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Such a thing as a "too" built engine?

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herostar

20+ Year Contributor
1,929
13
Jul 24, 2002
Denver, Colorado
Just like the title says. Is there a point where an engine is too built for daily use?

I am asking this because a mechanic in town has told the parents (I'm 19 and driving 5 hours back and forth to college) that my engine is overbuilt. He said that it is not safe for highway driving. He mentioned things like the turbo being too big for my car and there being too much crankcase pressure.

I haven't had any problems with anything related to this besides my dipstick occasionally blowing out (which I fixed with a spring and clamp.) Is my setup to much for daily use?

stock head
ARP hardware
MLS headgasket
4g64 crank
1g block
Eagle rods
JE Pistons 8.5:1
60-1 turbo@ 17psi

Tuned decently well.
 
as long as its all put together right you shouldnt have any problems tell your parents mech to shove it up his "arse" :dsm:
 
Your car is not "overbuilt" in any sort of way. Tell that "mechanic" to mind his own business and STFU. As long as you keep up with your maintenance religiously, it should run just as good if not better than one running a bone stock car. My opinion. :thumb:
 
Tell that mechanic to STFU!!!!!!!!! He obviously doesn't know WTF he's talking about.
 
It seems that lots of mechanics are uninformed about anything aftermarket, in terms of upgrading, especially with more complex cars, such as turbo'd ones. There is this shop that I know that had absolutely no idea what Redline was and was pretty confused. They were also puzzled as to why the pressure plate was bright yellow (ACT 2600). I personaly think that there is no such thing as being overbuilt in terms of safety. It is like saying that using a condom while she is on the pill is going to turn out badly. You are just getting better insurance, pretty much and is not bad if you have too much.

Stupidity has nothing to do with the mechanic, it's his lack of knowledge.
 
Stupid = Marked by a lack of intelligence or care; foolish or careless: a stupid mistake. Yes there are other definitions as well.
 
Anyone know anything about the excessive crankcase pressure that goes along with building dsm's? I don't know much about it, so I can't argue against him telling my parents that all the seals are going to blow out. Please no more comments about stupid mechanics or telling him to shove it up his a$$ because he is sort of a family friend so my parents trust him alot.
 
I love the shade tree mechanics that have to know everything there is to know.. My dad has one and he believes EVERYTHING the guy has ever told him..


YES you can OVER BUILD a daily driven motor. but yours is not.. over built would be dry sump oiling. Huge Aluminum rods that require replacing every season.. etc....

as long as you did not plug off the PCV (HMM.. Positive Crank Case Vent) valve or the valve cover vent ( or bad rings) breather you will not have excessive crankcase pressure

It sounds like this mechanic needs to learn a few more things before he attempts to work on anything more complex than a carb'ed car. and PLEASE for your sake do not let him touch your car.


AS a example.. before I bought the car, the guy had a mechanic install the big 16g. The "mechanic" cut the brand new RRE J-pipe and re-routed it as the intake and was trying to put the turbo intake to the intercooler!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
myblack98gst said:
AS a example.. before I bought the car, the guy had a mechanic install the big 16g. The "mechanic" cut the brand new RRE J-pipe and re-routed it as the intake and was trying to put the turbo intake to the intercooler!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HAHAHA! Thx I needed that.
 
This same mechanic advised me not to get a braided stailess line for my oil feed, and to try to re-route my stock lines to work. He said he has never heard of a braided line being used as an oil feed line. :|
 
herostar said:
This same mechanic advised me not to get a braided stailess line for my oil feed, and to try to re-route my stock lines to work. He said he has never heard of a braided line being used as an oil feed line. :|


Well just saying that you obviously know he is a moron.. so why even ask the question. Tell him to go #### himself and move on.
 
herostar said:
Anyone know anything about the excessive crankcase pressure that goes along with building dsm's? I don't know much about it, so I can't argue against him telling my parents that all the seals are going to blow out. Please no more comments about stupid mechanics or telling him to shove it up his a$$ because he is sort of a family friend so my parents trust him alot.
This fellow doesn't often work on DSMs, does he. You have routine blowby from having a turbocharged engine. His not knowing this brings his capability to competently maintian your car -and, to protect your safety in it- into serious question.
Get another mechanic for yourself.
 
If you still have the original dipstick just put a new one in. The o-ring gets hard and they don't seal very well. Use a 1G dipstick, they're all metal and they won't break.

There are a ton of parts changers in the world.
There is also a decent amount of mechanics in the world.
Then you have technicians.
Finally there are people smart enough to properly modify a car who also actually posses the skills to work on the damn thing (ever see an engineer with a wrench? run), they are few and far between.

You have been talking to a parts changer.
 
NDgsx said:
If you still have the original dipstick just put a new one in. The o-ring gets hard and they don't seal very well. Use a 1G dipstick, they're all metal and they won't break.

There are a ton of parts changers in the world.
There is also a decent amount of mechanics in the world.
Then you have technicians.
Finally there are people smart enough to properly modify a car who also actually posses the skills to work on the damn thing (ever see an engineer with a wrench? run), they are few and far between.

You have been talking to a parts changer.


I agree. Nobody knows enough about turbocharged cars. I work at a dealership and they swear that 4 cylinder power is impossible. I think he needs to find the best performance shop in his town and maybe they wont mess his car up with a simple oil change.
 
herostar said:
Please no more comments about stupid mechanics or telling him to shove it up his a$$ because he is sort of a family friend so my parents trust him alot.

Well, he does not know sh!t and not any any amount of suger-coating will erode that undisputable fact. :thumb: Get yourself ANOTHER mechanic and do it fast! ;)
 
herostar said:
I am asking this because a mechanic in town has told the parents (I'm 19 and driving 5 hours back and forth to college) that my engine is overbuilt. He said that it is not safe for highway driving. He mentioned things like the turbo being too big for my car and there being too much crankcase pressure.


Tell your mechanic that the turbo is the perfect size as the turbo company calculated it based on your displacement, compression ratio and cam lift height that it provides exactly the right amount of back pressure to keep the motor running perfectly. :thumb: Cause you know EVERY motor MUST have back pressure! :laugh:

Honestly you can tell most mechanics to do a rear main seal on a 78 Volvo but don't ask them anything about performance because they know diddly except on their 70 Chevelle SS which hasn't left the garage in 15 years and is totally stock, but ONCE did rule the streets around here. And don't get him mad cause he will pull out his 15 second car and own all us rice burnersl!
 
their 70 Chevelle SS which hasn't left the garage in 15 years and is totally stock, but ONCE did rule the streets around here. And don't get him mad cause he will pull out his 15 second car and own all us rice burnersl!

LMFAO! :laugh:
 
NDgsx said:
If
Finally there are people smart enough to properly modify a car who also actually posses the skills to work on the damn thing (ever see an engineer with a wrench? run), they are few and far between.


I am an engineer and I turn my own wrenches. That explains all the people running away from me! Sometimes I wish I could run away from myself! :laugh: ... :cry:
 
DSMJim said:
that it provides exactly the right amount of back pressure to keep the motor running perfectly. :thumb: Cause you know EVERY motor MUST have back pressure!

I wish I could castrate the moron who came up with the idea that any engine needs backpressure.

But, I guess it was inevitable, since that's easier for morons to understand than exhaust velocity, gas inertia, and scavenging.
 
why dont you tell the mechanic to get up on someone else arse? what business of his is it to comment about your car? especially after all that money that you (or your mommy and daddy you lil rich boy) put into it.
 
NO NO NO, come on now go with this. Tell your parents mechanic to tell them you need a nice zo6 as a daily driver and slip him a $100 ;)

If not kick him in the balls and tell him to go to hell.

John
 
ITSME4G63 said:
especially after all that money that you (or your mommy and daddy you lil rich boy) put into it.
I would like to point out that I worked full time during school to be able to buy the car, and continue to work to pay for all the parts that are on it. My parents are completely against me putting money into this car besides oil changes and gas.
 
herostar said:
I would like to point out that I worked full time during school to be able to buy the car, and continue to work to pay for all the parts that are on it. My parents are completely against me putting money into this car besides oil changes and gas.

So what's the problem. Tell them to drop it. Its your car, you obviously have the ability to maintain and mod it your self. Tell them they can have a big laugh fest if it breaks and say "i told ya so" till they turn blue if they want. This mechanic has done some work to your car? I would back track his every step! Just dont give your Ps the oportunity to say "I told you so." :thumb:
 
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