"mycarneverruns87" (mycarneverruns87)
03/28/2016 at 14:27 • Filed to: project car woes, collect the insurance money
3
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"mycarneverruns87" (mycarneverruns87)
03/28/2016 at 14:27 • Filed to: project car woes, collect the insurance money | 3
| 18 |
So, where to start....
Well as some may know I have an LS swapped Mustang that I had built over the last few years and am now in the process of selling. I love the car but it is time to move on to my next build.
The car had been listed for sale for a couple months before a buyer came into the picture. He is from Chicago which is about 5 hours from me. We agreed on a price and he booked a date to drive down and do the deal. The next week I decide to take the car out for one last spin the night before he was to arrive and during that drive I ovaled a connecting rod and ruined the crankshaft.
After talking with the buyer (who has been nothing but extremely cool and patient this entire process) we agreed that I would rebuild the engine using a new GM crank but with upgraded H-beam connecting rods to compliment the forged JE pistons already in the engine. Since it would be and upgrade we agreed on a slightly higher price and parts were ordered. After a couple weeks of waiting on parts the build process began. The first order of business was to sort out the crankshaft reluctor wheel situation. You see my engine requires a 24 tooth reluctor wheel which isn’t offered on any factory crankshafts anymore. They come standard with a 58 tooth.
These wheels act as the timing pickup for the PCM and are pressed on very specifically from the factory in order to ensure correct ignition timing...duh. They are pressed onto the back of the crankshaft like so:
Now, I was required to take my new and old cranks to my local GM dealer to swap the reluctor wheels as they have the correct tools for the job.
After a few days I had the crank back and it was time to assemble the engine. I had some delays with the new connecting rods requiring some honing on the pin-end for clearance that sucked up a few more days but soon I was good to go. Taking my time and checking every clearance I had it together and ready to install it back into the car. My goal was to have the car running by this past weekend so i could put some break in miles on it.
Once back in the car and bolted, plumbed, wired up it was time to fire it. I unplugged the injectors to crank it over and build some oil pressure before first fire per my usual process. I plugged the injectors back in and hit the key to hear the sound of popping and almost backfiring in a consistent fashion. I try a few more times with the same result. The car will not start. I go through a mental checklist and can’t think of anything that would cause this issue. Hearing the car it sounds like it is completely out of time which doesn’t make any sense. I check my crankshaft position sensor to make sure I plugged it in and the same for the camshaft position sensor. Both are plugged in.
It was late and I decided to sleep on it to hopefully think of something else that it could be. There were no changes made other than the connecting rods so I was dumbfounded.
The next day I realized that the only area for error was in the human installation of the reluctor wheel which gives me the worst sinking feeling. I spoke with the actual tech at the dealer who did the swap and he admitted that he did not feel confident in having the wheel perfectly aligned as he did not have an alignment tool. He said he took measurements and lined it up the best he could but said it would be easy to be off a 1/16" of an inch minimum.
Here is the issue, even IF I adjust the timing by a million degrees adv/ret via HP tuners and get the car to start I will never truly know where 0* TDC will be therefore I will NEVER know my true timing advance. Maybe I could get it perfect on the dyno but what will the next tuner think when they open the tune file and find oh say 65* BTDC base timing or even crazier 46* ATDC lol. WHO KNOWS WHAT IT WOULD BE!
I mean I guess it’s not all bad, I just spent a week building the engine and putting it in the car and you know pissed away money on new hardware, fluids, gaskets, tool rental, and the $98 it took to have the dealer swap the wheels! I haven’t told the buyer yet but I am worried he will lose faith in me and the car and back out of the deal. Pretty much at this point I want to light the car on fire and walk away like:
I am still talking with the dealer, tuners, LS guys, and others to gauge the best course of action but I am at my whits end here. I only hope that I can get some kind of compensation from GM for time/money lost but that is a long shot.
Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
> mycarneverruns87
03/28/2016 at 14:34 |
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well if you do go about burning the car down, please invite us over so we can roast marshmellows
bob and john
> mycarneverruns87
03/28/2016 at 14:40 |
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explain to me why the fuck someone would install something THAT important with such a degree of error. what is going through that persons mind as he is going that?
JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t
> mycarneverruns87
03/28/2016 at 14:48 |
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Wait, so there is NO alignment mark on the crank that matches up with the reluctor wheel? None? They just expect the factory install to be correct and that no one will ever have to change/adjust it? I mean MOST manufactures just put the crank angle sensor wheel on the keyed shaft ends, either behind the pulley or between the flywheel and rear seal. WTF, GM?
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JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t
> bob and john
03/28/2016 at 14:49 |
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GM tech.
Gone
> mycarneverruns87
03/28/2016 at 14:49 |
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Will buy for scrap price value + 20% to avoid death by fire.
If I’m personally that far in as a buyer, I’m pretty easy going about it. But I have limits and I may be looking for an exit door soon. I think you get it right with no further delays and it might be okay. Tough to say since I’m not him. Or am I??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
Worst case he walks and you re-list, but with new crank and non-crap rods? Or just sell it at the original price or something inbetween to avoid him walking. That’s not the end of the world, right?
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mycarneverruns87
> JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t
03/28/2016 at 14:55 |
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I think they align using dowel pins via the flexplate/flywheel surface and the reluctor itself but no actual grove or keyway such as a ballancer or something.
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mycarneverruns87
> Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
03/28/2016 at 14:56 |
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Invites will be sent out. BYOM
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mycarneverruns87
> Gone
03/28/2016 at 14:58 |
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I bet he will be cool about it but I just don’t know. If you are the guy..uh.....surprise!!!! More delays! Yayyyy
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mycarneverruns87
> bob and john
03/28/2016 at 14:59 |
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he said he was just doing what they told him to do. The service writer I spoke to had no idea what i was talking about. I would have MUCH RATHER received a call saying they weren’t confident in doing the job and I should take it somewhere else than what actually happened.
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JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t
> mycarneverruns87
03/28/2016 at 15:05 |
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Again, I say, WTF? Not keyed? I guess we don’t hear about these slipping all the time, so that must not be much of an issue, but it still seems crazy.
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mycarneverruns87
> JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t
03/28/2016 at 15:08 |
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Yea it seems like an issue that should have never had the potential to become and issue.
Future next gen S2000 owner
> mycarneverruns87
03/28/2016 at 15:18 |
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I think the correct course of action is to burn down the dealership.
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mycarneverruns87
> Future next gen S2000 owner
03/28/2016 at 15:51 |
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shop-teacher
> mycarneverruns87
03/28/2016 at 22:47 |
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Damn, that is rough. Hang in there dude!
Die-Trying
> mycarneverruns87
03/29/2016 at 00:35 |
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is there any way that you could “woller”out the mounting holes in the crank sensor to manually move the initial timing ahead. until the comp. can compensate and adjust itself.?
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mycarneverruns87
> shop-teacher
03/29/2016 at 10:55 |
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Trying to. Ill start pulling it back out tonight most likely
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mycarneverruns87
> Die-Trying
03/29/2016 at 11:01 |
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I don’t feel like opening the hole further in my block
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Die-Trying
> mycarneverruns87
03/29/2016 at 11:24 |
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yeah, thats a real good reason.
come up with any other options?