i couldn't. it's the best car i've ever owned. fits me perfect. someone could give me $50k for it.. but i'd just go buy another haha. no other car i'd rather own, to tell the truth.

 

Sorry to hear about your engine. Hope you get back on the road soon.

 

Me to, man. Thank you. I have a local guy hooking me up, big time, on some replacement parts.

 

I completely understand. If I added up all the money I've spent on the Evo, I would probably cry. But I love the car, and it will be with my for a long, long time.

 

The risk of disappointment is part of the hobby. Minimizing that risk is key. In many cases, it's not a bad idea to stick with the OEM assembly. But if one is going to build it, the best plan is to pull it and do it entirely, checking clearances as you go. It always costs more having to do it a second time because something didn't work out the first.

And you're not the only one who experiences frustration and expense on occasion. Check out the second ring gaps on my #1 piston.

 

Is that a new design to help eliminate ring flutter?

 

LOL.

Maybe it's to air out the crank case. You know, so it doesn't get all yucky in there. Keeps it fresh.

I was very pissed, frustrated, angry, and greatly disappointed.

I'm getting better. Now I'm focused on fixing it. Trying not to blame the builder since it's possible it wasn't his fault. Possible.
I just miss driving the car. The last build took 9mos and I only got to drive it a few times before it died again.
I once swore off engine builds;OEM or nothing. I think this reinforces that LOL

 

Double gaped rings are twice as good lol

YAY!

In all seriousness, I am glad you're getting through those completely normal emotions. We do this because we love cars, so I am glad you're not letting temporary frustrations get in the way of that

 

Only problem I've ever had with a built motor was a tuning issue, not the motor itself. It's not like you had a faulty piston that fragged. You had what was most likely an assembly error, which could have happened even if the previous builder put it together with OEM rods pistons and fresh rings and bearings. Don't be so quick to blame aftermarket parts.

 

Oooh, no. I don't blame the parts . I've recruited FFTEC for the short block build.
The reason I keep saying I want to go back to OEM, is because of my compression issue and lack of power. For whatever reason the forged pistons seem to have low compression and the car was down 20 to 30 hp.

I want to BE SURE the build is good this time.

 

That low compression could have been any number of things. Rings, for example.

 

leakdown on all cylinders was 5-7.5%