I have future plans but so far these engine mods have got my pockets dry.

Turbonetics Single Turbo kit
CP 8.5:1 pistons
Pauter Rods
ARP Head Studs/Main Bolts
New Headgaskets

Now let me tell you why I decided to build my engine. I got my turbonetics kit installed about 2 months ago, and about 24 hours later the block blew up into pieces. All the work done at Evolution Autosports. There was no mis-shifting and I was completely humilated by this because I swore to everyone I knew that this kit would be reliable on a stock block. Nobody has offered to help out with the funding including Turbonetics who I have called. I now have a new motor and the bottom end rebuilt. As far as engine management go's I am going to see how the car looks on the dyno with stock boost on this setup till I can afford to do engine management and tuning and then I will start to crank up the boost.

bill for engine rebuilt and parts and labor 10k

Ps: Beware nothing is as reliable as you think it is (IE: Turbonetics Turbo Kit)

 

Yikes sorry to hear that bro. I was thinking Turbonetics was one of the more reliable ones. I'm getting scared to do any type of FI now....

 

I think nothing is guaranteed reliable. But the best record so far is the APS kit. If I would've get a turbo kit, that would be the one.

Thanks for the info!

 

no one will ever know if everything was installed correctly. your installer could have easily forgotten to hook up the wastegate vacuum line, and gotten a boost spike.

there are many out there that are running fine. miaplay flogs the crap out of his car, and i have flogged the crap out of his car, and it is holding up wonderfully.

it sucks that you had to spend the cash to have your motor rebuilt, allthough it was a great idea for any turbo application on the Z. however, i doubt that we will be seeing many more of these kits blow up engines.

will you be raising your boost now that you have lowered the compression?

Good luck!

 

Projectsherv

Sorry to hear about your motor blowing . Did you figure out what let go on the motor ? Thanks for coming foward to post your loss . All though APS is a very good complete kit , it goes to show every one that you take risks going FI and NO ONE and NO KIT is amuned

 

immune

 

Hi project.

I hope you don't mind if I ask a few questions. I have followed the development of this kit online and am very interested on one in the near future. So I just want to understand better.

You mention it blew in 24 hrs. But time is not a good measure here. It could blow in 10 minutes for many reasons. Basic statement : the Turbonetics kit can produce more power than your OEM engine can handle. This is not surprising again based on what I have read.

To what HP did you tune when the kit was installed?

What was going on when it blew? Drag racing? Driving down the road? Speading on a hwy?? It wasn't sitting at idle!

This is my impresion so far based on reading threads here for 2.5 years now. Our OEM engines seem very safe up to 320, 340 HP. After you get to 360 and upwards, and specially reaching 400, you are gambling. It might take it, it might not. And the higher you go the more possible damage due to a minimum mistake you are risking.

Do you feel there was a missleading in some way from the vendor? Did you tune to what they call safe and still blew it up?

The information so far does not explain why/if Turbonetics (or other turbo kits) might be considered more or less dangerous to our cars.

Thanks.

 

I don't think anyone ever thought that any kit was immune. Certain kits just have better odds. Sucks for Projectsherv, but Turbonetics has stated that they have over 100 kits on the road, one out of a hundred is pretty good odds!

APS may have a blown motor now (though it wasn't dealer installed and the guy has no EGT), but they have over 300 TT kits on the road. One out of 300 isn't bad odds either.

There's always a chance for failure when you double the HP of your motor, but IMO these two kits seem relatively safe so far along with the Vortech and HKS superchargers.

Greddy and ATI on the other hand...

 

Ok Ok Im an old man that dont know how to spell ....gimme a break...lol

 

thanks for posting. I heard rumors of this a while back and was hoping the owner would post up.

not to point any fingers but what were you doing at the time it blew? was there any sign of detonation or oil starvation when they looked at the blown motor? Did you bounce off the rev limiter ? Were you racing or what?

details would help a lot.

 

Hey Sherv, you might want to double check the ECU reflashing, and just make everything is OK with that respect.

And just so everyone knows, this kit was one of the first kits installed to the general public, and it was damaged at least 1-2 months ago..I cant remember exactly. Since then, there have been no other reports of damaged motors.

But absolutely, any F/I kit can damage a stock motor, even with a good tune.

 

i am guessing you did not have time to get it dynoed to see what your af was at?

 

i know for sure the whole story isn't being told here. i am sorry that your motor blew because i wouldn't wish this on anyone but, i spoke to jeff from evolution autosport awhile ago about this and i heard a there was alittle more to the story. i won't post what i heard but, i know projectsherv should post all that was going on before it blew. there are always 3 sides to a story.

 

Sorry about the motor. And when we decide how many have blown what, we must understand that not everyone goes online, not everyone deals with members of this forum, and the FI companies are certainly not going to post what the facts are, if the facts are any blown motors at all. So we can only guess based on what is known by forum posters.

 

Projectsherv sorry to here about this! It makes me sick to my stomach. So what is the whole story? I am sure it could help alot of us with the kit prevent/avoid this from becoming a common post. So please fill us in.

 

Just a quick question if you think the Turbonetics ST was the cause of this engine blow why would you use the same ST kit for your new build? I know you're upgrading your internals...does that mean the stock internals were the problem?

 

I told you about this 35ounces.

Isnt there something about a CEL? or is that standard with the TN kit?

 

Yes tig488 and I confirmed it through several other sources. Sorry for ever doubting you.

I didnt hear about a CEL. Sure would like the "real" details but not expecting to ever get them
CEL is not standard with TNetics.

 

ah theyll turn up. im sure it isnt anything shocking.

 

After tring to tune the unichip today, i think the APS kits are getting much fewer blown motors as compared to the otehr FI kits is because very few ppl have changed the stock maps... or can change the stock maps.