[W126 Coupe] Status?

[rrshayegan at wm.edu]

Yeah, letting the engine warm up is no problem. I wonder why with all the other problems the last engine had though this wasn't one of them? Just because there was so much gap in the piston:cylinder clearance that there was less friction?

The idle control unit I'm talking about is the black box at the firewall. I have the website saved on my computer at home of a shop that sells rebuilt idle control units and on their boxes there is an adjustment screw to change the idle.
---- Original message ----

>Date: Tue, 1 Jul 2008 12:40:52 -0400

>From: "Noel C. Coulantes" <noel at noels.com>  

>Subject: RE: RE: Status?  

>To: <rrshayegan at wm.edu>

>

>I have the left air cleaner snorkeling coming.

>Your front suspension needs the left and right inner lower control arm

>bushings. You need the L & R upper control arms. You need the L & R lower

>outer ball joints (installed with special press tool). And you need the 

>L & R rear caster joints (look like the size of a softball, with stud) that

>are diagonally rear on the frame behind the lower control arms. I would

>replace the wheel bearings and seals, if not done already. Use only Mercedes

>

>parts.

>

>It's too close to July 4th to get the car shipped (the truckers basically

>show up when they can, unless you want to double the transport cost). I'll

>get a quote going for you.

>

>I am at a crossroads with the tuning. Being basically lazy (just kidding), 

>I managed to achieve warm running to the point where I can't seem to improve

>that. I have good sparkplug coloration, good performance, reasonable idle.

>I have fussed with the idle air (and RPM), to the point that warm running is

>

>reasonable, with a question mark there when you have the A/C on. It still

>idles OK with the A/C, just rougher. ON THE OTHER HAND, the dead cold

>running is poor, poor enough that it has all my attention. Strangely enough,

>

>the mixture (or rather, lack of cold enrichment) is not the issue. The

>engine is so ragged, cold, it was stalling when you drove a 100' and came to

>an idle. So, now I think I fixed it from stalling cold, if I left the

>electronic idle (round cylinder) disconnected (wide open), but then it's

>idling at 1,000 RPM warm. I have the electronic control attached, and

>roughly 700 in neutral, 600 in gear, damn near perfect warm. Are you going

>to be able to warm this car up, because of these wild cams? I would consider

>the car almost dangerous dead cold. Can you take responsibility for that

>warming up? You mentioned an idle controller to replace the factory

>cylinder. What is that? I'll keep working on that cold running.

>

>

>

>-----Original Message-----

>From: rrshayegan at wm.edu [mailto:rrshayegan at wm.edu] 

>Sent: Monday, June 30, 2008 2:02 PM

>To: noel at noels.com

>Subject: RE: RE: Status?

>

>Ok, I can clear $700 without a problem so feel free to charge that to the

>same card. One thing I can spot that you forgot though: the snorkeling for

>the driver's side of the air intake. Also, did you get a chance to make a

>list of the suspension parts I need to replace (looking over the stuff I had

>already bought to swap in, all I have other than shocks are the various

>pieces that attach to the shocks)?

>

>Could you also look into getting the car shipped up to Durham NC for me?

>

>Ideal would be to 27707 (Durham, NC) on a weekday this week after 6pm. Less

>ideal would be 27601 (Raleigh, NC) during business hours on a weekday. I

>have a 6am flight to Dallas, TX Thursday July 3, returning 10pm Sunday

>night, which is why the weekend doesn't work, so if they can't do it before

>then it will have to be next week. On the shipping, let me know before you

>charge me for it - I may have to have you put some of it on a credit card

>rather than the card attached to my checking account (which is the number

>you have).

>

>Thanks,

>Richard

>

>---- Original message ----

>>Date: Mon, 30 Jun 2008 13:33:35 -0400

>>From: "Noel C. Coulantes" <noel at noels.com>  

>>Subject: RE: RE: Status?  

>>To: <rrshayegan at wm.edu>

>>

>>Richard

>>Sorry, the slot head still exists, works fine. I'll get the repair kit for

>>you (leave the steel ball out), but it will take you ~ hour to chisel loose

>

>>the "break off" bolts, that now do not have heads. The big key there, is

>>don't get metal in the engine.

>>

>>I am going to shotgun blast the tail-end of your bill. If I forgot

>>something, it's on me............

>>

>>A bunch of stuff was included.....anti-freeze.....top-up oils.

>>The extra parts (forgive me if I forgot something) included all the 

>>anti-freeze hoses, particularly the hidden below the windshield cowl hoses,

>>the trans front seal, pan gasket, filter, Mobil 1 synthetic ATF, soft P/S

>>hoses, soft trans hoses, a fuel filter, an A/C drier, R134a, cleaning the 

>>radiator by a local plastic radiator shop = $400 at my out of pocket pure

>>cost. I am going to limit the extra labor for Ross, "above and beyond", to 

>>3 hours = $300. That makes the extra, outside of the engine = $700 even and

>>I am drawing a line and do not intend to make the bill larger. I may have

>>Ross fuss over very minor details (vacuum plugs, routing of stuff).

>>

>>I have to fuss with more tuning ~ 2 or 3 hours or so. We ran a water rich 

>>cooling anti-freeze to get rid of the acid or whatever was in the cooling

>>system. We're going to dump that later today and run 100% Mercedes

>>anti-freeze. I think we are done..................

>>Thanks

>>Noel

>>

>>

>>-----Original Message-----

>>From: rrshayegan at wm.edu [mailto:rrshayegan at wm.edu] 

>>Sent: Monday, June 30, 2008 11:54 AM

>>To: noel at noels.com

>>Subject: RE: RE: Status?

>>

>>I may just do it at a track then - back when it was still a 380 I managed

>to

>>shave a half second off the quarter mile with nothing more than the 3mm hex

>>(speaking of which, is my fuel distributor back to the proper hex head

>>adjustment?)

>>

>>---- Original message ----

>>>Date: Mon, 30 Jun 2008 10:42:46 -0400

>>>From: "Noel C. Coulantes" <noel at noels.com>  

>>>Subject: RE: RE: Status?  

>>>To: <rrshayegan at wm.edu>

>>>

>>>"Dyno" is my middle name, but highly over rated if the dyno person does 

>>>not know how to tune. Examples of when the dynamometer does not play a

>>role,

>>>are cold running, and acceleration. So, experience teaches you how to deal

>>>with that. If you over do those, fuel mileage goes out the window, as

>well.

>>

>>>

>>>-----Original Message-----

>>>From: rrshayegan at wm.edu [mailto:rrshayegan at wm.edu] 

>>>Sent: Monday, June 30, 2008 10:31 AM

>>>To: noel at noels.com

>>>Subject: Fwd: RE: Status?

>>>

>>>I read you loud and clear on the warmup. Never driven a hot cam engine

>>other

>>>than an old Porsche that had been swapped to webber carbs, but that car

>was

>>>just plain different.

>>>

>>>I'd say I'm more mechanically able than the vast majority of people (On

>>that

>>>car I've done all the maintenance before the first engine swap except for

>>>brake fluid changes because I don't have a bleed kit, and I've also done

>>>things like change out the fuel injectors, change the window regulators,

>>>swapped the interior out with one from a different car which required also

>>>swapping the individual seat motors), but I didn't exactly go to BMWs tech

>>>school.

>>>

>>>If what you're getting at is am I comfortable with adjusting timing and

>>>mixture, I am, but I've been told you get better results when you do it on

>>a

>>>dyno.

>>>

>>>---- Original message ----

>>>>Date: Mon, 30 Jun 2008 09:04:29 -0400

>>>>From: "Noel C. Coulantes" <noel at noels.com>  

>>>>Subject: RE: Status?  

>>>>To: "'Richard Shayegan'" <rrshayegan at wm.edu>

>>>>

>>>>   Richard

>>>>

>>>>   I don't know how many "hot cam" engines you have

>>>>   driven, but this motor likes to be warmed up. I

>>>>   agree with your Dad.

>>>>

>>>>   The motor cold is either struggling to idle or tends

>>>>   to "blast off" as you depress more and more on the

>>>>   gas pedal, the motor hesitates,

>>>>

>>>>   and then "blasts off" when it is cold. It runs close

>>>>   to normal when warmed up. You have someone's rebuilt

>>>>   warm-running regulator (right front of intake),

>>>>

>>>>   and I am hesitant to tamper with it (they sealed

>>>>   it).

>>>>

>>>>    

>>>>

>>>>   Do you have any mechanical ability? The issue is,

>>>>   since you are the driver, you could conceivably do

>>>>   some tuning work.  

>>>>

>>>>    

>>>>

>>>>   I think 15W-50 most of the time, 0W-40 in winter

>>>>   conditions.

>>>>

>>>>   I should be able to look at whatever additional

>>>>   parts and labor this morning.

>>>>

>>>>   Thanks

>>>>

>>>>   Noel

>>>>

>>>>    

>>>>

>>>>   ----------------------------------------------------

>>>>

>>>>   From: Richard Shayegan [mailto:rrshayegan at wm.edu]

>>>>   Sent: Friday, June 27, 2008 7:15 PM

>>>>   To: Noel C. Coulantes

>>>>   Subject: Re: Status?

>>>>

>>>>    

>>>>

>>>>   Ok, will do. Two things I want to check. Should I

>>>>   always give it a minute or two warm-up, or just when

>>>>   breaking in (ol' dad always said 30 seconds in the

>>>>   summer to 1 minute in the winter is why I ask). Also

>>>>   any weight you recommend in particular for the

>>>>   mid-atlantic? Coldest it gets in the winter is low

>>>>   20's, but in the summer we can hit 100. In the old

>>>>   380 engine which couldn't run synthetic without

>>>>   making a mess of my driveway (rear main seal), I'd

>>>>   run 10-40 mineral  in the winter and 20-50 mineral

>>>>   in the summer. In this engine I figure on Mobil 1

>>>>   15w-50 year round?

>>>>

>>>>   BTW, if you come up with a final amount owed don't

>>>>   be a stranger, feel free to call me on my cell too

>>>>   (301) 873-2823- I was fixing to return the rental

>>>>   car tomorrow, but if the I still owe is less than

>>>>   what I have, I can hold onto it for a few more days,

>>>>   and if the amount I owe is more than I have by less

>>>>   than $525 I can tell the guy I sublet from that I'll

>>>>   pay him when I get paid next Friday.

>>>>

>>>>   Thanks again,

>>>>   Richard

>>>>

>>>>   Noel C. Coulantes wrote, On 6/27/2008 5:34 PM:

>>>>

>>>> So, here is what I recommend. Change the engine oil with mineral oil at

>~

>>>>

>>>> 1,000 miles, and

>>>>

>>>> every 3,000 miles thereafter with Mobil 1 synthetic.

>>>>

>>>> Do 30,000 with Mobil 1 synthetic Auto Transmission Fluid.

>>>>

>>>>  

>>>>

>>>> Break in - drive normally,and 10 seconds here, 10 seconds there of

>>>>

>>>> full throttle (in a safe manner), like on an interstate on-ramp.

>>>>

>>>> Don't drive full throttle for long periods. Don't baby the engine,

>>either.

>>>>

>>>> Don't do the elaborate break-in you described. Do warm up the engine at

>>>>

>>>> least a minute or two, before the first drive in the morning, then drive

>>>>

>>>> normally.

>>>>

>>>>  

>>>>

>>>> -----Original Message-----

>>>>

>>>> From: rrshayegan at wm.edu [mailto:rrshayegan at wm.edu]

>>>>

>>>> Sent: Friday, June 27, 2008 4:09 PM

>>>>

>>>> To: noel at noels.com

>>>>

>>>> Subject: RE: Status?

>>>>

>>>>  

>>>>

>>>> One more thing. When you get a chance could you tell me what your

>>>>

>>>> recommended maintenance is? I was thinking oil change with some

>>>conventional

>>>>

>>>> 10-40 + GM EOS at 500 miles, change to Mobil 1 at 1000 miles, fresh

>Mobil

>>>1

>>>>

>>>> at the 2000 mile mark, and from then on do Mobil 1 every 4000 miles. I

>>was

>>>>

>>>> also figuring to change the transmission fluid to Mobil 1 after 20k

>>miles.

>>>>

>>>>  

>>>>

>>>> On spark plugs I was thinking whatever I had in there (I don't have them

>>>in

>>>>

>>>> front of me, but IIRC they are NGK non-resistor plugs 1 level cooler

>than

>>>>

>>>> the factory recommendation for US cars).

>>>>

>>>>  

>>>>

>>>> On break in, my philosophy is never go above 2000rpm for the first 500

>>>>

>>>> miles, vary the speed and only do city driving, then for the second 500

>>>>

>>>> miles never go over 3500 rpm, still varying the speed and city driving,

>>>and

>>>>

>>>> then after 1000 miles start to give it some more throttle but no

>high-rpm

>>>or

>>>>

>>>> full throttle until 2000 miles and after 2000 miles the car is good to

>>go.

>>>>

>>>> Sound good to you?

>>>>

>>>>  

>>>>

>>>> Richard

>>>>

>>>>  

>>>>

>>>> ---- Original message ----

>>>>

>>>>  

>>>>

>>>> Date: Fri, 27 Jun 2008 12:17:58 -0400

>>>>

>>>> From: "Noel C. Coulantes" <noel at noels.com> 

>>>>

>>>> Subject: RE: Status? 

>>>>

>>>> To: "'Richard Shayegan'" <rrshayegan at wm.edu>

>>>>

>>>>  

>>>>

>>>> Richard

>>>>

>>>> I have been working on your car, not your bill. I got all the

>>>>

>>>> basic tuning, initial timing, vacuum lines, even worked on the A/C.

>>>>

>>>> The engine seems to be doing just fine, just plagued by those cams.

>>>>

>>>> CIS injection is very sensitive to how much cam, and your engine has the

>>>>

>>>> right basic mixture, but is a little hard to get a reasonable idle. The

>>>>

>>>>    

>>>>

>>>> idle

>>>>

>>>>  

>>>>

>>>> is a little rough, and the electronic idle control simply does not work

>>>>

>>>> correctly. All the idle control parts are silly in price, and I have

>done

>>>>

>>>> the default thing, I disconnected the idle servo (round thing dead

>center

>>>>

>>>> front on intake). Then the idle, with no A/C compressor on, is ~900 RPM,

>>>>

>>>> which is slightly too fast, makes the car minorly clunk when you put it

>>in

>>>>

>>>> gear or reverse. The A/C appears to work mechanically and I even looked

>>>>

>>>>    

>>>>

>>>> with

>>>>

>>>>  

>>>>

>>>> dye and a black lamp for leaks and found none. The R134a conversion was

>>>>

>>>>    

>>>>

>>>> done

>>>>

>>>>  

>>>>

>>>> correctly (I don't really need to say that), and the real issue with the

>>>>

>>>>    

>>>>

>>>> A/C

>>>>

>>>>  

>>>>

>>>> is what is called "control" and/or vacuum leaks in the dash area. So, to

>>>>

>>>>    

>>>>

>>>> fix

>>>>

>>>>  

>>>>

>>>> your A/C, a mechanic would find all the vacuum leaks and replace all the

>>>>

>>>> vacuum servos (which are the leaks) first. There might be an issue with

>>>the

>>>>

>>>> push-button unit, which would emerge only after the vacuum is fixed (but

>>I

>>>>

>>>> think it may also be fine, don't get nervous). I have done what I can on

>>>>

>>>>    

>>>>

>>>> the

>>>>

>>>>  

>>>>

>>>> A/C, but the heat is on at the same time as the A/C, and more than half

>>>the

>>>>

>>>> air blows at the windshield, all indicating those vacuum leaks. But the

>>>>

>>>>    

>>>>

>>>> cold

>>>>

>>>>  

>>>>

>>>> air is mixed with hot air and the net result is "not cold A/C out the

>>>>

>>>> vents".

>>>>

>>>>  

>>>>

>>>> Your transmission is actually doing well. It has no leaks, and I have

>>>>

>>>> adjusted "when" it shifts slightly later than stock, and "how hard"

>>>>

>>>>    

>>>>

>>>> slightly

>>>>

>>>>  

>>>>

>>>> harder than stock. The shifts are equal, a good thing, and does not

>slip.

>>>>

>>>> I could have made the adjustments Granny stock, but I knew you would

>>>prefer

>>>>

>>>> what I did, and I can show you those adjustment places, not hard to do.

>>>>

>>>>  

>>>>

>>>> The Power steering is working well, no leaks.

>>>>

>>>>  

>>>>

>>>> Unless you tell me otherwise (and we are way behind on engine building),

>>I

>>>>

>>>> think your car is ready for you and can be driven on the road, which I

>>was

>>>>

>>>> not comfortable in committing to until now.

>>>>

>>>>  

>>>>

>>>> I'll try to get to your bill later today.

>>>>

>>>> Thanks

>>>>

>>>> Noel

>>>>

>>>>  

>>>>

>>>> -----Original Message-----

>>>>

>>>> From: Richard Shayegan [mailto:rrshayegan at wm.edu]

>>>>

>>>> Sent: Thursday, June 26, 2008 7:12 PM

>>>>

>>>> To: Noel C. Coulantes

>>>>

>>>> Subject: Re: Status?

>>>>

>>>>  

>>>>

>>>> OK, sounds goods, just checking in. Let me know when the additional

>>>>

>>>> costs eclipse the $1000 mark (and each successive time it does that...if

>>>>

>>>> it does...though I really hope it doesn't, because as it stands I don't

>>>>

>>>> have that just yet).

>>>>

>>>> Richard

>>>>

>>>>  

>>>>

>>>> Noel C. Coulantes wrote, On 6/26/2008 10:56 AM:

>>>>

>>>>    

>>>>

>>>> Richard,

>>>>

>>>> Starts and runs well, sorry I have not been near my email computer for a

>>>>

>>>> while.

>>>>

>>>> Transmission is bone dry so far. Fussing over routing of fuel lines,

>>>>

>>>>      

>>>>

>>>> spark

>>>>

>>>>  

>>>>

>>>> plug wires, other details. Even though I participated in the crank up,

>>>>

>>>>      

>>>>

>>>> and

>>>>

>>>>  

>>>>

>>>> I

>>>>

>>>>    

>>>>

>>>> know the lifters are quiet and the engine is running on 8 cylinders, I

>>>>

>>>>      

>>>>

>>>> have

>>>>

>>>>    

>>>>

>>>> not done any tune work. Will keep you posted. You will owe (very

>>>>

>>>>      

>>>>

>>>> reasonable)

>>>>

>>>>    

>>>>

>>>> extra shop labor to fix things (outside the build as one-piece and swap)

>>>>

>>>>      

>>>>

>>>> by

>>>>

>>>>    

>>>>

>>>> my superstar Ross, but you get me for free, whatever time I put on

>tuning

>>>>

>>>> and other stuff. I must say you have been very patient, and I'll try to

>>>>

>>>> reciprocate with some attention to detail.

>>>>

>>>> Thanks

>>>>

>>>> Noel

>>>>

>>>>  

>>>>

>>>> -----Original Message-----

>>>>

>>>> From: rrshayegan at wm.edu [mailto:rrshayegan at wm.edu]

>>>>

>>>> Sent: Thursday, June 26, 2008 8:56 AM

>>>>

>>>> To: noel at noels.com

>>>>

>>>> Subject: Status?

>>>>

>>>>  

>>>>

>>>> Still no start?

>>>>

>>>> Richard

>>>>

>>>>  

>>>>

>>>>  

>>>>

>>>>  

>>>>

>>>>       

>>>>

>>>>  

>>>>

>>>>    

>>>>

>>>>  

>>>>

>>>>  

>>>>

>>>>  

>>>>

>>>>    

>>>

>>

>