Patience

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(don_w @ February 24, 2006, 2:18 PM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
I'm sure Ford might object to covering this under warranty. [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_mrgreen.gif[/img] But, even if they did cover it... do I really want the same pistons and rods back in the car? I think it's the right time to beef up the bottom end.
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there is no way ford will cover that...

Stangers

Sorry to hear your motor blew Don.Kinda of a shock really.I mean you guys were being so safe and taking your time [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/headscratch.gif[/img] .
Could it of been from all the prior racing already done on the stock internals and the stress on the Rods just picked its time to go after the KB install?
Just doesnt seem it could be a tuner or install issue after rereading your past posts.
Just FYI:JDM is going to be offering tightened up short blocks soon.

Hope everything works out ya Don.

-John

BlackonBlack

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(don_w @ February 24, 2006, 10:17 PM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
Does anyone know for sure if there are any fitment issues with a Teksid block? That is, are all the bolt holes in the right place?
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Don, I think you will need adapter plates for the techsid block. Contact Justin at JPC racing or Al at Boss330 Racing to verify. They have made these for others in the past.

Enfynet

Very sorry to hear this don... Must have been a good time for a couple drinks after that.

I'm curious, what are you looking to spend on the rebuild? You could always stuff a 5.0L Cammer in there for about $15k [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrinjester.gif[/img]

silverGTvert

Don, sorry to hear about your misfortune. I'm a little late to the party having only now just caught up on your bad luck. I've really enjoyed following your car and never thought that yours would be the one to blow considering how carefull with everything you've been. Good luck on the rebuild and look forward to reading how to properly build a blown mustang motor. I just wish I had the nerve to do what youve been doing.

On a side note. I know your from Cali and I know that your car is smog exempt right now ( I'm orriginally from Cali as well ) How will your new motor effect smog when it comes time to smog it in 5 years? I know how much all those smog parts take away from performance [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/banghead.gif[/img] ad with California getting stricter and stricter with pollution will you have any trouble in the when it comes to smogging it? Or are no longer planning on making your car a daily driver and just bringing it to the track? Keep us posted and good luck.

don_w

Thanks for all the replies everyone. We pulled the car apart yesterday and discovered a few things that may shed some light on the situation. Give me some time this morning to download (and sort through) all the pics I took, and put together a post on what we found and what we theorize might have happened.

don_w

Before I offer our theory on what may have happened, I‘ll share some pics I took during the teardown. Note, there is a key piece of evidence missing from these photos. More on that later.



ENGINE REMOVAL










ROD THROUGH BLOCK, DRIVERS SIDE










HOLE IN BLOCK, PASSENGER SIDE








DEBRIS IN OIL PAN






WINDAGE TRAY DAMAGE






PASSENGER SIDE CYLINDERS, FRONT TWO DAMAGED






#1 PISTON, CRACK VISIBLE JUST UNDER THE “S2” MARKING






CRACKED CYLINDER WALL, NOTE WATER SEEPING IN






DRIVERS SIDE CYLINDERS, NO APPARENT DAMAGE






EXAMPLE OF DETONATION VS. NONE (MY PISTON IS ON THE RIGHT)






BOTTOM SIDE OF PISTONS








TOP SIDE OF PISTONS (SOME GOUGING, PLUS CRACK IN RIGHT ONE)






NO APPARENT HEAD DAMAGE

SONICBOOST

[img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/eek.gif[/img] [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/eek.gif[/img] Damit, I was just talking to the guy's at S.T. moyorsport's about getting the K.B, sorry to hear that Don!

don_w

So… what happened? Well, let just say my cat blew its wad.

When I was removing the exhaust system prior to pulling the engine, I had trouble getting the X-pipe out of the cat. Once it came loose, a large chunk of the catalytic converter material fell out of the X-pipe on the driver’s side (see first three pics below). It had blown out of the cat, and lodged in the pipe. And, on the header side of the cat, the material had basically caved in on itself (see fourth pic). The combination of the collapsed inlet side, and the chunk blocking the outlet side, effectively eliminated the ability for the engine to breathe on the left side.

Although it seemed to drive fine that morning on my way to the shop, we suspect that this cat may have already started to self destruct prior to my arrival. When the new pulley went on, it is possible that the added boost sealed the fate of the cat; maybe even on the first dyno pull.

So, with the left side of the engine all choked up, the right side was left to absorb most (if not all) of the boost and energy of the engine. The amount of pressure in the right side cylinders must have been staggering, considering all the air the blower was forcing into the engine. When Adam was tuning the car, he would modify the timing tables to add timing, but as a safety factor, he allowed the car’s computer to retard timing if it determined a need to. Since half the cylinders were not functioning correctly, the computer kept retarding timing. It’s obvious now why the car was not making any power at all on the dyno, and never had anymore than 14 degrees of timing in it all day. IMO, no amount of skill by Adam as a tuner was going to stop the inevitable.

In the end, we believe that the clogged exhaust on the left side placed an inordinate amount of stress on the right side of the engine, ultimately ending in the untimely death of two rods that aren’t the strongest rods to begin with. There is just no way that four cylinders could handle it alone.

Bottom line for me… the premature death of my engine was not due to a tuning error, nor can it be blamed on the Kenne Bell supercharger. Given the circumstances, this would have happened no matter what power adder was on the car, and no matter who was tuning it. I still have 100% full confidence in both Adam as a tuner, and in Kenne Bell’s product.

p.s. I’m also wondering if this cat was starting to collapse on itself a couple weeks ago, creating a partial blockage, and possibly contributed to the P0340 code I was getting on the passenger side bank. Not sure on that one… your opinions are welcome.

p.p.s. And yes, I will be contacting Dynatech regarding this issue.

GIG4FUN

Nice to see you got right after it and already know the story. Good Job.

I believe you have a circumstance that put you in a position to receive a "gift" from Dynatech Corp.

Nice news. Now you can kick back for the evening and collect your thoughts. I think you will be busy tomorrow "Lawyering"

[img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/thumb.gif[/img]

SONICBOOST

What type of cat was on there?

don_w

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(2005sonicgt @ February 26, 2006, 11:38 AM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
What type of cat was on there?
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Dynatech

70MACH1OWNER

OMG Don,
I'd say you have found the cause hands down!
I would love to be a fly on the wall at Dynatech tomorrow. Have you had a chance to read their warranty throughly yet. I wonder if they have left themselves a loophole against just this kind of claim. Darn shame this had to happen. BTW, how tough a job to pull the motor on one of these pups?
Scott


P.S. Don,
I know you said you had no apparent head damage and that is what I thought when I blew up my 96 cobra. But check all of the valves real close. I have 5 bent valves in mine and I think I see where the valves hit at least one of you pistons.
Scott [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/thumb.gif[/img]

max2000jp

That's some bad luck there Don. Good detective work!

don_w

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(70MACH1OWNER @ February 26, 2006, 12:13 PM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>I know you said you had no apparent head damage and that is what I thought when I blew up my 96 cobra. But check all of the valves real close. I have 5 bent valves in mine and I think I see where the valves hit at least one of you pistons.
Scott [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/thumb.gif[/img]
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Yes, we will inspect everything. And I agree, that there may be some damaged valves, but that's minor. I was referring to the casting. Those are more expensive than the block... each.

don_w

Take a look a these photos!! This is the path that I believe the “projectile” made when it came apart. The force must have been tremendous. The piece of the cat actually made the bend in the X-pipe segment, and eventually stopped when it hit the A/F meter that was in the bung. You can see how hard the impact must have been… it crushed part of the “missile”. Amazing…

Stoenr

Wow, CSI San Diego! Thats exactly what happened. Great step by step Don

70MACH1OWNER

Don,
Your photo documentation is outstanding and totally believe you have nailed the reason for the blow up. I just hope for your sake that Dynotech makes it right with you. They could get a bunch of bad press from this. I would think it is not worth that. I will keep my fingers crossed for you. [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smilies23.gif[/img]
Scott [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/thumb.gif[/img] [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/thumb.gif[/img] [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/thumb.gif[/img]

conv_stang

man, dude that sucks. hope they get it right for your sake. guess you will be getting a purposly built engine now

nonsensez9

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(icemant180 @ February 24, 2006, 6:52 PM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
A piece of the artice..
"The weak links are the piston ring lands and powdered rods. For emissions, the '05 has new pistons with ring lands very close to the top of the piston. "One of the ways to control emissions is to reduce the unscavenged area around the piston," Orlando explains. "If you move the ring land up as high as possible, you have less unburnt fuel. So Ford moved the ring land up as high as they could while maintaining minimum strength. But the whole purpose of it is alien to performance because they break easily."
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someone help me out here. I don't understand how the rings close to the top of the piston make it weaker.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(BlackonBlack @ February 24, 2006, 6:15 PM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
Don, The 302 stroker from a 4.6 block will be as bad or worse than the 302 to 347. Look at the stock stroke of the 4.6, its already larger than the 5.0 302.
I forgot to take into account your KB Blower on a 5.4. I think it would work but might require some mods. I see KB offers a kit for 5.4 trucks and SUV.
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The 5.4 has the same bore as a 4.6, only longer stroke with no apparent difficulties. then again it has longer cylinders, too. Anyways, they both can use the same heads, intake, etc, I'd think the KB could bolt right on, no?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(don_w @ February 24, 2006, 3:25 PM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
And I'm thinking the deck height on a 5.4 might cause a lot of additional issues for a swap.
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might need to borrow a tall hood from a new cobra [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/04.gif[/img]