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Hello all. So, as the title explains, I have an unexpected build happening, so I figured I would make me a nice little thread.
So, basic info:
2011 Evo X GSR. (None of that flappy paddle mess, lol)
Purchased about 3 years ago in the springs.
Came with a mishimoto upgraded radiator, an engine bay dress up kit, and tein lowering springs. Beyond that I couldn't tell the most anything else was touched. So, being my first evo (and awd platform) I made my way to the track 4 days later! Lol
From moment one I knew I was going to mod this car. I needed more fast! Previous car was a 400+ whp mazdaspeed3.
So over the course of the first year I started gathering parts for a full bolt on setup. Mostly ETS stuff.
After installing everything, I got a great tune from Chet Rickerman! Car ran like a dream up until one day I was cruising down the road, did a half throttle pull and BAM! felt like I hit a wall, and no boost. Car ran fine just wouldn't get past 3 mmhg. So I limp it home and get down and dirty trying to figure out what it is. Firth thought was a blown coupler. After checking damn near everything else, I reach in to find the turbo blades refuse to spin AT ALL!
Blades bit down on the hot side and the bearings were seized inside as well as some seals that were supposed to be there weren't. Lol
It just so happens that I bought a bbx full 3 days prior to this happening, so I guess it was just ment to be. At this point I needed fueling for the new snail.
After installing all of that, and the turbo, re-tuned and she was running great.
This is also the point that I realized that the car had been heavily modded. Most likely larger turbo and full bolt ons. Kudos to the previous owner for a decent stock out job.
After that I did some visual stuff.....
Then the mod bug bit again with some peer pressure. Lol. My roommate swapped to e85 and saw a major differance, so I decided to switch as well. Insert ANOTHER fantastic tune by Chet.
About a month later, cruising home from denver, car starts acting odd. Won't gain revs under wot, felt like boost cut, and lean *** AFR'S. Well, the fix: aeromotive stealth 340 to replace the failing aem unit. Barring some hickups, car was back up and running.
Fast forward a month and I'm commuting to and from denver all week and on my way home, I run across a douchey STi. He does a couple revs to make his bov pop off, so I decide to enlighten him to the mistake he was about to make. At this point he decides to get off the road and I look down to find I had hit a substantial knock level. So I reset the counter and drive along normally. I notice I'm getting ridiculous amounts of knock around the boost threshold and low load levels. I man up and do a wot pull. She pulls fine and only a bit of knock as the run started. Two days later I take the car out for date night and try giving it the beans only to find its knocking all over the place. So I mosey home and don't touch it for a week. The next Saturday comes and I dive in. Plugs looked fine but I got some just in case. Then, a compression test. Bum bum bummmmmm low compression in cyl 2.
So my hand has been forced. And Mr. Rickerman will be helping me out.
Here is everything set to go in:
Id1300s, bc rods, weisco pistons (.020 over), all new gaskets, new MAP cast mani, gsc s2 cams and aprings/retainers, ACT clutch and master cyl upgrade, acl and king bearings, ARP main and head studs. Standard stuf. Lol
And while it's been down I've grabbed up a couple more things like a new STM stainless single exit exhaust and a driven fab oil catch can/coolant overflow tank.
And here is the latest pictures of the block I have:
Hopefully she's back to me in a week or two!
Big thanks to STM for the parts, and Chet Rickerman for all the help and answering my dumb questions!!
Those cylinders looks really good, did you find an issue on the piston/rings out of cylinder 2?
Those pictures are of the donor motor. Chet will be pulling my motor soon to swap the head over and find out what the culprit of the low compression and knock is. Once that is found out, I'll post it up.
I think this same issue had my friend with his Evo X just recently.
The heat shield deformed in the way that it stopped the turbine wheel from spinning.
Found the cause of my issues! The top ring of cyl 3 decided to go it's separate ways.... lol
Here is the new motor fully assembled and in the bay again:
And now she's back home!!!!!
So now it's just break in miles for a little while, then an oil change, and a ***** out power tune on pump gas. Set to be installed this weekend are a new STM single exit stainless exhaust, LED tail lights, (hopefully) a Driven Fab OCC/overflow tank, and some Hella horns!
Dyno results will come after the tune is complete.
That's a good read! And on that, I'm not just tooling around in the car, I'm getting boost and what not. It's just got conventional oil in it for (what I planned) about 1000 miles, though, I'll probably run it out longer after reading that.
More additions to the build going in this weekend: MAperformance in-line fuel filter kit, radium in-line fuel pulse damper, and a cam angle sensor heat shield.
Apr 14, 2016, 10:42 AM
