Engine #3 For Me!

have you resued the same short block on both instances?
i'm blaming the block if it the same from the previous blown engine.

also, i'm afraid but i think it is time to move on dude, there's only so much one person can cope with..and this car seems to be picking in your pockets constantly. Like you said, "It was fun".

I'm not gonna be like the rest and tell you, heck...stand up, dust off and get on it again. you need to know when to stop....

i have a friend who's 25k in the hole with his car, and only now he wishes he had listened to me....

hopefully you learn from this expierence and realize once and for all that mazdas are not meant to go quick....lol...sad but true
 
So there's no way to run a reliable boosted Protege without extensive custom work like the manifold?

What would make you jump to this conclusion? There are countless reliable boosted Proteges here.
 
Nope. Last year I blew it on stock injectors. This year I went through WRX 440's and now this was o nthe STi 575's.
 
Whatever caused sucks for sure. But if your block got hot enough to melt a piston as you suspect you'd sure as s*** have a warped head as well, especially between #3 and #4 cyls. What brand of piston was it?
 
Vaporized? A chunk of forged aluminum would not just vaporize...not at the temps that your car runs at.

Well that's all I could come up wiht man. There is not a hint of damage anywhere on the head, the top of the piston, the exhaust manifold, anwhere. I'm gonna pull the turbo and check, but It would be one hell of a lucky chance that somethign like that made it out wihout touching any other part in the engine.

From what I recall, Aluminum melts around 1300*F (I think that's cast though) so it is possible in theory. Detonation would have probably squashed the plug and left that piece banging around in there for awhile and like I said my AFR's were rich and timing was still conservative. (I know you can detonate with rich AFR's.) However considering where the timing was at, and the low compression of the engine, I still think if it detonated the results would have been more catastrophic.

The thing that REALLY has me scratching my head is the fact that it is exactly the same as my last engine, which means it's something specific to my car. Why that valve? (Head was worked after it blew last time so I can rule that out...) I really need some ideas here guys, anything you can think of.
 
Whatever caused sucks for sure. But if your block got hot enough to melt a piston as you suspect you'd sure as s*** have a warped head as well, especially between #3 and #4 cyls. What brand of piston was it?

Arias 8.5:1 with Pauter rods.
 
Well that's all I could come up wiht man. There is not a hint of damage anywhere on the head, the top of the piston, the exhaust manifold, anwhere. I'm gonna pull the turbo and check, but It would be one hell of a lucky chance that somethign like that made it out wihout touching any other part in the engine.

It's more likely that it broke apart and shattered into smaller pieces. To make that piston evaporate would probably require at minimum of 3000*, at which point your engine would have melted.

From what I recall, Aluminum melts around 1300*F (I think that's cast though) so it is possible in theory.

Melting and evaporating are two totally different things. Besides, just because your EGTs are that hot, doesn't mean the pistons reach that temp. Also remember: your head is aluminum as well.

Detonation would have probably squashed the plug and left that piece banging around in there for awhile and like I said my AFR's were rich and timing was still conservative. (I know you can detonate with rich AFR's.) However considering where the timing was at, and the low compression of the engine, I still think if it detonated the results would have been more catastrophic.

True. However, just to note: if your timing is too retarded, your EGTs will climb. I doubt that was the case here though.

The thing that REALLY has me scratching my head is the fact that it is exactly the same as my last engine, which means it's something specific to my car. Why that valve? (Head was worked after it blew last time so I can rule that out...)

I wouldn't necessarily rule that out, but I admit it's improbable.

I really need some ideas here guys, anything you can think of.

Well, if you got all new injectors, it can't be that. how about injector wiring?

I doubt it has anything to do with the engines, since you've had two totally different engines in there and ended up with the same result.

It's not the power you're making, because many people make more power than you and don't have such issues.

Could there be some sort of exhaust restriction in the manifold or something?

Perhaps you blew the welds on your intake manifold?

You also have a new water and oil pump, so I doubt it's an issue with either.

Man, this is really bizarre.
 
for this to happen twice on the same engine it has to be a part that was used TWICE.

That's my logic as well.

What I know he's used twice:

-turbo setup
-head (even though it was reworked)
-wiring (you never know)
-intake manifold
-exhaust mani/exhaust

What else, Nick?
 
Okay, so lets review what I didn't change and what I did. This post will be what I DID change, so what is most likely not the culprit.

- 626 Manifold Added
- Head rebuilt
- Perrin Fuel rail
- New oil / water pumps (part of new engine)
- Haltech E6X
- STi 575's
- Greddy Catch Can
- EGR removal
- Removed all emmissions related components
- Added Wideband

That's what I did change that could be a culprit, but can't be since it happened before. Now let's look at what could do it that I kept the same:

- Turbo / wastegate / manifold / downpipe
- FMIC and piping
- Throttle body
- HKS SSQV

Like **** I dunno...
 
i say put the 626 manifold in the COULD BE LIST...together with the fuel rail...the haltech could've had a faulty wiring...EGR removal
 
Injector wiring is still stock, but now controlled by the Haltech. The STi injectors plug right in. Another thing I just thought, is that I changed cams this year, so it can't be that...
 

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