When HMT Engine/Turbo Swaps go Bad... (56k Go Away)
12-11-2003, 03:52 PM
#1
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Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 13,991
When HMT Engine/Turbo Swaps go Bad... (56k Go Away)
I have been working on a customer setup for the past week now. Basically a custom setup on a ZC in a 4g Civic.
Dustin (the guy who owns the car) had previously had a ZC installed in his car by me and beau last year? Anyways he blew up that motor and wanted a fresh ZC installed along with a custom turbo setup (he provided)
The Engine was absoultly beautiful, I've never seen such a clean bottom & top end on a JDM engine.
I was going to use the "stealthmode oil line kit" but the return wasnt going to work, so I welded in a small fitting on the oil pan and used basic rubber hose for the return.
I think it was one of the nicest low budget oil returns I've ever done.
As you can see I painted the block "mexican chrome" to contrast the rest of the other parts he had previously painted. Looks pretty good.
The work area...
Me and Josh working on the ZC
I had to rotate the compressor housing because this SS autochrome manifold puts the turbo out about 2 feet off the engine, lol, and aim the compressor back a bit. So the wastegate mounts had to be "customized" I oblonged the hole and put a nice craftsmen 7/16 spacer in there to keep the arm straight, and no load on it.
As me and josh are ------- around with the engine, Travis (SideWinderx7) was jizzing all over our Copper 350z... very tastey!
Old ZC that I get to keep..
Josh (Turbo90Accord4DR)
Travis pre-bending the pipe for me over joshs head, lol...
The massive Stage 7 clutch thats going on the beast!, ya right its a ebay special 99 bucks!
Travis sits in my "custom warranty parts chair" haha,
The car is equipped with massive gauges
Like whoa? talk about a short shifter, haha
Ok, now onto the shitty stuff.. So we put the engine in, bolt everything up, everything is going real smooth. Fires right up, but has a hardcore dead miss from cylinder #2. So we start with basics.. good spark, good fuel, I do a dry compresson test and get wow, a big fat 0! ok, so I fill the cylinder just full of oil, try again, and well guess what another big fat 0! Then I hook up the cylinder leak down tester to see where the ---- its all going. Set the cams so the valves are completely closed and I have 95% leakage in that cylinder, and I have massive pressure coming out of the crankcase, so whats that mean kids? yes... yes... a fat hole in a piston, a broke piston, something very bad.
So josh talked me into ripping the head off even though I really wasnt in the mood after this. Keep this in mind, that this motor was supplied by the customer, and I had explained to him that I am putting this engine in under the impression it was a "good running engine"
As we took the turbo manifold off, you could see how warped this SS *** chrome manifold was, the car only ran for about 5 mins and it was leaking like crazy.
15 mins later, Me and josh ripped the head off in record time, heh. And as we guessed... yes, the #2 piston had a nice chunk missing from the top of it!
ya ---- off
I still couldnt beleive how clean this engine was, the head looked flawless. What kinda bothered me was, why did this composite gasket come right off in 1 piece? why does it look so new? and why does it not look like a factory gasket? And why in the hell would a low milage ZC just break a chunk of a piston off? My only guess is that this engine was used with NOS at one time, then someone slapped a head gasket on it.
So now I'm pissed... I bust out the ball hone and start honing the cylinder to see how bad these "scores" are in the cylinder walls..
Ya blocks fucked, needs to get bored over a bit in order to reuse it, so basically this engine is junk, I'm recommened to the customer to get another longblock ZC.
So with all the anger floating around the shop, Travis put on a life vest and Josh wanted to throw a few punchs, hahaha
Watch out T-REX! Mr. Ross looks angry! rofl
Trying to calm down, with a nice Dennys 4.99 breakfeast at 3am.
Oh well, sometimes things never go as planned. Once I get another engine back in this car. I'll get some more pics of the completed setup.
Jeff Frank
Dustin (the guy who owns the car) had previously had a ZC installed in his car by me and beau last year? Anyways he blew up that motor and wanted a fresh ZC installed along with a custom turbo setup (he provided)
The Engine was absoultly beautiful, I've never seen such a clean bottom & top end on a JDM engine.
I was going to use the "stealthmode oil line kit" but the return wasnt going to work, so I welded in a small fitting on the oil pan and used basic rubber hose for the return.
I think it was one of the nicest low budget oil returns I've ever done.
As you can see I painted the block "mexican chrome" to contrast the rest of the other parts he had previously painted. Looks pretty good.
The work area...
Me and Josh working on the ZC
I had to rotate the compressor housing because this SS autochrome manifold puts the turbo out about 2 feet off the engine, lol, and aim the compressor back a bit. So the wastegate mounts had to be "customized" I oblonged the hole and put a nice craftsmen 7/16 spacer in there to keep the arm straight, and no load on it.
As me and josh are ------- around with the engine, Travis (SideWinderx7) was jizzing all over our Copper 350z... very tastey!
Old ZC that I get to keep..
Josh (Turbo90Accord4DR)
Travis pre-bending the pipe for me over joshs head, lol...
The massive Stage 7 clutch thats going on the beast!, ya right its a ebay special 99 bucks!
Travis sits in my "custom warranty parts chair" haha,
The car is equipped with massive gauges
Like whoa? talk about a short shifter, haha
Ok, now onto the shitty stuff.. So we put the engine in, bolt everything up, everything is going real smooth. Fires right up, but has a hardcore dead miss from cylinder #2. So we start with basics.. good spark, good fuel, I do a dry compresson test and get wow, a big fat 0! ok, so I fill the cylinder just full of oil, try again, and well guess what another big fat 0! Then I hook up the cylinder leak down tester to see where the ---- its all going. Set the cams so the valves are completely closed and I have 95% leakage in that cylinder, and I have massive pressure coming out of the crankcase, so whats that mean kids? yes... yes... a fat hole in a piston, a broke piston, something very bad.
So josh talked me into ripping the head off even though I really wasnt in the mood after this. Keep this in mind, that this motor was supplied by the customer, and I had explained to him that I am putting this engine in under the impression it was a "good running engine"
As we took the turbo manifold off, you could see how warped this SS *** chrome manifold was, the car only ran for about 5 mins and it was leaking like crazy.
15 mins later, Me and josh ripped the head off in record time, heh. And as we guessed... yes, the #2 piston had a nice chunk missing from the top of it!
ya ---- off
I still couldnt beleive how clean this engine was, the head looked flawless. What kinda bothered me was, why did this composite gasket come right off in 1 piece? why does it look so new? and why does it not look like a factory gasket? And why in the hell would a low milage ZC just break a chunk of a piston off? My only guess is that this engine was used with NOS at one time, then someone slapped a head gasket on it.
So now I'm pissed... I bust out the ball hone and start honing the cylinder to see how bad these "scores" are in the cylinder walls..
Ya blocks fucked, needs to get bored over a bit in order to reuse it, so basically this engine is junk, I'm recommened to the customer to get another longblock ZC.
So with all the anger floating around the shop, Travis put on a life vest and Josh wanted to throw a few punchs, hahaha
Watch out T-REX! Mr. Ross looks angry! rofl
Trying to calm down, with a nice Dennys 4.99 breakfeast at 3am.
Oh well, sometimes things never go as planned. Once I get another engine back in this car. I'll get some more pics of the completed setup.
Jeff Frank
12-11-2003, 04:32 PM
#5
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Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 13,991
Re:When HMT Engine/Turbo Swaps go Bad... (56k Go Away)
Originally Posted by GimpyCivic
whenever i do a swap i do a compression test on the palate with a batter and a pair of jumper cables. I've been fucked like this before.
Jeff
12-11-2003, 06:16 PM
#9
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Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 2,898
Re:When HMT Engine/Turbo Swaps go Bad... (56k Go Away)
yea seriously thats really crappy for the guy getting his hopes and dreams up that hed be running a turbo beast shortly.. only to find out hell be having chunks of piston in his stocking
Sucks that you have to do a motor swap twice though jeff, good luck man... now weve both installed a blown zc
Sucks that you have to do a motor swap twice though jeff, good luck man... now weve both installed a blown zc
12-11-2003, 06:50 PM
#10
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 13,991
Re:When HMT Engine/Turbo Swaps go Bad... (56k Go Away)
Originally Posted by 88 Turbo Crx
Sucks that you have to do a motor swap twice though jeff, good luck man... now weve both installed a blown zc
