Piston Ring Failure (lots of pics of inside an LNF)
I've actually had to run 85 in this car before out on Colorado (highest they had at the station!). I didn't rod on it at all heading back east to Iowa, but eventually I got to where I-76 joins to I-80 and had to merge around a semi. That **** gas coupled with about 4k feet lower elevation = MASSIVE audible knock. I got back out of it QUICK and limped into a BP station to get at least 91.
That was with the car totally stock still.
Was happy I didn't need a broom to pickup the pieces.
That was with the car totally stock still.
Was happy I didn't need a broom to pickup the pieces.
edit: crap, no, it is possible to find 85 octane in CO. Wow.
Last edited by Wangspeed; Dec 1, 2009 at 08:57 AM. Reason: Eating crow.
I bet if you scanned it it would have been seeing a ton of knock even at cruising loads. My car on 93 octane has some occasional part throttle knock (1* max and only once in a while) with 2-3* of advance added to the less than 140% load areas.
Dude so do you think thats whats wrong with mine?cause mine has been smoking like crazy! thought i needed a oil change so did that,still smokes like crazy,so i thought it was the spark plugs till i read this,autozone did a test the ecu and said i was having misfires,and said something about cylinder 1..so it might be the same thing cause i have been driving mine on road trips like crazy..how much do you think it will cost and where should i go to have all this fixed? thanks.
Dude so do you think thats whats wrong with mine?cause mine has been smoking like crazy! thought i needed a oil change so did that,still smokes like crazy,so i thought it was the spark plugs till i read this,autozone did a test the ecu and said i was having misfires,and said something about cylinder 1..so it might be the same thing cause i have been driving mine on road trips like crazy..how much do you think it will cost and where should i go to have all this fixed? thanks.
What color is the smoke? Dark means you're probably running rich. White means you're probably burning antifreeze. Blue-ish means you're probably burning oil. All are not good, but antifreeze and/or oil means a warped head or leaking head gasket.
A misfire in just one cylinder may mean a piston/piston ring or exhaust valve issue. Two next to each other could mean the head is warped. Check for milky oil in your oil or discolored coolant in your coolant reservoir. Check the cylinder 1 spark plug for discoloration or oil on it.
Take it to the dealer ASAP. They will need to check the spark plug and coil pack. There's a chance that the plug is foiled or maybe the coil pack is going out and causing it to not fire correctly. If both are okay, then they need to start looking into doing a compression test. If everything is still found to be okay, then they need to go one step further and do a leakdown ("wet") compression test.
...And if it's "white smoke" that quickly disappears and tends to only happen when you're warming up the car on a cold morning or stopped at a light then that just means it's cold outside.
Last edited by Stamina; Dec 2, 2009 at 12:24 AM.
Good tips Stam! It could also be a cracked sleeve, although extremely doubtful, since the rings and ring land would give out much sooner.
DEFINTIELY take it to the dealer. They will check it free under warranty (unless you are REALLY modded). Then, they might check for a tune and try to stiff you. If you are tuned, start looking for a good shop to do the repairs. Any performance shop should be able to do a good repair, but try to get references from people. Also, take complaints seriously, but look to see how the shop reconciled any issues. If they quit returning phone calls, or some BS like that... look elsewhere. If they did their best to remedy a situation, its probably a good shop. Not all builds are done right the first time (should be, but something as minor as a bolt out of torque spec could mess something up).
DEFINTIELY take it to the dealer. They will check it free under warranty (unless you are REALLY modded). Then, they might check for a tune and try to stiff you. If you are tuned, start looking for a good shop to do the repairs. Any performance shop should be able to do a good repair, but try to get references from people. Also, take complaints seriously, but look to see how the shop reconciled any issues. If they quit returning phone calls, or some BS like that... look elsewhere. If they did their best to remedy a situation, its probably a good shop. Not all builds are done right the first time (should be, but something as minor as a bolt out of torque spec could mess something up).
Now.
What color is the smoke? Dark means you're probably running rich. White means you're probably burning antifreeze. Blue-ish means you're probably burning oil. All are not good, but antifreeze and/or oil means a warped head or leaking head gasket.
A misfire in just one cylinder may mean a piston/piston ring or exhaust valve issue. Two next to each other could mean the head is warped. Check for milky oil in your oil or discolored coolant in your coolant reservoir. Check the cylinder 1 spark plug for discoloration or oil on it.
Take it to the dealer ASAP. They will need to check the spark plug and coil pack. There's a chance that the plug is foiled or maybe the coil pack is going out and causing it to not fire correctly. If both are okay, then they need to start looking into doing a compression test. If everything is still found to be okay, then they need to go one step further and do a leakdown ("wet") compression test.
...And if it's "white smoke" that quickly disappears and tends to only happen when you're warming up the car on a cold morning or stopped at a light then that just means it's cold outside.
What color is the smoke? Dark means you're probably running rich. White means you're probably burning antifreeze. Blue-ish means you're probably burning oil. All are not good, but antifreeze and/or oil means a warped head or leaking head gasket.
A misfire in just one cylinder may mean a piston/piston ring or exhaust valve issue. Two next to each other could mean the head is warped. Check for milky oil in your oil or discolored coolant in your coolant reservoir. Check the cylinder 1 spark plug for discoloration or oil on it.
Take it to the dealer ASAP. They will need to check the spark plug and coil pack. There's a chance that the plug is foiled or maybe the coil pack is going out and causing it to not fire correctly. If both are okay, then they need to start looking into doing a compression test. If everything is still found to be okay, then they need to go one step further and do a leakdown ("wet") compression test.
...And if it's "white smoke" that quickly disappears and tends to only happen when you're warming up the car on a cold morning or stopped at a light then that just means it's cold outside.
Hmm, yeah... I would take the downpipe off, put the stock back on (and return everything else to as stock as possible), pull any tunes you have on it, and take it to the dealer. Might even suggest you have them come tow it there, at their cost.
Just had this happen. 70psi in cylinder 1. The dealership is treating me like **** same with gm canada. There trying to replace the broken piston and nothing but. Which is completlely ridiculas and neglagent on their part. Im so sick of gm and their bullshit. Nothing but problems with the warentee on this car since i bought it. The cylinder walls are all scored and scratched and there refusing to have it machined. Ive already began compiling a court case, and will NEVER deal with gm again. Im 22 years old and have had 3 chevys, and i will be RUNNING back to nissan. Or possibly subaru. Worst customer service and will take anychance i get from this day forth to slander gms name and share my terrible experience. I will NEVER by gm again and have successfully lost a costomer for life. They treat me like garbage because of my age, little do they know im a licensed tech and have a nice sum of money tucked away for a new vehical. Was looking at a camaro ss but have drasticly reconsidered. Nothing but headaches from gm so far. NEVER AGAIN!!!!!!!!
I had this EXACT same thing happen with my car last fall. Cruising for to long on the highway would result in massive missfires and backfires when trying to accelerate and would go away after a few days in town. Eventually started blowing large amounts of smoke when stopped at a light but other then that ran fine. Took it to the dealer after idle started to turn rough and found out I had blown a ring land. Got it fixed under warranty even though car was fully bolted and tuned. Granted i was running 26psi but hey lesson learned, pay to play and all that.
Now I THINK it may have started again but only under hard acceleration which is very rare now that it's colder. Not taking it to the dealership this time cause it's gonna be parked for winter soon and I plan on putting in forged pistons adding meth and retuning this winter
Now I THINK it may have started again but only under hard acceleration which is very rare now that it's colder. Not taking it to the dealership this time cause it's gonna be parked for winter soon and I plan on putting in forged pistons adding meth and retuning this winter
I blew a ringland at 14k. Dropped in the Wisecos in March of 2010. Not a problem with internals since.
Stamina and I are buddies. He now has a fully built longblock from ZZP with all the goodies and a ZFR...I'm happyenvious for/of him now lol
I've preached for years that forged pistons with a slightly wider ring gap is absolutely necessary if you plan to do anything more than 300hp on the LNF. Yes, it will last for a while on stock pistons but it will pop eventually. Forged solves that
Car has been through hell and back with the Wisecos in there....still going strong.
Stamina and I are buddies. He now has a fully built longblock from ZZP with all the goodies and a ZFR...I'm happyenvious for/of him now lol
I've preached for years that forged pistons with a slightly wider ring gap is absolutely necessary if you plan to do anything more than 300hp on the LNF. Yes, it will last for a while on stock pistons but it will pop eventually. Forged solves that
Car has been through hell and back with the Wisecos in there....still going strong.
How long you been running that setup? The heat builds up differently on a larger turbo unlike the K04 where you get that instant TQ spike and heat associated with the power of maxing out the K04. Stock rings cant handle the heat the K04 produces above 320. Bigger turbo/stock bottom end will tend to last longer than stock for stock simply because it boosts cooler. Add to that cooler burning fuel like an E mix or high octane gas(100+) and it's even safer still.
It will happen eventually....if not sooner. Props to you though, others have done the same
Like I said in my post, in most cases, does it take it? Yes. But it will not last. I never said 'don't do it' or 'it's impossible to run over 300whp on stock pistons'. I'm not saying the LNF cant do it. ****, I was at 320whp on the K04 tuned when the car had 5k on the odo back in 09 LOL
If you want to run 350-400 without having to worry, then yes, forged pistons will be needed.
My comments are from a reliability standpoint. You can wait for the engine to blow and then build it from there but then you also have to fix anything else that fails along with it. Yes, tuning and mods have come a long way for the LNF since 09 that have made those power levels a little safer.
It all depends on what your goals are for the car. Plenty of people on here that get above 320 and say 'Ill build it when it pops' only to not want to bother with that when it DOES happen and then sells or parts out the car. My recommendation is simply a blanket statement to anyone that enjoys the LNF, wants to run these tuned power levels for a long time, enjoy it and not have to get rid of the car
It will happen eventually....if not sooner. Props to you though, others have done the same
If you want to run 350-400 without having to worry, then yes, forged pistons will be needed.
My comments are from a reliability standpoint. You can wait for the engine to blow and then build it from there but then you also have to fix anything else that fails along with it. Yes, tuning and mods have come a long way for the LNF since 09 that have made those power levels a little safer.
It all depends on what your goals are for the car. Plenty of people on here that get above 320 and say 'Ill build it when it pops' only to not want to bother with that when it DOES happen and then sells or parts out the car. My recommendation is simply a blanket statement to anyone that enjoys the LNF, wants to run these tuned power levels for a long time, enjoy it and not have to get rid of the car
Last edited by cubaniche; Oct 18, 2013 at 01:11 PM.
How long you been running that setup? The heat builds up differently on a larger turbo unlike the K04 where you get that instant TQ spike and heat associated with the power of maxing out the K04. Stock rings cant handle the heat the K04 produces above 320. Bigger turbo/stock bottom end will tend to last longer than stock for stock simply because it boosts cooler. Add to that cooler burning fuel like an E mix or high octane gas(100+) and it's even safer still.
It will happen eventually....if not sooner. Props to you though, others have done the same
Like I said in my post, in most cases, does it take it? Yes. But it will not last. I never said 'don't do it' or 'it's impossible to run over 300whp on stock pistons'. I'm not saying the LNF cant do it. ****, I was at 320whp on the K04 tuned when the car had 5k on the odo back in 09 LOL
If you want to run 350-400 without having to worry, then yes, forged pistons will be needed.
My comments are from a reliability standpoint. You can wait for the engine to blow and then build it from there but then you also have to fix anything else that fails along with it. Yes, tuning and mods have come a long way for the LNF since 09 that have made those power levels a little safer.
It all depends on what your goals are for the car. Plenty of people on here that get above 320 and say 'Ill build it when it pops' only to not want to bother with that when it DOES happen and then sells or parts out the car.
It will happen eventually....if not sooner. Props to you though, others have done the same
Like I said in my post, in most cases, does it take it? Yes. But it will not last. I never said 'don't do it' or 'it's impossible to run over 300whp on stock pistons'. I'm not saying the LNF cant do it. ****, I was at 320whp on the K04 tuned when the car had 5k on the odo back in 09 LOL
If you want to run 350-400 without having to worry, then yes, forged pistons will be needed.
My comments are from a reliability standpoint. You can wait for the engine to blow and then build it from there but then you also have to fix anything else that fails along with it. Yes, tuning and mods have come a long way for the LNF since 09 that have made those power levels a little safer.
It all depends on what your goals are for the car. Plenty of people on here that get above 320 and say 'Ill build it when it pops' only to not want to bother with that when it DOES happen and then sells or parts out the car.
Anytime you push more power than stock you run the risk of breaking something.

That is most definitely something to watch out for BUT, quite honestly, I haven't heard of many cracked sleeves on an LNF. It's actually kinda rare. I've heard of more porous block issues than cracked sleeves. I think a cracked sleeve on an LNF is almost always tied to a combo of high boost and detonation occurring at the same time. And that, usually above 425whp.
Once you get above those power levels is when you start to worry about sleeves and rods. But then you have the nice girdled ZZP blocks to fortify your build. Again, only serious owners wanting serious power start to get into that realm of modding.
On a side note, I think the stock hypereutectic pistons would be able to handle more power more reliably if you gapped the stock rings a little wider or simply replaced them with an aftermarket set at a wider gap. But then, you'll have the engine apart and you might as well do forged

Also, you see lots of people talking about high boost when really, you can achieve the same power levels more safely if you run a cooler burning fuel so you can add timing instead of upping the boost. Keeps cylinder pressure lower and burning cooler all the while making the same power as if you had cranked up the boost. That's mainly why bigger turbo guys can get away with higher power levels on stock internals; cause it doesn't build boost as fast as the K04, doesn't have the TQ spike the K04 has, or not nearly as bad a TQ spike I should say, and doesn't run on the border or out of it's efficiency range as the K04 does to achieve high numbers.
Last edited by cubaniche; Oct 18, 2013 at 01:40 PM.
...and those risked are acceptable if you start to mod, they HAVE to be, unless your oblivious to engine dynamics 
That is most definitely something to watch out for BUT, quite honestly, I haven't heard of many cracked sleeves on an LNF. It's actually kinda rare. I've heard of more porous block issues than cracked sleeves. I think a cracked sleeve on an LNF is almost always tied to a combo of high boost and detonation occurring at the same time. And that, usually above 425whp.
Once you get above those power levels is when you start to worry about sleeves and rods. But then you have the nice girdled ZZP blocks to fortify your build. Again, only serious owners wanting serious power start to get into that realm of modding.
On a side note, I think the stock hypereutectic pistons would be able to handle more power more reliably if you gapped the stock rings a little wider or simply replaced them with an aftermarket set at a wider gap. But then, you'll have the engine apart and you might as well do forged
Also, you see lots of people talking about high boost when really, you can achieve the same power levels more safely if you run a cooler burning fuel so you can add timing instead of upping the boost. Keeps cylinder pressure lower and burning cooler all the while making the same power as if you had cranked up the boost. That's mainly why bigger turbo guys can get away with higher power levels on stock internals; cause it doesn't build boost as fast as the K04, doesn't have the TQ spike the K04 has, or not nearly as bad a TQ spike I should say, and doesn't run on the border or out of it's efficiency range as the K04 does to achieve high numbers.

That is most definitely something to watch out for BUT, quite honestly, I haven't heard of many cracked sleeves on an LNF. It's actually kinda rare. I've heard of more porous block issues than cracked sleeves. I think a cracked sleeve on an LNF is almost always tied to a combo of high boost and detonation occurring at the same time. And that, usually above 425whp.
Once you get above those power levels is when you start to worry about sleeves and rods. But then you have the nice girdled ZZP blocks to fortify your build. Again, only serious owners wanting serious power start to get into that realm of modding.
On a side note, I think the stock hypereutectic pistons would be able to handle more power more reliably if you gapped the stock rings a little wider or simply replaced them with an aftermarket set at a wider gap. But then, you'll have the engine apart and you might as well do forged

Also, you see lots of people talking about high boost when really, you can achieve the same power levels more safely if you run a cooler burning fuel so you can add timing instead of upping the boost. Keeps cylinder pressure lower and burning cooler all the while making the same power as if you had cranked up the boost. That's mainly why bigger turbo guys can get away with higher power levels on stock internals; cause it doesn't build boost as fast as the K04, doesn't have the TQ spike the K04 has, or not nearly as bad a TQ spike I should say, and doesn't run on the border or out of it's efficiency range as the K04 does to achieve high numbers.
I agree with fueling type, that is why E85 is so nice. I wish it was more prevalent around here.


