For anyone who has followed my engine build this is old news but, for anyone new this is quite a tail. I started getting parts in August of 2004 when I purchased a core engine and tranny from Rich Dauenhauer out of a rusty old parts car. Since then I’ve reassembled this engine 5 times. I started hoping for a good father son experience and the opportunity to learn a little about engines. I got a whole lot more of each than I bargained for.

Before I rehash the whole thing I need to thank Jake, Charles Navarro and Len Hoffman. They stuck by me through the whole experience, even though the contract I signed at the beginning clearly stated any failure was on me. Undoubtedly they have all lost money on my project. Jake even lost a little flesh but that story has been told before. These guys have gone way over the top to try to help me succeed. They set the benchmark for customer service and I can’t recommend them highly enough. Anyway, THANK YOU guys.

So as I said this all started 2004 and Gerry and I spent the rest of the summer and early fall tearing down and cleaning the core parts. We sent the case, crank, flywheel fan, and a bunch of other parts to Jake for checking and machining.

Click to view attachment

Click to view attachment

The next spring we got back a bunch of boxes full of parts and they were beautiful. Those of you that have received new parts from these guys know what I mean.

Click to view attachment

Everything looked too nice to put into an engine.

Click to view attachment

Click to view attachment

Gerry and I built the engine with some help from my daughter Sarah.

Click to view attachment

Click to view attachment

We went through all of the difficult steps that cause people so much hair pulling like deck height, valve train geometry and end play. All seemed well and we had a light off party with plenty of beer and roasted flesh (fake steak from Costco as Geoff pointed out). I borrowed Kevin’s carbs and we started it with a distributor. Jake was on the phone and Sarah lit it off with a remote starter. No go, the leads for 2 and 4 were reversed (bet there’s been a few guys do that). Jake said it was only hitting on 2 cylinders and Geoff found my mistake. After we corrected it, it ran great and we broke in the cam, then back to the beer.

Click to view attachment

After it was installed in the car I tried to seat the rings and after a while it became apparent that something was wrong so, out came the engine and we tore it down. The autopsy showed it was very rich, the piston skirts were scuffed and the bores were worn, some of the cam lobes were worn, the main journals on the crank needed polishing, and the inside thrust surface of the rear main was worn.

Click to view attachment

Click to view attachment

Click to view attachment

It took a while but, everything got replaced or refurbished. At that point we blamed the fuel injection and hard starts when it was installed in the car. We felt the oil got diluted. At this point Jake offered to build it and break it in down in Georgia for free but, I hate to quit so I said no.

Back together it went for another try in the fall.

Click to view attachment

I had even higher oil usage so out it came again and down to the crank. Another flat cam and the same cylinder and piston wear. This time Jake sent a different cam grind on a newer blank. Ramp rates were a little slower lift was a little less and duration was a little longer especially on the exhaust side. Charles sent the P&C set to a fellow in San Diego for a look and they checked out OK so back in they went and back in the engine went. It was better and I ran it for about 6 months. I did a few autocrosses, Gerry did a couple of new driver classes and we drove it to California to meet Jake on his cross country trip in the Blubonic plaque at Bug-o-rama in Sacto.

Click to view attachment

Click to view attachment

It was a great trip except it needed a quart of oil every 300 miles. In Sacramento Jake decided to try new pistons and cylinders. A change was made from JE forged to Keith Black pistons and Charles sent brand new Nickies.

I put it back together again, this time one my own because Gerry was getting a little bored with dad’s engine. Sarah was interested in other things and Betsy was just plain sick of it. I had no joy again so Charles replated the cylinders and I reringed the top end. I also changed to new head castings. By this time I knew torque values by heart, I could drop the engine in a day, tear it down in a day and assemble it in another day. Of course, some things like the gears on the crank I wouldn’t need to change. I could put the engine back in, in a day and a half. All the while, Megasquirt was taking the blame for over- rich tuning and washing oil out of the cylinders.

This time it lasted a weekend. I detonated it on an uphill stretch of highway at 3000 rpms. I heard a can of marbles being shaken behind me. I got it towed home and oil was everywhere. I was ready to deep six it in Puget Sound. I almost could have walked away. At this point Jake again offered to build it and break it in. But, I hate to quit so he said come down and build it at my place. So, I scheduled a week of in September and headed for Air Cooled Heaven

Click to view attachment

The plan was for me to build it on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, put it on the dyno Thursday, break it in and tune it and then pack it up Friday. That was kind of ambitious and it all went pretty well until Thursday. I had a few issues with the build. First, when Jake says clean he means just shy of sterile. They use white lint free paper towels like large lens paper and wipe parts with carb cleaner. If there is anything color of mark you do it again until there isn’t any stain. That meant ½ hour per cylinder cleaning and these were freshly plated. Clean, clean, clean!!!! Everything that can’t be wiped gets sprayed and then blown off. Second, clearances are rechecked after the parts are heated I know exactly what the ring gaps are at 400 degrees and 24 degrees. I know I shouldn’t start my engine below 20 degrees. I asked a ton of questions and if it was something dumb, Brent’s right eyebrow would go up. He bailed me out many times. Anyway, after 19 hours of work on Wednesday it was ready for the dyno on Thursday morning.

Click to view attachment

Click to view attachment

Click to view attachment

Thursday morning was probably the worst morning of my adult life. I could not get a tach signal so MS wouldn’t work. I tried everything and I had no success. In tearing it down for carbs I almost started a fire in the dyno room and Jake grabbed a red hot 10 gauge wire that grounded accidentally to the dyno stand and pulled it apart. He ended up with 2nd degree burns on his hands (that’s the pound of flesh). From that moment forward Megasquit became Megapuke. There was some mention of a handgun that fired 12 gauge shotgun shells called “the Judge”. I was really hoping they were going to shoot my MS and not me. (They didn’t do either but, I may still send it back there for target practice). After lunch and Jake taking a while to cool off, we broke the engine in and got a pull of 209hp at 6500 rpm. It was the first 2270 to make over 200 hp on pump gas. Jake was so exited he was literally jumping around. He couldn’t explain that, the combo was a complete surprise.

Click to view attachment

I left Georgia with mixed feelings, I was glad to have a great engine but, it wasn’t done. It was clear I wouldn’t run MS with it. It was also clear the stock intake wouldn’t support that output so, we sourced the SDS stuff with individual throttle bodies and Jake offered to dyno it again if I come back down and install everything.

Click to view attachment

So, I made another trip in January to Georgia (by the way it snowed twice). The FI was installed and we had a pull of 212hp at 6000rpm.

Click to view attachment

I packed it up and shipped it home. The engine now has a good 8 hours of dyno time with 2 good leakdown tests so I’m comfortable that I have a really strong engine that will last. I’ve had it on the road and it needs a couple of tweaks but, nothing major.

Click to view attachment

It appears that my long adventure is very near an end. Ironic as it may seem, the pistons and cylinders are the original ones that came to me 3 plus years ago. As long and as hard as it has been, it hasn’t been without rewards. I know my son is very capable. He demonstrated that to me many times. I know I can see difficult things through. I’ve made new friends. I’ve learned way more than I bargained for. The time and effort has definitely been worth it

And, above all else I have a great respect for the people I dealt with. I hope this adventure of mine helps everyone appreciate what a treasure we have with these guys. I have been supported for over 3 years and it included an invitation to work in Jake’s shop. It still boggles my mind. I like to settle my debts but, I know I’ll never be able to repay these guys.

Thanks Jake, Charles and Len

Your Friend,

Dave

Wow.

That's awesome.

Good luck with the car!

Dave,

Don't forget to thank yourself for that unwillingness to quit. If you look around these days - it can be a very rare commodity. Congratulations on the final results. I bet it tastes great!

Enjoy!

I love a good book......
Great story with a good end.

Now come on down and let's autocross!

Nice story Thanks for sharing.

Jake & Charles get kudos for standing behind their products. Dave?
He has the patience of a saint.

Wow. I forgot that motor came out of that
rusty POS 76.

Im glad it the end of the story was a success.

Well done!

I've followed your build for a while. Glad it all worked out in the end. You definately have my respect for sticking with it. Jake, Charles & Len have made a friend for life. While going above & beyond to help you along the way. Gotta love the 914 freaks we associatte with

Now drive that big4 like there's no tommorow

Here's to you, David, Jake, Charles and Len

I read your "long version" including the daily updates during your time at Jake's. Your experience convinced me to stop taking my car to others and learn to maintain my own car. Throughout your experiences, you (seemed to) keep your senses about you and never used any of the BBS's to blame others.

At the same time, Jake came across as the consumate professional he is, rather than as a raving engine builder, which his earlier posts might have led some to believe. Please, no replies about Jake. Simply, my respect for him is absolute. The same for Charles. These folks have taken our formerly "tired" 2.0L engines and made them perform in ways Porsche never fully imagined.

Anyway, I really appreciate you updating your experiences. However, for all those people who really need to understand what dedication is, please add a link to the daily notes you shared with us while you were at Jakes. I think I last saw it on Jake's website.

And here's to your family for putting up with all of this

Great story, I admire your perseverance. I think I would have had to take some time away from the 914 if that was me...

i cant wait to see that beast run!

there was a news flash on KOMO radio yest that a silver vehicle, perhaps a fiat, was consuming pavement at an alarming rate of speed. you're a determined guy dave, your perseverance is unbelievable. hats off to ya pal.

k

Glad to hear this story is finally coming to an end. Congratulations to all involved. Especially Dave!

Dave,

Great story, you make us all proud to know you. What a wonderful experience you had getting your son involved. Memories forever.

Please keep the motor information coming.

Tom

Dave,

What were the reasons for your initial engine failures? Do you attribute them solely to a rich Megasquirt system? Doesn't Megasquirt allow tuning? Couldn't you have just leaned it out?

Not being critical here, just curious.

-dave

Dave, Your going to need some fat tires and while your at it, have a few Fat Tires to celebrate... Congrats.

It was great to meet you in person in Sacramento and the support Jake, Len, and Charles were giving you was instrumental in my decision to go ahead with a kit. That and the fact that McMark was willing to look over my shoulder during the build and mutter Uh uh when I headed down the wrong path.

I would love to know the details on your EFI. I know TWM TBI with SDS but details on the parts and sensors you are using...

When anyone has a "problem" with anything I have sold them, I treat them as I would expect to be treated if I were in their shoes. I remain professional, tactful and flexible as long as they are not demanding, loud or assanine. Dave was the picture perfect client, he understood and assumed the role of the builder and also the role of the "client with problems" very well. Everyone reading this post needs to note Dave's conduct through the entire saga and apply that when they have a problem with a vendor.

These engines are mechanical and dave;s engine is putting out over 100% more power than the factory engine. It is/heas been/ always will be our goal to ensure that the things Dave has experienced will never be experienced by another engine kit builder using our components. This is why we do so much R&D and engine/ component design, to understand the creations so we can support the client during the build, no matter how hard we try we can't cover every base and issues like Dave's pop up no matter what...

I will say that since Dave purchaswed his kit we have sold over 200 engine kits and no one has experienced similar results!

Dave's engine is a mystery.. It has been the strongest 2270 pump gas engine to date and we simply cannot figure out why! I have tried to replicate the combination, but have yet to get within 20HP of the output of Dave's engine!

I really appreciate Dave's patience, insane attention to detail and his integrity that made him assume liability when things were his mistake...
No one else has ever been allowed to study within the confines of Aircooled Heaven, Dave earned his right to come into our world and get this problem solved once and for all.
When most anyone else would have been raving mad, cusiing and pointing their fingers at us, Dave was steadfast and respectful. I appreciate that more than anyone can imagine because the last thing I have time or energy for is a pissing contest!

I'll close by saying I have been waiting for years to see this post and I am very glad to see this chapter in my company's history closed.

does this mean that dave has been your most challeng[ed/]ing customer?

Though Dave didn't mention the causes, the inference is that the failures were all caused by Dave's mistakes. What were they? Were they all Megasquirt related? I understood that putting a kit together was pretty straightforward, so knowing what the mistakes were would help us all learn so we don't repeat them ourselves.

Nope... The most challenging ones are impossible to please.

Dave certainly isn't one of those.. I try my best to weed them out before I ever take their first dollar :-)

Dave being a business owner himself, probably helped the situation.

I'm glad all is well.

Yes, fellow business owners are always my choice of clients.. We understand how the process works and have lived through pain in the ass, impossible to please customers too many times...

Most if not all of the problems are mine. Certainly, it is apparent my tuning was probably the biggest problem. One look at the plugs when it was on the dyno showed how rich I was running it at home.

The first time around (mind you I'm remembering 3 1/2 years ago).
1) Cam was washed down with too rich a mix. It was very hard to start after I got it in the car and the FI was on it. The ramp rate may have contributed but, there was no indication of a problem after the initial cam break in with carbs.
2)I provided the cylinder shims which I got from Rimco. These were too tight on the cylinders. I used them each time until Jake supplied shims this last time. Along with the rich mix the rings never had a chance.
3)Inner thrust surface of the main was worn by scratches in the crank. I should have seen this. Remember, I was the builder and responsible inspection.

Build 2 failed for reasons 1 and 2 above.

Build 3 failed for reason 2

Build 4 failed for reason 2

Build 5 failed from detonation

Build 6 is a honey.

Dave

hey cave, how tight was too tight on the shims?

they slip fit on right?

and that is what was giving that really odd wear pattern in the juggs right?

Dave,
My hat's off to you, and especially to Jake,Charles , and Len. Talk about making a success story out of a failure! You all deserve the stick to it award. I have learned a lot from just reading about your troubles. Main thing I have learned is, I don't currently have the skills I would need to build one of these.
Hope we will see that car soon.
Tom

Cylinder shim fit must be tested in an oven at 350F. Dave can share my procedure with you, I showed him here at the lab..

Tom,
You must understand that dave's engine kit was prepared on my oldest program. When he purchased the kit I didn't even have the Type 4 Store open yet!!!

The program we have today is so revised and simple that a 210HP engine can be built with only a 119 piece tool set, no special tools... Just simply follow the support video and go from there.
95% of my kit clients have never touched the internals of an engine, the program was designed especially for them. The lesser amount of experience you have, the less bad habits you have to bring to the table and you'll be a better assembler.

Dave, thanks for sharing this story with us. Glad it worked out well. This kind of feedback is good for people new to the Type 4 engine world when selecting vendors to work with. I bought one of Jake's kits mainly because of all the good reports that people like you have posted here. I also applaud your taking time to involve your children with this project. JoeO

Hard to say if it was the cause or washing down the cylinders was. That was an observation that seems to help explain the problems I had. The seatting surface of the Nickies I have was radiused so if the shim seated to tight it may not let the cylinders seat squarely. Also torque specs had changed, This case was decked and the other weren't. There are just too many variables to come up with a cause and effect.

The only way to prove it would be to build the engine changing only 1 thing at a time and then see which one corrected it. Likely we would find it was a combination of things.

What I do know is when this engine hits 3500 rpms you got to pay close attention. I know the plugs look nice and clean.

Dave

get a ticket yet? haha.

k

If Dave doesn't blow the gearbox by the middle of the Summer I won't be happy...

That means he isn't using what we created.

That engine has enough torque to shatter first and second gears and the differential and I expect to see that damage soon.

I have to get something out of all that work and an offering of some destroyed gears would be a great addition to the "trophy shelf" after all the BS we went through.

Man I hope it stays together. This has about 5000 miles on a rebuild with a bunch of new parts. Right now my saving grace is worn tires.

All bets are off when the stickies go one for AX.

No tickets yet, I'm lucky I guess.

Dave

I don't...

Blowing that gearbox is the only compliment I care about right now!

When it blows send it to Heaven and Blake can apply his magic.

Just in case ya'll missed it, here's the graph of a dyno pull that I did after 30-40 minutes break in on a chassis dyno. This motor *should* have a little more steam than the oldie due to a .8 bump in compression. I added an LSD to the trans and the guts were lovely after 7 years of work. Tain't the torque, Jake, it's the tiar & I gots lots.

Hi jack over, Dave.

Looks like an IR interference issue on that dyno run :-)

Good numbers, with the few added ponies you have on Dave and the weight benefits he has on you, both cars should be about the same..

To make 198 RWHP it takes 228HP on my old dyno (that was used to test Dave's engine)..

Looks like you have a solid 15 HP on Dave...

Congrats Dave!!!
As rare as I log in it was nice to see the story come to a happy ending. You certainly deserve it!

Cheers!

Rocky,

Good to hear from you. I hope things are well and thanks.

Jake

JP has the weight on me and he's certainly got the tiars. His car is purpose build now for AX so I'm guessing he's down around 1850 or so. My car still is in the neighborhood of 2150. I'm not ready to commit to AX only and trailering so, I don't really expect to run with him. If I go that route someday, it'll be with a different car and that isn't likely for a while with college on the horizon.

The current wish list is some 7" steelies to mount my Avons on and new Falken Avenis 615's for the street. The tires and an alignment are a must before a trip to Portland. Double wish list is a limited slip

I suspect I'll get a raised eyebrow from him and maybe a nod of the head.

JP

I can hardly wait to see your car run but, I won't stray to far from home yet. Maybe May. Tempted as I was to come down the 20th, I'm not ready. I may run up to Bremerton Saturday to watch and shake it down on the road. No running though.

Dave

your 914 is faster than jp's tow rig. better g.m. too.

k

I buy that one

That's 1724 w/o ballast & my skinny ass.

My tow rig is....ah....not the model of efficiency.

1850 is about right with your skinny ass

Wow, looks like I have lots of catching up to do. Glad it is finally working out!

Chris Effin Reale! God damn now there's a poster from the past....whatsup???

figured you had two kids by now and no 914......

dave stopped by yest and i got the BIG ride. the car is REALLY fast. like FAST!! noise is acceptable, well behaved while driving at a normal pace, but when he puts his foot into it, it hauls ass. tach gets burried in a heartbeat.

dave, you need to source a 911 tach or something that reads a bit higher. it's all a big mystery beyond 7k.

k

Thats exactly what the combination was designed for.

but his engine didn't exactly do what you thought would...right.... way more hp than you had in your r&d.

Is it going to be at the May 23rd AX? Love to see it in action.

There's a chance.

I may be working the Driver's Skills thing. Bill always needs help and I try to lend a hand at least 1 time a year.

I'm working on ride height and I still need alignment a corner balance.

And we still haven't figured out why.. But no matter the output the engine is designed to be very easy to drive, super streetable with great manners until you desire more..

My Wife's 2.9L, 250HP engine is the same way, it drives smoother than the stock 1600 TI that came in the car and it has 4X more power, and the same rev range!

so we could chalk it up to Daves skill as an assembler to the vast increase in hp that engine is making?