[JOEM]

Originally posted by bstockum
Al, ... OC CRUISER, ran his bone stock PT automatic with the Hahn kit and a Ford probe IC he put on, at 8-9 psi for over a year with no problems. I kept warning him about hiking up the boost and he finally decided to do the lower end. In fact we built him a complete new engine starting with a new factory short block and then swapped them out when he brougt the car down.

I is this car you are riding in, in the video against a new GT turbo and that was two days before the origional engine came out! It also smoked a 97 Lincoln MK VIII LSC that same weekend. So I know his car will goooo!!

*** I still want you to know that the rods will break in these 2.4 engines at even low boost, ... if something else goes wrong!!

I got one of the early after-market-Ignitions and did not get a trigger module with it. When I called the tech dept, ... I was told I didn't need it! ... (now they are sold together) ... the PT cam sensor does not out put the nice "square-wave" the ignition needs to fire correctly. (the Neon does not need the trigger-module, ... cause it has a different sensor/ECU arrangement)

My test ride was only 3/4 miles from the house when in 3rd gear, at 4 psi and 4500 rpm the #3 rod broke and punched holes in the oil pan and both sides of the block, bent valves, munched the piston into pieces, broke the balance box and bent the crank!! ... Basicly a total loss of the engine. But remember the ignition was not fireing right. It ralleled so hard and suddenly, that it was all over before I could lift my foot!! ... and I was ready for something, ... cause it just didn't sound right before I left the house. I went any way, cause we had to pick up Debbie's PT. Debbie was in the car with me, on that terrible evening, when it blew, ... we were going to pick up her PT, .... I had just installed the Hahn kit on! .... Talk about bad advertising!!! ... her's is still running fine. I talked to here last week ans she is considering adding the IC and turning it up some more, ... but she will be doing the bottom end first!! Probably a complete engine like we did with Al's, ... so the down time is not so long!

Al's engine was tuned properly and kept on the rich side, ... so he had no complecations. I asked him if I could "test it out" against a new GT, .... so we could get a base line on Hahn vs Factory Turbo performance, ..... he said "it was mine if it blew " and I agreed.

The rods in the 2003 stiock PTs are no better than the early ones, ... just the GT/SRT-4 got the stronger rods.

Thanks for the questions!

Bob

Just for clairification, then, your answer to the question of whether the safe zone for the factory Cruiser engine (no heavy duty pieces added) is no more than 6 psi (around 30 HP added) with an aftermarket turbo is...yes. Thanks.