Hooked on Holley!

Some things are good to know. Some things are nice to see. Like the essentials in life. Yes, you've guessed it. I'm talking about important stuff like engine speed, oil pressure and temperature before turbine. To get to know the condition of the muscle from where the Power emerge.

So, we bought this Holley Digital Dash to get in control...and so far we really like it. It felt like Anders, the IT guru, seemed almost disappointed. Because there was no IT wizard needed. Anders and Magnus just connected the Digital Dash to the EFI and TADA! Ready! Looks really good too...actually.

From another angle, another view. 

But what's this? It's the forgotten thermostat vent house that will stop the coolant spit out that we experienced when we made our first full load mapping attempt. Not we're good. I think...or rather hope.... 

Le Grand Monster 1950 Cadillac

This is a different before and after.

Why here at the SSR blog ? Well it's obvious this is something we would like to do.......

at least the build of the car, at a first glance an obvious level of crude refinement.

Briggs Cunningham was a racing enthusiast with financial capability who nursed an ambition to win Le mans, He created a series of cars to race at Le Mans. Below is what happened over two year period first year the Team used a race prepped Cadillac type 61 from 1950.

Since the team felt a shortage of speed (besides of braking) something had to be done! 

New body on the Cadillac chassi some more work on the engine and they where ready for the next year. Since the body was more brutal and different then elegant and stylish the French named it Le Grand Monster. 

You find more about him and especially the cars on below link.

https://revsinstitute.org/the-collection/cadillac-1950-series-61-le-mans/

Before slow on the straights, slow in the curves.

After faster on the straights, slow in the curves. 

Some design

Less design

Salt Slush Logistic a global operation

Salt Slush Racing is a global operation so besides of it's world headquarter at Ringön in Gothenburg Sweden we have branches in Germany, US (Florida, Oklahoma and California).... Maybe more on a Pro Bono basis since our turnover and profit usually is changed to dream catching and power making  

Ok here we are by our branch in Florida !

What do we find in Florida  besides Sunshine, Water, Dolpins and Alligators

Boxes from Summit Racing eager to serve and protect the Power making

More precis a Digital Dash soon to end up in the Amazon

Here together with some Pick Up C10 parts

All in total below what is OK to bring in to Sweden according to Customs.

Some more early morning water and sunshine

V8s Hanging around

The V8 engine Volvo used in the first gen Volvo XC90 and 2nd gen Volvo S80 has it's base in the Yamaha V8 which you see plenty of hanging around on boats in Florida, US.

Usually not alone ! It takes two...

or...usually three of them on one boat working together to get things going.

Here we have 15 to 20 of them waiting for their Captains.

The reality ! Talking good, Looking good versus doing some real power

You who follow our blog have seen that we visited Street Power in Olofström in search for power which created some reality check and learnings (and we are still leraning).

 The battle with the hot rod elements Oil, Water and Air are to continue.  

As a complement to earlier posted pictures enjo

Some slow running and just checking !

Trying harder including miss fire and starts to understand the need for learning

In the last clip some tendency to power starts to show but we still have a long long way to go and  as you all understand this is to continue. We have a day 2 and 3 in our heads to reach the power.

Elementary, my dear Watson...

When the Salt Slush Racing team got together this Saturday morning they were looking for 3 prime suspects that they needed to find and eliminate in order to move on in their search for power and speed.

Therefore, they were looking for details. Because they know that the devil is there. They know that he's trying to stop them.

Hence the team made following announcement to ensure a successful troubleshooting.

Wanted dead or alive

The Leakage Troll.

The Coolant Ghost.

The Fuel Devil.

 

First suspect before judgement. Non-flexible turbo oil drains. Here pictured with hydraulic AN connections. What's the verdict? Make those drains flexible and able to cope with Heat, Power and The Movement.

Oil drain surgery on wood surface. The butcher, and The Turner are ready with their task. Next to enter the stage: The Welder. After the heat resistant flexible hoses is fixated, the  deal is sealed. No Troll.

What is this? An associated professor? In our workshop kitchen?  Yes, and that's ok, but it looks like he's trying to hide something... 

Sure as hell. I knew it. He's cooking, cleaning and dreaming simultaneously as he's trying to ger rid of the olive oil in the moped transmission. 

Back to our list of wanted suspects. Kalle found a way to drive the evil propensity out from our coolant system. Bleed it off. Let it go. Release the pressure. How?

 

Attach a bleeder with a non return valve! That's how. Ok, but what's happening here, in this picture? A tread is being born, that's what's happening.  How about the ghost? Eliminated. Busted.

 Anders pictured while looking for the holy grail. Really? Well, no he's looking for the fuel devil. What Magnus and Anders found? The suspect is still in custody, but we have reason to believe following: The fuel regulator did not provide correct fuel pressure when the turbos delivered boost pressure. Why not? What's the reason for? Well, there was a leakage on the boost pressure control side. Team effort: Air leakage sealed and fuel pressure deliverance confirmed.  Fuel Devil Disappeared and we're happy.

Another suspect? Nope. This is only Carin in the house of boost, trying to send power enhancer (i.e. turbos and superchargers) to people in search power. 

Huffin and Puffin

We've slept on it. So now we know. We're on our way to perfection. But the road to success is paved with failures. It'll be a journey through smoke, heat and passion.

 

There might be flames, but hopefully not eternal ones and in the best case only in the combustion chambers.

 

So, what have we done since we where at Street Power shop In Olofström this Saturday?

Sleeping? Nope. We've been thinking. Or rather analyzing what went wrong and why. For those who want to know, here's our findings, one by one.



Why is Anders topping up oil and why am I so engaged? It's because we have just found a new oil leakage. As the turbo's and manifold reached 950degC the austenitic stainless steel manifolds moves some millimeters and makes the sealing at the turbo oil drains leaky.

How to fix? Add 100mm of heat resistant flexibility at the oil drain pipes.

But what is this?`Why are we checking the oil level? Well, already at low loads we measured too high surface temperatures on the Currie 9' rear end. 

The cure: Add some more oil and it was cool as a Swedish summar. Done.

Annika, Hannes, Anders and Carina in action. Why? There's some huffing and puffing going on here. Why? Due to fuel pressure problems the A/F is going lean after a short time on boost. We're working on the solution.

Magnus and a suspect. A suspect? Well, it not Ragnar, who's strolling around in the background. It's the tank. The coolant tank. We have a cooling system issue to fix as we experience a classic coolant spit out after the engine produced some horses.

But the coolant tank system is not longer under investigation.

The fix: Connect the thermostat ventilation to the coolant expansion tank and add some bleeders in other areas...work in progress.   

So, were now in solving mode and we'll get back to the chassis dyno soon. 

Because we're Speed and Power junkies and we will not give up...at least not yet!   

Sucess is counted sweetest by thoose that not (yet) succeeded.. or; We came, We saw...and...We have to try again !

This early Saturday morning, which was cold as ice and darker than coal, the team was ready to go searching for power. To go beyond the dark garage dungon, which we call home, to Olofström, a brighter place in south Sweden where the horse powers flows while the fuel is hardly consumed. But dreams doesn't always come true effortlessly...we've learned.

Arrival is nice. Especially since Hannes at Street Power in Olofström waited with open arms, open mind and coffee.  

Next step: Strap the beast to the machine. Hannes, the tamer, is working hard.

 

The Amazon ready to show its inner strenghts on the dyno....

 

But first we felt urge to make some kind of bass flute. 

Installed as can be. Ready to play its sweet melody.

Annika, Anders and Me. Focused on the job. But still, we failed. We reached nowhere slowly. The Old faithful cooling system erupted and after some minutes between 300-400hp, another oil dwell was found. 

The last supper? Nope, too few people, no Judas and no Jesus. Instead the Salt Slush team with friends, ready for next dyno run. Some healing and sealing and we're good to go. Again.

Throw it out, Fill it up, Electrify and Adjust.

Friday became Saturday and the cold grey early moring slowly changed to cold grey rainy morning as the Salt Slush team got together to prepare the Amazon for the first real challenge. What challenge? To go south with one purpose only. To calibrate full load for the first time. 

The moment of truth is coming up, coming up like black or white, like peppar and salt, like Jing and Jang, like Clinton or Trump, like solid power level or hole in the engine block.

Today's scheme: preparation, preparation, preparation. Preparation for Power.

But first; as our race turbo and supercharger business evolves we need to throw out more and more pallets, package and paper. Hence it was time to visit the last chain in the capitalistic consumption cycle. The recycle resort. We're singing in the rain...

Salt Slush with friends are trying to fill up the coolant system with something else than air. No, it ain't easy. We had all hand on deck trying to such out the air in some way. At some point in time it felt like we were trying to persuade the air to leave the system with good arguments.

Mattias arrived. Which was good. Now it felt like we would outnumber the air molecules in the complicated coolant circuit  with engineers. But that never happened. Instead we outsmarted the bubbles and now we'll be cool. Or rather, the engine will keep cool... 

What I did? I adjusted the wastegate valves to a reasonable positon. Yes, we probably need to tighten theese more and yes, we most likely need hi-boost wastegate actuators when the pressure, heat and power is towering. If this happens, we're mentally prepared. We even have hardware to support.

An even and high voltage delivered to our high performance ignition coils would be nice during both engine calibration and race. Therefore, Magnus and Annika was concentrated as Cobras and suddenly; The altered alternator eventually did fit like a glove as it sits safely strapped with a rubber belt to the magnificent motor.

As the team went home to rest and relax,  Magnus had a Advance Design Moment....

Thunder, Lightning and Green smoke!

Back home again the shake down continues. The engine sounded like an artillery and the lambda sensors indicated uneven Air-Fuel ratio. As well the pre turbine temperature measurement indicated misfire on cylinder 4 to 6.

What to do? A new spark was needed. Especially on cylinder 4.

Amazon racer on wet asphalt.

 

New spark plugs and Yes! it runs on all cylinders again. Smooth as can be. Yes we will remove the worms out side the door again. Just a A/F ratio test.

First silent. Then KAABOOM! Then Smoke. Green Smoke. Comin from the monsters belly.

Reason: The gut was not in order.

Recipe: A new longer hose and New hose clamps.