My FF Exige S engine expired yesterday...

[Mr. Know]

Geez Rob...you keep finding weird things with the FF install. Have you contacted them and/or the installer? Sorry if you have mentioned it earlier, as I may have missed it.

[robains]

And what would I say? Show them all the pictures and list out all their problems -- and then what? I have plenty more "issues" that I found that I haven't even mentioned yet - vacuum lines that don't fit the barbs they went on so they cracked, vacuum line caps that are too big (just fell off in my hands) for the barb, etc. etc. It's no wonder my car's idle oscillated all the time and stalled so often (even after "learning").

I have no idea what the lack of lambda from the Narrow band would have caused the EFI to do -- maybe this was the real source of the detonation and not the 2.5" death pully?

Most likely they'll deny everything or try to place blame on me. Unless I seek a lawyer my options are limited. Spending more money on a lawyer isn't gonna help even if I won the case, as I certainly don't want them touching my car ever again. I even gave them an opportunity to "make good", but there offer was still gonna cost me about $4000-$5000 -- that's not making good.

They know my phone number, if they want to make contact that's up to them.

Their quality issues will catch up with them.

[Bavarian Motorist]

Scary stuff...

[robains]

FINALLY!!!

My motor fired up today, yahoo!!!! So far no issues other than two ground wires I forgot to temporarily hook up to my battery. Idle is high at 2300 but I'm sure that can be resolved via EFI (Kris - help?).

Video of engine running

Sorry for the horrible audio, the video was taken on still camera (didn't even know it could do video).

pics of engine installed

It's been a long 2 months, but it was a good experience. RacePak sensors appear to be working also (EGT, water, boost, etc., etc.).

Rob

[Mr. Know]

Congrats Rob!

[robains]

Thanks.

Paging Kris from DRS -- looking for tuning assistance please

[MaineLotus]

Great to see you're running Rob! A lot of work, I know first hand.

[robains]

Thanks, just need to finish up some wiring cleanup and put the rear clam back on and remove the rear bumper, add some heat shield wrap (the good stuff), and add some Stainless steel mesh and install the IQ3 dash in place of the current stock dash...fortunately the later two tasks I can take my time on.

[camshaft]

Hi Rob,
I just wanted to chime in about the cometic gaskets. I think it might depend more on the engine they're going on. In the forced induction bmw world we don't have much else other than cometic. Guys do complain about them leaking, and sometimes not holding better than stock, but that's also when pushing over twice the stock power on the engine. There's also debate about their install just being very finicky. The bmw cometics are coated (not sure about others) and aren't supposed to be installed with copper spray, but some people disagree over whether or not the copper spray is actually better. My dad and I have an Active Autowerke supercharged e36 m3 with a hair less than twice the stock power and the only engine mods are the cometic hg and arp headstuds. So far there have been no issues (knock on carbon). Good luck with the car though!

Rich air,
Austin

[robains]

Thanks for the info Rich -- my car is back together and running now, needs some fine tuning on the dyno (that will happen next month). I went with a new stock Toyota gasket -- which is a multi-layered metal with some black coating (similar to pipe thread tape). Also used ARPs. I don't have any direct Cometic experience, this is just information I got from folks that build race engines.

I used to use the copper spray on my Kart engine but stopped using it as I did indeed get more head leaks with the copper spray.

Rob

[robains]

Some final "done" pics of my car. Click on Play Slideshow to see full screen.

I'll be driving the car down to SoCal Nov 14th to see what Kris can do with it -- goal is to have a car that has street manners along with track manners. I feel this is possible. About the only item I'll swap out for track days is the Cat and go with a "test pipe" (ceramic coated) from Sector 111 (along with pads and hoosiers of course).

I have some powder coated screen/mesh on the way (looks exactly like the front mesh) that I plan to fit in "the gap" around the VonHep. Not sure the mesh will hold up, but worth a try. Then it's track time, hopefully lots of track time so I can learn this car.

Thanks to everyone that has helped me out with important information. This car is a lot easier to work on that I thought it would be.

Rob