Ecostang

Btw we made 425 RWHP and 440 lbs of torque with only 17 lbs of boost . I suspected that my setup would make good HP with lower boost pressure and so far I'm right. Basically the pressure builds from restrictions from the trubos to the tailpipes. Free flowing turbo pipes, ported intake, free flowing exhaust decreases boost pressure while allowing the same or more airflow. We can go as high as 25 lbs with the factory turbos but were warned not to exceed 23 lbs or we could blow a head gasket with a factory setup.

With my additional fuel injection system and e85 we should break 500 RWHP without nitrous, that's incredible. Think about it, stock motor, stock turbos, some extra fuel and a tune to break 500 RWHP.

Ecostang

Here's the way my tires look after battling the dyno. When it locked up it didn't completely stop, the dyno kept going too. It cut a texture in to the tire, they are extremely sticky right now.

Ecostang

One last thing, I bought a 5.0 msd 2step and it doesn't fit the ecoboost coil plugs. It's exactly the same plug shape but are a slightly different size. I split the ecoboost plug trying to plug it in to the MSD. I'll end up changing the plugs to make it work, I have some extra 3.7 coil plugs off an old harness, I'll need to buy a 5.0 engine harness too. I have to replace the plugs on my harness in the car to 5.0, then change the plugs on the msd 2step to the 3.7/3.5 coil plugs. This can be done by pulling the plugs apart and installing the wires in the other plugs, no cutting necessary. This won't happen anytime soon, sometime after I get back.

So no transbrake and no 2step for the race.

GatorV6

Holy crap, the issues just keep coming. Lucky the trans didn't lock up during a race though. I hope it stops fighting you soon, you guys definitely deserve a break. Still, 425whp on pump gas is nothing to sneeze at. I can only imagine what it will be like with nitrous, E85, and bigger turbos!

GLOCKer

Wow! This would make for some good nail biting TV@

Ecostang

Ok guys so here's a recap of my last 3 days. Mike worked on the tune with me until 3am Tuesday night, the guys is an animal! He's a perfectionist with laser focus, he just won't take no for an answer. He raised the boost pressure but we didn't see any additional HP, the stock turbos really hold the engine back, Mike warned me when we got started. I was guessing at the HP but Mike knew already what it would do. We made 420 whp and 480 lbs of torque without nitrous. He said the car was happy there and he suggested we stop with the engine tune add nitrous. Wednesday morning-ish he started to tune the car with nitrous. It made 519/537 with a 75 shot of nitrous. This is all on e85 with the additional fuel injection working. Then mike dropped the bomb, he booked a ticket to Ohio and he would be there to personally tune the car between passes!!! Game changer

I left MPT at 5pm and drove till 1am, got up at 9am and drove until 4:30pm arriving at the track. I had about 30 min to get registered, tech inspection, and be ready for the last qualifying pass of the day. I made to the line, did my burnout, and staged. I ended up red lighting because I rolled through the lights by accident and didn't get a time lol. I planned on using a transbrake, but that didn't happen. Unfortunately I took out my vacuum pump to save weight because I thought I wouldn't need it. When foot breaking the car at the line I built boost and lost vacuum....therefore rolling forward. We have some ideas to get around this. I have 4 more passes I can make before racing in the event. We will get it dialed in.

I learned something this week. The car is a work in progress and it's far from finished. I'll have some video and pics tomorrow. Sooo tired, just want to get some rest.

Ecostang

Last pull on the dyno

Ecostang

The numbers....oh btw he's turning it up in the morning. At least we got data from the pass to use to improve the tune. He turning up the nitrous to a 100 shot which usually equates to more in a turbo car.

Black is stock
Yellow is tune without nitrous
Blue is with nitrous

Ecostang

Pic shortly after I arrived. We get 6 qualifying passes that we can use for testing. I missed one today and botched the other. I get 2 passes tomorrow, 2 on Sunday morning, then it's the heads up race. I won't be able to win this event with my current setup, these guys are dialed in and the car and I are as green as it gets. I feel like we will do well but winning probably isn't happening this time.

Whatever happens, happens. It's been a fun, it's been a journey, I'm beat up but we made it. We will know in a couple days how well the car and I do.

XRFairmont

Was there a DTC for the OSS (Output Shaft Speed Sensor)?
The PCM programming has a bug that causes the trans to drop back to 1st momentarily if the OSS goes out to lunch. The rear end locks up for a variable period of time then the trans goes to limp mode.
We've had this on Thai built Rangers (co sold as Mazda BT-50 in Oz) and I read recently that Ford US were going to do a campaign to reprogram the PCM for this issue - no confirmation yet though. I know of at least one customer who spun off the road due to this issue.

lowblustang00

You definitely went to the right tuning shop. Those sound like some dedicated guys for sure.


I bet it has been an emotional week for you. I think you have come a long way, and should be extremely proud to have made it to the event. No matter how things turn out, this is a win.

Bigger turbos and time, and the rest of the EB community will have to watch out for you.

boss man

win or lose you are correct about the journey. as far as the journey goes, your a winner in my book.. you have taken many members on that journey with you. I found your blog to be the best from start to race time. Or should I say from junkyard to track beast. And all from a six banger. Your not a race shop. Just a person with a vision that has seen it from start to race day. Most people would never do what has been done. I'm hoping you do well and following you from nj. If anything.....they will know who you are and what your capable of!!
Rock on and throw the hammer down!!!!!!
will be waiting for updates.

Ecostang

I don't think he checked the codes when it happened, but we should have. I don't think it went to first, it's was an abrupt stop.

Ecostang

After a another rough day these kinds of comments go a long way, thanks for all the support guys! I really appreciate all that's been posted in the last couple week.

Well I got another practice run this morning, I red lighted again so no 1/4 mi time. I'm not sure I'm going to be able to foot brake the car for a launch, I may have to leave off idle. They are running a Sportsman's tree, so once both drivers are staged all 3 yellows come on and then green, just like the big boys run. It's extremely fast, I wish they were running the lights I'm used to. The problem is that I have to bump in at 1500 rpm using the brake, then not exceed 1500 rpms or the car rolls forward. Doing this while watching for the fast lights is not something I'm good at right now.

Brad Gussler is the man to beat, he said recently he ran a 10.3 in his 2.3 ecoboost drag car. I was lined up against his street car (not the drag car) for my race this morning. I staged, then slightly rolled through the beams, then I launched. Even launching late I caught his car and passed it half way down the track like it was standing still, I beat him by several car lengths. That was a great feeling, his street car ran a 13.1 on that pass.

At the end of the track I smelled coolant, not ever a good sign. I parked and popped the hood, coolant was EVERYWHERE. Mike said, I've seen this before, you probably lost a head gasket. He checked the logs, the car got hot at the end of the track, started a combustion knock, and pulled lots of timing. He also said boost never got over 11 lbs. It was a fast pass for only 11 lbs of boost that's for d*** sure.

I looked everything over and it turns out the nipple for the heater hose blew out of the thermostat housing! Something I never touched, it was like that from the factory. I ended up running to the parts store for cleaner, sandpaper, coolant, and Jb weld. I sanded both parts, cleaned them up, and then epoxied it together. I let it dry for 4 hrs and then fired it up....seems like the problems solved. Sucks I missed my second practice pass today. I get 2 more tomorrow, hopefully it holds together .

This is what blew out of the thermostat housing, unbelievable. Nothing like a track side repair first thing in the morning

Ecostang

I don't have the electronic pic, it's a pic of a pic. These were done by the track, it looks like I almost got the front wheels off the ground! A little more dialing in and I can mark "a car that does wheelies" off my bucket list

Ecostang

The cars gotten lots of attention since I arrived. When I got to the track this morning the guys from UPR were literally under my car taking pics of everything. They were really impressed with the build and want me to switch out all my suspension to their setup. I didn't get the impression I was going to have to pay for any of it. He gave me his car and said to call him once I got back.

I already have some haters too lol. Everything was all good after yesterday's pass but after today's pass one of the racers was complaining that my car broke the rules and I shouldn't be able to complete....I wonder who that was . I took that s*** straight to the head of the NMRA, who I already spoke with months ago about the car, he he said I was good to go.

Oh well....

walt460

An amazing story of perseverance! All the best for Sunday!

DJ2014

Let them hate you. It's called jealousy.

Ecostang

Thanks Walt!

I'm going to need a vacation from my vacation lol.

I know right haha, it didn't help that Mike went by all the ecoboost cars before I arrived and asked the drivers what all they had done to the car, what times they ran, how much horsepower they had, etc....never mentioning he was with me or what we had. Now that they see him with me all the time he's been getting the stink eye from one of the drivers. Mike's got some ***** on him

Ecostang

oh...I weighed my car and I was told it was 3900 lbs with me in it, I weigh 200 lbs. That doesn't seem right to me. The curb weight of the car before I started was 3400 lbs and I added a cage, nitrous bottle, twin turbos, driveshaft loop, and water tank/pump. But I removed all the seats and only replaced the driver with a racing seat, lighter driveshaft, lighter tires and wheels, removed interior, removed front swaybar, lighter rear swaybar, removed pass airbag, radio, removed spare tire/jack.

I'll have to weigh it once I get it back to Colorado, just doesn't seem right.