December 30, 2020, 09:45:40 AM
Quote from: Admin on December 30, 2020, 09:35:48 AM
why are you pulling the PCM?
Been procrastinating on finalizing my methanol kit install. Last few steps involve tapping into the PCM. Finally getting around to it, LOL.

So which kit is requiring you to tap directly into the PCM? I am unaware of one, unless you are tapping into the MAP sensor at the PCM vs the sensor?

Ecoboost_xsport

#61
Quote from: Admin on December 30, 2020, 10:21:33 AM
Quote from: Ecoboost_xsport on December 30, 2020, 09:45:40 AM
Quote from: Admin on December 30, 2020, 09:35:48 AM
why are you pulling the PCM?
Been procrastinating on finalizing my methanol kit install. Last few steps involve tapping into the PCM. Finally getting around to it, LOL.

So which kit is requiring you to tap directly into the PCM? I am unaware of one, unless you are tapping into the MAP sensor at the PCM vs the sensor?
Aquamist....miles ahead in the WMI game...true PWM injection, not PPS like 99% of the other kits that still live in the WMI stone age. Those 99% of the kits are basically just Alky Control kits. AEM does some good stuff, but still uses PPS to regulate injection, no bueno. Don't get me wrong...they "work", just Aquamist is the cats meow in the WMI scene.

Referencing IDC. Way more accurate depiction of what the engine load is vs simply using boost as a reference.

I'm a WMI snob, so I can go down the rabbit hole here, but don't want to bore you LOL.

Ecoboost_xsport

Those interested in some background on the Aquamist technology, how they utilize PWM, and the merits of it over a PPS system:

Where PWM really shines is at low/moderate flow and ramp-up/down.  It's really about atomization.  The atomization of the methanol at low flow using PWM is more accuarte.  Just some good resources for those of you who might be interested in finding out more about PWM and PPS systems and how Aquamist compares:

A very good, in-depth long read on PWM systems. Specifically check out the section on the proportional valves controlling flow (as most PPS systems use) and the fast-acting valves PWM systems use and how atomization at different duty cycles is affected:

https://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1413320

Some videos making comparisons:

http://s1013.photobucket.com/user/Aquamist-videos/media/PWM-V.mp4.html

http://s1013.photobucket.com/user/Aquamist-videos/media/PPS-S.mp4.html

PWM on the left, PPS on the right.  Notice when flows stops, the PPS nozzle has to ramp down and even "dribbles" a bit.  The PWM is "on/off", better control.

https://youtu.be/c0FYGkMX1rg

Again, PWM on the left, PPS on the right.  Check out the comparison when they switch quickly.

https://youtu.be/KZRI7WZHggQ

https://youtu.be/8aoqhxQMtqA

2 PWM nozzles switching back and forth:

https://youtu.be/xvSNmn6A64M

It looks intimidating at first, but if you're okay with wiring, its actually pretty simple of an installation.  A lot of folks have never heard of Aquamist and I've spoken with the owner about this.  He's got zero online presence and their kits are sold by word of mouth, which speaks volumes to me.  Especially considering they've been in business for so long.  You find their kits on a lot of WRC cars, and those things take a beating, LOL.

This is roughly what a typical system consists of:

Admin

wow!! Thats a lot of parts! Can't wait to see how it all comes together!

Ecoboost_xsport

#64
Laptop Mount

OK, this was a project that came about last minute and spur of the moment.  I frequently datalog with my SCT and use the laptop to accomplish this.  Typically, I just put it in the passenger seat and do what I need to from that angle.  It always bothered me as I would have to turn my head very far away from the road as I start and stop the logging and it was typically very awkward.  This wasn't really too big of a deal and I normally just dealt with it.



Well, fast forward to one of my datalogging attempts where I was also testing out my Dragy device and doing a 60-0 braking test.  That didn't go over too well because as soon as I hit the brakes, I wasn't prepared for the laptop to fly forwards into the floorboard at full speed.  Well, it pretty much destroyed the laptop, cracking the screen, keys broken off and my data cord ripped out to the wire.  Needless to say, I was pretty upset.

Luckily I was in the process of moving everything over to a new laptop anyway as that broken laptop was my old one.  So, not wanting to break my new laptop, I decided to take advantage of the fact that the Ford Explorer is also used as a police vehicle, with many options to mount police communications gear available on the market, to include laptop mounts.

So after doing some research, I decided to go with the RAM Mount.  It's inexpensive, well made, has a good reputation and also made in the USA...

So here's the passenger floorboard before installation:


Pop off these 2 covers with a flat-tip screwdriver:


You'll expose the front mounting bolts.  And it's easier to make room if you remove the T-20 Torx screws, but it isn't necessary:


After having assembled the base...


...you will need to loosen the 13mm front seat bolts.  You won't need to take them out, but will need to back them out pretty much the entire way, right before they come out.  Once they are loose, you can slide the base bracket
between the floor pan and the seat mounting bracket.  The outside one is easy, but the one closest to the center console may need to be pried up and hammered in with a soft hammer or dead-blow.


Once it's in all the way, you will re-torque the bolts to 35ft-lb as specified by Ford.


Here is the base installed:


This is how I will drive 95% of the time as it allows full range of motion for the passenger seat, full access to the glove box and generally not in the way of anything.




After assembling the remainder of the components, here is the mount installed as intended:


And finally, I love the easier access and control of the laptop:


As mentioned, I won't typically drive with it, but when I do, it's very surprisingly sturdy with large tightening knobs and heavy steel brackets:


It does shake a bit while driving down the road after hitting bumps.  Not much but it would likely get on my nerves if I was driving with it full time.  Luckily, I'm not.  If I were looking for a full time laptop mount, there are more expensive options such as the Havis Standard or Havis Premium mounts as well as an option from Gamber-Johnson.  I'm sure there are a few more.

One of the things I like about the RAM mount is that it doesn't interfere with removal of the WeatherTech floor mats.

Anyway, one of those mods that make life a bit easier, but not 100% necessary.

ridered74

I guess I'll go ahead and ask the obvious question...
























what was your 60-0 time and distance?
Gearhead E30 tune, Gearhead intercooler, LMS firestorm hpfp, catted downpipes, corsa catback, 160 degree thermostat, 3 bar map, upgraded AD trans mounts, MSD coils, Nitto 555R drag tires on front, AR924 wheels and BFG sport comp 2 summer tires on rear, and an EPP intake.

12.2479 @ 118.05 fastest trap
11.591 @ 114.89   fastest ET

Ecoboost_xsport

Quote from: ridered74 on January 17, 2021, 11:33:14 AM
I guess I'll go ahead and ask the obvious question...
























what was your 60-0 time and distance?
LOL, good question..

I let off the brakes as soon as the laptop flew forward, which happened the instant I hit them, so wasn't a good test...didn't even look at the results.

I'll revisit this when I get it back on the road...have a few other simultaneous projects ongoing.

ridered74

Quote from: Ecoboost_xsport on January 17, 2021, 12:56:20 PM
Quote from: ridered74 on January 17, 2021, 11:33:14 AM
I guess I'll go ahead and ask the obvious question...
























what was your 60-0 time and distance?
LOL, good question..

I let off the brakes as soon as the laptop flew forward, which happened the instant I hit them, so wasn't a good test...didn't even look at the results.

I'll revisit this when I get it back on the road...have a few other simultaneous projects ongoing.


I know the feeling although with mine it was the dragy that went flying. I forget where I had it, but it was not a great location for doing a 60-0 test. Made the deceleration line look pretty funky.
Gearhead E30 tune, Gearhead intercooler, LMS firestorm hpfp, catted downpipes, corsa catback, 160 degree thermostat, 3 bar map, upgraded AD trans mounts, MSD coils, Nitto 555R drag tires on front, AR924 wheels and BFG sport comp 2 summer tires on rear, and an EPP intake.

12.2479 @ 118.05 fastest trap
11.591 @ 114.89   fastest ET

Ecoboost_xsport

#68
Hood Vent/Heat Extractor Installation

Something I've wanted to address was lowering engine bay and IA temps. Getting cooler air is a good place to start when tackling high IAT and IAT2 temps.

This was going to be done in 2 stages.  1st, remove built-up heat within the bay and 2nd, to feed the intake system with true outside air.  Although I have the AirAid CAI system, you can see how that open filter within the bay ingests all the hot air.



The OEM box with a K&N filter would likely function better as there is an inlet behind the grille and the box is sealed from the bay.  However, I'm intent on retaining the AirAid filter, but will address this part of the issue later...stay tuned.

While researching, I started out looking at aftermarket hoods.  This would be the simplest solution.  But, the only hood worth entertaining was by Amerihood.  It's got a trick, functional ram scoop, but no heat extraction provision.  The other issue with it was weight.  It's fiberglass and would exceed the weight of the OEM aluminum one.  I don't have an exact weight of the Amerihood, but the OEM one weighs only ~19lbs (the image shows ~21lbs, but I weighed it with the aftermarket hood shocks, which weigh ~1lb each):



You're not getting lighter than that, except for carbon fiber.  I contacted Amerihood to see if they offer one in CF, but sadly, no.  So, I began to investigate vent inserts, which would require modifying my existing hood.  Not ideal, but it's what I was left with.

I think it's important to talk a bit about the dynamics of airflow across a hood for a moment in order to understand why I chose the one I did.  There are low & high-pressure areas on the front of any vehicle.  High-pressure areas being the very front, the base of the windshield and most any other area that is vertical to airflow.  It's behind these high-pressure areas that low-pressure areas develop.  It's a common misconception that raising the rear of the hood with washers will allow more airflow, but it's actually quite the opposite.  If anything, you will draw air INTO the rear of the bay and not let airflow OUT because of the dynamics there.  It's one of the reasons why the inlet for your cabin air is right there...as that area draws air IN.

As I need some sort of high-pressure area then an immediate low-pressure one, I looked for what some call a "waterfall" vent.  Raised lip in the front with a quick drop off right behind it.  I believe this design will draw more air out than a traditional louver style vent commonly seen.

I was limited by the contours of the hood, so it was slim pickings.  I wanted the GT500 hood vent, but those contours would not have allowed it.  I found a place called Faircloth Composites that makes CF pieces for mostly the corvette market and saw he had 2 style waterfall vents, small & large.  The small seemed like it would be a perfect fit.







As I wanted to measure twice and cut only once, I started by figuring my available space.  The underside and between the contours:




It would be close, and I figured I'd have to trim some of the sides.  Once space was figured, I transcribed the template onto the hood:


Arts and crafts time!




An intro vid made to describe some of the concepts I covered above:
https://youtu.be/3BoIRCj0Dso

Then it was time to cut!  It may not seem like it in the following vid, but it took me awhile to get the nerve to cut into a perfectly good hood.  I cried, whimpered, said a few prayers and even second guessed myself...but then, just went for it!
https://youtu.be/nMtA4bqwQNg

Here's the piece I cut, did a pretty good job of centering this in the hood:


When cutting was done, it was time to get the vent ready for what it would take to secure it.
https://youtu.be/mFaJTOkE-xA





After getting it mocked up, I sent it to be clear-coated (they are sent raw CF and need to be UV protected):



Credit goes to Absolute Collision out of Sacramento, CA for the outstanding clear coat job!

Finally!  Install time!
https://youtu.be/pb4Xs9LJrBM



I'm pleased with it.  Not the most appealing to look at but will definitely work.  I took it out for a few hours to see how heat would build and, although I have no hard data, I can tell it is doing its job big time.  After lots of driving, I would come home and prop the hood up and it would be very hot.  But I opened the hood and it was barely warm.  One piece to the puzzle that is heat management.





Granted, the real test will come in summer!  Bring it on!

For those wondering what it did to the weight, the piece I took off weighed ~1.5lbs and the entire vent setup I installed also weighed ~1.5lbs...so it was a wash.

bpd1151

Very neat! Looks sharp.

I chose to rock the traditional louvers in my OEM hood. My observations were similar to yours in noting the bay was merely "warm" rather than hot .

Nice to see your creative ingenuity at play!

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk


Macgyver


Ecoboost_xsport

Quote from: Macgyver on February 11, 2021, 08:51:49 PM
How will weather effect it ? Rain Snow etc ?
Not really a concern for me. I don't live where it rains too much (although I am in a torrential downpour as I type this...how ironic). It's not a daily driver and I am selective about when I drive it. It's garage kept otherwise. As for car washing, it always gets hand washed and it's easy enough to stuff a towel in that crevice when washing.

Keep in mind, there are plenty cars that have vents from the factory. Modern engines are much more resilient to water intrusion than you think. That being said, keeping one dry is, of course, ideal.

And like anything else when modding a car...trade-offs come in different shapes and sizes. This one was worth it for me.

Macgyver

Got it.

Yep I have a project car that only gets driven when it is nice out. So I understand.

Great mod.

4eyedconekiller


Ecoboost_xsport

OK, I'm going to try something different here...
At times my posts can be long-winded.  As such, I have discovered there are limits to what can be in a post on various forums.  They are all different.  For this one, there isn't one I've found, but there are photo and character limits for other.  Well, that can a problem as many of my posts have more than what's allowed on some forums, LOL.  That usually prompts me to have to break it up into parts and I just don't like how "tidy" that feels, never did.  As I post this stuff across many platforms, making small changes to cater to each one is cumbersome and tedious.

Enter my website.  So I've had a website I never really used for a long time.  It was always going to be a repository of everything I do: builds, how-tos, links, a small store to sell the little widgets I make from time to time, etc.  So I decided to use this a bit more.  It's still under construction, but I'm starting out by populating my posts from here into "blog" posts on there.  It makes it nice and simple...one place to see an entire project.  Plus, it helps for those who are unable to see my photos on here for whatever reason.
Anyway, I'll post up the topic here as usual but provide a link to the particular post on my website.  Let me know how the experience goes, if it's cumbersome, too difficult to access or any other issues.  If it's just too unpopular, I'll go back to my old method...but would rather not.