Reliability report on my car after 1 year of abuse
#1
Reliability report on my car after 1 year of abuse
I've been running my car for over a year now. It has a built 6.0 iron block 370 cubes. It's built almost entirely out of other peoples junk parts and stock GM parts. The trans is a rossler Th400 and the converter is a Vigilante.
The motor/turbo setup consumes oil, dunno which one, but I suspect the turbo. Not a big deal to me though, I just check my oil level before taking the car out for a flogging session.
I've counted up my time slips and i'm right around 200 strip passes. The car now traps mid 130's in 100+ temps and my raceweight is usually 3850-3900 lbs and I don't even have a roll bar yet. I can't even count how many pulls I have on the street. I did a 65-170 pull last night and it didn't miss a beat. A little over 0.5 miles at WOT in 100 degree temps and still purrs like a pissed off kitten.
Biggest failure i've had have been a stock ford trac-loc diff in the 9" that gave up the ghost, now I have a full spool and would never do a car this fast any other way. It's way more stable and predictable when it comes loose.
At one point I had something go through the exhaust and munch a turbine wheel. Even worse was when I got it back from forcedinductions they did a **** packing job and the blades on the turbine were bent to hell (2 really bad). Had to fix my brand new turbine wheel with a propane torch and a pair of pliers. Works ok though. Hopefully they will give me a discount on a new turbo in the future or something.
2nd most common failure is losing an intercooler pipe, but i've got that under control finally by redoing several couplers and t-bolt clamps.
I'm really happy with my setup overall, the car has been one of the most reliable fast street cars in Vegas for quite a while now. I plan on working on getting some safety stuff done to the car as well as lightening up the front some in the future. I'd like to get the car working well now with what I got before I go onto a larger turbo (thinking ST80).
The motor/turbo setup consumes oil, dunno which one, but I suspect the turbo. Not a big deal to me though, I just check my oil level before taking the car out for a flogging session.
I've counted up my time slips and i'm right around 200 strip passes. The car now traps mid 130's in 100+ temps and my raceweight is usually 3850-3900 lbs and I don't even have a roll bar yet. I can't even count how many pulls I have on the street. I did a 65-170 pull last night and it didn't miss a beat. A little over 0.5 miles at WOT in 100 degree temps and still purrs like a pissed off kitten.
Biggest failure i've had have been a stock ford trac-loc diff in the 9" that gave up the ghost, now I have a full spool and would never do a car this fast any other way. It's way more stable and predictable when it comes loose.
At one point I had something go through the exhaust and munch a turbine wheel. Even worse was when I got it back from forcedinductions they did a **** packing job and the blades on the turbine were bent to hell (2 really bad). Had to fix my brand new turbine wheel with a propane torch and a pair of pliers. Works ok though. Hopefully they will give me a discount on a new turbo in the future or something.
2nd most common failure is losing an intercooler pipe, but i've got that under control finally by redoing several couplers and t-bolt clamps.
I'm really happy with my setup overall, the car has been one of the most reliable fast street cars in Vegas for quite a while now. I plan on working on getting some safety stuff done to the car as well as lightening up the front some in the future. I'd like to get the car working well now with what I got before I go onto a larger turbo (thinking ST80).
#3
9 Second Club
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Amarillo,TX
Posts: 1,205
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
sounds like a great setup Zombie!!Ive had my motor and turbo setup in for 2 years this summer and have never even takin a valve cover off.If you do a setup correct and dont mess with it to much after that trying to push it past its limits they can last a long long time
Last edited by SuperZ; 07-16-2007 at 01:13 PM.
#7
Moderator
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: THE CHI
Posts: 977
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by HUNTER02SS
My car weighed 3815 with me in it. So his weight is about the norm for fully loaded.
intmd8's car weighed 37xx with him in it, with a 6 point mild steel bar, twin turbo lt1 , 9 inch and every single option still in place including ac, heat etc....
Trending Topics
#8
Originally Posted by FANTAZ28
not being a dick but how does your car weight 3900 lbs? unless you are a very heavy guy your self?
Turbo stuff, alcohol kit, iron block, 9" rear (all iron and steel), th400, 3.5" steal drive shaft, completely stock interior, laptop, backpack,helmet, fire extinguisher,spare tire and jack, etc. All adds up. My only weight savings mod is pulling the front sway bar and a few missing nuts and bolts. I don't even have skinnies for the track (they are on the list). My raceweight will vary between 3850 and 3900, sometimes I have junk in the car too, cleaning owns me.
Who knows, maybe the scale is off, my car isn't light, but I wish it was. A procharged LT1 WS6 with a 10pt cage here scaled in at close to 4000lbs. Maybe we have more gravity in Las Vegas or something, might explain why they run so much slower here.
If my car was part of a vitamin it would be Iron, 2,000,000% the daily allowance.
Last edited by Zombie; 07-16-2007 at 01:35 PM.
#9
10 Second Club
iTrader: (14)
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Central California
Posts: 1,392
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
so you have never had problems with oil in the exhaust and intake? do you still have the stock STS oiling system? thats great man, i hope my setup will be somewhat as reliable when i get everything worked out....
#10
Originally Posted by RooRnZ28
so you have never had problems with oil in the exhaust and intake? do you still have the stock STS oiling system? thats great man, i hope my setup will be somewhat as reliable when i get everything worked out....
#11
TECH Junkie
iTrader: (8)
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Marietta, Ga.
Posts: 3,899
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by Zombie
Use to have that issue, not much of a problem now because I'm using a better scavange pump and have a better drainage setup.
#12
Originally Posted by quicksilverado
What pump are you using and where did you get it?
Probably came from mcmaster or one of those places.
#14
10 Second Club
iTrader: (14)
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Central California
Posts: 1,392
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by Zombie
Use to have that issue, not much of a problem now because I'm using a better scavange pump and have a better drainage setup.
so then you pretty much replaced the return pump with a better one, and i'm guessing put the oil return to the oil pan? i'm just looking at different options, as this oil in the exhaust/intake thing has happened twice now, and its getting old
#15
TECH Fanatic
iTrader: (9)
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: ATL/Savannah Georgia
Posts: 1,395
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Glad to hear Zombie.
As for the pumps, Mocal/Tilton/Shurflo are all diaphram based and don't hold up as well as the enginegear or reverso models. Spur gears, stainless shafts, and bronze bodies hold up well, all of which are in the above 2 models. One costs $195 from marine shops, the other is basically the same thing but priced at $250 (beats me on the mark up).
I've been using it in a ford focus rear mount (well until it rolled over last night in the rain) for a while now. Just make sure your check valve is working properly and the oil lines aren't pinched and positioned properly.
As for the pumps, Mocal/Tilton/Shurflo are all diaphram based and don't hold up as well as the enginegear or reverso models. Spur gears, stainless shafts, and bronze bodies hold up well, all of which are in the above 2 models. One costs $195 from marine shops, the other is basically the same thing but priced at $250 (beats me on the mark up).
I've been using it in a ford focus rear mount (well until it rolled over last night in the rain) for a while now. Just make sure your check valve is working properly and the oil lines aren't pinched and positioned properly.