- something is wrong with the tune.
Pro Charged Z06 Help
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 27
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Pro Charged Z06 Help
Hi, I am trying to get some information for my father-in-law who is not computer savvy to say the least.
He has a 2007 Z06 and just installed a Pro-Charger and a full CORSA exhaust. It is putting out about 660 RWHP at about 6 PSI.
First day home I (lucky me)
took it for a test drive and did a roll-on in 1st gear and shifted at about 5500 to 2nd then let off. Immediately was a smell of smoke and I pulled over. Making a long story short the head gasket blew and one of the plugs is flattened. They scopped the engine yesterday and said that it looks like one of the pistons has a chip in it.
They are going to look more at it today to be sure.
Any ideas on what is going on? Someone told us that Pro-Charges destroy engines. Others have said that it was because we were not running 100+ octane gas.
What strikes me as strange is that they flogged it several times on the dyno and on test drives before leaving the shop and I practically baby the thing and this happens.
Any advice?
He has a 2007 Z06 and just installed a Pro-Charger and a full CORSA exhaust. It is putting out about 660 RWHP at about 6 PSI.
First day home I (lucky me)
took it for a test drive and did a roll-on in 1st gear and shifted at about 5500 to 2nd then let off. Immediately was a smell of smoke and I pulled over. Making a long story short the head gasket blew and one of the plugs is flattened. They scopped the engine yesterday and said that it looks like one of the pistons has a chip in it. They are going to look more at it today to be sure.Any ideas on what is going on? Someone told us that Pro-Charges destroy engines. Others have said that it was because we were not running 100+ octane gas.
What strikes me as strange is that they flogged it several times on the dyno and on test drives before leaving the shop and I practically baby the thing and this happens.
Any advice?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 2,166
Likes: 26
From: Odenton MD
Hi, I am trying to get some information for my father-in-law who is not computer savvy to say the least.
He has a 2007 Z06 and just installed a Pro-Charger and a full CORSA exhaust. It is putting out about 660 RWHP at about 6 PSI.
First day home I (lucky me) took it for a test drive and did a roll-on in 1st gear and shifted at about 5500 to 2nd then let off. Immediately was a smell of smoke and I pulled over. Making a long story short the head gasket blew and one of the plugs is flattened. They scopped the engine yesterday and said that it looks like one of the pistons has a chip in it. They are going to look more at it today to be sure.
Any ideas on what is going on? Someone told us that Pro-Charges destroy engines. Others have said that it was because we were not running 100+ octane gas.
What strikes me as strange is that they flogged it several times on the dyno and on test drives before leaving the shop and I practically baby the thing and this happens.
Any advice?
He has a 2007 Z06 and just installed a Pro-Charger and a full CORSA exhaust. It is putting out about 660 RWHP at about 6 PSI.
First day home I (lucky me)
took it for a test drive and did a roll-on in 1st gear and shifted at about 5500 to 2nd then let off. Immediately was a smell of smoke and I pulled over. Making a long story short the head gasket blew and one of the plugs is flattened. They scopped the engine yesterday and said that it looks like one of the pistons has a chip in it. They are going to look more at it today to be sure.Any ideas on what is going on? Someone told us that Pro-Charges destroy engines. Others have said that it was because we were not running 100+ octane gas.
What strikes me as strange is that they flogged it several times on the dyno and on test drives before leaving the shop and I practically baby the thing and this happens.
Any advice?
Sounds to my like your tune was off. Way off. LS7 psitons can't handle any detonation.
Prochargers don't destroy engines, bad tunes do!
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 27
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So you believe that the tune caused detonation that flattened the plug that chipped the piston and blew the head gasket too? Would it be that the tune was too lean? Would using pump gass have anything to do with this?
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 14,555
Likes: 1,255
From: Saint Albans, WV
Most of us use 93 octane pump gas so that will not be your problem. The LS7 is not the ideal engine to boost especially if someone makes a tuning booboo. Of course there is always the possibility of some foreign object being shot through the cylinder I guess.
Last edited by saplumr; Oct 16, 2007 at 04:11 PM.
Former Vendor
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 2,239
Likes: 1
What happened to your Dad's engine is certainly not the norm, but it can happen and may not be the tuner's fault. It can be hard to tell who or what did what. Was a boost a pump added to the car? We always add one as a precaution, just to make sure fuel pressure is kept up. Bob
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Instructor
Joined: Aug 2007
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From: Bushwood
St. Jude Donor '08
Advanced
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 89
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From: lakeside ca
Pistons are good for about 100 extra RWHP at the levels you are making I would change the pistons and Rods. Also consider meth injection or Torco octane booster. Good luck and sorry to hear about your misfortune.
Been there done it myself!!!
Been there done it myself!!!
Last edited by hotrod777; Oct 18, 2007 at 09:30 PM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 2,166
Likes: 26
From: Odenton MD
It's an instantaneous red flag when you start asking what kind of fuel you should run. If you don't know the answer to that question, that is ominous.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Jul 2007
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Wasn't the blower man. Too many people have been doing this for a long time very successfully. Not all people know how to tune a car. Yes, i believe you had a bad tune.
It's an instantaneous red flag when you start asking what kind of fuel you should run. If you don't know the answer to that question, that is ominous.
It's an instantaneous red flag when you start asking what kind of fuel you should run. If you don't know the answer to that question, that is ominous.
Procharger says you can run pump, but others have said it is too low. I asked here because what is "supposed" to be run and what people have success with can be 2 different things and I figured I would get a better opinion or different opinion.Thanks for your help anyway.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 2,166
Likes: 26
From: Odenton MD
I asked what kind of fuel because everyone says something different. So how does that mean I should know the answer? Procharger says you can run pump, but others have said it is too low. I asked here because what is "supposed" to be run and what people have success with can be 2 different things and I figured I would get a better opinion or different opinion.
Thanks for your help anyway.
Procharger says you can run pump, but others have said it is too low. I asked here because what is "supposed" to be run and what people have success with can be 2 different things and I figured I would get a better opinion or different opinion.Thanks for your help anyway.
What octane did your tuner tune the car for? 93 octane is not too low if the car was tuned correctly with that octane in the gas tank. Even 91 can be tuned for. Vortech offers a tune that runs with 91 octane that comes with their c6 z06 kit.
So you should be able to run pump gas if the car is tuned to run on pump gas.
Sorry for be-littling your questions in the post. Call me and we can talk. See my PM.
Racer
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 256
Likes: 0
From: SoCal
It's not theheadunitthat blows up engines it's the Tune(r) that pushes the limit. In this case the LS7 has a thin limit.
Again, Gas is not the culprit on it's own. But the Tune must match the gas. Also how much boost was it running? 660Rwhp on 93 sounds un-realistic to me...or atleast not long lasting. What else is done to the car to make that much HP? Or is it 660Fwhp?
I run 5psi standard Vortech Kit(576rwhp). I'm in Cali were we get the really outstanding 91 octane as our highest level and the car runs flawless. I even had a bad tank of gas and got detonation but had no problems as the tune is conservative. Granted I didn't continue to drive to car hard enough to get more detonation on that tank of gas. The lesson learned is have a conservative tune that even if you get a bad tank you don't grenade your LS7. Also have a good ear...it'll save you huge $$$ in the end...if you know what I mean.
Sorry to hear about your misfortune...best of luck getting it back up and running.
Chad
Again, Gas is not the culprit on it's own. But the Tune must match the gas. Also how much boost was it running? 660Rwhp on 93 sounds un-realistic to me...or atleast not long lasting. What else is done to the car to make that much HP? Or is it 660Fwhp?
I run 5psi standard Vortech Kit(576rwhp). I'm in Cali were we get the really outstanding 91 octane as our highest level and the car runs flawless. I even had a bad tank of gas and got detonation but had no problems as the tune is conservative. Granted I didn't continue to drive to car hard enough to get more detonation on that tank of gas. The lesson learned is have a conservative tune that even if you get a bad tank you don't grenade your LS7. Also have a good ear...it'll save you huge $$$ in the end...if you know what I mean.
Sorry to hear about your misfortune...best of luck getting it back up and running.
Chad
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 779
Likes: 2
From: Bloomingdale Illinois
From your description it sounds like detonation cracked the edge of one your pistons rings or ring lands from the pounding.
The piece of the piston floating around in the combustion chamber hit your spark plug crushing it's electrode and put a dent on top of your piston.
The tune was probably a little too aggressive for your non forged pistons.
OEM cast pistons are like egg shells when detonation is introduced.
No piston will last forever under those conditions . Forged are just able to take a beating longer before failing thus enabling a riskier power tune vs. a conservative tune.
A bad tune will kill any motor.
Might as well go for forged pistons now.
Hope you get it running soon.
.
.
.
Perry
The piece of the piston floating around in the combustion chamber hit your spark plug crushing it's electrode and put a dent on top of your piston.
The tune was probably a little too aggressive for your non forged pistons.
OEM cast pistons are like egg shells when detonation is introduced.
No piston will last forever under those conditions . Forged are just able to take a beating longer before failing thus enabling a riskier power tune vs. a conservative tune.
A bad tune will kill any motor.
Might as well go for forged pistons now.
Hope you get it running soon.
.
.
.
Perry
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 2,166
Likes: 26
From: Odenton MD
From your description it sounds like detonation cracked the edge of one your pistons rings or ring lands from the pounding.
The piece of the piston floating around in the combustion chamber hit your spark plug crushing it's electrode and put a dent on top of your piston.
The tune was probably a little too aggressive for your non forged pistons.
OEM cast pistons are like egg shells when detonation is introduced.
No piston will last forever under those conditions . Forged are just able to take a beating longer before failing thus enabling a riskier power tune vs. a conservative tune.
A bad tune will kill any motor.
Might as well go for forged pistons now.
Hope you get it running soon.
.
.
.
Perry
The piece of the piston floating around in the combustion chamber hit your spark plug crushing it's electrode and put a dent on top of your piston.
The tune was probably a little too aggressive for your non forged pistons.
OEM cast pistons are like egg shells when detonation is introduced.
No piston will last forever under those conditions . Forged are just able to take a beating longer before failing thus enabling a riskier power tune vs. a conservative tune.
A bad tune will kill any motor.
Might as well go for forged pistons now.
Hope you get it running soon.
.
.
.
Perry
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 27
Likes: 0
We were at about 560+ when were were at around 5 PSI and no pipes. When we bumped the boost and added the pipes the tune was a apparently too lean on the top end and also we were running stock head gaskets.
We are now going with the forged pistons, steel rods, new crank, new cam, new fuel system and we will see what we end up with then.
Thanks for your help guys especially WGT!
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 2,166
Likes: 26
From: Odenton MD
The peak power was at about 6 PSI. Also we have headers and a CORSA exhause so it was not like we were trying to get to 660RWHP by just pushing the tune. We were going for 600, but that is just where we ended up after the pipes.
We were at about 560+ when were were at around 5 PSI and no pipes. When we bumped the boost and added the pipes the tune was a apparently too lean on the top end and also we were running stock head gaskets.
We are now going with the forged pistons, steel rods, new crank, new cam, new fuel system and we will see what we end up with then.
Thanks for your help guys especially WGT!
We were at about 560+ when were were at around 5 PSI and no pipes. When we bumped the boost and added the pipes the tune was a apparently too lean on the top end and also we were running stock head gaskets.
We are now going with the forged pistons, steel rods, new crank, new cam, new fuel system and we will see what we end up with then.
Thanks for your help guys especially WGT!
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 27
Likes: 0
So any suggestions on the tires would be greatly appreciated too.Thanks again...I also PM you WGT.
Racer
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 256
Likes: 0
From: SoCal
Wow!...great to know headers and exhaust let's the horses out!!! WGT do you also have full exaust? Do you still have the aftermarket CAM in it?
From what I've heard the stock fuel system can safely support around that 575RWHP number. I know that PIO had A&A make a few changes and instantly the car went up 30rwhp.
It sounds like the think is going to be a complete beast! Please keep us all updated. I feel sorry for the clutch and half-shafts as they are going to feel what "real" hp feels like!
As far as tires go I've been asking the same questions as even with my measely 576rwhp 1st and 2nd are useless at anywhere near full throttle. I think WGT uses Hoosier A6(autocross compound) and is happy. If its a car not driven much(mileage wise) that may be the only way to go as those guys won't last too long. Fun in the rain though...lol.
Also sounds like the Nitto INVO's may be a little better than the goodyears. I hear they are a 1/2" taller which for our big hp cars would be a bad thing. May affect speedo accuracy though.
Cheers,
Chad
From what I've heard the stock fuel system can safely support around that 575RWHP number. I know that PIO had A&A make a few changes and instantly the car went up 30rwhp.
It sounds like the think is going to be a complete beast! Please keep us all updated. I feel sorry for the clutch and half-shafts as they are going to feel what "real" hp feels like!
As far as tires go I've been asking the same questions as even with my measely 576rwhp 1st and 2nd are useless at anywhere near full throttle. I think WGT uses Hoosier A6(autocross compound) and is happy. If its a car not driven much(mileage wise) that may be the only way to go as those guys won't last too long. Fun in the rain though...lol.
Also sounds like the Nitto INVO's may be a little better than the goodyears. I hear they are a 1/2" taller which for our big hp cars would be a bad thing. May affect speedo accuracy though.
Cheers,
Chad