Ever since I did this distributor mod I've been popping head gaskets. I have the distributor locked out. When I time the car my balancer matches my program at idle. At this point nothing more should be different I dont know if the inital timing from the opti was retarded and im now running 2 much timig, but I ran this program all last season with no problems what so ever. Air/fuel is 11.5 on 20psi. My timing as the turbo spools to 20psi is about 36 then after it hits around 3500-4K where the turbos are spooled timing is at 25 degrees. Its been this way for 3 years with out a problem. Should my timing as the turbos spool be about 30? I cant seem to pin point when it actually blows, but its been the passanger bank everytime. Im 99% sure its #8 again 2. Im going to have the injectors flow tested to see if that one maybe bad.

Let me know your thoughts on this

 

What distributor do you have (part number)-

you're running bank/bank right?

which ignition box?

Crank trigger?

Any other ignition doo-dads?

List out the ignition components and I'll do a little research- I had some timing issues w/FAST but was able to get it lined out.

 

Did you check the head for flatness the last time it blew? I didn't when mine went, but when I had the motor apart earlier this year I took my heads into the machine shop and had them checked. They took off .006 to make them flat. Might wanna check it out!

Bill

 

Brady,
I believe the distributor is a MSD 8570. HVC2 coil. MSD 7al2 box. That makes up my igntion system. I bought some 7.50" timing tape to mark my balancer, and that is it. When I pull the head im going to take it in to make sure its flat.
Bill did you have both heads shaved or just the one?

 

I did a leak down on the motor and it turned out to be #7 that poped. That doesnt make much sense because my wideband is on the passanger side and as soon as #7 poped my wideband started pulling a lot of fuel. All my plugs on the passanger side were clean.

Since #7 poped this time makes me believe that my timing is too high in the midrange. What do the rest of you run in the midrange of the map say from 2500-4000?

 

I did both. It was pretty cheap, $50 a head. I had the block done too, took .020 off that. Now I know I'm starting with a true surface

 

This is basically my timing curve

2500 28
2700 27
2900 26
3100 25
3300 24
3500 24
3700 23
3900 22
4100 21
4300 21
4500 20
4700 19
4900 19
5100 19
5300 20
5500 21
5700 21
5900 21
6100 21
6300 21

 

Your running 20lbs of boost if I remember right? And that was with 110 mixed with 93?

I started making some phone calls today and it seems like I should be running about 34 degrees at 100kpa then tapper it to about 24-23 degrees to about 240kpa(20lbs) This is probably on c-16..

If any other turbo guys want to share that would help others out as well.

I think there might have been some kind of offset with the optispark that allowed that kind of timing. I ran 36 degrees all the way up to 17lbs then after spool I hit 27 degrees. That ran mint on 110 octane all last year. The car defenaty feels stronger and responds a lot better with this ignition so I will have to start from scratch on the timing curve again.

Thanks

 

maybe you are just making more hp with the new stuff and need to back down the timing? is your intake temperature comparable to last season when things were fine?

p.s. your car is rediculous. are your cam specs available by chance? thanks.

my timing ramps down and holds at 24*.. thats agressive enough for me

is there a way you could hook back up your stock knock sensor? i have dfi and didnt get the knock option but was entertaining the same thing as this as my stock computer is still powered.

 

Im just getting the car back together. If everything works Im going to run it again tomorrow and knock some timing out of it, pretty much start from scratch again.
I could retain the KS but i think my valvetrain would set it off, and its kind of a pita. The cam is fairly small 236/230 about .600 lift

 

lol at that being fairly small!

good luck, if you can do it once you can do it again.

 

You do have your distributor wired as per the FAST instructions, correct. The MSD instructions are contradictory to the FAST instructions, but FAST is right. It will run fine wired per MSD, but the timing will float around a bit. It should lock in steady with it wired as per FAST.

 

had to change computers I was running around 26* timing at the same conditions you're running 25, so I don't see that being a huge problem, though you're probably making a little more power than I was. I had a pair of TE-60's that were good for 625ish each.

 

May sound primitive or 'goofy' to some, but I like the idea of headphones to detect knock, expecially when pcm knock control is disabled. When pcm enabled, you can still usually audibly detect knock B4 pcm retards timing. This way I KNOW if knock is present.

 

Last night I moved on to my 3rd head gasket. #7 blew this time again. I made one pass the car felt ok, 18lbs. Then I bumped it up to 20lbs and it started missing. I started playing with it looking for burnt wires. Found nothing. went out tryed it again but it got worse this time. Then I noticed a miss everywhere. Drove it home it started overheating. Checked the oil and we got water Drivers bank started smoking again. This was all done with 20 degres of time. I mapped it way down. 26 degrees at 0 boost then just tappered it. I would also like to add this was done on c-16.
Ever since I put that god damn distributor in the rear of the motor. Im starting to think I should have kept the optispark. I guess I could still driver the car with that.
I dont know if the deck of the block is F!cked, or if the head is worped. I talked to the machine shop and they said heads dont really worp under detnation so I didnt take it in.
At this point I cant decided if I want to put new head gaskets in it or sell it. The racing scence around here pretty much sucks when you have a car that use to run 9's, or had the power to do it.