As some of you have already heard, the tune was aborted yesterday, and I am on the hunt for a short block. The goal is to get the car back on the road ASAP, so I do not miss out on the entire track season that I pre-paid for.
While on the dyno, the tuner noticed excessive oil vapor escaping from the valve cover breather, to the point that it was considered a safety concern. After data logging, and a brief assessment of the current tune and engine, I was told the following:
1. A few tables that are normally untouched by most tuners were modified; that includes the MAF scaling table, and I have stock MAF.
2. Data log shows ECU was pulling -30% correction to hit target AFR;
3. My injectors are rated for 60lb/hour at 43.5 PSI fuel pressure, and the injector scaling table was indeed set for 60 lb/hour. However, LS engines operate at 58 psi fuel pressure;
4. The black smoke and black marks on my rear bumper confirm the car was running quite rich; PO stated he noticed this since the first time the previous tuner tuned the new engine the first time around.
5. The excessive fuel was likely constantly washing off the oil from all cylinder walls, and the cylinder walls and oil rings were worn down prematurely;
6. Since the LS3 was stroked and bored out to make 6.8L of displacement, the block is unlikely to be salvageable with a hone and new rings.
Disclaimer: I do not know enough about engine tuning to comment on whether the tune caused the premature failure. My new tuner did not spend enough time to fully assess the entire tune to gather all facts and add things up.
The only fact we need to know is, the current engine is damaged, and I am looking for a new engine.
The engine removal may start as early as this weekend if I gain access to an engine hoist. I am hoping to find a stock LS1 or LS6 bottom end, transfer all accessories and parts over, and get back on the road in 2 weeks.
