So what did you do to your SHO today!?

[Junkyard_Mad-Scientist]

I haven't done much of anything yet, but battling this oil pressure issue along with a handful of other demons has kept my car out of the bullpen for daily use.(no pun intended) tomorrow I start a series of small jobs to try and get a handle on the issues.

The issues:
●Oil pressure dropping to the threshold at idle and warm. Non PP no oil cooler, oil pressure readings are consistent with tests from 2 years ago.

●Strange intermittent grinding noise under load after driving for 20min. I have narrowed it down to the torque converter or jack shaft bearing. PTU appears to be healthy and noise is inconsistent, rear turbo was suspected for a time but boost levels are as they should be with no indicators of a failing turbo or seal.

●Rough idle, smooth but vibrates intensely in gear at idle with foot on brake. Mounts and spark plugs have been replaced once about 80k miles ago.

●Intermittent HVAC blower function. Works fine until I put the car in gear and then it slowly fades away to nothing. Suspected battery since its at 2 years old, checked fine. Suspected fan itself since it was making noise but problem became intermittent. Suspecting resistor.

●Catalytic converter operating below efficiency. Still scratching my head on this one, if the plugs are shot and its not burning as clean as it should be the I could see this and the o2 sensors having an issue. Approaching this one after everything else is situated.

●Intermittent steering rack issue, loses communication with the rack, sets off the TC and cruise control.


The plan:
● I have run a can and a half of seafoam through the oil system to break up any deposits potentially clogging things up. I've put about 250 miles on the car with the seafoam in it. I am going to drain the oil, inspect the inside of the pan with a scope, assuming its clear I will swith to 10w40 full synthetic. Then I am adding a shockproof mechanical gauge under the hood with a Tee to add a digital gauge to the dash. If the increased weight does not help then I'll be back to square one.

● Other engine issues: Seafoam on the intake side via vac line, replacing spark plugs with NGKs, regreasing the boots, fixing a melted coil connector, scoping the intake, scoping the rear turbo, cleaning the TB. Hoping all of this combine will help with the idle and catalytic converter code.

●Driveline: Adding shutter stop to the transmission to try and help the noise from the assumed TC. Checking jack shaft bearing for play. Checking steering rack connections for damage/debris (even though I know they eventually go and its an internal issue).

●Interior: replacing the blower regulator, final install of dash cam, finding a home for my carry.

Long post but it'll serve as a checklist for me as well as a opportunity for anyone to jump in with anything else I can look into. The car drives so nice its annoying that there so many little issues.

 

[Junkyard_Mad-Scientist]

Did most of the above, then the rain started. Oil was like water and very dark for 500 miles since the last oil change so it would seem the seafoam did something.

After a blast of seafoam through the intake and a thick cloud of smoke I drained the oil, scoped the pan, changed out the old oil sender for a braided line to run up to the new gauge,


changed plugs

and cleaned everything I touched. Made a few changes to the charge pipe as well.

All said and done after an hour of running, 45 min idling, 15 minute spirited drive, I landed at 15 psi

its a slight improvement so I'll take it and just see how long she goes for. It idles better and seems to have a bit more response.

Tomorrow I install the inside gauge, replace the blower resistor, tighten a few other things up too.

 

[Deezuz]

I looked at my 24k mile junkyard ptu on the bench... Lol.


So I'm curious, the right side axle shaft is splined, right? But then it clips into the ptu where it's all smooth...? Is it long enough that it engages something in the transmission? I really want to swap this out soon but don't want to be left in the air waiting on the right parts or just having to shove my old ptu back in

 

[Texas Marauder]

I looked at my 24k mile junkyard ptu on the bench... Lol.


So I'm curious, the right side axle shaft is splined, right? But then it clips into the ptu where it's all smooth...? Is it long enough that it engages something in the transmission? I really want to swap this out soon but don't want to be left in the air waiting on the right parts or just having to shove my old ptu back in

The axle goes thru the PTU. It does not engage anything in the PTU.

 

[myplague5]

Replaced the front pads and rotors and tested one of the adrenaline rims from a sport trac I used to have. Looks like I can have summer and winter rims and tires now!

 

[Junkyard_Mad-Scientist]

Bush fix, how many things can you find wrong?

 

[Zpak]

Bush fix, how many things can you find wrong?View attachment 96387

How much time do you have?

 

[Junkyard_Mad-Scientist]

How much time do you have?

All the time you need, but damn I didn't think it was THAT bad lol. My prototype charge pipe split, granted it was one I printed for fitment not use but I've been running it for a month with no issues. Until today on my way home with minimal tools and no spare parts.

 

[Zpak]

All the time you need, but damn I didn't think it was THAT bad lol. My prototype charge pipe split, granted it was one I printed for fitment not use but I've been running it for a month with no issues. Until today on my way home with minimal tools and no spare parts.

Joking, but you’re only catching oil on one side, your IAT sensor isn’t getting a real reading, your intake is probably using the hottest air there is under the hood, and yeah I don’t what you have going on with that pipe to the throttle body. Where is that MAP sensor?

 

[myplague5]

It looks like it may still be in the testing phase

 

[Junkyard_Mad-Scientist]

Joking, but you’re only catching oil on one side, your IAT sensor isn’t getting a real reading, your intake is probably using the hottest air there is under the hood, and yeah I don’t what you have going on with that pipe to the throttle body. Where is that MAP sensor?

Lmao almost everything you listed is a result of the charge pipe breaking. I had to move the hose from the filter side and rig it to the charge side to limp it home. Then I jammed the filter in that spot ...to filter air. Abandoned the filter elbow which is just dangling there. And the MAP is also dangling since the charge pipe broke and i had no where else to put it lol. Made it home anyway, probably would've without the charge pipe all together but I wanted to be safe. I will be either adding a second catch can or investing in a dual in unit at some point

It looks like it may still be in the testing phase

At this point I will assess the break points and decide if I am going to move forward or not. I was warned that 3d prints and boost dont mix but given the relatively low boost our cars make and the carbon fiber filament I thought it might be okay. I will say it did not break where I thought it would and it may have been the v clamps that crushed and ultimately caused the break. Either way I am back to the drawing board, but this is why I test everything before I list jt.

 

[myplague5]

Lmao almost everything you listed is a result of the charge pipe breaking. I had to move the hose from the filter side and rig it to the charge side to limp it home. Then I jammed the filter in that spot ...to filter air. Abandoned the filter elbow which is just dangling there. And the MAP is also dangling since the charge pipe broke and i had no where else to put it lol. Made it home anyway, probably would've without the charge pipe all together but I wanted to be safe. I will be either adding a second catch can or investing in a dual in unit at some point

At this point I will assess the break points and decide if I am going to move forward or not. I was warned that 3d prints and boost dont mix but given the relatively low boost our cars make and the carbon fiber filament I thought it might be okay. I will say it did not break where I thought it would and it may have been the v clamps that crushed and ultimately caused the break. Either way I am back to the drawing board, but this is why I test everything before I list jt.

I'd say it's a solid setup given the situation then! Have you tried printing that in abs filament?(I still wouldn't trust it under boost but...)

 

[Junkyard_Mad-Scientist]

I'd say it's a solid setup given the situation then! Have you tried printing that in abs filament?(I still wouldn't trust it under boost but...)

ASA Carbon fiber is what let go, ABS was at the heat threshold. Next step would be PA6-CF which is roughly $100 a spool and each charge pipe takes about 80% of a spool to make. Kind of steep to still be trusting plastic but the original was plastic so im not giving up just yet.

 

[myplague5]

ASA Carbon fiber is what let go, ABS was at the heat threshold. Next step would be PA6-CF which is roughly $100 a spool and each charge pipe takes about 80% of a spool to make. Kind of steep to still be trusting plastic but the original was plastic so im not giving up just yet.

That would definitely exceed my patience level... At that price you could have better luck laying your own carbon fiber! How long did that last though?

 

[myplague5]

That would definitely exceed my patience level... At that price you could have better luck laying your own carbon fiber! How long did that last though?

Have you thought about oversizing the ends to fit a metal ring inside to hold the pressure at the connections? May also be vibration causing issues

 

[Junkyard_Mad-Scientist]

Have you thought about oversizing the ends to fit a metal ring inside to hold the pressure at the connections? May also be vibration causing issues

No I didn't! Reinforced sections with a general plastic shape. I could incorporate recessions to accept steel or aluminum rings seamlessly with minimal size increase. This is why I love this forum! The center section is incredibly thick and least likely to blow out, but if the ends were reinforced it would be almost indestructible deleting the noise maker with a cost effective option to replace the leak prone charge tube.

For the record, the one that just let go lasted about 2 months with some good punishment, I replaced the hose between the pipe and tb a week ago and may have over tightened the clamp, some more r and d is needed for sure but with a reinforced section over tightening will be less likely.

 

[myplague5]

That's pretty good for a printed part under the hood holding boost

 

[Junkyard_Mad-Scientist]

That's pretty good for a printed part under the hood holding boost

That's what I thought, I was impressed and still convinced I damaged it and that's why it failed. I'll post pics of the break tomorrow but where it let go while caused by boost suddenly meeting a closed throttle plate, shouldn't have let loose where it did. It was under the clamp with a silicone boot over it.

 

[myplague5]

Installed the 3 bar and loaded the GH tune last night. Still need to do the plugs and thermostat. I couldn't help driving around the block though. She seems real spicy but fell over herself past 3/4 throttle, probably related to the plugs. Should be warm enough and have time to do everything over the weekend! Anyone know the Image size limit on here? Everything I try to upload says too large.

 

[myplague5]

Started on the new spark plugs and coils earlier. The rear 3 were mostly slightly annoying. I had to break the ones on the front free with a bar but fine after. That middle front though, I had to soak about a half inch of oil out of it, then had to use a breaker the entire way out. It looks a previous owner screwed up the threads on the plug before they put it in the car. Used the endoscope and saw it looked like it still had threads toward the bottom, called my friend and we decided to just send it, he can take care of it when the motor's out for the torque converter. Looks like I'll be doing the front valve cover gaskets and plug tubes tomorrow when i can get the parts and a damn T45 for the hpfp...