Edelbrock E-force Owner's thread and FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

[Mr_Eyo]

Originally Posted by toast

Wanted to wait and see if this was the problem and now can confirm it is.

If you are running the stock headers with this kit check the state of your precat. I've been working with Zach at CSG on my tune. Everything was dialed in except for a very rich condition and stumble when leaving a stop in first gear. Only showed up under low flow conditions below 1400 rpm. Tried swapping the AFR sensor, made it a little better but didn't get rid of it. Zach eventually got me a map that worked but he had to do a custom map that takes the car out of closed loop in that area. I switched to a Tomei header over the weekend and all the issues are gone.

The image below is a boroscope pic of the precat. The cat material is failing and clogged in about the middle 20% and it changed the flow enough that the reported AFR was reading very rich and making the car stumble when the closed loop system overcompensated, sending the AFR to 16 or so. These precats aren't designed for the higher heat from this kit.

If the precat is clogged, is that really caused by heat? Could it be due to additives or running rich?

[toast]

I tried to get a better pic but you need a very sharp angle to see it - it is clogged by the material of the precat collapsing. You can feel a depression in the area of the white clogged section. Zach said he has seen this accelerated precat failure on a number of positive displacement blower kits.

As a bonus, the car just feels SO alive with headers on it now and my mileage while cruising is now higher than before the Edelbrock kit.

[B T]

Originally Posted by Decep

^ That blows...how many miles total were you supercharged?

Right about 45k miles

[B T]

I'm making a spreadsheet to compare our valve spring options for this platform. Here's an editable spreadsheet if anyone wants to take a look. FT86 Valve Spring Options

[toast]

Originally Posted by B T

Right about 45k miles

Can you tell what happened or just general carnage? Bent rod let go?

[itsaBRZ]

Just wanted to give an update to anyone who is having the same issues as I was. After the install, I was getting check engine codes of P0171, P1170 and P117B. (Bank 1 system lean, port injection failed and direct injection failed)

I replaced the bypass actuator valve and this helped with the hesitation but I was still getting these same codes. I have since smoke tested for vacuum leaks and found none. I smoke tested for exhaust leaks and found a few so I replaced the necessary gaskets and no more leaks thereafter but still no fix.

After reading several threads, some suggested I replace the battery as that could be a cause for both P1170 and P117B but a new battery did not help. I was honestly getting desperate this point and decided to try and replace my front O2 sensor (it surprisingly fixed the codes of P1170 and P117B) and I'm not sure why as the O2 sensors were working fine pre-install.

However, I am now getting a new code of P050A (Idle air control system circuit low) and only during cold starts, also still getting P0171.

I searched this thread and entire forum for a solution but no one has found any for this code. Any help would be appreciated as I've been having problems with this kit for almost 2 months, thanks.

[kev0]

Originally Posted by itsaBRZ

Just wanted to give an update to anyone who is having the same issues as I was. After the install, I was getting check engine codes of P0171, P1170 and P117B. (Bank 1 system lean, port injection failed and direct injection failed)

I replaced the bypass actuator valve and this helped with the hesitation but I was still getting these same codes. I have since smoke tested for vacuum leaks and found none. I smoke tested for exhaust leaks and found a few so I replaced the necessary gaskets and no more leaks thereafter but still no fix.

After reading several threads, some suggested I replace the battery as that could be a cause for both P1170 and P117B but a new battery did not help. I was honestly getting desperate this point and decided to try and replace my front O2 sensor (it surprisingly fixed the codes of P1170 and P117B) and I'm not sure why as the O2 sensors were working fine pre-install.

However, I am now getting a new code of P050A (Idle air control system circuit low) and only during cold starts, also still getting P0171.

I searched this thread and entire forum for a solution but no one has found any for this code. Any help would be appreciated as I've been having problems with this kit for almost 2 months, thanks.

How many miles since replacing the front o2 sensor? Did you check header for exhaust leak? The codes may come back after 20 or so miles. If you pressure/smoke tested and found absolutely no leaks, it could be in the tune.

[B T]

Originally Posted by toast

Can you tell what happened or just general carnage? Bent rod let go?

I'm still in process of getting everything apart, just got the motor removed yesterday afternoon. Found 3 rockers knocked loose at #2 cylinder. One hole is located at the top side of cylinder #2 above the cylinder wall and another smaller hole at #3 above the crankshaft. I'm still wondering why the engine didn't detune on the first sign of knock and go into limp mode. Not sure that would've saved it, but still wondering.

[B T]

[toast]

Ugh, that sucks. Sorry.

[toast]

Originally Posted by itsaBRZ

Just wanted to give an update to anyone who is having the same issues as I was. After the install, I was getting check engine codes of P0171, P1170 and P117B. (Bank 1 system lean, port injection failed and direct injection failed)

I replaced the bypass actuator valve and this helped with the hesitation but I was still getting these same codes. I have since smoke tested for vacuum leaks and found none. I smoke tested for exhaust leaks and found a few so I replaced the necessary gaskets and no more leaks thereafter but still no fix.

After reading several threads, some suggested I replace the battery as that could be a cause for both P1170 and P117B but a new battery did not help. I was honestly getting desperate this point and decided to try and replace my front O2 sensor (it surprisingly fixed the codes of P1170 and P117B) and I'm not sure why as the O2 sensors were working fine pre-install.

However, I am now getting a new code of P050A (Idle air control system circuit low) and only during cold starts, also still getting P0171.

I searched this thread and entire forum for a solution but no one has found any for this code. Any help would be appreciated as I've been having problems with this kit for almost 2 months, thanks.

Are your fuel trims still through the roof?

Thinking about everything that gets removed/reinstalled for this we should be able to narrow this down. High fuel trims are generally a vacuum leak but all these other weird things showing up make me wonder if your ECU is connected and grounded. Check the four plugs on the ECU and make sure they are fully seated. I would actually pull all four off and check to make sure none of the pins are damaged before reconnecting everything. The ECU grounds to the block via the bottom bolt of the three that hold it on. I actually added an 8 gauge wire going right from the ECU to a bolt in an open hole on the block just to make sure.

[Mr_Eyo]

Originally Posted by B T

I'm still in process of getting everything apart, just got the motor removed yesterday afternoon. Found 3 rockers knocked loose at #2 cylinder. One hole is located at the top side of cylinder #2 above the cylinder wall and another smaller hole at #3 above the crankshaft. I'm still wondering why the engine didn't detune on the first sign of knock and go into limp mode. Not sure that would've saved it, but still wondering.

Did it happen while cruise control was on? Or when you were holding steady speed manually? I've seen fuel trims go wacky when you're on the cusp of coasting (no fuel injected) and cruising (very little fuel injected).

[B T]

Cruise control was on, sitting at about 3500 RPM, I have an AFR gauge in sight with the P3 vent gauge and hadn't noticed anything wonky or any stored codes indicating it was an issue. I had already been cruising for a couple hours when it happened without anything irregular. Just got the oil pan off and found the upper pan is cracked really badly as well, adding another part to the list!

[tomm.brz]

Originally Posted by B T

I'm still in process of getting everything apart, just got the motor removed yesterday afternoon. Found 3 rockers knocked loose at #2 cylinder. One hole is located at the top side of cylinder #2 above the cylinder wall and another smaller hole at #3 above the crankshaft. I'm still wondering why the engine didn't detune on the first sign of knock and go into limp mode. Not sure that would've saved it, but still wondering.

Often with this engine it s not really knock that kills it
It can be just accumulated fatigue because of the greater torque, i throw a rod without the engine knocking as I had also 103RON fuel on it
Some stock rods are just weak and you were unlucky