Okay, well this is a continuation of my New "Tow Engine" issues. I now have over $12,000 and countless man hours invested into an engine that barely runs better than stock. I am out of money and time to the point it is cutting into my business bottomline substantially. At this point I am willing to pay a "reward" to anyone who can correctly identify the problem. So frustrated, yet don't have the time to stay that way. My business is built off this engine, so engine or brand swaps is not an option. So here is the engine in a nutshell:

1999 block and rods.
Mahle .020 pistons
ARP head studs
Originally Cometic head gaskets, now stockers
Comp Cam valve springs
stock push rods.

Swamps stage 2 single shot injectors with stock 7 hole nozzles
Swamps GEN3 big oil
Garret GT38R BB turbo
DP Tuned 5 pos F5 chip
MBRP 4" turbo back exhaust

Transmission- Full Transgo Tugger kit, center support upgrade, PI TC
Running 4.56 gears on 35" tires.



Put the engine in, fire it up using Swamps tune, and drive it a good 1,000 miles before pushing it. Feels weak right from the get go. Boost seems low.
So I make an initial tow to Christmas valley in Central Oregon towing a Toy Hauler to go ride bikes in the sand, and I am doing 35mph up Mt. Hood, when I used to do 55 with the stock motor, 3.73 gears, and an Edge Evolution tuner. Not such a hot debut. On the way home, same thing. Frustratingly slow over anything more than a mole hill. EGT's were out of control on anything other than the lowest power setting. Now it is pushing antifreeze out the de-gas bottle under load. I overheated on the Grapevine in Cali on a 65 degree day.

In experimenting, I pulled the Swamps chip and try the Edge again. 80hp setting proves to be useable. Brings towing back to OEM at least. However it dies everytime I let off the throttle at an idle. I leave on a Business road trip like this. Now it is pushing antifreeze out the de-gas bottle under load. I overheated on the Grapevine in Cali on a 65 degree day. Call Jody and DP and get a chip from him at a customers house. Best Driveablility, EGT's and power yet. Still feels weak, and still pushing antifreeze. At least at Sea level. Once I was in Denver, I stopped losing antifreeze but power was down. At least until Mountain Home Idaho. Power is considerably better coming down in altitude, but now I am pushing antifreeze again. Arghhh!! I get home, trip completed, motor still in one piece. So I pull the engine in my driveway again(shop under construction) and pull the heads. Looked like a fail amount of leaking was going on under the heads, with the Cometics. Some minor rust, and a small carbon trail between 5 and 7. Oh yeah, prior to this I did a compression check and got 390-400 on all but 2, which was 340. Replace expensive Cometics with stock head gaskets. Noticed # 5 injectors had a creamy pink substance on between the last fuel O-ring and the tip. Only one like that. Put it all back together again, turn down the power to Tow, and go for a test spin. Oh yeah, I performed another compression test. All 390-400 except 5 which was 385. First thing I noticed was boost was above ten PSI with very light throttle, at around 25-30 MPH. Haven't seen that before. Always has been lower. I do not push it at all. I want to let the engine warm up and cool down a few timer to help seat the stock gaskets. Next morning I start the motor, ambient temp was about 45. Up to this point, on a cold start, it would start easily, but eerily quiet, then start to sound like the traditional 7.3 after about 15 seconds. First thing I noticed when I started it after the gasket change was the distinct powerful VROOMMMPPPPPwawawawa. that I am used to hearing. So I let it high idle for about an hour, shut it off, and start it again about 4 hrs later. Go for a few hundred mile drive and turn up the power and get on it. Still feels weak. Only the Extreme setting has any throttle response to it at all. The rest of the settings I have to floor it to get any response. Max boost always has been and still is 35psi. Did that with the stock motor. Also I am back to the quiet starts, and no low rpm/load boost. Meaning I rarely see north of 10 psi unless I am heavy on the gas in the extreme setting. Towing is for the most part back to a little above stock, and it no longer loses antifreeze.

List of parts changed: PCM, IDM, CMP, IPR, MAP, Head gaskets.

Test Perfromed - Intake pressure leak test, exhaust leak test, A variety of AE tests, Wiring OHM out's to the PCM.

Actions taken. Tied EBPV open, Adjusted Wastegate to be very very tight, and tied it closed.

Just did cylinder contribution test and got a 0.0 on all 8. rev it up and let it idle again, I would get around 1.2 on a couple cylinders, then the idle would settle and I get 0.0 again.

My instinct says head gasket. My engine builder and Swamps says no. Especially with a stock head gasket. They either seal or they don't. They don't just seep under certain conditions.

I can't afford to keep replacing parts. I would rather pay several hundred for a correct diagnosis, vs. several hundered for another "possibility".

Also, I finally Dyno'd the thing, and in tow I got 290hp and 505tq, the followed with a 298 and 504tq. on the EXTREME setting I got 299hp and 531 TQ, and followed with a 299hp and 537tq. Seems way low to me, especially the torque. The HP hits 299 and flatlines until redline. TQ is very peaky. Somebody has to know that this means!!???

 

Are you sure your getting enough fuel? Have you checked pressure,filters etc? Have you done any mods to the fuel system to remove trapped air or to prevent air from getting in the lines? You say you use waste veggy oil. Have you tried running straight diesel in it? Just a few sugestions. There has to be something were missing!!

 

Are the screens still in the fitting in the head could the be clogged restricting fuel pressure. I am with Lancer I'm thinking fuel issue can you plumb a gauge into the fuel bowl test port and check pressure there and then get a reading from the head test ports.

 

Given compression is up,, head gasket replaced it doesn't sound mechanical. Overheating and low power in my experience has been fuel. Type, volume, injector or CPS failing. Opinion you have a fuel delivery issue. Confirm fuel pressure and if using vegi oil,, I would also agree to run diesel until this engine is running "normal" for the investment. Jim

 

DO you still have your stock injectors? Might be worth a swap and try the contr test again.

 

What kind of smoke are you getting. Im with the other guys. Can you hear your fuel pump? Your lpop or hpop and fuel pump are all contributing factors to your fuel system. A Bosch fuel pump as a secondary will tell you right away.

 

Another vote for fuel issues.
Don't bother with a guage that you can only read while standing in front of the truck.
It will always read good at idle.
Get it mounted on a long hose that you can read while driving.
Your problems are happening at WOT so you need to be able to read the fuel pressure then.
Also I agree, run diesel until the engine runs right.

 

The one thing I am not worried about is fuel. I have a FASS 80PSI 95 GPH pump feeding 3/8 line to the front fuel ports, then the rear ports are tied together aka cackle cure style, and feed a 3/8 line to the other FASS 95 gph 80psi pump for the oil side. All testing has been done on Diesel. The first 5,000 miles were on diesel only, no oil at all. I have a fuel pressure sending unit mounted on the WVO supply line, so when running on the OEM fuel system I acutally monitor the pressure drop across the fuel rail. Never les than 70 psi. I even tried running diesel in my WVO tank, so I had 2 pumps feeding all four fuel ports at 80 PSI delivering a theorhetical 190gph of potential flow to the motor. That is about twice the amount needed for the most powerful PSD on earth. Some have suggested that the injectors are not working right. Swamps is a good reputable shop, I can imagine them getting maybe one wrong, but all 8 wrong to the point of worse than stock?

 

I too would like to know how an engine can make 35psi boost while having fuel issues and still feel anemic??

 

Next time you are in Seattle, let me drive the thing and I will give you my thoughts.
It may come to nothing, but it helps to have a different look at things.
I don't have the room to work on it, you know how small my shop is, but I am glad to give you my opinion.

 

Hmm 35 lb of boost and a no goer. Is the 35 continuous or does it start to shut down. What are the AE tests showing? Alan Miller would be able to help you there.

 

Alan has been helping him

But, FN's engine was built for 400-450 HP, and he's not even close to that on the dyno yet. He has all the supporting mods, and should be making more than 35 lbs of boost. Heck I'm only 4 lbs less boost than him and I'm running stock injectors, milder tuning, and a super weak HPOP with the same turbo as he's got. Still I'm betting that I'm making more than 300 hp on the dyno right now. So he's definately got some issues here.

FN has said the fuel pressure is good, tested and found no leaks anywhere in the exhaust or CAC. So where do we go from here? He's had issues with his other engine, so what is the common denominator here? I'm racking my brain and can't for the life of me put a finger on this.

 

How about fuel delivery timing? Could the Crank shaft timing mark been a couple of teeth off 12 o'clock during the rebuild. That could cause the Timimg disk to be off and make the CPS signal the TDC to the PCM a little early or late Throwing off optimum injection timimng.

Install the camshaft.
Gently insert the camshaft into the engine block.
NOTE: It may be necessary to rotate the camshaft during installation to aid in inserting the camshaft through the camshaft bearings.

Before seating the camshaft drive gear with the crankshaft driven gear, rotate the crankshaft driven gear until the timing mark is in the 12 o'clock position. Align the timing mark on the camshaft drive gear with the timing mark on the crankshaft driven gear. Seat the camshaft drive gear with the crankshaft driven gear.
Install the two camshaft retaining bolts.

 

[QUOTE=amiller93]How about fuel delivery timing? Could the Crank shaft timing mark been a couple of teeth off 12 o'clock during the rebuild. That could cause the Timimg disk to be off and make the CPS signal the TDC to the PCM a little early or late Throwing off optimum injection timimng.
QUOTE] Yes I agree that could be an issue. If the camshaft is off just 1 tooth on the chain also it will cause major issues. CPS might be going bad also. Jim

 

Ok so what does the book say about resetting timing? If the engine was overheating then its got to be running lean on fuel delivery right?