Thanks Scott, I really appreciate your input.
Nobody from C&C has contacted me. They are probably afraid I'd ask how the Mercury is doing...
On an oil pump note, what are the two or three plugs on the bottom and side of the thing? They look like they were put there for an oil cooler or some other attachment... very strange...
Sounds like I will stick with the stock cams unless I find some more details on the Cosworth. Anything big $ is dependent on job status...
I may have found a super deal on pistons and machine work. My Dad's neighbor in Gardnerville owns
United Engine and Machine Company makers of KB pistons and they are very interested in getting into the performance import market. I'll talk to them on Monday but from what Dad talked to him, it sounds like they want to put hands on and see failures and build some pistons for me. (crosses fingers)
On my '07 engine.... OK, I'll fess up now... Something happened to one cylinder last Friday at partial throttle between turns 6 and 8 at Thunderhill. And yes, I have pretty good video front and rear, but it will have to wait.
My guess right now is that I had catastrophic ring and/or ring land failure on 1 cylinder. It pressurized the block, blew the hose off the crossover breather on the left side of the intercooler and then sprayed oil all over the engine compartment onto the windshield, etc.. and of course started billowing smoke. It still ran and I limped it back to to the pits. It still runs, mostly and is smoking less, but is very not happy.
I just got it back to Reno yesterday right before the meet, so have not had a chance to pull plugs or anything yet.
I had some initial overboost but slowed and pitted immediately and bumped all the wastegate duty cycles. I'll have to look at the video, but I think it was fine for a number of laps the next session before it blew. I was watching gauges carefully. Good thing I know this track very well.
I might have to blame this on tuning at altitude and driving close to sea level, but for the most part it was the same tune I had been running on the old engine and beating the crap out of at multiple "seaer" level tracks. And Matt and I beat the crap out of the new engine for the last 2 solo days. TGV deletes is the only real change I made between engines and I tweaked the intake maps for those after quite a bit of logging both open and closed loop. I had also backed some timing out in a few areas where it would occasionally knock under extreme load at low RPM and pull down the advance multiplier. It is largely a glorified stage 2 map damn it. Grrrrr....
At least the piston guys will have a long term wear and a likely catastrophic failure parts to put hands on... And yes, this is why my Nephew and I tore down the old long block earlier this week.
Unless I get a job, this car may be down for quite some time as I can't justify any more expense on it.
What is kind of interesting is that Scott has had mostly oiling and bearing issues, and I appear to have ring issues...