EFI GL1000

[82expghost]

Was on steve saunders, but all the guys sent me over here.

I have a few questions, to get started, i have a spare mule gl1000 setting off to the side, i want to put microsquirt efi on it, after getting that done, i will be adding a turbo and aiming for 1 bar. the mule bike already has aftermarket clutch to make up the extra power, and new alternator coils. i can make anything from cad intakes, to mls or copper headgaskets, no fab work is too much for me

So first question
being a small engine, what size fuel injectors should i start off with, then base fuel pressure should be set at?

second question
i will be running this on e85, should i change the valve seals?

third question
how thick should i increase the headgasket to lower compression, keep in mind the e85 should solve most of the compression problems with the turbo

fourth question
been told i should pin the bearings in the block, should i just do one bearing on one side or both halves of each bearing.


fith question

what are some of the problems i will run into so i can fix as i go?

[CYBORG]

Why not just start with a 1200 EFI. Most of the problems are already solved for you by the factory.

[gregforesi]

Welcome from Michigan.
There have been several efforts on the EFi front. Casper, Socrace and IrishCarBomb have build threads that are pretty complete. A search should give you a good start on at least basic info.

[robin1731]

You may want to go to the intro section and say hello. Tell us a bit about you and your bike.

[irishcarbomb]

Welcome...you can find a link to my turbo efi build in my signature below.

[Casper]

Welcome, a few GL1000 have been EFIed, as noted. To the best my knowledge no one has done it with the intent of running E85 fuel. Sounds like you are up to it, with your build skills. You will need about 25% larger injectors for E85, is what I understand, so my GUESS is some 25 Lbs/Hr. You are right it will handle higher boosts, and 1-Bar is about twice what the rest of us are doing. But E85 is more susceptible to pre-ignition, so sparks plug, one or two ranges cooler is a good idea. Also no hot-spots in the cylinder head area, like small sharp bits on any castings, or carbon build ups. Another advantage is you can most likely get away with no intercooler, but I would do some investigions on that front before I fixed the final design. Good info on boosting when using E85 fuel, can be found on some Car Hot-Rod sites.

Up in Canada, at least where I live, E85 is just about impossible to find

Good luck, and keep us updated on your progress.

[rich3389]

Welcome, a few GL1000 have been EFIed, as noted. To the best my knowledge no one has done it with the intent of running E85 fuel. Sounds like you are up to it, with your build skills. You will need about 25% larger injectors for E85, is what I understand, so my GUESS is some 25 Lbs/Hr. You are right it will handle higher boosts, and 1-Bar is about twice what the rest of us are doing. But E85 is more susceptible to pre-ignition, so sparks plug, one or two ranges cooler is a good idea. Also no hot-spots in the cylinder head area, like small sharp bits on any castings, or carbon build ups. Another advantage is you can most likely get away with no intercooler, but I would do some investigions on that front before I fixed the final design. Good info on boosting when using E85 fuel, can be found on some Car Hot-Rod sites.

Up in Canada, at least where I live, E85 is just about impossible to find

Good luck, and keep us updated on your progress.

Just want to add a few things, E85 is not susceptible to pre-ignition, that's why turbo guys use it. Also, it burns cooler so you don't want to go with a colder plug.

[Casper]

Hey Rich, I gotta very respectful disagree with the E85 pre-ignition issue. It is used because it has a higher effective octane rating and indeed is less suspect able to 'knock', but not pre-ignition. Two very different phenomena in the overall combustion cycle. Pre-ignition occurs during the compression stroke, when something hot in the cylinder ignites the fuel, without the aid of the actual spark. Knock is caused by an uneven burn front after the spark has fired and the fuel charge is burning. See the link below, an SAE paper on the topic.

http://papers.sae.org/2008-01-0321/

[C5Paul]

Hey Rich, I gotta very respectful disagree with the E85 pre-ignition issue. It is used because it has a higher effective octane rating and indeed is less suspect able to 'knock', but not pre-ignition. Two very different phenomena in the overall combustion cycle. Pre-ignition occurs during the compression stroke, when something hot in the cylinder ignites the fuel, without the aid of the actual spark. Knock is caused by an uneven burn front after the spark has fired and the fuel charge is burning. See the link below, an SAE paper on the topic.

http://papers.sae.org/2008-01-0321/

Casper, interesting that I read the intro and this was the last sentence...

"The model shows that the most violent cases of PI can be mitigated by switching to either lean or rich operation."

That reminds me of discussions we have involving ignition systems and why a multi spark (at different intervals) ignition can show increases in burn efficiency (but typically no power increase) when used on excessively lean condition engines. In both situations (excessive lean or rich) we see decreases in burn efficiency due to premature flame quench until a second or third spark is introduced. Keeping the burn alive is more difficult in rich or lean conditions.

Would you guess that excessive lean condition prevents PI from happening due to lack of available fuel to ignite, while excessive rich conditions tend to cool the hot spots which cause PI in the first place? Please share your thoughts...

[sunnbobb]

Regarding pinning the bearings. You only need to do one side. And I recommend it. I met a fellow who had at one time earlier in his life, a Gem rear end, a supercharger, a modified clutch and an electronic ignition on his wing. He spun a bearing twice before pinning them and ridding himself of the problem. The guy walked up to me at a gas station and admired my wing. Then we started talking and he told me he was an early wing engine modifier. A half hour later, I had learned more about these engines than I had in 10 years of reading and building on them. I'd sure like to run into him again. We was a huge Black fellow who worked for a security outfit of some sort out here in the Pacific Northwest. Now that what he said has had a couple years to sink in, I want to hear more about his knowledge.