The Cormaro......

[Efi69Cam]

Originally Posted by GregWeld

Jim --

I was an "early" adopter of the Accel system.... and had NOTHING BUT trouble with their stuff --- failed dual sync distributors -- the WORST tech help in the entire world... and a whole bunch of IDIOTS recommended as "trained" Accel tuners...

They have upgraded their system (I own two of their Gen 7 ECMS - ONE as a back up for when the other POS fails)... I've rewired the DUAL SYNC to get rid of their too stiff / too thin connections... and found a great tuner in Bob Ream (I had to tow to Phoenix to get 'er done right!)... at Imagine Injection.

I wil say - once it's right - it works like a champ. In fact - just today - I fired off the Nomad without touching the gas pedal - and it's been sitting for 3 months or so (on a battery tender)... and just purred. So would I do it all again -- OH HELL YEAH... but next time -- I'll give FAST my business.

Those stiff wires coming out the dual sync have caused me concern as well. What did you use to replace them? Was desoldering on the PCB in the dist a problem?

I want to get rid of those wires and the rube goldberg adapter harness.

Thanks.

[GregWeld]

Jim --

You need a "desoldering" sucker... Seriously -- it is a small manual spring loaded tool with a sucking action... you "load" the slide lock - heat the solder and flip the slide lock with gives a quick "slurp" of vacuum... and out the solder comes.

You could also take this to a high tech automotive (efi) place and they would probably replace those poopie stiff wires...

The Rube Goldberg "ends" are GM WEATHERPACK and are purposely "flipped" so you can't accidently plug the CAM signal into the wrong input to the EFI...

I made my leads about 4" longer -- so I could actually plug them in BEFORE stabbing the distributor... made life much easier.

[Efi69Cam]

Originally Posted by GregWeld

Jim --

You need a "desoldering" sucker... Seriously -- it is a small manual spring loaded tool with a sucking action... you "load" the slide lock - heat the solder and flip the slide lock with gives a quick "slurp" of vacuum... and out the solder comes.

You could also take this to a high tech automotive (efi) place and they would probably replace those poopie stiff wires...

The Rube Goldberg "ends" are GM WEATHERPACK and are purposely "flipped" so you can't accidently plug the CAM signal into the wrong input to the EFI...

I made my leads about 4" longer -- so I could actually plug them in BEFORE stabbing the distributor... made life much easier.

Thanks for the info!

Looks like I need one of those solder suckers.

Seems to me that if the distributor had the 8 pin connector to match the MWH ignition connector there would be no chance of swapping them and that would be 2 less connectors floating around.

Did you use a shielded cable?

[GregWeld]

Yes --- and since the signal is "weak" you should used shielded -- just of a higher quality than these units were born with!

I agree -- an 8 pin single connection would be handy. Not sure why they did it this way. I never researched it... I just fixed the poor wiring.

Solder sucker (desoldering tools) are available almost anywhere they sell electronic supplies - soldering irons etc.... but not at Home Depot etc... you've got to get a little more upscale than that!!

A quick search for "desoldering tool" on Amazon had a couple of pages of 'em - from $5 versions to a couple hundred dollar "desoldering STATION" -- now that is fancy! You could go into the business!!

[Jim Nilsen]

I think the main reason for the 2 plugs was to keep the possiblity of any interferance bewteen the 2 signals. Putting the shielded wires in the same connector places them closer than might be wanted,considering the distance of most connectors at the terminal ends is not very far and there is no shielding at the very end where it connects to the terminal. All you would have to do is put them next to each other and you have trouble brewing. Plus if the guy putting the harness together has 2 plugs he has less of a chance to get them in the wrong holes. I know they had problems with that with 2 plugs !!!!

The way the harness was built to begin with had a lot to be desired. i actually pulled the loom apart and pulled back all of the nitrous and other stuff that went to the engine bay and came back in for no other reason than to make it easy if you put the ecu in thengine bay or had a front mount battery. I have half the amount of wires going thru my fire wall and only one hole instead of the two grommets they provided. I pulled all of the connectors thru and connected up what was needed and then pulled the excess back into the car. This made it really tidy under the hood.

Now I have to find room for more with the new wideband but it to is going inside the car to keep most of the wires out of the engine bay.

I just wish they would stop putting the connectors on the ends so you wouldn't have to frill as big of a hole and a small grommet would suffice. I will probably pull them out of the connector and do it that way anyway. The other thing that was messed up on my gen7 harness was that the wires for the cam and crank + - wires were in backwards to start with.

When I am done it looks nice but it is a lot of work. The tuner that cam to help me the first time couldn't believe how much better it looked and was confused when I was disconnecting the the EST wire from inside and that it never went thru the firewall. It goes right straight to the 6A box to the ecu inside and I have a bullet connector right at the fuse panel labeled and easy to get to.

[Jim Nilsen]

Do I have to hook up the wires for the speed control to get the wideband to work correctly or can I just leave them alone and I just won't have the speedometer part of the screen work? What the heck does speed have to do with the A/F ratios anyway? Seemed kind of wierd to me to all of a sudden have as many gauges in the accel programs as I have on my dash?

[GregWeld]

Originally Posted by Jim Nilsen

Do I have to hook up the wires for the speed control to get the wideband to work correctly or can I just leave them alone and I just won't have the speedometer part of the screen work? What the heck does speed have to do with the A/F ratios anyway? Seemed kind of wierd to me to all of a sudden have as many gauges in the accel programs as I have on my dash?

Jim --- Going from pure memory here -- you only need the speed signal (from the trans) if you were going to OPERATE the torque convertor lock up from the ECM. There is a "program" that is throttle and percentage based etc. Again - just going from memory - too lazy to go out to the shed and get that laptop that has all the info on it for Gen 7 (Windows laptop AKA DOOR STOP --- I use Apple for my daily fun).

I agree TOTALLY on the "why terminate the ends" -- but they try to make this stuff idiot proof - and in so doing - just make more work for those that are perfectly happy "hot rodding" their system. I understand it - but I don't have to like it.

I have a "set" of "pushy tools" (my name for them) that are used in the various new style connections - in order to "release" the pins from the connections - maintaining the pin on the wire.... I also have a wide variety of "stock" to re-terminate this stuff (I LOVE GM Weatherpack stuff!)... the problem with these guys - is they don't LABEL their looms.... you'd think it would be so easy for them to actually label each run with what it is... but NO..... so it's easy to get them a "pin out" or mixed up.... then you have a REAL MESS on your hands going over every single wire and it's location etc.... That makes my head spin just thinking of that nightmare!

SPEARTECH makes a nice wire harness for the LS computers (I have one for the '55 I'm doing)... very nice stuff - super simple - nothing extra if you don't want it.... Not sure they make - or would make up - a harness for "the other guys" stuff such as FAST or ACCEL.

[Jim Nilsen]

Now I understand their reasoning with the speedometer. When you have a stick who cares ,right!!! Lock up in every gear !!!!

I am still trying to find the best place to put another box. I have 3 places to put it it and each one has its advantages and its drawbacks but that's packaging for ya.

The rest of the install seems fairly straight forward. The instructions as usual suck the big one. That's what friends and tuners are for,lol.

I fortunately have waited to do some things in the interior that will have to be removed agian to do the install so I can do both at the same time fortunately. I'll be glad when the carpet goes down because that is the last step before it is really show time for the people who care about carpet. I can bet Ron Schwarz would never care,

I am looking forward to going to Road America on the 17th and 18th and will be there with the Cormaro even if it is in limp mode,lol. Snow excepted. Please no SNOW.

[David Pozzi]

Jim,
I'm so glad to see you posting about tuning instead of about welding!

Just an FYI. The One Lap Camaro has the MEFI4B system, Wideband was added, but even though the ECM can use the signal you have to add another MFR's add on box same as you are doing to run the heater and produce a signal the ECM can read.

Anyway, we were having terrible trouble with the TPS signal when trying to dyno tune the system, even with engine stopped, key on, the TPS voltage was jumping around and the dyno operator said he couldn't tune it that way.

What we found was the Wideband controller was grounded to the same point as the ECM and it was causing the ECM ground voltage to be biased up and down like crazy.

I would try and ground your wideband somewhere else just in case.
David

[Jim Nilsen]

Originally Posted by David Pozzi

Jim,
I'm so glad to see you posting about tuning instead of about welding!

Just an FYI. The One Lap Camaro has the MEFI4B system, Wideband was added, but even though the ECM can use the signal you have to add another MFR's add on box same as you are doing to run the heater and produce a signal the ECM can read.

Anyway, we were having terrible trouble with the TPS signal when trying to dyno tune the system, even with engine stopped, key on, the TPS voltage was jumping around and the dyno operator said he couldn't tune it that way.

What we found was the Wideband controller was grounded to the same point as the ECM and it was causing the ECM ground voltage to be biased up and down like crazy.

I would try and ground your wideband somewhere else just in case.
David

Thanks for the tip. I have already had enough troubles with the system and just when I get it going I surely don't need to go right back into more problems.

It's more fun to tune than to weld too. The sound of a running car has been a long time coming. I have to weld in the new O2 bung though ,so there we go back to welding,lol Fortunately I am replacing my collector reducers for better flow and gasket seal so I can do both jobs at once.

Are you coming to the Motorstate Challenge again this year? The ride in Penny was GREAT FUN and it is always nice to talk about everything with you.