JAX04

iTrader: (17)

He is also a person responsible for making an LQ9 live at 800+whp, in stock form for a long amount of time. Great guy to deal with.

David, is that an adapter to make your tranny to bolt to a standard block? Pretty cool deal.

EDIT: It is, pretty cool part, they have some other cool stuff too. Nice find.

JAX04

iTrader: (17)

Here we go.

#4 burnt and showing signs of what i believe to be detonation and a few other issues..



I think he said this is number 2 cylinder



And here is the cause of this...



They had to use a hammer to get the valve out of the head!! It would seem that a lock either broke or came out some how.... Either way, ill let Rossko fill you all in on the rest of the details.

Their is also a few trans issues to work out too, as you can see below

DavidGXP

iTrader: (14)

Piston looks fine and the converter is trash..
Hey ross... I got your texts but I can't text back. My phone is jacked.
Actually... I only get texts every now and then

supercatxr7

iTrader: (5)

Curious about the converter. Did you notice any vibration at any specific rpm's prior to this happening. Is that the billet cover converter?

Rossko85

iTrader: (11)

No, Mark I sure didn't notice any vibrations prior to this...The way it was described to me on how the care behaved on the dyno, was that they were making a run and got up to about 4500 RPM's and the car started to level out and not gain anymore power...(it has done this before with me with another dyno and another tuner...and that was with the N2o and 8psi...the car just wouldn't climb) They suspected valve float at first, but I advised them that the springs were replaced with the PAC 1215's which is plenty on stock cam and DOD lifters...so the last run they stated that the car was flat lining again and then just sounded like it went wide open as if something let loose....they then described that the car seemed to idle higher and want to spool the turbo up out back while at idle...and that it was really bad when they went to put it on the trailer and had to really juice her up to get her to get on the trailer.

Tore it down and the pistons look great minus the valve smacking number 2 LOL but rings are great, and the walls are good with no apparent scaring...The shop did a compression test and found it was in the 80's on #7, but our test didn't show any loss...So IDKWTF!?!? LOL

This is a billet covered converter too....I think the valve was another contending issue with while we were loosing power and couldn't climb over 4500ish RPM's, and that valve was just a gremlin that just got worse when they finally smoothed out the tune and got her going well!

Reason I think the dyno behavior leads to the converter, is due to the bearing on the converter, and the fact that when we pulled out the motor after dropping the sub frame, the tranny and motor were literally fused together after ALL BOLTS WERE OUT!! We had to pry very carefully...and when we got them apart...the dam converter stayed with the motor!!!

I guess there have been some issues with this with these converters...it's at PI in TN right now as we speak...hoping to hear back from Jack very shortly...warranty should cover this.

Now, as far as update: I got a long block I picked up with 40k miles on a stand next to the car right now...

I swapped out all the accessory drives and pulleys/pumps from my old motor due to the donor had cut lines and some chewed up pulleys...

Waiting on the torque converter to come in...

Waiting on my valve springs to come in...

Waiting on the power steering pump pulley to come in (I bent it swapping stuff out) LOL

Waiting on the bracket for front motor mount to come back from powder coating, and my old valve covers, and the coil pack racks!

Waiting on my fuel rails to come in...have cross over and feed rails already made up, and the alt bracket trimmed and ready to go! then swap out the rails and injectors!

Gotta do a tranny pan drop and drain, and throw a filter in to help clear her out of any small metal that possibly got by the input band seal, or didn't get caught by the converter.

Change the valve springs, put on the new retainers and locks.

Wrap my manifolds and cross over with some titanium wrap.

Look into the coolant cross over....(I think I need to have the steam ports drilled out)?

Put the motor in, change the oil and filter, put my NGK BR7's back in after gapping, fix a rear fitting on my turbo return flange and line to the rear pump....

and then...put on my GReddy Spec-II B boost controller and then.....


GO BOOST! and hopefully get this pig kicked!

Got a carbon fiber inferno coming, new Enkei RZ-5 staggered gunmetal wheels, and Nitto NTO5's coming in too!!

Brakes will be next here some time...rotors are due!!

Rossko85

iTrader: (11)

I think your alright buddy...some research now suggest that these motors could take in upwards of 15-18psi with low timing numbers on a high octane fuel or aid...especially E85...i would say your fine...my motor didnt blow...it was good...so keep her where you are running well..just back the timing off a bit...the boost isnt bad for her at that level...IMO...take it where you feel comfy!

Rossko85

iTrader: (11)

as far as the 11psi popping your motor on 5 and 7...it just makes me wonder man...I feel that it might of been something else...Ive put 12-13psi to this motor and N20 and my rings and lands looked great! so IDK? I do know that we have the larger gaps in our first and second rings compared to the GEN III cars...and our pistons are considered GM's "high performance piston" These pistons are holding 16-26psi on a stock bottom end 5.3 alum truck block with same part number as our pistons with a smaller gap even from what ive read...stroke and bore are the same though...

take a look...these motors are same bore and stroke...and have the dished pistons i believe? and the compression is the same...

https://ls1tech.com/forums/forced-in...ard-5-3-a.html

I thought you said your water/meth failed, or a check valve??? and thats why you popped your rings??

supercatxr7

iTrader: (5)

I did have a sticky check valve at one point in the meth system. But it wasn't like a lot of meth was being sprayed and compensating for fuel. Tough to say.

Please post or PM me about what PI says about the converter. I added the billet cover this summer as well and am concerned.

Rossko85

iTrader: (11)

PM Sent!

Rossko85

iTrader: (11)

Ok! it's in and running! Still checking and dipping and watching everything! Start up was a little slow, but she kicked up as expected...

New fuel rails work great!! We now have a bracket adapter solution for our LS4 intakes! You can take any LS1/LS6 billet rail of your choice (Not sure exactly about the FAST LSxR) and pop on our factory intake! Pressure test so far has confirmed this...

Had to replace the relay on rear mount oil pump; it was damaged slightly from us doing the motor swap...its good now!

Had to tighten up the fuel rail feed/split for my gauges.

Lots of smoke from the new titanium wrap...but gone away after a few heat cycles...

MSD wire set on and ready...I moved back to a BR7EF from the 9's...

Tranny pan drop and filter change...Broke a tranny pan bolt in half...OOPS! Got plenty more where that came from to hold her on...so far so good! LOL

Replaced some clamps and fittings etc etc...

Put new hood on...

Still have to get my new valve covers and brackets, along with the retainers, springs, locks, and push rods in...I bought PAC retainers to match the springs, and I have Comp race locks, with my push rods and PAC springs, as well as my new valve seals.

Have to install the new boost controller yet, install new OPSU switch, bleed the brakes, install new wheels and tires, and then take her out for a little bit of a spin to see how things work together!

fubar569

iTrader: (9)

Absolutely. Amazing.

07MCSS

iTrader: (3)

Good work Ross!

Rossko85

iTrader: (11)

Thanks guys! I've awaken from the deep here! Lol after a little kick in the pants from DavidGXP, I decided I need to get on here and give everyone some updates of what's been going down in the rear mount GXP world! Lol

First things first...as stated above in my precious post, I did get the new motor in and got allllll the updates and upgrades on her:-) tuned her on 15psi and let her eat! She did amazing! Couldn't be more happy! A few tweaks and some more power later, I noticed a little bit of coolant coming out of the front head gasket...very small amount...but it had to be addressed...so, I pulled heads off of the new motor, has them checked and cleaned...all checked out! Then I decided that I really should try and prevent the issue of popping head gaskets from boost, so decided to get ahold and slap on a set of LS9/LSA, 7 layer MLS head gaskets! Made for boost!! And on top of that, I decided to go ahead and put ARP head studs on my girl:-)

Got her all buttoned up and took her out again...yeeeee hawwww!!! 70-130mph up to 5800RPM WOT pull in 4.4 seconds! She was on it! Holding boost and pumping that sweet E85 through the KB boost a pump assisted Walbro, feeding those honker 73lb injectors! She was singing!

15 pulls later got her lined out even better!

And then....As we know...in this hobby/industry, we all search for this balance, the balance between great power and efficiency, and the point of complete distruction; it's all a gamble, with the rewards being greater the higher the risk taken!

My girl and I exercised this "balance" many many times, and have, for the most part, succeeded! But, there are times we have not:-(

Took her from a dig shortly after the WOT interstate runs...I dropped her down, asked to see what was under her skirt...she showed me! But at a cost...:-(

Mashed her, the new Nitto NTO-5's did there job beautifully and hooked her like an F-18 off of a Nemitz class air craft carrier;-) 1st gear up to red line, then followed second..well, the very first part of it! Then, felt like a a small elephant drop kicked my subframe! No more go forward juice...it had all but disappeared! Motor would just rev cleanly as if it was asking the the tranny to get back in line!!! The tranny did not answer that call...it had taken a hit in the "balance" battle and lost this time....

So...thinking the chained snapped...but after 4 years of dyno, tuning, track, street, 2 motors, 2 turbos, NA, N2o, and all those combinations in between, she decided that this was the last battle!

Scan gauge recorded 515whp and 622wtq prior to the chain going out. Not sure how accurate, but it was def close to the tq the dyno previously reported when we bent the valve in the first motor...

Car has been down since last June...scheduled to get to the doc here in mid-late Feb to get a chain swap...and assess any further damage possibly? We will see! And she's getting a new oil pan gasket while she's under the knife too!

Lesson learned and thresh hold examined! My girl and I are better acquainted now on what to expect from eachother;-) lol

Here are some pics of the recent build and clean up prior to the chain going...the shaved bolts in the pics are the factory torque to yield head bolts that I shaved and used to clean out the bolt holes in the block. There is also pics of new motor out, coolant crossover I did, wrapped manifolds, mounting of the new boost controller, new wheels and tires, install of the new PAC racing retainers, comp cams racing locks, the powder coated valve covers and coil brackets, the constant vacuum/clean air reference line for the PCV system, and some love shots; the same day beauty pics prior to the break:-( Enjoy!

4U2BNVS

iTrader: (2)

Nice this is something id like to do to.my 06 gxp. Your wheels you just bought are exactly what I have on mine

DavidGXP

iTrader: (14)

Thanks Ross. The pics look much bigger on the BIG screen.
Oh..... and nice hood!

JAX04

iTrader: (17)

Bout time you talked to the peeps!!!!!!!

Now, get your *** over here! We got **** to talk about! I need your professional eye!

Rossko85

iTrader: (11)

Thanks! They are pretty sweet! And it's really been a pleasurable pain in the *** to build this car! Lol gotta be careful how I say that! Lmao

Rossko85

iTrader: (11)

I knew you would like that hood! I got it from a very dear friend of mine;-) I think he even thought it looked better on my car too!!! Lmao

07MCSS

iTrader: (3)

Welcome back Ross! Glad to see you up and running!

Rossko85

iTrader: (11)

Just an update fellows...

Got the tranny fixed, turned out be a broken chain! I also had the channel plate replaced due to 3 cracks, has updated valve body, new thrust washers, new 4th gear clutches, clean new fluid and all plate gaskets etc buttoned up and ready to roll!

Short story:

Went to pick up car and it wouldn't start...checked everything and finally determined battery...she would crank, but no ignition. So charged her up and it started...went to pull it out of garage and got it down the road and it went super lean and threw everything in my face on the DIC. What the **** ?!?! So tried her again and got about 3 miles down road and did it again...
Had buddy come tow me back to garage...did some more testing and found that I had a fuel pump issue.
Upon further investigation after pulling pump and bucket, the Walbro 255 was sticking and cutting off fuel to the motor.
So...car sat for another day, got a new pump from my buddy JAX04 on here, and modified the bucket to accept the bigger sock and she starts and runs like a dream now!

She's all lined out for the most part now...so be in the look out for this bitch! Lol little lower non breaking chain boost numbers are in it's future now...13psi is where she's gonna pirch for now! Lol

Discovered a small oil leak from what appears to be the main...but it's tiny so I'm gonna name it and let it keep the rust away;-) lol

Thanks to Kyle (JAX04) for the quick come through on the pump! Good man! Better friend! Dave at Tripple Edge Performance for working with his competition to supply some parts and updates for his tranny in my girl! and Paul at PRJ Performance for all of his help and dillegence getting my girl back on the road!