TRSCobra Posted August 5, 2010 Share Posted August 5, 2010 So last year I started having problems with my car detecting knock and pulling timing and boost on a Stg2 protune 18psi map. So I take it to one shop and they tell me it sounds like a bad ring land and asked for like $200 to do a compression test. I ended up doing the comp. test at home and found all cylinders were almost dead even. Not knowing much about turbo cars, I chalked it up to a failing 55k mile VF40 that had exhibited shaft play since before I went stage 2. Intermission: I deploy to Afghanistan for a year, save some cash, and buy new parts. Blouch 20g-XT turbo, DW 740 injectors, AVO fuel pump, itsme FMIC, gimmick inlet, GS tgv deletes, AOS, and EBCS, perrin BOV and ELH. I return home to find these parts waiting for me, install them in about a week, and make the trek to EFILogics in CT for a tune. First thing Chris said to me after he started it (a few times) was "You know you have low compression on one of your cylinders?" He's guessing a ring land failure also, and advised against tuning the car any further. So now I'm looking at a MINIMUM of $3500 for parts and labor to do forged pistons and a few other recommended things (new oil pickup, timing belt, etc.) More if my block is bad. I think I need some alone time... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cincy05LGT Posted August 5, 2010 Share Posted August 5, 2010 Sorry about your luck man... This is why I am sticking to my conservative opensource MickeyD stg1 map since mine is a DD. Can't wait to go crazy like you a couple years down the road though... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRSCobra Posted August 5, 2010 Author Share Posted August 5, 2010 Luckily EFI is helping me out big time. Since I have to go back to WA in a few weeks, they offered to fix the car and store it at no charge til I get back in November. Chris is even giving me a military discount. Stand up guy right there. I'm dropping the car off next week! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John M Posted August 5, 2010 Share Posted August 5, 2010 If you're on the stock clutch, think about getting a new one (with WRX flywheel) while the engine is coming out since there won't be any extra labor charges. It's a night and day difference in how the car drives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRSCobra Posted August 5, 2010 Author Share Posted August 5, 2010 Yep, already running a SPEC Stg 2+ clutch with the WRX FW. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktmrider Posted August 5, 2010 Share Posted August 5, 2010 Luckily EFI is helping me out big time. Since I have to go back to WA in a few weeks, they offered to fix the car and store it at no charge til I get back in November. Chris is even giving me a military discount. Stand up guy right there. I'm dropping the car off next week!Excellent, that kind of service to one of our folks in uniform definitely justifies any future business with EFI on my part. Glad there is some light in the tunnel! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kholmes Posted August 5, 2010 Share Posted August 5, 2010 Nice to hear more good things about the guys at EFI. I'm going to take my car there for any protunes from now on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lucas569 Posted August 6, 2010 Share Posted August 6, 2010 keep us updated, surprised you drove that long on bad ring lands and didn't notice. any clue as to why they went? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRSCobra Posted August 6, 2010 Author Share Posted August 6, 2010 keep us updated, surprised you drove that long on bad ring lands and didn't notice. any clue as to why they went? Not sure. I was only stage 2 for a month or so before I started overpowering my stock clutch. I replaced the clutch and babied the car for 500 miles or so (whatever the break in period is.) Once I started getting on it again, I started having my IAM drop to 0 and WGDC 0 as well. One place in WA changed the BCS out and it ran fine for about 150 miles and started doing it again. So I drove it back to PA, took it to the track and my times were all over the place. From 13.2 in WA with a bad clutch to 13.6-15.6 in PA with a good clutch and my intermittent problem. That was over a year ago, but the car's only been driven about 1k since then. The strange thing is that all the cylinders were even on compression! But the second Chris at EFI told me about the compression being low on one cylinder just from hearing it crank, I knew... He said he's seen (and been asked to tune) alot worse, but that mine will get worse if I keep driving it. So he gave me a safe tune to get me home without killing the car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GTTuner Posted August 6, 2010 Share Posted August 6, 2010 If indeed a ringland is cracked it will eventually take the cyl wall out. When mine went I had no driveability symptoms except for the funny cranking when I started it and a slightly rough idle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lucas569 Posted August 7, 2010 Share Posted August 7, 2010 whats the funny cranking? what specificly did chris notice? im timid on getting a bigger turbo for what seems like glass engines. i swear this will prolly be my last suby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peteyjr Posted August 7, 2010 Share Posted August 7, 2010 I've had many suby's (two of them go over 200K) . Safety is all in the tune for our Turbo cars (oh and maybe maintenence too) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cryo Posted August 7, 2010 Share Posted August 7, 2010 If indeed a ringland is cracked it will eventually take the cyl wall out. When mine went I had no driveability symptoms except for the funny cranking when I started it and a slightly rough idle. I am also curious about this funky cranking and how EFI can tell you have a bad ringland just by starting the car a few times. I would think a compression check would be much more of a solid diagnosis to determine engine health. just curious Dave [sIGPIC][/sIGPIC] Providing unmatched customer service and a Premium level of Dyno/E-tuning to the Community cryotuneperformance@yahoo.com facebook.com/cryotuneperformance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John M Posted August 7, 2010 Share Posted August 7, 2010 My ring lands were in pieces, compression was ~ 95 psi, and the car still made two 14.0 passes. I knew it was down on power but it wasn't anything horrible. Come to think of it, it did take an extra second of cranking -- I assume due to all the oil in the intake from the blowby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRSCobra Posted August 7, 2010 Author Share Posted August 7, 2010 I am also curious about this funky cranking and how EFI can tell you have a bad ringland just by starting the car a few times. I would think a compression check would be much more of a solid diagnosis to determine engine health. just curious Dave Chris just mentioned that I had low compression on one of the cylinders by the way it was cranking. I was told by Precision Tuning in NJ that my knock issue was probably a bad ring land, but they needed to do a compression and cylinder leakdown test to confirm. If two reputable, and most likely competing, Subaru shops tell me the same thing is wrong from different symptoms, I'm obliged to hear them out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridgeracer Posted August 7, 2010 Share Posted August 7, 2010 Probably had alot of misfires from the questionable cylinder at idle. "Gimme mines Balboa...Gimme mines".....Clubber Lang - Mr. T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jranmann Posted August 8, 2010 Share Posted August 8, 2010 If two reputable, and most likely competing, Subaru shops tell me the same thing is wrong from different symptoms, I'm obliged to hear them out.Cobra: Just about the wisest comment/decision that I've read here in weeks! On the subject of further input (and output!) The extra dough is for the additional test required (leakdown) as that requires input (forced air medium) as well as reading and discerning just where it's got the output (leak) at precise temperature...Takes twice as long (if not 3 times) and requires skill (like a doctor's) to know just where in the engine to finally 'land' one's mechanical curiosity and then give the patient's relatives the bad news.....and hey, even I know this and i'm not even a qualified computer (input/output) technician... sorry to hear and GL! Ran Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRSCobra Posted November 17, 2010 Author Share Posted November 17, 2010 Recent developments: The engine's in the car, it's being broken in, and will hopefully be hitting the dyno next week! They even made brackets for the RacerX fmic! http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1123.snc4/148534_10150333824980217_780210216_15812665_7844312_n.jpg http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1154.snc4/149626_10150333825040217_780210216_15812667_7241588_n.jpg http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1144.snc4/148673_10150333825130217_780210216_15812670_2582127_n.jpg http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1141.snc4/148386_10150333825255217_780210216_15812679_1663517_n.jpg http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs484.ash2/75770_10150333825220217_780210216_15812678_2873677_n.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRSCobra Posted November 17, 2010 Author Share Posted November 17, 2010 Oh, and here's proof that the #2 and #4 cylinders had cracked ringlands: http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a204/TRSCobra/ErikB_05LGT_Teardown_04.jpg http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a204/TRSCobra/ErikB_05LGT_Teardown_02.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocHolladay23 Posted November 17, 2010 Share Posted November 17, 2010 subscribed for results! [sIGPIC][/sIGPIC] You want stickers? Hit me up here!!! You want a shirt? Hit me up here!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRSCobra Posted November 17, 2010 Author Share Posted November 17, 2010 Just hit the dyno yesterday. 334whp and 322wtq on 91 octane. I was hoping for a little more torque, but I'm sure the curve is a bit better (longer) than my old vf40's. I'll post up a graph when I get one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grimsleeper Posted November 17, 2010 Share Posted November 17, 2010 looks like it has strong pull past 4.5k, especially for a 91octane map. I noticed your dyno chart in EFI's database lists HTA68 - what made you decide to ditch the 20g-XT? *edit* after looking at the graph again I'm assuming that might be a typo in the mod list? Seems like an unusual result for a 68HTA running that amount of boost.. http://efilogics.com/dyno/graph.php?gb=0&hp=1&torque=1&boost=1&rpm=1&sl=1&sln=1&runid1=1291&rgb1=000000255 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
black318i Posted November 17, 2010 Share Posted November 17, 2010 Oh, and here's proof that the #2 and #4 cylinders had cracked ringlands: Hmm it was 2 & 4 for me too. I was very disappointed with Subaru when this happened. Between ringland failures, oil consumption, oil pickup failure, and hesitation. I decided this will most likely be my last Subaru. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRSCobra Posted November 17, 2010 Author Share Posted November 17, 2010 looks like it has strong pull past 4.5k, especially for a 91octane map. I noticed your dyno chart in EFI's database lists HTA68 - what made you decide to ditch the 20g-XT? *edit* after looking at the graph again I'm assuming that might be a typo in the mod list? Seems like an unusual result for a 68HTA running that amount of boost.. http://efilogics.com/dyno/graph.php?gb=0&hp=1&torque=1&boost=1&rpm=1&sl=1&sln=1&runid1=1291&rgb1=000000255 I saw that as well. I sincerely HOPE it's a typo! They also have my exhaust listed as greddy, I've got an HKS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRSCobra Posted November 17, 2010 Author Share Posted November 17, 2010 http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a204/TRSCobra/dyno.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.