HellFire Status & release date annouced

[superlen]

The Zfuel thread was getting kinda long, so I thought I would start a fresh one along with the new update. The original thread is here: http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/f...964-zfuel.html

Well, today the HellFire ECU ran my Z quite nicely using 100% stock components (including cold start valve) & of course the stock AFM. It started and was very rich, which I did expect as I just had guesses in for AFM calibration. I tweaked the numbers and brought the pulsewidth down and the engine smoothed right up and purred around 800-900. I was able to track the CLT and IAT temps come up on the GUI and could tell I was having to lean up the fuel as it warmed up. Can I get a Woot Woot? I had the idle setup great, and if I slowly opened the throttle it would run ok at higher rpms (again nothing tuned up there), but if I snapped the throttle open off idle, it would stumble as i don't have any acceleration tables programmed. It was quite fun to see how it leaned out and fell on it's face without those tables & a snappy throttle opening event.

Sadly, I don't have any video as once it warmed up, I screwed up turned it off to get my camera and then couldn't get it to restart - I had flooded it. I swapped back and forth between stock ECU and HellFire a few times and was able to re-start and play a bit more, but it was having some issues. I suppose I screwed up something with my calibration numbers as I was playing with everything much like a kid in a candy store. I ran out of time to test any further so a bit bummed about that. Regardless, I am excited about the milestone and how well it ran when I had it dialed in.

With that success behind me and in an effort to light a fire under myself to finish the software, I'm announcing a release date for the HellFire Classic of May 15th. This should give me time to finish the needed tables and tune the system for a stock plug and play system. I of course will keep everyone posted on the progress via this thread. The price will be $495.

Len

[madkaw]

Thats awesome news for the Z community, and of course for you. I think will be a really attractive option for the FI guys. Hope they sell well and work well too.
I was thinking about the day I get the megasquirt to start my car and how exciting it will be, so I undersatnd your elation!!

[rcb280z]

Put me on the list Len. I will start pinching pennies.

[superlen]

Thanks Steve,

Yeah, it was pretty cool when I hit the starter and it jumped to life. Still lots to do & I'm coding in some cranking, cold start, and after start tables this evening. Not having them was irritating me quite a bit this afternoon during testing.

Len

[LeonV]

Any idea on compatibility with other cars, especially those running L-Jetronic?

[EuroDat]

Lenny, Grats with the test run. A brave man setting a release date while still in the middle of R&D. Keeps you focussed if anything else. Goodluck with development.
You can add me to your list of buyers.
Chas

[FastWoman]

Great news, Lenny!

Please check your PM inbox.

[superlen]

Leon,

Yes. The HellFire Classic will run any L-Jetronic system. The stock tune will be setup for the early Z's, but with a different tune downloaded it could run a Porsche, a Jag, a BWM, ect.

I know there are some slight pin out differences between some vehicles, so this particular revision of the board won't cover *every* L-Jet vehicle & I haven't even researched it enough to know which ones or how many match. I think VWs are a direct match. Maximas definitely are. I will do this after I get the Z car system wrapped up and make the necessary changes. The 79 and up Zx's are slightly different & that's the next one on the list.

You could even run a Ford truck if you wanted to add the harness from a L-Jet. At some point, I'll release a standalone version using a more modern ECU connector so harnesses will be easy to find/cheap, but for now, I'm focused on our early Z's.

@Chas

Yes. I set the date for the exact reason you mention. A deadline drives a timeline.


Len

[jonathanrussell]

I have been following your project closely. This is a great thing you are doing. Thank you. Count me in for at least one....will start with my 75 280z.

Question: How will you handle future software updates? I suppose it is useful to distinguish between true software updates (improvements to the capabilities of the system, user interface, possible data points, etc) and updates to the base / stock 280z tune data (which I bet you refine over time as more people buy the system and give you feedback).

[superlen]

Thanks for the question Jonathan.

Here's a quick overview. There are two pieces of software I'm writing. One is the Windows GUI for the laptop, the other is the firmware running on the ECU. Before I delve into this, I want to make sure that it's clear that you don't need the GUI at all if you're just going to run a stock L-series motor. Just plug and play. However, it sure it fun to play with so I do recommend everyone check it out even if they don't want to tweak something.

GUI Notes
- Runs on Windows XP, 7, & 8.
- Allows the user to change/tweak/configure/tune/monitor everything about your HellFire.
- One big .exe file. No install programs, no dlls, no fuss. Just download to your PC and run it.
- If desired, will check each time you run it to see if a new GUI and Firmware version have been released.
- Load/Saves the tune to the hard drive
- Reads/Write the tune to the HellFire ECU.
- Downloads firmware updates to the HellFire ECU.
- GUI is free, updates are free.
- I don't have a good name for the GUI software picked out yet...any ideas? I've thought of HellTune so unless someone comes up with a better name, that will probably be it.

Firmware Notes
- This is the software that actually runs on the ECU processor.
- It is not part of the "tune". Rather, it accepts the tune from the GUI and runs your car with it.
- Updates are done by using the GUI. Just select the new firmware file & hit download.
- Updates are free.

Notes about the "tune"
The "Tune" refers to the entire setup inside the HellFire. All the configuration data about your engine is in there, tables for AFRs, VEs, acceleration enrichments, calibration data for the AFM, CLT, MAF, MAP, ect. Everything is in here. The GUI allows you to tweak these numbers & download to the HellFire. The GUI also saves the tune to your hard drive as a simple text file with a .jet extension as in: "77-280.jet" or "bob.jet". It's just a simple human readable text file, not binary, so one can open it with Notepad and check it out without any annoying tags in it.

You can also share it with others by simply emailing it, or use the GUI to push it to the HellFire Cloud on my server so others can peruse them. For instance, lets say I have a 77 with a mild cam and headers & I spend a couple of days and get a real nice tune for it. Well it would be nice to post that up on the Cloud so if someone else has a similar setup, they could benefit from others prior experiences. I don't know how many people will really do this, but I want to provide the ability.

Here's a cut/paste from part of the default.jet file I'm currently using. I don't know if this will format correctly. (crosses fingers) Note how easy it is for humans to read. If you email it or post it on a forum asking for help on something, it's easy for someone to check it out instantly without having to first load it into the GUI.

-------------------------------------
Engine Parameters
Engine.Num_Cylinders, 6
Engine.Num_Injectors, 6
Engine.Bore, 86
Engine.Stroke, 79
Engine.Displacement, 2753
Engine.Degrees_Per_Cycle,720
-------------------------------------
FI System Parameters
FI.Injections_Per_Cycle, 2
FI.AirMass_Method, 0
FI.TPS_Method, 0
FI.Injection_Method, 0
FI.ColdStart_Method, 0
FI.AAR_Method, 0
FI.Fuel_Pump_Method, 1
FI.Fuel_Pump_Prime_Secs, 3
FI.Max_RPM, 8000
FI.Max_MAP, 250
FI.Array_Size, 16
FI.Rev_Limit, 0
FI.Warmup_Temp, 0
FI.FCAV, 45883
FI.FCAM, 536304
FI.FCPW, 8449

Well the spacing didn't work great. All the numbers should be aligned nicely. They are in notepad of course.

It's currently 353 lines long, but there are several more tables to add.

Ok, I think I answered the question, but as usual I may have over shared. As always, comments/suggestions/ideas are appreciated.

Len

[TomoHawk]

This really sucks.

Haha... Now I can't argue with "auto maintenance experts" about how the engine doesn't have the digital fuel injection control unit they expected to see. But at least you're not replacing the factory ECU with another worn-out unit, and it'll be what I call the "manufacturer and marque-approved replacement."
I'll set up a box for dollar bills somewhere and start filling it. Should it be a BIG box or a small one?

[LeonV]

Leon,

Yes. The HellFire Classic will run any L-Jetronic system. The stock tune will be setup for the early Z's, but with a different tune downloaded it could run a Porsche, a Jag, a BWM, ect.

I know there are some slight pin out differences between some vehicles, so this particular revision of the board won't cover *every* L-Jet vehicle & I haven't even researched it enough to know which ones or how many match. I think VWs are a direct match. Maximas definitely are. I will do this after I get the Z car system wrapped up and make the necessary changes. The 79 and up Zx's are slightly different & that's the next one on the list.

You could even run a Ford truck if you wanted to add the harness from a L-Jet. At some point, I'll release a standalone version using a more modern ECU connector so harnesses will be easy to find/cheap, but for now, I'm focused on our early Z's.

@Chas

Yes. I set the date for the exact reason you mention. A deadline drives a timeline.


Len

Excellent, thanks!

[superlen]

Tomohawk,

Yes, you will be able to hold your head high at the repair shop. Of course, they still will wonder where to plug their obd connector in. Take a usb cable with you. haha

Oh, and it's a medium size box...but put 5's in it and it will go faster. You will need 99 of them.

Lenny

[ZCurves]

I have been lurking around this thread for a while....I am pretty excited by this news. Did you mention that it uses a MAF or std. AFM???

[superlen]

I have been lurking around this thread for a while....I am pretty excited by this news. Did you mention that it uses a MAF or std. AFM???

Andrew,

Yes! You can use either one or neither of them. You can run Stock AFM, aftermarket MAF, or use the built in MAP sensor on the HellFire.

Len

[mgood]

Superlen, everything sounds great, I have been following since the beginning and am very interested. My Z is totally stock and has 50K mile on it and am looking forward to getting the new HellFire to see if I can get the millage up, I think I am running a little rich.

How about for HellTune - MixedInferno

Thanks for all the work.

[superlen]

mgood.

I like 'Inferno'...its sounds like infernal too which makes me think "Am I ever going to finish this Infernal software???"

Len

[Captain Obvious]

Lenny, What? You don't get enough of working towards deadlines at work? You have to impose some at home as well?

Sounds like great progress. Hope the remainder of the work goes as well!

[superlen]

Captain!!!! I was just logging in to PM you. How's the valve surgery holding on the wifemobile?

Yes. I needed a "bit" more to do between the hours or midnight and 6! Last night it was cloud server software (day job..in theory) that will translate nicely to the HellFire website.


Lenny

[Captain Obvious]

Yeah, I've been incognito. Busy on ten million things, some Z and some not (like the wifemobile). I'm still reading the forum, but I'm not posting much. Surgery on the wifemobile seems to be holding together but we stopped driving it a few days ago (again) because it threw a code and needs a new O2 sensor. Hopefully that's all it is.

I've got the Z in the garage, all four corners up on blocks. Redoing all four corners of suspension. I've got two goals for today. 1) Get the Family Truckster back in operation and 2) Completely disassemble the steering rack for the Z and clean out all the old chunky grease.

I'm planning to post a couple pics of neat stuff I learned about the steering rack when I get more time.

[EuroDat]

Completely disassemble the steering rack for the Z and clean out all the old chunky grease.

I'm planning to post a couple pics of neat stuff I learned about the steering rack when I get more time.

Looking forward to seeing photo's. When I did mine I didn't take any photo's and regret it ever since.
Mine had a loose left inner knuckle, so I ground through the tack welds and retentioned it to the specs in the FSM. That was probably the biggest improvement. Cleaned and regreased it and put it back together. It works a lot smoother now.

Lenny: My post is a little of track, but I couldn't resist a replying.

Cheers Chas

[Captain Obvious]

Chas, I don't want to hijack either, but wanted to let you know that I'll upload my pics when I get the chance.

The only thing I did NOT take apart on my rack was the inner tie rod ends. I've got them OFF, but I didn't take them apart. I considered grinding the welds like you did, but I've got no detectable play and simply can't justify the effort. I'll start a thread soon and we can talk the finer points of the steering rack.

[mjr45]

Len,
Nice work, I'll start saving the $.
Mike

[superlen]

Thanks, Mike.

We have some nice weather this weekend, so I hope to make another video.

Len

[ZCurves]

Andrew,

Yes! You can use either one or neither of them. You can run Stock AFM, aftermarket MAF, or use the built in MAP sensor on the HellFire.

Len

Well, I prefer not to complicate things. Since my Z is largely stock, I am thinking that I would omit the original equip and go with the built in MAP on the HellFire.

Perhaps you could acquire a "Best Practices" implementation guide for the HellFire. For Instance, omitting AFM, perhaps Cold-Start, etc...

[superlen]

Andrew.

I do plan on having something similar to "Stages" & a nice writeup on the pros/cons of each. I posted a quick overview of this on the Zfuel thread.

For me, personally. I can't wait to ditch that cold start valve/AAR and all the associated plumbing. The AFM would be right behind it & like you run with MAP.

Lenny

[ZCurves]

Yeess sir. Lean and Mean! BTW I will send you a list of my ECU numbers soon.

[superlen]

Well...lets hope stoichiometric & lean.
10-4 on the numbers.

Len

[shawn_16]

I'm excited to hear about this! I can sell this megasquirt 3 that's on my nightstand! Sign me up!

[mjr45]

How about ZZoomTune for your Helltune. I know almost sounds Mazda-ish.

[rossiz]

Fantastic! Looking forward to getting my '78 running well.

One question: (and yes, it may be a dumb one from an old carbie guy) Will this solve the hot-start problems that plague many of us??

[superlen]

Rossiz,

We discussed this some on the original Zfuel thread (I think, it may have been on another thread but we were collectively brainstorming on hotstart), but the answer is Yes I'm pretty sure it can. It's untested of course, but that is a problem that plagues me as well so it's near the top of having a proper solution for.

The simple solution is to richen the mixture after a hot-soak condition to combat the vaporized fuel in the injector/lines from sitting. It does sound simple, but it's trickier than it seems. The question is how much do you richen, for how long, & under what conditions do you do this? I will have a configurable table in the user interface that will allow one to adjust all these parameters. Of course, I'll figure out what the numbers should be with some experimentation and have it already setup so in a perfect world you wouldn't need to bother with understanding these numbers or adjust them . However, if a customer has a car that behave a little bit different they can tweak these numbers some to dial it in. Where you live, header choice, fuel choice, driving style, ect all change the way a particular car hot soaks so it may well be a pesky thing to get right. At the very least, we should be able to make it better if not perfect.

Len

[Zed Head]

Something to think about on the hot start issue - it might not be that all of the injectors run lean, it might just be a one or two. I have the potentimoeter on my coolant temp. circuit installed for this specific reason and I can not get the engine to run smoothly by adding more fuel. If the coolant sensor was just overheated, the pot. should work. It seems more like a few injectors just refuse to behave.

Not to destroy anyone's dreams. I've found some more modern style injectors that might offer a clue. I'm building a fuel rail so that I can install them and do some experiments. But many smart people have tried to solve this problem and none have solved it simply. Most solutions revolve around removing heat from the engine bay, or running a colder engine.

Running at a higher fuel pressure would be worth a look,which you can do with the HF. It could be one reason the automakers went to 45 psi or higher. Views tend to be that they did it for emissions, but you can get a super fine mist of fuel with 36 psi, so that doesn't fully fit.

[siteunseen]

But many smart people have tried to solve this problem and none have solved it simply.

I'm not too smart BUT an aluminium fuel rail with the FPR on the back end is pretty simple.

[Zed Head]

I only added the "smart" part to give some sense of how it's not as simple as it seems. I hope you come up with something. One way to add fuel everywhere would be the cold start injector. Then it would be a hot start injector instead. Dual function.

[superlen]

I agree on just a few injectors might be the culprit. I have individual control over all 6 so I can richen up individuals.....if we just know which ones to do that with. I agree that's not a trivial thing to figure out and changing physics out in the engine bay with a better fuel rail is a much better total solution. I'm a fan of the FPR on the end & a priming pulse on the fuel pump to flush new cooler fuel on key "on". Also the higher FP will definitely help.

People have tried a long prime pulse and it didn't help. (Zed, was that you? - I know you and I have discussed this some) I think that the FPR in the middle of the rail is bypassing more fuel down one of the lines & not the other so you may still have 3 out 6 cylinders running lean. I haven't tested this at all, it's just an idea.

For the bone stock users, I'm hoping that we can quantify which cylinders need additional fuel & how much they need after a certain soak. Crossing fingers that these numbers will be somewhat universal with a stock setup. I have the following variables which I can use to base tables off of.

- Last air temp at shutdown.
- Last CLT temp at shutdown.
- Last runtime (sec from start to key off)
- Last every other variable of course, but I don't know what use they could be.

- Current air temp at startup
- Current CLT at startup

What I don't have which would be super nice, but I didn't think of until after I did my board layout was a battery backup for a real time clock. This would give me "Soak Time". which as you can imagine would be really damn handy. Right now, I don't have that. I do have a nifty idea about how to come up with it (or at least a rough idea of it using a big RC time constant on a spare ADC channel). I'll add the real time clock on the next layout for the Hybrid version.

Possibly with just the last and current temps, I can come up with something that will help. Soak time would make it easier/better though.

Len

[FastWoman]

Lenny, I strongly suspect fuel pressure is the culprit with the hot restart issue. Engine compartments have been getting smaller and more cramped, and they've even become more insulated, so I can't imagine that heat soaking has become any less of an issue over the years. But with the higher fuel pressures of modern cars, the fuel is less likely to boil. I would think the solution is to change out both the pump and the FPR for a higher fuel pressure and to make adjustments as required with the Hellfire tuning.

Anyway, I might be one of those people who discussed fuel rail priming with you. I know a few of us have tried it. Trust me that no amount of priming seems to eliminate the hot restart issue. I think that's because the injectors themselves are hot enough to flash any fuel that flows into them, so they are initially injecting vapor.

[superlen]

Sarah,

It was you that primed forever.... I knew it was one of us on here I was just too lazy to go look it up. I think Captain O may have done this as well. He's probably lurking but he's been busy with suspension duties.

I agree on the higher FP. I have an adjustable and will test hot soak at different pressures when I get to that point. I still would like to have a solution for the stock system of course as many won't want to change out the FPR.

I'm not convinced it's just the injectors as there isn't much fuel from the rail through the stub and injector body. It seems that after a few shots the vapor would be purged by the liquid fuel pushing it out...like burping the brake line when bleeding the valves. The first crack and the vapor(air in this case) pops out fast. I'm still a believer that a large portion of one of the fuel rails (specifically the rear one) has flashed over and the rear three cylinders are running lean.

All conjecture of course. This phenomena really bothers me and piques my interest. Given enough measurements and studying and we will figure it out. To my knowledge, no one has done a qualitative study of all the variables to properly understand the physics going on under the hood of a soaking Z.

Soon we will have have the perfect test bed with the HellFire. It will be easy to adjust for different FPRs, prime times, log temperatures on all the injectors, etc.

Len

[Zed Head]

Actually, I've also primed "forever". Until the bubbles in the tank stopped plus more. No effect. I've also rigged up a perforated tube and a fan to blow air directly on the injectors. Which works for me. That's why I think that it's the injector's getting hot that is the problem. What exactly happens when they get hot is unclear. It could be electrical; the solenoid gets weak when it gets hot, or mechanical; something expands or warps and the solenoid can't move it, or physical (like physics); gasoline flashing to vapor before it can get through the orifice.




Somebody check my punctuation, I've never used that many semicolons at one time. Not an English Major.

[FastWoman]

"gasoline flashing to vapor before it can get through the orifice."

^^^ I think this is the most likely explanation. If the injector is well above the boiling point of the gasoline at the operating pressure, it will take a certain amount of gasoline vaporization to cool it down to the boiling point, and all of that amount will have to pass as a vapor through the jet. When the hot restart stumbling resolves, it resolves SUDDENLY, as though there is a quick transition from injecting vapor to injecting liquid fuel. The cylinders catch, and then all is well. It is for this reason I am skeptical a fix is possible through intelligent control by the ECU. I would think the ECU would have to detect stumbling, apply its corrections, and then abruptly cut off those corrections when stumbling disappears. But some cylinders run rich, while others run lean. An O2 sensor is unlikely to distinguish between rich stumbling and lean stumbling. Maybe you can do it, but I have my doubts.

Sadly, I think the only "real" solution is to find a way to cool the injectors, as with the ugly ZX blower.

[Zed Head]

I've wondered if the heat isn't coming from the bulk of the exhaust manifold. I also bought some used headers to experiment with but they need work. A survey of behavior with headers and EFI versus stock manifolds and EFI might tell something.

We're filling superlen's announcement thread with hot-start discussion.

[superlen]

Zed,

That's fine, I can start another thread. I think you are right on the money with the manifold mass & I believe someone said that when they switched to headers their hot soak improved.

It sounds like Sarah and you both have good arguments/evidence pointing to the injectors themselves being the culprit. That makes my fuel rail argument less convincing...even to myself. I also believe I understood that plastic injector bosses were better than the aluminum ones & that would also support injector vs rail.

Hopefully, I can still correct it just by metering more fuel than calculated, for x amount of time. It would be open loop in this case unless someone is running on O2 with the system which is easy to do, but they will have to weld the sensor bung into the exhaust.

Lenny

[siteunseen]

I didn't mention that I have the ceramic coated header from MSA. That could be important as I've never had the hot start problem since the header and new injectors on a open fuel supply with the aluminium rail and the FPR out the rear barb to the return line to the tank. It recirculates but not on top of the intake manifold.

[superlen]

The ceramic header I'm sure keeps a lot of heat from pooling under the intake during a soak. That combined with your rail and FPR is a great solution....and it looks cool.

Len

[Zed Head]

Started a new hot-start survey thread - http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/f...tml#post452360

I'll let people post their own details so I don't screw them up. SU, I remembered that you had not had issues. Referred back to your post in this thread from the new thread. If you could re-post over there that would be most excellent.

[Captain Obvious]

Haha, yeah, I'm lurking. Visions of spindle pin bushings dancing in my head.

I tried the forever priming as well, and it didn't help me much, but my (first order) problem was a non-existent check valve back at the pump. So I could have great fuel pressure as long as I was cranking, but as soon as I let off the key, it went to zero. I found the check valve issue at the trailing end of last summer so I haven't spent a full blown hot summer afternoon parked on the blacktop yet after getting that part sorted. This year will be the test for me.

My artificial enrichment circuit got me through last summer. That was when I hooked up a relay in series with the temp sensor and fooled the ECU into thinking my engine was very very cold while it was cranking. This summer I'm hoping that a new check valve will make the electronic choke unnecessary.

But I gotta get wheels under it first!!

[CG240Z]

I didn't realize we started a new thread. I was wondering why the old thread got so quiet. None the less, sign me up for an ECU!

[superlen]

I just wanted to post a quick update. As some of you know, my wife and I were expecting & we now have a new daughter. All is well, but progress on HellFire has been slowed of course. I do have my flowbench operational so the next step is to begin testing all the AFMS I have accumulated and establish a baseline curve, then plug that data back into the Hellfire and see how it behaves.

Len

[Blue]

Congrats!

[rcb280z]

Very cool, congratulations!

[FastWoman]

Hey, congratulations, Len! Another new life embarks on her own journey! Way cool!

[EuroDat]

Congratulations Lenny, Welcome to fatherhood.

[CG240Z]

Congrats! Great news.

[rossiz]

wow, very cool - and you definitely get a pass on the lack of updates ;}

[EuroDat]

Yer, I think that countdown clock to the release date just hit warp speed. Priorities will require the understandable adjustment.
Enjoy it Lenny, It goes so quick.
Chas

[madkaw]

Congrats Len,
Can't imagine you have time for anything!

[TomoHawk]

I hate to say this guys, but an "expert" told me that digital EFI won't make your (antique 280Z) car a better performing car until you install a "stick"- pointing to the shifter. I indicated that I already have a custom shifter. The expert made a few comments about my IQ, then informs me I need a manual transmission to make the car "perform."

This was at a local cruise-in, after a number of Z- "tifosi" shared their stories of how they had one and it was a street killer (and they rolled it in the end.)

Said expert also drives a car with a Chevy V-8 engine with a carburetor.

HA HA HA HA HA HA JA JAJA KA BA BA! *snort*
.

[jimbob_racing]

I don't recall seeing it in any of the threads but will Hellfire be able to control electric cooling fans?

[superlen]

Thanks for all the well wishers. I'm realizing now that my normal 6hrs/night sleep was a luxury. I miss sleep.

Jim,

The HellFire Hybrid version has 8 additional outputs. 6 are earmarked for ignition, 2 will be configurable for cooling fan, shift light, turbo accessories ect. Additional user supplied wiring of course would be needed.

Len

[TomoHawk]

Is there something to light up the famous "Dukes of Hazzard" lamp? I think that would be a kind of altitube (AGL) sensor.

[FastWoman]

"I miss sleep."

At least that means you're helping out like a good husband! Good on you!

[Captain Obvious]

Congrats Len!!

[mjr45]

Congrats Len, "I miss sleep", it'll get better in about 18 years, maybe, my daughter still keeps me up at night and she's 28. Fatherhood is a wonderful thing, enjoy while you can.
Mike

[TomoHawk]

it'll get better in about 18 years, maybe, my daughter still keeps me up at night and she's 28. Fatherhood is a wonderful thing, enjoy while you can.

That's not right at all. Fatherhood is a responsibility and a great joy, so there's nothing unhappy about it, and you're not losing anything because if it. Your life is not over, it's just beginning, and it'll be fuller than ever before. We had triplets here, and everyday was like a celebration.

I'd like to see every person gt married and have a child.

[superlen]

"I miss sleep."

At least that means you're helping out like a good husband! Good on you!

Of course. I am one with the poopy diaper!

Len

[mjr45]

Tomo, sorry if I offended, I wasn't saying fatherhood was not a great and wonderful thing, it is, we have 5 children, 4 boys and then my daughter. While at times it was trying and tiring the memories are awesome. We are all closer today than ever.
Mike

[TomoHawk]

NO worries, mate. Women also say that or have people tell them that their life is over, because they are pregnant. It's hardly the end of their life. Rather, "it's the first day of the rest of your life."

We have 5, and my dad couldn't run his construction company without 4 people (plus 4 bookkeepers) that worked for free! Until I left for college...

[Captain Obvious]

Of course. I am one with the poopy diaper!

Ugh... If your diaper if that bad, I can just imagine what the kid's looks like...

[FastWoman]

Of course. I am one with the poopy diaper!

Len

Leaning up the mix a bit should clear up the afterfire.

[superlen]

(grin)

[CG240Z]

Still looking at a May 15th debut? That's coming up fast.

[EuroDat]

Still looking at a May 15th debut? That's coming up fast.

I think 15 may went south with he first load of nappies. If its goes anything like my experience, Lenny will be buzy with everything but Hellfire for The moment anyway.

My wife and I literally disapeared from the social radar for a couple of years with the exception of an occasional blip on friends birthdays and back home in time for the baby sitter. Our friends all went through the same, its appears to be normal.
You realise how much time you had before kids. Just do what you want when you want, but the trade off is all worth it.

Chas

[CG240Z]

I think 15 may went south with he first load of nappies. If its goes anything like my experience, Lenny will be buzy with everything but Hellfire for The moment anyway.

My wife and I literally disapeared from the social radar for a couple of years with the exception of an occasional blip on friends birthdays and back home in time for the baby sitter. Our friends all went through the same, its appears to be normal.
You realise how much time you had before kids. Just do what you want when you want, but the trade off is all worth it.

Chas

Exactly what I was thinking. Figured I'd ask though. I don't have any kids, but I assume when one comes around the Datsun goes to the back burner.

[superlen]

As you have suspected, the date has slipped with the new one in the house, but she is finally sleeping better now & consequently my wife and I are less sleep-deprived. We are finally getting into a schedule/routine now, but I'm amazed at how much time just disappears. You would think I would have remembered this as this is my fourth child, but apparently I blocked out the lack of sleep and abundance of diapers & only remembered the grins, giggles, and the way they smell after a bath.

I still am planning on the first beta units to be sent in May for some third party evaluation, and barring no major setbacks, release will be June.

Sleepylen

[FastWoman]

My third-party test vehicle stands ready!

If I remember correctly (both of my kids are young men now), it took about 6 weeks before we began to feel rested again -- maybe 3-4 weeks to become minimally functional for anything but coddling, feeding, and changing diapers.

[Captain Obvious]

My test platform stands ready as well. Suspension is back together and she's on the road. Of course, I'm onto other modifications, but until I take the next thing apart, she's rolling!

[CG240Z]

I'm hoping this solves my problems, so no test platform here.

[rcb280z]

Hey superlen, how goes the battle with the Hellfire? Still looking at June for a release date? Hope all is good with the family and you guys are getting some sleep now.

[rcb280z]

I have to have the dreaded CA emissions test done the beginning of June which is just around the corner and it would be a great testing time for the Hellfire IMO.

[CG240Z]

I'm still interested too, any updates? Big news for me is I got my car running and already have a few miles under her belt. I need to update my thread and post some pictures and video. My car was running rich, but I pulled the plugs today and now I'm running lean. My guess is it's a mixture between running a bigger cam with outdated AFM technology. I have high hopes for this ECU to smooth things out for me and compensate the AFM. I think if I want to keep my current setup I'm going to have to go with this or a Megasquirt ecu. I'd rather have your plug and play ECU.

Eye candy of my Z over the weekend.

[rcb280z]

Well I sent Lenny my backup AFM so he could get the readings he needed and the last time I heard from him was 3 weeks ago. He hasn't responded to my last 2 PM's nor has he posted on his thread in over 3 weeks. I hope everything is ok, that nothing bad has happened but he knew I needed my backup AFM back for the emissions test I HAVE to have done this coming Saturday. Im starting to think the worst now. My AFM is junk and will not "lean out" enough to pass.

[CG240Z]

Well I sent Lenny my backup AFM so he could get the readings he needed and the last time I heard from him was 3 weeks ago. He hasn't responded to my last 2 PM's nor has he posted on his thread in over 3 weeks. I hope everything is ok, that nothing bad has happened but he knew I needed my backup AFM back for the emissions test I HAVE to have done this coming Saturday. Im starting to think the worst now. My AFM is junk and will not "lean out" enough to pass.

Sorry to hear that, doesn't sound good. Hopefully Superlen will resurface soon. Does any of that miracle emissions liquid they sell at stores work? I've read some things online about them and some people swear by them. I don't know if it's snake oil or there is actually something to it.

[rcb280z]

Im not sure. I know what did work for me and I don't have it back yet.

[madkaw]

Len has mine too

[Zed Head]

Who is feeling reasonable and considerate? I found Lenny's phone number on the internet. I can send a message to whoever feels like making a call, but I don't want to facilitate any overt aggression. It's a business number so whoever calls won't be getting too personal. Worth a shot, he might just be very busy.

[rcb280z]

Definitely Zed. I am kinda concerned only because he understood I needed my AFM back at a certain time for my emissions test. I'll give it a few more days and then try to contact him via phone. I'm just hoping for the best. Like I said, I hope there is nothing wrong and he is just busy. Maybe I'm being paranoid?

[Zed Head]

Sent you a message. I'd just post the info here but with all of the trolling and phishing and nefarious stuff that goes on, I don't want to add to anyone's problems. Good luck.

[Captain Obvious]

I've got his number. I'll give him a ring tomorrow.

[FastWoman]

Depending on the child, the first few weeks can be hell. I recall being out of commission for about 3 months with my first born. Lenny does seem to be one of those "life gets in the way" sorts of people, as he had started this project once before this before putting it down for about a year. However, the light at the end of the tunnel is so near that I think he'll see it through. Of course that doesn't help when you need your AFM back to pass emissions.

Anyway, Lenny, I'm thinking positive thoughts and sending good vibes your way. Keep on plugging, man! We're counting on you!

[EuroDat]

Our first child was a breeze. He slept through after the first week. the second was like WOW, is there only one of them. Thats when we dissappeared for about two years. our two kids are 15 months apart, wasn't intended just worked out that way.

Lenny seems to have vanished the last couple of weeks. Hope everything is going ok and he is just too busy and lack of sleep.
With a bit of luck Captain can get in touch and you will have your AFM. Finger crossed.

Chas

[rcb280z]

Yeah hopefully as is good. Sometimes I lack sleep just because I can't sleep, not due to having children. So I can only imagine.......

[Captain Obvious]

Just checked in with Lenny. Everyone is OK. The new family addition is just demanding attention. I'm sure he'll be here with an update shortly.

Sheesh. Kids.

[superlen]

Everyone,

I'm still around, just been preoccupied. Much like the HellFire, her mixture isn't quite right yet, but she's doing better every day. I keep feeding her fuel, she keeps wanting more.

Bob,
I sent you a PM. I'll have your AFM going this weekend.

[rossiz]

nice!!

my kids ran like my L28 minus 1 cylinder: 1st 2 ran lean, 3 & 4 waaay too rich, 5 perfect mocha...
they seem to have been equipped with those new-fangled "self-adjusting" chips - they all evened out quite nicely eventually, although there was a fouled plug or two along the way...

[FastWoman]

Such a beautiful little girl, Len!

[Blue]

Such a beautiful little girl, Len!

Clean toe nails too!

[rcb280z]

She is a beautiful little girl. Lucky man! Glad all is well! And good to hear from you.

[superlen]

Everyone,

Thanks for the accolades for the princess. I'm already dreading the years 2028-2034. And thanks Blue for noticing my pedicure. Note, also I'm working in my PJs quite a bit lately.

Len

[EuroDat]

I'm already dreading the years 2028-2034.
Len

My two are now right in the middle of it.

Nice to hear everything is going well. Looks great.

Chas

[superlen]

Just a quick update.

We have finally settled into a routine with the new baby & I can slice up some time for HellFire. I began flow testing the AFMs I have today.

Bob, yours is one of the three I'm playing with now. As we discussed, it has an offset that should have been running your car waaay rich. I can see it in the flowbench numbers. woot woot! Why am I excited that his AFM is way off? Well, it somewhat confirms my flowbench I built is at least in the ballpark.

I did have to modify my bench to give me more resolution at lower cfms & I also determined that I was giving up too much resolution on the actual AFM input to the HellFire. Some quick resistor changes on the HellFire board brought the signal back to where I want it at, and I had to machine some smaller flowbench orifice plates to bump up my signal for reading the CFM through the AFMs.

Give me a few days to digest the data and actually understand it a little better & I'll post a summary and some graphs.

Lenny