From B8 to B6T - My New Build!

[FestYboy]

You are correct, but typically pre-ignition occurs at lower RPM and higher load. It's possible you're experiencing "blow out" under boost. Pull your plugs and gap them to .025" and retest.

[TWFodor]

I pulled the plugs the other day and gapped them to .028". Should I go more?

What exactly is blow out?

[dliverance]

Blow out is when the boost air extinguishes the spark

[TWFodor]

I have a bad feeling about this. The car was smoking quite a bit this morning for about 15 seconds upon start up. Definitely smelled and looked like oil. I hope this isn't an indicator of what is to come. It didn't smoke after that though.

Oh and I may have figured out my timing issue. My vacuum tubing going to the advance on the distributor is crimped. It needs to be longer so I will be getting some tubing today to replace it.

[Dragonhealer]

Well I attempted to adjust the timing the other day and now I believe I hear pinging in higher RPM. Not sure what detonation sounds like but I do hear something that isn't there under normal driving conditions.

This is probably a stupid question that I should know, but on my lower timing cover there is a 10 in the middle, which I can only assume is 10 degrees BTDC, and there is a T on the bottom (towards the front of the car). Is that T for TDC? If so, then 14 degrees would be 2 notches above the 10 correct?

Two notches above the 10 mark is correct, as long as the damper ring has not slipped.
Do you have a knock box hooked up?

[TWFodor]

Yep, knock box is hooked up

[Advancedynamix]

I have a bad feeling about this. The car was smoking quite a bit this morning for about 15 seconds upon start up. Definitely smelled and looked like oil. I hope this isn't an indicator of what is to come. It didn't smoke after that though.

Oh and I may have figured out my timing issue. My vacuum tubing going to the advance on the distributor is crimped. It needs to be longer so I will be getting some tubing today to replace it.

Yeah, the vacuum signal is important.
If your seeing knock at 12 degrees, your balancer ring could have slipped and your actually advanced much further.
I would blame the oil smoke on the PCV/crank ventilation before assuming any other problems.
Do yourself a big favor and vent the block and Valve cover into a separator and to atmosphere. The PCV system on the b6t is a problem. It seems to kinda work when the engine is bone stock in a Capri, but higher boost or bigger exhaust or any mods and it'll start dumping oil into the turbo and the intake manifold. You notice it on start up because oil that was stuck to the walls of your intake tract has now settled and pooled. When pooled, it can easily get ducked into the engine.

[TWFodor]

Well, this may have been a short run. Fun while it lasted but the engine is making some nasty noises and power is down. Sounds like a knock to me. I'll try and check it out tonight when I get home.

[dliverance]

Have you taken a good look at the turbo? Also, check the alternator. I had a BP once that I thought I blew up but it was actually the alternator bearing that crapped out. Sounded like terrible knocking under any load.

[TWFodor]

Well, after dropping the oil, I found out that it only had 1.3 quarts left of slightly metallic oil, which is probably what killed the bearings. I had topped it off when I finished the swap a month ago with 3.6 quarts, so its very apparent that this engine has been burning a heap of oil. It really sucks not having a dipstick!

I never saw any puddles beneath the car, but the hose I used for the turbo oil drain does sweat a drop of oil on occasion. So, long story short, I will be purchasing an engine from a shop near me. It is from a 91 non-turbo Capri, with 115k miles. I do realize the non-turbo and turbo B6D engines are slightly different. I will need to swap the exhaust cam and the oil pan from my blown engine, and I will need to run premium fuel to accommodate the higher compression.

I will be salvaging as much as I can from the blown engine. Pistons, intake manifold, rods if they are good, etc. Eventually I may swap the pistons, but its unlikely it will be anytime soon.

[william]

You'll be fine boosting a b6d capri guys do all the time if that engine was from an auto it's the best factory setup for boost other then the cams.
The manual b6d cams will be fine with boost.

So does this mean you won't be at lakestiva?

[TWFodor]

You'll be fine boosting a b6d capri guys do all the time if that engine was from an auto it's the best factory setup for boost other then the cams.
The manual b6d cams will be fine with boost.

So does this mean you won't be at lakestiva?

Its from an auto, so that is good to hear. I plan on doing the swap this weekend, but if something doesn't work out, then we'll just take my wife's car. I dont want to miss a meet! Plus I have parts I'm selling

[william]

Haha awesome! I need to try and get my engine situated,
I've got drivers side axel bind. That and fred what's to buy these wheels back at lakestiva so, I need to order some tires for my steel wheels.

[Advancedynamix]

The best way to make a b6t happy is to utilize the block vent. While your swapping engines, this would be a good time to address that.

Vented block helps the rings to seal properly. B6t management runs incredibly rich under boost and has a tendency to wash the oil quickly. Thin oil then stays suspended in the air longer and will travel out the valve cover vent while under boost and out the PCV vent while under deceleration. Ring blow-by will get worse as the oil is washed away from the cylinder walls. As you can imagine, this snowballs quickly. A slightly worn B6t will ingest it's own oil at an incredible rate. Many people blame this on the turbo because the turbo will have oil in it from the valve cover vent that goes into the turbo inlet pipe. The turbo is, often times, not the issue. The turbo will also pass oil if the oil is thinned with gasoline and the bottom end of the engine is pressureized by ring blow by. Thin, dirty oil will also destroy a turbo quickly.
These engines were designed to have a vented block, that's why the ports and pipes are there. Our ignorant EPA engineers discouraged such a system and Mazda/Ford capped it off. With the block vent ports blocked off, the bottom end must vent through the oil return ports from the head to the block. The b6t doesn't have sufficient oil return ports to do this and drain the oil effectively. Later Mazda engines have more oil return ports.
Piston rings seal due to a gas pressure differential and a thin oil film on the cylinder wall. When the bottom end of the engine is pressurized, the pressure differential is reduced. When the thin oil film is washed by unburned fuel escaping past the rings, the rings become even less effective. Also, ring blow by introduces carbon into the oil (from the combustion process). Carbon (suspended in fuel thinned oil) will destroy bearings quickly. Carbon is extremely abrasive. If your oil comes out black after less than 2000 miles, your rings are not happy.
Bottom line, if you want to have a turbo engine which does not consume oil (or even dirty the oil) then I strongly suggest a proper air oil separator with a drain to the oil pan (just like mazda put on the JDM and AU b6t engines).

[Dragonhealer]

The only thing you left out, the oil diluted air charge increases flame speed and effectively lowers octane rating, detonation is possible....