Here in the last 3-4 months I have had a misfire on #3 after 3 on..idle..off cycles. Now after a road trip back at the end of April it has gotten worse. Now I get the misfire and dropping to 3 cylinders.
My compression numbers before the road trip are 150,150,110,150 the builder dismissed it as ring alignment. At The Dragon for a MINI event I did another test and no change. I return home and find out that after the 3 cycles it drops to 3 cylinders at idling for more then 2 minutes. I check the compression 150,150,100,125. To narrow it down I purchased from harbor freight a leakdown tester but the leakdown gauge is busted. I was only able to listen for air and sure enough I got air out the dipstick.
Now its been under a year since getting the motor built. Once built before it was started I had mentioned to the tuner "Should we pump the fuel out of the tank and flush the lines?", The tuner reply "It will be fine." so it was broken-in and tuned on old bad no name brand 91oct. I was present during the break-in and tuning so during tuning I asked why my numbers were so low. The tuner told me "Don't worry about the numbers... Just Drive it!". So I never knew the final numbers. After all that I was back at my hotel room talking to a friend who hung out with me during the day. He told me the tuner told him "Alex doesn't have a cam in his car.". I paid for the cam and said it better have it. So I ask the builder if I got the cam, the builder said "Yes you do and its one of my master's" I was sort of thinking at the time good but strange. Then this year while at the destination of my roadtrip which to the Dragon. The tuner was there and I asked him about my misfire code on #3, his reply "You fried your rings already!". WTF dude you tuned it and one way of frying rings is something wrong in the tuning. After that he didn't ask to datalogg it to see what was going on since he was the one who tuned it and then he disappeared. Now getting a hold of the engine builder is like using a smoke signal to communicate with blind person. I have to talk to 1 person who talks to another person to get a hold of him. Then when I do get a hold of him its via text on the cell phone. I text him all my test results he replies simply everything is the same (as before going to the dragon). Then he doesn't replying. I text him again a day later no reply.
Brings me to what I am going to be doing as a resolution to the problem. STARTING OVER with a bored and sleeved block, brand new forged billet stroker crank replacing the stock/factory crank, new steel rods replacing stock/factory rods, new 9.25:1 CP pistons replacing the 8.3:1 JE pistons, different cam replacing the cam i got that was thought was not in the car, Long tube header replacing tiny primary street header I have, C30-94 Rotrex Supercharger kit with top mount intercooler replacing the stock m45 SC that has over 100,000 miles with a smaller pulley with a projected life of 100k on the stock pulley.
My Expensive Nightmare
Re: My Expensive Nightmare
I'm sorry, but low compression on #3 is a telltale - you had a problem and it only got worse. Compression should have been even from the get-go, and suggesting that ring alignment would cause a compression loss like that is pure BS - maybe 10lbs, but not 40! And there's no reason the ring gaps should have aligned either......I don't think the fuel caused your problem, but it's possible I guess.
I'm sorry to hear they won't stand behind their work, but it's pretty much to be expected from a "tuner' engine builder.....they consider how the car will be driven and that's it....
So, back to basics then, sleeve the block, make sure all your clearances are correct, with the stroker crank it's extra important; go thru the head and then make sure who ever does the tune has the right stuff, with the new supercharger and stroker crank it gets to be much more critical.
Then have fun with it, after all - it's only money!
I'm sorry to hear they won't stand behind their work, but it's pretty much to be expected from a "tuner' engine builder.....they consider how the car will be driven and that's it....
So, back to basics then, sleeve the block, make sure all your clearances are correct, with the stroker crank it's extra important; go thru the head and then make sure who ever does the tune has the right stuff, with the new supercharger and stroker crank it gets to be much more critical.
Then have fun with it, after all - it's only money!
Hi! My name's Dave!
'09 LB/LB Clubman S - "Max"
89 Mini "Racing Green"
94 SPi Project (The Hot Rod)
'09 LB/LB Clubman S - "Max"
89 Mini "Racing Green"
94 SPi Project (The Hot Rod)
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Punk_Mini
Re: My Expensive Nightmare
Totally on the same page with ya Dave. The machine shop/engine builder I am going to work with is RS Machine in Norwalk, CA. They have done several MINI motors with the same internals I am planning which is great. One MINI of which is a member of the 130mph club at the Bonneville Salt Flats. That MINI doesn't burn a single drop of oil, rock solid every day of the week, reliable as if it was a brand new MINI.
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LiLReD1
Re: My Expensive Nightmare
If I remember right, forged pistons need more of a gap between the wall and the piston for heat expansion before it gets to op temps. That's the only possible reason I could fathom this issue was there, but then your comp test was even at op temps, and the issue was still there. Aligned rings sounded like a good idea... I guess... never really heard of that issue, let alone the consistancy of it.
I never liked the outcome since your first tune, was a sloppy excuse to get you to build a motor IMO. I hate to see you had to learn some lessons hard, especially when it cost you a pretty penny. It's just a bit ridiculous that people do this to their customers. Yer taking it with a lot better stride than I prolly would Alex. Props to you.
Like I said before, if you spend that kinda money on a motor being built, and they can't even give you dyno numbers and specs of the build, what kinda shop is that?
I never liked the outcome since your first tune, was a sloppy excuse to get you to build a motor IMO. I hate to see you had to learn some lessons hard, especially when it cost you a pretty penny. It's just a bit ridiculous that people do this to their customers. Yer taking it with a lot better stride than I prolly would Alex. Props to you.
Like I said before, if you spend that kinda money on a motor being built, and they can't even give you dyno numbers and specs of the build, what kinda shop is that?
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Punk_Mini
Re: My Expensive Nightmare
New tidbit
The tuner is blaming me for the failure as I some how made it difficult to tune. How is that possible?! He says because I put that fancy digital dash in and cut into a bunch of wires.....LOL really I cut into a bunch of wires. All the AiMsport MXL Strada dash needed to interface with the factory ECU which does the interfacing with all the sensors is CAN+/CAN- wires, a Power and ground. I had a friend do the wire tapping because he is exceptionally good with automotive electrical wiring as I am not. It only interfaces with the ECU to display what the sensors are reading so how could that interfere with tuning especially for an expert as the tuner calls himself.
The tuner is blaming me for the failure as I some how made it difficult to tune. How is that possible?! He says because I put that fancy digital dash in and cut into a bunch of wires.....LOL really I cut into a bunch of wires. All the AiMsport MXL Strada dash needed to interface with the factory ECU which does the interfacing with all the sensors is CAN+/CAN- wires, a Power and ground. I had a friend do the wire tapping because he is exceptionally good with automotive electrical wiring as I am not. It only interfaces with the ECU to display what the sensors are reading so how could that interfere with tuning especially for an expert as the tuner calls himself.
Re: My Expensive Nightmare
Yeah.....I'm not knowledgeable enough to say for sure, but it sounds like an excuse to me.....
But Punk, wasn't the guy who did it one of the premier MINI tuning guys (I'm trying to not name names here or besmirch someone without the facts)
Look how much trouble Nathan (Motoring Alliance owner) has had with his '03, and his changes aren't near as radical as what you're going to do....still there are guys who have done this kind of work on their cars and had good reliability, so I think it can be done. One things for sure, if you're going to make this many wholesale changes, whoever does it needs to be on their game the whole way thru!
Good luck with the new motor, hope it works out well!
But Punk, wasn't the guy who did it one of the premier MINI tuning guys (I'm trying to not name names here or besmirch someone without the facts)
Look how much trouble Nathan (Motoring Alliance owner) has had with his '03, and his changes aren't near as radical as what you're going to do....still there are guys who have done this kind of work on their cars and had good reliability, so I think it can be done. One things for sure, if you're going to make this many wholesale changes, whoever does it needs to be on their game the whole way thru!
Good luck with the new motor, hope it works out well!
Hi! My name's Dave!
'09 LB/LB Clubman S - "Max"
89 Mini "Racing Green"
94 SPi Project (The Hot Rod)
'09 LB/LB Clubman S - "Max"
89 Mini "Racing Green"
94 SPi Project (The Hot Rod)
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Punk_Mini
Re: My Expensive Nightmare
Yes he was touted as one of the best tuners but as convoluted as the internet can be especially in the MINI community. "Fool me twice shame on me"
I can't comment on Nathans car since his is still running stock pistons, and a few other things are different with his car.
I am willing to go as far as having a friend who has a plane fly me out to SoCal so I can have a look at RS Machines facilities, and personally inspect all the internal components that will be used. I am hunting for 100% trust in the machine shop and the new tuning solution, and rock solid standing behind all work through hell or high water.
I can't comment on Nathans car since his is still running stock pistons, and a few other things are different with his car.
I am willing to go as far as having a friend who has a plane fly me out to SoCal so I can have a look at RS Machines facilities, and personally inspect all the internal components that will be used. I am hunting for 100% trust in the machine shop and the new tuning solution, and rock solid standing behind all work through hell or high water.
