Saleen S331 Engine Swap/Upgrade

So after adding a custom fabbed cold air intake, custom headers, smaller pulley, belt and a custom JDM tune, I immediately started having issues. Literally on the first test drive, we found that oil was being pushed out the valve cover. Right on to the brand new headers, in fact, and the oil was actually burning with small pfft-pfft-pfft flames! Not good. This was late November, so I added an oil catch can system and a one-way racing valve, in the PCV system. Truck was put up for the Winter, as usual. Come early Summer, I had the 'leaky' valve cover replaced and drove the truck, minimally. Something was not right. I could constantly smell burning oil, in the cab. The PCV catch can was full after only around 50 miles?? I was also down 2 quarts in a 30 day period.

After a little 'very spirited' driving, I parked the truck and found this yellow smelly goo, smoking in my oil fill: 

Under the hood, and underneath the entire truck looked like a murder scene, with oil instead of blood. I believe that oil was now being pushed out of the rear main seal. It was obvious, at this point, that compression and boost were leaking past the cylinders, in mass quantity. The compression was pressurizing the top end of the engine, and pushing oil, out, through the PCV, and any other path of least resistance that it could find. The yellow goo was just oil, mixing with air, in a frothing bath and literally cooking in the engine. With the engine running, you could see a puff-puff-puff of smoke, in time, coming out of the oil fill, when removed. You could also hear the engine missing, at idle. A proper leak-down and compression test was in order. Ford OBD allows for a relative compression test to be done, by spinning over the engine, while the OBD shuts off fuel and spark. It measures how much force it takes to move each cylinder and mathematically converts it into a graph. As you can see, one of these is not like the other:

We followed this up with a proper compression test, with a gauge, screwed into the spark plug hole of my #6 cylinder. This shows around 50 psi, which is extremely low.

This show approximately 220 psi, measured on an adjacent, healthy cylinder.

My mechanic explains to me that I have a bad #6 cylinder. Almost no compression, allowing pressure and boost to escape into the top end. My options are limited, to fix this issue. #1 - the engine has to be removed from the truck. #2 - the bad cylinder, rings, connecting rod etc. has to be replaced. If you are this far into an engine, you do not replace one cylinder. That one would, in theory, would have higher compression, taking more torque to turn than the remaining 7 old cylinders. #3 - So if you have to pull the engine, and repair it, it needs to be completely rebuilt. This is not time, nor cost effective, so you would purchase a completely different, 'new', rebuilt engine. #5 - My philosophy has always been; if something breaks, it is an opportunity to upgrade! So I opt for a 'built' long block replacement engine. A rebuilt engine, custom, hand built for performance with upgraded internal parts.

I purchased a Promar Lightning Performance engine. They build Ford Modular engines for all years of Lightnings. They also build an upgraded 3V 5.4 engine for supercharged applications. My engine was built with Icon pistons and connecting rods, ARP bolts throughout, improved oiling, timing chains, and cam phasers. I also opted for Ford's 2008 improved heads, where the broken/stuck spark plug issue has been corrected. I was very pleased with the service and communication from Promar. They estimated 10 business days, to build my engine, it actually shipped out in only 12. Not bad for a custom, hand built engine. Each of Promar's performance engines are built to order, by one technician, a specialist.

Here are the engine specs:

Ford 5.4 3 Valve 04-13 Upgraded Long Block

Block
5.4 3 Valve Block
4 bolt main
Max .030 Bore and Honed with Torque Plates

Cylinder Heads
5.4 3 Valve Heads
3 Angle Competition Valve Job

Valve Train
Melling Timing Set
New OE Updated Camshaft Phasers
Roller Camshafts
New Hydraulic Lash Adjusters
Roller Cam Followers

Rotating Assembly
Balanced Rotating Assembly
Forged 5.4 Crankshaft Ground and Micro Polished
Forged H Beam Rods With ARP 8740 Bolts (A Strong Upgrade from the Factory PM Rods and a must for Boosted Applications)
Forged Icon Pistons 8.8:1 CR (Made For Forced Induction)
File Fit Stainless Steel Rings
Clevite Rod And Main Bearings

Engine also includes:
Melling 3V Improved Oil Pump
Complete Gasket Set With MLS Head Gaskets
New TTY Head Bolts
New TTY Main Bolts
This engine can safely handle up to 18 Lbs of boost

                                    Well packaged and banded to a pallet, right to my door.

                           Icon pistons, connecting rods and ARP bolts, visible from the bottom.

                          My buddy, Gene, giving it the once over, and his seal of approval!

 I added a little bit of bling with the nice wrinkle black Ford Racing valve covers! Kind of a waste, since they are barely visible in the supercharged Saleen S331!?

My mechanic, Paul, prefers Chevy LS power, and keeps joking that he is going to put this into my truck! I'm a traditional Ford in a Ford and Chevy in a Chevy guy, myself! lol

Here she is, being brought in for engine removal:

 Here is the stock engine, after removal. It is still hanging on the hoist, resting on a couple of tires.

 Here is the offending #6 piston. Likely that one of the rings came apart. Possibly the end gap collapsed etc. At any rate the failed ring(s) actually caused one of the ring lands to break off of the piston! This is why forged pistons and solid steel rings are a necessity for boosted applications. Ford used hypereutectic pistons and rings. This is actually powdered, sintered metal and adhesive formed under extreme high pressure to make an 'alloy.' Nothing wrong with that, but they are affectionately referred to as 'hyperpathetic' pistons in the performance community. Fine for everyday use, not so much for boosted, performance applications. Stock Saleen and Harley Davidson supercharged trucks have actually fared very well. They only run a safe 5 lbs. of boost, with plenty of fuel and good tuning to insure against detonation.

 That little piece in the picture, used to be a land, a piece of metal, attached to the piston. We fished it out of the oil pan. That was where wall the debris was found. I kept the piston, as a nice souvenir, for my desk. Cool, how Ford uses one piece connecting rods that are precisely cleaved apart. That way they are a perfect fit for one another, Each piece only mates up to its sister piece, an exact match.

A picture of an empty, forlorn engine bay! :(

                             The Saleen Supercharger sitting on the bench, awaiting re-install:

 The new built engine, fully re-installed. Not much to look at. The Modular Engine family is not know for their outward beauty.

 And finally,  The mechanics tried to bump the engine over, with the starter, to build oil pressure, but it immediately started after about 1/2 second! So in order to build up oil pressure in the new engine, it was put into diagnostic mode, through the OBD port.This allowed the engine to, once again, be spun over, without fuel or spark. This allows for oil pressure to build, without causing any damage on initial startup. While they were at it, might as well check the compression tables! A nice bookend picture showing the engine compression, before and after:

My ace mechanic, Paul, has a great sense of humor! Donks for his LS powered RX7 ?! Really puts into perspective just how giant the Saleen 'wagon wheels' are!