I just got back from my shop and I have an update on my car and going deep's car. I spoke with "Chops" (thanks to SPEEDLAB today for taking the time to really explain everything and answer my 2 million questions!) for about half an hour about all of the progress so far, the game plan here on out, and the lowdown on just how obliterated my blown motor really is!!!

Chops (the engine builder) told me how he has been showing off my blown motor to everyone that comes through there because he is so amazed with just how much damage was done...

My heads aren't pulled yet on my old motor, but they are certain both heads are damaged (thankfully I had ordered a longblock-so I will be using my newer heads in my rebuild). So, he told me when they pulled off the lower oil pan, that a piston ring had actually broken off of one of the pistons and was hanging out the bottom of the motor! One of the wrist pins seperated drom one of the pistons and was wedged up against the inside wall of the block and the crank.


I managed to break two rods, the motor is not completely disassembled, so the true extent of the damage is not completely known, but here are some pictures of what we can see so far (BTW, they said my motor was way more damaged than ernies'-wooohoooo!)




Here you can see the two rods bent in toward each other...



Wooooh...I'm exhausted after seeing all of that damage...the story continues...

I took a quick picture of my jet coated downpipe (the exhaust manifolds have the same coating)

 

Ok, there's more, just wanted to break it up...
Ernie's motor as of today is like so:


here's a front view, Chops explained the complexity to lining up the timing chain with all of the correct markers, very tedious procedure:


Ernie's motor with the head covers not yet torqued down (I'm assuming that is what they are called)




Mr. Fancy Pant's APS oil pan:


Thanks Chops for taking the time to play show and tell:


This shop is gonna be a 350z motor building-turbo machine! They plan on having Ernie's car running by this Saturday! They estimate my car will be running by the following Saturday..I know I've been giving several updates that haven't panned out, but at this point I think this estimations are pretty accurate!

I'll keep you all updated of any future progress, Chops openly told me to come back in a few days or when I can and take some more progress pics...so this Friday morning I'll go back for more, and Saturday, I'm sure Mr. Anxiety Disorder (ernie) will post some pics as well, for sure!!!

 

Another thing, I mentioned to Chops how the crank angle sensor wire has been an issue and how ernie and I have ordered them but thy won't be here for another 2,3-4 weeks or so. He said he can insulate the wire with some sort of material for the time being to just add a little bit of a sense of security...what do you guys think? I plan to definately put in Charles' insulated wire once it is done, but in the time being, I hope insulating the current wire will add some margin of safety.

 

almost forgot to post the "debris" pictures of my damaged motor (for what its worth-I am a picture posting *****)

oooooooooh, so messy!!!!!

a pair of trannies

 

bump-guys!!! check this out!

 

Yeeeep, it's broke! heh How much boost?

 

You guys are getting close. Might I say that your mechanic looks like a Harley mechanic.

 

More Sweet pics from the State down under...NM.

Todd, you should start a new club called the "Broke TWO rods club1" I think the "blown engine club" isn't good enough for you



Hey Sharif, check out those fittings on the APS oil pan, just like you predicted of course, those are for the oil return lines. No need to cut/weld into that baby!

 

...It goes to show, Don't play with the laws of physics.You play you pay!
Hey Todd, think you will have your car up by summer.........

 

350zDCalb

Just insulating the crank angle sensor wire is not enought IMO, it needs to be screened/shielded from the EMF created by the ignition circuit, it your engine but i'd wait for the the correct fix.

Cheers

 

i'm not gonna go too crazy tuning until i get the correct wire
thx

 

extremely helpful post, thank you for that

my car should be ready in a matter of days

 

Yeah, your APS oil pan is the shiznit...I love it. And good thing you dont have to alter it to make it work.

Todd, with the extent of the damage done, I am pretty convinced that you had catestrophic engine failure due to scatter ignition timing. In my entire life, I have never seen such a mangeled engine at relalatively normali'ish boost levels. Rods just dont snap like that.....at the power levels you were running. Even if detonation was occuring, you usually see broken ring lands way before you would see the rods snap in a million pieces.

By chance, have you examined your rod and main bearings for signs of detonation? If there are no signs of detonation, then I would be even more convinced it was a serious instantaneous timing error.

 

sharif
the blown motor hasn't been fully disassembled yet (not sure to what extent they were planning to take apart-since i ordered a longblock)

i'll keep everyone posted as to what the suspected cause of failure actually was (if it can be determined)

-also, can u describe additional details about the crank angle sensor wire, how many wires is it? how should it be shielded? what safety precautions can i take to shield this wire (what materials-gimme a ghetto way that'll at least get the job done until charles' wire gets her)
thx
TODD

 

Looks great Todd!

Only thing is, I have no experience with the C&CAS wire...but I would wait until you get it, if you had a timing error at that boost level, i'd hate to see what 20+psi would do, even with forged internals.

Just my .02 cents...

 

update as of today:
they will lookinto fabricating some sort of bracket that stabalizes the turbos a little better, the current greddy design has all of the weight of the turbo hangong off of the exhaust manifold

ernie's car should be running by mon/tues (they order some arp bolts for the wastegates and other connecting points of the turbo for easier future dissassembly -i guess the bolt heads are large and awkward and difficult to work with.

so, my car looks like next weekend is optimistic, probably early the following week, but progress is definately being made, moving right along...

Special thanks to Brody @ SPEEDLAB to entertaining all of my questions and always thinking about how this whole project can be designed safer (as in durability) and more solid!

 

The crank angle sensor is one plug, but I think it is 2 if not 3 wires. Phunk can clarify.

If you are in a pinch, i am planning on getting some shielded wire for my tuning session, and they we are going to use the stock connector...cut the wire....and run a new shielded wire. If the plugs arent ready by the time you tune, I would contact phunk and see if you can sell you some wire.

 

phunk:
pm sent

 

another pic I thought you all would like to see:
my coated exhaust manifolds:

another angle, work, work it!!!

 

and since I'm such a nice guy, I baby sat Ernie's motor today and took a few pics:

look at that APS oil pan, I'm jealous!

another angle here:

we'll keep em coming!!!