Lime Green 71OLDS 442 convertible

[71OLDS]

Thanks Dan. Appreciate the offer and suggestions. I'm fairly certain its the manual pump that has lost prime again. Unfortunately no amount of gas or starter fluid will work on its own when this happens. Have to jack the rear up and get the gas back to the front of the car and maybe even blow air back up to the front in the fuel line. The carb has been tuned/setup for hot weather conditions which was the problem when it originally dropped it off. I won't bore you with all the details but now that I have researched the Go EFI 8 by FiTech, it just screams as the solution to so many of my issues. Cold weather or warm weather, no more idle issues/changes when AC is used or fan 1/fan 2 comes on. Will also add the external pump in the tank. I really like being able to tune and set up everything with the little hand held so the car can be dialed in perfectly at every RPM for every condition. To me it's a no brainer that I should have done a while ago. Plus it can be used and re-dialed in for my next motor. I will find a way to get it started before the FiTech is added so I can do some more testing on the suspension. I think the 600 springs may be too stiff and I may go back to the 500s but need more testing to confirm. Want to adjust the QA1 shocks at a lower setting and see how the car launches and corners. The cornering/steering is sooo much better with the Lee 800 steering box, AFX spindles, and chassis brace but there is zero lift on the front end at launch which is not good. Also granny driving in parking lots and doing things like u turns to both sides feels like a new car. The b-body spindles and my old AGR steering box were just not good. Anyway just the usual issues that have to be worked out and dialed in when there are this many changes. Looking forward to getting all this stuff taken care of and then getting to the local 1/8 mile tracks and also doing some auto cross, rear wheel dyno testing etc.

-Joe

[71OLDS]

Finally a new update - ordered the Go EFI 8 today. Still deciding on which fuel system to go with. The good news is my builder Frank has now done 3 of these. All non-Olds but glad he's got the experience now installing and getting them dialed in. Here's pics of some the 2 most recent ones he did:




Mine will be the first for him with 2 fans and the AC. Will be tagging on a few minor projects while he's doing this upgrade but hoping this process will only take a few weeks once he has my car. We'll see how it goes.

[badolds]

I hope it is the answer you are looking for. I am dealing with an EFI propane mower at work right now and its kicking my arse. I have to order $300 worth of special tools to continue now that I have tried all of the shade tree mechanic stuff lol.

Dan

[71OLDS]

Thanks Dan. Me too. Hoping it resolves part or all of these issues:

1. difficulty with cold starts or starts when the car has not been started for several days
2. vapor lock
3. non steady/consistent idle
4. idle speed change caused by fan 1, fan 2, and AC
5. running poorly below 2000 RPM
6. losing prime on manual fuel pump when car sits without being started for too long or is towed
7. bad gas smell in garage and on me after driving
8. lazy throttle response
9. fuel/air not dialed in at all RPMs/loss in power

Went with Aeromotive Phantom Stealth 340 fuel system and wiring kit and Aeromotive 13305 regulator

Will update which of the above gets improved on. Hoping for all or at least most of them.

-Joe

[71OLDS]

got started on the Go EFI 8 install today:

[71OLDS]

Wow! So happy. The custom aircleaner Frank made to fit over the Holley carb (and use my stock breather) fits perfectly over the Go EFI 8!! Zero mods required. Go figure.

[wfo guy]

I know that everyone is selling the 340lph pumps these days for these kits but unless you need that much capacity, you will be bypassing and circulating fuel alot. This causes aeration of the fuel that causes problems. The closer the pump is to the hp. capacity of the engine, the better this will be. All the problems you listed should be cured by efi. Following the directions makes for a simple install on these. The most common problem is due to poor grounding.

[71OLDS]

thanks for the info - will update on everything good or bad. As mentioned this will be the 4th Go EFI system installed by my builder so he's getting pretty experienced with this particular kit. Of course each car he's installed it on had totally different setups/motors and totally different issues. He told me to go with the 340 pump so just following his instructions. Hopefully everything will get dialed in and most or even all of my issues will be resolved. We'll see.

[71OLDS]

Aeromotive Phantom Stealth 340 pump installed and tank is ready to go back in:

[71OLDS]

Tank is back in and everything is buttoned up and got her fired up for the first time with the Go EFI 8 system. Only a few tweaks made so far. Ready for a test drive but front end is apart now to put my old 500 springs back in.

[71OLDS]

Several new updates: First I had noticed the receiver/dryer tube was loose and rattling. Turns out the dryer on the condenser was broken. The flare that gets tightened up in the dryer broke off:


Because this is made to the condenser I was worried we would need to order a new condenser. To make matters worse I have that "custom" condenser for the 134 conversion that is almost $300.
Thankfully Frank came up with a nice work-around. The dryer will be clamped to the vertical support so it won't vibrate off again:

[71OLDS]

The next update is back to the tow hook discussed in previous posts. As a reminder this is required to get the car pulled up on a flatbed w/o having to remove the new custom glass front spoiler. Originally per the previous posts we were going with 2 hooks coming off each frame rail and sticking out of the glass front bumper via one of the bumper bolt holes. But Frank only got the passenger side installed last time and I had a chance to try it out - unfortunately - twice - first when I had the fuel issue and the car stalled and would not start and second when I towed it back to Frank's for all these new updates. Both times as the car was being pulled onto the flat bed the glass front bumper was pulled forward as the wench pulled the car from the center. The bottom line is if the tow hooks are at an angle it causes that front bumper to push forward. So....the new plan was to put one hook dead center in the middle. The problem is the front license plate is there. Frank came up with a brilliant new design plan - "V" off the frame rails to have one tow hook in the center and purchase a "flip down" license plate unit for the front just like we use in the rear for gas fill ups. So when the car is towed you flip the plate down, screw in the hook and it's all ready to go. Here's a pic of the v off the frame rails:


There other HUGE benefit of this design is for safety. Since my entire front end is glass and I street drive this car a lot, I was very worried about a front end collision. Now I have a steel brace off the frame rails behind all that glass which may not be a solid as a huge steel bumper but at least it provides something solid up in the front should a front end collision happen.

[71OLDS]

Tow hook is done. Really happy with how it came out and the new fold down front plate:

with tow hook:

w/o tow hook:


of course all the holes and fiberglass will be cleaned up and made perfect when I get all the paint and body work done.

[71OLDS]

Getting close to being ready for pick up. Got about 60 miles on a test drive yesterday - still trying to dial in the EFI system. It colds starts OK right now but Frank says after doing 5 of these in the last few months the cold start is the most temperamental. Apparently because cold starts are before the system goes into closed loop it doesn't "learn" like it does the rest of the times once the motor is running. So the cold start is purely relying on the tune. Frank is trying to get that dialed in. The throttle response is excellent and driving with the fans coming on and off and with and without the AC is a huge difference. We are still having the "running too cold" issue from several months ago when I drove the car home from Frank's with the old carb. Trying to adjust the fans and timing to heat the motor up a little more. Drove at different RPMs for five mile clips to try to help the computer fill in its fuel tables. Getting there slowly but surely but will take some time to get all this dialed in.

[71OLDS]

A few more updates on the EFI - heard a spark knock in 6th gear going up a hill so cut total timing back 2*. Driving at lower RPMs is night and day difference. I was having issues in 6th gear on the hwy where the car didn't run well in the low 2000s and really bad at around 1800 - now it's like glass all the way down to 1800 - can even go as low as 50 mph in 6th (which is about 1500 RPM w/my 305/45/18 tires). Also cruising in a parking lot in first on the old setup was not fun. Car would buck back and forth if it wasn't above 2000. So I would have to keep the RPMs up above 2000 or feather the clutch. Now it's nice a smooth as it should be even at 1700 - 1800.

[wfo guy]

Good to hear.

[71OLDS]

Drove the car home from Frank's yesterday. This is now a totally different car. The GO EFI 8 system accomplished everything I hoped for and more. The only issue I had during the 4 hour drive home was with the wipers. It rained about 1/2 the trip home and the wipers got stuck in the on position twice. I had to pull the fuse, push the wipers back down under the back of the hood manually, then put the fuse back in. Besides that - total perfection. Looking at my list:


1. difficulty with cold starts or starts when the car has not been started for several days - UPDATE - Starts up instantly everytime
2. vapor lock - UPDATE - so far no issues - drove the car hard for about 90 min in near 80 degree temps here in Virginia Beach and the oil temp got up to about 210 then the oil cooler must have kicked in because it dropped back to about 190. Was doing hard core 5500 shifts over and over and over again. The car ran just as strong after 90 min of this as it did when it was just warmed up.
3. non steady/consistent idle - UPDATE - idle remains constant with one fan on, 2 fans on, and or the AC on.
4. idle speed change caused by fan 1, fan 2, and AC UPDATE - Just answered above
5. running poorly below 2000 RPM - UPDATE - this improvement was off the charts. Runs amazing in all gears down to about 1500. It is sooooo smooth and crisp now in every gear.
6. losing prime on manual fuel pump when car sits without being started for too long or is towed - UPDATE - no more manual pump - the aeromotive elec pump is in the tank and I can't ever hear it running.
7. bad gas smell in garage and on me after driving - UPDATE - well not 100% on this one - wifey said I still smell like gas and the garage still smells like gas but...she said it's much less than it used to be. I guess I can live with that. This one was more about her than me to be honest. I love the smell of gas!!
8. lazy throttle response - UPDATE - off the charts instant throttle response!!
9. fuel/air not dialed in at all RPMs/loss in power - UPDATE - got it dialed in at all RPMs. I'm sure its probably NOT but man the butt dyno feels like it picked up 50 hp!! The difference is so dramatic.

So there you go. I'm completely blown away with the difference - granny driving is so enjoyable crispy and smooth now even at low RPMs. WOT is amazing and feels like it gained power. To not have to worry about start up, or idle, or vapor lock, or any of those issues again makes it worth every penny!!

Here are some videos I took - my apologies for the quality - shaky, blurry, I put the cell phone down twice to open and close the hood, etc etc.. Anyway gives a good overview of the entire car including roll bar, new front spoiler, shoulder belts, the new fold down front license plate for the tow hook, daytime running lights (note about 1/2 way in I push the light button off but the front parking lights only stay on), the trunk button that allows the new trunk setup to slowly open the trunk, the new EFI hand held for making adjustments, a start up - although the car had been driven a few hours earlier so not a cold start up but it would start exactly the same:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slaGOuODRIk

I duct taped my cellphone to the front windshield and knocked out a few 5500 shifts. This video just does it no justice. The sound and feel in the car is amazing but unfortunately my cell phone cam can't pick that up. You can hear the guy say something to me at the light. I did a 3500 RPM launch with the 2 step but the cold tires just spun. You can hear them on the video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qR7lZ85hOLE

[wfo guy]

Congratulations.

[badolds]

Congrats Joe, got the beast running good for spring. Have fun.

Dan

[71OLDS]

Thanks WFO and Dan - looking forward to getting lots of hard street miles in over the spring and summer and hopefully some dyno/track time too. Will continue to update details here.

-Joe