I haven't posted in a while since nothing has really changed. The HHO system is working fine. Now that winter is on it's way, we'll see how it hold up to the cold weather.
I did tear down the intake to see if any of that white stuff had redeveloped since my last inspection when I added the feed tupe into the throttlebody. Everything was nice & clean. Since I had it torn down I did clean the IAC & the MAF sensor.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Thursday, August 12, 2010
It shorted again
Well it did it again. I started smelling the sweet rubbery smell trough the ac ducts & figured it was this. I shut off the HHO generator & the touched the wires and they were hot.
The fuse was tight, as were the connections so it could not have been an arc caused by a loose connection.
The only similarity between the time before & this is that BOTH times it was raining.
Being that this spade connector fuse holder has no cover, I can only assume that water got into the connection. The fuse was face up and it was also sitting just under the seem of the hood.
All it takes is one drop to cause an arc.
Everything has been repositioned & insulated now. Lets see if this settles this.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Redundancy
I have been asked why I have 2 resettable circuit breakers a fuseable link & an inline fuse?
This is why.
My breaker did not trip, my fusable link is intact. If this redundant fuse was not im place I could have lost a lot more.
I also have redundant flashports & flashback protection. Always double up on your HHO safety devices.
This is why.
My breaker did not trip, my fusable link is intact. If this redundant fuse was not im place I could have lost a lot more.
I also have redundant flashports & flashback protection. Always double up on your HHO safety devices.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Great Ebay Seller!!!
I sent a note to the seller of the reservoir bottle I used telling him of the split issue.
Here's my email:
That is exactly what I said. Today I was weeding through my spam filter, which his reply accidentally fell into. I was pleasantly surprise at his response.
Here's my email:
"Just wanted to give you a heads up on this tank I bought from you in November.
I did my install on the truck in May 2010 & the unit was great.
The fittings were tight with absolutely no leaks.
Today I was going to refill my reservoir and noticed the tank has split open ( see pix attached).
I think that they are unable to handle the KOH electrolyte."
That is exactly what I said. Today I was weeding through my spam filter, which his reply accidentally fell into. I was pleasantly surprise at his response.
"Sorry for the trouble. Maybe the tank had a flaw in it, that happens sometimes with this type of plastic forming technique. E-mail me back with your address and I'll send you another tank to replace the defective one. I now weld the fittings in, hold better."
Talk at you later.
His Ebay seller name is Mr.Mustang390. Here's a link to his page: Mr.Mustang390
I highly recommend him. He is absolutely a great Ebay seller who stands behind his product!
His Ebay seller name is Mr.Mustang390. Here's a link to his page: Mr.Mustang390
I highly recommend him. He is absolutely a great Ebay seller who stands behind his product!
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
A blowout in the reservoir
I had noticed that my mileage wasn't as good in the last few fill ups as I had been getting. Well today I accidentally found the culprit.
(click image)
(click image)
While I was adding distilled water to my KOH tank, I noticed that there was a split in the tank at the seam. So in effect, I had am HHO gas leak for about 3 weeks. I anticipated these types of problems which is why my reservoir tank is installed just behind the grill on the driver's side. This is far enough away from the intake and any potential flashback issues.
I replaced the tank with a 2 quart unit of much thicker plastic.
(click image)
(click image)
While I was adding distilled water to my KOH tank, I noticed that there was a split in the tank at the seam. So in effect, I had am HHO gas leak for about 3 weeks. I anticipated these types of problems which is why my reservoir tank is installed just behind the grill on the driver's side. This is far enough away from the intake and any potential flashback issues.
I replaced the tank with a 2 quart unit of much thicker plastic.
(click image)
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
New Composter
Just picked up a new Suncast Compost Tumbler at Lowes for $99.
It took me 45 minutes to assemble (while watching TV) . The tub is sturdy, 2 pieces bolted together with 20 nuts & bolts. The frame stand may be questionable. I will use it as is but eventually I think I will find myself building a new one out of pressure treated lumber. We'll see.
I also noted that the main bolts that hold the drum to the frame may fail in time. If it does stainless steel bolts will be used .
Here's a few pix.
It took me 45 minutes to assemble (while watching TV) . The tub is sturdy, 2 pieces bolted together with 20 nuts & bolts. The frame stand may be questionable. I will use it as is but eventually I think I will find myself building a new one out of pressure treated lumber. We'll see.
I also noted that the main bolts that hold the drum to the frame may fail in time. If it does stainless steel bolts will be used .
Here's a few pix.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Garden Pickins
Went out again this morning and there were more veggies just calling out to be picked!
This garden has been very easy to do, especially the hanging garden.
Here's what I got today:
This garden has been very easy to do, especially the hanging garden.
Here's what I got today:
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Beheaded Squash
Just an update with a question. My hanging squash plant committed suicide.
I found it decapitated on the ground. The stem was slimy like a cracker gummed by a toddler. I looked healthy & was even bearing fruit.
Anyone have any clues what might have happened?
I found it decapitated on the ground. The stem was slimy like a cracker gummed by a toddler. I looked healthy & was even bearing fruit.
Anyone have any clues what might have happened?
Thursday, June 17, 2010
HHO MPG
My Trac is now up to 16 mpg local driving ONLY!
I have not touch a highway or county road at all.
I will be going to harbor freight soon so I will be able to get a nice
highway reading as wells as a combined MPG.
But still...I want more!
I will be tweaking the EFIE some more!
I have not touch a highway or county road at all.
I will be going to harbor freight soon so I will be able to get a nice
highway reading as wells as a combined MPG.
But still...I want more!
I will be tweaking the EFIE some more!
Monday, June 14, 2010
Eggplant from the Garden!
Another gem from the garden.
This is a 10" Japaneses Eggplant.
There are 4 or 5 more on the plant currently!
This is a 10" Japaneses Eggplant.
There are 4 or 5 more on the plant currently!
Thursday, June 10, 2010
HHO System Inspection
Today I did a systems inspection of the HHO system. Basically, looking for leaks, corrosion, & problems in general.
All the connections were tight, the reservoir was sealed, the bubbler did not any leaks. I replaced the vinegar & distilled water solution in the bubbler even though it was clear.
Next I broke down the cold air intake. Basically what I am looking for here is corrosion. Since KOH is corrosive to aluminum & I had previously replaced my OEM rubber intake with aluminum tubes, I thought it prudent to inspect this.
The first thing I saw when I disconnected the tube from the throttle body was that I did have some corrosion in the tube.
You can see the trail coming from the HHO inlet down the pipe towards the air cleaner.
The opposite side towards the throttle body was relatively clean with just some minor residue on the poly connections.
My throttle body housing as well as my MAF housing is made of plastic. Neither of those 2 components were affected.
As it appears that the HHO is more or less hitting the airflow & going everywhere, I decided to rig it so the HHO is fed as close to the throttle body without interfering.
This feed tube is 4 mm away from the throttle body butterfly. I also repositioned the intake tube so that it is even and not at a downward angle towards the MAF.
Hopefully this will direct more gas to the intake at idle which I have noted the Trac uses more gasoline.
All the connections were tight, the reservoir was sealed, the bubbler did not any leaks. I replaced the vinegar & distilled water solution in the bubbler even though it was clear.
Next I broke down the cold air intake. Basically what I am looking for here is corrosion. Since KOH is corrosive to aluminum & I had previously replaced my OEM rubber intake with aluminum tubes, I thought it prudent to inspect this.
The first thing I saw when I disconnected the tube from the throttle body was that I did have some corrosion in the tube.
You can see the trail coming from the HHO inlet down the pipe towards the air cleaner.
The opposite side towards the throttle body was relatively clean with just some minor residue on the poly connections.
My throttle body housing as well as my MAF housing is made of plastic. Neither of those 2 components were affected.
As it appears that the HHO is more or less hitting the airflow & going everywhere, I decided to rig it so the HHO is fed as close to the throttle body without interfering.
This feed tube is 4 mm away from the throttle body butterfly. I also repositioned the intake tube so that it is even and not at a downward angle towards the MAF.
Hopefully this will direct more gas to the intake at idle which I have noted the Trac uses more gasoline.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
HHO Mileage
With a setting of 275mv as a base to the O2 sensors, driving only local, the Trac averaged 13.9 mpg which was 2.7% less than my mpg with the EFIE set at 350mv which was 14.3mpg yet better than my base mpg of 13mpg. If you recall at 350mv the Trac ran like crap.
Now I raised the base mv to the O2 sensors to 300mv driving only local, the Trac averaged 15.6 mpg which was 10.9% more than my mpg with the EFIE set at 275mv
My no HHO local mileage is 13mpg So with HHO I get 15.6 that's a 16.67% overall improvement. The truck still runs smooth with no loss in power or performance. I will increase the base mv to 310mv & see the results.
I will post in another 100 miles what my findings are.
Now I raised the base mv to the O2 sensors to 300mv driving only local, the Trac averaged 15.6 mpg which was 10.9% more than my mpg with the EFIE set at 275mv
My no HHO local mileage is 13mpg So with HHO I get 15.6 that's a 16.67% overall improvement. The truck still runs smooth with no loss in power or performance. I will increase the base mv to 310mv & see the results.
I will post in another 100 miles what my findings are.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
The Vegetable Garden - Current
Another trip trough the garden. One thing I have found regarding the hanging plants. The small pots may not be big enough to sustain the plant growth. I find myself having to water them daily when I'm told once every 2 or 3 days should suffice. But they get dry!
Next time I will use Home Depot Orange buckets for my upside down plants.
Here's a few samples of the zucchini & peppers picked.
Next time I will use Home Depot Orange buckets for my upside down plants.
Here's a few samples of the zucchini & peppers picked.
The Vegetable Garden - May 04, 2010
I noticed that one of my squash plants looked a bit "undernourished" & wilty for a week or so. My other squash plants are large & robust but not this one. I don't know if you can make it out in the pix below:
Reading up on this on the internet, I found that it has Bacterial Leaf Wilt. It appears its a U.S. disease that affects cucumbers, squash, pumpkins, and watermelon among other plants. Spread by the striped cucumber beetle. So I uprooted that plant & treated the others & my new cantaloupes with Sevin.
Hopefully it stops there!
Reading up on this on the internet, I found that it has Bacterial Leaf Wilt. It appears its a U.S. disease that affects cucumbers, squash, pumpkins, and watermelon among other plants. Spread by the striped cucumber beetle. So I uprooted that plant & treated the others & my new cantaloupes with Sevin.
Hopefully it stops there!
The Vegetable Garden - Apr 22, 2010
Just wanted to post my progress on the garden, what a difference a few weeks make.
This was the 3 tomato & 2 pepper plants I originally hung up
As you can see, they have grown nicely. The new plants (long tomato plants) were my "ignored" seedling that grew on their own in the shed. I also have eggplant growing here.
As you can see, my original tomato plants are now producing a crop!
Moving down the line is the mint. I opted to keep them in a planter box as they will quickly overgrow.
This was the original garden I planted back in the beginning of April
It is growing extremely well, with very little maintenance, and my wife has been consistently harvesting the romaine lettuce & the spinach!!!
Although I have hot peppers growing, I have to find a source for super hot peppers...I like the heat!
This was the 3 tomato & 2 pepper plants I originally hung up
As you can see, they have grown nicely. The new plants (long tomato plants) were my "ignored" seedling that grew on their own in the shed. I also have eggplant growing here.
As you can see, my original tomato plants are now producing a crop!
Moving down the line is the mint. I opted to keep them in a planter box as they will quickly overgrow.
This was the original garden I planted back in the beginning of April
It is growing extremely well, with very little maintenance, and my wife has been consistently harvesting the romaine lettuce & the spinach!!!
Although I have hot peppers growing, I have to find a source for super hot peppers...I like the heat!
The Vegeable Garden - Apr 22, 2010
After reading up on "harvesting" the romaine lettuce, my wife raided the garden this morning!
The Vegetable Garden - Apr 12, 2010
The garden keeps growing at a ridiculous rate
Here are a few shots of the garden as it sits today
(click picture)
Here are the upside down Tomato plants as well as the red peppers!
(click picture)
(click picture)
Who knew I could grow stuff?
Not bad for a New York City boy eh? LOL
Here are a few shots of the garden as it sits today
(click picture)
Here are the upside down Tomato plants as well as the red peppers!
(click picture)
(click picture)
Who knew I could grow stuff?
Not bad for a New York City boy eh? LOL
The Vegetable Garden - Apr 03, 2010
Well I have half my garden planted.
Next week I will do the herbs & mint.
Next week I will do the herbs & mint.
The Vegetable Garden - Mar 28, 2010
Well
this weekend I tilled the area that I am making the veg garden. I also got 2 cubic yards of nice rich topsoil to add to the garden. I Got my metal posts & rabbit guard fencing to section it off. Hopefully it will keep the bunny out of there.
BTW, the eggplant has begun to sprout!!!!
this weekend I tilled the area that I am making the veg garden. I also got 2 cubic yards of nice rich topsoil to add to the garden. I Got my metal posts & rabbit guard fencing to section it off. Hopefully it will keep the bunny out of there.
BTW, the eggplant has begun to sprout!!!!
The Vegetable Garden - Mar 24, 2010
I either have a VERY green thumb, or these seed are EXPLODING!
Just one days growth from my previous post!
Just one days growth from my previous post!
The Vegetable Garden- Mar 23, 2010
I am going to back post son this topic. This is very cool.
After only 1 week I have seedlings for Spinach, Carrots, Tomatoes, & Squash growing in!
Here's one of my trays!
After only 1 week I have seedlings for Spinach, Carrots, Tomatoes, & Squash growing in!
Here's one of my trays!
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Today's Weather!
"Weather out here today is hot and shitty... with continued hot and shitty in the afternoon. Tomorrow a chance of continued crappy with a pissy weather front coming down from the north. Basically, it's hotter than a snake's ass in a wagon round-up." ... Roosevelt E. Roosevelt
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Test results
I don't usually put 100 miles in a week but for testing purposes I have been using the Trac to take my son to school. Since I saw the Hess station had gas for $2.45 I decided to fill up. I put 98 miles on the Trac.
With a setting of 275mv as a base to the O2 sensors, driving only local, the Trac averaged 13.9 mpg which was 2.7% less than my mpg with the EFIE set at 350mv which was 14.3 yet better than my base mpg of 13mpg. If you recall at 350mv the Trac ran like crap.
Now it's a matter of tweaking.
I raised the base mv to the O2 sensors to 300mv. The truck still runs smooth with no loss in power or performance.
I will post in another 100 miles what my findings are.
As a footnote, I did note one thing, at idle she seems to burn more gasoline & less hydrogen. I am wondering if I should T the Hydrogen line with a check valve and run a feed directly to the intake manifold. This will allow the the Trac to feed on more hydrogen at idle.
I will have to look into this.
With a setting of 275mv as a base to the O2 sensors, driving only local, the Trac averaged 13.9 mpg which was 2.7% less than my mpg with the EFIE set at 350mv which was 14.3 yet better than my base mpg of 13mpg. If you recall at 350mv the Trac ran like crap.
Now it's a matter of tweaking.
I raised the base mv to the O2 sensors to 300mv. The truck still runs smooth with no loss in power or performance.
I will post in another 100 miles what my findings are.
As a footnote, I did note one thing, at idle she seems to burn more gasoline & less hydrogen. I am wondering if I should T the Hydrogen line with a check valve and run a feed directly to the intake manifold. This will allow the the Trac to feed on more hydrogen at idle.
I will have to look into this.
Friday, May 28, 2010
First I set my EFIE to 375mv and I was throwing codes all over the place. The Trac ran rough & at idle, it was jumping around.
Then I set my EFIE to 350mv and it ran better but still not right!
I lowered it to 340mv. It threw 2 DTC codes (0133 & 0153 Heated O2 Sensor Circuit Slow Response) and it ran sluggish.
I backed them off to around 310mv (it fluctuates between 307 & 312 mv) and it ran better.
This morning I was at a stop sign waiting to turn, there was a car coming about 15 car lengths away. I hit the gas & the Trac choked! Like it was not getting fuel.
Driving down the road it just didn't "feel"right. I've decided to drop it again, this time to 275mv.
It idles much smoother. I will take it for a test run & see if this will resolve the performance issue. Then I will evaluate the MPG at the end of the next 100 miles.
Then I set my EFIE to 350mv and it ran better but still not right!
I lowered it to 340mv. It threw 2 DTC codes (0133 & 0153 Heated O2 Sensor Circuit Slow Response) and it ran sluggish.
I backed them off to around 310mv (it fluctuates between 307 & 312 mv) and it ran better.
This morning I was at a stop sign waiting to turn, there was a car coming about 15 car lengths away. I hit the gas & the Trac choked! Like it was not getting fuel.
Driving down the road it just didn't "feel"right. I've decided to drop it again, this time to 275mv.
It idles much smoother. I will take it for a test run & see if this will resolve the performance issue. Then I will evaluate the MPG at the end of the next 100 miles.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
FIXED the DTC Code Issues!!!!
Well the new connections are solid! That fixed the code throwing issue.
Tomorrow I'll re attach the EFIE and fire up the generator!
BTW I found something interesting about the EFIE.
With all the fluctuation the O2 sensor does, when I set the EFIE to .25volts
I thought that was what I was setting it at. Being now able to check the signal at the ECU
I noted if the EFIE is on, you will read the voltage the oxygen sensor is producing [b]plus[/b] the voltage
being added by the EFIE.
Lets say you set the EFIE to .25 volts. Let's also say that when reading the oxygen
sensor in the previous paragraph, you saw a fluctuating voltage between .2 and .7 volts. When reading the
computer's input voltage you would then see a constantly changing voltage in the range of .45 and .95. This is
due to the .2 to .7 volts the sensor is producing, plus .25 volts that the EFIE is adding.
Tomorrow I'll re attach the EFIE and fire up the generator!
BTW I found something interesting about the EFIE.
With all the fluctuation the O2 sensor does, when I set the EFIE to .25volts
I thought that was what I was setting it at. Being now able to check the signal at the ECU
I noted if the EFIE is on, you will read the voltage the oxygen sensor is producing [b]plus[/b] the voltage
being added by the EFIE.
Lets say you set the EFIE to .25 volts. Let's also say that when reading the oxygen
sensor in the previous paragraph, you saw a fluctuating voltage between .2 and .7 volts. When reading the
computer's input voltage you would then see a constantly changing voltage in the range of .45 and .95. This is
due to the .2 to .7 volts the sensor is producing, plus .25 volts that the EFIE is adding.
Throwing DTC codes
I did some investigating today.
I opened the shrink wrap on the EFIE connections to make sure I hooked it up right. They were correct
a code 1151 or 1131 could be associated with a vacuum leak or an intake leak after the MAF or an exhaust leak by the O2 sensors. So I sprayed carb cleaner around the HHO inlet hose, all good, I replaced the hose with a tighter fit one. I was worried the EGT probe may have a leak & causing this as well. I took it for a ride & throw an 1151. Ok I disconnected the EFIE and connected it stock. Went for a ride within a mile again I threw an 1151. I came home and connected the multimeter to the stock O2 connections the passenger side was all over the place 150mv to 924mv and everything in between (BTW I am using a $900 MS7212 Mastech and it still bounces around) Then I tested the driver side 38mv to 89mv! It never passed 100mv, very suspect. I checked the connections & they looked ok. Still I figured I would replace the connectors to blades. Of course my soldering gun craps out (cuz I dropped it) , I have to use a junky tip solderer. Ok all the OEM connections are replaced, everything soldered. Took it for a 5 mile hop. No DTC codes.
So it appears one of my connections to the driver side was fubar. I soldered new connectors to the EFIE now as well. I will take a ride to pick up my kid from school (12 mile round trip) If I don't throw any codes then I will reconnect the EFFIE & see what happens then.
I opened the shrink wrap on the EFIE connections to make sure I hooked it up right. They were correct
a code 1151 or 1131 could be associated with a vacuum leak or an intake leak after the MAF or an exhaust leak by the O2 sensors. So I sprayed carb cleaner around the HHO inlet hose, all good, I replaced the hose with a tighter fit one. I was worried the EGT probe may have a leak & causing this as well. I took it for a ride & throw an 1151. Ok I disconnected the EFIE and connected it stock. Went for a ride within a mile again I threw an 1151. I came home and connected the multimeter to the stock O2 connections the passenger side was all over the place 150mv to 924mv and everything in between (BTW I am using a $900 MS7212 Mastech and it still bounces around) Then I tested the driver side 38mv to 89mv! It never passed 100mv, very suspect. I checked the connections & they looked ok. Still I figured I would replace the connectors to blades. Of course my soldering gun craps out (cuz I dropped it) , I have to use a junky tip solderer. Ok all the OEM connections are replaced, everything soldered. Took it for a 5 mile hop. No DTC codes.
So it appears one of my connections to the driver side was fubar. I soldered new connectors to the EFIE now as well. I will take a ride to pick up my kid from school (12 mile round trip) If I don't throw any codes then I will reconnect the EFFIE & see what happens then.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
I found leakage & clogs in my system which would attribute to the crappy mileage.
I used my eudiometer to check my production at the intake. For some reason it was .25 LPM.
Digging I found several issues. First my lovely reservoir leaked gas from the cap. I suspected in as much as that was the only part that was not in my bench setup. I swapped it out for the other one for now.
I also disconnected the circulating pump since my cell is relatively cool. Ok so then I blew air into the line from the reservoir to the bubbler, nothing. Can't blow the air into it. Why? The stone is clogged beyond use. I replaced it and ran the truck.
I see real good gas production at the reservoir. I test it at the intake... 2 LPM.
The scangauge is reading better mileage but still not as good as without HHO.
Filled up my mileage went from 15.5 MPG to 12.4 MPG.
I also threw an 1151 & a 1131 code (lean condition) My EFIE was set to 338MV I suppose this is due to the fact that not much HHO was getting into the intake.
I have to play with the EFIE now, maybe set it to around 355mv.
I used my eudiometer to check my production at the intake. For some reason it was .25 LPM.
Digging I found several issues. First my lovely reservoir leaked gas from the cap. I suspected in as much as that was the only part that was not in my bench setup. I swapped it out for the other one for now.
I also disconnected the circulating pump since my cell is relatively cool. Ok so then I blew air into the line from the reservoir to the bubbler, nothing. Can't blow the air into it. Why? The stone is clogged beyond use. I replaced it and ran the truck.
I see real good gas production at the reservoir. I test it at the intake... 2 LPM.
The scangauge is reading better mileage but still not as good as without HHO.
Filled up my mileage went from 15.5 MPG to 12.4 MPG.
I also threw an 1151 & a 1131 code (lean condition) My EFIE was set to 338MV I suppose this is due to the fact that not much HHO was getting into the intake.
I have to play with the EFIE now, maybe set it to around 355mv.
Friday, May 14, 2010
The Final "DETAIL"!
I am always talking about detail. Taking your time to do it right & make it look OEM, and I forget the one detail that shows on this project.
Did you notice it?
Did you notice it?
Thursday, May 13, 2010
EGT Control Baseline Test
It's amazing how a simple leaning of the fuel mix, or the addition of
hydrogen can affect the exhaust temperature & consequently the
cylinder head temp.
Did a quick baseline testing of the system & how it affects the engine.
All my temps are in Fahrenheit.
EFIE off, HHO off (Stock Setting)
idle........................................450
40mph cruising in 5th gear.........750
75mph cruising in 5th gear.........950
WOT at 85mph.........1100
doing a 12 mile hop on the highway
EFIE on, 325mv HHO on (Full HHO system On)
idle........................................425
40mph cruising in 5th gear.........700
75mph cruising in 5th gear.........850
WOT at 85mph.........1000
EFIE on, 325mv HHO off (Just the Leaning of the Fuel Mix)
idle........................................625
40mph cruising in 5th gear.........950
75mph cruising in 5th gear.........1350
WOT at 85mph.........N/A
I clicked on the generator and watch the Exhaust Temp quickly drop from 1350 to 850.
hydrogen can affect the exhaust temperature & consequently the
cylinder head temp.
Did a quick baseline testing of the system & how it affects the engine.
All my temps are in Fahrenheit.
EFIE off, HHO off (Stock Setting)
idle........................................450
40mph cruising in 5th gear.........750
75mph cruising in 5th gear.........950
WOT at 85mph.........1100
doing a 12 mile hop on the highway
EFIE on, 325mv HHO on (Full HHO system On)
idle........................................425
40mph cruising in 5th gear.........700
75mph cruising in 5th gear.........850
WOT at 85mph.........1000
EFIE on, 325mv HHO off (Just the Leaning of the Fuel Mix)
idle........................................625
40mph cruising in 5th gear.........950
75mph cruising in 5th gear.........1350
WOT at 85mph.........N/A
I clicked on the generator and watch the Exhaust Temp quickly drop from 1350 to 850.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
EGT Installed
Ok, I installed the EGT today. What a pain. Drilling the exhaust was the easy part, running the wiring & installing the gauge was a beast. Anyway, here it is... the final install.
I filled the tank, reset the scangauge & entered my figures into my MPG calculator. Let's see what happens.
I filled the tank, reset the scangauge & entered my figures into my MPG calculator. Let's see what happens.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
EGT
Well my EGT showed up today. Decent little unit. I tested it on the bench to make sure everything worked. I wired it to a 12v converter & tested the probe with my lawnmower. It worked great. The only thing I wasn't too happy with was the smoke tint on the display. The gauge light can't be connected to the to the dimmer because the smoke tint is so dark you need the LEDs on to read the meter. Besides I still ain't to crazy about the "tuner look"
Solution...
I redid the display.
I painted the chrome bezel & replaced the dark blue smoked lens with a piece of glass.
I think I will begin installing it tomorrow!
Solution...
I redid the display.
I painted the chrome bezel & replaced the dark blue smoked lens with a piece of glass.
I think I will begin installing it tomorrow!
Sunday, May 9, 2010
So every time I read articles on ECU manipulation, I run into the question of increased exhaust gas temperature. An EGT gauge is essential when making modifications to the mix. When you lean the mix the EGT increases then the addition of HHO reduced the lean burn condition lowering the EGT.
So I bought one it. it will be here soon.
The problem in my head was always:
1. I didn't want to drill my exhaust to install the probe.
2. I didn't want to spend an arm & a leg
3. The ones I kept seeing were those "tuner' LED gauges.
4. Where do I install the gauge (I shudda bought a triple pod) my OEM-OCD is in full tilt
Well I guess I will have to deal with issue 1
The one I bought cost me $55 so issue 2 is no prob
Issue 3 I will deal with because of price.
Issue 4? I will figure that out.
I would have preferred to install an aeronautical unit like an AMS or Alcor but $600 bucks is riduculous.
Installing the gauge & making it look like like its a factory install?...that will me MY nightmare!
So I bought one it. it will be here soon.
The problem in my head was always:1. I didn't want to drill my exhaust to install the probe.
2. I didn't want to spend an arm & a leg
3. The ones I kept seeing were those "tuner' LED gauges.
4. Where do I install the gauge (I shudda bought a triple pod) my OEM-OCD is in full tilt
Well I guess I will have to deal with issue 1
The one I bought cost me $55 so issue 2 is no prob
Issue 3 I will deal with because of price.
Issue 4? I will figure that out.
I would have preferred to install an aeronautical unit like an AMS or Alcor but $600 bucks is riduculous.
Installing the gauge & making it look like like its a factory install?...that will me MY nightmare!
Thursday, May 6, 2010
OK
I'm DONE. Everything is installed & running.
BTW Setting up the EFIE is such a PITA!!!
I set my sensors at 375mv (yeah ok)
My Trac went berserk! It threw 3 codes and the main problem I felt on my 1st test drive was
my transmission wouldn't shift on time.
Also waiting to turn at a stop sign, my truck kept lurching to go.
So, I went back home and reset the sensors to 315mv...took it for a test drive. Everything felt good.
Took it for a ride I do every day. (the ride to take my son to taekwondo).
I kept the same speed same route same driving conditions. Usually on a round trip the average mpg reads about 15.4 mpg.
My round trip average mpg was 19.9 mpg. that's 30% improvement. Of course this by no means is conclusive, and there has to be a lot more driving to get a more accurate reading but it looks promising.
My PWM is a POS. The little unit is not robust enough to handle this kind of use on a ling term basis. The power connections are made to the board using blade connectors. These loosen over time under heat.
But I bought a new one to replace it. Avoid the same mistake. My new one cost me $60. plus shipping.
Now starts the tweaking of the EFIE to find the perfect setting.
I'm DONE. Everything is installed & running.
BTW Setting up the EFIE is such a PITA!!!
I set my sensors at 375mv (yeah ok)
My Trac went berserk! It threw 3 codes and the main problem I felt on my 1st test drive was
my transmission wouldn't shift on time.
Also waiting to turn at a stop sign, my truck kept lurching to go.
So, I went back home and reset the sensors to 315mv...took it for a test drive. Everything felt good.
Took it for a ride I do every day. (the ride to take my son to taekwondo).
I kept the same speed same route same driving conditions. Usually on a round trip the average mpg reads about 15.4 mpg.
My round trip average mpg was 19.9 mpg. that's 30% improvement. Of course this by no means is conclusive, and there has to be a lot more driving to get a more accurate reading but it looks promising.
My PWM is a POS. The little unit is not robust enough to handle this kind of use on a ling term basis. The power connections are made to the board using blade connectors. These loosen over time under heat.
But I bought a new one to replace it. Avoid the same mistake. My new one cost me $60. plus shipping.Now starts the tweaking of the EFIE to find the perfect setting.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
More Wiring
Did some more wiring yesterday. I think I'll pass on installing the MAF enhancer for now. I'll see how the EFIE alone works out. I tested the components as I went along, the solenoid activated on queue & fired up the circulating pump. I now have to connect the solenoid to switched power to activate the solenoid & spice the gauge lights into a wire that dims them. Then cut in & set the EFIE.
Kinda looks like my previous post picture doesn't it? Almost. This picture shows the addition of the PWM adjustment. It's a subtle detail, almost invisible to the eye.
Kinda looks like my previous post picture doesn't it? Almost. This picture shows the addition of the PWM adjustment. It's a subtle detail, almost invisible to the eye.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
HHO Guages
Well the hard stuff is almost done.
Today I took 7 hours to install the PWM, run most of the power & ground wires through the firewall, install & wire the gauges & install the gauge pod.
I still have some incidental wiring to do. The MAF enhancer has to be run as well.
Today I took 7 hours to install the PWM, run most of the power & ground wires through the firewall, install & wire the gauges & install the gauge pod.
I still have some incidental wiring to do. The MAF enhancer has to be run as well.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
The Installation Begins!
Well today I started the tedious work of wiring the system.
I bench tested all of the electrical component to make sure I
don't have any preventable failures. It all works.
As you can see, true to my word,
this system will look as OEM as I can make it. I may even
make a plastic shroud to cover the generator/bubbler area.
Here's an overall shot of the guts of the system.
Of course, as always there are gremlins. I found that my bubbler had a leak as well.
(like I need hydrogen gas leaking in my engine compartment) I broke it down and rebuilt it.
I added plastic seals to the barbs with some rubber gaskets.
After the refit, it now holds 5 psi like the reservoir does. It may hold more but
I stopped a 5 psi
Here's a shot of the reservoir and the pump on the driver's side.
Looking down at the HHO Generator, its all plumbed & the 6 awg wires have been attached &
covered with plastic wire casing. The biggest PITA is soldering all the electrical connections and shrink wrapping the ends.
Here's my brass flashback arrestor ( one of 3). That zip tie on top has got to go!!
Finally The Solenoid. I decided to use a continuous use solenoid rated at 80 amp instead of a plastic relay.
But to protect the system I opted to use a resettable 45 amp circuit breaker.
I will still install an inline fuse cuz I don't trust anything. (there it is hiding in the corner)
I bench tested all of the electrical component to make sure I
don't have any preventable failures. It all works.
As you can see, true to my word,
this system will look as OEM as I can make it. I may even
make a plastic shroud to cover the generator/bubbler area.
Here's an overall shot of the guts of the system.
Of course, as always there are gremlins. I found that my bubbler had a leak as well.
(like I need hydrogen gas leaking in my engine compartment) I broke it down and rebuilt it.
I added plastic seals to the barbs with some rubber gaskets.
After the refit, it now holds 5 psi like the reservoir does. It may hold more but
I stopped a 5 psi
Here's a shot of the reservoir and the pump on the driver's side.
Looking down at the HHO Generator, its all plumbed & the 6 awg wires have been attached &
covered with plastic wire casing. The biggest PITA is soldering all the electrical connections and shrink wrapping the ends.
Here's my brass flashback arrestor ( one of 3). That zip tie on top has got to go!!
Finally The Solenoid. I decided to use a continuous use solenoid rated at 80 amp instead of a plastic relay.
But to protect the system I opted to use a resettable 45 amp circuit breaker.
I will still install an inline fuse cuz I don't trust anything. (there it is hiding in the corner)
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Drip in the Reservoir
So being a stickler for details, today I decided to do a leak test on the liquid system of my install.
Figuring that in case of a leak it's easier to deal with water instead of KOH. I thought is may be possible for a clamp to need tightening. So I fill the reservoir with distilled water, I prime the pump and fire her up.
She is pumping nicely. As I am looking at all the clamps I notice a leak from the bottom of the reservoir. I tighten the clamp on the barb & it's still drips once every 8 seconds. I unbolt the reservoir & wouldn't you know it, the ONLY part I actually bought was leaking...the reservoir!
I never bothered to test if the barbs were sealed to the tank properly. I guess quality control lacks from some suppliers!
So I pulled the tank & put Weldon 16 (an industrial plastics adhesive) then when it cures I will silicon around all 3 barbs just to make sure they seal.
I'll check it tomorrow to make sure they are water tight.
I guess the bright side is the unit wasn't filled with my 28% KOH solution!
Rule of thumb...test & inspect EVERYTHING before installing, assume NOTHING!
Figuring that in case of a leak it's easier to deal with water instead of KOH. I thought is may be possible for a clamp to need tightening. So I fill the reservoir with distilled water, I prime the pump and fire her up.
She is pumping nicely. As I am looking at all the clamps I notice a leak from the bottom of the reservoir. I tighten the clamp on the barb & it's still drips once every 8 seconds. I unbolt the reservoir & wouldn't you know it, the ONLY part I actually bought was leaking...the reservoir!
I never bothered to test if the barbs were sealed to the tank properly. I guess quality control lacks from some suppliers!
So I pulled the tank & put Weldon 16 (an industrial plastics adhesive) then when it cures I will silicon around all 3 barbs just to make sure they seal.
I'll check it tomorrow to make sure they are water tight.
I guess the bright side is the unit wasn't filled with my 28% KOH solution!
Rule of thumb...test & inspect EVERYTHING before installing, assume NOTHING!
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
The PAINTED Gauge Pod
The Gauge Pod
Here's The basic unpainted shell. I used Classic Coat to paint it medium praire tan to match my interior.
This is the paint. It's a flexible paint made specifically for interior parts. Prep was easy. I sanded the pod with 120 grit sandpaper then cleaned it up with plain rubbing alcohol before painting.
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