boost_boy is human too (This one's long, but interesting)!

[boost_boy]

What's happening folks? Lately I have been kinda on the low-low with my moderating duties as well as assisting members with diLemmas and answering questions in a timely manner, but I have a good reason. In October of 2006, I resigned from my old gig at TSA and accepted a position with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (I.C.E.) which also falls under the same umbrella as TSA (Department of Homeland Security).

I started the Federal Law Enforcement Training Academy or FLETC on October 18, 2006 in hopes of earning this job on a more permanent basis granted I still have what it takes to be competitive in both the academic and physical sectors. Well, after too many tests both physically and academically and countless days of ups and downs, I will be graduating on January 19, 2007 and will officially be an Immigration Enforcement Agent.

Now that that's out of the way, let's talk about Dee's car situation. I brought my sentra here to Georgia after the Thanksgiving holiday break, so that I can have a vehicle to get around in. I didn't want to bring the sentra, but it was the only car at my house that I felt was completely ready to go anywhere without needing new tires, or an alignment or some kind of maintenance work done.

One day I met a local guy here with an S14 that's got an SR20DET in it. He was staring at my car when I pulled into the parking lot of the local advanced autoparts store. He waited until I came out, approached me and asked about the car. I don't think he knew what a CA18DET was, but I popped the hood and showed him. He asked if I could take him for a ride in it, so I agreed and off we went.

First trip, left boost at 15psi and away the sentra went, screaming through 1st gear and redlining at 8700rpm. Second gear was nearly identical with the car pulling like it was purposely trying to show-off for this guy and I decided to turn around. This time, I cranked-up the boost to 20 something psi, launched the car in 1st gear and lit the tires up. I noticed the shifting starting to feel slow and spongy going into second, but I still let the engine max out the rpms in second gear. When I went to select 3rd gear, I got locked-out. I tried to select 4th, it would go in, but not completely. I tried to select any gear that would let me in and though it partially went, it made no difference in the way the car drove.

The transmission was stuck either in 3rd or 4th gear, but it had to be towed and my dramas only began. My fiance drove 5 hours that night to bring me the transmission from my DRAG sentra and she ended up bringing me the extra transmission for my turbocharged elantra which really sucked thanks to Mr. Overboosted180's inability to differentiate the difference between a Nissan and Mitsubishi FWD transmission (Just messing with G <IMG NAME="icon" SRC="http://images.nicoclub.com/forums/image ... iggrin.gif" BORDER="0"> ). So after getting the other transmission here, I now have major axle issues because the transmission that messed-up is yet different from the transmission that replaced it. The axles are even thicker, but only the long axle is the one that gave me a problem.

So after dealing with places in Miami and Georgia to get this axle customized for my sentra and with no luck, I finally decided to send the axle to a place in Ocala, Florida called CVO to get the axle customized. I hope to get it back soon because I do graduate in a couple of days and I don't want to have to trailer the car back to Miami. This is the grand daddy gearbox for all sentras (I think) and I think it should serve me well during this drag racing season. My builder says this transmission is so much stronger and geared better than the other one, that I had gave him another transmission to duplicate the one that is currently on my car now.

In closing, the moral of this story is just what the title predicts, I am human, so I do experience failures here and there like everyone else, but it doesn't make me want to sell my car. Unfortuanately, I don't have the issues most of you all are having because at least you guys can just read the info posted here or ask a question to sort your problems whereas I am totally on my own and have to pay people to make stuff for my car. Yes, my car is definitely a mutt being comprised of multiple components from 5 different nissan models, but again, I wouldn't trade it for the world. And if I ever sold it, cheap would not be in the deal for it is well over $20,000 invested in this sentra and let's not talk about labor. So guys take heed to some of this stuff I wrote. Even in my busy life of being a father, significant other, car enthusiast, and all the other crap associated with life including my failures with my cars, I still make sure I handles my business and tell myself that "Failure is not an option" .

Dee

[float_6969]

You know if that car wasn't wrong wheel drive, you wouldn't have nearly the problems you are having now!

[Bwana]

I'm afraid Ryan has a good point Dee...

BTW, congrats on the upcoming graduation!

[Liquid_Neon]

wrong wheel drive is just a point of view!

And sorry to hear about ur transmission woes dee, i remember losing first gear in my old transmission... not fun at all!

good luck

[boost_boy]

I'm afraid Ryan has a good point Dee...

BTW, congrats on the upcoming graduation!

Wrong wheel drive? What a prick you are for saying that. At least I have a helical LSD....hahaha. Top that you morons ! And by the way, the new transmission works, just need the other axle.

For both float and Bwana, I hope both of your buckets develop rod knock (J/k). Thanks fellas........

Dee

[davidricardo86]

First trip, left boost at 15psi and away the sentra went, screaming through 1st gear and redlining at 8700rpm.

I was curious as to know how youre getting this high of rpm. Obviously its not on a stock valvetrain and bottom end is it?

Also why a Sentra? What attracted you to this choice?

[float_6969]

I also have a Helical LSD. Does that still make me cooler than you?

[CaEric]

Ouch....rod knock...thats jut mean dude...haha but realy i would to see what u do with a 240......

[boost_boy]

I also have a Helical LSD. Does that still make me cooler than you?

Nope! You are not cool at all .

Dee

[boost_boy]

I was curious as to know how youre getting this high of rpm. Obviously its not on a stock valvetrain and bottom end is it?

Also why a Sentra? What attracted you to this choice?

The stock CA can rev this high, but it is useless to do when your cams are not helping much as well as your valve train being a bit worn out. My bottom end just have CP pistons, XC rings, new bearings, balanced, a new oil pump and some good 'ol fashion line boring done (nothing to o extravagant).

Why a sentra? How many of you guys have S13s? How many guys you know use the B12 sentra to house an engine such as the CA18DET? Too many S13 and not enough B12 sentras. I'm from the old school and that's a very good FWD platform. Anything after is a bit cheap (in my eyes) and does not accept the CA18DET as easily as my sentra does.

I'm a class by myself, so I can afford to be a little snooty at times about my bucket. I have 3 s13's in which one is a convertible with under 60k miles on it, but I'm going to build them to be sold and they each willbe better than 300whp when they leave my garage. I love the S13 chasis, but my heart is with the underdog B12 sentra.

And BTW, my valve train is not stock, but it's nothing to turn flips over either.

Dee

[dekansnowman]

+1 for putting the CA into something rare...

And yea, congrats on the Agent status to be.

[bias]

Congrats on your career move! I hate to thrive in the misery of others but did you take any pics of the damage? And what did the guy say with the s14 after your car messed up?

[davidricardo86]

Safe enough to see those kind of engine speeds regularly?

OK! I was curious is all. Thanks for telling me why you like the Sentra. I personally like RWD for the driving aspect. Not saying its better, rather a preferance thing. If i could, id put my freshly rebuilt CA into an RX7 FC chassis or Porsche 944 turbo chassis. For some reason i liked the stylings of these two. Combine with a new engine.... uh.. man that would be sex for me.

[r34 gtr]

i know me a thing or two about the 944. i wouldnt swap out that 951 engine for anything. the 13b sure, but that 951 will make reliable power like nissan wishes it could. (sorry boys)

so dee, was that guy peeing all over himself when you wrung out the sentra or what? i know i would be, you crazy bastard you. and youve been one state over and havnt told me? atlanta is a mere hour's drive.

[davidricardo86]

i know me a thing or two about the 944. i wouldnt swap out that 951 engine for anything. the 13b sure, but that 951 will make reliable power like nissan wishes it could. (sorry boys)

Really? What can you tell about the Porsche 944? I know this is not the right place to be asking but you said you knew a little. Whats it like? Hows the Suspension? engine? Chassis?

[boost_boy]

Just to finish up the story, I think the guy was very impresse with the CA18DET's performance let alone it being in a sentra. When I took off, he grabbed the biotch handle to hold on because I'll admit, it moved unusually better than normal (transmission gave me a final performance). I think he gave me a "holy-shiiit", but I was more worried about not being able to shift the car anymore. He didn't know the transmission was screwed because it was stuck in a gear and it was still driveable. He asked if he could have my number because he wanted me to install some stuff for him, but I never heard from him again. I also invited him to visit NICO and possibly become a member if he liked what he saw. All in all, the car ran great despite the fact that it is not tuned for the camshafts that I installed.

Dee