Terry in Las Vegas Build - 15,000 miles, standard ratio R-P installed.

[cv2065]

You’re moving fast Terry. Nice to have the first go kart milestone completed. Looking good!

[TMartinLVNV]

Today was mostly interior. Center console finished up. My right seat heater will only turn on high. I get no light at all when on low. I extended those lines to run the switch all the way up front from behind the seats. I wonder if one of my butt connectors came loose? Next time I have that seat out, I will address it.




I took it out for another drive today. The fuel leak at the filter seems to be fixed. I still dripped a little coolant at the same spot. The connection from the water pump inlet to the Boig pipe is driving me nuts. I re positioned the clamp and will try again tomorrow. I'm still leaking power steering fluid. I'm pretty sure that it is the adapter from the return line on the rack. I took it off, cleaned it up, re applied the liquid sealant on the NPT thread side and re installed. Ride height is set. I did 4 1/2" up front and 5" in the back. I added an extra 1/2" since the body is not on. I know I will have to readjust it after some miles.

[TMartinLVNV]

When I was done in the garage tonight, I did something that I have not done before. I took the key out of the ignition and brought it into the house. This thing is really a car now!

[TMartinLVNV]

Working on a few odds and ends. I'm planning on installing the body on Fri. I am going to put off the cruise control and heater hookup for now. I want to drive the car as much as possible, then pull the body, fix anything, hook up the cruise control and heater, and then drive it to the painter.

I cleaned up a bit of wiring and messed with the driveshaft/pinion angle. BigBlocker talked me through the process and I think I finally have it right. I had to use two of the spacers from Forte and expressed a few bad words while on my back under the car.

Starting point. Angle at the rear u-joint is way off.


Two spacers installed and adjusted the 3 Link track bar quite a bit.


Tremec app says I'm near a perfect 2 degrees.


After another quick drive, my driveline vibration is completely gone now.
I almost forgot. I installed one the hardest items today. Floormats!

[TMartinLVNV]

I took it out on one last drive yesterday. The power steering leak continues. I posted on the main forum and I learned that the fittings are not NPT! They should have an O-ring and are ORB. I learned something new today. New ones are on the way from Amazon Prime.

Lot's of stuff happening in Terry's garage! I riveted in the driver's side footbox panels. As many others have said before me, it is a weird feeling sealing this area up.


Body is on!

[TMartinLVNV]

I'm going to have to open up the exhaust cutouts. I'm very nervous about doing this.


I think that I got lucky in that with a few adjustments the body seemed to fit really well on the frame.


Body lines up with a dash pretty well.


The rear wall is perfect.


Front end looks good.

[Mark Eaton]

Terry, those side pipes look great!

[TMartinLVNV]

Thanks Mark. It is a powdercoat finish. The shop who did the rest of my powdercoating talked me into a special high temp product they have for my side pipes. I was originally going to go with a matte black ceramic coating. They guarantee it up to 800 degrees, so we will see. I really like how it came out with a textured finish.

[TMartinLVNV]

Side pipes are back on. That was a LOT of work. I'm sure it is easier with the adjustable headers, but my arms are exhausted. I had to open up the driver's side opening just a little forward. I had to open up the passenger's side opening a lot toward the rear and up. Turning those self locking distorted nuts on the ball and socket flange while sticking arms through the side vent holes and under the body is exhausting. Especially when a ratchet won't fit!

[TMartinLVNV]

Gas cap on. Loved how the holes in the template in the manual don't match the actual gas cap holes . Second set of holes drilled made everything line up.

No more body buck! Lots more room in the garage now.

I'm really tired now. I think I will go take a nap.

[Papa]

Looks good, Terry. I recommend saving those distorted locking nuts for the final assembly as they can get really hard to remove with time.

Dave

[TMartinLVNV]

Looks good, Terry. I recommend saving those distorted locking nuts for the final assembly as they can get really hard to remove with time.

Dave

Thanks Dave. Do you mean putting regular nuts on for now? My arms are shaking from the thought of it

[Papa]

Thanks Dave. Do you mean putting regular nuts on for now? My arms are shaking from the thought of it

Exactly!

[TMartinLVNV]

More progress!

I have all of the lights connected. The blinkers are not working right and I'm still working on that. The running and headlights are good to go! I also installed the quickjacks. I already ran into one of them with my shin. It hurt so good

Roll bar installed.

Rear quickjacks installed with threaded rod and coupler. I put a regular nut on the rod next to the coupler so that I could "double nut" it and stop the rod from spinning as I was tightening the nylock nut on the end.

Finally, the lower Boig coolpipe was unsupported. So I purchased this from Breeze which is designed for the corrugated F5 hose. I had to get some spacers from Ace and it works well.

I also purchased the Breeze power steering rack fittings. They seemed to thread in nice and tight. I will take it out for a spin tomorrow to see if I have finally fixed my power steering fluid leak problem.

Edit - No more power steering leaks!

[Big Blocker]

Quote: "I also installed the quickjacks. I already ran into one of them with my shin. It hurt so good"

And now you know why I called them "shin killers" and they are NOT on my car . . .

By the looks of it, you are almost ready for a road trip to (insert favorite spot here).

Doc

[TMartinLVNV]

Quote: "I also installed the quickjacks. I already ran into one of them with my shin. It hurt so good"

And now you know why I called them "shin killers" and they are NOT on my car . . .

By the looks of it, you are almost ready for a road trip to (insert favorite spot here).

Doc

.
I knew that it was only a matter of time before they caused me pain

They look so good though. I just got my insurance. I'm still on track for DMV in late Feb. Hopefully, nothing else slows me down.

[Big Blocker]

Terry,

The secret to not getting dinged by your quick jacks is to move them inward as close as possible to the body . . .

Doc

[TMartinLVNV]

I made the decision to move up my schedule for body work and paint. I really don't want to mess anything up doing any more bodywork myself. I called Miller and I might be able to get my car into his shop in about 6 weeks. This means that I won't be able to take my car to Huntington. But, I can get over that. He said 8-12 weeks for him go do his magic.

I'm going to continue to work on a few mechanical items but don't have much left.

My garage is trashed and my other two vehicles have been neglected since August. I usually wash and detail them in my driveway about every two weeks. It has been only drive through car washes for a while now. I can get some 4 wheeling in and much needed cleaning done while I wait. I also haven't been shooting in a while and I'm itching to get back to the range.

I will have to free up some funds as I'm doing this much earlier than planned. I need to lose some weight anyway .

[TMartinLVNV]

This is how she sits right now and will for a while. The doors do not close all the way and I have not sanded them at all. I will take them off and drive around just a bit every week or so just to get the car running.


I have a few minor mechanical issues to address. The engine stumbles and stalls sometimes when I put the clutch in. Especially when pulling up to a stop sign. I talked to a guy at Forte's shop and it should be an easy fix of adjusting the clutch out just a bit as it may not be fully disengaging.

I have to move everything out of my garage and give it a total cleaning. Then I'll clean up my cars, clean up the Roadster, and get a cover for it to keep the dust off. Las Vegas is horrible for dust.

[bobm488]

My car will be at Jeff's about the same time.

[Jeff Kleiner]

...clean up the Roadster, and get a cover for it to keep the dust off. Las Vegas is horrible for dust.

HA! Dust? That's funny! It ain't seen dust...wait till it gets to Temecula

Jeff

[BradCraig]

As for the stumbling when you put the clutch in, that's more than likely a Sniper issue but still verify your clutch. It takes time for the Sniper to learn your engines needs. If it still does it after a few hours of drive time, adjust the IAC Rampdown settings. Go ahead and get the laptop cable and download the Sniper software from Holley, WAY more tunables in the app! Great work BTW!

Capture.JPG

[Papa]

Terry,

What rpm did you set the idle at? I initially set it at 650, but the car would almost die every time I came to a stop. I ended up bumping my idle up to 900 rpm and don't have that issue anymore. I'd like to bring it down a bit and will let the tuner work on it when I eventually get the car to him to dial it in.

Dave

[BradCraig]

Terry,

What rpm did you set the idle at? I initially set it at 650, but the car would almost die every time I came to a stop. I ended up bumping my idle up to 900 rpm and don't have that issue anymore. I'd like to bring it down a bit and will let the tuner work on it when I eventually get the car to him to dial it in.

Dave

The IAC ramp setting will fix that, see above screenshot. And your IAC needs to be between 2-10% at idle.

[Papa]

The IAC ramp setting will fix that, see above screenshot. And your IAC needs to be between 2-10% at idle.

I'll definitely play with this. I will say that the Sniper certainly likes it when the car is driven in typical conditions vs. the start up, idle, move the car into the shop, shut the car off scenario.

[BradCraig]

I'll definitely play with this. I will say that the Sniper certainly likes it when the car is driven in typical conditions vs. the start up, idle, move the car into the shop, shut the car off scenario.

Holley does a crap job of marketing the Sniper as "self-learning" and "set and forget", which is BS. Once you get the IAC, ramp, Fuel map, and cold start enrichment right it works as well as a modern car. I have one on my Camaro and absolutely love it.

[Papa]

Holley does a crap job of marketing the Sniper as "self-learning" and "set and forget", which is BS. Once you get the IAC, ramp, Fuel map, and cold start enrichment right it works as well as a modern car. I have one on my Camaro and absolutely love it.

I agree. I believe that the cold start enrichment is the root cause of my plug fouling. It'll be nice to get that fixed!

Dave

[TMartinLVNV]

My car will be at Jeff's about the same time.

Bob, our cars truly are twins. Arriving on the same truck and all. Mine must be the ugly brutish twin and yours is the refined sophisticated twin with your Coyote!

[TMartinLVNV]

As for the stumbling when you put the clutch in, that's more than likely a Sniper issue but still verify your clutch. It takes time for the Sniper to learn your engines needs. If it still does it after a few hours of drive time, adjust the IAC Rampdown settings. Go ahead and get the laptop cable and download the Sniper software from Holley, WAY more tunables in the app! Great work BTW!

Capture.JPG

Thanks Brad. The guy at Forte said to drive it again and instead of just putting in the clutch while coming to a stop, put the tranny in neutral. He said that if it stops stumbling, then the clutch needs to be adjust out. I'm going to give that a try today.

I thought about a learning mode for the Sniper. I have 16 miles on the motor now. Mostly just putzing around the neighborhood and moderate throttle. I'll remember your suggestion. Messing with the software scares the hell outta me though! I have a cheap netbook. I don't know if that will be enough computer to run the software. Can I do it on my desktop and transfer the update via microSD card?

[TMartinLVNV]

Terry,

What rpm did you set the idle at? I initially set it at 650, but the car would almost die every time I came to a stop. I ended up bumping my idle up to 900 rpm and don't have that issue anymore. I'd like to bring it down a bit and will let the tuner work on it when I eventually get the car to him to dial it in.

Dave

That's kinda funny. I did the opposite of what you did. I had it at about 950. After talking with Forte's guy, I bumped it down to 750. When starting it up and idling in the garage in neutral, it purrs like a kitten with a nice lope to it (oil pressure is 40 when fully warmed up at idle). I have the issue both at 900 and 750. Today is the first day of my weekend, so I have time to work on it for the next few days.

[BradCraig]

Thanks Brad. The guy at Forte said to drive it again and instead of just putting in the clutch while coming to a stop, put the tranny in neutral. He said that if it stops stumbling, then the clutch needs to be adjust out. I'm going to give that a try today.

I thought about a learning mode for the Sniper. I have 16 miles on the motor now. Mostly just putzing around the neighborhood and moderate throttle. I'll remember your suggestion. Messing with the software scares the hell outta me though! I have a cheap netbook. I don't know if that will be enough computer to run the software. Can I do it on my desktop and transfer the update via microSD card?

The software doesn't take much resources, any old laptop should do. You can transfer to SD-card if you need to.

[TMartinLVNV]

I put the Roadster back up on jack stands (I really wish my garage was taller so that I could have a lift) and adjusted the clutch at the transmission. I turned the adjuster rod out 3 revolutions and hooked everything back up. While it was still on jackstands, I fired up the beast and did some testing. I put it in gear and let the rear tires spin, then pressed in the clutch and left the shifter in gear. The tires came to a stop in just a few seconds. I fell that this means the clutch is fully disengaging with the pedal all the way in. I actually got the rear tires to stop turning with the clutch pedal 1" from fully pressed in. I wish I would have done this before making the adjustment. I'm learning.

Anyway, I took it out for a spin (22 miles on it now!) and the problem of stumbling has gone away 75%. The RPMs still dip just a bit when pulling up to a stop sign, but the motor quickly settles at 750. It now never gets close to stalling like before.

So, I think I'm close to where I should be.

[TMartinLVNV]

I couldn't stand my garage anymore. I have some "neat freak" tendencies. I pulled everything out of the garage and did some cleaning.

Afterwards, this was the result:

Keeping my stable in the garage makes me happy. I hate leaving stuff outside.

[TMartinLVNV]

I was going out 4 wheeling today in the Jeep. I opened up the door and this made me laugh. I guess I don't have to worry about the Jeep chipping the paint on the Roadster.

[TMartinLVNV]

I took the Roadster out for a quick jaunt on this beautiful Feb day with it being 63 degrees outside. I wanted to capture my stalling motor problem on camera and it did not take long. Here is a video of it stalling twice withing the first mile. Then my camera fell over, lol. The motor stalls when I am in second gear and push in the clutch all the way when coming up to a stop sign. It also does it when they tranny is in neutral.

As a quick recap to my problem, I have a Forte 347 with Holley Sniper EFI. The motor stalls when I press in the clutch for any length of time. When fully warmed up, the motor stumbles badly, but does not stall when the clutch is pushed in. I talked to a guy at Forte's shop two weeks ago and he suggested adjusting the clutch adjuster rod out a little as the clutch may not be fully disengaging with the pedal fully depressed. I did this and verified that the clutch is fully disengaging by running the motor in 2nd gear while on jackstands and the rear tires came to a stop with the clutch pedal pressed in. I plan to call Forte again this week. I'm open to any ideas, as one of the reasons I wanted EFI to to avoid problems like this.

Also, why does it take so long to crank the motor over before it starts? It seems like it should catch right away.

https://youtu.be/M8b-mhL2xW8

**update**

I was reading through the Sniper trouble shooting flowchart and was looking at the options with the handheld touchscreen. I decided to try reprogramming the throttle body. I ran the install wizard and inputted in all the parameters. This was the first time that I did this. I assume that it was done at Forte's shop before the dyno time. I took it out for a spin and it ran perfectly. No more stumbling or stalling when the clutch is depressed when slowing down! I want to drive it a few more times before I claim victory, but this may be a step in the right direction.

I also waited until the fuel pump to run for a few seconds until it stopped on its own. It still takes several seconds of cranking before the motor starts. When hot, it starts right away.

[frankeeski]

That's not a Forte problem, that's a Sniper problem. I'd get on the horn with Holley and talk through the problem with their tech support.

[Railroad]

Also, why does it take so long to crank the motor over before it starts? It seems like it should catch right away.

Try letting the fuel pump run in key on position for a sec or two before engaging the starter. Will probably not be an issue on hot start. good luck,

[Big Blocker]

Terry,

Just for a chance to put in my 2¢, most small block FORD's with any kind of non-stock cam will require a higher idle setting - example: my 5.0 has an "E 303" cam from FORD and idles at just shy of 950, factory EFI.

Just sayin' . . . maybe you should try with the idle set a touch higher and see if it stops stalling.

Doc

[TMartinLVNV]

I originally had it set at about 900 by Rich when we did the first start. When I talked to Forte's guy a few weeks ago, he told me it should be at 750 so I bumped it down. Mine is an "E" cam as well.

The oil pressure is a good 30-40 psi at idle fulled warmed up. Idle sounds great too. The stalling problem happened both with the idle at 900 and 750. I really hope that this "reboot" of the Holley fixes it. I just ran the standard wizard setup and inputted all of the parameters. I have only driven it one time since and the problem did not happen at all. I'll put some more miles on it at Thurs or Fri when I'm back off of work.

[TMartinLVNV]

Also, why does it take so long to crank the motor over before it starts? It seems like it should catch right away.

Try letting the fuel pump run in key on position for a sec or two before engaging the starter. Will probably not be an issue on hot start. good luck,

I have been turning on the ignition, letting the fuel pump run until it stops (maybe 5 seconds?) before cranking the motor over. For the heck of it, I actually cycled the ignition twice and let the fuel pump run for about 10 seconds total and the motor still took a few seconds of cranking to start when cold. It starts instantly when hot.

IDK, maybe this is just the way it is?