PICS!!!!!!!!!! found out why i had a detonation problem

[boostedbruiser]

The guy doing my head work knows a good engine builder here in DFW area. he's built plenty of 2.3's. heck it could be the same guy.
thanks for all the help guys.

[NavySVO]

Originally posted by boostedbruiser
i'll be able to bring a bare block to them, so hopefully they don't kill me on labor.
Hopefully i can get away with just a honing job and new pistons(praying)

You are still going to need new bearings, rings and all the other software.

Just a friendly suggestion, I would take them the crank and have them align bore the main journals on the block, and then check the crank to see how it measures against the fresh align bore........ unless you are going to have the other shop you mentioned do it......... or you trust all the other work the PO's shop did.

[boostedbruiser]

i should have rephrased the meaning of a bare block.

I will be yanking the block and handing it over. not just a bare block. I'm going to have it built right. I'm not going through all the trouble of pulling the engine just to half @ss it.

Heck while i'm in there i plan on getting the clutch replaced too. probably a Spec stage 2 or 3 haven't decided yet.

I sent my money for membership,so hopefully i can get my discounts soon. =) I'll need it.

[boostedbruiser]

Oh nothing is going back to the previous engine builder. First off its too far away and second, after talking to him on the phone and the silly commments he made about the pistons i don't trust him as far as i can throw him.

[SVOeric]

i don't trust him as far as i can throw him.

he better be a big feller

[NavySVO]

Originally posted by boostedbruiser
probably a Spec stage 2 or 3 haven't decided yet.

I sent my money for membership,so hopefully i can get my discounts soon. =) I'll need it.

With the discount you can order through our club endorsed vendor.

I have talked with them before, and they say that if you plan on going over 300 ft-lbs of torque, go with the stage 3.

Star clutch
Order: 800-828-4379

Tech: 205-491-8581

3420 Davey Allison Blvd

Hueytown, AL 35023

[boostedbruiser]

Thanks for the advice on the clutch i was thinking of getting stage 3 anyways, its only a few bucks more for more clutch.

I got a quote back on getting my turbo fixed and its not tooooo bad.
About 350(south park voice).

well when i get back home i'll check out the rest of the stuff and if i get anything new i'll post pics.

[boostedbruiser]

WELL S#!T .......THE HEAD.............

ITS TOAST!

Well i just got the email that really pisses me off. The leaking valve guide wasn't the problem, the 9.5 /1 pistons, with too much boost(no more than 18 PSI) , caused the head to crack in the exhaust area on Cyl#2. thus leaking oil.
Oh and did i mention all the exhaust valves are toast.........lol......... I wonder why?
Heck maybe the creack was allready there. Anyways..........

So now i need a head. anybody got one? Keep in mind i'm now going broke, between the head, the turbo, the engine, the clutch and egr junk.

MAN!!!! I love this car. I even love the previous engine builder More........... so much i'm going to send him an xmas gift. A big bottle of K.Y. so he can use that on me, next time.

So seriously anyone near TX got a HEAD???

[NavySVO]

Re: WELL S#!T .......THE HEAD.............

Originally posted by boostedbruiser
A big bottle of K.Y. so he can use that on me, next time.

Ask for the stuff that warms on contact!

[boostedbruiser]

Nope nothing missing from the head, atleast i haven't been told of anything. I think my buddy would've mentioned something to me if the head was missing a piece off a valve or something.

Heck for all i know the turbo, was just junk. when i talked to the turbo guy in DFW , he said the turbo, was a good combination T3/T4, but there should've been some extra work done that wasn't. He's guessing the turbo, itself was well thought out and then just thrown together.

The bushing(bearing) on the hot side of the turbo, was really wallered (spelling)out.

Either way i'm fixing it right this time. it just sucks that i have to spend this much money after just getting the car and proving all this work has been done before, just 11,000 miles ago.

Well sorry guys no ones getting Xmas gifts this year, only the wife and my mom, the 2 important ladies in my life. (well maybe its just the fact they can team together and make my life hell if i don't get good gifts)

Lastly about the K.Y. I like the stuff cold and with a little bit of beach sand in it. it gives a great textured feeling. Kind of like being in the Army. lol If you can't tell i'm used to this stuff.

[Fordman]

Did you get anything from the previous engine builder? Sounds like he doesn't know enough about engines to be building them if he doesn't know a turbo engine has lower compression.

I think your beef should really be with the previous owner. He's the one that sold it to you on the premise that it had a newly rebuilt engine in it. It sounds like everything under the hood needs to be rebuilt or replaced. The previous owner should be going after the engine builder. Not you. He's the one that took the car to an incompetent builder in the first place. JMO.

If it was me, I would get my money from the previous owner whether it came from the builder or not. Afterall, you even said:

He did say that he thought something was up because after all the upgrades he did, the car felt the same but at lower boost. he never did get a chance to turn up the boost, and frankly i think he was leary of the engine build. he knew something was up.

Doesn't it sound odd to you that he didn't turn up the boost? Even with all of the upgrades he did.

[boostedbruiser]

It doesn't sound odd once you meet him. The PO, did alot of reading and told the mechanics whats to do. Wether or not he understood what he was doing to the car is whole nother question.

the car basically had a good combination of hop parts thrown at it. he did all the recomended things that are suggested to do to make 300hp. The problem is HE DIDN"T DO THE WORK. He paid someone else to do it for him.

The way i also look at it is like this, i bought the car with NO IMPLIED WARRANTY. With that being said i thinnk its alright of the PO to try to help me out. heck you buy a used car from a small dealership and all you get is a 30/30 warranty. 30 feet or 30 seconds, which ever comes first.

Keep in mind that given this was a 85 model, he changed everything to make it an 86, and then some. Header, cam, headwork(had been port and polished lightly), square intake P&P by 40bob, PE comp(extra one also), bigger inj,fuel pump, etc.....
The car is clean, and he had good intentions. The PO just lacked the ability and time to do it himself.

All i can say now is hopefully he can get me some pistons. i'll get the head fixed and my wifes buying me an early xmas gift, she paid for the turbo.
So i'll make sure its right this time and then have fun.

[boostedbruiser]

Oh one other thing, not to hijack my own thread, but I'm not one to complain when it comes to automotive stuff. If you get lucky and get a deal, GREAT. If you get shafted and it hurts the pockets and your ego a little , well learn from it.

I don't buy anything, on ebay or anywhere else, expecting it to be brand new, even if it says it. people lie, fluff the truth, what ever. If you don't like taking chances, then go somewhere, where you can touch and feel the item your getting.

I guess after working in military aviation for a few years, things just don't surprise me anymore.

How would you like to buy and engine for 1.5 million, then find out its bad from the factory. call them ,just for them to say, turn it in. So you turn it in get about 200,000.00 back and then just have to order another one for 1.5 million. This might might not be for every portion of aviation, but i did see it alot in the army. Just for opening the box cost the Army 1.3 million. THATS DUMB!

I can only laugh at people who think , just because its new to them , means someone else is responsible for the item to be new. Kind of like buying 8 used injectors and finding out 3 or 4 are bad, maybe not bad, but not worthy of your application. Then getting pissed because you bought used parts and they failed. lol.


ANYWAYS...... i'll post pics of the engine as its getting built, and then dyno the sucker too see if i can make 300hp.
have a good day gents.

[Fordman]

You never said if you paid a lot for the car on the premise that it had a good rebuilt engine in it, but if that was the case, I would be upset. It sounds like you aren't all that upset, so as long as you get some sort of satisfaction out of it, its good. This is one more reason to save all reciepts so that you can show that a good reputable shop did the engine work and when they did it.

When I bought my car, the guy told me it ran good and he wouldn't worry about the engine or driving it the the 130 miles+ to my house. He said he even talked to someone that told him to not worry about rebuilding the engine. It has 185k on it. I bought the car assuming that I would have to rebuild the engine and turbo in it and now I'm wondering if I should even mess with it. Other than the blowby and the occasional leaky valve seals, it runs good.

[boostedbruiser]

I am upset at the idiot who told me theres no difference in turbo pistons to N/A pistons.
I've expressed my feelings over this situation to the PO and told him, i'm not mad at him. I have reciepts totaling the sticker price of the car. And those receipts are within the last 3 years. The engine was recently rebuilt, it had a new turbo(reciept), has a bobs long, has a A237 cam(recipts and cam sheet proof), has etc........... etc.............etc..........

it just so happens one dummy felt the need to cheat his customer by putting in crappy pistons. The head being cracked, well hell who knows? Maybe my dumb luck, maybe the insane exhaust temps, maybe detonation?, maybe a squirrel pooped a big one and it landed on the weakest part of the head, heck i don't know.

I'm over being mad now. Its just lucky for me that my job pays well and i get 12-13 days off every month to spend ON the car ..........err.............. wife.

I just hope that next years reunion is during my off time of the month. That way i can show up meet some people and drive the car.