Blew my engine!!!

[Ajax]

Just what the title says took my car for a few runs this morning on a back road and had the boost set at 16 psi. Did a few runs and sundenly felt a power loss and a few seconds after smoke belowed out the front and thats when she died on me. Towed it back and did a compression test and my #4 is 0 isn't that nice the rest is still good tho. Figuring I was running to lean which is my shops fault who as been tuning my car, but I guess I should find a way to monitor it myself, anyways. The question is I did a rebuilt about 5000 miles ago with the howell bottom end kit(JE low compression pistons), and I have been searching but I dont seem to find a place that only sells 1 piston?? or do you have to call them and ask? Do you guys think anything else could be wrong? I know its a dumb question, and I am pulling the engine but I just want to be prepaired for what I should expect or should look for

 

[selmerguy]

i am not sure but i don't think your piston will be bad. it is prolly a ring. take it apart and find out like i am doing. sorry about your bad luck. what fuel setup do you have?

 

[Ajax]

yeah its kinda hard to believe that it would be a piston but thats just what the mechanic suggested, it would be nice if it is just the rings, wish I could tell without taking out the engine, but I need to put in my new clutch so its not that bad I just wish I had more time since I am graduating this May and have so many papers and crap to write its not even funny But anyways I have 550's for injectors with the e-manage and E-01 with a walbro 255 fuel pump. Wont I still have some compression if it was only the rings? BC my #4 did not even move the gauge on the compression tester?

 

[dr1665]

.Wont I still have some compression if it was only the rings?

The piston rings are what seals the combustion chamber on the bottom. If you toast the rings, the cylinder will not be able to build any pressure and you will get the 0 reading on the gauge.

I doubt you're going to find a single replacement piston. Hopefully the lands will still be good or something. I would just replace them all to be safe. I have three perfectly good Wisecos in 10.5:1CR sitting around after munching one when a pin lock failed last fall. Just went ahead and picked up the first set of 420A pistons ever made by Venolia.

Good luck. Downtime sucks.

 

[TalonTurbo92]

Ajax

It struck me kind of funny that your car broke down the day after I tried to take you and my car broke down with a broken harmonic balancer. Serves you right for taking off without comeing back to help me out. All in good fun, right. Well if you need an extra, hand, I can stop by to look that your handy work to your piston, if it is your piston. I even be willing to get my hands dirty if I have the time.

 

[Defiant]

Show us pics of the incinerated piston.

 

[Ajax]

So that you guys can make fun of me Yeah it might be a week or two I need to get some school work done first. First thing that I am going to install is a EGT gauge on my #4 runner so I can keep better tabs on whats going on. I am sure I cannot do or ask anything from the shop that tuned it, right? Diafiant do you know if you can buy only one piston or do you have to buy them as a set? Yeah Talonturbo you know you will be there helping me even if its against your wifes will

 

[bullettdsm]

yeah its kinda hard to believe that it would be a piston but thats just what the mechanic suggested, it would be nice if it is just the rings, wish I could tell without taking out the engine, but I need to put in my new clutch so its not that bad I just wish I had more time since I am graduating this May and have so many papers and crap to write its not even funny But anyways I have 550's for injectors with the e-manage and E-01 with a walbro 255 fuel pump. Wont I still have some compression if it was only the rings? BC my #4 did not even move the gauge on the compression tester?

Yeah, mechanic could be right. Run too lean under pressure and you can burn a hole right through a piston. But the only way to find out is to take apart. As for the one piston, you may try to put a WTB add on the classifieds. There are people like dr1665 out there that have a threesome of perfectly good pistons sitting around. It's worth a shot. As for buying just one, I have not had any luck doing that.
MB

 

[xXeclipstasyXx]

...and a few seconds after smoke belowed out the front and thats when she died on me.

now somebody please correct me if im wrong, which i very well could be, but if it was just a ring... would that cause smoke to come bellowing out the front... wouldnt that just cause a nice thick cloud of white smoke out the tail pipe... i could be way off here, but wouldnt the block still be nice a sealed while burn your oil and vent it out the exhaust valves???

 

[Ajax]

What happens is when you blow a piston or rings the compressed air that was in the cyclinder escapes by the burned rings or through the hole in the piston into the crank case were it pressured the oil and blows out the breather filter on you valve cover onto the exhaust manifold

 

[xXeclipstasyXx]

What happens is when you blow a piston or rings the compressed air that was in the cyclinder escapes by the burned rings or through the hole in the piston into the crank case were it pressured the oil and blows out the breather filter on you valve cover onto the exhaust manifold

out the pcv valve... see i woulda never thought...

 

[ShadowWulf]

What happens is when you blow a piston or rings the compressed air that was in the cyclinder escapes by the burned rings or through the hole in the piston into the crank case were it pressured the oil and blows out the breather filter on you valve cover onto the exhaust manifold

This is exacly what happened to me 3 days or so ago
Oil comming outta places oil shouldnt come out of was my first clue (comming out my damn CAI)
Im still reading about 75 on the compression test for that Cyl though (#1), and the rest are perfect. Luck of the draw i guess.

 

[johnk]

Did you ever tear down the motor to check it out? It doesn't have to be a piston. Check this valve that gave me 0 compression in one cylinder.

 

[Ajax]

Yeah I got it out over the week and it is a piston and it did quite a bit of damage to my wall to so now I have to get it bored out to, but here is a shitty pic I will try to get some better ones later.

 

[Burnett03]

Yeah I got it out over the week and it is a piston and it did quite a bit of damage to my wall to so now I have to get it bored out to, but here is a shitty pic I will try to get some better ones later.

something is seriously wrong with your tuning or fuel setup.

 

[evers310]

Im still reading about 75 on the compression test for that Cyl though (#1), and the rest are perfect. Luck of the draw i guess.

Compression tests dont always catch everything. A leak down test is a much better way to pinpoint problems.

 

[bullettdsm]

So that you guys can make fun of me Yeah it might be a week or two I need to get some school work done first. First thing that I am going to install is a EGT gauge on my #4 runner so I can keep better tabs on whats going on. I am sure I cannot do or ask anything from the shop that tuned it, right? Diafiant do you know if you can buy only one piston or do you have to buy them as a set? Yeah Talonturbo you know you will be there helping me even if its against your wifes will

Hey Ajax,
Can we start making fun of you yet ?
Just wondering,
MB