NEW MOTOR: RUNS ROUGH
After the engine (brand new 555 crate motor) ran rough while the car was being finished, it wouldn't start at all back in June (this year). My mechanic finally realized the fuel injectors were clogged, took 'em out, and found a really FINE dust collected on/around them. Fuel filters were totally clean though. Weird. We cleaned them up and soaked 'em in cleaner for two days, because there isn't anyone around here that has the fuel injector cleaning tools. Put them back in the car and she fired up, albeit, it seemed to run rough to me. My mechanic says it's the "nature of the beast" -- still, I had doubts.
FUEL TEST RESULTS
Meanwhile, we sent a sample of the fuel to the local university for testing. Results came back showing aliminum oxide and traces of bleach.
Now, this was my first indication of bleach sabotage. It could have only been 3 people, all of whom I had hired to work on the car. But I doubted it was that. "Trace" amount of bleach -- perhaps it was from the lining of the new gas tank? I dunno.
NEW PROBLEM -- FAULTY DISTRIBUTOR
Nevertheless, I put in some seafoam in hopes to clean whatever crap was in the fuel. Ran the car for 45 minutes, then she died, this was in July. Turns out, this time, the problem was the distributor. It needed a replacement "proprietary" part that Mallory makes specifically for this engine, a part you can't buy anywhere but Edelbrock, so I sent the distributor back to Edelbrock for warrantee repair -- they repaired it and sent it back (without any word as to the root of the problem -- all they said was it's "fixed").
Once again, she fired right up and ran, but again, throttle response should not be with so much hesitation, especially in a new motor. WTF. Took out the fuel injectors and found that fine dust on them again. One of them wasn't firing at all. We were running on 7 cylinders.
THE INJECTORS GET CLEANED PROPERLY
This time, we found a place called Rovan Deisel in Mississauga, who has the fuel-injector cleaning/testing machine! Sent them out to get cleaned and tested and THIS TIME (after a $400 bill) at least I know they are all flowing within 1%.
Put them back on the car yesterday and she ran like a champ! Crisp throttle response for the first time ever! Turned on the insurance and began to drive her out to get the alignment done (remember, I haven't driven the beast yet). Before I got out of the lot, the fuel pressure started to drop. Lost all power, couldn't even make it up a small incline.
Seeing as I used up all my CAA tows for the year, I had to pay $112 for a flatbed to tow the car back to my mechanic's.
MORE GUNK FOUND -- TANK, PICKUP ASSY, FUEL PUMP
Dropped the tank emptied it. Found yellow discolored fuel and a piece of metal (like a flat metal clip) in there, rusted to sh*t. 1. How'd this clip get in there? It wouldn't fit through the gas filler neck!
2. The rust indicates heavy oxidation, from the chlorine in BLEACH.
Removed fuel pick up assembly and tested it and found why it never worked (fuel gauge always showed empty) -- it too was dirty.
Removed the fuel pump and upon disassembly, found corroded interior parts, lots of rust, and tons of this gunk inside there too. This is the Edelbrock 1790, it pushes 50PSI of fuel pressure (needed to run the engine). Sourcing a new one and my choices were
Performance Improvements - overnight - $1000
Summit - $385 + shipping + duties + taxes etc... over $500
Jegs - in stock -- $480 shipped, it'll be here by Friday
BLEACH CONFIRMED
At this point it's safe to conclude that bleach was, in fact, poured into my new gas tank. And I know who it was now. Sad part is he'd never admit to it. It's cost me months of headache, lost time/sleep, hours of labour repair/diagnosis time and a bunch of new parts. Yesterday alone I put the new fuel pump, tow bill, and fuel injector cleaning bill on my Visa for a total of $1000+. I ****ing worked SO HARD to pay off my visa and it took me ****ING MONTHS to get it down, only to have it go back up like this.
At this point in life, as angry as I am, I'm not upto revenge and crap. I'm leaving it in God's hands because He knows my hands are wiped clean.
After the engine (brand new 555 crate motor) ran rough while the car was being finished, it wouldn't start at all back in June (this year). My mechanic finally realized the fuel injectors were clogged, took 'em out, and found a really FINE dust collected on/around them. Fuel filters were totally clean though. Weird. We cleaned them up and soaked 'em in cleaner for two days, because there isn't anyone around here that has the fuel injector cleaning tools. Put them back in the car and she fired up, albeit, it seemed to run rough to me. My mechanic says it's the "nature of the beast" -- still, I had doubts.
FUEL TEST RESULTS
Meanwhile, we sent a sample of the fuel to the local university for testing. Results came back showing aliminum oxide and traces of bleach.
Now, this was my first indication of bleach sabotage. It could have only been 3 people, all of whom I had hired to work on the car. But I doubted it was that. "Trace" amount of bleach -- perhaps it was from the lining of the new gas tank? I dunno.
NEW PROBLEM -- FAULTY DISTRIBUTOR
Nevertheless, I put in some seafoam in hopes to clean whatever crap was in the fuel. Ran the car for 45 minutes, then she died, this was in July. Turns out, this time, the problem was the distributor. It needed a replacement "proprietary" part that Mallory makes specifically for this engine, a part you can't buy anywhere but Edelbrock, so I sent the distributor back to Edelbrock for warrantee repair -- they repaired it and sent it back (without any word as to the root of the problem -- all they said was it's "fixed").
Once again, she fired right up and ran, but again, throttle response should not be with so much hesitation, especially in a new motor. WTF. Took out the fuel injectors and found that fine dust on them again. One of them wasn't firing at all. We were running on 7 cylinders.
THE INJECTORS GET CLEANED PROPERLY
This time, we found a place called Rovan Deisel in Mississauga, who has the fuel-injector cleaning/testing machine! Sent them out to get cleaned and tested and THIS TIME (after a $400 bill) at least I know they are all flowing within 1%.
Put them back on the car yesterday and she ran like a champ! Crisp throttle response for the first time ever! Turned on the insurance and began to drive her out to get the alignment done (remember, I haven't driven the beast yet). Before I got out of the lot, the fuel pressure started to drop. Lost all power, couldn't even make it up a small incline.
Seeing as I used up all my CAA tows for the year, I had to pay $112 for a flatbed to tow the car back to my mechanic's.
MORE GUNK FOUND -- TANK, PICKUP ASSY, FUEL PUMP
Dropped the tank emptied it. Found yellow discolored fuel and a piece of metal (like a flat metal clip) in there, rusted to sh*t. 1. How'd this clip get in there? It wouldn't fit through the gas filler neck!
2. The rust indicates heavy oxidation, from the chlorine in BLEACH.
Removed fuel pick up assembly and tested it and found why it never worked (fuel gauge always showed empty) -- it too was dirty.
Removed the fuel pump and upon disassembly, found corroded interior parts, lots of rust, and tons of this gunk inside there too. This is the Edelbrock 1790, it pushes 50PSI of fuel pressure (needed to run the engine). Sourcing a new one and my choices were
Performance Improvements - overnight - $1000
Summit - $385 + shipping + duties + taxes etc... over $500
Jegs - in stock -- $480 shipped, it'll be here by Friday
BLEACH CONFIRMED
At this point it's safe to conclude that bleach was, in fact, poured into my new gas tank. And I know who it was now. Sad part is he'd never admit to it. It's cost me months of headache, lost time/sleep, hours of labour repair/diagnosis time and a bunch of new parts. Yesterday alone I put the new fuel pump, tow bill, and fuel injector cleaning bill on my Visa for a total of $1000+. I ****ing worked SO HARD to pay off my visa and it took me ****ING MONTHS to get it down, only to have it go back up like this.
At this point in life, as angry as I am, I'm not upto revenge and crap. I'm leaving it in God's hands because He knows my hands are wiped clean.