Brutus V8

MTO Registered!

paulmon — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 04:30:46 +0000

It took 4 different attempts over 3 years but I’ve FINALLY got my car registered in Ontario as a “KIT” car. If you read my previous post on the this topic entitled Registration Process or How To Pull Your Hair Out you’ll know that this has been a long hard road; the MTO contended by car was home built. Well finally after another attempt the car was today registered as a KIT, like it was suppose to be. Interesting the problem was that my Affidavit said the car was a “Brutus V8″ while my recipts for the body, nothing more than the recipts for the raw steel tube and aluminim were from Richmond Steel, and there is lies the issue. The manufacturer of my body is apparently “Richmond Steel” even thought they just provided the raw materials.

No matter what it’s called it’s now legally registered. Up next, get the speedo working, sort out the screwed up front parking/turn signal lights and get it through safety, once that’s done it’s insurance and driving it! Woohoo! Long long long road, but almost there!

Ignition Update

paulmon — Tue, 18 May 2010 03:52:30 +0000

Haven’t updated the blog in a while but have been making some progress. I’ve got all

the parts to convert the LT1 to the LS1 coil on plug using the LTCC control module. Only part I’m missing now are some custom Magnecor plug wires. I left the plug wires last as I needed to determine the required length depending on where the coil packs were going to be installed. I just fired off an email to Magnecor for a custom set of R-100 racing cables with LT1 boots and LS1 coil ends, 12″ end to end.

Hopefully I can get these all sorted soon and be driving the car in the next couple weeks.

The Woes of Optispark (updated)

admin — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 01:23:06 +0000

The 1994 LT1 in Brutus uses a Gen 1 "unvented" Optispark, this means it has no vent holes, meaning moisture collects and that leads to Optispark failure. This is a well known problem, some cars go 200,000 miles with no issue while others a subject to replacement after replacement. I believe the issues of the engine from last week's drive are just that, Optispark issues, it matches most of the symptoms:

Car suddenly dies and won't restart
Starts but immediately dies
Extended cranking to start
Rough idle
Sputtering
Backfiring
Trouble reaching higher rpm
Black smoke from exhaust
Poor performance with car warmed up
Weak plug wire spark
Codes 16, 36, and 42 may be set

More information on the above can be found at GM High-Tech Performance.

So I've been researching what to do about this. Buy another $300 Opti and cross my fingers, or fix the problem once and for all. I could change the Opti to a "Gen-II" which has better vent holes but that's not a small change, new timing set, new cam, timing cover etc etc. It's not a 5 second thing and no guarantee.

So replacing the Optispark with something that will stay reliable is the goal. Here are the 4 options I've come up with:

Megasquirt with a Crank Trigger driving a Ford EDIS-8 Ignition, replaces the Optispark completely. However the Megasquirt isn't for the faint of heart programming wise. I think I can do it but worry it will take MUCH longer than I expect. About $800cdn.
Aftermarket complete Optispark unit called a Dynaspark. This is a completely redesigned Optispark that apparently solves the moisture problems of the Opti. I'm just not fully convinced but it does come with a 12 month warranty and can be rebuilt by Dynaspark for $36. Cost $650cdn.
Delteq, this takes the high voltage out of theOptispark but would require a new Optispark since the one on the car is buggered. Not an ideal solution but better than just replacing the Opti. $800cdn including an "Ebay Optispark. http://www.delteq.com/
Delteq+DynaSpark: Dynaspark makes the Optispark replacement designed specifically for the coil of the Delteq. It's an Opti with just the optical signal, nothing else. Delteq+Dynaspark-III $1300

I really want to do the Megasquirt and believe the Megasquirt is the best option, but worry about the programming. There are many other benefits to the Megasquirt too, like data logging etc. I've read a great deal, and this isn't a small project. My worry here would be having trouble and not getting the car ready in time for spring not to mention never being happy with the tune and always fiddling with it. This isn't just an ignition change but a complete change to the car's computer, that means wiring changes, etc. I'm sure I can figure it out, I just worry if I can do it quickly enough and will be happy with the final product.

If you have any other ideas, or have tried any of the above combinations I'd love to here about them in the comments below. Likewise if you know about a shop in the Toronto area that knows Megasquirt well, let me know.

Update: Two other options have been discovered:

1) LTCC, similar to the Delteq system except 8 LSx coils. Cost ~$650 including LSx coil packs. http://www.bailey-eng.com/LTCC.html

2) EFI Connection 24x kit with the required parts to swap out the LT1 ECM for the LS1 PCM. Kit includes cam reluctor new timing cover, crank reluctor, and requires a harness modification and new LSx computer. Cost for the "kit" is $525 and requires a harness ($650 or DIY $100) and LS1 PCM ($100) + LS1 coils (~$250 OEM). This sounds like a happy medium between Megasquirt and Delteq/LTCC. Assuming I can figure out the harness. http://www.eficonnection.com/24x/

This means I have 6 options. I like the idea of the EFI Connection 24x but again worry if I will run into problems, if that is going too far…Current thinking is either the LTCC options, the Dynaspark alone or the EFI Connection…

Some Driving….

admin — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 04:22:51 +0000

The engine is in and running, but it’s not happy. I suspect a sensor, but more than likely the curse of the original Optispark is what’s hit me. The orginal Optispark hated moisture since it didn’t have a vent hole to drain any collected moisture. Electricity and moisture don’t mix. So something to work on this winter, with any luck I’ll be flying by spring.

Here’s a 30 second clip of the drive.

Engine installed

admin — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 17:13:49 +0000

The engine has been reinstalled – Just need to order the flow through water pump from Stewart to wake the beast.

Engine Rebuilt: Finally Some Progress!

admin — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 17:55:50 +0000

The engine is back from Wright's Engine Service. Looks good. Finished spec, 355 with forged pistons, new rods, street port of heads. Can't wait to get the car running, only about 6-8 weeks of good weather left. Granted this summer "good" is a relative term.

Here's before and after of the engine.

Also going to add an electric water pump to simplify the cooling system, LT1 cooling can be problematic.

More to come in a couple weeks.

Twitter @paulmon

admin — Thu, 14 May 2009 22:43:14 +0000

Little updates are going to be on twitter, too much on the go for longer blog posts. Check me out and follow me twitter name paulmon, word of warning, I talk about many different things from the car to my day job IT gig, wine and food, so it isn't just locost stuff.

Engine and other misc updates

admin — Thu, 14 May 2009 22:30:23 +0000

Mid-May, the engine is still at the builder, unfortunately not a ton of progress on that front. I did get all the parts for the rebuilt and it is expected that he will start on the engine in about 3 weeks. It’s cleaned and disasembled, just needs to be bored, honed and reassembled. Keeping the stock crank shaft, going for a street port, angled valve job and switching the rods (stretched) and pistons to forged. Typical bottom end rebuilt. Sticking with the stock cam shaft too, since it’s pretty much pancake flat and I don’t want to change the power band until I’m sure everything else on the car is the way I need it.

Piston:

I’m going to be ordering a new steering pinion for the Woodward rack I’m using. FrankenMini wasn’t a street car, so the lightening quick rack, 2.62″ per turn, wasn’t too hard to handle. Brutus is a completely different beast and it only took one slow drive down the road to see the rack was “white knuckle” quick. Dropping it down to a 2.09″ per turn which is still ripping fast, but considerably slower than what I have now. Benefit of these Woodward racks is I can quickly change out the ratio with simple hand tools.

Another update coming when the engine is done.

More engine pictures

admin — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 23:28:06 +0000

The engine isn't that bad. Pretty much what I suspected, blown head gasget, so just a "standard" rebuild is needed. As mentioned in a previous post I'm going to focus on the bottom end and strive for reliability rather than power. I'm still on the fence with hyperurtectic or forged pistons, mostly due to cost. I need new rods, they looked like they were stretched, but aside from that everything else seems to be fine. Some pictures below, notice the snapped ring (near the reflection) on the piston.

Movement

admin — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 04:12:18 +0000

Not many updates since the discovery of the engine's condition, that's about to change. Dropped the engine off today at Wright Engines to start the rebuild. Bill Wright was kind enough to meet me on a weekend which was nice and convenient. Current thinking, but this may change due to budget:

Bore 30 over (355)
Good set of rings and Hypereutectic pistons
Balance the bottom end
Port & Polish the heads
Cam Shaft (raise the power band very slightly)

From what I've been reading, and some good advice from the boys over at www.ls1lt1.com and LT1 with these mods is good for around ~400hp, which in my 1600lbs car is bordering on lunacy. But it's fun!

More to come when I hear back from Bill on the engine.