Finally...twin turbos for my LFX

[JantzenOKC]

Originally Posted by tlavoie87

Good luck to both of you.. we wanna see some 10s..be safe

I'm not taking my Camaro. I'm just going to smell race gas and see Magnum break my record lol

[JantzenOKC]

The Dorman stretch boot probably would have worked but I didn't like the way it was fitting so I trashed it. Ended up using the boots from MagnumForce's V6 axles(thanks Magnum!) and it worked perfectly. Wish I would have known that the V6 and V8 axles took the exact same boot to start with, it would have saved me a lot of headache.

[JantzenOKC]

I also finished the JRE posi-mod on the rear diff. It wasn't too bad to do. The instructions said to use a belt sander to remove the casting bumps in the spider gears, but I ended up just using a angle grinder with a red pad. Worked great. Now to get it all back in the car...

Here's pics of the before and after smoothing the spider gears.

[JantzenOKC]

I've been doing some winter time modding. Making some changes to my evac system to help handle the extra crankcase pressure that came with forging the motor.

I've been running the Elite E2-X Ultra can since I finished the engine build. It does a great job catching oil but the clean side separator just can't move enough air to vent the pressure while in boost. My motor was setup very loose(maybe a little too loose on the ring gap..) to be able to handle HUGE boost and the abuse I'll be putting it through. Well this resulted in a lot of blow-by. The plan was to keep a suction on the crankcase at all times even when in boost but that's just not going to be possible with this motor the way it was built. I even tried setting up an electric vacuum pump that came on automatically off a Hobbs switch anytime it saw boost. But even with that pump running it still pressurizes and wants to blow the clean side separator out of the oil cap on my 1/4 mile runs.

So I think I've put together an evac system that can do a good job evacuating the engine at idle and during cruise but then when I go into boost it will allow all the pressure to vent out and not pressurize my crankcase.

I pulled my passenger side valve cover and drilled a 3/4" hole above the baffle and tapped it with a 1/2"x14 tap. Then put a 1/2NPT to -12AN fitting in it. I was able to cheat and used a 3/4" wood hole saw. Not made for aluminum but it was such soft metal it worked fine(not sure I would have attempted without having an old valve cover to practice on). $4 for that bit versus $20-$30 for a standard drill bit in a size that big.

Then I converted my old MightyMouse pcv can to a straight one way breather can. Just one -12AN 3/4" hose going from can to valve cover. This has the rubber disc on top of the can underneath the filter that seals when the crankcase sees vacuum (idle and cruising) and freely opens when the crankcase sees pressure(during 20# boost).

[JantzenOKC]

Then on the drivers side I'm using a moroso #85467 -12AN breather tank, connected to my oil cap with 3/4" hose. This will be my clean side, it will let clean filtered air into the engine while at idle and cruising(just like stock) but then when I go into boost and start making crankcase pressure it will serve as a vented pressure relief and a puke can to catch the oil that splatters out with the pressure.

And here is the -12AN oil cap from MM, just a tad larger than the -6AN one I used to run before.

I this should all work well together and allow both banks of the engine to freely breathe when in heavy boost but yet seal off the passenger side during idle and cruise so the evac system can work like stock and pull vapors across the engine in from one corner and out the other.

[alice]

I have been following your build for a while, now. You have done an outstanding job and I am so impressed! But I would like to comment on your blow by issue, if I may. I know you have used the best parts in your engine build, along with necessary forged components. I have built many, many FI engines with forged internals, as well, running as high as 25PSI boost and have never had a blow by issue as you are experiencing. I am puzzled by all this blow by. I hesitate to say this but I would like to express my concerns over your issue.

I am afraid all of your efforts to control your excessive blow by is masking a deeper, serious problem in the build with respect to possible piston to cylinder wall clearances or ring end gap clearances or some other cylinder/piston/ring issue. Your abnormal blow by that you have described is not only going to possibly cost you much reduced engine life but certainly is contributing to significant HP losses that you will never realize. I would be really be concerned about running the engine and possibly doing further & even extensive damage, without identifying and correcting the root cause.

With that being said, I would consider this discussion and what, if any appropriate action is justified. You have a "one-of-a-kind, awesome build and this is the only questionable thing I see in everything you have done. I know if this was my Camaro, I would be disappointed with a blow by issue that you are fighting. I am not being critical in any way, I admire you and your Camaro and only want to add any additional help that I can to a Camaro Buddy!! Please take this as a constructive discussion. All of us strive for perfection in our projects. I hope that what you have done to address your blow by issue, at least, allows some control of this aggravating situation.

[JantzenOKC]

Originally Posted by alice

I have been following your build for a while, now. You have done an outstanding job and I am so impressed! But I would like to comment on your blow by issue, if I may. I know you have used the best parts in your engine build, along with necessary forged components. I have built many, many FI engines with forged internals, as well, running as high as 25PSI boost and have never had a blow by issue as you are experiencing. I am puzzled by all this blow by. I hesitate to say this but I would like to express my concerns over your issue.

I am afraid all of your efforts to control your excessive blow by is masking a deeper, serious problem in the build with respect to possible piston to cylinder wall clearances or ring end gap clearances or some other cylinder/piston/ring issue. Your abnormal blow by that you have described is not only going to possibly cost you much reduced engine life but certainly is contributing to significant HP losses that you will never realize. I would be really be concerned about running the engine and possibly doing further & even extensive damage, without identifying and correcting the root cause.

With that being said, I would consider this discussion and what, if any appropriate action is justified. You have a "one-of-a-kind, awesome build and this is the only questionable thing I see in everything you have done. I know if this was my Camaro, I would be disappointed with a blow by issue that you are fighting. I am not being critical in any way, I admire you and your Camaro and only want to add any additional help that I can to a Camaro Buddy!! Please take this as a constructive discussion. All of us strive for perfection in our projects. I hope that what you have done to address your blow by issue, at least, allows some control of this aggravating situation.

No worries Monty, I appreciate your concern and all the input you give. I'm pretty sure I know what the issue is and that's my ring gap. I got out the spec sheet from the engine builder that assembled my short block and apparently they set the top and bottom ring gaps all to .030 which I think is too wide. I'm sure total seal had recommendations on gap but I don't remember what it was. We did talk about how abusive I'm going to be to this engine and how much boost I was going to be running so I guess they decided to set them wide to be safe. One things for sure, these rings will never butt!

Crankcase pressure is the only thing I'm seeing though, no burning oil or anything. I agree that there shouldn't be as much blow by as there is but at the same time I don't really see myself spending 30 hours pulling the motor and tearing it down and pretty much rebuilding it just to tighten the ring gaps. I don't have that many extra hours in my life lol. As long as the crank case can breathe when it needs to I think it'll be ok. We will see how it goes. I'll do a leak down test one of these days but honestly even if it reads high leak down I still probably wouldn't tear into it without any other problems. I'll give it some time and see how much oil collects in these cans.

[alice]

I understand where you are coming from. I think a good target would have been .020 on the first ring and the second ring ever so slightly more. Yes, I would expect blow by with .030 but in my mind, if, in fact, they really are .030 on the money, I still would not expect blow by to the extent you are experiencing based on your postings concerning the issue. I can only hope that there is nothing else wrong internally. Keep us posted as to future runs and results. Good Luck, my friend!

[JantzenOKC]

Originally Posted by alice

I understand where you are coming from. I think a good target would have been .020 on the first ring and the second ring ever so slightly more. Yes, I would expect blow by with .030 but in my mind, if, in fact, they really are .030 on the money, I still would not expect blow by to the extent you are experiencing based on your postings concerning the issue. I can only hope that there is nothing else wrong internally. Keep us posted as to future runs and results. Good Luck, my friend!

I don't think my blow by issue is as bad as you're thinking it is. I did have that clean side separator blow off the oil cap on the big end of a 1/4mile run but it isn't held in by anything more than some o-rings and they came with grease all over them too so it really doesn't take a ton of pressure to push it out. The main thing is the inside diameter of the barb coming out of it. It takes a 1/2" hose but the inside of it is way small. Smaller than the inside of a 3/8" hose. So that was the ONLY way out of the engine for crankcase pressure. Just not cutting it for almost 20# of boost. I remember Gretchen had to move up to bigger hoses on his build because 3/8 just couldn't move enough air.

Plus I think these 3.6 engines make crankcase pressure even in stock form. That's what happened to my original engine, pressure pushed oil out the clean side and into the inlet of my turbo until my intercooler filled and let the engine gulp it in and hydrolock. Plus I work on cars and suv's with the 3.6L everyday here at the shop that are stock and they have pools of oil pouring out of their intake tubes and throttle bodies(coming from the valve cover through the clean side).

Here's a pic of the orings and the barb (me holding a 3/8" hose next to it).

[tlavoie87]

trent i noticed that with my separator i drilled the barb out and made the holes on the cap bigger as well and using 1/2 inch

[alice]

Sounds like you may have it under control. Don't mean to alarm you in any way. Just trying to be helpful based on reading your posts. Sometimes it's difficult to translate words to reality and maybe I have over reacted. Sorry. Just for your own information, my LLT has very, very little blow by. Possibly one out of a bunch that hit the sweet spot when being built. Anyway, post your results when you get that puppy back on the track!! Very interested in how your PCV system works with your mods.

[JantzenOKC]

Originally Posted by tlavoie87

trent i noticed that with my separator i drilled the barb out and made the holes on the cap bigger as well and using 1/2 inch

Yours might be different than mine, there was no way to drill out the barb any larger than it was because the threaded part of the barb that screws into the separator is barely bigger than the inside of the barb. I could have drilled and tapped the separator to take a 3/8" AN fitting but I decided that I don't want ANY pcv hoses going to my turbo inlet. Not losing another motor that way. The only problem with the way I have it setup now is the smell. It's only under a decent acceleration so it doesn't bother me really. My fiance doesn't like it but.... racecar. I think if I didn't have the hood vent the smell would be much less. It allows a straight path for the smell to get into the fresh air vents in the cowling while driving.

[JantzenOKC]

Originally Posted by alice

Sounds like you may have it under control. Don't mean to alarm you in any way. Just trying to be helpful based on reading your posts. Sometimes it's difficult to translate words to reality and maybe I have over reacted. Sorry. Just for your own information, my LLT has very, very little blow by. Possibly one out of a bunch that hit the sweet spot when being built. Anyway, post your results when you get that puppy back on the track!! Very interested in how your PCV system works with your mods.

Yours posts are always helpful Monty. I'll definitely post my results when I get back to the track. It opens in a little over a month and I can't wait. I need to spend some money on safety though before I do. New helmet, jacket, etc.. I'm getting too fast for t-shirts and a motorcycle helmet lol.

[alice]

Haven't heard from you in a while! What's going on? I'm interested in your progress. Hope all is well.