Well, just got home from TOWING my car home.

Out for a ride tonight as it has been cold and crappy the last two days so I haven't been driving the car to work as it still doesn't want to start well when it is in the 30's. Finally got into the 50's again so thought I would go for a drive after dinner.

Buzzed around for a bit, couple of boosted runs on the highway. On the last one I thought I heard detonation. Slowed down and heard a knock. Tried to limp it home the last three miles. Knock kept getting louder. Finally a bang. Pulled over on the gravel road and there was a huge puddle. Walked back to where it started and found the part below. Called the wife to get my truck and come get me. Put the tow strap on it and pulled it home.

Blowing your motor-sucks.

Calling your wife to pull you home with the truck and having to explain why it happend-major sucks.

More pics tomorrow of what's left of the pan and subsequent teardown but a teaser pic for ya.

 

That looks like a piston rod cap... Damn...
Sorry Stein. I feel your pain. More details when you are ready, like what do you think went wrong?

 

Lets get the full deal, psi, power, engine, mileage, turbo.

These threads are scaring me more and more.

 

Yeah, I just hope the crank didn't jack the rod/piston into the head and totally FUBAR it. At least that would have salvage value. I have another 99 motor/tranny that I never sold just in case someting like this would ever happen. Just didn't think it would be so soon. I don't know what happened. AFR's have always been good - rich even. 11.5 tapering to 10.8 at redline.

EDIT: It was #4 if that matters. Stock 99, 72K miles, 8 psi T25 zero boost creep ever since installed.

 

Happy april 1

 

i feel good, I havent blown a motor since 6/7/07...but i never had one fail from power overload...

 

Yeah, whatever. I just "happen" to have a totally fucked up Miata rod cap handy.

 

Oh ****, got PM with photo's of more of the carnage and confirmation over the phone with John (stein)...I'm so sorry man

 

Holy ****, 72k + T25 @ 8psi.

**** me

 

Post up more pics of carnage.

 

Only with John's permission

 

God dammit **** **** **** **** **** **** **** ****. I need to build this **** before it blows the **** up on me.

 

****. Sorry to hear. :(

 

Sorry for your loss.

Did you just recently use a new ECU? Did you dyno tune fuel and spark?
I mean too lean or too much advance can kill any engine in minutes...

 

All that track time you've had I'm thinking you're golden. I've got 16K boosted miles and about 6 hours of track time on mine in the last year. Maybe our 94's are a little tougher? I have to admit I'm thinking about built motor too. I just hate putting more money into what used to be a cheap car.

Stuff breaks boosted or not. My last track day an instructor driving a low mile stock 99 lost his engine the first session. Motor sounded like a sack full of hammers. Something significant was broken inside. No boost, no aftermarket anything on that motor. Miata's are reliable but not fool proof.

Stein, breakage sucks *****. Nice you kept that spare!

 

**** that's bogus. I'm really curious about what caused this. These threads are starting to pile up.

 

More stress was applied to the part than it was capable of handling.

 

Sorry to hear it Stein.

Your engine hadn't shown any signs of age? I mean, things like consuming too much oil? that's how mine started. The #2 piston ring began acting up.

No overheating? I'm seriously beginning to hate the stock water temp gauge. I just finished rebuilding my engine (while they were doing it the shop guys fucked up my Autometer's sensor) and I started seeing signs of overheating (too much coolant consumption) but the water temp gauge never showed anything unusual. I bought another one from leatherface and I'm installing it as we speak.

When you install the other engine; do the coolant reroute (at least for peace of mind).

 

Thanks for the show of support guys, and not even one "dibs" on the 99 head!

 

It was late last night and I didn't forward them to my work computer so I don't have them here. Vlad, go ahead and post them up.