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Author Topic: vam  (Read 1337 times)

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Offline Vicrydr

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vam
« on: May 18, 2016, 12:21:23 AM »
I have seen discussion on big and small vams. I am wondering what the vam looks like. Vane air meter is long name I know but I can't find pictures of what they all look like and where they are located. Part of the air intake I know.

Offline Wittsend

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Re: vam
« Reply #1 on: May 18, 2016, 01:00:51 PM »
The VAM in a Vane Airflow Meter.  It is used on some fuel injected cars, mostly older ones and is not original on any stock, carburetor Pinto. Thus, the Pinto never came with a VAM.   The VAM is generally mounted between the air filter and the throttle body to measure air flow. It has a spring loaded swinging arm that is moved by the draw on the engine.  Basically the more the throttle body plate opens, the harder the draw and the more the vane in the VAM moves.  The vane itself is connected to a potentiometer.  Thus, as the engine draws, and the vane moves, the change is registered in voltage that the computer uses to determine the amount of fuel that gets injected.

The most common application of a VAM is on a Turbo Motor swap into a Pinto where the factory set up is used.  That said, for those who use a normally aspirated injected engine (again factory) the VAM is also applicable. The MAF has replaced the VAM on newer cars. There are others who choose to not use the factory setup and use the more modern MAF with an aftermarket system. A small VAM was used in a non-intercooled Turbo Coupe (83-86). The large VAM is used in the intercooled Turbo Coupes and requires the associated injectors and ECU (computer). There may be other variations on the normally aspirated 2.3's and the SVO engines (I just don't know).

The Pinto is rather limited for VAM room as it is about the size of a smaller shoe box.  By contrast a MAF is a small piece that inserts into the air intake tube.  Because of the area limitation for mounting a VAM it winds up in odd locations in a Pinto.  In my case I actually put it (and the air filter) in the passenger front wheel well.  I'll include a few pictures to help. The first is the VAM itself. The second installed in the wheel well of my Pinto. The third is the convoluted mount I had to fabricate to support the VAM.  What is not seen in the second picture is the notching of the lower headlight shield for clearance and also in the bumper bracket so as not to restrict airflow.  Even the alternatives are tight.

If you have aspirations for the turbo swap be aware that the parts aren't falling off trees anymore.  In 2008 when I started my swap (and I had a donor '88 TC to begin with) I still needed many things.  There were about five TC's every time I went to Pick your Part. Then..., within about six months they dried up to the point where I have seen one - in three years. And I went every month, to two different yards in the large market Los Angeles area. The best thing to do is to buy a donor car, but the early cars have the better bellhousing setup while the later cars (87-88) have the better motors by about 25 HP.

Offline Vicrydr

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Re: vam
« Reply #2 on: May 23, 2016, 11:46:44 PM »
Wittsend - Thanks for the info. Removing more parts from the 88 TC, I did find the VAM as in your picture. I am currently using the EFI 2.3 and wiring harness out of the 86 Ranger. Also using some of the TC parts. The hood will hit the air horn from the Ranger so I switched to the TC air horn which in lower but does not have the knock sensor boss on it and I want to keep this hooked up in the system. The lower intake from the TC has the KS and the ACT sensors mounted in on back side towards firewall. I'm thinking I will use the whole intake manifold setup from the TC because of  the KS. I'm also thinking I will have to switch the injectors. I could tap a blind hole for the KS in the lower intake from the Ranger and leave that on engine but not sure of thread size yet. Looks like a metric thread to me so far. Also going to use the Ranger air cleaner and vacuum tank it mounts to. So far looks like it will mount in front of the stock battery location. I don't see anything that looks like a VAM or MAF in the Ranger intake setup. The wiring looks like to will fall into place now if I do as I described so far. Vacuum lines to figure out yet and fuel lines and pumps.

Offline Wittsend

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Re: vam
« Reply #3 on: May 24, 2016, 11:00:10 PM »
It seems you might be building a turbo Pinto?  Here is a write up I did.  You have a newer car which makes it easier. There are others as well. 65ShelbyClone and 76HotrodPinto of recent.
Part 1
http://www.fordpinto.com/index.php?topic=11908.msg76893#msg76893 
Part 2
 http://www.fordpinto.com/index.php?topic=11909.msg76894#msg76894

Offline oldkayaker

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Re: vam
« Reply #4 on: May 25, 2016, 05:30:01 AM »
Wittsend, both those links go to part 2 some how.  Thanks for the great write ups.
part 1:  http://www.fordpinto.com/index.php?topic=11908.msg76893#msg76893
part 2:  http://www.fordpinto.com/index.php?topic=11909.msg76894#msg76894

Vicrydr,
1) The above Wittsend links are very useful.  If you are going turbo, the turbo engine is the one to use.  It has forged pistons, a convenient turbo oil drain back port on the block, valves designed for higher temperature, and lower compression to tolerate boost. 
2) If you use your hydraulic bell housings, you would have to install a hydraulic clutch master cylinder (fabrication needed).  Getting a cable operated bell housing and fork from the junk yard would probably be easier.
3) From looking at the wiring diagrams, the 86 Ranger EFI does not use a VAM.  So it is probably just a speed-density design using rpm, air temperature, and manifold air pressure to calculate air flow.
86 Ranger: http://www.rothfam.com/svo/reference/86-87Ranger.pdf
88 Turbocoupe: http://www.rothfam.com/svo/reference/88Thunderbird.pdf
Jerry J - Jupiter, Florida

Offline Wittsend

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Re: vam
« Reply #5 on: May 25, 2016, 07:46:18 PM »
Wittsend, both those links go to part 2 some how.  Thanks for the great write ups.

Thanks Jerry. I updated the links in my post above, and on the end of the Part 1 page. All seemed to test out OK.  Strange the way that happened. When I open the element of the link (not that I know what I'm doing) it showed the title of part 1, but the address to Part 2???

Offline Vicrydr

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Re: vam
« Reply #6 on: May 26, 2016, 08:06:54 AM »
Thanks for the additional good info. I am presently not going to the turbo setup from the TC but using some of parts from the motor, not including the turbo. I have to evaluate the condition of the TC motor first as the previous owner bought the car for other parts for his driver 88 TC and didn't know if motor ran or not. May need overhauling.  So I am just getting the EFI 86 Ranger motor, as it was just overhauled, wired and plumbed and hopefully running within the month or so. This alone will be quite an accomplishment the way it looks. I'm thinking the conversion to the turbo motor will be somewhat easier after all this present converting to an EFI setup. And that's a real big "somewhat".
As stated previous about the knock sensor and manifold. I did use the Ranger manifold. The threads on the KS where close to being 1/2NC and metric 12 but not either one. So I rethreaded the KS and drilled and tapped a blind hole in the Ranger manifold to 1/2NC thread and reinstalled and all sensor wires hook up now including the EGR plug which the Ranger had right on the EGR valve on the air horn. The valve cover from the TC has a nicer look to it than the tin cover of the Ranger too. Now on to gas lines and air intake completion.

Offline Wittsend

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Re: vam
« Reply #7 on: May 26, 2016, 12:59:34 PM »
Sounds like your off to a good start.  Should you consider the T/C motor be aware that the compression ratio is less. Not good if using it normally aspirated. The plus side is that the pistons are forged.  I don't know if the older cars (mine is a 73) differ from the newer, but even with the T/C air horn the clearance is marginal.  I'll include a picture of my filed "alterations."  The top bump on the air horn and the front driver side of the air horn/throttle body can be seen filed nearly to the bolt threads. It is the forward and sideways drop of the hood that causes the problems. Even the hose connector was filed. I believe I got that off a Mustang as it seemed a bit lower than the one on the T/C.

 Even with some oil pan indentations and filing the air horn/throttle body clearance is within about 1/8". The newer cars have the motor mounts were they are for a 2.3. But for those of us with the older cars we have to "guesstimate" where to weld them. I know in my case and similarly stated by 65 Shelby Clone that we had the engine in/out about 7 times before committing to pull the trigger on the weld gun.

Offline Vicrydr

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Re: vam
« Reply #8 on: May 27, 2016, 06:57:00 AM »
Had the same problems with the air horn and vacuum fitting. Ground it down to fit as you did. My alternator was also hitting the hood, so I figured out that a shorter belt or larger idler pulley would bring the alt. down so it wouldn't interfere with hood. Turned out the 88TC had the larger idler pulley, so I used that, which effectively shorted the belt and solved the problem. I'm using the 88TC alternator also which is the 130 amp one. So some rewiring there too.  I should have been taking pictures of all this stuff and posting.

Offline Wittsend

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Re: vam
« Reply #9 on: May 27, 2016, 02:30:50 PM »
I went for simplicity.  I posted this the other day on 65 Shelby Clone's post.  While I retained the flat belt I went without the large aluminum multi bracket that came on the T/C. I just used a small "typical" 2.3 alternator mount and made my own brace on the adjusting end, sizing a belt to fit. No idler or tensioner, but no A/C, Power Steering either.  It works fine, minimal clutter. The water pump pulley wrap of the belt is minimal but it doesn't slip. Like everything with this swap the upper radiator hose gets a bit tight to the alternator/belt. Later I added a corrugated plastic hose protector that came from the Donor T/C.  It is amazing how much stuff you wind up pillaging from the donor car that makes them SO valuable.

Offline 74 PintoWagon

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Re: vam
« Reply #10 on: May 28, 2016, 07:30:45 AM »
Looks good, about as simple as it gets too..
Art
65 Falcon 2DR 200 IL6 with C4.