Looking for all the help I can get.

[G_MAC1313]

burnt Plug

Hi guys,
I am out of town right now so I can get more answers for you in about a week. What I do know is this. the ceramic part of the plug was cracked and the plug was dead. When I replaced it got rid of the rough idle but I am worried about running her too hard. I think she is leaning out. What started the whole thing was the small coolant hose between the heater core lines blew off under hard acceleration. The coolant got everything under the hood wet. I had white smoke everywhere! I let it dry out for a few and drove her back home. The white smoke was not the turbo though. thank goodness for that. I don't have the scan master or the knock sensor yet but it sounds like that is my next purchase. Everyone asks the same question so it must be pretty important. You need this stuff on a small block Chevy. I have been driving my 1962 Impala for the last 18 years so this turbo stuff is all new to me. I am trying to make a blvd bruiser and get around 6 hundy at the wheels! I don't know if that is a realistic goal or not but that is what I am shooting for.

Snow

 

[SPOOLFOOL2]

Snow

DO NOT GO INTO BOOST until you get a scanmaster AND figure out whats wrong. We'll help you. You may have already hurt the engine. Do you have a boost gage? How much boost were you running? What oct gas? Whos chip?

Mike

 

[2 SLOW]

G MAC1313

I am about 98% sure you have a very very serious problem here. I have been racing and blowing these cars up for over 18 years now and have recently done almost the same thing you have with the 11.31 car in my sig, and I didn't break a spark plug like you did. That had to be a real big pop to do that.

Mine split the s hose that goes from the intake just below the throttle body to the top of the water pump,blew up the thermostat, and cracked the heater core. I fixed those things and thought the car ran OK. Then I raced it again and still ran OK but was a little slower. Then a few weeks after that I was driving on the freeway and stabbed it a couple of times from about 60 to 85. A few miles later I kind of thought it didn't sound right so I checked the water temp on the Scanmaster and it read 246 degrees so I pulled over and had it towed home.

Well the crankcase was full of water. It wiped all the main and rod bearings so had to have the crank turned. The head gasket had lifted and preassurized the water system back into the rad and blown those things up. This sounds like you have done the same thing. My car seemed to run OK so you really need to check yours out completely.

I would sugggest you pull the thermostat out and see if it is damaged. Do a pressure check on the radiator. Do a compression check. Check the dip stick to see if the oil looks like chocolat milk or if the level of the oil is higher that it was before, and see if the water level in the recovery bottle is going down. But even if none of those things show a problem I would say you are driving a time bomb. I know you don't want to pull the heads just to see if they are OK because some clown on the internet says to, but you don't break a spark plug and blow the hose off and spray water all over the engine compartment just because the engine had a little hiccup. It could run OK for awhile but I'm sure you have a weakened head gasket and the place it is weak is between the gasket and the water jacket. Now it will just keep working itself through until it fills your motor up with water. If you can fix it yourself it should cost less than $150. If you have it become like my problem it will be more like $2500. Thats because you will have a motor full of metal and it will have to be torn completly down and cleaned out as well as turn the crank, bearings, gaskets, labor, etc. Sorry to be so harsh, but I really think it is that serious.

You probably were running way to much boost. Like SPOOLFOOL2 said I would get a boost gauge and Scanmaster. I would not get a FAST system yet. You won't be able to make 600 hp at the wheels with that turbo, and the bottom end won't take it and that would be pushing it with 60# injectors. You would have to girdle the block for one thing. Get a Turbo Tweak chip and start from there and work your way up. With what you have and a Alky kit with a good tune you should be able to go low 11's to high 10's at least. Also I don't think a Scanmaster will work with anything but a stock ECM. You also might want to check the rod on the cylinder that broken spark plug was on to see if it bent the rod.
Good Luck and let us know what you find.

 

[G_MAC1313]

Well Gentlemen,
I was afraid of that. I figured it was bad. I don't know the turbo Buicks but I have been running SBC's for a number of years. I know when a motor is hurt. I was hoping for the best but oh well. As for the chip, I got the chip and the motor from GN1 performance. I had the original motor built there. Does anyone know Archie? I met him because of the GN I bought. I will try to make it on Sunday and you see the car and tell what you guys think. I don't have a boost gauge. I am running the stock instrumentation. It is certainly not accurate.

Thanks for the advice.

snow