I always hear that our engines can handle about 500-550 hp, but has anyone actually burned or damaged a piston, rod, crank, or block???

 

I have seen a few....or 10

Funny thing is every single one of them finally popped after a mishap of some type or a brain fart by the owner. There was some curcumstance that led to the failure. Such as too much juice without enough octane, fuel noid failure, spraying alot more than the thought, etc. I havent personally witnessed an LS1 meltdown or catastrophy when all the bases where covered.

 

Our shop test car finally locked-up after 150+pulls and making 636hp while dynoing the NXL system.. Poor old car, miss beating the crap out it on the dyno.. O'well need to find a mech. to swap the engine out and beatR again..

Now on a BBC we seporated the heads from the block.. 900hp 3 stage off the line. Drive screwed up and all kits ready with the release of the T-brake. BOOMMMMMM to the extreme.. Pull the heads and pistons looked fine. AT first, then reached in and you could move it side to side. Blew everything from the top ring down away into the oil pan.. Dome was in tact thou.

TOP GUn dual stage luv truck.. Felt a vibration in 2nd gear but was in the lead, and hit the second stage. Took the piston, aluminum rod, crank, block, and made the cam go out of phase.

And final the old SBC nos cheater kit.. Not the system fault my fault. Hot lapping pass after pass and never really notice the fuel pressure was having troubles. small little pop, but took a piston..

Now all the problem shown were stupid mistake while learning how to play. And happened years ago, except for the shop car. That was last year.


Ricky

 

here's your answer...

 

Now that would have been one to see!!!!
Hawk

 

I have seen a couple stock block "torque monster all in one shot off the line wonders" blow ring lands. A weak point on our stock motors, imo. One of them was at 575rwhp, but if he would have progressively or multi staged this a bit, the 575hp would be fine. Like has been said, it's mostly in how you set up your system.
Robert

 

Ive blown 2 motors: 1st a 66 vw bug 1600cc with a 60 shot making 110 rwhp...ran out of fuel (pump) cracked a piston. 2nd 84 Trans Am 305ci with a 175 shot ???rwhp???(it beat a slightly modified vette on the track, from the factory engine hp was rated 150!!!!) Threw the timing chain. like as said above its all about your setup.

 

that actually sounds like fun

 

exactly Robert. That 575 rwhp in a one hit wonder coming on near 3000 rpm would likely be 700+ rwtq. Thats alot. They may also have been into detonation at that Tq level and not even known it.

 

I always looked at these instances less as a blown motor as much as an opportunity to rebuild. I honestly think that abuse kills motors most of the time. For me running nitrous is like building an amplifier circuit...if a circuit draws more current than the devices are able to safely maintain...I will have a problem. The size of the shot and the strain that it puts on the motor is directly proportional. You have to know your theoritical limits. Hey that's why I talk to people like Dave or Ricky and read these posts!!

 

video of a quarter mile pass on the dyno

http://216.82.131.146/cyipher/.25%20mile%20run.wmv

 

I've owned several bugs. 4 to be exact 2 65's, 66 and a 73. One of my 65's had a 2180 cc engine with dual 48mm dellortos and a berg 5 speed trans, real old school. That bugs best time was 12.98 at 105. I did that at seattle international raceway back in the earlier 90's.

 

I managed to bend 7 of 8 rods(!)when I 'accidentally' stood on the spray from a roll w/ a ZO6.The tranny downshifted on the spray and there was a very loud bang-think it produced some serious torque as the tires LIT UP at about 65mph-still took the ZO6 and drove the car for several months w/terrible misfires at idle,but it would all clear up under load.Even took it back to the track and sprayed it! Point is-usually driver or setup error,N20 is safe in the right hands!

 

Good old SIR, it's now called Pacific Raceways. Been there mnay hundreds of times.
Robert

 

That's where a rpm based progressive can come in handy. No worry about bogging motor in higher gears when you want to jump on it.
Robert

 

How about Hurting the heads, not my car but a buddies, lifted heads, pushed out a gasket, and here is the aftermath

 

That stuff doesn't happen, it's just a rumor. 300 SHOT!

 

My brother is in the process of building a drag bug, We are converting the front to full A-arm and the rear to a custom coil over so the suspension will be fully adjustible. I believe that he has a similar setup to you sitting on the stand with the exception being his will hve nitrous.

 

Ok so mostly there is a failure when there was some fault of the drivers or a mechanical part. The reason I'm asking is partially because I have a 175 shot on my engine (stock bottom end) with Cartek S2 h/c setup. Basically I'm wondering when I should start budgeting for a new bottom end. However, not that i spoke with you all I think I may do an experiment and go for a 200 shot. What do u think? I have a Walboro pump, any suggestions?

 

I look at things the way Macon does. A blown engine is the best reason to rebuid better. I blew up my LT1 a couple of years ago. It was my fault, I was making back to back to back passes (an LS1 with Heads/Cam/N2O didn't like loosing, long story short he couldn't drive a 6-speed to save his life) and was not letting things cool down. I also didn't check the fuel solenoid which I should have been doing. Well, the piston in the fuel solenoid appearantly was swelling a little more on each pass and finally cut off almost all the fuel. I was spraying 150hp at the time.

The result...the car came out of the hole like a scalded ape and then BOOM. When I took the motor apart there was coolant in the intake, the #5 piston had disappeared (turned into a million pieces in the oil pan, the wrist pin was welded to the connecting rod, which together they punched a fist sized hole clean through the block. I figured it was time for the forged 383. Good times.