pamp
Well-Known Member
This is what I do. Chief Engineer of the Barbara Foss , built in 1976. This is but my starboard engine. EMD 645 E7. I left the automotive trade many years ago. Still a wrench...
The Job
- Thread starter pamp
- Start date
Will it work with a megasquirt conversion? :mrgreen:
pamp
Well-Known Member
Epa / cafe
Actually,
No laughing matter. The engineers are working hard to bring these engines from Tier 0 to Tier 1, then upwards 3, 4... it never seems to end. They are providing a retrofit kit...the injectors electronically controlled vs old school mechanical governors. The upcoming standards will be a huge burden on those with older equipment, especially in the California construction trades. To stay compliant, new back hoes, dump trucks etc. and the old stuff will have no resale value except for third world markets. With the economy sluggish, this has the potential to put many out of business. We old guys had better bone up (computers, microprocessors, MegaSquirt) or ready ourselves for the greeters job at Wally World.
Actually,
No laughing matter. The engineers are working hard to bring these engines from Tier 0 to Tier 1, then upwards 3, 4... it never seems to end. They are providing a retrofit kit...the injectors electronically controlled vs old school mechanical governors. The upcoming standards will be a huge burden on those with older equipment, especially in the California construction trades. To stay compliant, new back hoes, dump trucks etc. and the old stuff will have no resale value except for third world markets. With the economy sluggish, this has the potential to put many out of business. We old guys had better bone up (computers, microprocessors, MegaSquirt) or ready ourselves for the greeters job at Wally World.
I agree. ( But we all need a little humor- cable guy maybe)
Time marches on.
For me, my E9 is a hobby that I can enjoy at my leisure and share with others. It's light years ahead of my former Austin Healey and has A/C too.
But as the world gets going faster we all have to dive in to new processes and embrace new technologies ( sometimes kicking and screaming just like our parents before us) to continue or maybe even start anew.
I once thought sometime ago that the art of hotrodding or shadetree mechanics was doomed by electronics and that the dealers would be the only ones to fix something. Armed with a little bit of knowledge ( some say bordering on dangerous) we boldly push on and sometimes with only the luck of the gods to prove our assumptions were based on some tangible amount of relevant experience. Sometimes we smoke'um, too!
The economy today is not kind for many of us. ( I'm in construction and real estate and it's tough out there.)
May we all get through this to smile one day and think of what we learned. That's why we're here.
Time marches on.
For me, my E9 is a hobby that I can enjoy at my leisure and share with others. It's light years ahead of my former Austin Healey and has A/C too.
But as the world gets going faster we all have to dive in to new processes and embrace new technologies ( sometimes kicking and screaming just like our parents before us) to continue or maybe even start anew.
I once thought sometime ago that the art of hotrodding or shadetree mechanics was doomed by electronics and that the dealers would be the only ones to fix something. Armed with a little bit of knowledge ( some say bordering on dangerous) we boldly push on and sometimes with only the luck of the gods to prove our assumptions were based on some tangible amount of relevant experience. Sometimes we smoke'um, too!
The economy today is not kind for many of us. ( I'm in construction and real estate and it's tough out there.)
May we all get through this to smile one day and think of what we learned. That's why we're here.
pamp
Well-Known Member
Humor
Yes,
In your local, I bet the hurricanes keep you busy on all fronts (pun intended) I have been fortunate. I started screwing around with computers in the days before www. Commodore, Atari, early IBM, DOS et al so have no fear. Many of my contemporaries are still in denial and are basically phasing themselves out. The computer should be a tool for us wrench turners, make life easier. OBD should have helped all of us willing to embrace technology. Yet some manufacturers still (illegally in my mind) keep their software and diagnosis tools proprietary. Volvo, VW, MB come to mind. Caterpillar is a notorious felon in this regard. Recently had to do a software reboot, I was locked out for lack of an admin code, had to bring in a Cat guy and even he was screwed. No one except the original programmer had the code, never tracked down that code and had to start from scratch. Meanwhile I was stuck with a dead engine, software glitch. To say this was expensive would be an understatement, should have taken minutes.
The Volvo scan tool will run some $10 k for instance... I would bet all independent shops would voice these same bitch's , so maybe a mistake for me to stir the pot.
Indeed, an onward march...
Yes,
In your local, I bet the hurricanes keep you busy on all fronts (pun intended) I have been fortunate. I started screwing around with computers in the days before www. Commodore, Atari, early IBM, DOS et al so have no fear. Many of my contemporaries are still in denial and are basically phasing themselves out. The computer should be a tool for us wrench turners, make life easier. OBD should have helped all of us willing to embrace technology. Yet some manufacturers still (illegally in my mind) keep their software and diagnosis tools proprietary. Volvo, VW, MB come to mind. Caterpillar is a notorious felon in this regard. Recently had to do a software reboot, I was locked out for lack of an admin code, had to bring in a Cat guy and even he was screwed. No one except the original programmer had the code, never tracked down that code and had to start from scratch. Meanwhile I was stuck with a dead engine, software glitch. To say this was expensive would be an understatement, should have taken minutes.
The Volvo scan tool will run some $10 k for instance... I would bet all independent shops would voice these same bitch's , so maybe a mistake for me to stir the pot.
Indeed, an onward march...
The key to me has been to concentrate on valuable vehicles that are worth repairing.
Sadly- my own 745i turbos are dropping in value whilst the parts become either more expensive, lower quality or made of unobtanium.
My current client list consists of demanding, intelligent people that can afford what they want on their expensive cars.
Can you imagine asking 10,000 bucks for an engine upgrade on a 400 dollar 733i???
On your thoughts about electronics- either we move ahead or we will be buying $5000 of new parts from BMW that are 1/2 the quality of the original for the AFM, the ECU and the wiring harness that are 40 years old and are literally rotting to death.
Sadly- my own 745i turbos are dropping in value whilst the parts become either more expensive, lower quality or made of unobtanium.
My current client list consists of demanding, intelligent people that can afford what they want on their expensive cars.
Can you imagine asking 10,000 bucks for an engine upgrade on a 400 dollar 733i???
On your thoughts about electronics- either we move ahead or we will be buying $5000 of new parts from BMW that are 1/2 the quality of the original for the AFM, the ECU and the wiring harness that are 40 years old and are literally rotting to death.
If you could point out the various parts- it would be nice to see them in context.
Don
Don