LS Crown Vic update
- Thread starter CameronVic
- Start date
Bulldog5.0
New member
Pretty fricken sweet!
CameronVic
New member
Busy with life, and it's cold. I have the car back in my garage. Putting a buddy's transmisison back together, and taking care of a few other things. The car needs oil lines, wastegate and bov lines, and a bunch of other little stuff. When it warms up, I'll get the motivation to mess with it, but it's not far off!
71cyclone
Capital Area Marauder Member
CameronVic
New member
Well I finally got the car running 2 months ago. I went to LS fest in early september with a completely untested setup (mistake), was fighting overboost issues. Long story short, I lifted the heads (but didn't confirm that until the next weekend at the track, I'll get to that).
I thought I might have too much wastegate spring in, so I took the spring inner springs out, leaving just the larger springs (should have made like 10-12). So I went to test it out, with less spring, only to find out the boost was just all over the place. It made less boost, but it would fall, and rise, and fall, etc.
Come to find out I damaged one of the wastegate's diaphragm's when I took the inner springs out. Then I found out I lifted both heads. So I parked the car for like a month and took care of life duties.
Finally got time to do the head gaskets like a month ago.
Dark spots are combustion going into the coolant:
In the mean time, I got the injectors flowed, cleaned, then re flowed. Painted the intake, got a new diaphragm, then went for a test drive. STILL HAVE BOOST ISSUES. WTF I think?! So i try a few things, nothing works.
Fast forward to today:
Finally, a good friend of mine that knows a lot more than me suggest I change the boost reference port from the compressor to the intake (my vacuum port log). I also decided I was going to put the inner springs back in because using the intake as a reference, and fixing a few other issues I had, on paper, it should make like 15-18 psi.
I have a very safe amount of timing in the tune at those manifold pressures, so I turned overboost protection basically off (set it to 28psi), and went and did a hit. Boost comes in, hits like 19psi, and falls to 16-17 and stays. Success!! (relative term)
I planned on going to Beech Bend today, but the track is closed for paving repairs on the property. So my last chance before the winter is next weekend (assuming they allow test and tune passes during the big thanksgiving weekend bracket event)
I thought I might have too much wastegate spring in, so I took the spring inner springs out, leaving just the larger springs (should have made like 10-12). So I went to test it out, with less spring, only to find out the boost was just all over the place. It made less boost, but it would fall, and rise, and fall, etc.
Come to find out I damaged one of the wastegate's diaphragm's when I took the inner springs out. Then I found out I lifted both heads. So I parked the car for like a month and took care of life duties.
Finally got time to do the head gaskets like a month ago.
Dark spots are combustion going into the coolant:
In the mean time, I got the injectors flowed, cleaned, then re flowed. Painted the intake, got a new diaphragm, then went for a test drive. STILL HAVE BOOST ISSUES. WTF I think?! So i try a few things, nothing works.
Fast forward to today:
Finally, a good friend of mine that knows a lot more than me suggest I change the boost reference port from the compressor to the intake (my vacuum port log). I also decided I was going to put the inner springs back in because using the intake as a reference, and fixing a few other issues I had, on paper, it should make like 15-18 psi.
I have a very safe amount of timing in the tune at those manifold pressures, so I turned overboost protection basically off (set it to 28psi), and went and did a hit. Boost comes in, hits like 19psi, and falls to 16-17 and stays. Success!! (relative term)
I planned on going to Beech Bend today, but the track is closed for paving repairs on the property. So my last chance before the winter is next weekend (assuming they allow test and tune passes during the big thanksgiving weekend bracket event)
Marauderjack
Senior Member
Exhausties come out of the FRONT bumper???
Any mufflers??
Is it LOUD??
FANTASTIC work!!:beer::bows:
Any mufflers??
Is it LOUD??
FANTASTIC work!!:beer::bows:
CameronVic
New member
Exhausties come out of the FRONT bumper???
Any mufflers??
Is it LOUD??
FANTASTIC work!!:beer::bows:
No mufflers. It's about as loud as a Harley is when they're sitting next to you at a red light.
Oh, and thanks a lot!
CameronVic
New member
I hope it's faster than the old setup. lol. I'm trying to keep my expectations low. I will say this, butt dyno indicates the new twin setup feels about as fast on 16-17 psi as the old single setup felt on 19-20 psi. When it's all said and done; I'll have this one on 22-24 psi.
CameronVic
New member
Thanks man! I did all the mechanical work (engine assembly, transmission build, etc), but I didn't do any of the welding. I have some really talented friends that helped me with all that!
chief455
New member
quoted because I agree. Make it work, and it will be cool...
CameronVic
New member
I got the car up and running just before LS fest. Was having some boost control issues, lifted the heads, got it figured out, then winter happened. Then I decided I wanted to change my gauges around, I was tired of manually shifting the 4L80e, and I wanted to redo a bunch of wiring. So I took the car down for a little bit. I bought a racepak, bought a microsquirt and harness to control the transmission (which communicates with my ms3x), and re did a bunch of wiring. Here’s some pics:
Got some new wheels, 15X10 weld drag lights. Painted to match the front steelies.
Also, my engineering and fabrication department helped me add the hardware for a hall sensor on the front wheel to utilize traction control. The first time at the track (prior to having traction control), I did a 130mph wheelspeed burnout when the tires let loose at the top of first (it shifted 1-2, then immediately 2-3) and it was a little sketchy, I decided not to make another pass until I added that.
The car is on 15-16psi now and made this pass last night. Creeping up on my personal best (6.44@111) with the old single setup. This is the 7th pass on the twin setup. I’m very happy with the results so far. I’m going to the 1/4 next weekend for an event, gonna see what she can do on a couple more psi.
Got some new wheels, 15X10 weld drag lights. Painted to match the front steelies.
Also, my engineering and fabrication department helped me add the hardware for a hall sensor on the front wheel to utilize traction control. The first time at the track (prior to having traction control), I did a 130mph wheelspeed burnout when the tires let loose at the top of first (it shifted 1-2, then immediately 2-3) and it was a little sketchy, I decided not to make another pass until I added that.
The car is on 15-16psi now and made this pass last night. Creeping up on my personal best (6.44@111) with the old single setup. This is the 7th pass on the twin setup. I’m very happy with the results so far. I’m going to the 1/4 next weekend for an event, gonna see what she can do on a couple more psi.
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