I don't know where to even start with the issues I have and how it came about but I'm here just so others can learn from my experience.

Late in the summer I pulled my plugs and noticed that Cyl 4 spark plug was getting oil fouled. I knew I was smoking a little bit of oil (But not much) and attributed that to the dreaded smoking issue so common with the APS kit. I decided to pull the motor before winter came around to go external wastegate and open up the motor to change the rings since I was not getting good compression on Cyl 4 and a leak down test showed it was not the valves. Finally finished taking the motor apart yesterday and found Cyl 4 ringland busted. The bore doesn't seem scored even though it does have some slight scratches but I ran my nail through it and it did not catch on anything.

Here are the pictures:



















I believe this was due to a issue with Fuel and Timing. I'm not here to bash on anyone but just here to educate so others could learn from my mistake. I swapped out my Walbro 255 pump to a DW300 when they first came out and changed to a CJM Stage 2 fuel system from a Stage 1. The car did not feel good I had a lean spot and the motor made a different sound than previously everyone kept saying it might be loud injectors or aggressive cams. I talked to Charles and received the new rails with the dampers and that took out most of the lean spot but not all. The rubber sleeve that goes over the DW pump was too loose and not fitting snug and that is where I was losing my fuel pressure.

I took my car to get tuned where I had always gone before when I was boosted on stock block. My previous tuner was no longer there and I took the owners word that his current tuner was just as good. A good tuner should be able to tell when you have fuel pressure issues, know how to work the parameters for a EBC and pay attention to your AIT's, lets just say that wasn't the case. I got my car back and it had a manual boost controller installed instead of the Haltech Boost Controller and it was cranked way high even though the car had too much back pressure after 18 psi. The Haltech had issues with reading AIT's because of the way I had wired in the HKS AIT Sensor, you would think that would have raised alarms when tuning.

Anyways there is the cause and effect just wanted to let people know that if you have doubts in the back of your mind listen to them. I'd like to thank Hal for pointing out all these issues to me when I was down in Kentucky but the damage had already been done and right now I'm going to rebuild this motor.

This time around I'm going with CP piston unless you guys point out any deficiency with my piston selection

 

best of luck on your rebuild.

 

I was going to say you have some serious detonation issues... but then you already figured that out! Best of luck on the rebuild and don't skimp on the most important part again.

 

i went with arias extreme duty zero slicone pistons, super hard and have been tried and trusted by many. cp pistons are of good quality also though, what rods do you have?

 

I'm using Eagle Rods but as far as piston selection I don't think that had anything to do with what happened here.

Good read for those interested in diagnosing

www.boosttown.com/engine/piston_damage.pdf

Page 44-45 for my specific problem

 

Driver bank (2,4,6) is usually leaner than the passenger side on VQ's with cyl 4 being the leanest (at least on mine last time I pulled the plugs). That could explain why it was hit the hardest.

 

i dont think it did either i was just giving you another option to the cp's since you asked if anyone objected to them thats all.

 

Gio sorry to hear and see the problem. This sux big time. I guess I wasnt the only one that got screwed over by That shop and tuner.

For people that are curious I got tuned by the same shop and tuner as GLEX did and they managed to spun my mains and get me out the door saying the turbo failed.There was a bunch of other problems also which me and Glex discussed in privet.

Gio: My honest opinion is that this shop and tuner should get exposed just to help people avoid a bad shop.

 

Would one of you mind PM'ing me the shop / tuner to keep it private?

Thanks

 

pm'd

 

Wow, that’s horrible man… I feel your pain though, my built motor failed after 2,500 miles in February of this year…

I might have missed it, but how many miles did your engine have?

As far as your piston selection… your piston ring land failure was cause entirely by the tuning, right? If a Wiseco piston failed, it’s safe to assume that just about any other piston would’ve failed too, no?

I’m just curious… I’m reusing my Wiseco pistons for my rebuild next month.

 

Gio, sorry to hear what ur going thru. But I kno its all good, this time ur gonna do it right... Best of luck.... I'll stop by n check the new build out!

 

Yet another VED Club member, sorry to hear Glex. Fingers crossed that your re-build works out better.

 

Yep just joined the club
The only saving grace is that I didn't have to go digging for gold like most
and that I do all my own Assembly/Labor except for machine work so that
should save me a few thousands

 

if the heads are fine, it really should be quick turn around.

 

What size injectors?

Also are you running a Haltech? If so, would you mind sharing your map so I could have a look? I am curious to see what kind of timing numbers you are running.

 

MX I'm running the new Haltech PRO EMS tuned by HAL
I was running the Haltech red box (Tuned by this other shop which will remain nameless) before but as I said some configurations were not right
and some sensors were having alot of fluctuations
I'm running DW 800CC

Funny thing here is a video of us rolling to the Atco Nissan/Infiniti shoout the day before I put the car up on jack stands and started pulling the motor


Time frame 1:44 and 2:05 and the car looks like any other car no smoke or anything

 

There was a bunch of other problems also which me and Glex discussed in privet

 

Given the pistons actually melted and had pieces missing I'd consider it wishful thinking.

 

by that I meant problems with tuning and the way the owner and tuner treated me while I was there