hmmm, well then hes doing something hes not supposed too. Todd tuned it for 1.7 bars on C16 that I know for sure. but then again, two different cars two different tuners...
markski

 

The bar measurement is the amount of pressure the engine will see. His car may make more HP at 1.7 bar (and thus put more load on the engine) than your car at 1.9 to 2 bar, but the pressure is lower.

 

Give us a little more on the driving impression before it blew the HG. Were you like "HOLYSH**" or was it more like "Ok, it is faster but...." How many miles did you get on it before the issue? You have built a hell of a sick *** 996TT!!

 

I meant to say "power" rather than pressure. My bad. The point being, as you stated, the engine is probably under greater load with a GT35 at 1.7 bar than my turbo at 1.9 bar (I don't know for sure . . . just a guess).

The fact remains that my problem is not too much boost. I was running 2.0 bar of boost with the same turbos for six months, using poorer quality 104 octane fuel and a less extensive fuel system, without any problems whatsoever. Now, I am using the same turbos, same boost, a far superior fuel system and considerably better fuel, and my gasket pops. It is not the fuel, nor the boost, but rather, the additional power supplied by my new mods.

Thank you for the kind words. It was definitely "HOLLYSH*T" fast. I was reminded of the Shelby dollar bill on the dash story. At WOT, I was pinned to the seat.

Craig

 

If you dont mind me asking what did you do to your tranny... As i am about to buy another Turbo but a non X50 and need to build the tranny up....Thanks.

 

I used 9ff: http://shop.eurocarboutique.com/Driv...c5c000$7B$3Fj$ .

Tranny must go to Germany.

There are US options, including Guard and Copan.

Craig

 

At the time of the gasket failure, I was running a mixture of C16 and Sunoco 112 (approximately 50/50). Although I am confident that it is not necessary, I have decided to switch to C16 only for added protection. Given that I ran the same boost with 104 octane with no problem, C16 is almost certainly overkill (as was the Sunoca 112 I had switched to), but what the hell. One can never have too much protection.

I spoke with my gas guy this morning and made the necessary arrangements to switch out my 112 for the C16.

Craig

 

Craig,

Your post has several inaccuracies but I will not try to sound like I am attacking anyone, what matter is what you, who puts the money, believe in.

Good luck with the engine, it is something I don't wish to anyone at all.

P.S.
Alex ran 1.7 Bar maximum, and only as a test, he does not run more than 2.5 Bar abs..

 

So now you get to play the ultimate "Find the weak link" game......been there done that, but not at YOUR level......your breaking new ground and we all should be humbled AND grateful for your willingness to go out there and do it.......

Thanks Craig

Chris

 

Very glad to hear your car will be back and running again soon, Craig.

 

Jean,

I am the first to admit that I am a novice regarding all of this, and I am not surprised to learn that I have made mistakes and/or misunderstood certain of the information supplied to me (none of this is from my personal experience, but rather, the collective wisdom of many different people). I do not think you are attacking me. To the contrary, I appreciate and value your input, as you are far more knowledgeable about this stuff than I, and you educate me.

It appears that you believe detonation is the inescapable cause of my gasket failure? I have spoken with many different people about this and they disagree. The people I have spoken with advise that: (1) I was not experiencing detonation at the time of the failure, and (2) there are other causes of gasket failure unrelated to detonation, including the simple rocking/lifting of the heads. I had an extensive discussion with Stephen Kasper about this very issue. If detonation were the only cause of head lifting/rocking and gasket failure, there would be no need for stronger head studs, o-rings or gaskets, or any other improved head sealing measures. Rather, all one would have to do is eliminate the detonation (e.g., timing, a/f ratio), and the head lifting/rocking would be gone. Why then are VRAlex and Markski both using o-rings? Why did Todd K. experiment with a copper gasket on VRAlex’s car? Why do race cars use o-rings and/or copper gaskets? Why torque head studs more? Why did some Porsche race teams weld their heads on? I presume none of these cars are experiencing detonation. If they were, the added sealing measures would put them at greater risk of a catastrophic failure. A gasket serves a similar role as a fuse and, if you eliminate the fuse by way of o-rings or welding, the engine is at greater risk to ventilate. I am informed that VRAlex and Markski are using o-rings, and Todd K. experimented with a cooper gasket, and some Porsche teams welded their heads on, not because of detonation, but rather, simply to prevent head lifting/rocking resulting from the tremendous power that their engines are creating.

Jean, I welcome and invite your input. If you are not comfortable posting here, send your thoughts to me by PM. Todd K. has been extremely generous with information and ideas. Todd Z. has been very receptive to third party input. In fact, Todd Z. has relied upon the expert advice of certain Indy engine builders on the East Coast precisely because they have more experience than he with respect to these issues.

Craig

Ps: My information regarding Alex's boost comes directly from the horses mouth.

 

The horse seems to speak different languages... LOL

This isnt about alex's car or mine.... lets hope u get it running so we all can meet up one day have some fun... Im keeping my fingers crossed that nothing will go wrong myself... and I know there might be a issue with the cam timing gear...( its using a a GT3 RS head with gt3 cams)... we will see when and if it starts up... til then I pray... for both us... Im actually considering going to my friends' aunt- a card reader (never done it in my life) to see what she says about my car... LOL
markski

 

Craig,
I am sorry to hear the end result of so much work and exitement, We all
hate waiting (and not driving our cars!!!). The very same thing could happen
to Marksi or CJV: you guys are way out on a limb and pushing the envelope
of almost all parts of the 996TT so ANYTHING can happen. I still cannot figure out for the life of me how the hell ALEX's (VR) car has held together the way he drives it...
Good luck and there will be alot learned from your experiences I suspect.

Marty K

 

Thanks Marty. Bumps in the road are inevitable with cars of this nature. VRAlex’s car took two years to build and, even after it was initially “finished,” there were several “bumps in the road” that had to be resolved. I am not at liberty to discuss the particulars, but suffice it to say that it was not smooth sailing from the very first drive. CJV’s car has been under the knife for two years, and he still has not resolved all the issues. Markski’s car has been in progress for almost six months. As the learning curve increases, subsequent cars have the benefit of prior experiences.

As I previously mentioned, my car is not the first 996TT to blow a head gasket. Other respected tuners, who I will not mention by name, have experienced the same problem. Fortunately, there are solutions available and, just as the other tuners have solved the issue (with o-rings), so too will EVOMS. I am particularly impressed that EVOMS did not simply apply the o-ring fix utilized by others, but also undertook additional measures, discussed above, to ensure a comprehensive solution. EVOMS will do everything possible to ensure that my engine runs smoothly and holds together, so that they do not have to field my daily progress requests while the car is at their shop. This is a tremendous motivator.

Craig

 

Im the gt3 head ginny pig... lets see if she starts up. and I agree.. whoever comes after us will have the car back alot faster and cheaper. the R&D has been done.
heck, my evo 8 blew one 2nd day... but since then its been a marvel.
that was caused by detonation.. and I had the O rings on that too.
markski