Replacing Turbo engine with NA engine

[Jason84NA2T]

I hope he fixed that :?

I've heard of the alignment dowls breaking and the gear spinning on the cam, usually bending valves just like a broken belt.

[craZed]

I cracked the dowel hole in my cam.Luckily it didnt get past the
wobbling stage. I came up with a way to fix it without removing the cam.

[William86Turbo]

I am really thinking this engine is goinmg to need a teardown real soon...
I was driving it today and when I got home I let the engine idle for around 10 minutes before shutting it down. When I did turn the engine off I heard a knocking/grating sound as the engine died out, I started and stopped the engine a few more times and the sound occured every time...

It was definately coming from the bottom end... lol It sounded like one of the main bearings is on its way out...

I changed the O2 sensor and CHTS and it is still the same, almost running 100% but not quite... And now Ive noticed this noise I'm not trusting the engine will be reliable for long.

I havent fixed the cam either, I just have got to the point where i have grown tired of spending weekend after weekend on the car - not ever being satisfied with the way it runs.

I guess it comes down to the fact most sports cars are driven like sports cars by the guys that buy them from the dealership. :roll:

I havent got much money at the moment, but I do have an RB30 in my garage. Maybe its time to convert?? Would be a shame that I never saw the true potential of the original engine though. On the plus side i could get parts much easier... It just seems like Ive had nothing but trouble with this engine. But it still gave me a taste of how good it would be in modified form...

Not the best experience having to work on either... I will say its 1000 times easier than many newer V configuration engines I have worked on, Like the Z32!!!.

I have been considering taking it off the road to repair all the little things you can only do when a car is off the road. I love the car so much, to me driving it every day is a sin. Its the kind of car that you only take out once in a while I've always thought... Even the small stone chip i got the other day pissed me off. Driving it less you appreciate the car even more... At least i have found that.

Thanks for the info on the ECU Jason. Im trying to find out how you identify it using the site??? ops:

[Jason84NA2T]

Z32's are a royal freaking pain in the @ss to work on, and that's the only reason I don't - and won't - own one. Anybody who thinks Z31's are hard to work on has no idea what they are talking about.

ECU part number information:
http://z31.com/oboard/archives/view.pl?53

[William86Turbo]

Yeah I know I dont know what Nissan was thinking when they designed those cars. Or if they were thinking at all...

I used to like them alot, but since Ive owned a Z31 Id never want one, I went for a drive in a Twin Turbo z32 and it felt cheap compared to my Z31. Like they cut costs wherever they could.

Thanks for the link Jason. I'll check it out later today. :wink:

By the way I found your RedZ31 site extremely interesting. Your car is an awesome example. If only more people took as good care of their z31s.

[300zxt]

Jap engines made for little Jap hands, made difficult to work on so the dealerships get more business...

[William86Turbo]

Yeah True! :lol:

It makes it more rewarding when you do it yourself though. And cheaper!

[FlawleZ]

William86Turbo wrote: Yeah I know I dont know what Nissan was thinking when they designed those cars. Or if they were thinking at all...

I used to like them alot, but since Ive owned a Z31 Id never want one, I went for a drive in a Twin Turbo z32 and it felt cheap compared to my Z31. Like they cut costs wherever they could.

I don't think you are thinking at all. Sure, the Z32 is a royal PITA to work on, but it stands for good reason.

Nissan not thinking? Comon, the Z32 was a world beater and a technological marvel of its time. Its still more advanced than many cars being produced today. The car has revisions over every aspect of the Z31 (except ease of working on), there is no way Nissan even THOUGHT about "cutting costs."

There's a reason why the car was $50K in the mid 90's.

[William86Turbo]

I knew someone might jack up about that.
Okay i can see what your saying.
The Z32 may be a marvel the world over...
But not to me. Thats why i said IT WAS WHAT I THOUGHT....

Its just a pain in the ass. And for what? a little extra power at wide open throttle. twice as many things to snap your fingers off on crammed into the engine bay.

Having said that I DO SEE HOW YOU CAN LIKE IT AND I RESPECT IT. But to me its another one of those 'rounded' cars that are just a pain when it comes to working on it. And I try to be a DIY kinda guy. I also should point out I have worked on a Z32 before and it wasnt impossible, but something as simple as changing the waterpump involved so much work to even get a look at. It was definately harder than the one in my Z31.

My taste for cars seems to be stuck in the 60s 70s and 80s. What can I say?.I cant get enough of older cars. The Money that is spent in buying a newer car will always be better spent on fixing up an older one to me.

I just like the way things were made back in those times. The only things that really changed other than the body styles were that the emmissions laws became stricter. They didnt make the radiators out of plastic like the Z32. (Its so flimsy it may as well be). Take a look at the one from a Z31 and then look at the one in a Z32... Now tell me that they werent cutting costs at all...

No Offence. Its just my opinion. And anyway, If you feel so strongly about the z32 why are you on a z31 forum? Its taken me along time to find somewhere to discuss these cars seriously without people making misinformed comments about them because they havent got twin cam heads or more than one turbo, or a six speed box. Or Arguing that other cars make more peak power. Ive Smashed many a Z32 in my 300 and its never even been running right. And Ive driven more than one Z32 and to me they arent the same. But i do respect them.

To cut it short I respect the Z32. There will always be a small part of me that still likes it. But I really like older model cars. More Unique, Cheaper, and easier to work on, Also in most cases noticeably lighter. Yep Im not gonna change any time soon. :wink: And I dont like people insulting me for stating my opinion.

[RedBeauty84ZX]

William86Turbo wrote: If you feel so strongly about the z32 why are you on a z31 forum?

Because he used to own a Z32 and now owns a Z31.

[FlawleZ]

William86Turbo wrote: And anyway, If you feel so strongly about the z32 why are you on a z31 forum? Its taken me along time to find somewhere to discuss these cars seriously without people making misinformed comments about them because they havent got twin cam heads or more than one turbo, or a six speed box. Or Arguing that other cars make more peak power. Ive Smashed many a Z32 in my 300 and its never even been running right. And Ive driven more than one Z32 and to me they arent the same. But i do respect them.

To cut it short I respect the Z32. There will always be a small part of me that still likes it. But I really like older model cars. More Unique, Cheaper, and easier to work on, Also in most cases noticeably lighter. Yep Im not gonna change any time soon. :wink: And I dont like people insulting me for stating my opinion.

Ummmm....It has absolutely NOTHING to do with feeling strongly about them. Its simply reality. I'm not making any misinformed comments or posts and I'm not bashing what you have to say or your opinion. I just don't think you even rationally thought about it. I think you've let your biases towards a few small things dictate your opinion on the Z32.

[MachZ]

The Z32 is awesome... it just needs a VG30ET. :lol: ...really though, lighter, still strong, very reliable, much more compact... its actually not a bad idea really. I'm tempted to try it. :lol:

[FlawleZ]

MachZ wrote: The Z32 is awesome... it just needs a VG30ET. :lol: ...really though, lighter, still strong, very reliable, much more compact... its actually not a bad idea really. I'm tempted to try it. :lol:

I'm not at all discouraging you from doing the swap, but just think of how many Z32 owners you would piss off/amaze if you did. :twisted:

[MachZ]

FlawleZ wrote: I'm not at all discouraging you from doing the swap, but just think of how many Z32 owners you would piss off/amaze if you did. :twisted:

Oh I know... it would be so hilarious. I'm actually already putting the Infiniti VH45 in one... the 3ZC guys didn't believe me too much, they also shot down my idea of essentially welding a front clip in place of the wrecked parts of mine.

Needless to say... I don't think I'm going back there again. Compared to here and HybridZ, there's just no real sense of extreme mods over there. Most of them just have the mindset of buying everything and having it right the first time, which there's nothing wrong with that and I'd do it to if I had that kind of money but at the same time I love working on cars and getting into this kind of stuff is what makes it worth it. They just don't seem to see that. :lol:

[William86Turbo]

I did think about what I said. At the end of the day I just really dont like the Z32s anymore. Im over them. Maybe I am letting my personal opinions get in the way of what the z32 really is like.

They are like the biggest old person car over here. And expensive to modify. Top it off with their curb weight and the lack of parts available for them without spending huge $$$, they arent user freindly when it comes to maintenance time. And they have heat problems because of the horrendously cramped engine space. Like I said im into older cars. For all these reasons and more.

I correct myself about them 'not thinking' when they designed the z32. That was taking it too far. ops: