| Author | Message | |||
     ross kowalski Prolific User Username: cdfpw Post Number: 1501 Registered: 11-2015 |
The direct injection technology that gives a drivable safe car that gets 45 mpg, also gives us the joyous pleasure of walnut shell blasting the carbon from the intake ports. You pull the intake manifold, cover and plug everything, blast out the carbon from each port rotating the engine to close the valves as needed. There are lots of worse jobs, but really the answer is electric cars. Electric car motors are more like diesels where 80,000 miles doesn't even count.   | |||
| Omar M. Shams Grand Master Username: omar Post Number: 2094 Registered: 04-2009 |
Ross, I am intrigued. How does the walnut shell blasting work? where do the shells go? do you reuse them? what happens if you dont do this job? can i assume that this is only done for diesel engines? | |||
| Jeff Martin Experienced User Username: jeff_r_1 Post Number: 143 Registered: 07-2018 |
Direct injection is a bad design. | |||
| ross kowalski Prolific User Username: cdfpw Post Number: 1502 Registered: 11-2015 |
Omar, Walnut shell blasting is like sand blasting but is less abrasive and less harmful if injested by you or the engine. As you are directly blasting valves in the intake port sand is out of the question. The compound is ground up to about 1mm particles and cannot really be reused in this case as sweeping it up would get silicates into the mix which you don't want in that port. As for the job, Direct injection engines are not constantly washing down the valves with petrol so the valves and the port build up a layer of deposits from egr gas and oil from the turbo. It reduces and changes the airflow into the combustion chamber which reduces milage, performance, idle smoothness, etc. I was driving the car around today and I can say without hesitation that the car really needed this service, it drives like new. This is a problem for any direct injection engine petrol or diesel. On the diesel VW's from the early 2k's the problem would almost close off the intake. I saw one with like a 15mm hold in the middle. Those are usually burned out to clean them. Jeff, Direct injection allows some pretty neat tricks but this is one of the costs of that system. I wouldn't say it's a bad design, but certainly it is an issue. If the problem only happens every 70k miles running the cheapest synthetic oil I can find and changed every 10k, then I am OK with it. I think I paid 19 USD for the cheapest blasting gun on Amazon and 19 USD for 15 lbs of the cheapest walnut shell media on amazon and three hours of work. I figure I save that time in never washing the car ever. | |||
| David Gore Moderator Username: david_gore Post Number: 3795 Registered: 04-2003 |
Hi Ross, "She who must be obeyed" has a 2009 VW Eos TDI [diesel for those not conversant with VW nomenclature] with close to 80,000km [50,000 miles] on the odometer - when I am reincarnated, I am coming back as her car as it gets pampered much better than I although I have never driven it as she will not get out of the driver's seat. This car does 90+% of its mileage doing highway trips of more than 1 hours continuous travel at continuous speeds of 90 to 110km/hr [55 to 70mph]. Based on comments by VW forum members, the shell blasting is usually required around the 70,000 mile mark for cars mainly subject to short-term stop/start city driving. For your interest, I have used VW 507 specification engine oil to maximise the life of the DPF - my last VCDS readout indicated an 18% carbon build-up in the DPF suggesting the oil and the type of driving is beneficial in minimising DPF problems. | |||
| ross kowalski Prolific User Username: cdfpw Post Number: 1503 Registered: 11-2015 |
David, I only use the VW for commuting which means 35min highway driving with the car spending most of it's working life at temperature. I don't know if short hauls or long hauls cause this to be worse but with long highway runs it happened around 80000 ( it needed it around 70k) Poor oil could certainly be a contributing factor. I use terrible oil in the thing. On my previous car 2010 jetta TDI, I always ran 507 spec $$$ because of the particle filter. I never had it regen because it got regularly "exercised". I had the early model with an integrated DPF so I didn't joke around with the oil. | |||
| Patrick Lockyer. Grand Master Username: pat_lockyer Post Number: 2378 Registered: 09-2004 |
Ross what you say that we need electric cars is one hundred % correct. Failings with the direct injection coupled on some cars with the Vanos cam shafts not forgetting the oil are the main cause. IMO the crankcase ventilation with oil vapors getting to the inlet ports is a recipe for the carbon build up of inlet valves with all the probs. Did you need to clean the MAF. Correct oil and change more often than the manufactures recommended times will help but not cure. I am left thinking at what cost will the DI Phantom have if it suffers with this problem? | |||
| ross kowalski Prolific User Username: cdfpw Post Number: 1505 Registered: 11-2015 |
Patrick, I would think you don't want to nickle and dime a DI phantom, just buy the good oil. I did not even look at the maf. I should probably spray that off as well. A lot of people fit catch cans on the crankcase vent. That might be something as well. | |||
| David Gore Moderator Username: david_gore Post Number: 3802 Registered: 04-2003 |
Patrick, Have just ordered a solar power system for my partner's home as below: 24 x LG 380 watt NeON R solar panels (9.12kw) installed flat on the house roof with 18 panels facing north/west and the remaining panels facing north/east as discussed onsite. This array will be connected to a Fronius 8.2kw Primo inverter with Fronius smart meter to accurately report on the homes solar production, import & export of solar energy. A system of this size will produce approx 38 kwh/day averaged across 1 year (unshaded & unlimited). Tesla PowerWall 2 storage battery with a storage capacity of 13.5 Kwh. CatchPower - a GEN 2 hot water diverter which diverts any excess solar power directly into the hot water system dramatically reducing the need to buy power from the grid to heat hot water. [I am not convinced this component is necessary and this is to be discussed further before installation as a second or larger PowerWall battery may be a better option for future EV charging].  | |||
| Patrick Lockyer. Grand Master Username: pat_lockyer Post Number: 2379 Registered: 09-2004 |
David, sounds good you have more sun than the UK. Is the PW floor or wall mounted? If you go electric with the cars in the future a second PW with a Zappi tethered charging unit that can be programed to use excess solar that would otherwise be returned to the grid, was my choice. On peak summer days when both PWs and cars etc are full the surplus if we are at home is used, switch the emersion on manually for the hot water system. The rest can be all carried out on the mobile phone. Do you have any power outage if so the backup gateway may be something to consider. Back in 2010 when I worked out the FITS on the first array thought pay back would be about ten years but seems about 7 years.  It now seems that the first panels fitted are in better shape than new, but really the global warming is to blame.  First frost of October today!  | |||
| Jeff Martin Experienced User Username: jeff_r_1 Post Number: 149 Registered: 07-2018 |
Where are you at Patrick, here on the South BC coast, I am still able to swim quite late in October ? This is out first day at around 10 degrees in a long while. | |||
| David Gore Moderator Username: david_gore Post Number: 3804 Registered: 04-2003 |
Patrick, The PowerWall 2 will be wall mounted under the eaves in a permanently shaded well ventilated location. We intend going completely off-grid which appears feasible and hopefully we will cover the cost of the installation in 5 to 6 years based on our measly 6cents/kwh feed-in payment from the national grid. Unfortunately, the huge increase in home and commercial solar power installations has resulted in traditional electricity generators finding their base load systems are no longer "gold mines" and are fighting "tooth and nail" to protect their investments plus our National Grid also has capacity limits which are affecting the uptake of home-generated power. Our country location is often subject to blackouts due to weather damage to the power lines so off-line storage is a necessity. During the bushfires this time last year, we lost all power for 3 days when the timber power poles on the feed from the grid were completely burnt away. I have a 6.5kva petrol engine generator which has 2 x 15A protected circuits which provide sufficient power for critical/essential use. | |||
| Patrick Lockyer. Grand Master Username: pat_lockyer Post Number: 2380 Registered: 09-2004 |
Jeff, sunny Somerset UK. David I would and could go off grid if it were not For the feed in tariff [FITS] that need the grid supply to comply. Fits unit price 50+p index linked for twenty five years. The unit price on the SMA on previous post has not been updated it should show £6.91= 54.17 PKWH. Total 37654.7= £20397.55.give or take £s and rising. At the time of installation I went for the best type inverter but with the added array now the inverters have got much smaller!  | |||
| David Gore Moderator Username: david_gore Post Number: 3806 Registered: 04-2003 |
Patrick, I will remain connected to the grid for the same reason however the management system being installed allows me to control supply to the grid from 0% to 100% with no financial penalties other than having to pay the fixed connection charges each quarter - due to the massive uptake of solar power in Australia, the power supply companies have massively hiked their fixed connection fees and reduced the feed-in payment for solar-generated power. In some cases, due to sub-standard distribution systems, they will not take solar-generated power during daytime off-peak loads hence my decision to include battery storage to allow transfer of power to the grid during the evening and early morning peak periods when solar generation is either impossible or low output for systems without battery storage and the cost from conventional power stations is higher than the solar feed-in tariff. Installation will be in approximately 5 weeks as the recently-released new high-efficiency LG panels have to come from South Korea as no stock is held here so far. They come with a 25 year warranty as well.
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| Trevor Hodgekinson Experienced User Username: wm20 Post Number: 200 Registered: 11-2006 |
A wise decision David. I am about to dump the 3 phase connection and switch to a generator to power the workshop. Here they charge an "availability" fee even if you are off grid but you only get it for a single phase if you are off grid Having 3 phase + off peak I get 4 connection fees which currently add up to 30% of the power bill & I am yet to hook up the solar cells & wind generator In fact I have 6 washing machines to convert that I am yet to pull apart. Good thing will be installing some air con once the solar panels are in place. | |||
| David Gore Moderator Username: david_gore Post Number: 3808 Registered: 04-2003 |
Trevor, You can get a phase converter to convert single phase to 3 phase. https://phasechanger.com.au/ Only concern would be the capacity of your single phase supply to provide the amperage required for the 3 phase circuit. P.S. This would also work on a single phase solar system if not set up for 3 phase supply. | |||
| Mark Aldridge Frequent User Username: mark_aldridge Post Number: 704 Registered: 10-2008 |
David a friend uses a phase converter to run his Bridgeport mill and Lathe very successfully in the UK. | |||
| David Gore Moderator Username: david_gore Post Number: 3809 Registered: 04-2003 |
Thanks Mark, There is always a solution to almost all problems. As usual, the real problem is being in the right place at the right time and recognising the solution. | |||
| Trevor Hodgekinson Frequent User Username: wm20 Post Number: 202 Registered: 11-2006 |
David Yes I know about phase splitters However the mill has a 20HP drive motor + a 5 Hp for table movements and a tiny single phase to run the pump . That is a lot of Amps to pull from a single phase line And this is without any other power being drawn elsewhere | |||
| Patrick Ryan Grand Master Username: patrick_r Post Number: 2290 Registered: 04-2016 |
Gents, I am about to fit a second 5kW solar system to my house. This will ensure a zero bill, and allow full charging on a daily basis of a Tesla Wall 2. Looking forward to this upgrade. My current 5kW system has been outstanding. | |||
| David Gore Moderator Username: david_gore Post Number: 3810 Registered: 04-2003 |
Patrick, Will be very interested in comparing my system output with yours when they are operational. Have you checked out the new LG Neo panels? Well worth a look if you haven't done so especially if your panel orientations are a mixed bag. | |||
| David Gore Moderator Username: david_gore Post Number: 3812 Registered: 04-2003 |
Trevor, What is your feed cable size to your meter box? It may be capable of handling more amperage as they are often installed over-capacity to cover increased usage in the future. In our case we have a 16mm square cable capable of passing currents in the range of 80 to 110 amps depending on the installation of the cable. | |||
| Patrick Lockyer. Grand Master Username: pat_lockyer Post Number: 2384 Registered: 09-2004 |
David, the last solar panels I had installed were the JA solar 410w panels, good price! https://www.segen.co.uk/product/ja-solar-410w-mono-mbb-percium-half-cell-silver-frame-mc4/ | |||
| Trevor Hodgekinson Frequent User Username: wm20 Post Number: 203 Registered: 11-2006 |
David, The supply fuses are 100 A. However we have a supply balance problem here as there are only 3 users connected to the pole top transformer which in the past 10 years has blown 4 times & brown outs were almost a weekly event till we all made the effort to balance our phases better . When I first moved in there was a massive out of balance between the phases as all of the GPO's were on a single supply line with only the stove & workshop 3 phase on the other two. The stove was disconnected & I only had the single lathe on the 3 phase. I am yet to install the new ground spikes which will probably make things better as the house is now plumbed with plastic water pipe so the earthing is a bit iffy being reduced to about 5 m of old rusty pipe to a single outside tap. Now we have 2 mills , 3 lathes, a compressor, shaper & TIG on 3 phase although the only one that runs daily is the compressor. One of my customers mentioned that loading one phase heavily could adversely affect the power bill & he was right when I split the lines better the metered consumption dropped near 10 % . Right now I have the useage balanced to around 20 kWh a quarter . We have never clocked the power consumption of the Adcock & Shipley but it came fitted with a 20A 3 phase plug & I do notice the lights dim when it starts up and an increase in the power bill when we use it. | |||
| David Gore Moderator Username: david_gore Post Number: 3813 Registered: 04-2003 |
Patrick, A question about the JA panels - how does their resistance to hail rate? We live in an area which has regular severe hailstorms originating in the Barrington Tops World Heritage area at the head of the Manning River Valley and hail resistance governed my panel selection. I chose the LG panels for this reason and their 25 year replacement warranty. We have more roof space available for additional panel installation in the future. Trevor, If finances permit, have a look at a solar system with a 3-phase inverter for your workshop - I presume you only use the workshop during the day so there would be no need for storage batteries thus keeping the cost to a minimum. Also check out installing soft-start 3 phase controllers which significantly reduces start-up current draw instead of the conventional star-delta or DOL starter: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motor_soft_starter . | |||
| Patrick Lockyer. Grand Master Username: pat_lockyer Post Number: 2386 Registered: 09-2004 |
David are you mixing the 25 year linear warranty with the panel damage, here it is covered by the property insurance if agreed. Here Uk JA solar product warranty is twelve years. I will never say we will never suffer with hail stones the size of golf balls or tennis balls as it seems anything is possible with the climate change that seems to be the case now. If it was a problem at least the panels are roof sloping with 3.2mm tempered glass from memory. | |||
| David Gore Moderator Username: david_gore Post Number: 3814 Registered: 04-2003 |
The warranty is all-inclusive with no exemptions based on the information given to me. I specifically inquired about hail damage when considering these panels. 3.2mm tempered glass doesn't completely withstand our hail which can be extremely large in a hot, humid summer afternoon storm. Inclusion of solar panels in home building insurance usually involves a substantial premium increase as a consequence of our frequent storms and cyclones [hurricanes]. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-20/australia-wild-weather-hail-rain-storms-lightning-dust/11883496 . | |||
| Trevor Hodgekinson Frequent User Username: wm20 Post Number: 204 Registered: 11-2006 |
David, Yes workshop is daytime use only For nights I will still have the single phase lathe, drill & compressor. Did not realise that soft start could be retro fitted always assumed it was inherit to the actual motor. So thanks for that tip . I can never get rid of the supply charge, just like the sewerage access fee for the sewer line we are not allowed to connect to. | |||
| David Gore Moderator Username: david_gore Post Number: 3815 Registered: 04-2003 |
Trevor, I first became aware of "soft-start" units for 3 phase motors when I worked for Atlas Copco as these were often specified for air compressors in locations with limited capacity power supplies. I am positive these could well solve your problem as the inrush current from a DOL starter is 6 to 7 times greater than the current used when the motor is running. A Star-Delta starter will reduce the current draw whilst starting the motor however the electronic "soft start" was best suited to installations where current limitations prevailed. . |
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