Scorpion F.I. conversion thread (dialup warning)

budgetzagato

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Finally some shop time means I made some small progress on the Scorpion F.I. conversion. I have all the parts I need. I have several intake manifolds, hoses, etc. and an entire late Beta engine/transaxle with all the trimmings.

My first step after mulling and planning was to figure out a way to mount the Throttle Position Sensor to the throttle body without using the stock Beta linkage that has a place for the TPS. My solution was to remove the Beta linkage shaft and cut off the indexed end. This flat area on the shaft is what keys to the TPS. I then slotted it and the end of the throttle body shaft after figuring out the proper indexing.
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I made a small tab of spring steel to fit across the slot in each shaft, and mounted the TPS where the throttle heater used to go. The mounting holes are the same.
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Various test fittings and very slight twist of the bridge tab and I have the TPS set correctly and in the center of the mounting slot adjustment.

Next I'll decide on and attach a throttle cable mount and shorten the idle mixture screw and hole.
 
Yes...Beta it is.

Yes, with this work I'm heading down the Beta manifold path. I have some examples of throttle pull setups, and will likely attach one to the stock throttle pull to slightly affect the indexing and ease of pull.

I have both the X and Beta ECU brackets, and have to decide on which one I like best. The Beta one has a couple of studs on it where I could mount the dual relay, but that could also easily mount on the strut tower after a tweak.

Damn, just thought of a part I need to get. I need to get an F.I. spider coolant tee so I can easily mount the AAV and Temp Sensor II. :hrmph:
 
Well....

I have something similar to that... but definitely not identical. I'll go down to the shop tomorrow and get it and post up a pic. I'm not 100% positive it's that part. More to come.

Pete
 
Thanks for looking..

I'm sure I'll think of something else I don't have between now and when I'm done. :dead:
 
Oops, more like this one...

More like this one. The other one has mounts for the timing pointer and cover, but not for the AAV. This one also has a nice flat area on the end, angled, where it could be tapped for the Temp Sensor or other gizmo.

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Hi Gregory, I have a good used spare like this one that I can send to you, let me know if you still need one.
 
Definitely have that part...

Here's some links to pics (btw I hate the new photobucket!)

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No drilling and tapping on it, but it looks like someone was filing/milling the end part flat for that at some point.

Funny thing is, a year or so ago when I sent you a pic of a bunch of FI parts, this part was in them:

DSCF0174-1.jpg


You probably didn't know you needed it then. Or you told me you did and I didn't understand what part you were talking about or something! :nuts:

Anyway, I'll send it out if you want it.

Pete
 
Throttle pull and idle adjustment screw

Tonight I had just enough time to try a couple of things; I found a possible solution to the throttle pull and also cut down the idle air screw.

Step one was to take the end off the stock setup, the piece I refer to is on the end at the top:
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It replaces this large washer on the stock Beta throttle body:
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And installed looks like this. I think this will provide the needed pivot and rotation for the throttle cable. We'll see. If not, I can easily undo it.
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Then I cut down the idle air screw shaft protrusion. The stock Beta manifold's idle screw is very long and is said to interfere with the bulkhead when used as-is in a Scorpion.
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Here's the screw installed after also being cut down and slotted. I forgot to look through my collection and find a suitable locknut.
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Shift rod reworking...

Another complication for using the Beta F.I. intake manifold is its size, so that it interferes with the vertical shift rod in the engine bay. Fortunately Mark Rawlings documented this and other mods in the April 1993 Lanciana magazine.

The first step is to tack weld the rod to some plate steel to hold the orientation and position of the various points.

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Then you essentially cut the middle section out and shift (heh) it over 1-1/8". Then re-weld. I borrowed my neighbor's gas-feed MIG to do mine. When I was done the welds were pretty ugly so I spent some time with the grinder and sander to dress it up.

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A couple of light coats of high-temp silver and it's ready to install.

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Progress; ECU, dual relay, fuel pump mounts...

Made some progress this weekend on the Scorpion F.I. conversion. First I decided where to mount the ECU and which bracket to use. I decided on the X1/9 ECU bracket over the Beta version for its simplicity. I found that it fit fairly well in the left rear corner of the engine bay under the taillight. I used 6mm nutserts and mounted the bracket with 6mm bolts. This location is where the ECU lives on early Vanagons, so I predict the ECU is not going to get too hot there.

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Then I modified the Beta's dual relay bracket to fit the strut mount bolts. The bolts on the Beta are farther apart, so to fit the narrower X/Scorp mount bolts I drilled a new hole and reshaped the flange to fit the Scorpion strut tower.

IMG_0491.jpg


Next I tackled the fuel pump. At first I was going to move the charcoal canister to the end of the subframe, but decided the pump fit better behind the canister and left the canister where it was. I also used nutserts here, so that I could use the fuel pump bracket from the Beta.

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Not shown is the fuel filter bracket, made from another modified Beta pump/filter bracket, which will mount below the spare tire saddle. Its paint is drying so it's not mounted yet.

I also did some stud repair to the taillight surround while it was out to mount the ECU. The 5mm studs can rust and twist out of the plastic when removed. I was able to re-glue 2 of the ones that came out using plastic model solvent glue, and then added another where one was previously missing using a spare stud and plumber's ABS cement. While I was at it I chemically welded a couple of cracks I found as well. This way it will be nice and sturdy with all of the studs intact.
 
F.I. harness, shift rod, welding...

Put together the chassis side harness for the dual relay. Here's a pic of it ready to install:
IMG_0496.jpg


Here it is installed:
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Here's the previously shown modified shift rod installed:
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O2 sensor bung welded in. Obviously I'm no welder:
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Did you get the thermostat housing?

I don't see it in the pics, but maybe you are just working on other stuff right now.

The rest of it is looking fantastic. When do you think you will have it on the road?

Pete
 
Got it!

Yes, thank you Pete. I got it but have been paying attention to other things. I think I'll drill and tap the blank end for a sensor, and probably will not use the tube that has sensor holes, since they would be snug against the strut tower.

My plan is to use the outlet you sent me and one of the head sensor holes for the F.I., and not use the "overheat" light switch that would normally live in the head.

I'm trying to get all the parts I can installed ahead of time, so I can swap in the intake manifold in one go. It's hard on my back, leaning all the way down in there to work on the shifter for instance. I didn't want to drop the engine pan to work from below, which might have been easier. I hope to have it done by Christmas (celebrated by many in the USA on Dec. 25th) as a present to myself.
 
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