For those still interested I have decided to move forward with the kits based on my most recent driving and tuning experiences since the dyno development stage.
I will need to work through most of the winter getting the tuning altered for cold start and cold weather operation with this new plenum design. I'll also need this amount of time to make all the plenums.
This is a very positive ending to the development as for so many weeks we were wondering what to do. Once the altered plenum was put into the truck with the dyno optimization and the tuned slightly the performance of the truck went through the roof, more than the dyno ever made it out to be.
With carbs my truck barely would get to 80 Km/H without acting like it was going to scatter.. Now I can turn 90 no problem and the usable RPM range in every gear has been effectively doubled over that of the carbs or previous FI plenums.
The biggest changes on the highway were much better hill climbing ability. I have one grade that I drive every day thats 8% for about 1.5 mile, with carbs I'd hit that grade @ 120 KM/h and before I got to the summit I'd be at 80 Km/H. Now with this plenum in place I hit that grade at 110KM/H and can hold a solid 98 Km/H to the summit!
Perhaps the biggest changes I noted on the highway were seriously reduced harmonics from the much better fuel delivery and air delivery of the plenum offered by it's design. Even cruising 130 Km/H the harmonics are less than I used to experience at 100 KM/H. HUGE DIFFERENCE!
Off road the truck is totally amazing, its a diffeerent vehicle than it has ever been before. No hesitations at all and when the throttle is stabbed it responds immediately, no flat spots at all!
I am very glad that I followed my instincts with this one and saw it through to the end.
Price is still up in the air. I'll be calling everyone on the "List" next week!
EFI
Moderator: TechMOGogy
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MASSIVE PINZ
- Posts: 234
- Joined: Tue Sep 13, 2005 11:30 pm
- Location: Cleveland Georgia
- Contact:
MASSIVE PINZ,
Could you please include me into the list of interested participants? I will soon be the proud owner of a 710K that Roger Kitt is parting with and am interested as well.
I can't help but notice your avatar and wonder what aircraft you crewed on? Myself it was P3C(u)s that I worked and crewed on when I was assigned to VP9 from 1976-1980 at Moffett Field. I was also on Adak during the Ditching of Patron Nines Alfa Foxtrot 586. I was the Senior Avionics Tech (AX2) at that time there and only having two transient aircraft and their preflights on the ramp kept me from going with my IFT buddy. For those who do not know what Adak is it is an island in the Aleutian chain of islands off Alaska, and it got very BORING there. I was there for 6 months of a 9 month detachment. I am also an A&P mechanic and had the ability to work on the light aircraft there on Adak as well. I realize this is off topic but his avatar brings back memories!!
A Wonderfully Happy Thanksgiving to all!!
Mike Spivey AKA JaffaPinz
Las Vegas NM at 6400ft in the Highlands!!
mike.spivey@att.net
Could you please include me into the list of interested participants? I will soon be the proud owner of a 710K that Roger Kitt is parting with and am interested as well.
I can't help but notice your avatar and wonder what aircraft you crewed on? Myself it was P3C(u)s that I worked and crewed on when I was assigned to VP9 from 1976-1980 at Moffett Field. I was also on Adak during the Ditching of Patron Nines Alfa Foxtrot 586. I was the Senior Avionics Tech (AX2) at that time there and only having two transient aircraft and their preflights on the ramp kept me from going with my IFT buddy. For those who do not know what Adak is it is an island in the Aleutian chain of islands off Alaska, and it got very BORING there. I was there for 6 months of a 9 month detachment. I am also an A&P mechanic and had the ability to work on the light aircraft there on Adak as well. I realize this is off topic but his avatar brings back memories!!
A Wonderfully Happy Thanksgiving to all!!
Mike Spivey AKA JaffaPinz
Las Vegas NM at 6400ft in the Highlands!!
mike.spivey@att.net
1974 710K
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MASSIVE PINZ
- Posts: 234
- Joined: Tue Sep 13, 2005 11:30 pm
- Location: Cleveland Georgia
- Contact:
Marine CH-46E Crewchief and Gas Turbine tech here..
We have our 20 spots filled for these kits, but some people may be willing to "sell" their deposits to other people since I have had to go up on the price to counter my development and production costs of these kits.
We'll be doing these 20 kits, one time only.. That was my obligation to the debvelopment and the following- after that I am stepping away from Pinz development. It simply cost too much and the returns are not worth the expenditure of time and resources.
I'll finish my 3.3L project for myself but thats all...
We have our 20 spots filled for these kits, but some people may be willing to "sell" their deposits to other people since I have had to go up on the price to counter my development and production costs of these kits.
We'll be doing these 20 kits, one time only.. That was my obligation to the debvelopment and the following- after that I am stepping away from Pinz development. It simply cost too much and the returns are not worth the expenditure of time and resources.
I'll finish my 3.3L project for myself but thats all...
I understand you not wanting to do any NEW development as it does not have a large enough return on your investment of time and energy.MASSIVE PINZ wrote:Marine CH-46E Crewchief and Gas Turbine tech here..
We have our 20 spots filled for these kits, but some people may be willing to "sell" their deposits to other people since I have had to go up on the price to counter my development and production costs of these kits.
We'll be doing these 20 kits, one time only.. That was my obligation to the debvelopment and the following- after that I am stepping away from Pinz development. It simply cost too much and the returns are not worth the expenditure of time and resources.
I'll finish my 3.3L project for myself but thats all...
I do not understand however why you would not want to market something you have already developed and gone through the trouble to prove. There is a market for what you alone can provide.
If you have no further interest in building kits beyond the initial 20, can you provide drawings, plans, instructions, schematics, circuit board masks, and parts and source lists for those of us who were unable to be one of those 20? I realize that that will also have a cost BUT it would allow you to recover more of your investment AND it would enable those of us who desire a working EFI and were unable for whatever reason to become involved in your development to kit it ourselves in a Do-It yourself fashion without further cost impact to you.
I am a Master Gunsmith and Machinist with my own shop, as well as being an A&P Mechanic, an Electronics Design Engineer, an Avionics Technician, and an ex-Aerospace Weapons and R&D Engineer for the Skunk Works and I would like the opportunity to build an EFI for the Pinz or Pinzes in my future.
You might want to consider the same sort of Kit of plans and instructions for your 3.3L engine effort as you would also be able to market that. I would be interested in that as well and I think others would be as well.
Please seriously consider what I have suggested.
MVBR,
Mike Spivey
1974 710K
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MASSIVE PINZ
- Posts: 234
- Joined: Tue Sep 13, 2005 11:30 pm
- Location: Cleveland Georgia
- Contact:
I totally gave up on trying to recover my R&D cost on the EFI development months ago. It would take selling 10,000 of the FI kits to ever make a profit on this development. In case you haven't figured it out yet money isn't what drive this individual...
I started the development because I have a Pinz and wanted to make my truck better, having a decade of EFI experience I figured it would be just another development. It wasn't.
I obligated myself to these 20 kits, at this point thats all I care about fulfilling. I'd be willing to bet that no one else in my position, having spent the time and money I have would have even cared about fulfilling that obligation.
We'll see what happens from there. The experience with these 20 kits and their purchasers will dictate everything for the future. If it all goes smoothly we'll see about the possibilities, if people are a pain in the ass- Bye bye..
Selling plans for the 3.3 wouldn't be very effective at all because all the custom parts needed to create the engine can't be bought off the shelf. I have made billet rods, custom pistons, billet Nikisil cylinders, and extensive head mods. Giving someone a set of blueprints for the engine would do them no good at all.
I **may** keep the 3.3 as one of my engine shop offerings, yet again dependant upon how it does in the lab and practical application.
I started the development because I have a Pinz and wanted to make my truck better, having a decade of EFI experience I figured it would be just another development. It wasn't.
I obligated myself to these 20 kits, at this point thats all I care about fulfilling. I'd be willing to bet that no one else in my position, having spent the time and money I have would have even cared about fulfilling that obligation.
We'll see what happens from there. The experience with these 20 kits and their purchasers will dictate everything for the future. If it all goes smoothly we'll see about the possibilities, if people are a pain in the ass- Bye bye..
Selling plans for the 3.3 wouldn't be very effective at all because all the custom parts needed to create the engine can't be bought off the shelf. I have made billet rods, custom pistons, billet Nikisil cylinders, and extensive head mods. Giving someone a set of blueprints for the engine would do them no good at all.
I **may** keep the 3.3 as one of my engine shop offerings, yet again dependant upon how it does in the lab and practical application.