legacycentral bbs

Is anyone positive that the turbo pistons are stronger than the dingleberry-balls licking N/A pistons?

Finally was able to look at my car again - 0 compression on #3 and little bits of what looks very much like piston came out with an exploratory rubber hose I stuck in the cyl. The spark plug had metal fused all over the electrode.

I have no idea why or how this thing just blew with no noise at all or smoke and no other indication as to why. Never got a CEL, so I suspect maybe the knock sensor is no good. Either way I think I should've heard or felt something more than what felt like a bad pug wire. If I had heard something, my best guess would be that due to my recent rise in oil consumption (that didn't seem to be coming out the exhaust) I had damaged a ring land. This could've created a hot spot that caused a catastrophic detonation. With this I don't know, but I suppose it just could've been damaged and then the little bits or localized heat broke down the rest of it.

I really would feel much better knowing what caused it, but it finally let go after holding relatively high rpm (~5k) around a tight onramp and accelerating onto the highway to 85 (something done everyday).

The only mildly decent thing is that I'll just swap everything over to the kitchengine and I'll get A/C back as it'll give me a chance to install the new compressor I've had hanging around. There seem to be few mechanical issues switching over - I'll have to reuse the N/A valve covers and the whole top end, plus the turbo lower radiator hose.

In case anyone cares, the bits of metal I pulled out are non-magnetic.

Steve

Wish you the best in switching over -- hope everything goes well.

The only time I blew an engine was in my VW Bug. I was accelerating in a residential neighborhood going to a friend's house when I felt the engine let go. I never had experienced it before but I knew right away the rings in one cylinder were gone. Smoke coming out the back, drastic reduction in power. Pulled the engine -- compression ring was in 21 pieces, IIRC. That's when I installed forged pistons, cam, carbs, 3-angle competition valve job, etc, blueprinted the engine, and what a sweet engine that was!

Hope your end result with the ej22t turns out similarly!

So do I!

Yeah, I've seen blown engines and slow burn engine deaths and this thing never blew any visible smoke which is why I was almost surprised. I did have a feeling that the engine was on borrowed time, though. It was running great and returning ever better mileage (up to 30 mpg without babying it), but I just had this back-of-the-mind voice like the one that warns me of speed checks and other dangerous or negative situations telling me I needed to get a job damn quick and finish the kitchengine.

So here's some gin and juice to the little voice.

Steve