This is always the challenge area unless one is fortunate enough to pull a running combo (engine/harness/ecu) out of the car. I'm about to the point that if I can't do that, I'll just go with an aftermarket efi system that is MUCH easier to tune than the 'chipped' EECIV set up which is about 30 years old now.
Well . . . The car is together. It runs and turns the wheels, but there are SOOOOO many issues with the wiring I made the decision not to take it to the Dragon.
I didn't want to risk burning the car down on some crazy ass hackered wiring harness just make the event.
In reply to MichaelYount:
AMEN!! Megasquirt is looking really good right now!!
The EEC-IV I have appears to be good. It FINALLY spat out codes last night. It all in the wiring (no code 11).
The wiring is SO BAD, it will either fire the injectors OR turn on the pump. This thing is a mess!! I am not about to rewire this harness. Who knows what other "surprises" it has in there.
Congrats on the progress - now that you're this far in - does Painless make a harness for the engine control? $$ but since your ecu is ok, likely cheaper/easier than switching over to MS or AEM.
I would agree with the painless idea. I've used a few of their efi harnessess and they're good products. Probably cheaper and easier than any other options at this point.
Painless harness = ~$600
My great luck I just missed out on two that were from sale on the Mustang board that were MUCH cheaper.
Perhaps they should re-name the company "Well, it's a little bit Painful"....
While the car didn't make it up the Dragon . . . I did!!
Special thanks and a shout out to Rocco Bocchicchio for allowing me to run the Dragon!!
OK, we've waited 2.5 days. Tell us more about the runs, whose car, etc, etc. I lived in Knoxville for 9 years, lots of time on the Dragon on sport bikes. How does spectating work for the hill climb? Where do you watch? Where do you park? How do you get between the two?
Updates coming. Have to deal with someone in the neighborhood calling code enforcement abut the cars on my property.
In reply to MichaelYount regarding hillclimb logistics. The Chasing the Dragon Hillclimb is held on the Maple Springs Overlook Road near the entrance to Joyce Kilmer National Forest, not the actual "Dragon", Hwy 129, which is a few miles to the east. The organizers have partnered with the Graham Co transit authority to provide shuttles from the parking area, which is just prior to the paddock, to the top of the hill. They run the shuttles between run groups, or other down time. The designated spectator areas are at the start, at turn 8 (?), and at the finish.
As for the car, that was a sweet looking and sounding E30. Sorry your car wasn't cooperating but glad you got your runs. There was more attrition on Saturday than I have seen in the past 4 events I've been too. At the spring event there were like 2 wrecks all weekend.
Thanks chrispy - guessing the end of the run is near/at the first 'turn-around' you come to on the way up?
It's at the top. The last straight is the shutdown area, you go to the top turn around and stage to wait for the end of the run group.
Chrispy . . . I'm surprised I didn't run into you. Then again I was everywhere meeting new faces and answering questions about the absent car . . .
I was spectating with my son and he was a bit overwhelmed so we were all over the place. The best thing we did was walk back to the car through the paddock. We talked to some drivers, took some pictures, and basically discussed what we'd seen. He's 12, in his first season of autox, and is ready to work the hill. This was his first hillclimb.
Strike_Zero wrote:
It's at the top.
??
When you 'leave' the lake, the road heads uphill and into the trees. I've never measured the distance, but I'd guess a mile or two or three up the road, after a few pretty tight left/rights, there's a turn-around. Room on both sides to pull off; rock walls to keep someone (or their car) from heading down steep drop offs on either side. As you're headed from NC into TN, the right side of that turn-around overlooks a dam in the distance - one of the Alcoa dams I believe. And there's a pretty long (by Dragon standards) uphill straightaway AFTER that turn-around.
Is the end near there? What distance is the climb? What kind of times were people running?
The Hillclimb isn't held on HWY 129 ("The Tail of the Dragon"). It's on the Maple Springs Overlook Rd which is off of Santeetlah Rd near the entrance to Joyce Kilmer National Forest. It's about 6 miles west of HWY 129 off of the Cherohala Skyway. Top time was 116.487 in a Porsche GT3 RSR. The course is ~2.2 miles.
Ah --- thanks for reiterating. While I read it in your first post, it didn't 'get in'.
Review of the Dragon . . .
Grab some coffee or tea . . . this is a long one!!
Strike_Zero wrote:
Berk . . .
Don't be disheartened, you made it up the hill and got to write the immortal words ' I proceeded to disrobe on the side of a rainy mountain.' That has to be worth all the effort
I did find a ECM and should be shipped today!!!
Given the shape the harness was in, I'm not sure I'd want to buy anything else from that seller. I also think it's likely that there's more wrong with the ECU than you can see with your eyes... Good move on a different ECU.
The steering rack and brake junction switch both took a dump on the Volvo - first failure in 13 years. Trying to get it back together for Euro Auto Fest @ the BMW plant in Greenville 3rd weekend in Oct. You should come up!
Truth!! The guy I bought it from (years ago) probably cooked the whole thing and sold it me
I shooting for the TT school for next weekend. I must love close deadlines!!
Left on the list
- Exhaust
- Test Drive
- Tune
- Windshield
There a muffler shop here that tunes cars as well. Hopefully luck will be on my side and they don't try to take my wallet.