I have a question, I have talk to several shops about what happen to my car. I Had a lot of work done to my 2013 ZL1. Car was making around 700rwhp and 690trq at the wheels. This is my question:

This car has never been to the track, pushed hard one time and this is when I started having trouble with it. After I played with her, the car wouldn`t idle. Took it back to my tuner, he had it for 3 days and gave it back. This time car wouldn`t idle at a stop and when pushed a little it would fall on its face, backfire and start pulling like crazy. Took it back to tuner for a week. Got car back and still wouldn`t idle well. Took car back for a 3rd time and for 5 days. This is when they found out my cats were never gutted and plugged off ( said they forgot and missed doing it with the build ) . They cleaned them, retuned from all the changes and gave it back to me. I drove it home and put in the garage. Two days later I pulled her out and went for a ride. I was pulling on the highway when I hit the gas. She fell flat on her face, backfired and took off hard. I pulled over to a gas station and got out of her leaving her running and heard a noise from the motor knocking. We had her towed to the tuner and they told me the #7 rod was bent. The reason given to me was that it was a weak part from the factory. I felt with all the tuning issues in the 5 week time that the tuning was the problem. I paid the tuner to do all the work on the build from the beginning. When I had issues with the idle the tuner had the car a total of 12 days in about a 6 week time frame when this happen. I was told I would get no help with repair cost that it was all on me. I felt with all the issues tuning they would have at least paid something if not split the cost, I would have covered all parts if they covered labor. They said they would be more than happy to pull motor and rebuild at full cost labor and all. What is your guys thoughts? I`m very frustrated, new car. I was told everything was safe on the build and I would have no issues with the power level or I wouldn`t have went with the set-up. I told the shop this several times. I feel the shop let me down in a big way and won`t make it good. I have never said anything bad about anyone but my car has been down for more than 3 months now and I`m just frustrated. I don`t have that kind of money to spend for a complete build like this and customer service went out the window... I just don`t know what to do! You would think after this being the second car done by them I would have gotten treated better! Frustrated and I feel stuck in the back..Tell me your thoughts on the tuning..Thanks!

G-Force did the work!

1. Roto Fab Cold Air Kit
2. ZL1 Custom Heat Exchanger with dual fans
3. Metco Motorsports 9.1" lower pulley ( includes innovators west damper)
4. Metco Motorsports 2.5" blower pulley
5. Cam specs 227/242/520/590/122+6.
6. .675 lift double valve spring kit with Ti Retainers
7. Comp cam pushrods
8. 160 degree thermostat
9. solid isolater
10. Kooks 1 7/8" headers with Catted Connection pipe
11. Metco 50 MM Idler pulley
12. Blower belt
13. Ported mouth, ported blower, snout, throttle body
14. MSD wires and NGK TR7IX spark plugs
15. Alky Control Meth injection kit
16. ID 850 fuel Injectors
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David,
Don't know what to tell you exactly, but I don't think the tune would could have caused it to bend a rod. Maybe an injector leaking by filling one of the cylinders or some odd ball thing like that possibly. The injector thing just happened to my neighbor about two months ago. Older guy never beat on it or anything it sat more than anything, but decided to take it for a drive after sitting for about 1.5 months and it was idling rough and missing and in the end ended up breaking number 7 rod. It was crazy never seen anything like it. Replaced rod and injector and its running great again. I know your feeling like crap about it, but the tune I'd probably rule out. Now all the other work they did maybe a peice of trash got in the fuel rails or system when they had it apart and got in one of the injectors etc... thats just a what if don't know how you go about finding out what exactly happened though. GL I know you have history with Mike and the guys at G-force but not 100% sold they did anything to cause it yet. But hey its just my thought which don't mean anything as I don't have a dog in this fight. But if it didn't beat the motor up with a bent rod it could be a fairly easy fix. Of course thats comeing from the guy who does most of my own wrench turning. Sorry to hear about your troubles, GL! Let us know what comes of it.
Jeff

 

I would have agreed with you completely but with all the tuning issues for weeks and the the car falling on its face, backfiring and bending the rod its in the tune bro. The car had been at the shop for almost a total of 3 weeks for not running right. Then forgetting to gut the cats and then tuning it like they did it just ran worst. I even lost power once the cats were gutted and retuned from what I was told. You would think with all the money I spent on the WS6 and things that I went through with them on it that I would have been treated better man! I`m not even asking for them to replace parts.Just cover labor! I trusted them and I`m just very upset they let me down. I have spent a lot of money with them!

 

I hear you totally. I know how it feels to have **** let you down for sure I got a million of those. Just no one to blame but me lol! GL with it for sure, hopefully you can get it worked out some how.

 

I'd like to see a picture of that bent rod. The LSA engines have some hefty connecting rods in them.

 

Injector must have gone bad. I don't see how the tune could bend a rod.

 

Could the injectors getting hung out to dry have caused them to fail? I am not sure if that can cause the injector to fail in an open position but it would be a nice to know. I mostly do HCI cars so I just try to find bigger stock injectors such as LS3/7. In the case of FI I am not sure about. I have seen 107% IDC on a car that is beat on daily for quite some time now.

 

I was going to add that they had one stock ZL1 throw rods out both sides of the block and it was bone stock, with I think 600 miles on the car. The dealership called me to ask about it LOL! I know the guys at the dealer real well as I used to work there years ago. THey couldn't believe it as well so just another example of one of the high dollar production vehicles can have problems even with out performance mods. Again not saying the mods or tune didn't cause or have some part in it, but just another one to let you know your car isn't the only one that has had issues with or with out mods.

 

I've had 2 ID2000 injectors hung open hydrolocking the engine and punch rods out the side wall of the block and find **** load of fuel. I then pressurized the injectors and sure enough one injector was spraying like crazy and would not shut off. Sent it to FIC and they replaced them.

 

Guys, do you think thats why when I hit the gas it would fall on its face, backfire and pull hard. He never got that fixed and that is what happen when the rod bent! The falling on its face and backfire had me confused!

codyvette I want you to pull the tune for me. I got your number, what days you off?

 

I wonder if it had any detonation with that big backfire and falling on its face? What fuel do you run in the car?
This is the main reason I bought Hptuners and learned how to tune my own **** I had hell with a few different cars and shops tuning them.

 

Take pics of the pistons and have the injectors flow tested.

 

Hey this is the internet lol! I was only making that guess based off of a few of that type stuff happening to a few other ppl. But like 5W20's saying have the injectors tested locally. Injector RX is off Beltway8 near 59. Ive used him twice kind of a weird guy, but he will test them right in front of you so no lies etc... But an injector hanging will cause some of the symtoms you were having. Dought the piston will tell you much is my guess, but get a borescope and take a look.

 

Nasty backfire can bend a rod also under the right circumstances. I've seen a couple vortec 454's through the shop with a injector that would seep down but not stuck full open do it a couple of times through the years. It would seep just enough to make it cough on startup.

 

codyvette just pulled my tune and will be posting in the tuning section soon if anyone is interested in what we found and wants to take a look at it. Any comments are greatly appreciated fellas!

 

For some reason I can't upload the tune file. I will work on it and get back to you.




It appears that it won't upload it unless it is a licensed file. Sorry Beard

 

No surprise to me your having issues with the tune lol.. sux about your motor but I'm pretty sure your car has a lot of dyno pulls on it so it prolly got wore out on the dyno before u even got it.. fix ur motor and find a different tuner cause if the tuner can't line it out in 5 weeks time then it's time to move on to somebody that knows what their doing

 

You dunnit now. Nice Knowin ya.

 

I would not let the tuner rebuild my engine. There is no telling what he did with your car while he had it either. How does he know its a bent rod again? Did he tear the engine down?

 

Get lme to build your motor and take it to Patrick g for the tune