I've returned, FJ20 Pittsburgh

[NBF823]

Hi guys, I was on here a while back.I have an 85 S12 coupe and im from pittsburgh. And im trying to put an FJ20 together for it. I've come here seeking FJ knowledge. What you guys know about the FJ?

Mine's an NA and I wanna turbocharge it.

[Dattebayo]

Pictures. NOW.

But you probably wanna find Mike, his s/n is themadscientist. He has or had a DR30 skyline and could probably help you the most.

[themadscientist]

I heard your timing chain slop from over here.

[NBF823]

Thanks Datte- working on some pics now; I'm on an iPad but just blew the dust off my pc to link some pics - I'm not to savvy with the iPad as to link pics.

^this is the FJ when i picked it up: its in the back of my kia soul

^This is what was wrong with it^

^Bad part, but I had it welded and reground, which I still have some concerns about. Thats my tea cup also - cool huh!?

This is my 200^^

Needs alot of work^^

After the paint^ Years ago

^This is the 13b built by atkins rotary with street port and 3mm seals that almost went in there - till i found a real-life FJ


^This was my chick magnet for the cruises

^This is what happed to my first S12



Ill stop there with the pics - sorry so many.

Hi Mike. I'm gonna try and tap your brain here;
I already got the Mazda tensioner, but haven't installed it yet. I also ordered a kameari chain set. One of my guides, the long curved one from block to head has a couple of bolt tangs cracked off - I think I'm just gonna tig it. Should I replace any guides to do the chain properly? None seem to worn.

My Fj is an NA. I ordered wiseco pistons, and I'm probably gonna get spool rods as soon as I got the funds. I may just have my exhaust sprocket cam re-drilled for the turbo degree. I'll tap for better studs for a turbo header. I have a auto-Verdi six stage that I may lop a stage off of - but that's down the road. right now short block. I got a lot to say about This thing, so ill stop here. Anything I should know? Will the NA valves work with a turbo?

Last I was here - a few years back mike, I think you were building a ca20det, and you had a fully counter balanced crank from somewhere - is that right? Am I mistaken?

[themadscientist]

The only thing that can offset ownership of an iPad AND a Kia is the FJ20.

To the best of my recollection, there should be no difference between the NA and turbo blocks and heads, the cranks, rods or valavetrain except the cam grind. I don't remember if the FJ20 even had piston oilers. I could check one of my turbo blocks if your NA block has none.

As far as cams, they can still be had new if you can caugh up the coin. If you just want stocker, I think I have an extra set somewhere. I think I also have a stock turbo exhuast manifold. Are you set up for the transmission? No, not Dat on friday night, the gear box.

I still have that mothballed frankenmotor stashed away. I bought a house and all fun money dissappered so It got shelved. I don't know if the 180SX will be in the driveway a year from now. s***'s getting tighter every month and you have caught me at the right time. I'm digging through my pile and asking why I have five or six of something.

[Chaotic_Warlord]

Love how you have a rebuilt rotary just chilling in your passenger seat with a seatbelt on like its your girlfriend out for a hot date. If you don't mind my asking why an FJ? At least its not an LS, so sick of everyone doing LS swaps.

[NBF823]

Thanks Mike.

I know my FJ block has no oilers. I just had it tanked and magged for cracks. I got the flywheel and transmission. I don't know what turbo I'm gonna use yet; I'm probably gonna try and tig a turbo header together based on the flange of the turbo I get. I got a tig, but limited skill with it yet. I don't know what il need yet, other than the turbo cam gear. I know I need plug leads, but I'm going mega-squirt3 - distributerless so I have full timing control. Ever use leads from another motor in an FJ?

Do you wanna part with cam gears if you have extra?

I know that's bad on the Kia soul. I looked at an 01 z28, 310hp, with a six speed just before I bought the Kia - the camaro cost less than the Kia too. But I realize that I have a problem with performance cars and the camaro would been modded in no time also - I had to try and control my car hobby. While I was away from this site, I was working another car I have; a 78 trans am with a 406 Pontiac with edelbrock heads and a Doug Nash 4+1 5-speed. I was in the process of trying to IRS the back of the T/A using ford svt cobra 8.8 stuff, till this FJ showed up and put me back on the Nissan. I have a car hobby sickness, and a car with no potential, like a Kia soul was the only awnser for daily transportation. Almost bought a Hyundai accent, but the soul can move an extra engine better. There is a pic ^^ how I was moving engines before the soul - in my Nissan passenger seat; I had Pontiac 400 blocks in that seat also.

[themadscientist]

Love how you have a rebuilt rotary just chilling in your passenger seat with a seatbelt on like its your girlfriend out for a hot date. If you don't mind my asking why an FJ? At least its not an LS, so sick of everyone doing LS swaps.

Why? Cuz you can get with this, or you can get with that. I'll think you'll get with this cuz the pistons is fat!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOHwjjhFTac[/youtube]

[NBF823]

Hi Chaotic. Why the Fj? Well, the LS was out cause I already have a v8 project; this is my 4-cyl car. I almost went with the LS over the Pontiac in my other car, but its a Firebird. This car is to stay small displacement. So why the FJ over the CA or SR?; Well I like both the CA and the SR, and I may have very well had more bang for my buck with those, aswell as parts availability. But the FJ to an S12 owner is almost legend, furthermore I like the direct cam-on bucket as opposed to followers. I prefer the CA's belts to the chains, but I'm not fond of the 8 port and the no full counter balance. The Fj has a double row, the Sr single i think. I sort of like big bores and small strokes - less valve shrouding and lower piston speeds. Stuff like that I guess is why I went FJ. Even when I built my Pontiac, I went with 3.75 stroke, when I could have easily for the same money went all the way up past 460" with stroke - I'm just strange that way. I'm not always out to win, I just try to build from the cars what I think will please me most as the driver and owner I guess.

[NBF823]

Oh! no! Not the hamsters! Lol!

It's embarrassing, but that's only what the people on the streets see me in everyday, so yep; total street rep dorkdom. I'm ok with it.

[themadscientist]

I would rock an S12 and I used to drive a US12 with an R30 turbo C swap. If I did it again, though, I would get a VG model, swap in a VG30DETT and strap a roots blower on top with that big 3" belt spinning through the hood topped with a scott injection scoop. Sidepipes you say? Of course! WTF else would I do?

[NBF823]

I would rock an S12 and I used to drive a US12 with an R30 turbo C swap. If I did it again, though, I would get a VG model, swap in a VG30DETT and strap a roots blower on top with that big 3" belt spinning through the hood topped with a scott injection scoop. Sidepipes you say? Of course! WTF else would I do?

Lol, one guy club s12 did something similar; he took a factory supercharged frontier motor I think and put it in his S12 - yep blower came through the hood like mad max. I got pics of that car.

Really though, I'm out on the sixes, because the power a lot of 4 cyls make these days threatens V8s and I'm trying to justify two cars. A six would just skew the lines for me.

[themadscientist]

The FJ is a superior engine. It's just freak factor that would motivate me to do it.

[Dattebayo]

No, not Dat on friday night, the gear box.

It's not a skirt, it's a kilt! Dammit!

I'm not fond of the 8 port and the no full counter balance.

While there isn't full counter on the stock CA, the Euro versions have a 4 port head and plenum. Just FYI.

Lol, one guy club s12 did something similar; he took a factory supercharged frontier motor I think and put it in his S12 - yep blower came through the hood like mad max. I got pics of that car.

That guy is a sort of local around here, down by VA beach. I've seen the car in person, VG33s are what every VG powered car should have come with, IMO.

As an ex-s12 owner who is still looking to re-capture the glory days of owning one, all I can say is good luck! What city are you in BTW?

[NBF823]

I'm in Pittsburgh. I'd like another s12 - a stock one, but its not in the budget. I like every S chassis from the S110 up to tell you the truth.

Almost had a CA18DET couple of times, but fell through, never the sort of thing for me where I could specifically obtain a 4-port. I imagine I could work the 8-port and tig up a manni. But it didn't go that way, and sometimes I collect for a project that's way heavy and it takes years - like tigging an 8 2.18" butterfly ITB for my Pontiac v8. I got the bodies and butterlys, fuel rails, and the MS3; could take me years to finish

[Dattebayo]

Pittsburgh? Awesome. There's a slight chance I might see it at some random point in time then. Also, there's a guy up in Canada selling a DR30 motor, BTW. http://club-s12.org/retro4/index.php?PH ... ic=35090.0

Don't know if it helps, but there it is.

[themadscientist]

Half the ports, more flow than Chuck D



FJ thinks his little brother is cute.

[NBF823]

Cool on the comparo pics Mike. are those your motors?

[themadscientist]

Two of almost a dozen. I appear to exhibit terminal hoarding tendencies. CA18s, FJ20s, RBs, L28s, last year I sold off my 2JZ, not sure how that snuck in there, just pathetic uncontrolled amounts of s*** in my container. I filled up a 20 footer like you see on those big container ships. I don't even remember what's in there anymore. I pulled about, I think it was eight transmissions out the other day so I could walk around.

[NBF823]

I understand Mike. I just love car stuff too.

[themadscientist]

I want half that container gone by the end of the year. I'll just keep stuff to support the R30 and a little extra of just interesting stuff. I have junk at my house too, not cool.

[NBF823]

I see. I worry I have to much stuff too, and I don't have that much - no container.

If ya wanna let anything FJ go....thats whats in your D30 though?

[themadscientist]

I ain't giving anything away, but I'll hook a brother up. I have more than I truly need to support my car until they legislate it off the road so I can likely come up with at least one of whatever you need. The old man won't be hurtin for spares.

My car, before the rust took hold. It look terrible now. I will have to tear it down to the raw shell and have a pro bring the steel back from the brink. Step one, though, get rid of the extra s***.








I found an upskirt pic of one of my turbo motors. I don't see squirts.

[NBF823]

I like that car Mike! Mine needs repair in the rusting also.

Sorry to hear about some of the legislators wanting them off the road. It's that way here too - it makes me worry. It's strange cause I'm not even driving my project cars right now and my s12 isn't registered. And back when I did drive my S12, I barely put any miles on it, and with rebuilding and new cat technology - my cars passed its emmissions with a 256 euro cam and t22 turbo. they also had this program to buy old cars for $4k that got bad milage -20 mpg or less i think. I saw that a couple of S12s went to the crusher. I got 31mpg outta mine with a turbo, a euro cam, widend "8 with 225 tires and an air dam as that government cars program was taking place. the original rating was 34mpg highway, so I looked into it - the government changed the mpg rating system that same year. It just seems to me there's better ways fix problems then attacking old cars - stuff here rusts so bad cause of salt, old cars are almost non-existent as it is, I almost never see them. I don't know when the last time I saw any 80s car here on the road. Oh well, darn politics.

[WDRacing]

Every time I see any pics of the R30-R31-R32 I cry a little bit inside.

[themadscientist]

If you saw how rusty the car is now you would fly over here tonight to beat my a**.