EQ Tuning News and Updates!
08-06-2009, 04:57 PM
#227
Dang..another built motor!!! Baller. Lets hope this one lasts a bit longer than the one AutoHQ built for you. Did they ever find out the cause of the failure?
Looking forward to seeing it at BAM.
Looking forward to seeing it at BAM.
08-08-2009, 01:12 PM
#228
This time around, we fully rebuilt the engine with new, 100mm pistons, ACL race bearings, and Manly H-Beam rods. All oil clearances and tolerances were set to our specs to handle more extreme conditions. We also rebuilt the heads with new cams, buckets, and a few new valves along with a full valve job and bowl blend. Once the engine is broken in, Matt will be getting an oil cooler and some gauges before his next track outing
Thanks
-- Ed
08-08-2009, 02:24 PM
#229
Former Sponsor
iTrader: (10)
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: 865 A Sweetser Ave.Novato, CA (new shop smell too)
Posts: 3,426
Car Info: MY04 STi some call it a race car
I'm surprised you feel that most of the damage happened from "drop in" pistons and factory tolerances/bearings. We have been installing "Drop in" pistons and factory bearings for 5+ years and have yet to have a failure as notated in Matt's vehicle (from pics and explanation). But that's just been our experience with them (and it was a different brand of course, which is known to be on the looser side) 
I wouldn't think cosworth would sell a product that wasn't designed properly...other small companies sure, but sure wouldn't expect that from them.
From the pics its appears the most probable cause would of been lack of cooling and thinned out oil (but that's just an opinion).
The pistons if they were drop in should of been slightly loose, not tight from the get go...this is very common with "drop ins". But I've never installed Cosworth "drop ins" on a hybrid setup b/c they are not the right compression ratio for 2.0L heads.
Good to hear Matt is back on the road and happy
-Noah
I wouldn't think cosworth would sell a product that wasn't designed properly...other small companies sure, but sure wouldn't expect that from them.From the pics its appears the most probable cause would of been lack of cooling and thinned out oil (but that's just an opinion).
The pistons if they were drop in should of been slightly loose, not tight from the get go...this is very common with "drop ins". But I've never installed Cosworth "drop ins" on a hybrid setup b/c they are not the right compression ratio for 2.0L heads.
Good to hear Matt is back on the road and happy
-Noah
Last edited by LICmotorsports; 08-08-2009 at 02:28 PM.
08-08-2009, 05:38 PM
#230
I'm surprised you feel that most of the damage happened from "drop in" pistons and factory tolerances/bearings. We have been installing "Drop in" pistons and factory bearings for 5+ years and have yet to have a failure as notated in Matt's vehicle (from pics and explanation). But that's just been our experience with them (and it was a different brand of course, which is known to be on the looser side) I wouldn't think cosworth would sell a product that wasn't designed properly...other small companies sure, but sure wouldn't expect that from them.
From the pics its appears the most probable cause would of been lack of cooling and thinned out oil (but that's just an opinion).
The pistons if they were drop in should of been slightly loose, not tight from the get go...this is very common with "drop ins". But I've never installed Cosworth "drop ins" on a hybrid setup b/c they are not the right compression ratio for 2.0L heads.
Good to hear Matt is back on the road and happy
-Noah
I wouldn't think cosworth would sell a product that wasn't designed properly...other small companies sure, but sure wouldn't expect that from them.From the pics its appears the most probable cause would of been lack of cooling and thinned out oil (but that's just an opinion).
The pistons if they were drop in should of been slightly loose, not tight from the get go...this is very common with "drop ins". But I've never installed Cosworth "drop ins" on a hybrid setup b/c they are not the right compression ratio for 2.0L heads.
Good to hear Matt is back on the road and happy
-Noah
That being said, 90% of these cars don't see these kinds of conditions with excessive, prolonged heat exposure and thus will never swell the piston enough for the tolerance to come into play. This is also the case for bearing oil clearances. The factory clearances are fine for most conditions, but when exposed to extreme heat, they can become too tight. I've also seen very inconsistent rod side clearances from the factory. This can cause a lack of oil flow between the side of the rod and crank journal and can cause the rod to overheat.
IMHO, factory clearances are too inconsistent to allow for prolonged extreme conditions such as on a very hot track day. Again, 90% of owners won't experience such conditions and 90% of factory motors do have decent clearances. There are, however, some that come in with a very tight clearance here and there that would cause some serious issues if exposed to extreme heat. This is why we like to set all clearances to our specs for any engine that will be used on track.
So you're correct in saying that better cooling could have helped the situation, but more appropriate tolerances for this type of condition would have helped as well. There's a reason most built engines run larger bearing oil and piston clearances and there's also a reason most track cars run oil coolers
.Thanks
-- Ed
08-08-2009, 05:50 PM
#231
Former Sponsor
iTrader: (10)
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: 865 A Sweetser Ave.Novato, CA (new shop smell too)
Posts: 3,426
Car Info: MY04 STi some call it a race car
I agree on the 90% factor and I can't comment on your findings as you are the one(s) who physically touched/smelled the parts, not me LOL...and sounds like you guys did your due diligence for your findings/conclusions.
Food for thought:
I will say this as well. Over the weekend on track our car was running in 98 degree ambient temps with over 131 degrees on the tarmac, our cooling (oil/coolant) never became an issue, which goes to prove that having a larger capacity radiator and external oil cooler DOES WORK, and its for that exact situation (which may be very infrequent).
ok enough of me thread jacking.
-Noah
Food for thought:
I will say this as well. Over the weekend on track our car was running in 98 degree ambient temps with over 131 degrees on the tarmac, our cooling (oil/coolant) never became an issue, which goes to prove that having a larger capacity radiator and external oil cooler DOES WORK, and its for that exact situation (which may be very infrequent).
ok enough of me thread jacking.
-Noah
08-08-2009, 07:13 PM
#233
Thanks
-- Ed
08-18-2009, 05:44 PM
#238
Thanks
-- Ed
08-18-2009, 05:58 PM
#239
Registered User
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Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Palo Alto
Posts: 3,150
Car Info: GT35R, Meth
You guys should put out a kit with additional taps on the sandwich adapter so people can hook up the oil cooler along with oil temp, pressure sensors without the PITA of the topside oil galley plugs