The "I'm New Here And I have A Simple Question Thread" v2.0

[I'm Redline]

How do I tell what thread my 5 lug OE lugs are? I want to get a set of lug nuts and see 1.25, and 1.5. Which do I get?
'96 240SX SE KA24DE Auto, LSD, all stock

[TunerPharm]

Also I should mention, I left my hi beams as normal halogens. The are more of an "instant on" type of bulb, so if you need to flash your highs at someone like I dunno, to warn them that a cop is ahead, or they can proceed through the intersection, it works a lot better. My lo beams are so good I rarely use the his.

Thanks, ill take some pictures when im done.

[mechanicalmoron]

Two questions:

paint: I'm going to rattlecan my car flat black at some point, it's original paint is sun baked and toast on the roof and bumpers, and has serious scratches and such on many panels. It seems that most window molding and the like will NOT go back in, and must be removed for paint. Is there a cheap one size fits all option? I see the molding parts cost a bloody fortune from courtesy parts or somewhere.

Motor: I seem to have saved my motor to dd another day, and am back to considering what I'll do to it when I have a chance to swap it without needing it as a dd. Me wants ITB's. But I have no clue where to start. Is it possible to tune a megasquirt or similar system safely without serious risk to my car, without a dyno and just by reading? With ITB's, could I jam the emissions stuff on so it still works, or something close to works, if I ever got hassled about it?

[PapaSmurf2k3]

How do I tell what thread my 5 lug OE lugs are? I want to get a set of lug nuts and see 1.25, and 1.5. Which do I get?
'96 240SX SE KA24DE Auto, LSD, all stock

They should be M12x1.25.
You could always either get a known bolt and try a lugnut on them (like a bolt from Home Depot labeled as M12x1.25), or a known nut to try on the stud.

If it were me, I'd bring a lug nut from the car into home depot or autozone and try it on known bolts/studs to see which one it fits for free.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Two questions:

paint: I'm going to rattlecan my car flat black at some point, it's original paint is sun baked and toast on the roof and bumpers, and has serious scratches and such on many panels. It seems that most window molding and the like will NOT go back in, and must be removed for paint. Is there a cheap one size fits all option? I see the molding parts cost a bloody fortune from courtesy parts or somewhere.

Motor: I seem to have saved my motor to dd another day, and am back to considering what I'll do to it when I have a chance to swap it without needing it as a dd. Me wants ITB's. But I have no clue where to start. Is it possible to tune a megasquirt or similar system safely without serious risk to my car, without a dyno and just by reading? With ITB's, could I jam the emissions stuff on so it still works, or something close to works, if I ever got hassled about it?

Why do you need to remove them for paint? Just tape everything off really well. Its flat black, its not like you're going for a $10,000 paint job here.

As for the ITBs, you have to decide what engine platform you're going with first of all. I've never messed with ITBs but if you use electronic fuel injection for it, the megasquirt can do it.

[240sxcl50]

How do I know what size mastercylinder I need

[PapaSmurf2k3]

??? Do you have some sort of crazy brake upgrade or something?

[mechanicalmoron]

Two questions:

paint: I'm going to rattlecan my car flat black at some point, it's original paint is sun baked and toast on the roof and bumpers, and has serious scratches and such on many panels. It seems that most window molding and the like will NOT go back in, and must be removed for paint. Is there a cheap one size fits all option? I see the molding parts cost a bloody fortune from courtesy parts or somewhere.

Motor: I seem to have saved my motor to dd another day, and am back to considering what I'll do to it when I have a chance to swap it without needing it as a dd. Me wants ITB's. But I have no clue where to start. Is it possible to tune a megasquirt or similar system safely without serious risk to my car, without a dyno and just by reading? With ITB's, could I jam the emissions stuff on so it still works, or something close to works, if I ever got hassled about it?

Why do you need to remove them for paint? Just tape everything off really well. Its flat black, its not like you're going for a $10,000 paint job here.

As for the ITBs, you have to decide what engine platform you're going with first of all. I've never messed with ITBs but if you use electronic fuel injection for it, the megasquirt can do it.

Well I still wanted to do a good job-besides, the window strippings and door seals have been in the same desert heat that the paint has, for a good portion of the car's life-they're a bit the worse for wear, too. There's also some sneaky rust happening where the paint's baking off, and I wanted to get in the channels and re-strip, an as added measure of protection-And I might find a paint gun, not sure, I just can't see that it would make much of a difference on flat black.

I was looking at megasquirt, seen some people saying it's great and some saying it can hardly idle ITB's and is crude and a nightmare to configure, let alone tune...... And I still have no idea how to tune anything. But I'm a computer geek by trade, I ain't scurred... Other than of the trigger wheels and stuff that it seems to need.

[s14sr20_gsxr]

I'm new here and gotta question so i tough this would be the perfect section to post. I spun a rod bearing on my sr20 due to oil starvation from the oil pump going out under a load. i pulled the motor out ripped it apart and i ordered 87mm wiseco pistons, crower rods, clevite race bearings, etc. the block is going to be built with exclusion to the crank, im about to order 272 cams, valves, springs, retainers, etc. just building the motor while its out. the only fuel upgrades im doing when im putting the motor back in is 810cc injectors and a walbaro fuel pump. ive seen numerous posts on the maximum hp the stock s14 t28 turbo can put out on stock internals, does anyone have an idea on what hp numbers the stock turbo can push out on a built motor?? its going to be a temporary setup until i can save some funds for dual fuel pumps, braided lines, greddy fuel rail, top mount with bigger turbo etc. Just trying to get an estimate on stock turbo efficiency on a fully built s14 sr20. the turbo is the journal bearing s14 not the ball bearing.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

I don't know what model T28 that is specifically, but if you find out and search for that specific model's compressor map, I can tell you.

[240sxcl50]

I have the nismo 2 way lsd. If i bought the tomei T-TRAX 2.0 way lsd will it clunk around like the nismo?

[s14sr20_gsxr]

Papasmurf2k3 the compressor side has AR of .60 and the turbine has AR of .64

[PapaSmurf2k3]

I have the nismo 2 way lsd. If i bought the tomei T-TRAX 2.0 way lsd will it clunk around like the nismo?

yes

[drudg3r]

thanks papasmurf2k3

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Papasmurf2k3 the compressor side has AR of .60 and the turbine has AR of .64

Man, I can't find anything about S14 T28s with journal bearings except "maybe some in Australia came with them".

Anyway, here's the supposed turbo that came on SRs:
http://www.turbobygarrett.com/turbobyga ... rbocharger


Looks like at about 15 psi (P/R of 2), the turbo will be flowing enough air to make almost 300hp at the wheels with the right setup. You'll have a tough time getting anything past that, and in reality, it is quite inefficient there so you might want to add a little safety factor and call it at 280.

[s14sr20_gsxr]

Oh ok, cause what I had read up somewhere was that Zenki s14 sr20's came with journal bearing t28's and kouki came with ball bearing. They may have been wrong. Thanks for the info though, it gives me an idea for power goals before I can upgrade everything else to help support the power I want to put out

[TunerPharm]

Hey guys just a quick question. I have a SR20DE with a ebay turbo kit installed so I guess you can call it a SR20DET now? anyway I wanted to order a set of NGK Irigium Spark Plugs. That wouldn't cause a problem them being for the SR20DET right? also if you haven't heard of those spark plugs, which spark plugs do you recommend?

[PapaSmurf2k3]

The Iridiums are a lot of money for not much gain. I actually like standard NGK coppers (in a colder form). The BK7RE-11 is the part number I believe for V-power. BK7RE for standard electrode.

[jbreze]

Hi. I might need a head gasket job on a 230xxx km ka24de. How likely is it that i will have to take the block out as well to have it resurfaced? I know its smart to have it done, but i'm a novice and would ideally like to change the gasket without removing the block. My goal is to run a stock motor for as long as i can. Thanks.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

You should be fine with just getting the head decked. You might want to get the valves and everything checked while you're at it.

[mechanicalmoron]

What would make my motor sometimes run smooth, and sometimes (more often than not) shimmy, like it's got a miss but not as strong? unplugging any injector or plug makes it a REAL miss, totally different. As it is, it's drivable, but can be felt to have a problem, maybe not so much power, and in first or second, when mantianing speed, you can hear a surging sound from the diff as it transferrs from the rough power.

So the motor rocks-not always, but more often than not. Before it did this with a leaky injector ring, but that blew off after a while, and would never STOP rocking either, and this doesn't seem to be really rich (maybe a tad) and theres no gas in the oil.

I got a knock sensor code once, but that didn't come back, and I just tried wiring a new knock sensor (as well as I could, jamming wires) without installing it, and the same happened.

Plugs don't have the right gap, will fix it when I have a feeler, but they are all the same. Cat also had a lot of gas in it when it was flooding out before.

All compression is still good, wires have okay resistence.

Is there anywhere I should look for a vaccum leak? Anywhere that would have been a victim of the hard rocking when i had a miss, and ripped off more of the old hoses?

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Yeah look for vacuum leaks. Try shaking some of the wires under the hood, specifically the ones coming from your main harness branch (like coming from the fuel injectors) going down towards the TPS and coolant temp sensor.

Is the idle any different when it runs roughly?

[mechanicalmoron]

Yeah look for vacuum leaks. Try shaking some of the wires under the hood, specifically the ones coming from your main harness branch (like coming from the fuel injectors) going down towards the TPS and coolant temp sensor.

Is the idle any different when it runs roughly?

When you have your head over the motor, no.

Standing by the driver door, it sounds sort of lopsided, if that makes sense.

The exhaust sounds like pupupupthbpupupupthbpupupuptbh

if that makes sense. I can't tell if it's really every fourth, but in a reasonably rythmical way, it makes a farting noise kinda thing.

Again, the cat was recently filled with gas, which obviously means the o2 sensors where, too-but I got no codes for that, or anything.

Does the knock sensor code mean the sensor is broken, or that the sensor is seeing a knock? I've seen both ideas, when googling. If I can, I'd like to return this thing, it didn't seem to be the problem-but i DID get the code, once.

When I had a bad injector, I had to finish driving, I was in the country-it was impacting VERY hard on the bad cylinder, I guess it could have finished off my cars original knock sensor? I tried just wedging the wires into a new one, and starting-but I wouldn't know if it contacted properly, probably not, and it ran the same.

It seems to happen quite a bit more once the motor's really warmed up, but does it from a few seconds after starting.

Could it maybe be a leak on something that would only affect one cylinder? But then I'd THINK that noise in the exhaust would be from richness, not a leak? Or maybe i'm just noticing it now, and it's always done it.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Does it sound weird or different at all while you are cranking it? Maybe your valve timing is off or something.

[mechanicalmoron]

Does it sound weird or different at all while you are cranking it? Maybe your valve timing is off or something.

Not particularly. Sometimes it doesn't start right up, though, and sometimes it does. When it does, I'm still not sure it's like it used to.

Cranking may make a bit more of a hissing noise now than before. I don't think so.

I have a blocked pair valve, and can hear the exhaust by removing my block over it, as it essentially creates an exhaust outlet under the hood. It's not a rythmic thing, the sputter the exhaust makes.

Valves have had nothing done to them- BUT, when I had injector issues, the oil got a LOT of gas in it. I got some small flakes when I changed it, and then changed it agais 50 miles later, and it was VERY dark, it had really cleaned a lot of deposits out of the thing, which could have effected adjustments, I suppose?

Also, I have 2 ECU's, it's the same on both. Have tried disconnecting the battery and pressing the brake. All injectors are new and identical.

*edit* While driving through a school zone this morning, I noticed going 15-20 in third, I can feel one cylinder. Seems to be hitting a lot harder than the others. And when I started in the cold I heard what I think is a valve tap, though I've never heard it before (A tap, OR my motor doing this). A tapping on just one cylinder, but the car also didn't shake for the first 20 seconds or so, I actually thought it was cured.

ALSO: thick oil couldn't cause this, right? I'm running valvoline 20w50 with a third of a quart of lucas oil conditioner-with 5w30 my car is like a novelty smoke machine, but like this it doesn't smoke more than a normal motor-I also smelled burnt rubber starting this morning, though, and have to a lesser degree in the past-not rings or something, I hope?

[allenms240]

I hear the Power FCs are specific to the kind of motor you have (s13, s14, s15 / redtop,blacktop), but I am not sure if my s13 motor is a blacktop or redtop, is there an easy way to find this?

[speedeast]

S13 Redtop: (flat on top)


S13 Blacktop: (flat on top; notice the vertical fins on the head)


S14 & S15 Blacktop: (notice the sloped valve cover)

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Does it sound weird or different at all while you are cranking it? Maybe your valve timing is off or something.

Not particularly. Sometimes it doesn't start right up, though, and sometimes it does. When it does, I'm still not sure it's like it used to.

Cranking may make a bit more of a hissing noise now than before. I don't think so.

I have a blocked pair valve, and can hear the exhaust by removing my block over it, as it essentially creates an exhaust outlet under the hood. It's not a rythmic thing, the sputter the exhaust makes.

Valves have had nothing done to them- BUT, when I had injector issues, the oil got a LOT of gas in it. I got some small flakes when I changed it, and then changed it agais 50 miles later, and it was VERY dark, it had really cleaned a lot of deposits out of the thing, which could have effected adjustments, I suppose?

Also, I have 2 ECU's, it's the same on both. Have tried disconnecting the battery and pressing the brake. All injectors are new and identical.

*edit* While driving through a school zone this morning, I noticed going 15-20 in third, I can feel one cylinder. Seems to be hitting a lot harder than the others. And when I started in the cold I heard what I think is a valve tap, though I've never heard it before (A tap, OR my motor doing this). A tapping on just one cylinder, but the car also didn't shake for the first 20 seconds or so, I actually thought it was cured.

ALSO: thick oil couldn't cause this, right? I'm running valvoline 20w50 with a third of a quart of lucas oil conditioner-with 5w30 my car is like a novelty smoke machine, but like this it doesn't smoke more than a normal motor-I also smelled burnt rubber starting this morning, though, and have to a lesser degree in the past-not rings or something, I hope?

I think you killed your motor bro. That much gas in the oil destroys the film and protection of your engine oil. If you're blowing that much smoke, you need to immediately start looking for a replacement.

[mechanicalmoron]

I think you killed your motor bro. That much gas in the oil destroys the film and protection of your engine oil. If you're blowing that much smoke, you need to immediately start looking for a replacement.

I am looking for a new one, and I have no doubt that it's in bad shape inside-compression is around 123 hot, 118 cold, on all cylinders. But it only ran with gas in it for like 15-20 mins total-and it smoked like this before that, and seems to run fine other than this intermittent shake....

Other people complain about how my exhaust smells, and I GUESS it could be described as "rotten eggs", a little bit, along with burnt oil. The cat has had some abuse recently with being flooded and all, and I had the whole "full throttle, slowing down" thing, with huge smoke clouds, when I first got it going right after being flooded-and it's also had lots of burnt oil smoke go through it. Could a blocked cat do this?

Also, must not cook right at idle, cause of my blocked pair valve.

And, If I pulled out the cat, would I need new gaskets to get it back in? Would there be any harm to running with no cat, with if just removed to have essentially open headers, to see if that fixed it, then if it did, gut the cat and put it back in?

[speedeast]

I wonder if perhaps your valves aren't seating and your seals are compromised allowing oil to leak into the cylinders. Pull the crankcase hose off while it's running and see if it smells like exhaust or excess pressure or something.