Fc With No Body...pics Of Engine Testbed I Enginee
12-12-2003, 01:11 AM
#1
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Morristown, TN (east of Knoxville)
Posts: 40
From what I have been told many of the larger, high end engine builders including mazda test-run their engines before shipping to ensure no problems and easy startup for customers. I have always thought that'd be really nice for me to do, with my own rebuilds, but who knows how much an engine dyno costs, it is obviously prohibitive for me.
So then one day I thought to myself, "how cool would it be to take what makes an FC run, out of the fc, and bolt it all to a bench of some kind, so you could just sit an engine down on the bench with a hoist, hook up some things, and test-run it."
So, the more I thought, I figured it'd be really easy in reality to do just that. I have plenty of FC parts and partscars to pull anything I need from, and I have this heavy ***, all metal large work bench I could use, that would even conduct ground just like the chassis of a car. So, I decided to do it.
IT looks like hell, but it works perfectly. I used a known running engine for the initial startup, to be sure everything was hooked up right and such. This was run open header and then no header, but for future use a custom exhaust pipe will be set up that leads outside the building.
The setup: stock s4 NA main wiring harness, ecu, engine wiring harness, gauge cluster and idiot lights (for coolant and oil level warning), battery and charger, L and T coils, radiator with e-fan hooked to a toggle switch, fuel tank with fuel pump hooked to a toggle switch, airflow meter and intake hose, basic sensors and relays required, a loop hose in place of the oil cooler, caps for certain coolant passages, and an ignition switch.
This engine was an already assembled, known working one...in the future, when used to test rebuilt shortblocks, I will run a stripped s4 NA manifold, primary fuel rail with FPD installed and 2 injectors, stripped s4 NA wiring harness, OMP blockoff plate, water pump, housing, and alternator, and flywheel, all that wil bolt on in a matter of minutes for the test.
So then one day I thought to myself, "how cool would it be to take what makes an FC run, out of the fc, and bolt it all to a bench of some kind, so you could just sit an engine down on the bench with a hoist, hook up some things, and test-run it."
So, the more I thought, I figured it'd be really easy in reality to do just that. I have plenty of FC parts and partscars to pull anything I need from, and I have this heavy ***, all metal large work bench I could use, that would even conduct ground just like the chassis of a car. So, I decided to do it.
IT looks like hell, but it works perfectly. I used a known running engine for the initial startup, to be sure everything was hooked up right and such. This was run open header and then no header, but for future use a custom exhaust pipe will be set up that leads outside the building.
The setup: stock s4 NA main wiring harness, ecu, engine wiring harness, gauge cluster and idiot lights (for coolant and oil level warning), battery and charger, L and T coils, radiator with e-fan hooked to a toggle switch, fuel tank with fuel pump hooked to a toggle switch, airflow meter and intake hose, basic sensors and relays required, a loop hose in place of the oil cooler, caps for certain coolant passages, and an ignition switch.
This engine was an already assembled, known working one...in the future, when used to test rebuilt shortblocks, I will run a stripped s4 NA manifold, primary fuel rail with FPD installed and 2 injectors, stripped s4 NA wiring harness, OMP blockoff plate, water pump, housing, and alternator, and flywheel, all that wil bolt on in a matter of minutes for the test.
12-12-2003, 01:12 AM
#2
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Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Morristown, TN (east of Knoxville)
Posts: 40
Once I got the thing working, I wanted to make noise and shoot flames. 
So here are a couple of shots at idle.
Interesting blue flames at IDLE out of the open manifold. So, I decided to remove it altogether and see what I could see, just for the fun of it...these are also at idle.
So here are a couple of shots at idle.
Interesting blue flames at IDLE out of the open manifold. So, I decided to remove it altogether and see what I could see, just for the fun of it...these are also at idle.
12-12-2003, 01:12 AM
#3
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Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Morristown, TN (east of Knoxville)
Posts: 40
Here are a couple revved up to around 5krpm. Thing gets hot quick around there. Note the glowing orange exhaust diffusers.
Now tell me this isnt the single coolest thing you guys have ever seen?!
Now tell me this isnt the single coolest thing you guys have ever seen?!
