Rebuilt motors: Curious of your oil consumption, or filling the catchcan?

[Cliff p.]

@vw671

 

[Cliff p.]

Now after looking at the above photo, I realize that the instructions they provided weren't the case after all. I had questioned it, but decided to go with the provided instructions. Now after looking at the AOS cutaway, I need to have the crankcase blowby into the top and not the side port. Good thing I've got plenty of extra hose to make this change.

 

[vw671]

Now after looking at the above photo, I realize that the instructions they provided weren't the case after all. I had questioned it, but decided to go with the provided instructions. Now after looking at the AOS cutaway, I need to have the crankcase blowby into the top and not the side port. Good thing I've got plenty of extra hose to make this change.

I was going to say something..LOL..but I thought maybe the picture was of a slightly different model..haha

 

[Cliff p.]

Quick fix until I can get the correct AN fitting

 

[Cliff p.]

I was going to say something..LOL..but I thought maybe the picture was of a slightly different model..haha

According to Radium's instructions, you can use either the side or the top for the crankcase vent. When I looked closely at the diagram, the PROPER way is to have it vent to the top port since that's where the media chamber is that actually assists in the filtering. Why they'd mention you could use either port is beyond me. Maybe if you're using it as a catchcan and not as an AOS? Either way, ordered their banjo 10AN fittings that are super low profile , and will allow me to have it level with the crankcase vent.

 

[rotaryguy]

So why does JE recommend a bigger piston to wall clearance? I'm still debating which pistons to go with, JE or Mahle, just not sure yet.

JE recommended I go for basically OE size hole with their perfect skirt coated pistons. I talked to one of their tech guys just yesterday about it. The reason I called was because I have a spare long block I am building and had intended on this time going with Mahle 82.5's vs 83 so I had the block checked for taper, roundness, etc. and torque plate honed to 3.2480 which is exactly what Mahle told me to do. I then decided to go with the JE's, same size but I knew they were 2618 alloy and needed more room to grow so I called to find out what I would need to get the block re-honed to and was told its perfect where I was at = 3.2480 (82.5mm) with their new perfect skirt coated pistons.
As far as catch can goes for me, even after I built my first motor with the 83mm Mahle slugs I never had more than a few drops in my APR can running 35psi, stock oil separator, after beating on it for almost 25k miles and a recent plug failure its just now starting to burn oil abnormally, hence the recent work on a spare block. And like others, the motor sounds like crap cold on the Mahle's.

 

[Gvazquez]

JE recommended I go for basically OE size hole with their perfect skirt coated pistons. I talked to one of their tech guys just yesterday about it. The reason I called was because I have a spare long block I am building and had intended on this time going with Mahle 82.5's vs 83 so I had the block checked for taper, roundness, etc. and torque plate honed to 3.2480 which is exactly what Mahle told me to do. I then decided to go with the JE's, same size but I knew they were 2618 alloy and needed more room to grow so I called to find out what I would need to get the block re-honed to and was told its perfect where I was at = 3.2480 (82.5mm) with their new perfect skirt coated pistons.
As far as catch can goes for me, even after I built my first motor with the 83mm Mahle slugs I never had more than a few drops in my APR can running 35psi, stock oil separator, after beating on it for almost 25k miles and a recent plug failure its just now starting to burn oil abnormally, hence the recent work on a spare block. And like others, the motor sounds like crap cold on the Mahle's.

What plugs were you running when you had the failure?

 

[rotaryguy]

What plugs were you running when you had the failure?

NGK Race plugs - R7437-9
If you call NGK they will tell you to run the R7438 for high boost, I have tried both but after the plug failed I am leaning more towards the r7438-9

 

[Cliff p.]

7438-9 are the recessed plug, and I would second that they are recommended over the exposed ceramic/electrode.

 

[Gvazquez]

I honestly dont know as much as I should for best plug selection. Im running a BT setup and just use rs7 plugs

 

[Cliff p.]

Some good news so far this morning after roughly 200 miles of driving the car with the catchcan AOS setup. Zero oil consumption. Line is exactly where it was when I filled and cycled the car, then checked oil level. This makes me a happy camper. No more draining catch cans every hundred miles.

Edited to clarify AOS and not catchcan setup.

 

[Hoon]

JE recommended I go for basically OE size hole with their perfect skirt coated pistons. I talked to one of their tech guys just yesterday about it. The reason I called was because I have a spare long block I am building and had intended on this time going with Mahle 82.5's vs 83 so I had the block checked for taper, roundness, etc. and torque plate honed to 3.2480 which is exactly what Mahle told me to do. I then decided to go with the JE's, same size but I knew they were 2618 alloy and needed more room to grow so I called to find out what I would need to get the block re-honed to and was told its perfect where I was at = 3.2480 (82.5mm) with their new perfect skirt coated pistons.
As far as catch can goes for me, even after I built my first motor with the 83mm Mahle slugs I never had more than a few drops in my APR can running 35psi, stock oil separator, after beating on it for almost 25k miles and a recent plug failure its just now starting to burn oil abnormally, hence the recent work on a spare block. And like others, the motor sounds like crap cold on the Mahle's.

Wait...you honed the block without the machine shop having the pistons in hand to measure? Huge risk and I'd never recommend that, and am very surprised Mahle instructed that.

As for the piston slap, it sucks. I wouldn't buy Mahle pistons again just because of it. Even with very tight tolerances the engine sounds like a 300k mile chevy truck for the first 5 min...yet pistons with double the clearance are quiet. IMO that's a design flaw.

 

[Gvazquez]

I actually dont have much piston slap on cold starts, its definitely there but not bad at all. Idk what this means maybe I got lucky

 

[rotaryguy]

Wait...you honed the block without the machine shop having the pistons in hand to measure? Huge risk and I'd never recommend that, and am very surprised Mahle instructed that.

As for the piston slap, it sucks. I wouldn't buy Mahle pistons again just because of it. Even with very tight tolerances the engine sounds like a 300k mile chevy truck for the first 5 min...yet pistons with double the clearance are quiet. IMO that's a design flaw.

JE told me the same thing, I literally called them today and asked about that because my pistons arrived today and I had some questions about the ring gap factor. Seems the machining is now so precise on the manufacturing of the pistons they feel confident in telling you that. I do however have a torque plate, decent bore gauge and micrometer set to check myself but I imagine a far cry from professional grade.

 

[Cliff p.]

JE told me the same thing, I literally called them today and asked about that because my pistons arrived today and I had some questions about the ring gap factor. Seems the machining is now so precise on the manufacturing of the pistons they feel confident in telling you that. I do however have a torque plate, decent bore gauge and micrometer set to check myself but I imagine a far cry from professional grade.

Machining of pistons is one thing. Bore size is entirely different. When my block was bored/honed, the machinist discovered .002" wear in cylinder #2. What this means in the grand scheme of things, is that he only cut (honed) .002" of material out of cylinder #2, and made the cylinder true instead of "egg shaped". The remaining cylinders had approximately .003" to .0037" removed, in order for piston to wall clearance of .004" across every cylinder. This was after a second round of honing, because the first round not enough material was removed and the machinist gave me only .002" of p2w clearance, which would have seized the motor as soon as they expanded.