Topic: Twincharged Solstice = Turbocharger + Supercharger

[Critterman]

Damn that thing was abused

[Steelmesh]

I've got a SPEC Stage 5 clutch and replacement steel for the flywheel on the way.  The Stage 3 that I burned up is rated to 495 ftlb and based on my dyno numbers it's possible for me to have met or exceeded this rating at one point.  I was looking at the Stage 3+ with 555 ftlb and it is the same price as the Stage 5 rated for 655 ftlbs so we're going down that path.

We don't know exactly what conditions SPEC rates their clutches; for example back to back drag pulls in 95F weather could be overheating the clutch and losing torque holding capacity.

[MattM]

Very true!  Damn!  That makes me feel really good about my spec 3 and flywheel then.  I'll never come close to the numbers you put onto your clutch!!!

[MattM]

I also think those numbers are rated at the flywheel so you were probably well over them anyway.  If it held up to repeated pulls etc of those numbers and didn't slip it really did it's job!!!  Did you ever feel like the clutch was slipping at all?

[MattM]

Just read some earlier posts.  Are you thinking about selling it?  If so...that sucks..  I was looking forward to watching video of it wrecking other cars at the strip and getting into the 11s.

[Steelmesh]

Just read some earlier posts.  Are you thinking about selling it?  If so...that sucks..  I was looking forward to watching video of it wrecking other cars at the strip and getting into the 11s.

It's always for sale, but at this point if I told you a number you'd be insulted.  Wait until I get laid off and no one is hiring or the market is flooded with "more experienced" people, that's when I'd be open to reasonable negotiations for my running and driving car.

[Uranium-238]

I have to admire your persistence with this car...I'd have LS swapped it and been done. Not my cup of tea, but it's been fascinating to watch you develop the car over time.

[MattM]

I agree!  This thread is definitely a testament to your perseverance!  I have really enjoyed following along with your progress!!!

[Steelmesh]

I've got some health issues slowing me down (not immune system related) but working on mocking up the engine with the new balancer with a power steering pully and I also went to a very aggressive 2.8" pulley on the M62.  I was able to use the same belt as before (smaller balancer, larger SC pulley) but needed to cut off 1 rib and also modify the belt tensioner to un-tension just a tiny bit more the slip the belt on.

This is a junkyard engine that I pulled the rods and pistons to inspect/clean and also checked ring gaps at about 0.018" so lol the worn out bores opened the gaps just perfect so ecotec-lifehack #22 = Ecotecs with 100k miles or more are boost ready.

[Steelmesh]

I am about to explode.  Spent hours trying to mate the engine and transmission last night and this morning.  Pulling it on and off checking stuff, trying different parts, try another trans.  Slave cylinder is galling against the clutch disc after I was doing spinning the engine stuff trying to figure out what the *&#$ is going on I am about to run through a wall I am so upset. There is mechanical interference between the slave cylinder and the clutch disc; the slave cylinder has an inner sleeve that goes around the input shaft, fixed piece that is the height of the slave cylinder.   

I sent spec a bunch of pictures, I think they put the FW sticker on the wrong side, if so I am demanding a new clutch that is BS.

[MattM]

That sucks!  Let us know what happens!

[MattM]

Has Spec replied to you at all yet?

[Steelmesh]

Has Spec replied to you at all yet?

I haven't heard anything.  That's too bad because I am a highly principled customer who finds it easy to take my business elsewhere and consider I respect companies who support their customers.  For example ZZP has screwed up so many things but they always correct it right away so I keep shopping there.

[MattM]

Yeah they are pretty assholish!  Their is a tech that works there (if you can get past the sales idiot) who is good and will work with you.  I'd recommend calling them and asking to speak to the tech.

[Steelmesh]

Car runs well now with the JY engine, a lot more low end torque than the previous setup (stock and underdriven SC pulley, low compression engine) but I'm still being gentle with the car at this point and the clutch needs to be run in.

New clutch solved my shifting problems, not so fast was it actually the clutch? because I installed a new master and a new slave cylinder so one of those could have been creating a problem releasing the clutch.  The stage 5 right now isn't bad as far as pedal effort and it's got a racecar squeak when creeping the car; but for sure it's beginner unfriendly especially with the aluminum flywheel.

I learned the hard way on how to burp the 2.4 ecotec cooling system without lifting the coolant reservoir bottle.  My boost reference FPR mounting bracket uses that 10mm and it is difficult to service.  Consider before this I have never done the raised bottle method, instead jacked the front end of the car up when filling combined with running the car.

The hack job method to fill the ecotec without removing the reservoir:
Remove the upper radiator hose and keep topping off both the upper radiator hose [leading to the radiator] and with a beer bong type of funnel setup, literally fill the cylinder head.  Cycle the engine and repeat.  I needed to add over a gallon of coolant before the car would stop overheating. 

[MattM]

Awesome it's running!  So did Spec finally come through on the clutch fix?

[MattM]

Also have fun with breaking the clutch in!  I had to do it twice!  1000 miles of progressive break in per clutch and I've had the car for over 3 years and have only put 5k miles on it total with almost half break in in stop and go traffic!!  Ugh!!!  I have the six puck with lightened flywheel I still stall every no and then at a busy stop light.

I would say the flywheel is 70 percent of the problem for mine.

[Uranium-238]

I'd wait even longer than the specified time to break in the clutch, given the issues you had with the last one. The clutch in my Camaro continued to improve over several thousand miles after putting the new clutch in, I'm glad I didn't take it straight to the track after the break in period.

[Steelmesh]

I'm curious how people break in clutches with unstreetable racecars. On a dyno maybe? 

[Steelmesh]

Also have fun with breaking the clutch in!  I had to do it twice!  1000 miles of progressive break in per clutch and I've had the car for over 3 years and have only put 5k miles on it total with almost half break in in stop and go traffic!!  Ugh!!!  I have the six puck with lightened flywheel I still stall every no and then at a busy stop light.

I would say the flywheel is 70 percent of the problem for mine.

I commute 110 miles to/from work and if I take an off-highway route (8 mile across all of Metro Detroit) it could take just nine (9) work-from-work days to get 990 miles of stop-go driving. This makes 3.5 hrs of driving each day so I'm going to wear-out these chinesium seat bolsters by the time the clutch is worn-in. 

[Steelmesh]

Awesome it's running!  So did Spec finally come through on the clutch fix?

SPEC never responded, not even acknowledging it, so now they're blacklisted and I'll tell everyone how they lack customer support.  For my next clutch, I'll send the SPEC clutch to McLeod to see if they can make a clutch for this application since SPEC has a monopoly on high torque capacity ecotec clutches.

[MattM]

How did you wind up fixing the problem?

[Steelmesh]

How did you wind up fixing the problem?

Since the clutch is functioning now, the solution was to do the opposite of what the [FW side] sticker and install the disc "backwards".  Since SPEC never responded we all have to assume it was just a bad day for the [FW side] sticker installer.  I'm no angel either since I took too long to figure this out when trying to diagnose out why the bell housing wouldn't touch the block, thinking it was deformed dowel pins stopping it.

[MattM]

Hey, at least you fixed it!  Can't wait to see how everything works out!  I'm definitely thinking it's going to get you into 11s territory now!

[Steelmesh]

Hey, at least you fixed it!  Can't wait to see how everything works out!  I'm definitely thinking it's going to get you into 11s territory now!

When the weather starts to cool off I'll be at the track looking to set records [personal].  This twincharger setup wants to make lots of boost, so I am skeptical about going full send with a stock engine.  My wg has a 12 psi spring, so with the under driven SC pulley the P/R was about 1.6; 12 psi *1.6 = 19.2 psi and note I have made 320 whp at 18 psi with a stock engine turbo only.  With the 2.8" pulley, I'll guess the P/R is about 1.9 now?  12 psi * 1.9 = 22.8 psi, that is going to be very sendy. 

This is where opening the SC bypass valve comes into play to help let the TC take over, reducing peak boost and reducing parasitic losses.  In theory.