Running the motor again

It won't Start! But before I get to that an update on progress. Cooling hoses are connected up enough for testing. Here is a pic I took when it was mostly done.

After the cooling lines were all connected I powered up the electrical system and put the key in and it won't engage the starter. Bad deal. The cluster now says the steering lock is defective and red steering wheel lights up on the dash. That s a new and bad error. We have stripped a ton of wires from the harness but I've checked and all the ones for the steering lock are intact and look good. Using VCDS it surprisingly shows the immobilizer is happy. The steering steering lock is in the unlocked position. The steering lock quit locking on earlier engine starts due to some of the modules I removed.

I'm a bit frustrated with it. Not sure if the steering lock module is now broken, something else is broken, some wire to something else is missing causing it to think it's broken or if the no start is something unrelated. It may be time to remove the IMMO but if the issue is something else that's be kind of a waste and might not fix it. Already spent many hours looking over wiring diagrams and checking things. Fixed a couple wires that were mistakenly removed but so far still no starter action.

I've taken the steering lock apart and checked it to see if it just failed but it appears good. I expect it is likely a wiring problem from us removing gobs of wires or man handling the wires but where? My guess at the moment is either the J393 module or J519 module. Checked over the J393 module connections last night and none of the removed wires appear significant. Did find out that unplugging the J393 module allowed things to power up (T15) and NO steering defective error on the dash (no errors in the text window and and just a few lights). Strange. Oh with J393 plugged in and the steering lock unplugged or the steering wheel module unplugged nothing powers up. Or if the Steering lock is in the locked position (and everything plugged in) nothing powers up (it currently set to the unlocked position.)

Things I changed before the steering lock error went off. I found a ground wire not grounded. However this wire was simply a diode to ground from one of the power leads in the fuse box. Grounding the wire didn't appear to change anything. Recoded the comfort module (J393) back to Auto trans along with the steering wheel electronics back to Auto trans. Then the steering lock error (red steering wheel) went off and the steering lock started actuating again. The engine allowed to start field in VCDS is now showing as Yes.

The cluster still says "depress clutch", odd as I can't find anything that is not coded to auto trans with the exception of the gateway, which I've unchecked the auto trans as that module isn't there. On J519 there is a wire that ran to the P/N switch and looks like may go to the clutch switch on manual trans cars. When grounding that wire (T16g/7) the J519 module sees the P/N switch as activated. With that wire grounded pressing the key all the way in now activates the starter relay. Now I just need a better battery and some fuel and it should run again!

Got a new battery and the car started then died. No new errors. Seemed a bit fuel starved. Ran the pump a bunch of times hoping to get the air out but the engine would fire up, fun a bit and die. The fuel lines were connected the exact same way as the first time. So seemed like it should work. Looking at the fuel pump assembly I noticed a large amount of fuel coming out the extra line, I thought it was just for the 4motion version. The tube I had that would attach there inside the 4motion tank was quite restrictive so I just plugged it (see picture) and the car started and ran just fine. Ran the engine for about 5 min. and shut it down. So success there. The wiring and modules seem happy again.

After looking up new fuel pumps seems the FWD (2wd) version also has this same tube out of the fuel pump? Weird. Will have to research that a bit more.



Below is a picture of the bin holding the wiring and a few electronics boxes we have extracted so far from the wire harness. And that's not even all of it.

Radiator Hoses - Possible New Rear Suspension?

One night I decided to modify some suspension parts I bought for the project quite a long time ago. Was kind of a whim thing to work on this now and especially with so little planning but it looks like it might have turned out. Narrowed it 8 7/8 inches. Time will tell if this is a good amount or not. It's just tacked together so it is easy enough to change.

 This week was spent fitting radiator hoses. Bought a bunch of 90 degree elbows, misc hoses and an aluminum tube. Starting to fit it all to the motor. Used the simple wire crimper method to bead the end of the tube. No pictures but there's plenty on the web. Right now I'm skipping connecting up the heater and some of that misc. I can do that later. Waiting on some caps to cap off the unused ports.

Mounting The Radiator

 Now that we have a fan shroud and radiator it's time to put them in the car. The GT6 and spitfire use different mounting points on the frame.

Since my frame is a GT6 the spitfire mounts aren't there. Also the spitfire puts the radiator into a bracket then mounts it to the frame. Which I also don't have. So decided to make my own mounts.

Wasn't much of a chore to make them. Now the radiator is mounted and I can move on to fitting cooling hoses to the engine.

Alternator Bracket.....Done

 Been awhile since I took time to work on the car. Most of my Saturdays of late have been dedicated to house projects. And it also got hot so the garage wasn't fun to hang out in. Recently the weather cooled a bit and I thought it was time for a Saturday in the garage.

Last Saturday was spent on the Alternator bracket. I'd cobbled one together for proof of concept but it was too flimsy to hold it while running. 

So basically made a similar bracket but in thicker metal. The final part is 5 pieces welded together. I'd make a paper template from the flimsy bracket then cut it in metal and weld that piece on. 

Looks to have turned out nice and sturdy. One thing done.

Oh one other day I decided to try sitting in the car and see how the steering and pedal position would feel (I've never driven a triumph). I'm also considering changing the steering column to be parallel to the axis of the car instead of angled as it comes from the factory. Also wanted to see what room was there if I used the Passat gas pedal. Anyway I tossed in a two 2x4 chunks stacked to be the seat. After climbing in I tossed out one of the 2x4's as two was too many and my head was too close to the ceiling. That seat won't have much cushion.

Alternator Bracket, V2, Wiring Thinning

 Since last entry, time has been spent thinning the wiring harness. I purchased a copy of "VCDS" and an interface which is used for coding VW modules. With that I was able to tell most of the modules to not worry about the Auto trans, Electric power steering, tire pressure monitoring, Airbags and bunches of other non essential items. Haven't had time to try and recode the ECU, which is a bit trickier, but with the changes so far we are able to still start the motor without the items previously mentioned attached. With that completed we opened up a lot of the wire harness and started removing unneeded wires. I know wiring is not what some people enjoy but for me it feels like a mix between a puzzle and a treasure hunt. Working on the wiring has been a relaxing activity for the both of us on many evenings.

If memory serves, the past 2 Saturdays were spent making test fit alternator brackets to check clearances. Holding the alternator in position to check clearances and make templates was very difficult so went with the plan to just make something quickly out of scraps and then measure how far off it was to make another better one. Was a good strategy as the first one made didn't work out. no surprise. Originally I mounted the alternator as close to the motor as possible. My first thought was to skip using a tensioner but just swing the alternator out to tension the belt. I'll include a picture of that original setup. But to tension the belt I'd have to slide the alternator up more than pivot it. Decided a tensioner or at the very least an idler pulley would be best. There was no space for the original Passat tensioner and the alternator at the same time. Thought of making my own thing but it looked like the tensioner from the 3.2L 24V VR6 would fit my engine and that tensioner has most of it's structure forward and right of the alternator leaving room for the alternator. Alternator bracket was quickly revised to test placement. In the picture of V2 the tensioner is locked in the nearly full loose position. It will swing to the right (left in the picture) to apply tension to the belt.

Now to see if I can get a belt the right size and make a permanent bracket.

VR6 Running in the GT6!!!

 This week we put together the oil system. A custom adapter plate to the engine to some AN lines to a remote oil filter. It ended up in the wheel well as it's tight inside the engine compartment. I think that it won't get in the way of the front wheel. If it does it can be moved.

Also found that the oil dipstick wasn't in an ideal location now. Changing how the coolant pipes run made it in a less desirable location. So bent that up and welded on a new holding bracket. Also cobbled up some temporary set up for the fuel pump and piping to the engine.

Then it was a new set of spark plugs and connect up all the electrical fittings. Friday night it was all together but it wouldn't start. Was giving a bunch of errors codes for stuff on the motor. Time to call it a night.

Saturday morning we went out and pulled a spark plug. The plug was wet, so we were getting gas. Checked and no spark. Humm. More looking and there was no power getting to the coils at all. No power to the coils and the other errors were probably all from the same issue. After looking at some wiring information It had to be the power source to the coils (and other stuff ) wasn't working but how was the power run to the coils. Long story short the connector that brought in coil power and a few other wires that didn't go to or through the ECU had the wrong thing plugged into it. Simple fix and voilà it started the next try.

Here is a very short video of it starting and running:

Car On The Wall

 The weather has improved so there was some time spent in the garage. One thing that needed to be done is to sort out the wiring harness. I pulled the harness, nearly complete, from the donor car. along with most of the computers, switches, fuse boxes etc.. To make it easy to sort out I pinned the wiring up on the wall and then plugged in all the computers and switches. This made it much easier to find the wires I need to keep and what I need to ditch.

While it is there I also plan to use it to test run the motor. With the wiring and computers on the wall I ran the cable for the engine ECU to the car and plugged it in. Also ran some grounding straps to connect the critical items. Put the key in and it lights up and unlocks the steering column and shifter. It looks like every error light still lights though, oh well, I won't be using that cluster anyway so no worries there.

The oil filter and dipstick need to be fitted to the engine before I can even see if it turns over. That's next on the "to do" list.

Adapting engine into the car

 Turned the car around in the garage. This car is so small I was able to fit it between the other two cars while turning it. No need to back any of them out. Now that it has the LH side out I can work on adapting the coolant system and oil system. Also found that the factory alternator from the donor car won't fit. So will do some adapting there. Decided it would be best to install the steering column to ensure there is adequate space around that. Took the column from one of the worst parts car so I don't have to worry so much about damaging it. On the plus side the steering fits no problem.

Not much to show at this point as most of the work has been in research and measuring. I've fabricated and bought a few parts but nothing has been fully assembled. The donor car radiator is slightly too big to fit. Think I'll fit a spitfire radiator as with the engine so far back there is no need to have the way far forward GT6 radiator.

Lots more to come.

Engine Repair Complete

Where did November go? Time flies. The engine timing chain, guides, oil pump and high pressure fuel pump cam have all been replaced, Timing covers back on, oil pan cleaned out and resealed. Engine fixed. Now back to customizing.

Did a little more to improve the adapter plate. Added 2 counter sink bolts. Turned out nice but forgot to take a picture. It'll be apart again later. Put on the flywheel, clutch and starter. Tested the starter and it was a bit too tight to the ring gear. A little adjustment to the adapter plate and it seems to be working nicely now. Put the transmission on. The first time it has been installed with the clutch. It seems to mesh. Currently there is no release bearing mechanism in the transmission. Thinking of going with a concentric throw out bearing system but will worry about that later. With no driveshaft the car won't be needing a clutch anyway.

Next up is to turn the car around so the LH side is facing out. That way I can get better access to the oil filter area which needs customizing before I can try and start the engine.

Transmission Mounts, Part 1

 Next up on the to do list is the transmission mounts. Trying to finalize the transmission location it was a good time to pull out a drive shaft (or piece of a drive shaft) and use that to help locate the trans. Of course I spent too much time fiddling trying to get it to the "perfect" location. Which often turns out to not be the perfect location so I wonder why I spend so much time on it :-) Long story short.

Did a bit more clearancing for the transmission
Adjusted the LH motor mount so the intake (where it hits the hood) is level
Created some plates to weld into the frame for the transmission mounts.

The transmission mounts on this trans sit much lower than the triumph. So I have to move the frame mounting around. The mounts are also not symmetrical. Something I had noticed years ago on this style trans. Not a big deal when bolting parts together but fabricating the mounting surface at strange angles requires some care. I made the mounting plates then welded some scrap between them to keep them at the right angles. Then realized I couldn't get that into the frame. So made them bolt together. Will remove that once they are solidly located.

More to do on this.

Motor Mounts Almost Done

 It seems it has been awhile since I had some good time with the Triumph. Family events, sickness and yard work have taken their share. As much as I want to working on the car every weekend isn't practical. :-) But this weekend was car weekend.

I had mocked up some motor mounts in Cardboard and set about making them into metal. The mount extensions aren't yet tacked into the metal plates. I thought it best to give myself a little thinking time before locking it down. This came after getting the motor all aligned straight, centered and level in the bay. I was about to tack the one side on when I thought I should test fit the hood closing. I did and the intake was hitting the hood. Which reminded me that the best fit wasn't with the motor exactly vertical. Ohhh yah. I shifted the engine over to where it was when I was doing test fitting much earlier and it looks much better. But the trans is hitting on the mount brackets keeping from fine tuning the fit. A job for another day. Anyway...

The RH side arches over the starter then curves forward to the mount. I'm attempting to leave the gap between the motor and the frame open for the exhaust to go through.

The LH side I realized my complicated mock up wasn't needed and I could just go straight across to the engine as there is nothing in the way (Gussets to be added later). The white pipe in the picture is roughly where the steering shaft will be (The pipe is a little low). The mount clears it nicely.

Unfortunately The motor shifted forward when the motor was tilted which can be seen pretty clearly on the LH motor mount shot.

Motor Mounts On The Frame

Little late on posting this week as what seemed like should take a few hours took much more. Had a bit of difficulty getting the holes where I wanted them which required re-work. oh well. Got it in now.

Looking at the finished product it doesn't look like much. But the mounts are not just fastened to the thin wall of the frame (about 14 gauge). I drilled a 1 1/4 hole all the way through top and bottom then welded in some pipe, welded in a 3/16 plug in the end of the pipe and drilled that for the motor mount. Then covered all of that with a 1/8 plate (tack welded at the moment). Should give it some strength.

The other tricky bit is that inside of the frame there is some supporting structure for the "A" arms I had to miss. But wanted to be as close to it as possible. Took some massaging of the holes after they were drilled to get it all to work out.

More Engine And Trans Fitting

Getting the motor and trans to sit inside the engine bay is one thing. Getting them to sit level and not banging on anything is another. This week was spent doing more fine tuning on the location and checking how other things might fit (starter, alternator etc.).

After some time noticing how tight everything is between the suspension towers I went and checked out another swap project. Whoa. There was lots more cutting that I had thought. Made the cutting I had done so far look insignificant. Encouraged by the work of others I started cutting a bit more while still being conservative. Some more trimming and adjusting is required but it's pretty close to where it'll stay. It even fits with the starter on and there looks to be enough room for the exhaust to pass between the block and the frame.

Now that I have the location I have to come up with motor mounts for it. This is a bit of a challenge as I need to leave room for the exhaust and steering. I'd also like to use some mounts that do a good job of cutting NVH (usually requires large mounts). And I have to change up the oil filter/oil cooler combo bit as it won't fit at all.  And need to know what to leave room for. So lots of time planning and not so much fabricating over the last couple days.

It's nice to have it at a good location. Now to get it to stay there :-)

More VR6 RWD Motor Adapter Plate

More work done on the motor adapter plate. Most of the trans to plate holes are now drilled. And the perimeter is roughly cut out. So much easier to handle the smaller plate. Still need to cut the hole for the starter. Then it'll be time to test fit the assembly to the car.

VW VR6 Motor To BMW E46 Trans Adaption

One problem with the motor I choose was it was in only FWD or AWD cars only. No RWD trans exists. This requires an adapter. I've made a trans adapter before on my EV project. Really didn't want to do that for this project but this is how it turned out.

After what seemed like forever planning and scratching my head for what the best scenario was I ordered a metal plate. It came in friday and work to mate the plate to the motor was started. I've successfully cut the center clearance and the dowel and bolt mounting holes.

Next up mounting the transmission to the plate. This motor has the timing chain on the backside and the timing cover bumps out into the transmission bell housing area. I'm not the first to use this combination and I cut my trans to clear in a similar way. A little more fitting and I can put in the dowel and bolt holes then cut the perimeter out.