FI Horror Stories..Have them?? POST THEM!!
02-26-2007, 08:05 PM
#23
Fuel cell from Fuel Safe was built with fuel intake clocked upwards at about the 2 o'clock position. Car ran crappy with anything less than 5 gallons in cell. Took a while to troubleshoot. Nothing like working inside a cell with gas in it!
Fuel cell from Fuel Safe was built with a spring-loaded air vent check valve, so when I had fuel heat up, there was no place for the air to go. While I was fixing a minor rearend leak, I noticed my fuel cell bulging with pressure. "Just pull the little spring out of the check valve with a set of needlenose", they said. Nothing like working inside a cell with gas in it AGAIN!
ARP head studs on a small block Chevy need a lot of extra sealant. Not a real FI issue but one I hit. They dribble coolant and make you think something's fucked up. They are a pain to remove/reseal with the engine already in the car.
Figuring out belt lengths on a custom blower setup is a pain, because they stretch at first.
Constant horror story - friends and relatives that know everything about motors but nothing about EFI or FI have a lot of USELESS advice that could screw things up bad. Make Uncle Fred stick to his '37 Ford.
Almost as bad - people who know something about EFI and/or FI but feel qualified to offer advice on any car they're around. Kill them quickly or at least stun them.
+1 on the girlfriend. Conceal until it's second nature.
Jim
Fuel cell from Fuel Safe was built with a spring-loaded air vent check valve, so when I had fuel heat up, there was no place for the air to go. While I was fixing a minor rearend leak, I noticed my fuel cell bulging with pressure. "Just pull the little spring out of the check valve with a set of needlenose", they said. Nothing like working inside a cell with gas in it AGAIN!
ARP head studs on a small block Chevy need a lot of extra sealant. Not a real FI issue but one I hit. They dribble coolant and make you think something's fucked up. They are a pain to remove/reseal with the engine already in the car.
Figuring out belt lengths on a custom blower setup is a pain, because they stretch at first.
Constant horror story - friends and relatives that know everything about motors but nothing about EFI or FI have a lot of USELESS advice that could screw things up bad. Make Uncle Fred stick to his '37 Ford.
Almost as bad - people who know something about EFI and/or FI but feel qualified to offer advice on any car they're around. Kill them quickly or at least stun them.
+1 on the girlfriend. Conceal until it's second nature.
Jim
02-26-2007, 08:26 PM
#24
My clueless installer hooked up the incon scavenge system just like the instructions said to... 'cept he apparently didn't know how a relay works.
For the next couple years I wondered why the battery went dead after the car sat for more than a week.
Later, while installing relays for a meth kit and a 2 step, I discovered he mixed up the sense or trigger wire with the power source
I ended up with about a half a page of screw-ups that had to be corrected from that install, some more obvious than others
For the next couple years I wondered why the battery went dead after the car sat for more than a week.
Later, while installing relays for a meth kit and a 2 step, I discovered he mixed up the sense or trigger wire with the power source
I ended up with about a half a page of screw-ups that had to be corrected from that install, some more obvious than others
02-26-2007, 08:43 PM
#25
Fiery Features Director
iTrader: (11)
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Houston, Tx
Posts: 3,830
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Car sits in garage for 6 months.
Head lifts... one gasket down.
Car sits again...
Car over heats, plug wires melt
Turbo manifold cracks... re-weld
Head lifts again... second gasket down
Turbo manifold cracks... re-weld
Turbo manifold cracks... re-weld
Camaro vs. Vette - Camaro wins, over heats, and then oil pressure goes down
Car is back to being a garage ornament...
Gotta love FI!
Head lifts... one gasket down.
Car sits again...
Car over heats, plug wires melt
Turbo manifold cracks... re-weld
Head lifts again... second gasket down
Turbo manifold cracks... re-weld
Turbo manifold cracks... re-weld
Camaro vs. Vette - Camaro wins, over heats, and then oil pressure goes down
Car is back to being a garage ornament...
Gotta love FI!
02-26-2007, 09:24 PM
#26
9 Second Club
iTrader: (27)
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: HOUSTON-TX
Posts: 3,685
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I think Im one of very few that has no horror stories yet. My car's FI life has been near 30k miles, all on teh same short block and alot of those daily driven at 600 rwhp. Never had any problems yet...I guess Im lucky 
02-26-2007, 11:30 PM
#28
TECH Fanatic
iTrader: (8)
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: College Station/Pasadena
Posts: 8,182
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by Tiago
I think Im one of very few that has no horror stories yet. My car's FI life has been near 30k miles, all on teh same short block and alot of those daily driven at 600 rwhp. Never had any problems yet...I guess Im lucky
02-26-2007, 11:39 PM
#29
TECH Fanatic
iTrader: (4)
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: San Antonio
Posts: 1,886
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by Tiago
I think Im one of very few that has no horror stories yet. My car's FI life has been near 30k miles, all on teh same short block and alot of those daily driven at 600 rwhp. Never had any problems yet...I guess Im lucky
plus you get the orange color on your name
02-27-2007, 12:15 AM
#30
Try tuning your friend's turboed escalade, who has been doing first gen sbc's for years. How many times can you listen to "shouldn't it have 36-38* timing all in by 2500rpm"? Or "wouldn't it make more power at 13.0/1 AFR"? Sometimes I don't know if he is joking or not.
02-27-2007, 01:44 AM
#31
Launching!
iTrader: (4)
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: visalia ca
Posts: 283
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
dude. ok listen. how about instaliing the turbo and they blowing the car up before you ever drive it. 4k, rebuild the enigne 4k more and almost one year to get it back. then lift the head, then they blow the tranny before you get it back. then you have to fix the oil inlet because the thing smokes like James Bond AND pukes oil like the exxon valdes, then 4 more tranny rebuilds and replace the turbo 3 or was it 4 times. blow the charge pipes off the car a 120mph because the bov is too small........I can go on.
Get the idea?
that what your looking for?
all true.
wife thinks I'm a dumb-***.
don't buy Bobby's backyard turbo setups!
Get the idea?
that what your looking for?
all true.
wife thinks I'm a dumb-***.
don't buy Bobby's backyard turbo setups!
02-27-2007, 07:47 AM
#32
9 Second Club
iTrader: (27)
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: HOUSTON-TX
Posts: 3,685
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by DeltaT
We're all lucky til we're not. 
Jim
Jim
LOL, well if anything was to fail at this point, I don't think I could complain, its been FI 2.5 years.. no problems....Its all due in time
i was talking to eric about that, we were like "dman tiago never has any problems with his damn car"
the supra meet is coming up 
after that its all good.
i guess you just know how to build a car tiago, you should start fixing people's fbody's
plus you get the orange color on your name
plus you get the orange color on your name
Alot of it is just knowing what you're building and how everything works, I have built some cars that work flawless while I TNT it but once the owner picks it up, and drives it with no regard for the thing (ironic I think) it lets go, adjust the boost controller without understanding tuning, or doesn't put the right gas in it, or puts the wrong oil on it, or takes it to jim and bob's shop for aa tune up where they proceed to rag it out and take out some bearings, instead of taking it to a reliable shop...... just how it goes sometimes.
02-27-2007, 08:06 AM
#33
TECH Resident
iTrader: (17)
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: NC - Charlotte area
Posts: 3,747
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by TNTramair
thank god for 2nd bank accounts!
her-- "whats with the whistle coming from under the hood...thought it just needed a water pump"
Me--"well, i think they just forgot to tighten up the belt...ill get it checked eventually"
her-- "whats with the whistle coming from under the hood...thought it just needed a water pump"
Me--"well, i think they just forgot to tighten up the belt...ill get it checked eventually"
02-27-2007, 10:37 AM
#34
Fiery Features Director
iTrader: (11)
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Houston, Tx
Posts: 3,830
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Sometimes the problem isn't the experience a person has with building a car. In my case, the problem was "getting what I paid for". If you buy budget parts, expect to get budget results. Brian and I have now decided that we will do it right like we should have done the first time.
02-27-2007, 10:40 AM
#35
9 Second Club
iTrader: (27)
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: HOUSTON-TX
Posts: 3,685
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by Zangel
Sometimes the problem isn't the experience a person has with building a car. In my case, the problem was "getting what I paid for". If you buy budget parts, expect to get budget results. Brian and I have now decided that we will do it right like we should have done the first time.
this is not necessarily true either.... Ive done my fair share of very small budget builds with phenominal results... But not everyone wants or can build their own stuff. I think the more you rely on other shops to do the work, or build your kits, of course the cost will raise exponentially to do it right.
02-27-2007, 11:28 AM
#36
I am doing good, no horror stories but I do have a funny one.
Back when I first installed everything I didn't secure my IAT sensor well enough in my charge pipe. As soon as it hit 5 psi I heard what sounded like a gun shot as the IAT sensor shot out and pounded the frame rail of the car. Scared the hell out of me and I didn't see it right away, I was busy looking for parts on the ground. Unfortunately the sensor didn't live. 
Back when I first installed everything I didn't secure my IAT sensor well enough in my charge pipe. As soon as it hit 5 psi I heard what sounded like a gun shot as the IAT sensor shot out and pounded the frame rail of the car. Scared the hell out of me and I didn't see it right away, I was busy looking for parts on the ground.
Unfortunately the sensor didn't live. 
02-27-2007, 11:57 AM
#38
TECH Fanatic
Thread Starter
iTrader: (16)
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Missouri
Posts: 1,055
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by NicD
I am doing good, no horror stories but I do have a funny one.
Back when I first installed everything I didn't secure my IAT sensor well enough in my charge pipe. As soon as it hit 5 psi I heard what sounded like a gun shot as the IAT sensor shot out and pounded the frame rail of the car. Scared the hell out of me and I didn't see it right away, I was busy looking for parts on the ground. Unfortunately the sensor didn't live.
Back when I first installed everything I didn't secure my IAT sensor well enough in my charge pipe. As soon as it hit 5 psi I heard what sounded like a gun shot as the IAT sensor shot out and pounded the frame rail of the car. Scared the hell out of me and I didn't see it right away, I was busy looking for parts on the ground.
Unfortunately the sensor didn't live.
02-27-2007, 01:09 PM
#39
TECH Fanatic
iTrader: (8)
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: College Station/Pasadena
Posts: 8,182
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by Tiago
LOL, well if anything was to fail at this point, I don't think I could complain, its been FI 2.5 years.. no problems....Its all due in time
dont jinx me the supra meet is coming up after that its all good.
I do some of that.
Alot of it is just knowing what you're building and how everything works, I have built some cars that work flawless while I TNT it but once the owner picks it up, and drives it with no regard for the thing (ironic I think) it lets go, adjust the boost controller without understanding tuning, or doesn't put the right gas in it, or puts the wrong oil on it, or takes it to jim and bob's shop for aa tune up where they proceed to rag it out and take out some bearings, instead of taking it to a reliable shop...... just how it goes sometimes.
dont jinx me
the supra meet is coming up after that its all good. I do some of that.
Alot of it is just knowing what you're building and how everything works, I have built some cars that work flawless while I TNT it but once the owner picks it up, and drives it with no regard for the thing (ironic I think) it lets go, adjust the boost controller without understanding tuning, or doesn't put the right gas in it, or puts the wrong oil on it, or takes it to jim and bob's shop for aa tune up where they proceed to rag it out and take out some bearings, instead of taking it to a reliable shop...... just how it goes sometimes.
02-27-2007, 10:19 PM
#40
For the first 6 months after installing the blower everything that happened I thought I blew the motor. Worst was when a huge cloud of smoke started coming out from under the hood at like 70mph. Once I pulled over I found the low-pressure side of the power steering hose had popped off and squirted PS fluid all over my pass-side header and the bottom of the hood.
Talk about a heart-stopping moment...
I fixed it on the side of the road, went to Pep Boys and for $10 of rags and some PS fluid was back on the road. But DAMN!
Jim
Talk about a heart-stopping moment...
I fixed it on the side of the road, went to Pep Boys and for $10 of rags and some PS fluid was back on the road. But DAMN!
Jim