Aluminator Failure

[stang17]

Have you considered using a local tuner if available? If I were in your shoes I would think twice before giving my hard earned money to PBD after what happened to you. Not pointing fingers, but it seems like bad juju to go back to PBD.... Just my $0.02

I definitely wouldn't expect to pay PBD anymore than what I have already. Honestly, I was pretty happy with the whipple tune. It did have some slight hesitation issues when I was running the 3.75 pulley , but I heard from others that it went away as soon as they dropped to a 3.5.

If I can find someone to add my injector data to my whipple tune and do whatever changes are needed to get my cruise control to work with the calimer stage 3 gear ratios I'd be all for it.

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[SolarFlare]

Have you considered using a local tuner if available? If I were in your shoes I would think twice before giving my hard earned money to PBD after what happened to you. Not pointing fingers, but it seems like bad juju to go back to PBD.... Just my $0.02

What do you think a local tuner on a dyno would bring to the equation besides a dyno graph?

 

[K4fxd]

What do you think a local tuner on a dyno would bring to the equation besides a dyno graph?

A good shop will look for and eliminate false knock if it exists.

If there are any hesitations or surges they feel them and tune them out Also most will do shift strategies on autos. All on the same day without emailing logs and getting a standard response of it is fine.

 

[cobra199711]

You may want to reach out to Wengerd, he seems to make nice power without sacrificing safety. I’ve watched several videos and it seems like he does give a shit , has a great tune and as I stated won’t compromise.

 

[Jackson1320]

Hey guys, been awhile since I posted anything. Just wanted to let you know that I found the limits of an 11:1 aluminator.

My stock motor failed at 12,800 miles from a snapped crankshaft snout. It was supercharged from day 1 with a whipple gen 2 stage 2.

I ended up going with an 11:1 aluminator and adding a MFP crank support. I decided to go "all in" for a max effort pump gas build and purchased DW 95 lb injectors, BAP, calimer stage 3 MT-82, RXT 1200 HD clutch, and PBD tune while the new motor was getting installed.

Everything was put together August 2019 and proceeded to put a few hundred miles on the car before making the power pulls and remote dyno tuning.

With a 3.5 pulley and 96 octane ( 93 plus a bottle of boostane shot) PBD was able to tune me to the likes of 819 whp and 608 ft lbs.

Car drove great and was able to get me into the 9s and 138 mph at 4120 lb race weight.

6,000 miles later I put the car back on the same dyno and only make 764 whp and 556 ft lbs.


I proceeded to pull the plugs and do a compression and leak down test.

Compression / leak down was as follows

Cylinder 5 - 200 leak down test 82/100 psi
Cylinder 6 - 230 leak down test 88/100 psi
Cylinder 7 - 195 leak down test 80/100 psi
Cylinder 8 - 205 leak down test 70/100 psi
Cylinder 1 - 227 leak down test 99/100 psi
Cylinder 2 - 225 leak down test 92/100 psi
Cylinder 3 - 200 leak down test 86/100 psi
Cylinder 4 - 200 leak down test 72/100 psi

I proceed to pull the motor and have it shipped to Ford Performance in hopes of being covered under the 24 month, 24,000 mile warranty.

Attached is the copy of the inspection report.

I was told by PBD that I would be able to run as low as a 3.325 pulley with my 21.5 timing tune on 96 octane fuel.

I never went smaller than the 3.5 pulley because I didn't want the hassle of having to change to a different size belt.

Every dyno pull and 1/4 mile pass over the past year has been data logged and all logs consistently show 0 knock. No -/+ , just 0.

My original PBD tunes were showing knock even at 16 degrees and partial throttle. PBD was convinced the knock was false, made some type of revision (don't know what because tune is locked) and all knock went away.

I trust PBD and them giving me 21+ timing for use with 96 octane as I don't believe they would give me anything they didn't consider safe.

My question is why wouldn't any of my logs show knock when apparently there was a considerable amount of detonation going on ( see attached picture)?

Also, has anyone else had head gasket failures at 800 + hp?

I'm not throwing any shade at PBD, but just wanted to share my experience. PBD has been great to me over the past 2 years and I have no complaints with their customer service or response times.

Currently, the motor is at Holbrook Racing Engines who is working on getting me a quote for repair.

If you want to know how to see a locked tune pm me

 

[stang17]

If you want to know how to see a locked tune pm me

Interesting-pm sent

 

[SolarFlare]

A good shop will look for and eliminate false knock if it exists.

If there are any hesitations or surges they feel them and tune them out Also most will do shift strategies on autos. All on the same day without emailing logs and getting a standard response of it is fine.

so the “tuner” will be able to fix mechanical issues OR use your car as a mule to fine tune his own unrefined file.

This seems like a matter of opinion. Dyno will provide you a sheet, and one could argue that tuner can really squeeze the car for optimum HP but I’m not sweating 5-10whp. Good tuners have proven files for setups. And there’s no one right now in the game better than Lund and PBD. Shit happened, either asked for, implied or misunderstood on behalf of tuner. If he wants to change I don’t blame him, if he wanted to stay with Rob and be more concervative I also don’t blame him. I’m sure there are shops near him are probably vendors of PBD and he can use their dyno….but no backwoods local HPTuner forum base file using guy is as good as Rob and Ken tuning. And I say this as a Lund customer.

 

[NotagainV2]

So PALM BEACH DYNO gives him a 21.5 degrees on 96 octane and I'm supposed to do what ? Suck his junk in joy ? Rob AKA Mr PBD shoulda known better or said to the OP want more ? Run 100 octane minimum, and I'll give you a tune for it. What he (Rob) did was so beyond asinine it's 'sickening'.

So you are asking the Tuner to play dad so the OP has zero responsibility?

Got it.

As the saying goes "Nothings idiot proof, just a better idiot will come along"

LOL you dont seem to have the capacity for some critical thinking and take the 2 seconds to come to the conclusion 800+ on pump gas isnt very bright.

I hope you never have a car out of warranty since you cant seem to understand the responsibility is on the end user.

LOL.

 

[K4fxd]

so the “tuner” will be able to fix mechanical issues

Yep, any tuner I would go to would have the capability to find and correct mechanical problems.

use your car as a mule to fine tune his own unrefined file.

Well the "refined" files I have ridden in from the tuners mentioned have sucked as far as trans tuning.

We all like what we like.

IMO Lund went to hell after they got big enough the old man had to hire help.

How many threads have been started about some trouble with a lund tune and his answer is "TS we don't trouble shoot problems"

 

[NotagainV2]

Yep, any tuner I would go to would have the capability to find and correct mechanical problems.


Well the "refined" files I have ridden in from the tuners mentioned have sucked as far as trans tuning.

We all like what we like.

IMO Lund went to hell after the they got big enough the old man had to hire help.

How many threads have been started about some trouble with a lund tune and his answer is "TS we don't trouble shoot problems"

Its NOT the tuners job to find mechanical issues. Thats like asking a dentist to be a brain doctor.

IF the customer doesnt have the capacity to ensure the vehicle is in good working order BEFORE the tuner is needed step away from the wrenches. Instead farm out the build to a shop for the entire build tune included.

Some people flat out need that kind of a safety net and should not touch tools at all.

Some should be left to nothing more than get in and drive it.

 

[WildHorse]

Got it.

So if in fact ROB who insisted it was FALSE KNOCK desensitized or shut off the KS then the engine blows up, that's the OP fault ? Da fuq outta here. Any tuner worth their salt won't trust some random saying ya ya it's 96 octane pump, without making them sign a waiver saying if your shit blows up, that's on you. So Rob never did that, and gave him 21.5 degrees. Tested E85 pump, or tried and true race gas is when all the sauce should be given.

 

[NotagainV2]

So if in fact ROB who insisted it was FALSE KNOCK desensitized or shut off the KS then the engine blows up, that's the OP fault ? Da fuq outta here. Any tuner worth their salt won't trust some random saying ya ya it's 96 octane pump, without making them sign a waiver saying if your shit blows up, that's on you. So Rob never did that, and gave him 21.5 degrees. Tested E85 pump, or tried and true race gas is when all the sauce should be given.

Run along with your excuses.

 

[Jackson1320]

Are there any other signs of detonation? Like little white specks on the pistons or valves?

 

[K4fxd]

I have a very hard time believing an experienced tuner would run to the edge and then turn of the knock sensors

I tend to agree but Rob did state he was convinced it was false knock then a tune revision gets rid of it.

Makes me scratch my head.

 

[K4fxd]

Are there any other signs of detonation? Like little white specks on the pistons or valves?

Holbrooks inspection says "abnormal combustion"

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