SwampWS6

iTrader: (7)

I have a dumb question . I am almost done with my build and when it comes time to start it, does my boost controller need to be set to 0?

The reason I asked is that my machinist/build adviser said my motor should not see boost until the rings seat properly. If I start my car for the 1st time, will the car be in boost?

This is my 1st boost build so I wanna do everything right, and no one is really around to help me. Are there other things that need to be disconnected upon 1st start up (Like one side of the intercooler pipe)?

Teach me please!

oscs

iTrader: (19)

At idle your car will not see boost. You can have everything hooked up like normal.

Shownomercy

iTrader: (1)

Light spring in waste gate, if you have a boost gauge just turn off the EBC [I use my EBC as a gauge], and drive normally.

You won't see boost if you do not floor it or load up the engine heavy.

SwampWS6

iTrader: (7)

Ok so at idle car wont see boost. Cool. Well when I start to break in the motor just have the EBC turned off? I think my gate spring is set at 8#s.

I have seen some guys unhook the intercooler pipe I guess to keep from forcing air into the intake. Anybody know why?

oscs

iTrader: (19)

If this is purely a start up situation it doesn't matter how big or small your wastegate springs are. Install what you have/going to run and start the car. There is nothing to worry about.

SwampWS6

iTrader: (7)

Cool. Any different steps that need to be taken when I go out for my first test drive? Seems like startup was less of a pain than I thought

oscs

iTrader: (19)

Personally I "broke in" my car at roughly 140KPA or 5-6PSI. IMO a little amount of boost isn't going to hurt anything. Your rings are going to set within the first 20miles anyhow. This subject is really kind of all over the place. I know really good shops that break in motors on the dyno and some guys that just cruise the car around for a little bit. Personally I took it easy. I would work my way up to 5-6k in each gear and let off the throttle letting the engine slow the car down. After that I just just drove it around a bit making incremental gains to WOT.

I will say though the combination of modern materials/metallurgy and the "drive it like you stole it" advice given to me from one of the better builders in industry Has given me a pretty lax view on the subject.

SwampWS6

iTrader: (7)

A person I knew in the car world told me since I have a boosted motor to drive around for about 1K miles before throwing boost at it. And I had to even challenge him on that theory. My machinist/build adviser build motors all the time and soon as he's done he let it idle for while and start making WOT pulls on it. So 1K miles vs a 20min idle then a WOT pull is 2 different methods. Lol. But I will take a similar route to you and SNM on the break in method

oscs

iTrader: (19)

Yeah like I said there are A LOT of different opinions on the matter. Most of the old school guys will tell you to rack up a lot of miles before getting into it. All the younger guys just beat the **** out of them right out the gate and they seem to be holding up fine. Personally I went half way in between.

mightyquickz28

iTrader: (8)

As the guys say, just run it off the spring(Electronic Boost controller off, or take the vacuum tubes off the wastegate) and drive moderately. Moderately more to monitor everything else like overheating, closed loop drivability, leaks, etc, before you worry about boost. I didn't see if you have a wideband you can monitor while driving. Hope so!
Best of luck to you. I've had a 76mm turbo on my LT1 since 2008 and it's been an anvil in the sense that I can beat on it all the time and it keeps coming back for more.

hokeplaya05

iTrader: (3)

i would follow the advise from the builder just incase something goes wrong (and hopefully it doesnt). my motor came with a 3 year warranty and if something went wrong on break in or shortly after and if i didnt break it in the way the builder advised, he may not honor the warranty. just a thought. also, my motor wont have boost until probably next winter, so the break in process n/a was easier

SwampWS6

iTrader: (7)

Do you have any vids of your car running? Please pm me. LT1 cars are way more fascinating to me because its less of us still around. (Dont take it personal LS guys) Do you have any updated times or dyno numbers?

SwampWS6

iTrader: (7)

My machinist did almost everything for me except assemble it. I assembled it myself, so thats where all of my questions come from. Im just a hands on guy.

mightyquickz28

iTrader: (8)

When I had the log manifolds and the TC76 on it, she ran high 11's (can't get out of the hole without either bogging or spinning so sucky 60 foots of 2.xx) but at 129mph. I switched to a tubular setup hotside and a PT7675 and ran slightly quicker (11.5's) at 127mph at 14 psi this past summer. All on pump gas, no nitrous, methanol/alcohol,etc and on the same street tires I use to drive 500 mile round trips between Albany and Rochester every week.

Considering the 3,850lb weight (me and the car), the calculators say my motor is putting out 630 at the crank when running 129mph in the quarter mile. I've ran it as high as 21psi many times.
I've beat 3 GT500's, both on the street and at the track. I've beat every WRX/STI, EVO, Vette, Fbody, non-liter sportbike, Mopar, GTO, Mustang, Cobras (and one right-hand drive sportline) I've raced. Now, I'm not saying I can beat everything on the road but everything I have raced, I've beat. You have to pick your opponents

The thing is to settle on what HP your chassis and tires can put to the ground. What a lot of the WRX/STI guys love to race is a guy that's got a 1,000 hp boosted Camaro from a dig on the street because they know he can't put it to the street on street tires. I run Nitto DR (315/35/17) and I still spin them at the top of the first 3 gears so I don't race on the street from a dig. From a 40 mph roll though? A farkin' rocketship...

Don't be dismayed, I still love my LT1, but I'm putting in a forged 5.3 this winter with twin GT35's, Isky Triple 12 cam and a Transbraked TH350 w/4000 stall. The LT1 will be refreshed , then bagged while I have some fun with the 5.3.

SwampWS6

iTrader: (7)

You killed the entire story right there. Lol. I mean when I blow (i hope I dont soon) I will be going LS as well. I just hope that my setup run halfway decent. Good to hear your good experience. If I could run high to mid 10s, I would be highly satisfied. If I can get at least 550rwhp I will be pretty satisfied too.

But I have learned my lesson on buying parts before installing them. There are a lot of things I would do a little different. The main thing is injectors and 24x conversion.

What are your cam specs? Did you use the standard LT1 PCM? Did you use the home ported heads?

mightyquickz28

iTrader: (8)

Stock PCM, started out with a MAF based 1 bar tune from Bryan Herter at PCM4less. Now a 2 bar speed density tune (by me).

Custom spec Bret Bauer cam. Ported stock LT1 castings at first but it was lifting the heads above 12 psi and pressurizing the overflow bottle.

Now Lloyd Elliot TFS 23 degree heads.

SwampWS6

iTrader: (7)

Well I hope to achieve decent numbers. You most def are some inspiration to me. I will start a build thread here soon.