I've put close to 1000 miles on the new motor and turbo set up. I ran into problems with my valve seals--apparently 2 had torn during installation. This showed up in the form of alot of smoke on start up, revving from idle, hard runs and deceleration, along with oil fouled plugs on the 1 and 7 cylinders. So I replaced the seals, and the spark plugs on those cylinders. It seems to have helped ALOT but I still get ALOT of start-up smoke after a hard drive and some during deceleration. I'm wondering if it has to do with the turbo seals, the PCV system, or if I am just having that much trouble getting the rings to seat.
There does not seem to be any oil going through the intercooler piping and into the intake, so the cold side of the turbo seal seems like it must be okay, but maybe the hot side (turbine side) of the seal is leaking oil into the turbo exhaust.
My PCV system is just the stock set up. I assume I need to get some catch cans and do some sort of modifying of the PCV system, but it doesn't seem like anyone has found a "best" way to do it.
I've been running conventional Pennzoil HD 30. I've changed it once after a couple hundred miles and now I'm thinking about changing it again soon.
If you have any ideas on the smoke symptoms and the cause of it, please discuss.

The car seemed to run very strong with open down pipe. It was seeing 5-6psi and really moved. I put a 3 inch straight exhaust on it with no muffler and now I'm only seeing 3-4 psi with the same WG spring. On 3 psi, the car just barely edges out a modified with full exhaust 40th Anniversary Mach 1 from 50mph-125mph. That car made 297rwhp and ran 12.8 @108mph at my track (which happens to be the same horsepower and track times my Z28 ran on the old cam only setup) so I guess it took me 3 psi to make up the compression loss when I rebuilt the motor (I went from stock compression down to 8.3). I'm going to install the boost controller and try the Mach 1 again with 6psi and see how things go. I can't take it to the track on this stock drive train (except for CPT Race 4L60e) so 40 rolls on the high way will have to do for now. Oh and apparently on 5-6 psi if I launch anywhere from 0-35mph, 1st gear hits so hard that something clunks terribly loud in the drive train. After visually inspecting everything, I did not find what was hitting. It sounded like a tranny mount was broke but it checked out ok. My buddy thinks its the bump stop hitting on the rear end...I'm not sure how to tell if that's what it is though and it doesn't seem to happen when I'm only on 3psi.
And for those of you wondering why I'm running only 3-6psi, I am breaking in the motor on low boost (i know everyone has there own break in theories), I don't have Lonnie's new fuel pump set up yet, and stock drive shaft, torque arm and 10 bolt is scarey. I graduate with my engineering degree in June so the drive train needs to hold up until then. Fuel pump goes in within the next month or two after I put the car away for the winter.

 

Glad to hear its running. Low compression + very low boost isnt going to yield great results as you know. If you had high compression and low boost you would see much better results. Your low CR motor is screamin for more boost

Try an get some video in car racing or just getting on it and have someone film the speedo.

 

Actually I prefer high cr + high boost + high timing :snky:

 

I would prefer that too, but I don't own stock in any piston companies nor do I have an unlimited well of racing fuel in my garage.

Jon, it sounded sweet with open downpipe, but unfortunately I did not have any video of it. It still sounds pretty cool with the exhaust, I had 3 inch pipe connected to my stock-style 3" mandrel bent "cat-back" pipe. I then removed that Gale Banks muffler and installed a 4 inch in/out Magnaflow race muffler with a 4" turndown. Nothing fancy and a 4" muffler on 3" pipe seems kinda dumb, but it sounds good and I know the muffler is not a restriction!

I can't wait to turn the boost up soon...right now all you can hear is the wastegate because all that exhaust energy is being wasted with just 3psi! I want to hear that baby spool up!

PS the stock fuel pump was holding up fine with the short WOT pulls on 6psi I ran. After some street tuning, I kept the AFR down between 11.3-12.3.
But you're right...low compression + low boost = slow turd.

I have a feeling I'll be in the market for a ball bearing T76 before the end of next summer, assuming I don't blow anything up before then. I get alot of looks with that front mount shining through the front bumper and so far the most popular question being asked is "what are those wires hanging out your door?" To which I reply, "That supplies the 12 volts to power my turbocharger...they're electric, you know?"
Its more fun to say that than to try and explain it powers the LM-1 which I have not yet had time to drill a big whole for in the floor board.

 

Awesome! Go spank the Mach now and get back to us about the slaughtering!

 

Michael, any updates?

 

Hmm...sorry Jon, I haven't checked this thread since i didn't get an email telling me there was a new reply!
The updates are not good. I suspect my horsepower loss was not solely due to my newly installed exhaust. I believe at around the same time as the exhaust was installed when my fuel line to my pressure gauge blew off under WOT on 6psi that I burnt some valves. The car went very lean and luckily the fuel did not ignite while it poured onto the exhaust!
The car still runs about as quick as it did with my old setup even with these problems. I want to tear the motor back down over the winter if I can find the time to remove it from the car. I need to find the origin of my oil consumption. The only thing that makes sense is if I incorrectly installed the Total Seal Gapless ring or if they mistakenly gave me a low tension oil rail rather than a high tension. Since all 8 plugs are oil fouled, I am thinking there is a ring problem.

 

Damn bro! That sucks ***. I know you worked hard getting the turbo kit in the car and now this. That sucks. Keep us posted on what you find when you tear it down.

 

Yeah I will. Does anyone know much about EGT readings? Where they should be at different driving conditions and such?
I suspect my problem was showing up in EGT readings and I did not recognize it. A ring problem would create excess heat in the cylinder and lead to higher EGT's in my opinion and it seems like my EGT's were exceptionally high. At cruise (about 2400 RPM), 15:1 AFR, very light load, my EGT's were about 1300*F right off the passenger manifold. During WOT they would go up to around 1600-1700*F with a 11.3:1 AFR according to my LM-1! I'm almost positive that is way too hot but I have no numbers to compare

 

Check the Grand National Forum. Alot of those guys go by EGT.