Maintenance/cosmetics/upgrades:
Complete turbo gasket kit (some stuff left over because of the bypass)
New timing belt
New timing idler pulleys
Ramey Z HD idler studs
New(er) timing belt tensioner
New intake cam gear springs and o-rings
New(er) thermostat
New(er) detonation sensor harness (new hardware relocated to OEM position from the plenum)
New valve cover gaskets
Throttle body coolant hose bypass with aluminum hard line routing
All coolant hoses replaced with OEM parts or SAE30 fuel hose
New coolant spring clamps
New exhaust nuts
Z1 silicone coolant bypass hoses and silicone IACV hose kit
New(er) PCV valves and hoses
Custom PCV aluminum hard line (not really by choice, I threw the old one out by accident :-/ )
Balance tube, intake valve covers, timing covers, CAS painted satin black
Timing covers smoothed to eliminate PTU mount and driverside ribs
Timing cover bolts polished
Plenum, throttle bodies, parts of throttle linkage powder coated “chrome by the pound”
IACV hard pipe, parts of throttle linkage powder coated satin black
Coil pack brackets powder coated gunmetal (matches MegaZ radiator wing)
Chrome CAS bracket and throttle cable holder
Satin polished water pipes
Polished carbon fiber throttle cover with TT.net store stickers.(yes, it’s lighter than stock :-) )
All hardware replaced per my AutoFAQ (some not shown)
Stainless steel right angle ¼” NPT to ¼” hose adapter (behind balance tube on plenum)
Power adders/upgrades:
NGK BKR7EIX Iridium plugs
Mike Smith Performance exhaust manifolds
JWT Sport 500 turbos
Wastegate hoses aluminum hard line install, no vacuum line, all ¼” SAE 30 fuel hose
Specialty Z super split down pipes (painted 1500°F flat black)
New(er) Nismo 740 cc/min injectors, machined lower plenum, Bernie insulator mod (from my Platinum 91, 5k miles on them)
UR underdrive pulley with Bernie’s water pump OD pulley
EGR delete
How it started:
After the pull:
Essential instructions, thanks again TT.net
Who knows what evil lurks within…
Then there’s a huge blank in picture taking and more doing. Fast forward…
I cleaned up my shaved timing covers from my old Z
My PC’ed plenum and TB’s, polished timing cover bolts
The throttle cover the car came with, refreshed thanks to the TT.net store
Note the fiber washers under the bolts to protect the PC finish on the brackets
Some good views of the hardline routing and bypass:
The vacuum hardline for the boost controller and wastegate control
The 1/4” NPT to 1/4” barb fitting
What am I??? Oh yeah…
Here is the engine bay after the engine removal, prior to me doing anything.:
Since this pic, I’ve removed the main EFI harness and started removing solenoids. My next steps are cleaning the engine bay (not repainting, just cleaning) and re routing some wiring. Then I’ll be installing the various harnesses and vacuum lines and eventually dropping the engine back in.
Since I’m about half way done with this (roughly), I want to thank some people; Bernie for being the man, along with Dave N. Coz for excellent service, along with Greg and Seb of Specialty Z. Very valuable Z resources. Don Wood for his excellent powdercoating services. I’d also like to thank about 30 members for buying and selling parts with me, I haven’t had any issues yet, and I greatly appreciate that.
Fast (or slow) forward 8 months
Back in August I pulled the engine, because I thought I had to. I had a coolant leak on the driver side turbo which (for me) was quite difficult to get to. Combined with the fact I wanted to replace my lower plenum and install my 740s, which required removing the EGR, I decided to pull.
So then I got into “while the engine is out” mode, which can be addicting and dangerous. Thanks to TT.net and some other key members, I was able to replace the manifolds, turbos, EFI harness, timing belt and a whole bunch more. Along with the cleaning and cosmetic updates, there was tons of maintenance and upgrades along the way. Working for a few hours a week after work dictated a slow pace. Couple that with me trying to sell parts as fast as I was buying them and you’re now talking about a snail’s pace. I don’t want to add up how much I’ve sunk into this car in the last 8 months to a year, and I know it could have been much MUCH more.
I got laid off in February, so there goes my excuse about not having enough time. I do everything I can to the engine bay and engine to prep for reinstall, but still have to wait for a non-frozen day to put the motor back in (hoist won’t reach with my garage ceiling). Fast forward to April 5th, Carlos comes over to assist, as does my good friend Tiago. I thought we’d move quickly, but when I have two ‘Rican friends who both own Xterras, that day moved slowly as well, lol. “My shocks this, my timing belt that, you’re gonna hate the #6 plug” Ugh :-)
After some finagling we get the engine in. I didn’t use the FAQ method of using the upper plenum mounting bolts, as that scared me, so we used a heavy duty strap wrapped around everything. If you have the PS pump on, the engine won’t fit with 3” expansions on , at least not in my experience. We got it in and pushed her back into the garage for the next steps.
I had fun with the transmission; the 100mm bolt was a whore, and then I managed to trap the ground strap. I’m kinda glad I live in the ghetto so the lil kids outside had already heard everything I’d been shouting. I can’t recall how many times I called my car a “f*ggot motherfcuker” or a “dirty dirty whore”. I’ve done clutches before, but it’s always been with the assistance of Dave N, so this is my first time doing it solo. The Harbor Freight transmission jack (which I got for $60 new somehow) was instrumental in making it as easy as possible.
So with the engine and tranny in, I finished installing all the silicone vac hoses, the grounding kit and everything else I needed to make the car go. I went OCD on the grounding kit, ordering brass M6 hex bolts and washers to fasten the gold-plated Fosgate 8 AWG connections. I also ran the wires required for my audio system and Dual MAF set up for when I install that in the near future. I need to relocate my water injection tank first for that to happen. Then the paranoia began to set in. “Did I tighten the cam gear bolt?” “Did I torque this down?” I had nightmares of bolts flying off the car, fluids going everywhere.
So last week Tiago comes over and we bleed the clutch out (not enough apparently, still working on that) and give it a start. It starts, but stumbles and dies. Repeat 4 more times. I’m baffled, yet slightly excited that it started at all and I had no check engine light. About to toss in the towel for the night and figure it out the next day, I remember I installed a used SAFC of unknown (but suspect) condition. Remember, SAFC installs cut and reroute the MAF signal thru the unit. If the unit is bunk, well so is your MAF signal. I unplugged my boomslang harness to which the SAFC was attached, started the car and she purred like a tiger. Huge smiles everywhere and an overall giddiness unseen for months, years even. Then the anger sets in… “That a$$hole sold me a bunk SAFC”, now they’re no longer on eBay. But that was short lived, my black mistress is alive, and I can’t wait to romp on her :-)
I took it out for a test drive last Friday. Not sure what the main culprit was, but VR-4 brake kits suck. It shuddered like a mofo braking at any speed over 40. The kit uses a spacer, and the ones I had were not hub-centric, so I’m sure that didn’t help. I went to my Platinum car and snagged my stock sized rotors and pads, installed them last night and voila, it’s now driveable. I’ve got some clutch adjustment issues I’m working on, but other than that, OMG this thing is amazing. Power comes on smooth, hard and lasts. I’ve only got to about 5k RPMs and 12PSI, but wow. I’m knocking down the boost per Joe’s (Spddracer’s) recommendation.
Profile is now current with every upgrade I did, but doesn’t capture the insane about of maintenance stuff (seals, sensors, mounts etc etc).
My love for the car is back, after a near 2 year hiatus. It’s by no means “Done”, I still have the SPL coilover and adjustable links install, the Dual MAF install and WI relocation, and the audio system install to do this summer, but I have a functional Z again, and couldn’t be happier.
I want to thank some people; Bernie for being the man, along with Dave N and Carlos. I really couldn’t have done this without you guys, though I will not validate Dave by saying his nagging helped. Oh, and BTW Bernie, I just started it and didn’t drain the fuel :-).
Kyle for excellent service and prices, Kuah of SPL Parts along with Greg and Seb of Specialty Z. Very valuable Z resources. Don Wood for his excellent powdercoating services, Woody and Guapo for tech tidbits along the way. Joe (Spddracer) for his great clutch deal and customer support. I did buy some stuff from Coz (pre 300° scam announcement) and as always, he was excellent as well. I’d also like to thank about 30 members for buying and selling parts with me, I haven’t had any issues yet, and I greatly appreciate that.
On to the pics:
Prepped for reinstall:
Oh the hoist:
Carlos aiding in the alignment:
It’s in! (that’s what she said)
The custom DXD Feramic/Kevlar clutch from Spddracer, it was truly beautiful:
1 piece alumiunum driveshaft, thanks Erik (member easyez)
The beautiful SZ expansions and eBay oil filter sandwich plate:
The wiring for various gauges and the Dual MAF:
This was by far the toughest ground to get in:
And it’s done… for now:
Notice the brass bolt for the grounding point.
Fuel pressure gauge (notice the stainless SHCS replacements on the fuel clamps…OCD at work)
No mo HICAS
Vacuum lines and the Stillen engine damper:
And all the grounds come together here:
My makeshift gauge cluster while I waited for my 300° panel:
The blacked out booty:
So that’s it for now, thanks for reading (or at least looking at the pictures), and happy Z’ing to all.
