TeamSwift

Wow, what a great thread. Thanks to Barney(mkc1962) and Traveler for that. I am book-marking it for future referance and will pick up some of these spares while I still can.
On the fuel economy with MCS cars, I have mentioned this before, but just in case...... My first Sprint was a well used '85; which I knew nothing about when I bought it, other than they got good fuel economy. I never had to do anything under the hood but change the oil in the 5 or 6 years I owned it; never even had the air cleaner off. I did keep track of the MPGs on longer trips, easily hitting 60MPG back in the early to mid '90s. the car finally got so beat up, my daughter wouldn't ride in it, so I sold it and got a standard 91 Metro and never saw higher than 45 MPG again. I have since come to fully appreciate those early carbureted cars, and believe the carbs are the key to the record fuel economy. I am happy to see that there are a few people around who are able and willing to keep these things going, and share their knowledge freely.

Hi MKC 1962, Totally excellent article, thanks. I don't have a milling machine so I can't be milling out pieces of the carburetor so why can't a dremel tool be used to grind away enough of that hard black plastic MCS holder to make it fit? You say in the article that you can't grind the black plastic holder because the wires run through it but couldn't you dremel as close to the wires as possible, then remove the rest of the hard black plastic from the wires with an exacto knife then fit the what's left of the black plastic holder and the wires into place, reinsulate the wires and bolt the whole carb back together? What vehicles have this MX40 installed by factory? Maybe some could be found for cheap or free at the wrecker or on Craig's List to experiment with?

Coaster:

no milling machine required. nothing but a standard drill press, the dremel bit was a mill style bit. The hardest part is the patience required to get it one.

I was not willing to go carving on a new MCS to find out IF it could be done. The wires on the new one are in a wider pattern than the old mcs was. Wider as such that they were even wider than the hole that was in the body of the carb. The wires are actualy soldered into sockets that are molded into that hard plastic base. The wires that go from those sockets to the actual coil I dunno exactly how they are routed nor what size they are. My approach in no way damages the lid of the carb for future use with ANY available MCS. Obviously it makes the readily available mx40 fit just fine, but IF one were to be able to find that actual correct one, that one still fits too. According to the MCS industry the mx40 IS the proper unit for our mk1 Carburetors. Clearly it isn't (until my mod anyway). Ive heard folks say that on rare occasions there are those out there that have found the exact proper fitting item. But then we here on the forum don't hear any more about it. We dont see pictures, part #'s, sources etc. I and many others have done lots of searching on this topic.

However, TRAVELER seems maybe have been able to find one. I'll maybe give that one a try if ever this one goes.

ECONOMIZER,

I also owned one of these back then, and though I personally do think that todays blended fuels may have something to do with overall mpg, here's my view on that. I think that driving habits are the biggest contributor...these cars were designed for one thing only economy commuting. Not racing, not hauling as we here so many talk about. My Sprint (with an Automatic) was epa rated back in the day to get 36 mpg. Now here we are nearly 30 years later and I get 36+ each and every tank full. If it were the fuel to blame why do I still get the same that the car got back then? I also have an 87 turbo model that was getting 54 mpg when I drove it home from Kentucky? And running poorly at that in much need of a tuneup. Also that mpg being about what the same was rated back in the day. But the turbo is fuel injected. Like you , I feel the early Carb models were the best of the bunch. Ive known several that had the later metro models, and they never got as good as the mk1's did.

Sadly 30 years later, the modern Auto industry still brags about possible 40 in cars, often overrated, and then only in the supposed miracle hybrid (not). Considering the technology of mk1's in their day, and their proven economy ratings, it is a shameful thing in my book for the modern builders to ONLY be able to claim what they do today.

_________________
Mike
Valley Grande, AL
1986 Sprint plus

Do you maintain a personal fleet like I do?
Why do we do it?
Because it's what we enjoy and because we CAN.
2011 camaro, 2005 Vibe, 2016 Outback, 06 Expedition, 87 Porsche 911, 87 Turbo sprint, 82 Brat, 73 gmc 4x4, 69 camaro, 99 Gl1500 Honda Goldwing, 12 Kawasaki klr650, 2012 Kubota L3200, and we wont even go into the small stuff.

Thanks for letting me know MKC, that's a great idea to use a drill press as a milling machine, I'm going to try that out, though maybe not on a Hitachi carb lid. Since I posted that I've discovered and acquired 3 good used MCSs, but when I finally get my 88 Forsa five speed with the Hitachi carb running and I get a few bucks to spare I'm going to buy a new one of those MX40s and see if I can carve it up to make it fit. Thanks for posting the excellent info on how to make that available MCS fit into the Hitachi carb.

Coaster,

Your welcome and good luck. Its really not that hard at all. That dremel bit does supurb job of removing material quite soothly. It would have been only with effort to accidentally remove to much. I got tired of the constant changing out of used or refurbed ones and took the plunge to deal with the problem. Ive been over 20 on that rebuilt carb, with more than half of that with this mod. Runs great and I avg 36+ with an automatic every tank, summer AC 2 person commuting.. Occasional 40 when cold weather and solo. However, just in case I didnt say so earlier I found that this MX40 works much better with the dwell set at the 34+ range than the factory suggested 23.

_________________
Mike
Valley Grande, AL
1986 Sprint plus

Do you maintain a personal fleet like I do?
Why do we do it?
Because it's what we enjoy and because we CAN.
2011 camaro, 2005 Vibe, 2016 Outback, 06 Expedition, 87 Porsche 911, 87 Turbo sprint, 82 Brat, 73 gmc 4x4, 69 camaro, 99 Gl1500 Honda Goldwing, 12 Kawasaki klr650, 2012 Kubota L3200, and we wont even go into the small stuff.

It has been nearly 3 years and I finally dragged the car out to figure out the problem. It was none of the problems that I thought it could be. I never did find the exact problem, but rather bypassed the problem. The problem was intermittent, caused tons of drive ability problems including backfires etc. First and foremost was the Spark plug wires. For some reason the Beldon Spark plug wires were out of tolerance out of the box ( 3 boxes later, then gave up and purchased Bosch), but even after replacing the wires, it still had problems, the car ran better, but it still bucked and ran rough.
The second and repair was that for some reason I was not getting the full 12 volts to my ignition coil while driving. I never did a voltage drop test, but rather Jumpered the + coil wire & test drove the car with no problems. So my easy solution was to wire in a relay using the coil wire as a way to energize the full 12 volt coil wire. It has been running well ever since. I am currently making small repairs and
Here is what I did before I arrived here. ( Man what a long & winding road !!!!!)
-R & R & check & check & check &check the Carb. several times
-Replaced the timing belt
-Replaced the Micro Switches again
-Replaced the ignition coil, & swapped out with cars lying around
-Rebuilt the Distributor
-Made an intake manifold gasket. (suspected vacuum leak) Removed EGR valve
-Tapped out EGR valve ports with a pipe tap, possibly use one side for HHO in the Future???
-I am in the process of adding a 1977 vintage cruise control (then possibly air conditioning?) to add to my aftermarket accessories of a Tachometer, Radio, Speakers, C.B. Radio, Intermittent Wiper module, Ford Tempo bucket Seat & Custom rear bumper with a receiver. Thanks for all that you guys do and keep the forum going GREAT JOB. Feel Free to move this post anywhere if it may help someone else keep these now almost classic cars on the road. And hopefully this will help someone skip a lot of steps instead of doing all of this extra work on there own.

Sorry the post was so long, but I was so excited to get the car going correctly that I wanted to let you know this one was kept from the Junkyard !!!!

congrats on saving your Sprint.....
.
.

.....Here it comes.......The glass half empty part
.

.
lots of upgrades coming up sound like a lot of electrical goody's
.
Question:
your are planing the aftermarket Alternator upgrade.?
.
Our car's are great in there minimal design......
The 32A alt will not put up with any extra feed/drain
the ECM need 12.+ V at all times to control the computer (ECM) that feeds the (electrical controlled feedback carburetor)
The ECM is so sensitive it listen to all the censors and then send a strong signal to
the MCS which strokes 40 Times per second
& the fuel shut off
.
.
when I buy a car and the owner tells me It was a "Great little car but now doesn't run as good"
First thing i do REMOVE THE AFTER MARKET STEREO
FOG LIGHTS or any extra electric component that the owners have added
and then look for break in the wiring (like were the wiring goes through the rear hatch)
that one spot that has bit me in the ass more then I like to admit
.
it is truly "A little understood barely controllable electronic phenomenon" The computer controlled carburetor Chevy Sprint
.
.....jv&s
.

.

_________________
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You maybe right, those aftermarket accessories might have added to much load to the circuits, but the problem surfaced long before I started adding items. As the matter of fact I added the Tachometer primarily to see if I was loosing the ground signal to the ignition coil, I never did. However, I had low voltage which kept the spark from occurring, but the electronics still had enough voltage to keep sending me the tachometer signal. (Until it stranded me) There is a possibility that the ignition switch power output might be getting a little bit weak. I love playing with relays & creating electrical circuits & figuring out problems. Adding circuits & yes I have repaired the wiring harness to the rear hatch twice now.
It is just that this one problem was intermittent and hard to repair while driving down the road until I actually got towed home with a stall, no- start, that I was able to finally determine that I had no spark Then I was actually able to figure out what was going on.

Don't worry , the stereo is a very mild AM-FM + C.D. player it is like 50 Watts X 4 channels or something like that. I replaced the broken old speakers for factory style, but better quality replacements, the 2 tweeters in the dash board & I added 2 6X9' in the rear hatch tossing out the old ones. I added some really thick wood paneling to the rear hatch to support the speakers that kept falling loose I was just adding some creature comforts and safety features. As the matter of fact I forgot to add that I did add a device called a Back Off Brake light module. Since the car is so small I guess some people would almost rear-end me at traffic lights thinking I was farther away??? . The module was developed for motorcycles, I added this device & cars decided to stay pretty far back. They will pass me up & then pulse there brake lights to let me know that they are flashing So they are being noticed. ( By the way I got the idea for this device watching snow plow trucks with a similar style braking action to get people's attention by flashing 3 X quickly , then staying on.
If I decide to play with HHO, then I will have to update to a higher output alternator. However I don't know of a direct fit. Being primarily a G.M. man, knowing me I would probably try to install a 100 amp G.M. internally regulated alternator off of a small block Chevy. (Mostly because I know how to rebuild them & I know how to wire them). I know I would have to add some heavier gauge wire to accommodate the higher amperage. ( The second option would be to add a completely different, second alternator in place of the air conditioner compressor specifically for the HHO system). Maybe after it all is said & done I will create a video & try to document all of the hard labor of love & dedication that I gave over to this car over the years. After all she got me through my college years.

.

.
.after reading your post you have answered my question
.
Well done sir ... and no need for any forther post with video it would be a wast of time
The owner has put this place up for sale and soon the door will be shuttlered
good luck to you and your chevy sprint .....jv&s
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.
viewtopic.php?f=14&t=60540
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.
.

_________________
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Say whatttt?


I know I dont come here as much as I used to, but still do a time or two weekly just to see whats going on.....just not much mk1 talk, and thats my thing.

_________________
Mike
Valley Grande, AL
1986 Sprint plus

Do you maintain a personal fleet like I do?
Why do we do it?
Because it's what we enjoy and because we CAN.
2011 camaro, 2005 Vibe, 2016 Outback, 06 Expedition, 87 Porsche 911, 87 Turbo sprint, 82 Brat, 73 gmc 4x4, 69 camaro, 99 Gl1500 Honda Goldwing, 12 Kawasaki klr650, 2012 Kubota L3200, and we wont even go into the small stuff.

.
well start talking...?
.
Do you want me to go first.?
.

.

_________________
.

Start talking....

Yeah we need to. Seems like us old mk1 nuts are getting short in the tooth when it comes to this place. What we gonna do if this place goes away? I guess follow the examples of Dr Phil.....not be seen here much anymore. I guess he's knee deep in either house remodeling or finally building that caterpillar he got a few years back.

HEY Dr Phil.....you still out there?

Of course just like in the past, when gas goes low people start tossing these cars to the weeds, an dforums like this one go dead. I cant tell you how many Ive seen for sale in just my region alone. Then when the fuel goes up again people start begging for them but try to keep them running with bailing wire and spit.

_________________
Mike
Valley Grande, AL
1986 Sprint plus

Do you maintain a personal fleet like I do?
Why do we do it?
Because it's what we enjoy and because we CAN.
2011 camaro, 2005 Vibe, 2016 Outback, 06 Expedition, 87 Porsche 911, 87 Turbo sprint, 82 Brat, 73 gmc 4x4, 69 camaro, 99 Gl1500 Honda Goldwing, 12 Kawasaki klr650, 2012 Kubota L3200, and we wont even go into the small stuff.

Thanks for the shout out, Uncle Mike.
This is the land of $3.50 a gallon gasoline, so I'm sitting right pretty at the pump these days.

Last year some guys asked me to rebuild some Hitachi carbs and I flat turned them down.
You have to have a dedicated space to do it right, and I didn't have the space.
I've been gradually making space to rebuild some carbs.
Unlike one Teamswift member, I don't claim that I will rebuild them BETTER than original.
Hopefully, I'll try and get them back to original.
We'll see if there is any interest.
It will be even more interesting to see the cores these clowns have.
Unlike one Teamswift member, when I do promise that I will rebuild a carb, the person won't have to wait ONE YEAR or more for the carburetor.

Yes, I've seen it recently.
A man has to realize his limitations.
I don't do 'magic' with carburetors, but I try to build serviceable units.

I ALMOST had a box ready for New Zealand with some nice gifts in it for some well deserving people when Mama's phone died. When Mama's phone dies, wow.
Lessons learned.
In the future, I will learn to power reset the puppy ASAP.
She went ONE DAY with a temporary phone and it was a little dicey.
Except now she's grown attached to the 7" phablet that I had earmarked as a surprise for one special wife of a Teamswift member.
Damn.
So the box is back on hold.
I think pretty highly of some Teamswift members, as you can tell.

...

There's a few looking for help with these carburetors.
Newbies who want to talk when they should be listening.
You try to help and they are 3 steps ahead of you: "What does that have to do with it, blah blah blah".
The way I was raised, when someone tries to help you, it is best to be polite, listen and learn.
It is too easy to sit back and watch these clowns waste their hard earned dollars trying things they're SURE will be cheaper, faster, and easier than fixing it right the first time.

"I pulled the oxygen sensor...blah blah blah"
"I pulled the EGR...blah blah blah"
"I pulled the sensors...blah blah blah"

And the funny thing?
I've seen pictures of their work and they actually do nice work.
But they're still in 'I can beat the system' mode.
Once they get into the 'OK, I'll at least TRY to put it back to stock' mode, they're in for a pleasant surprise.

To all you clowns reading this, time for a reality check.

I drive my MK1 carb unit with no problems in the Southwestern desert, using the A/C and the car gets me where I want to go - like Uncle Mike says - for a fraction of what the other guy is paying. And I pay more for a gallon of gas than you.
But I took the time to study the manual
(which is posted here by more than one individual -FREE FREE FREE)

and knew in advance that the ideal fuel/air ratio is what we're after...NOT best gas mileage, NOT fastest acceleration.
There's a middle ground which gives ideal combustion and doesn't burn valves.
Don't believe me? Just WATCH!!!

I did a google search for air fuel ratio images and this popped up first:



This is a chart which is at least 30 years old, so don't dwell on the 'Toyota' label.
They stole it from somebody else.
I learned it when I got my first Smog Tech License when everyone else was pulling all that smog sh*T.
Any mechanic (or Auto Tech, if that chokes your chicken) worth his salt knows it by heart.
Backwards and forwards.

You can easily see the two areas where people make a mistake.

First - The red area - they tune if for power baby, power. This ends up overwhelming your cat and wasting fuel, but gives you great acceleration in the short run.
For a track car, not a problem. You're not interested in long life, so rich, baby, rich!!!
Two - The blue area - I read it all the time: "I get GREAT gas mileage!!!" (Meant to show you that they know better than you.)
What they don't tell you is when the Summer hits, and the car is tooling down the highway in sweltering heat...poof...there goes an exhaust valve.
Why? LEAN baby, LEAN. LEAN = too hot.
What does the MK1 have to beat the LEAN/hot problem?
EGR.
You pulled/disabled the EGR? Only an idiot would do that!
Your exhaust valves with last a lot longer if that system is healthy.
Still these clowns continue to try and beat the system.

Learn your lessons.
Keep it in the green. (See the thin green line in the chart above.)
Engineers had this chart when the cars were built and installed all the sensors necessary to keep the combustion temperatures within certain limits so that the car would last and last and last.
Green = 14.7

You see T3 ragtop build his monster engines?
He's after the GREEN zone.
POW!

The MK1 also has a unique system to clean the cat.
The second air valve system is extremely useful and when working will ensure your tailpipe blows almost pure H20 and CO2.
If you can build an engine, why not build the best of the best?
It isn't that hard with these Suzuki!
But enough of the lessons for the hard headed clowns....
...



This site has been a tremendous help to us financially and socially.
We've learned the ins and outs of the Suzuki automobiles and acquired a dozen in the process.
Every car was destined for the junkyard, but we figured they were worth fixing.
The DOHC's are excellent - I had to stop driving ours before I got a ticket!
The turbos piss off all the expensive fast cars because they can't get away.

I've met some pretty decent people, and some real clowns on this site.
We barely were able to keep the old MK1 running and not burn exhaust valves until joining this site.
Now, we spend so little on transportation it is sick.
I've driven 1,000 miles to help a total stranger with his MK1 carb unit and we ended up rebuilding his complete engine in 3 days.
A couple of years later I drove back because he was having a problem with his carburetor that the local mechanic couldn't diagnose.
It turned out to be some burrs on the float shaft.
The guy easily understood the problem once I pulled the top off and showed him.
He was a gun smith and understood the 'trigger' analogy.
BTW. he simply LOVES his Mike's cam and that car is very fast.

...

If it seems a little slow these days it is because people are asking for help and getting it via pm.
At least those willing to listen.

Someone who gets arrogant, or loses their patience with me?
They can either apologize and learn to listen or go somewhere else.
I'm happy to help those willing to be helped.
But if they have a bad attitude, I don't get in their face.
I back off and let them decide if they want help or want to fight.

This week some clown who can't spell the name of one of the greatest States in the Union complained he put a rebuilt carb on his car and now he can't get it to run right.
Kinda stupid.
We're here to help.
Dude - you post pictures of your newly purchased rebuilt carburetor, your engine and what you are doing.
Then everyone can chime in and help you set it up.
Instead, he posts some vague symptoms like an old woman at the Doctor's office.
Well cowboy.
Teamswift is full of car doctors who know these cars inside and out.
You want help?
All you have to do is follow our simple instructions.
To date our newbie clown hasn't posted the video that I asked for.
Basically, it is probably some old woman who is trolling for a husband.

You want help with your MK1?
I don't fix phantom cars with phantom symptoms.
Post your video or go play with yourself in the closet.
Ha!

Back to Uncle Mike's shout out:
Things are going great out here, and just as we ask those who want our help to be patient, listen and learn...so I have to take my own advice and work slowly and carefully as I build a pretty decent little piece of property on the other end of town.
It will have a decent sized shop that any Teamswift member would be proud to visit and we are getting some strong community support as we gradually make the place habitable.
How were we able to come up with the CASH to buy the place?
Duh.
We got our money OUT of the cars we built.
And we've got plenty more with parts to back up what we already drive.
Basically, we spend money on filters and (gasp) Mobil One full synthetic, registration and insurance.
No car payments, and no stupid car leases.
That gives us $$$ to invest in houses.
And we bought a helluva house, let me tell you.

But better Uncle Mike gives us an update on his vacation home.
He's quite the capable construction fellow, if he ever shares his pictures.
That man can build!
C'mon Uncle Mike.
Show us the latest.
I'm guessing these new clowns will understand us better if they see what you are doing with your spare money now that you got your 4 door under control and you are building the super commuter Turbo that they can only dream of!

To the rest of you Teamswift members:
Watch out for the latest round of MK1 members who are trying to pull the wool over your eyes.
They say they have a car to fix, but don't produce even a picture of it.
I would advise you not to waste your time helping them.
They're just wasting your time as they try to rewrite the factory service manual.
But man oh man, just take a look at their FACEBOOK or Photobucket page.
They can post pictures when they want to, and want to be your friend, but there's no equality in their book.
So I don't see any validity to any of their arguments.
That goes for the 3 members here who haven't posted in this thread as well.
You clowns are so smart?
Show us what you've got so we can agree with you.
Otherwise, put up and shut up.
You're not my friend so don't pretend.
Or else come up to our level and post pictures like everyone else.
This is a site with competent members - join it!


(click for video, hope your speakers are working!)

The MK1 is an OBD I vehicle.
Where I live mine goes through a 5 gas analysis at a State Certified Station.
I even post what the tail pipe blows!!!
These clowns who supposedly know better have never posted a single smog slip.
I'd bet they don't even own an CO tester.

If you want to build a track car which runs rich - I get it.
But who builds an MK1 carb version to race?
Turbo, yes.

So watch out for these new carb fellows who rip off all the 'smog sh*t' because that's what they learned from their great grandfather's uncle's brother.
It won't run right.
The factory set up is good enough.
Put it all back to stock, and get something else to race around town and impress your girlfriend.
Once she gets pregnant, you'll be glad you did.

Phil who.?
sorry he's over with johnny and the boys on the GMF (geo monkey forum).?
.
thanks mike for all your good work sorry we never had the chance to meet
I totaly agree wwith whAT YOUR SAYING in your last post I'll be here till the last
...jv&s
.
you sir have one last P.M.

_________________
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There he is.....Its still alive!!

though no excuse, we both have emails and phone numbers, but I guess have togh gotten over consumed with all sorts of various other things. I think of my buddy from the land of fruits and nuts often.

$2.18 here phil....having dropped to 32mpg on my vibe vs the usual 40 on the sprint has me very day itching to do more to get the turbo on the road....soon I keep saying.

I hear ya on the carbs and fully agree. Folks want something for nothing, and dont appreciate the effort it takes to do it right.....you and I have had many phone talks, we both know where we come from and stand on these topics...some will jsut never get it....its not about purism, its about not re-engineering the wheel. To date, the carb'd MK1's, in proper operating form can still NOT be outdone when it comes to fuel economy.....Unless of course the Elio ever comes to light....and yes I do have $ down to get one if it ever happens.

Weve all made some great freinds on forums like this one, and Ive seem to have made quite a few here, that I will miss if this place goes the way of the dodo.

some great info you have posted there.....but personally I'll pass on choking that chicken.

Good to hear all is going great out in the windy parts of CA. And yes for the most part figured you were consumed with the house project. Of course you also know of me and my constant building going on at the retirement home. And yes that has been going as usual. OF course you are a usual guest at my PB account and I do try to keep things updated there on the project. MOst of whats been going on this year has been indoors. Spent about $5k on closed cell faom kits to make the place very energy efficient. Walls, and floors near a R30. New windows installed, as well as started to do some mtn Rock extereior veneer. But all got put on hold last visit in june when the septic system decided to go belly up. As the place is 50-60 years old and no records of the old system, we opted to have an entire new system installed. That of course is not cheap, so rest of the year is just doing what can be done with the materials on hand. But as you ask, here are a few shots of whats been going on.

Last year we went from this.

to this

Here we see the local code inspector hard at work



Here's Uncle Mike raising one of the ridge beams.

to this

All this done in about 7 days. 90% solo....yes I still got some hustle left in me when I need it.
about a month later finished the roof on another trip




this year.....so far.

we got all the windows installed, and the exterior weather wrapped.



after weather wrapping decided to get started on some of the stone veneer.....3 tons worth


prepping for scratch coat

the coat itself

As its been about 20 years since my last stone laying.....some practice on the bottom of the chimney where I removed some yard level


then the weather got nasty on us so we decided to move in doors.....some framing, some insulating,


Heavy stuff being stored indoors prior to the closing in of the holes



guest bath with large walk in shower stall

some foam insualtion

attic entrance...the inspector says good to go.


our new master bedroom door unit.....not installed yet.


And this year......99% all me except one trip where wife helped me some.

for the very meticulous at heart, youll appreciate these...







this deck wraps all the way around the back of the house 96' on the back side.

And you guys wonder why I dont post more mk1 stuff??[/

My life stays very busy.

Scotty,

yeah shame we never have, but life aint over by a long shot, and I do west coast on occasion.....Until we do, keep the pacific northwest rain for yourself, but keep the mk1 spirit alive, I plan to.

_________________
Mike
Valley Grande, AL
1986 Sprint plus

Do you maintain a personal fleet like I do?
Why do we do it?
Because it's what we enjoy and because we CAN.
2011 camaro, 2005 Vibe, 2016 Outback, 06 Expedition, 87 Porsche 911, 87 Turbo sprint, 82 Brat, 73 gmc 4x4, 69 camaro, 99 Gl1500 Honda Goldwing, 12 Kawasaki klr650, 2012 Kubota L3200, and we wont even go into the small stuff.

Still alive, but not kicking...much.

Nice update, Uncle Mike.
Your detail work wasn't lost on me.
And as you mentioned, you are one of the few who put an MK1 back together and it ran right.
Nice to know it is now saving a smart young man some $$$ as he drives back and forth to work.
Too bad most of our decent jobs have moved out of State.

OBD II has been around for over 20 years, and is much simpler.
Of course, you have to buy your own code reader.
And the sensors are more plentiful and expensive.
You don't have to think.
Just plug in a reader, find the code, and BAM! You're done.
It was a simpler system which was designed with fuel injectors and oxygen sensors in mind.

OBD I - a dinosaur in the motor industry - existed for a comparatively short time.
You had to think to solve your auto issues.
Code readers were included in each car and initially didn't identify which sensor was acting up.
The '85 and '86 models had altitude sensors on the firewall.
The forerunner of the TPS was the micro switch.
OBD I knocked a lot of wanna be mechanics out of the garage.
And OBD II was the final blow. I remember hearing them say, "But it has FUEL INJECTION."
Remember, prior to the oxygen sensor, most cars had carburetors.
It is interesting to see that some cannot handle OBD I.
They'll either try to migrate the system to OBD II or go completely backward and flip to pre-OBD I.
The number of cars with OBD II overwhelms any OBD I group, so their frustration is understandable.

You will find the Turbo Sprint project a labor of love - when you take it out for your first drive.
Although you've had fun with your 4 door NA automatic, it is simply no comparison to the 5 speed Turbo you've got on your plate.
Yes, it only has batch injection, no it isn't OBD II, but ask those who own them.
They rarely want to sell them.
Several of our Moderators have them as their avatars for a reason.
You won't have to put your foot in it to have fun.
Just KNOWING you can shame the other drivers around you is plenty of fun.
It's like driving a new Corvette at the speed limit - you know you can shut em down, but are happy to run with the pack.
And mileage - you can get your 40 mpgs back no problem on your commute.
Move that Turbo Sprint back up the priority list; you'll be glad you did.

Your 401K is coming along.
An idyllic life for sure.
Nice rock work, solid foundation.
90% your effort?
No pain, no gain!
Keep at it; I'm sure you will.
If we're ever out your way we'll stop by.

Now that you've traded the 4 door, I guess you won't be posting much in this thread as your Turbo Sprint is fuel injected. Maybe the new owner will check in, or already has.

Hopefully the rest of the gang can learn a lesson from you: fix it once, fix it right and reap the benefits of driving a fuel efficient, reliable and fairly maintenance free vehicle. Then, with the money you save, build the home of your dreams!

Good work, Uncle Mike.

Hope you start a thread on that Turbo Sprint soon.

You've got a lot of ways to go with that car!

But try and keep all 4 on the ground, eh?

I bet your kicking more than most....

I hope you finally got the issue of the neghbor thieves resolved.

Yeah these cars are not as complicated as most think....but as you know you gotta do it right. As stated so many times before, many buy these for peanuts, expects to fill the tank with peanuts and it run. YOu gotta fix things proper or dont expect the right results. But nothing to complicated about it, excpet for maybe Hitachi crabs, and even they are not that hard if one just pays attention....the hardest part is the carb part, many these days dont even know what a carb is. Its just another mechanical device with moving parts. Fix it right, take tips from those of us that have done so many times, and move on....But it takes effort and $. It appears that the younger generation has the desire to do either, put in effort, or spend the required $....Frustrating.

The young fellow that got my sprint was quite excited about the SPrint and its classic ways. The fact that his subaru ws not running at all due to carb issues, just getting reliable transport to him was a life changer. It was time for me to move on, and helping someone that could also appreciate the tech made it worthwhile. I got something I wanted out of it as well....and whats a Carb to guys like us ehh? ( also a hitachi but very simple)


Yeah gotta love OBD11.....except for maybe the elusive evaporative emission codes that could be a ton of things.

Oh the sprint is already on the priority list.....when Ive had time Ive been doing rust repair on it....about 1/4 done...what that is done then runability. I have all the parts on hand, just havent had the time.

as for the cabin, thanks for the mental support. you know me well enough I'm gonna do what I gotta do to get it done....and by all means if even in the region let me know.

I finally landed that tech job here at work and start that within the next week....after 32 years...no more shiftwork. 6-230 m-f all weekends and holidays off. May actually finally have some time daily to do things I enjoy.

_________________
Mike
Valley Grande, AL
1986 Sprint plus

Do you maintain a personal fleet like I do?
Why do we do it?
Because it's what we enjoy and because we CAN.
2011 camaro, 2005 Vibe, 2016 Outback, 06 Expedition, 87 Porsche 911, 87 Turbo sprint, 82 Brat, 73 gmc 4x4, 69 camaro, 99 Gl1500 Honda Goldwing, 12 Kawasaki klr650, 2012 Kubota L3200, and we wont even go into the small stuff.

Very nice work mkc1962 on the house. I appreciated all of your help & knowledge. It looks like you have been hard at work. Car's running like a champ despite ....... The problem wound up being electrical instead of being in the Carb. I didn't know if anyone else had run into this problem before. I was just trying to share my experience, so that if anyone else was struggling to fix a drive-ability issue, that it may be a problem somewhere else, not always the Carb. Anyhow, when I get some projects caught up I will try to post a picture of my car if interested. ( Just went through wife's Neon. a lot of maintenance items. 278,275 on that one.) Close to 200,000 on the Chevrolet Sprint.

87,

good to hear you go it going. And we try to help when we can. I can appreciate high mileage. We just sold a 2004 Camry that my wife has been driving since mile 0 as we boght it new. Sold with 421k and still running like new. After 12 years of commuting in it, she wanted something new.

Pictures of Sprints always enjoyed by many here.

_________________
Mike
Valley Grande, AL
1986 Sprint plus

Do you maintain a personal fleet like I do?
Why do we do it?
Because it's what we enjoy and because we CAN.
2011 camaro, 2005 Vibe, 2016 Outback, 06 Expedition, 87 Porsche 911, 87 Turbo sprint, 82 Brat, 73 gmc 4x4, 69 camaro, 99 Gl1500 Honda Goldwing, 12 Kawasaki klr650, 2012 Kubota L3200, and we wont even go into the small stuff.

Its good to see this post still being active. It should be a sticky

_________________
1985 chevy sprint 5speed 1.0 Mk1 (Blue). 1999 Geo metro 5speed 1.0 (Silver). 2003 XL-7 2.7l V6 AUTO (White). 2005 XL-7 2.7L V6 AUTO (Cobalt Blue). 1996 mercury cougar 4.6 auto (Goldish?). New to the family 1998 VW new Bettle 2.0 5speed (Black) Restord <--- (hers)<---- Gone to a new home. Replaced with 2003 Turbo 1.8T 6speed (black) ... In One 1986 chevy sprint ER (White) In line for a restore <---None runner <---(parts). Thats 7... So I'm under a hood alot... Why? Kuzz we love cars!

But maybe without all my house chatter. ... not much there mcs related.

_________________
Mike
Valley Grande, AL
1986 Sprint plus

Do you maintain a personal fleet like I do?
Why do we do it?
Because it's what we enjoy and because we CAN.
2011 camaro, 2005 Vibe, 2016 Outback, 06 Expedition, 87 Porsche 911, 87 Turbo sprint, 82 Brat, 73 gmc 4x4, 69 camaro, 99 Gl1500 Honda Goldwing, 12 Kawasaki klr650, 2012 Kubota L3200, and we wont even go into the small stuff.

looky what I see here
.
.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1987-1988-CHEVY ... 77&vxp=mtr
.

_________________
.

Just pulled this thread from my favorites files to check the latest news. I see talk of the forum going down
Hope it is still working, as I finally got my new shop in order (sort of) after moving in almost 3 years ago. Hope to get back on my Sprint/Mini PU conversion project soon. since I was last here, I accumulated two more T-Sprints and an ER. Now can't decide which motor I want to use. The Turbos are really growing on me. I think If I can get one of the carbs rebuilt to near new specs, I would go with a NA swap, as per my original plan, for max economy, but I am enjoying driving the 87 Turbo as my daily.. I was lucky to find it with a nice interior...no cracks in the dash and nice seats. Had trouble getting it smogged though, flunked the first time and may not pass next time. Still gets 41 mpg. Wonderful car; It does everything I need it to. My first T-sprint is now on non-opp status and sitting in the barn. I would sell it, but I don't need the cash, and it might be a good Idea to keep it for spares. (AC doesn't work and interior is shot). I also picked up a NOS Dealer-AC system, still new in the boxes, which I could put on the Mini PU, if I can find space.
I was going to remove the EGR if I go with the NA engine, as it hits the Mini bulkhead, but after reading here about the lean-control value, I may have to keep it and cut a divot in the bulkhead for the diaphragm to clear.
Hope some of you are still around if I need some help sorting things, esp the carb, if I use that one. Any input appreciated. I am located a bit SW of those Cabezon Dinosaurs, (Ramona)
Cheers.