Cbus240's Restoration/Build Thread 56k

[bfsnail]

Must have update! Awesome job!

[tEknoS13]

Beautiful work man. I too am in the process of udercoating my 240, good stuff. However you outclassed me in every way. Laziness did not allow me to remove old undercoating since its not flaking off, also my subframe is nice and rusty

May I ask what size tires you rocking?

[Cbus240]

UPDATE! UNDERBODY RESTORATION COMPLETE!

Well things have been pretty damn busy in my life recently with work and school, I just haven't had the time to get on here and update you guys on all the progress I've made. Like the title says, I'm FINALLY done with my "little" undercarriage TLC/restoration project, that basically turned into a huge drawn out adventure...4 months to be exact. But all I can say is, it was all worth it!

Let's start on the final chapter of this little project shall we??

First off, let me give you a parts update. Shortly after my last posting I placed an order with FRSport for some goodies for the front/rear suspension, along with a new exhaust. Then I hit up West Covina Nissan on eBay for a super deal on a piece that will get me more stiff in the front I also ordered all new OE hardware for the front suspension for Courtesy Nissan, along with a few more pieces to finish out the rear. Lastly, after a posting I saw on here, I picked up an Agency Power shorty antenna to replace my huge rubber S2k one.

ES rear sway end link bushings


New OEM fresh FLCA's complete with balljoint




I GOT THE POWA! Nismo Power Brace that is...








ahhh, I love the smell of fresh OE hardware in the morning, don't you??


AP Shorty antenna


annnd, the new Greddy Ti-C, along with Circuit Sports exhaust bushings

I wanted to hug the UPS dude when he dropped this off




beautiful welds






ok, ok....I only got this exhaust cause I realllly just wanted the Greddy sticker....


da bushings


OK, so I started to do work on tearing apart the front half of the car and finishing the rear. I got lazy around this time and DIDN'T take any pics of removal/installation of the front suspension pieces, the undercoating of the front half of the car, or the assembly of the rear suspension! I know...you all are just SO bummed, right?? Well, I DO have some crummy pics of everything put back together, so suck it.

FRONT:

everything for front after POR15 and paint
























REAR:



























NOW, for those of you that have been following this thing, you would know that at this point I still had to refinish the gas tank. One of the previous owners had sprayed the bottom half of the tank with truck bed liner at one point, and didn't prep it very well so it was flaking off and looked like poo. Here you can kinda see what it looked like:



The stuff would flake off so easily, that you could take a razor blade and scrape it off, so that's what I did! I forgot to bring my camera with me that day, so I don't have any pics of it all stripped down to bare metal. But, once I did have it all off, I hit it with a coat of POR15:





then, I hit it with a nice layer the Duplicolor undercoating:




dried, with plastic splash shield/gaurd installed


So then it was time for the icing on the cake. The final piece of the puzzle, you could say.



bushings comparison, the CS ones were nice and stiff


first half in








voila


muuuch better fitment than the old Tanabe that was on the car...



everything in it's final resting place, buttoned up and ready to roll.






THE END!!!!!


DONEZO. I just can't express to you guys enough on how happy I am to have this car back together. What I thought was going to be a project that would take me only 3 WEEKS, (I lolz at thinking that now) turned into 4 months of my car being in hibernation on top of jack stands. I literally just lowered her down on all four tires earlier this week, and I've been driving the car like a mad man ever since. I pretty much spent 6 hours yesterday washing/detailing her, then went out cruising last night til 3AM! haha my goal right now is just to enjoy the car for the rest of this summer/fall. There's still many more projects to come (I'm thinking T28, PBM Downpipe, Tomei Expreme manifold next Spring) but I guess you can say I'm a little "240'd out" right now haha.

Let me know what you guys think!

[badbob2121]

looks brand new... nice

[gmac708]

Two thumbs from me...looks great

[TheBlaiant]

Good job man! That's how you really work on a 240!

[1SickSilvia]

Awsome job

[tEknoS13]

Sick dude. Looking at that rear end makes me so happy.

[Cbus240]

Hey guys, sorry I didn't get back to you when I first posted, but thanks for all the compliments and positive feedback, I appreciate it!

Beautiful work man. I too am in the process of udercoating my 240, good stuff. However you outclassed me in every way. Laziness did not allow me to remove old undercoating since its not flaking off, also my subframe is nice and rusty

May I ask what size tires you rocking?

dude, once again sorry I never even saw this, and I'm sure it's irrelevant by now haha, but I'm rollin with 235/45/17's on all 4 corners if you're still wondering....

soo in the past few weeks I have been driving the piss outta my car, every weekend I take it out and just go cruising around and hanging out with my buddies. I've been taking some really nice quality/artsy pics of my car recently, I will def. load them up soon and post them.

Transmission Fluid Drain/Fill

I did however do a little maintenance a week or two ago. As you know, the SR 5-speed uses GL-4 grade 75w-90 gear oil. Recently I noticed more and more that my transmission would grind going into reverse (dead stop, clutch fully disengaged) and it would also grind (ONLY during heavy acceleration from a DEAD STOP) going into 2nd gear coming out of 1st gear. Other than that, my transmission has been a smooth operator. Considering I had no idea when the last time transmission fluid had been changed, or better yet, WHAT it had been changed with, I decided to order up 3qts. of Redline MT-90 along with a Moonface magnetic drain plug from FRSport. I've heard great things about Redline products and I did a lot of research amongst all the different brands of gear oils (really wanted to go with Amsoil) but at the end of the day, Redline to me, was the best bang for the buck and was readily available. I guess GL-5 grade gear oils have some kind of phosphouric chemical or something that is harmful to brass synchros and can cause shifting issues and premature wear, and it was my suspicion that whatever fluid that was in my transmission was either not GL-4 friendly, or just extremely worn down.

the goods


new drain plug, cause I hate the factory square plug that strips out (same as what I used on my rear differential)


so I took my car for a little "spirited" driving session, and got the transmission fluid nice and warm. put the car up on jackstands, pulled the drain/fill plugs, and this is what came out


obviously the fluid was pretty well worn. it's hard to tell in the pic, but it was full of super fine brass shavings. it also had the consistency of water, virtually left no film when I rubbed it between my fingers. here's what the drain plug looked like...

yikesss!


here's a shot of my transfer setup and everything ready to go


and here she is buttoned up, yes I know I'm missing a transmission bolt


***Final thoughts/Impressions of Redline MT-90***
All I can say, GREAT PRODUCT! I really wasn't expecting the MT-90 to get rid of my shifting issues, because as far as I was concerned the damage had already been done (if any) and no fluid in the world is going to rebuild metal. Yet I was proven wrong, and was very pleased. Not only does my transmission slide right into reverse now, my 1st-2nd gear issue has been resolved for the most part. It will not grind during heavy acceleration, (I'm talking 7k RPMs, which is probably something the transmission shouldnt be subjected to any way) but I will say it that it does "hesitate" going into second gear. I also thought my transmission shifted pretty easily before, but after changing out fluids it is like night and day to me...like butta! It definitely shifts effortlessly between all gears now. All in all, Redline makes great products and I will definitely use them again for any of my lubrication needs

[Dano]

Bad freakin a**, all these threads later like yourself, splintercell, etc taking such good care and showing such pride in your cars makes me feel so warm and fuzzy inside. This is the kind of stuff our beloved car scene has been absent of for the most part for some time. Kick a** job on everything dude!

[420sxWETDREAMS]

Dam son if Rob Dyrdek saw this he would say you are "Doing Work Son!"

[truckmtr240]

time for pictures!!!

[Cbus240]

time for pictures!!!

haha I dont get what you mean by this! unless you just HAPPEN to know I just bought about 2k worth of crap for my SR the past 2 weeks, and you're saying I need to post pics of that stuff...but that would be a freaky coincidence lol

[elchoccolatte]

Nice work Mayne...

[Khost26]

This really is inspiring lol. I would love to have the bottom of my car look like that. Keep up the awesome work man.

[Cbus240]

Bad freakin a**, all these threads later like yourself, splintercell, etc taking such good care and showing such pride in your cars makes me feel so warm and fuzzy inside. This is the kind of stuff our beloved car scene has been absent of for the most part for some time. Kick a** job on everything dude!

Nice work Mayne...

This really is inspiring lol. I would love to have the bottom of my car look like that. Keep up the awesome work man.

hey thanks guys. especially you Dano, that means a lot man! haha even got thrown in the same sentence as splintercell, woot woot. well guys I'm about to start the next project for my car, get ready for a nice big juicy update chock full o' new parts here in a few....

[Cbus240]

So the saga continues...

S13 SR20DET REBUILD

Well, as some of you may able to guess, I have a s13 SR20 swapped into my car. My 240 already had the swap done when I bought it (previous owner said it was done by a shop) and I have had relatively few problems with it. But, after finally getting to really drive the piss outta my car the last final months of the summer and fall, I've come to realize that there's a few issues that need to be addressed.

known issues:
-external headgasket leak on intake manifold side of block
-oil pump/ front timing cover leaks
-numerous RTV gasketing leaks around motor (someone did NOT know how to use RTV
-leaking valve stem seals
-t25 turbo on its way out, showing signs of age (still holds .5bar boost)
-idle issue at cold startup,(idles at like 2k RPM) possible IACV
-BOV needs to be put on cold pipe, closer to throttle body
-micellaneous lines in the engine bay, need tidied up

So with all that said, I plan on pulling my motor this winter and completely going through it, ie new gaskets/seals, water pump, timing chain, oil pump, pickup/strainer, o2 sensor, IACV, etc...like I said, this is a REBUILD, I am not building my motor by any means, buuuut I AM going to upgrade a few things while I have everything ripped apart and out.

Here's what upgrades I have planned for the SR:
-S15 T28R ball bearing turbo
-Tomei Expreme exhaust manifold
-Tomei Expreme turbo elbow
-Brian Crower 264/264 Stage 2 cams
-Brian Crower Titanium Retainers/Valve Springs
-NISMO engine mounts
-SS turbo oil/water lines
-? possible oil filter relocation/oil cooler setup using Tomei oil block and Earl's parts ?

haha I am sure that list will grow as I tear into things! Most of the issues I have found with my motor can be fixed and resolved for good by just doing a mild rebuild, and that's exactly what I'm going to do. Right now I just dont have the money and budget to go all out crazy and build the f*** out of it, so I'm settling on getting my motor back to a healthy OEM condition, making everything look brand new (because I'm OCD haha) and upgrading a few things to give it some more pep. I figure once I get things solid again, later on I build upon that and do things like Z32 MAF, bigger injectors, GT2871R, and some kind of tune of course.

so here's my current set up and what it looks like:






t25, ghetto rigged


All right on to the good stuff!!!
Sooo around the week of Thanksgiving, I placed a pretty good size order with West Covina Nissan out in Cali. Let me say, these guys hands down have the LOWEST prices on just about everything for the SR. I did a lot of searching before I started to buy rebuild parts, and they definitely blow everybody elses prices away! Ray Diaz is their parts dude and he is a great guy, make sure to hit him up if you need help with parts, he can hook you up!

West Covina order:


I LOVE OPENING BOXES OF NEW PARTS! haha


s14 oil strainer/pickup (upgrade from s13)




s13 SR20 full gasket/seal set




new OE crank pulley...mine is rusted/chipped, and I'm OCD and must have everything lookin' fresh!


s14 SR20 water pump...not sure how I feel about this yet, I ordered a s13 one and they sent this, I know everyone says it's an upgrade..




if you know what these are for, then you know what will be coming


new "skinny" O2 sensor




new oil pump/timing cover


do any of you know if the new oil pumps come "primed" w/ vasoline or grease??


NISMO engine mounts




and now for...PRETTY MUCH THE STAR OF THE SHOW!




s15 Garrett T28R ball bearing turbo! woot woot!




exhaust side


Garrett ID tag


drain side


artsy shot of Garrett stamping, now my avatar lol


love this pic


As some of you may saw, FRSport had a pretty kick a** Black Friday sale, I picked up a new timing chain kit for like $170 I think?


And now as of most recent, on Friday Mr.UPS dropped this bad boy off at my door step!


Tomei Expreme Exhaust Manifold, complete with hardware and heat wrap (also from FRSport, end of year closeout sale)




beautiful


















So this is where I'm currently at with everything. I will probably be buying parts here and there for like the next 2 months, but what you see here is a bulk of most of the stuff I will be replacing. I'm hoping a few weeks after Christmas I will be able to get some good time in at the storage unit (where my 240 is) and start draining fluids and labeling/disconnecting stuff to get things ready to pull the SR. OH YEAH, I guess I should make a note that of some things for you guys...

A. I have never pulled a motor
B. I have never rebuilt a motor

Should be fun, huh!?!? haha I'm not worried because I am pretty mechanically inclined, and have done TONS of researching here on NICO in preparation for the rebuild, found a lot of good write ups and how to's. This is most definitely going to be a learning experience for me, I'm ready to tackle it though...at the end of the day it's just wrenchin right?? haha I know it's lame, but I just have this image of my SR lookin mean and clean sitting on an engine stand, can't wait for that day to come!

Stay tuned for more, folks...

[RustspecS13]

let me know when you actually pull it, I have an engine hoist, and Ive lost count how many 240sx engines i've pulled.

~Alex

[badbob2121]

wow, looks like the ups guy has been busy ... ill be watching this one

[bllabong89]

Looks great man. I had always planned on using the Tomei manifold(if I decided on SR) so be sure to note the fitment and quality...like all of Tomei products, it appears to be top notch.

I have a question on the wire wheel you used when removing paint and underbody coating. Is the wire rope type better than the average wire wheel? I have been using the standard wire wheel but it wears down and throws speeding needles everywhere.lol.

Great to see this amazing build/renovation going strong. Props to you good Sir

[s13sickboi]

HOLY BALLS that rear end is nice! but you should have used aluminum z32 uprights... oh well its so clean!

[nevertheless]

niice parts you have there. I need to cop one of those turbos soon.

[Cbus240]

wow, looks like the ups guy has been busy ... ill be watching this one

haha oh yeah he will be for awhile if I have my way with parts. and thanks man that means a lot, I wish more people followed it! i hate how NICO can be such a popularity contest sometimes...

[Cbus240]

let me know when you actually pull it, I have an engine hoist, and Ive lost count how many 240sx engines i've pulled.

~Alex

dude, thank you so much! it's the only thing I'm either gonna have to borrow or buy, so if I could borrow yours that would be saaweeet! I know for sure my sister is getting me the Harbor Freight 1,000 lb engine stand for Xmas so hopefully that thing works out. annnd yeah dude I could def. use some help pulling the motor, definitely a project I can't fly solo on, so I will be hitting you up fo sho!

Looks great man. I had always planned on using the Tomei manifold(if I decided on SR) so be sure to note the fitment and quality...like all of Tomei products, it appears to be top notch.

I have a question on the wire wheel you used when removing paint and underbody coating. Is the wire rope type better than the average wire wheel? I have been using the standard wire wheel but it wears down and throws speeding needles everywhere.lol.

Great to see this amazing build/renovation going strong. Props to you good Sir

thanks so much for the props my dude! it's so funny that you posted on my build, because I just spent a good hour last night checkin out your build (haven't commented yet) from beginning to end! that kouki front looks great, annnnnd I saw you reppin the POR15 btw, that stuff is amazing for our rust mobiles, great minds think alike! and don't try to hide it man I saw you hating on the SR a lil bit in your thread, talkin about going RB and what not! haha j/k of course, and honestly if my car wasnt swapped to begin with, I would have gone KA-T no doubt...and yeah trust me, I will definitely give a proper review of the Tomei manifold (along with just about every aftermarket part I buy for the SR) and will make note of any issues/downfalls.

ok, now as far as the wire wheels are concerned, the wheel I use is to me, a "standard" wire wheel and looks like this:


now from reading your comment, I'm assuming the above pic is what you consider the "wire rope" type wire wheel, so I'm not sure what a standard wire wheel looks like (in your book.) truth is though, the above wheel is the ONLY type of wire wheel I've used on an angle grinder to clean paint and other stuff off hundredsss of metal parts! I mean there are soo many different types of wheels, but for what we are talking about doing (removing paint/other coating), the "wire rope wheel" is the most efficient and has the best longevity in my opinion. I hear what you're saying though, because eventually after an extended amount of use, wire does start to fly off of the wheel (and Im talkin about the wire rope kind too) as it wears down, and I think that's just the nature of the beast. make sure to ALWAYS wear saftey glass at the least, and I wear a plastic faceshield over that. you can usually pick up a good set of wheels in a box of like 5 or 10 at your local Grainger or Fastenal.... haha sorry for writing a novel man hope that helps!

[Cbus240]

HOLY BALLS that rear end is nice! but you should have used aluminum z32 uprights... oh well its so clean!

hahah thanks! a lotta countless hours of grinding and painting to get it there! sooo worth it though...and believe it or not the previous owner gave me the aluminum z32 uprights from the 5 lug swap (they're still sitting in my garage), I didn't wanna use them since you have to go with the different bottom mount on the coilover, just not worth the effort to me

niice parts you have there. I need to cop one of those turbos soon.

thank you sir, more to come! sourced the t28 from my man Ray at West Covina Nissan, $640.00 brand new shipped out the door! by far the cheapest price I've seen around, hit him up!

[RustspecS13]

wow $640 isnt bad at all! I would have expected the 700-800 range for a whole new OEM turbo. That and nistune should really wake that car up.

Because when I drove it, it didn't impress me at all, even compared to my stock RB20 with a side mount lol.

But yeah, hit he up when ever. I have my engine hoist in storage, and it will be at the house soon.

~Alex

[djmonkee]

Wish I had a garage my car could sit in so I can get to work under my car. Anyways keep doing what your doing ill have to keep up!

[OSUzenki]

Wow, crazy attention to detail on that undercarriage, Love to see columbus builds!

[the a3k]

damnnnnnnn. i think this inspired me to get a s14 shell to play with and transfer over my rb25. the s14 its in now is rusted, dented, bondo'd, suspension sucks, etc.

[splintercell]

i love it bro...top quality work! that duplicolor underbody spray came out really great. i need to pick that up from advance to finish mine once i get chassis section boxed back in. plus i get 20% off since i work there p/t

that gloss por 15 looks hardcore too. if i didnt powdercoat my parts i would have done that...prob cheaper too and just as solid of a finish. looking forward to updates and now im subscribed.