Terrorist attack in cylinder 1
 

I will try to keep this short.

Purchased a 99 long block motor with FMI turbo kit already on it with turbo link in July. Motor had 75k, boosted for 35k. Stupidly, I did not do a compression test. It was installed in a 97 miata, took me about a month with waiting on parts and breaking stuff and waiting on more parts.

Instead of the Turbo Link I used a MSPnP from Stratified Auto. Got the car running well finally after I calibrated the wideband but still had a high idle (1200-1300rpm). I ran the autotune feature several times and it seamed to help stabilize the AFR's. The car was idling at around 15-16 afr but would go down to 11 when on the throttle. The only obvious problem at this point was that the clutch was completely letting go a 4k rpm's at 5-6psi. I was in the process of looking a a shop to dyno tune it.

The other night I was doing some spirited driving with a friend in the passenger seat with a laptop open, tunerstudio running. Everything looked okay. It was the hardest I have driven the car since the install. I did hard launch in first and shifting to 2nd when I thought I felt the clutch slip. As soon as I let go of the clutch in second I heard and felt a loud bang and shatter caused by, what I assume, were pieces of metal flying and bouncing all over the place. The car shut off but I assumed it was the clutch that broke.

Pull into a shopping complex and several people were looking around the bay when they noticed engine oil all over. Then a friend says, "OH! Is that your crank I see?" I looked and saw my crank through a hole in the side of the block. Finally jacked the car up and found the oil pan doing a spread eagle. It was a lot more serious than I first presumed and what I though was the clutch slip in 1st was probably something breaking in the motor.

Some other friends went back to the scene of the crime and found this along with pieces of the pan on the road:
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1348628018

The autopsy:
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1348628018https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1348628018
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1348628018
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1348628018
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1348628018
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1348628018
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1348628018
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1348628018
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...34204940_n.jpg
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1348628018


Not 100% sure what caused it. I read that 99's with piggy back are most prone to venting but is still very rare. I guess under the right conditions, any engine will give. It could have been the tune or lack thereof or a pre-existing conditions in the motor. The motor was most likely detonating. The other rods were also bent. The head is not unscathed but I think it may be able to be reused with some honing and valve replacement.

So that's my story. Next step is acquiring a 97 block and build it right with forged internals, lower compression and arp hardware. My goal was never to make big HP #'s (~200whp) but I rather be safe and make it reliable especially since it will see track time and plenty of autocrosses.

Any advice/tips/recommendations for the future build would be greatly appreciated. I am still relatively new to the Miata scene (1 year). Thanks.

Vasken

Wow that is some massive damage, it literally grenaded. The rod looks like an amorphous blob of metal. Sucks to see this happen to a motor you just got.

What is the budget for the upcoming work? Do you see yourself going upwards of 200 whp in the future?

Yea, I am bummed because I have to start the whole thing almost from scratch after putting a ton of time into to already. But oh well.

Next step is to acquire a 97 block and build it right with forged internals, lower compression and arp hardware. I am going to try to reuse the head. My goal was never to make big HP #'s (~200whp) but I rather be safe and make it reliable especially since it will see track time and plenty of autocrosses.

Props for an amazing explosion and creative thread title.

At least now you will be able to build the engine that you had sexy dreams about before you bought this one.

You said TS was running... If you have a datalog put it up so we can witness what was happening when the catastrophe unfolded.

Dude, that thing blew! Holy shit, I have never seen one like that before. About what RPMs where you doing when it let go? That is gnarly.

I had TS open but not datalogging. I wish!

It was maybe around 4k rpm's at 66% throttle position. 11.2 afr.

Curly, the title of the post was one of my friends reactions when he saw the carnage. I cant take credit for it but I felt the same way when he said it.

I'm not an expert here but i have the feeling if you were to do a compression test right now... it wouldnt do too well.

:D

Look at the bright side, it's time to build it better.

5-6psi? you sure?

great pics though!

Soviet, that is a guess. I wasnt looking at the gauge. It could have been more than that and probably was but I dont think it was over 10psi though.

Usually rods fail from power not tunning and your pistons dont look fried. Hmm actually that i look at them the pistons do look a bit crispy around the corners. How much spark were u running? Post a pic of your timing map.

They hate us for our freedoms.

Wow, this rod looks totaly over stretched, look at the part that should be around the piston pin!
should have seen lots and lots of rpm back in time

Perhaps a shift from 3rd to 2nd instead of 4th?

Needs moar patriot act or the terrorists win.

Looks like your inline 3-cylinder engine has some new speed holes. I see no problems here.

Welcome to the Man's club.

Sorry for your loss :(

if your looking for ~200ish you can do it with a stock motor on some fat injectors and e85.

I have a 90 1.6L used a MS and 770cc injectors from the RX7 turbo and a TINY turbo and made 240whp on e85 (also got a 255 fuel pump)

the title brought me here, now I see the lulz...


Sucks that it literally grenaded.

Many of us have destroyed engines but that has got to be the worst ive seen on here.

Definitely not a missed shift. Never got to 3rd gear. I will try to get a timing table pic for everyone to laugh at.

All of the research I have done shows that most turbo miatas are with stock motors. Is it overkill to get forged rods and forged lower compression pistons? Money is not very easy to come by especially after all that I spent for the swap and to get it running. Again I don't have any intentions of going big. I was never a "I need more power" guy. I will be more than happy with low 200's to the wheels. So would I be wasting my m
I was thinking of getting wiseco pistons 9:1 CR from a friend who can get the set for under 500 shipped and the Carillo rods from 949. ARP head studs to close it up. Too much?

FYI, I am using 420cc rx8 injectors.

Got some good news though, machine shop said the head is okay. Nothing a little honing and a new valve can't fix. Also picked up the new block from a 94 with less than 90k. Cylinder 3 has some scores but not terrible. I have to see what machine shop says.