The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth about my last couple of months with my new turbo

    I have smoke at idle with my Alpha kit. It seems to start a minute or so after starting it, while warming up. It seems to go away after a short drive, but comes and goes when I'm stopped at a red light, etc. I've had the intake drilled, it seems to not have made a difference. One theory I've heard is that the oil isn't draining well through the return line from the Turbo to the oil pan, causing the smoking. The oil return line seems to have a round about way to get back to the pan. No sure why it's not more of a direct gravity path. It fills my garage with smoke sometimes. it is annoying.

    Quote from MACAWS

    Trust me brother I understand - you know how I am with my bike. In that way we are very much the same.


    Just for the record, you guys don't have a corner on the market with those types of feelings. When @Wrenchmn and I were married at Punkin Center Motorcycle Resort in Maryville, our Goldwing was at the altar with us. When it came time to sell the Wing, I was surprised to find tears in my eyes as she went up the driveway with somebody else on it. I am 100% sure a sale of the Slingshot would evoke the same in me (perhaps even more so)!

    @rabtech, I couldn't "like" your original post on here. Just too painful to know what you have been dealing with, and holding to yourself. I'm very sorry it all went down this way. Your words were well thought out, and you were a gentleman in delivering this bad news. Very nice to see such honesty on a forum, not sucking up to nor bashing a vendor in your post. Being in manufacturing myself, I know how things like this can happen. I would like to see Alpha step up and do something to resolve this. I love their products, and have plans to buy the luggage system they have and possibly CAI setup. This will not change my plans. While I would love a turbo setup, I likely will leave mine naturally aspirated. I could always use more HP, but even in stock form the SS is no slouch. Seems everything I hop up to get more from, tends to find something else as a weak spot. I've put an average of 2,000 miles a month on mine for the 6 months I've owned it. Hoping to get the reliability instead.


    Like @ShutterBug said, you don't have a corner on the market on those types of feelings. I would have been the same. I tell myself it's just a machine, a tool that is designed not for work but for play.... to make me smile and enjoy. But I get attached like an old friend, a family member. It's that way with my old truck, my Harley, and even more so with the SS.

    Quote from GTS1998

    I have smoke at idle with my Alpha kit. It seems to start a minute or so after starting it, while warming up. It seems to go away after a short drive, but comes and goes when I'm stopped at a red light, etc. I've had the intake drilled, it seems to not have made a difference. One theory I've heard is that the oil isn't draining well through the return line from the Turbo to the oil pan, causing the smoking. The oil return line seems to have a round about way to get back to the pan. No sure why it's not more of a direct gravity path. It fills my garage with smoke sometimes. it is annoying.


    Made me feel so much better. I'm glad I'm not the only having this issue.

    Quote from ShutterBug

    Just for the record, you guys don't have a corner on the market with those types of feelings. When @Wrenchmn and I were married at Punkin Center Motorcycle Resort in Maryville, our Goldwing was at the altar with us. When it came time to sell the Wing, I was surprised to find tears in my eyes as she went up the driveway with somebody else on it. I am 100% sure a sale of the Slingshot would evoke the same in me (perhaps even more so)!

    Like She Said !


    My Lovely Wife will be willing to put much more of the emotion in writing than I would ever admit.





    I witnessed the unraveling glitter first hand and it is truly heart breaking .
    When you put the time , energy and money in to these machines to make it part of your life, it becomes just that. I share an emotional attachment to certain vehicles and equipment in the exact same way that Rabtech does and when things don't go according to our plans ,it hurts to the core . Our blood sweat and tears come and go in these machines and for that to be dis respected and ignored is very simply put NOT Acceptable . I witnessed DDM Works step up and do all they possibly can do and I anxiously await Alpha to do the same . I am a first hand witness to the glitter throughout the system at the initial teardown . @Dave@DDMWorks and @Jeff@DDMWorks were building Insurance to protect my Sling from my abuse at that time . They will continue the Slingshot quest to protect and serve under my 13EEE .
    We would like to think that from the name of the company alone ," Alpha " (has a meaning of beginning or first ) will step up and do the right thing even if no one was looking . We are looking and we vote with our wallets. I have Alpha, DDM , and Hahn Race craft products all over my Sling and have faith that each and everyone will do the right thing in the event of a failed component that they have accountability for .

    Rabtech I am sorry for your engine woooo's.. And I do hope Henry contacts you at some point. I guess the only way I wish is that you contacted Henry direct
    and see what he would have said instead of Dave at DDM.
    But things happen and direction and getting things fixed plays into this scenearo.
    I know everything on my Sling is Alpha except Welter rear exhaust and Henry has been up front with me and told me not to wait for his.
    But I have been thinking of Maggie Valley 2018 of having Alpha Henry putting motor to boost up from 6psi to 9 psi .
    But will have some time to see if higher boost motors will hold up and see how vendors will honor these products if they do not hold up .
    Bottom line I hope something good comes out of this for all of us SS owners and products we buy from future Vendors.
    Thank You Rob for being up front with this matter and also wish Alpha to come to plate in a matter that makes us want to continue
    purchasing products from them and others .

    Quote from GTS1998

    I have smoke at idle with my Alpha kit. It seems to start a minute or so after starting it, while warming up. It seems to go away after a short drive, but comes and goes when I'm stopped at a red light, etc. I've had the intake drilled, it seems to not have made a difference. One theory I've heard is that the oil isn't draining well through the return line from the Turbo to the oil pan, causing the smoking. The oil return line seems to have a round about way to get back to the pan. No sure why it's not more of a direct gravity path. It fills my garage with smoke sometimes. it is annoying.

    The factory intake manifold has a direct connection to the crankcase system through the pinhole port that Alpha has you drill out. In NA form, this small hole sets a very specific amount of crankcase vacuum, based off that orifice size, allowing only a set amount of vacuum/vapor to be pulled through that provision specifically for ring seal against the bore. Enlarge the hole, expect more oil and vapor to pull through that port. In addition to allowing more vapor/oil residue through, it also increases the vac pressure to the crankcase system. The biggest thing overlooked here is that connection is just a wide open port, no check valve, or butterfly valve of any sort. When the turbo gets in boost, positive pressure is blasting through that breather port in a quick fashion and putting positive/boost pressure into the crankcase system. This is a big no no for ring seal. Get out of boost back into vac, vacuum is quickly reapplied to the crankcase system and the rings are sucked back the opposite way. When you have too much positive crankcase pressure, it will cause a portion of the oil in the pan to stick more to a vapor state then returning to solid oil increasing chance of it being pulled past a ring (and into smoke out the exhaust). With ring flex from the positive, negative, positive, negative back and forth from the changing crankcase pressure, rings and more importantly ringlands will be stressed (isn't this a common failure point of this engine?) time and time again. In reality, this pinhole port in the intake manifold either needs a check valve to still properly be effective as GM intended, or it needs to be plugged, and then valve cover connection breather needs to be well thought out to supply constant vac to the crankcase system at all times, boost or not. I'm not sure this is the ONLY issue causing smoking on these setups but I believe it is a big factor in it.


    Just my 2 cents

    Quote from FFShawn

    The factory intake manifold has a direct connection to the crankcase system through the pinhole port that Alpha has you drill out. In NA form, this small hole sets a very specific amount of crankcase vacuum, based off that orifice size, allowing only a set amount of vacuum/vapor to be pulled through that provision specifically for ring seal against the bore. Enlarge the hole, expect more oil and vapor to pull through that port. In addition to allowing more vapor/oil residue through, it also increases the vac pressure to the crankcase system. The biggest thing overlooked here is that connection is just a wide open port, no check valve, or butterfly valve of any sort. When the turbo gets in boost, positive pressure is blasting through that breather port in a quick fashion and putting positive/boost pressure into the crankcase system. This is a big no no for ring seal. Get out of boost back into vac, vacuum is quickly reapplied to the crankcase system and the rings are sucked back the opposite way. When you have too much positive crankcase pressure, it will cause a portion of the oil in the pan to stick more to a vapor state then returning to solid oil increasing chance of it being pulled past a ring (and into smoke out the exhaust). With ring flex from the positive, negative, positive, negative back and forth from the changing crankcase pressure, rings and more importantly ringlands will be stressed (isn't this a common failure point of this engine?) time and time again. In reality, this pinhole port in the intake manifold either needs a check valve to still properly be effective as GM intended, or it needs to be plugged, and then valve cover connection breather needs to be well thought out to supply constant vac to the crankcase system at all times, boost or not. I'm not sure this is the ONLY issue causing smoking on these setups but I believe it is a big factor in it.
    Just my 2 cents

    my little brain had to read that several times to somewhat understand.

    I don't want to post anything else about this. I made my statement.


    I still want to come back to the table and get this hashed out.... It has been a very costly endeavour for Alpha and now for me as well. I just want to be able to show off their turbo.... I have seen it in action. I know what it can do.... It has the potential to nearly tear the rear tire off. However if something does not happen soon I will remove it and I will look at other options...