Addicted to F/I...

[Ventmaster]

Sycraft is correct. I'm hoping you've seen the warnings about the use of any high flow cats with the IPF system. They just can't handle the heat. My Solo's lasted about 50 miles and cost me a LLT engine. They collapsed and completely plugged the exhaust resulting in floated exhaust valves. Fortunately the car was still in the installer's hands.

Sycraft's LFX had a better tune, but eventually his failed as well. The factory cats seem to do fine- I've put about 10K miles on my car since putting them back on with no issue.

There have been reports of Magnaflow's resonated X-pipe melting when combined with the IPF too, so check there if you've got one.

Keep us posted.

[Patrick864 RS]

Thanks for the advice! I only have the mrt 2.0 cat backs for exhaust but it may be it. Not sure though. Hopefully the dealership can find out soon and update me. And as soon as I know I'll update everyone on here. Thanks again guys!

[Patrick864 RS]

Well the dealership says that the car is dead. Locked up completely. I don't know how much they actually checked except for turning the key. So we may get it towed to the shop who put my supercharger on and see if they can actually do something. Don't know what my options are now so this is very scary. I would be devastated to say goodbye to my Camaro after 5 years. If there's any past experiences or any help out there feel free to chime in.

[Black Knight]

Sry to hear that . Did they give you a reason .. Loss of oil maybe ?

[Patrick864 RS]

Yeah they said oil was the problem. But I never got any warning from the car for low oil or any warning for that matter. I get my car and supercharger oil changed exactly how I should every time since I got it 55000 miles ago. I was 500 miles short of when I get it changed so idk why this time was different. My dad is talking to his friend who rebuilds motors so I guess I have to face that it actually is dead. And I can either rebuild it or send it off lol basically the worst case scenario. Just mind blown that it never warned me or never smoked or ran funny whatsoever until the trip that it died.

[Elite Engineering]

The GM V6 did not have a low oil warning indicator until the 2014 model year. When you checked oil every few fuel fill ups, did you see the rate it was using oil?


Most use oil and all owners must check the dip stick regularly.


Common issue in many threads on the forum.

[Patrick864 RS]

With the supercharger, oil was obviously a top focus. Car and supercharger. I've had the supercharger for about 20k miles now with no oil issues. No issues period actually. Until this. It went from running great to dead in the matter of 5 minutes.

[Machinehead]

Sorry for your loss. I have only had an oil issue once so far, where my engine oil life said it was at 5% at only 3k miles. I have about 70k miles on it and that was the only time it has happened


Thankfully used lfx's are plentiful if you don't have the $$ to have a stronger engine built for you.

[Elite Engineering]

OP, did you keep the "catchcan" that came with the kit? As this defeats all evacuation of crankcase contaminates and only vents through the can, mostly water is trapped and if left to get too full can become ingested into the supercharger inlet, and then cause hydrolock. You must retain crankcase evacuation through suction to avoid this. Many owners with your kit have changed it to prevent this. It will be interesting for you to show pictures of what failed when torn down.


Good luck!

[Patrick864 RS]

I bought my kit used from somebody off here and I never saw a catchcan. I understand what they do because I was interested in them before the SC kit. I'm either going to build a brand new motor and start fresh...or see what I can get for it and hope for the best. Those new 6th gens are very very very appealing rides.

[arkentect]

Damn another LLT down. So funny that GM cant admit the motor was flawed from the beginning. I just put a new LLT crate motor in mine last year from a spun bearing but I'm skeptical that even the crate motor isnt any better. GL OP. btw let me know if the S/C kit is available

[Patrick864 RS]

I'm about to go talk to the dealership in a few minutes to see my options. In my opinion I don't think paying for a new motor is worth it. But I'm getting some help from family so it's not really my complete decision. I made a listing already for my SC kit. Just in case I do part ways with the car and have to sell it. We will see what happens!

[Elite Engineering]

The LLT was actually a very good design, the issues are caused by problems inherent to all GDI engines, the one causing the most engine failures (generally rod bearings or timing chain stretch and wear of the tensioners) is the contamination of the engine oil being so much greater than the port injection engines prior to GDI. GM has made revisions to the timing chains improving them, but the excessive and premature wear is from the abrasive particulate matter that is part of Blow-By is a very hard abrasive deposits unlike the relatively soft carbon of the past. This not only accelerates wear of the pistons/rings/cylinder walls as it enters the crankcase, but once mixed with the engine oil accelerates wear as the average oil filter only traps from 15-20 microns in size, when 70% plus of the wear comes from particles in the 2-8 micron size. Then we have the fuel wash-down. When your injecting fuel into the combustion chamber at pressures in the 2,000-3,000 PSI range, far more enters past the rings as well and if not removed (evacuated) from the crankcase while these are still in suspension, they quickly fall and mix with the oil, and once in the oil these can quickly overcome the oil ability to contain and absorb these. The LLT is is a window into how the new LT based GDI V8's will be problem prone as well due to the inherent problems of GDI.


The LFX is also subject to all the same issues, just has only been out since 2012 VS 2008 for the LLT (2010 in the Camaro).


So, main cause of issues:


Using Dexos blend oil. ONLY use a premium FULL synthetic. The V6 has a higher redline, more complex timing set, and 4 cams VS 1 in the push-rod V8. So it is more critical to use a premium full syn with these than the LS3/L99.


PCV system is flawed and does a very poor job of removing these contaminants. The Elite dual valve systems provide full time evacuation. Especially for a turbo or other forced induction application. And until the 2014 model year, the PCV fixed orifice barb has far too small of holes to properly flow and the "drill mod" must be performed.


Use only top tier fuel and in tank additives to keep injectors completely clean...this has NO effect on coking deposits, but the high pressure DI injectors, while not generally subject to clogging like the old port injection models, even a small deposit will affect the atomization of the fuel and result in greater fuel dilution.


And of course, we all have read about running these out of oil because most do not check oil manually and until 2014, there was no low oil indicator on these.


Do NOT perform a solvent based upper induction cleaning such as BG or Seafoam if you have more than 10K miles on your engine. This not only causes scouring in almost every case...it also brings a concentration of these hard particles into the engine oil and many of the stories of rod bearing failures shortly after a dealer performed cleaning. ONLY do a manual valve cleaning and then install the proper Elite system for your GDI engine (E2 or e2-x and cleanside with both outlets and checkvalves used).


Change oil at no more than 5k miles....even though the good synthetics will last for a very long time, the increased contaminates are what overwhelm the oils ability to protect.


If you need guidance for your replacement engine to avoid issues, let us know and we are happy to assist. Also, can you post pictures of how your PCV lines were routed on this kit? That may answer it all as for the cause of your engine locking up.

[Patrick864 RS]

I just updated my thread in the general V6 section. Price for the new engine/supercharger install is in the ball park of $6,700.