those r all 52mm guages. i got the idea and info from here:
http://g2ic.com/forums/showthread.php?t=159998
theres a link in there to get the peice that we are using to hold the guages too
updates?
A lot has happened for me, but not a whole lot for this project…just yet.
On my way to school, the last day before Christmas break, my daily driven '90 Carolla developed a rod knock and threw a rod on the freeway. So, my focus was abruptly diverted from my project, to getting some sort of transportation lined up. I found a kid selling a REALLY ghetto 89 civic hatch for $500 that he thought needed a clutch. I bought it, towed it home, and it turned out it only needed an axle. I quickly become horribly poor, due to buying xmas presents and a new beater. Before Xmas, I spent every day either working, or finishing xmas shopping. For the next several days following xmas, I worked on my new beater getting it driveable and reliable, and getting my checking account back up from $0. The holidays prevented my machinist from finishing my flanges, and the break prevented my buddy from welding my manifold at school.
While I was waiting for school to kick in again, my Father and I began designing a vegetable oil system for his diesel truck. He bought me some equipment for building prototype electronics, and I’ve been learning a TON about them. Soon I will begin programming micro-controllers, and at that point I’ll be able to create a pretty powerful device for operating the vegetable oil system. Go to www.greasecar.com if you want to see a pre-made system that you can buy. Our design should be better and may cost only 1/2 as much as the ones available online. I did manage to design and build a turbo timer using all radio-shack parts, and it only cost about $20 in parts. Once I finish and install it in a test car, I’ll probably post a DIY Turbo-Timer thread with pics and part #'s.
My plan is to continue learning about micro-controllers so that by the time I complete the Veg oil controller, which I have recently dubbed the “Green Machine”, I might be able to build a device to control the SSTS operation better than the stock ECU would be able to alone. Plus, who knows what other electronic devices I might be able to come up with!
that sounds cool man… sucks about your DD… im sure things will get back on track for you… good luck!
My buddy and I bought one of the greasecar kits last spring and had it shipped up here to Toronto. We installed it in his jetta iv with no problems, minus some vague instructions which simply require some mechanical inclination. Anyway I can vouch for the company as the parts are high quality. The whole thing is pretty much custom built by them and the hardware, machining and electronics are solid.
We’ve basically turned his garage into a refinery. We bought reconditioned 45 gallon drums for $30 a pop and connected them all together with valves and pvc. The hardest part, really, of this veggie oil gig is finding the oil. Restaurants are more than happy for you to come and take it away since they pay for disposal but you burn it faster than they fry it. Corporate places don’t let you touch it because they have disposal contracts set up so you’re left scouring for restaurants using canola (one of the better oils to use).
All in all veggie oil offers the same economy, power and hygiene (mechanically) as diesel. As long as you filter it well the stuff is free gas. The only recurring expenses are the veggie oil filters which are replaced alongside the engine oil and cost about the same. This is a real alternative to petroleum! Youre only limited in your selection of vehicle but I’m sure you can import the diesel Accord from Europe. 
Been following this thread closely as I am ultra-curious as to how well this turbo setup will work. Just wanted to add my thoughts on the vegetable oil.
WOW, that is a lot of good information. I’m going to pass it on to my father.
The greasecar kits do look nice and high quality, I just wanted to incorporate a few features they left out in the electronics. The price of the kit really isn’t bad either. For my father and I, however, its far more gratifying (and cheaper) to piece one together ourselves.
And I too am anxious and curious as hell to see how my TT setup will turn out. I’m learning so much about electronics doing this veggie oil project that it gives me more confidence in my own turbo setup. It’s nice to have a backup plan for the engine managment part.
Accord Diesel is coming stateside soon!!! I’m soo damn excited. Lately I’ve been obcessing over diesels so much I’ve been actually trying to figure out, realistically, what it would take to either
A: swap in a diesel motor from another make, or
B: convert a honda motor to diesel
“A” is not worth it because I don’t like VW’s, and the only other realistic option is Mercedes, and both of those motors aren’t cheap or easy to find.
“B” is not worth the amount money it would take to make happen because by the time I would be done modifying a B-series to be a diesel, I might as well build a motor from scratch!
Sure is fun exercise for the brain though.
dude…you seriously are super smart…you think outside the box by like a mile or two lol…this is so cool, and its really interesting to read and follow…:read: …but yeah much props to you…
Thanks man! That really means a lot!
Also, I’d like to point out that I just applied for Acura of Brookfield on thursday… Wish me luck!!!
show those fuckers this thread and you’ll get hired lol…:rockon:
just wasted 15 seconds i’ll never get back…
HAHA…yeaaaa. Some people laugh at the sheer stupidity, some people don’t. My apologies about your time.
[QUOTE=Da1spaz247;1813117]
A: swap in a diesel motor from another make, or
B: convert a honda motor to diesel
“A” is not worth it because I don’t like VW’s, and the only other realistic option is Mercedes, and both of those motors aren’t cheap or easy to find.
“B” is not worth the amount money it would take to make happen because by the time I would be done modifying a B-series to be a diesel, I might as well build a motor from scratch!
Sure is fun exercise for the brain though.[/QUOTE]
The idea of modifying a gasoline engine to run on diesel has never crossed my mind but then again is it possible? You would have to replace the plugs w/ glowplugs and trash your whole ignition system in place of something to keep the glowers hot. next your injectors would be replaced with diesel injectors - either with an injection pump system or an independant injector system. Not sure how you would retrofit that though. Also Im not certain that a gasoline engine is built to handle the amount of torque that a diesel engine produces. I have a feeling you’d have problems one way or another. Questions about bore:stroke and compression ratio come to mind. Basically I think it would require some serious engineering to do somethign like that and have it workign reliably.
Whether you like VWs or not, the diesel engines are rock solid. The rest of the USDM dub is built in Mexico which is why I dont drive a VW but the engines come from the same place as they do for EU cars. I think they are made in Poland if Im not mistaken. Although USDM engines are extremely bottlenecked through turbo inlets, egr systems, etc, as compared to their EU brothers, they can be modified quite easily. A 4 cylinder VW motor can be modded to put out like 350ft-lb of torque and some 200hp without sacrificing reliability OR fuel efficiency. Again, this can all be done while runnign vegetable oil and within a fairly reasonale budget.
Swapping a VW engine into a honda or other would have its fair share of difficulties and I dont think thats its a practical solution. That kind of project would be for bragging rights, IMO.
So what are left with? If the Accord DIesel is coming, wait for it. I will wait with you. Its been selling in Europe for years now so there is already plethora of tuning parts available for it to ship over. I guarantee that because of emitions laws here (dont get me started on how ridiculous they are for diesels) the engines will be quite bottlenecked so it will take some undoing to ge them back to their full potential.
Anyway I hope you find some time to keep your turbo build going, you’ve got me on my toes.
Speaking of diesels (again, lol)… Right on the front page of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, there is an article about a group of retired Harley Engineers who got together to create a turbo diesel Harley motorcycle that runs on Biodiesel. And, if anyone else is interested in reading more cool stuff about diesels, look up an article about a man named John Goodwin. I believe the article is called “Motor head Messiah” . AND… if your still bored, go to google and look up Honda’s new Advanced Vtec, I just read about it for the first time the other day, sounds pretty sick!
Progress will continue on the TT project very soon, for those who are getting antsy in the pantsy!!!
O, and on a side note, on Feb. 5th I got the job at Acura of Brookfield, and received my NHRA Tech Inspector license in the mail! :rockon:
Congratulations on the new Job.
ky guy you are the man!!!
bump for updates, you got a lift to mess with ur cars now so progress should pick up
I wish! Shop privileges don’t kick in till 90 days after being hired.
Plz update, I have always wanted to try this never had the funds. I was thinking fd rx7 might be easier, more compact. Good luck!!!:rockon:
I wish I had something for you guys, but right now I don’t. My schedule is pretty insane. Going to school full-time (1 hour drive each way), and working 30 hours a week at Acura (25 minute drive), plus another 11 hours a week delivering pizza on weekends leaves very little free time. The time I do have I’m too exhausted to do anything. I’m hoping the more I get settled in at Acura, and we start “Engines” class at school, I’ll have more time to recover and be able to wrench at night. If not, spring break is just around the corner!
And since my Dad’s Veggie Oil project is on hold until further notice, that’s one less thing in my way. Seeing a really clean Turbo G3 LS at work today made me want to finish my car sooooo badly!!!