Thanks for your help :drunk:

I'll post back when/if I make progress on some of these things.

A few more things:

I put my scanner on the car. The coolant temp levels off at 160oF. Apparently, the Kenne Bell kit included a 160oF thermostat, at least I think it did if this is any indication:

New - Livernois Motorsports - Kenne Bell 4.6L 2V Supercharger Kit

So I'm not worried about the running temperature anymore.

What does concern me is the two malf codes I read: P0316 and P0305. The 0316 indicates a misfire in the first thousand revolutions after start. Given how it's been starting cold lately, I'll give that one a pass. However, the P0305 indicates a misfire on cylinder 5. I checked the coil pack primary and secondary resistance, comparing it to the pack for #6 and it's basically the same. The fuel injector for #5 also shows the same resistance as the injector for #6. I guess I'll wait till it cools down and pull the plug for #5 to see how it looks. If it looks okay, I'll swap the coil packs for 5 and 6 and see if the misfire moves to 6. The coil resistance may be okay but its internal insulation might be bad allowing voltage breakdown internally and a weaker spark (crosses fingers...)

What's funny is that I hadn't really noticed it running on 7 cylinders. Perhaps when loafing around I might get a hint of the odd jerk but it never gives me the impression it's a cylinder down at other times. When I first pulled the codes, P0305 was pending and the SES lamp was off. Literally just on my way home from an outing this morning did the lamp come on and the P0305 had been moved to the history category.

I'm too scared to do a compression test. I just know I'm going see 30psi or something really low on #5 indicating it's hurt... :(

...more:

Pulled the plug for #5. Visually it looks fine. Light colour, no evidence of aluminum deposition or detonation. Electrodes in good shape. They're NGK TR6 "V-power".

http://img510.imageshack.us/img510/3729/no5plug1.jpg

http://img510.imageshack.us/img510/6178/no5plug2.jpg

One thing I noticed is that the plug gap is still at 0.054". KB recommends the gap be closed down to 0.035" so I'll try that (on all the plugs) and try it again.

At least the plug hadn't melted down to a molten, bubbling mess and at least there doesn't appear to be evidence of detonation or heat damage...

check closely for tiny cracks in the boot of the coil pack....this apparently happens often and causes the CP to fail

Will do. If the problem persists with the misfire I'll swap COPs on two cylinders and see what happens.

Got cylinders 5 thru 8 done so far. All looked about the same. No surprises.

It looks like to get cylinder 2 (second from front, pass side), the throttle body has to come off. I don't know if I can even get at cyl 3 with the fuel rail running right over top of it. I don't recall that one being as hidden before the blower as it appears to be now. I guess KB couldn't really change the relationship of the fuel rails and plugs since that's sort of dictated by the head design. Still, it looks cramped in there.

One thing I've noticed after pulling the intake out: The shop merely put a filter on the PCV valve instead of the vacuum line to the rear of the blower. I had a look and see that the bung on the back of the blower KB intended for the PCV, the "center" one, is actually just a plug on mine and not a vacuum line bung. This explains why they didn't put on in: there's no bung to connect to. The EVAP vacuum line runs right there . I'm thinking I might try splicing a 'T' into that one and running a hose from the PCV to the EVAP line. The vacuum source is the same -- the plenum -- so it shouldn't matter, right? I might be able to use a T on the other bung too that currently has the vacuum manifold connected to it.

I just thought of something: Without a connection back to the plenum from the PCV valve, the valve sees no vacuum. In this condition, the valve is supposed to be open allowing blow-by gases to be pulled into the engine. (At idle and high manifold vacuum, the valve closes due to engine vacuum, when blowby is minimum...) Thing is, if the PCV valve is open and just has a filter on it, then I've got a giant vacuum leak. The breather hose running to the other valve cover (and it's there...) basically opens to the open PCV valve on the passenger-side valve cover, letting in unmetered air after the MAF. The system is supposed to operate in the other direction. Maybe this explains a few things too, like the sometimes unstable idle.

I think you found your idle issue

I hope so. Certainly can't be a good thing to have a leak like that.

Just finished up plumbing the PCV. I ended up Ting into the EVAP vacuum line rather than the other fitting. It's tidier back there this way. Of course now you know I'm going to have EVAP codes pop up. :bleh:

Just have to remove the TB to get at the remaining 4 plugs and then put 'er back together. I've got a bunch of stuff to do this afternoon and probably won't get to it till tomorrow. Got to get it done soon because it's going to be raining and snowing and shite from Wed on from the look of it...

One more quick update:

Access to the plugs on the passenger side were fine once the TB was removed. Got her back together -- PCV system corrected and plugs down to 0.035" -- erased the DTCs and went for a 40km spin. No DTCs thus far though the OBD-II readiness tests hadn't completed either. Just going to have to see what happens in the coming days.

Still have the weird noise but it's boosting fine and making lots of power so I'm not too concerned at this point.

how is she idling now?

Much, much better. Basically like stock now. No more drooping to 200RPM and shuddering before surging back to 800 when approaching lights. I started it cold for a short trip this evening and it was fine. Tomorrow morning will be another test of a stone-cold start so hopefully it'll be improved too. I know it will take a while for the PCM to re-learn the idle scalars so even if it's a little shaky when sub-zero, as long as it's better than it was I'll be happy.