This is a continuance of a question I have for Mike @ Innovative but I thought I’d put it out there so others could benefit. My Z has run rich since day one and the tailpipe smoke is let’s say…excessive. I know Mike checked it out when we did the dyno pulls and said it looked fine but when I posted on another site some time ago, a concern called “cylinder washing” was brought up. I also considered that if I’m getting soot building up on my exhaust tips, would it stand to reason that it’s building up in other more important areas?
I know rich is safer than lean but could it also be detrimental? Anyone with personal experience / suggestions / advice (especially Mike) would be appreciated. Just obsessing and putting it out there.
I’ve pretty much have come to the conclusion that whenever someone speaks of “cylinder washing” they have no clue what there talking about. Cylinder washing is something that doesn’t happen on modern day efi systems. Unless your replacing spark plugs every five minutes (literally) to keep your car running then you have nothing to worry about. Sound to me more likw you have oil burn issues in which case id start checking turbo, pcv, leak down, etc to find out the smokey culprit.
OK, here’s what’s been done by the engine builder (import parts pro) and the installer (Specialty Z) from the previous owner. Also the dyno sheet from Mike at Innovative Tuning. I do not know the AFR as I am a newbie at this and still learning.
AC completely removed,
egr delete, TB water bypass.
Cruise control removed. Carbon canister removed.
Engine
PE1420 Turbos:
SZ down pipes, x pipe with resonators, dual tip exhaust
JWT Dual pop with dual MAF
Z1 sidemount intercoolers
Z1 Hard pipes
AMS radiator
UD pulley
All rubber hoses replaced with OEM
New 95+ Injector Harness
New OEM motor mount
New OEM Water Temp Sensor, Oil pressure Sensor
New 300 Degree Fuel Rails with 740cc Nismo injectors.
New 120k Kit
Kyle’s (Import Parts Pro) rebuild long block Stage 2.
Wiseco Pistons
Shotpeened Stock Rods
ARP Rod Studs
Ported exhaust and intake runners
5 angle radius cut valve job
New OEM Cam Seals
New OEM Head Gaskets
New OEM Oil Pump
OEM Oil Pump Gasket
JWT 400+ Cams
HD valve springs, and JWT cam sprocket adaptors
New OEM Hydraulic Lifters
Mike Smith Manifolds
SpecialtyZ Turbo Oil Line Kit
Nothing on that list says what tune / program you’re running. If you don’t know, take a look at the ECU (this link will tell you how to get to it: http://www.ttzd.com/tech/diagnostictech.html) and read what it says on the top of the box. If their isn’t a sticker there, then carefully pop the top off and read what’s written on the EPROM chip.
You can get fuel wash happen with modern efi. It happened to me last spring. My rings got fried and never seated due to being way to rich. Even after cleaning up the tune it didn’t matter since the rings were fried so I had to put new ones in this winter. Do not keep driving the car until you get a wideband on it. Check your oil. If it is super black like diesel oil and has a gas smell to it your rings might already be fucked.
This would be much easier to accomplish on unseated brand new rings. However this is not an easy thing to have happen. I have had an injector stick open and load a cyl with so much gas we had to pull the plug and literally let a waterfall of gas come out to not hydrolock and bend rods. There was not “cylinder wash”
I am with John(turbociv) on this one.
Also 1quick if there is one thing I can not stress enough it is that you should always hold much MUCHHHHH more weight on something that a professional(Mike@Innovative) has told you over some guy on the internet that is simply regurgitating some term he heard used by someone once before.
I do hold Mike’s experience in high regard, but I also like to have others opinions, just like with doctors. As I mentioned in .the earlier post I am more concerned about buildup in sensitive areas (turbo’s, valves, etc.) I just wanted some other viewpoints, and wanting to know if anyone thinks I should be overly concerned.
That is my point, you would seek another opinion from another doctor. Not a guy on the internet. I am not giving you a hard time at all and added input is always a good thing I was just speaking from experience there.
Do you have a video by chance of the amount of smoke? A turbo car is going to be tuned pretty rich generally as rich as 11:1 isn’t uncommon and this will produce some smoke.
If Specialty Z owned the car then I’d imagine the ECU was chipped / tuned. Or they could have just installed a “close enough” map like I have.
But looking at your dyno sheet makes me think something else is up (I only glanced at it before.)
388 hp / 361 tq is REALLY low for the mods you have. For reference, I made 300 hp / 320 tq totally stock with the exception of 1 JWT pop charger and my Weisco pistons. Leaking shitty stock turbos too.
Do you know how much boost you’re running? What boost controller do you have?
When you check the ECU using the link I posted above, also do the ECU diagnosis and let us know if there are any codes.
Your 300 hp rating is stock at flywheel and I assume that’s based on factory dyno tests / numbers. I ran on the Mustang dyno @ Innovative and that’s supposed to put out more “real world” numbers. Specialty Z’s dyno spit out 460 at the rears. I know running rich is going to rob some power but I told Mike I’d rather be safe than sorry but I also want to make sure it’s not running obscenely rich. Will see if I can look for more info. on the ECU programming. Blitz boost controller, Apexi AF controller.
I still want to know what the car is tuned on. All those mods, it has to be tuned on something.