I'm so frustrated. I feel like I'm about to lose my mind. Going FI has been nothing but 6 months worth of headache and stress for me. Starting with the initial install, all the way to right now. First off, I spend a week cutting and scraping my arms up installing the thing. Then once I get it all up and running, what do I see? Ahh, the now-infamous APS smoke, gotta love it. So after trying every remedy known to man to fix the smoking issue, I drive 12 hours to GRD in Chicago. Guess what?! They couldn't fix it either. I take it back the next day for more tuning and a boost leak check, and the first time I get on it after I leave the shop...BOOOOM! Smoke screen everywhere, blinding traffic behind me. I drop it off at GRD and buy an expensive plane ticket home. That was in June I believe. They run diagnostics and it turns out the engine is bad. I'm guessing that BOOM caused it; we'll never know.

A month later, my motor is at SGP being rebuilt. They ship my motor back on a pallet, with my brand new, bought from them, ATS Dual Carbon Clutch strapped to the pallet next to the motor. Not bolted to the engine, not boxed separately, but stuck up next to the motor. Here's the kicker....IT NEVER SHOWS UP AT GRD!!! Now NOBODY will take responsibility for it being lost, and I'll either have to dispute it with my CC company or take it up the ***.

NOW....the Jet Hot issue. Jet Hot Coating recieved all my parts about a week before Katrina hit. Of course, my luck, they didn't get around to coating them before she hit, so when the building flooded, all of my exhaust manifolds, downpipes, and turbine covers are stuck in Mississippi. A week later, they tell me they're shipping everything to their plant in AZ. A week after that, they tell me they don't do the 2000 degree coating there. Again, just my dumb luck. But, they tell me they're installing new equipment and it'll be up and running over the weekend. Long story short, they keep delaying and telling me it'll start on this date, and when that date comes and goes, it'll be this date. Well today I recieved word of another delay, that they've shipped everything BACK to Mississippi now, and there's no definitive answer on when they'll even start my parts. So I told them to **** off, and overnight my parts back to GRD. So tomorrow or Wed, my UNcoated parts will arrive back where they started 5 weeks ago, untouched. I still don't know who I'll have coat them. At this point, I don't really care if they get coated at all. I'm <> close to throwing my hands up and selling the car, because once my parts finally get coated, and everything's back on, the next delay will be "you're turbos need to come back off and go back to Garrett in Japan because the seals are bad, it'll be another two months."

As you can see, this has been THE most expensive mistake I've ever made by far. I hate my Z right now

 

Sorry bro but why didn't you just let GRD build the motor instead of shipping such a huge item to Texas.....

 

Because GRD had built one vq motor as opposed to SGP's dozens and flawless rep. People ship motors to them from all over the country.

 

Hope things get better.

 

I sold my last WRX for that reason, and why i got my G35c. That is the joys of owning a heavily modded car. The more you change the more little issues pop up. There is definetly a shake down period where you will have to sort issues, little or big. Some people get off easy and things work out for them with only minor set backs, but don't mod based on these stories, mod with the mind set that everything that can go wrong will. So when it does you are prepared for it.

Once you get it sorted you will have your faith restored, but it isn't going to be easy, or cheap until then. I am sure things will work out for the best in the end.

Just a quick question were the oil restrictors used on the oil feed lines? I have seen alot of people forget to put these on and have issues with smoking, and killing the seals.

Good luck bro-
D-

 

That really sucks what your going through! I've had second thoughts of going FI with 0 problems but for just the potential ones, I can't imagine how I'd feel with everything you're dealing with. All I can say is good luck and this probably will take heroic patience on your part.

 

Ha thanks Brian. Patience is not what I'm known for....

 

This whole situation really sucks bro Hopefully all will be worked out in time for not too much money.

 

I went through something similar with my Celica which was the reason I waited for almost a year before going FI again on the Z and choosing the APS kit.

Thankfully I have had 0 problems with my kit so far, but reading your post brings back bad memories. I hope it will all work out

 

That sucks.. so are you basically saying that the mighty GRD was at fault for your blown motor? Did you find out what the cause was? Also, as far as Jet Hot coating goes, why not just get a local powder coating shop to do a high-temp coating of their own. It's basically the same thing as far as I know, just not the Jet Hot name brand?

Well... I'm hearing you on this one. There for a while I was working with turbo stuff for my car, every second of free time I had was devoted to making calls, etc... and it got old quick. It's nothing near what you've had to put up with, but it sucked none-the-less. As said before, it's the price you have to pay for having such an expensive hobby.

 

+1 My smoke issue is cured, but my tuning isn't done because my high psi actuators weren't preset high enough. They have to come back off the car!!

 

I feel you. My car got everything done and then i turned up the boost and snapped a rod which wasn't a tuning issue but a stock motor issue. Got the car back with the built motor and then the ecu was throwing tps codes and had to be sent back to TS. This all happened over a 3 month period. It now works correctly and is well worth the wait. Be patient and you will be rewarded.

 

Wow. Really sorry to hear about your problems man. Hope they work out for you.

 

Man that sux! Im looking for a extra motor for this reason. Hope everything gets better for ya.

 

I'm not going to go as far as to say that. I honestly don't know. I do know that they upped the boost with the car still smoking. They didn't do a leakdown or comp test until after the pop so we'll never know the condition of the motor itself before it went.

The reason I sent everything to Jet Hot is because alot of local places don't offer 2000 degree coating, which is what you really need for FI. Plus, I'd seen their name on the forums, so I called and made a deal with them for coating right as I was starting to organize the motor build.

 

man you do have some bad luck, but i bet you will be happy in the end. if not, ill buy your motor. good luck and i hope you get it straightened out.

 

Wow! That story really sucks. Man I would hate it as well, but that is what happens sometimes when you step up to the big FI boys section of the forum

 

I almost went ballistic when I threw a code after installing a plenum spacer. I can't even begin to imagine what you're going through. I hope everything works out for you and you don't sell.

 

Sucks to hear. Well, like others said, when it's all done it should be well worth the wait. You will have a monster setup. I guess I was lucky enough to find a local place here in Tampa that does 2000deg coating, so I went with it. To tell you the truth, if I had to ship them off to have the coating done, I probably wouldn't have bothered.

 

GRD is checking a couple of their local places to see if any of them offer 2000 degree. That's all we're waiting on now. I've already bought a triple disc ATS from Forged Internals (<-shameless plug for Sharif) and it's already at GRD. If anyone can recommend a good, reliable coating place in the midwest, feel free to let me know.