Trilogy #243 is alive!

[Dr Caleb]

Well, I started June 26th and just filled the fluids up Monday night and took it for a rip. There were a few bumps along the way, but Mike from Trilogy stepped up and fixed the ones he could in his usual classy style.

First pictures, then a question! A little Blingie on the alternator there. Full chrome 200 amp, because that was all Summit could ship me on short notice.

I took it for a bit of a test on Monday; about 15 or 20 minutes long. :burnout: Was great! Like a new car! But halfway through I started getting 'ping' I guess? Like the heads were being hit with a hammer when I took it up to moderate throttle. I thought it was fuel, so I increased the BAP to 20. Didn't make a difference.

I babied it back home, and ran through everything. There was no fluid in the intercooler circuit. I was losing the light, so I continued last night. Filled the intercooler up again, and let it idle for 20 minutes. Not a drip, but the coolant level went down anyhow, and never got 'warm'.

So, my guess is the IC pump is not working. My question - how could I test it? I attached the wires as directed (pretty sure, I'm colour blind so there is that possibility I got them wrong). But I don't trust those tap-in connectors.

Can I 'hot wire' the pump directly to a power source to test?

Now I need to do the exhaust. Can't hear that wonderful engine anymore over the whine of the S/C :) Not a bad situation to be in.

[Haggis]

Congrats Glenn on finding the world of BOOST!!!

[SC Cheesehead]

Congrats! You're gonna love boost! :up:

[Dr Caleb]

Congrats Glenn on finding the world of BOOST!!!

Thanks Gord!

Googling "Mercury Marauder Supercharge" is what led me here in the first place! Like my Avatar says; I came, I saw, I stuck around.

[loud2004marquis]

I think the intercooler pump is supposed to run for 20 seconds after starting the engine.

[Odinson]

Sorry. I can't help you on the IC pump question. You should hear it in the 'on' position with the engine off. You should see the coolant sloshing about in the reserve too.

Which tune did you load? 91 or 93?

Congrats on getting her mostly running.

[MarauderMike]

Glenn,
The intercooler pump is hard to purge the first time through. You should hear the pump running to the intercooler with the key in the on or access. position. If you can hear the pump running, you have to drain the intercooler system and start again.

[MOTOWN]

Check your oil and make sure your coolant isnt getting into the engine oil, and make sure your intercooler connections are tight, i remember someone had a cracked intercooler that leaked coolant into the intake and got in the oil.

[Dr Caleb]

I think the intercooler pump is supposed to run for 20 seconds after starting the engine.

Ok, I will listen. I don't recall hearing it.


Sorry. I can't help you on the IC pump question. You should hear it in the 'on' position with the engine off. You should see the coolant sloshing about in the reserve too.

Which tune did you load? 91 or 93?

Congrats on getting her mostly running.

Coolant does not slosh, and I loaded the 93 tune. Best gas I can get around here is 94 octane with 10% ethanol, and I've used it since day 1.


Glenn,
The intercooler pump is hard to purge the first time through. You should hear the pump running to the intercooler with the key in the on or access. position. If you can hear the pump running, you have to drain the intercooler system and start again.

Ok, I will check it tonight. Like above, I don't recall hearing the pump running, but I did check for fluid moving in the degas bottle, and it definitely does not.

I'll also pull the lines and make sure they are clear and unobstructed. It only takes about 2 litres of fluid to fill the system (1/2 a gallon), does that sound right?


Check your oil and make sure your coolant isnt getting into the engine oil, and make sure your intercooler connections are tight, i remember someone had a cracked intercooler that leaked coolant into the intake and got in the oil.

I do smell a slight coolant smell, but I was assuming that it was boiling off rather than leaking. I'll check that too.

Thanks for all the advice! I'll update when I track down the problem. I'm marshalling GT racing this weekend at the Edmonton Indy course, so I was hoping to have her running so I could do a few laps. :)

[Odinson]

Not only does the coolant slosh it foams and nearly empties the reservoir while running. Then shut the car off and suddenly it's back to the 'fill' line.

You've got a pump problem.

[MarauderMike]

If you don't hear the pump running check the electrical connections. If the intercooler system has air in it(not purged fully during installation) the pump will be running but there will be no movement of fluid in the system. Also check to make sure the hose routing is correct.

Tips for adding/filling coolant reservoir for supercharger, follow this procedure...

A.Prepare a gallon pre-mixed 50/50 water/coolant.

B. Pour as much as you can intothe
reservoir with the key OFF.

C. Have someone turn the key on while you stand over the reservoir with the coolant. As soon as the key is turned, IMMEDIATELY DUMP THE REST OF THE COOLANT IN! Don't worry about spilling any, the system can hold it. If the pump sucks air, you'll have to start all over again.

[Dr Caleb]

Got the gallon prepped (different colour than the regular coolant, so I know which system is leaking).

I will do the rest tonight, but I'm suspecting that T-tap on the yellow/white wire. (because I stripped the orange/brown one, and wrappped the wire directly then heat shrank it)

Thanks Mike!

[Bradley G]

I always try to turn the key to on and wait to hear the IC pump hum, before I crank her up.

[Dr Caleb]

If you don't hear the pump running check the electrical connections. If the intercooler system has air in it(not purged fully during installation) the pump will be running but there will be no movement of fluid in the system. Also check to make sure the hose routing is correct.

Tips for adding/filling coolant reservoir for supercharger, follow this procedure...

A.Prepare a gallon pre-mixed 50/50 water/coolant.

B. Pour as much as you can intothe
reservoir with the key OFF.

C. Have someone turn the key on while you stand over the reservoir with the coolant. As soon as the key is turned, IMMEDIATELY DUMP THE REST OF THE COOLANT IN! Don't worry about spilling any, the system can hold it. If the pump sucks air, you'll have to start all over again.

It must have caught some air on the initial power up. :(

The wiring is fine (soldered the connections anyhow). I can hear the pump merrily purring away with the key on ACC. I was expecting something similar to the air suspension compressor, not the vibrate on my Blackberry. ;)

The pump runs and runs, but no fluid moves in the bottle. I tried getting the air out by squeezing the lines, but that didn't help. Guess I'm going to have to empty the system and start again. :( Lost the light again before I could get to that part.

[RacerX]

I cheated on filling mine. Took ten minutes from no coolant to fully purged and working A-OK. I filled the reservoir to just under the fluid IN hole, left the fluid IN hose off, hooked a wet/dry vacuum to the fluid IN hose, flipped the switch on the vac and kept fluid going into the reservoir as it was sucked into the system until it started coming out of the end of the hose and into the vac. Reattach hose to resevoir inlet port, turn key to accessory position and watch the fluid run though it. Youi were probably pinging due to high intake charge temps.

[cj7chris]

I cheated on mine, too. Used a hand pump to pump 50/50 mix into - both ends of the heat exchanger/radiator, both hose ends that went into the heat exchanger and the in and the out hose into the reservoir.

This was after squeezing hoses and trying to prime the "correct" way quite a few times. Once I pumped coolant into every opening, filled the resoervoir and then squeezed hoses a few times, it started working fine.

[Sully008]

Check your oil and make sure your coolant isnt getting into the engine oil, and make sure your intercooler connections are tight, i remember someone had a cracked intercooler that leaked coolant into the intake and got in the oil.


That would've been me.:o

http://motorcitymarauders.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12804

If he got coolant into the lower intake, trust me, he'd know right away, lol!

Congrats on getting "blown" Dr Caleb! Another supercharged Canuck! And I agree with others that you probably have an air bubble locked up somewhere in the intercooler system.

[Dr Caleb]

Fixed!

Woot!

I took advice of some, and blended it into my own solution.

I filled/drained/filled/drained it a few times till I figured out I was only wasting coolant. So I took ChiefUnlimited's advice, sort of.

Filled the system up, but I disconnected the upper intercooler -> degas bottle hose, and vice gripped the bottle side closed. Then used a shop-vac to suck the fluid through the system and break the 'bubble'. That worked like a charm :banana: I didn't expect the fluid to move so slow I guess. More like putting cream into coffee and watching it swirl, but I was assuming it would be closer to a garden hose. ;) But the fluid does heat up above ambient, and not a knock or ping to be had in any hard driving.

Did a good test drive (about an hour) on Saturday, and it was flawless the whole time. Took it to the Edmonton Indy track yesterday, and drove the :censor: out of it for about 1/2 hour. Again, flawless (but used 1/4 tank of fuel!!!). Got a couple compliments from some Shelby Cobra and GT owners too!

Tried to get video of my Marauder on the Indy circuit, but my camera failed me. I'm going to get one of those little solid state cameras as I'm going out again in a couple weeks.

[MarauderMike]

Great news Glenn! I'm glad you got it up and running. Enjoy!:burnout:

[kernie]

Fixed!

Woot!

I took advice of some, and blended it into my own solution.

I filled/drained/filled/drained it a few times till I figured out I was only wasting coolant. So I took ChiefUnlimited's advice, sort of.

Filled the system up, but I disconnected the upper intercooler -> degas bottle hose, and vice gripped the bottle side closed. Then used a shop-vac to suck the fluid through the system and break the 'bubble'. That worked like a charm :banana: I didn't expect the fluid to move so slow I guess. More like putting cream into coffee and watching it swirl, but I was assuming it would be closer to a garden hose. ;) But the fluid does heat up above ambient, and not a knock or ping to be had in any hard driving.

Did a good test drive (about an hour) on Saturday, and it was flawless the whole time. Took it to the Edmonton Indy track yesterday, and drove the :censor: out of it for about 1/2 hour. Again, flawless (but used 1/4 tank of fuel!!!). Got a couple compliments from some Shelby Cobra and GT owners too!

Tried to get video of my Marauder on the Indy circuit, but my camera failed me. I'm going to get one of those little solid state cameras as I'm going out again in a couple weeks.


Running around the Edmonton indy track, that sounds like fun!

Congrats on the upgrades!

:beer:

[Cougar_Marauder]

I am having the same problem. I can hear the pump run but the coolant doesn't seam to flow. I went for a short drive and my intake air temps are way up too. I took off the upper return hose and did the vacuum thing, I must have pulled nearly a gallon through the system and still no luck. Any other suggestions or should I just keep re-trying this same method?

[Cougar_Marauder]

Ok... so i guess what i was hearing was not the water pump. I just rechecked my t-taps and they look ok. Is there a quick way i can check to be sure the pump is working? Or should i remove the t-taps and solder the connections right away?

[Dr Caleb]

Ok... so i guess what i was hearing was not the water pump. I just rechecked my t-taps and they look ok. Is there a quick way i can check to be sure the pump is working? Or should i remove the t-taps and solder the connections right away?

I put the ignition on 'ACC', which is to turn it toward yourself, not away like you would to start it. Then I could hear the pump 'whirring'. Like I said, more like a cellphone on vibrate than an electric toothbrush.

If it's whirring away, pinching/squeezing off the line that goes to the radiator will ge tthe pump to whine at a slightly higher tone. If you still can't hear it, I used a DMM (Digital Multimeter) to check for voltage at the different connections with respect to ground. (using the ground for the pump that you installed near the battery). I also used a set of 'pigtails' to manually cycle the relay that comes with the pump. It's pretty loud, so you will know it works and using the DMM you should see the voltage go from 0v to ~14v when the relay engages.

If all that fails, I'd solder the connections, rather than use t-taps. But I really hate the t-taps, so I just soldered and taped it anyhow.

[Dr Caleb]

I am having the same problem. I can hear the pump run but the coolant doesn't seam to flow.

Just an FYI too; when you get the pump flowing, don't expect a garden hose level of flow. More like 'I just put cream in my coffee and it slowly disappears' kind of flow.


I took off the upper return hose and did the vacuum thing, I must have pulled nearly a gallon through the system and still no luck. Any other suggestions or should I just keep re-trying this same method?

Drain the system completely by disconnecting lines 6 & 7 (?) from the resevoir to the pump. I took the hose apart near the valve cover, and blocked off the resevoir half of it. Fill the resevoir till it won't take any more, then suck it through the intercooler side of the circuit. I heard a definite 'burp' in the shopvac when the air in the pump made it's way through.

[Cougar_Marauder]

I got it :beer: I forgot to tighten up the ground wire :lol: so it was pretty much hangin there, then once the pump started up I was able to draw some fluid through with the shop vac and all is well!

Test drive went good, air temps got up to around 95-100 (city driving) but it was 85 outside... sounds about right :burn:

I'll post up some pics when I get the chance!