Wynona the wagon's resurrection!

[HRH]

https://youtu.be/4aGx4gsCV8o

[DRIVEN]

Aside from the idle vacuum how does it run?

[HRH]

It runs great. Still have to break in the new piston rings. And it's a bitch to turn over by hand now. I calculated the compression ratio is probably 10.6-10.9 to 1. And it has more stroke now too, so she should be a torque monster. My fuel pressure gauge flutters, but it's always done this. After I swap in the stock cam I'll check again and do a manifold vacuum pressure reading also. I've done that before and didn't have any flutters, so I'm thinking it's just the fuel pump and the actuation of the injectors where the gauge mounted to the fpr doesn't read right except when held steady at certain points.

Of course, if the manifold vacuum does fluctuate then I'll need to address valve issues, but it runs well enough and it did before in Ugly Betty. I'm pretty sure it's just wiggling to piss me off.

I've only had it idling in the garage at current, which of course, does not break in new piston rings. I was going to have it back running tonight, but we went on a 6 mile hike today and I'm calling it quits for the evening. Going to finish up putting the stock cam in tomorrow night. At least that should get it back to running like it used to, just with more torque. And I'll be able to idle with the AC on. That will be nice. Like the AC. I'm getting old, lol.

EDIT: I realized today the fpr gauge wiggling is fuel pressure and a function of the old system with large batch-style injectors, thus the fluctuating needle. Whereas the manifold vacuum is just that. Vacuum. Not fuel pressure. So I should be fine. Off to the garage soon tonight to get that mess swapped!

[HRH]

She runs well now with the stock cam. Just have to start doing more testing to get her dialed after breaking in the new pistons and rings. Definitely more compression. I should do a compression check this weekend too. Pretty sure I'm in the mid 200s for psi. No pinging heard yet though, so that's good.

[wayno]

I like!^^^^^^^^

[HRH]

Thanks Wayno! Hopefully it will be running perfectly come this Sunday.

[DRIVEN]

We'll be waiting for a report.

[HRH]

The fiance is leaving me for the entire day Sunday, I have clearance to work my heart out on the wagon.

[HRH]

Uploading a video to youtube during lunch.

[HRH]

My garage is a giant mess from this project. Soon as I get her all set, I'm going to clean it. I basically just moved everything out of the way so I could get her out. Half my toolbox is on the floor. Bah!

[HRH]

Alright boys and girls, here you go!

https://youtu.be/05-DjVwxGWw

[flatcat19]

Stop talking. Just drive!

[wayno]

It always feels good when it comes together.

[HRH]

Yes, yes it does! Going out to probably change the oil, check the timing, etc. Also check for leaks from everything just in case.

[HRH]

Cleaning up the garage now so I can actually find my tools. Hood on. Adjusted the throttle cable, wasn't opening all the way, about an 1/8 off of full throttle, so that should help.

[DRIVEN]

[HRH]

So oddly, I adjusted the wagon back to base Nissan specs and unlike usual, it acts better. I put it at 9 degrees at 700 rpm instead of 8, but the pickup is much better now. Going to drain the oil and check the antifreeze next, but other than the exhaust leak, she's doing pretty well. Going to have to drop the car off on Friday so Discount muffler can cut off my hack job and weld in the proper pipe and make a hanger on the back too.

Also, the Jeep mount for the transmission works WAY FUCKING BETTER than the squishy Nissan original mount. Doesn't transmit too much vibration into the cab, but it holds the shifter steady. Soo nice, not that I've shifted at very high rpm yet, but still, it feels way more solid.

The 5 speed shifts a lot better now too, go figure since the dipshit who put it back in Ugly Betty installed the throwout fork spring backwards and had next to no grease on the input shaft splines. And removing that other piece of damper funkyness didn't prove even remotely problematic.

[HRH]

Ok, so Wynona has been running shitty in the morning, and yesterday night I put the other wire set on, which made a difference. Today she was still running shitty, but then on a 100 mph run after work, she started running great! Odd. So I stopped by NAPA and got a cap, rotor, plugs, and wires and got those installed since I hadn't done that in a while. Actually, I left the wires, they aren't that old and I checked them with the timing light and didn't have a break one.

After I got those on I started her up and she ran a little annoyed until she warmed up. I also decided to actually put dielectric grease in the fuel injector connectors and I even put the stupid little clips in this time since I'm not planning on removing them and they were new a couple years ago, so I shouldn't have to worry about them for another 100k or so.

Still didn't have the throttle response I wanted, and I forgot to mention, I removed the plugs and they were all looking a bit lean. So then I decided to bypass the EGR (which is supposed to be bypassed until the engine warms up) and it ran much better. It occurred to me I didn't have the EGR connected on the wagon before, and I certainly didn't have it connected on Ugly Betty. So it's feed is capped off now, which should help for instant acceleration, which I'll test tomorrow on the way to work.

The interesting part is according to my 1983 FSM, the stock compression is 171 psi. Ugly Betty was 196 psi and the chain was new, someone had the head done and shaved a bit off the roughly 40cc combustion chamber. The best part is I tested the compression tonight and not even fully warm, Ugly Betty was 215/212/215/215/212/215. Which is pretty damn good! No hint of detonation. Doubt I'll have any issue since I was almost the same pressure in Ugly Betty and I flogged her silly.

Anyway, time to sleep, but that's the update. Shitloads of compression and the motor from all testing standpoints is rock-solid. So now it's just left to a bit of management tweaking. On a stock 1984 EFI system. Oh the joys!

[DRIVEN]

Numbers don't get much more consistent than that.

[HRH]

Yep, I'm pretty happy with that. Think I'll need to adjust cam timing, and I really need to put in a mild cam that's better than stock, but still good idle. Getting the exhaust fixed up tomorrow morning, that will be much nicer. Then I should be all good. She's running pretty decently now, need to pace someone or use a gps app to see if my speedo is correct or not. Think it might read a little fast. Drove her to work two days now, no issues other than tweaking fuel pressures and caps/rotors, etc.

https://youtu.be/opBe5z0qwRE