N00b here

Post by **ProjectSichiSan** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 7:07 pm

Hi, I'm new to the community. I just recently aquired a 1991 240SX SE, automatic and with no LSD...I'm not even sure which years had them. Anyway, I want to start working on it since I'd be going to Sequoia Institute this fall to become a mechanic. Now I've been thru a member of other forums and I know that I need to search for stuff first before asking. The thing is, I don't know where to start. All I know right now is that my transmission have to go cuz I want a manual in the first place, but this is what I can get and afford. The transmission is still good, but whenever I drive it the transmission kicks while switching gears. What does that entail? And also, I'm hearing rattling noise somewhere, but I can't pin point it. Does anyone have a downloadable FSM here? And any tips on where to start on it? Thanks

Al

Post by **i2ice4m3** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 7:07 pm

http://www.zeroyon.com would have a downloadable fsm for your car. look under "tech". welcome to the forums and heres a tip: the red search button will be your best friend. there's tons of information all over this website and many technical topics have been discussed before. that rattling noise would probably be your timing chain. if you do a search you'll find that it's a common problem for the KA24E and early KA24DEs (the one you have). i dont know about auto trannies :P anyway..good luck and welcome!

Post by **civiceater** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 7:07 pm

hehe like me eh? im in the same boat. tell me what you find out

Post by **ProjectSichiSan** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 7:07 pm

Thanks for the info on that website. Anyway I've been reading on other threads about the timing chain and I will be checking on them tomorrow or the weekend. About the kicking on the auto, does anybody actually know or have the same problem? Thanks

Post by **Morph** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 7:07 pm

If your talking preformance wise them you need to decide on which engine platform you want to run with. Ya got the Ca, the Ka-(T), Rb20-26 Series or the Sr. Once ya got that then we could give you a better description

Welcome to the family.......

Post by **hybrid_flyer** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 7:07 pm

LOL, too funny, I just graduated from Sequoia this past Dec, and finished the smog program in April. Are you attending morn, aft, or night?? Reason I ask is my GF is still attending in the mornings.

Post by **hybrid_flyer** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 7:07 pm

ohhh, by the way, generally the kicking on an automatic transmission s caused by the valves sticking and not switching gears properly. An automatice transmission changes gears by building pressure, once a certain pressure is achieved a valve opens or closes and that changes which parts of the auto transmission engage or disengage. There is a lot more goin on there thats just the short hand version.

Blue Skys

Jason

Post by **ProjectSichiSan** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 7:07 pm

Wow...fellow sequoia student. Thanks for the info on the transmission, but is that good or bad? I know if it doesn't do it smoothly, something is usually wrong. I know what I want right now, is to run NA on my KA. And well after sequoia if I do get a job as a mechanic I'd be earning a lot more that I am. So we'll see. And Jason, do you know anything about the timing chain problem? Maybe I could bring my 240 and you can take a look see if it's not too much to ask. I do have a question for the people out here in Cali, how do those people with SR's here handle smog? maybe I should do smog too....

OT: Jason, how's the teachers up there? and what's the deal with the BMW program they have? Thanks and oh btw, I'll be going in the afternoons. I can't deal with traffic in the morning since I'm coming from Antioch. That's around 70 miles one trip. heh

Post by **hybrid_flyer** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 7:07 pm

Well the transmission thing.......If it doesnt bother you then it wont be too harsh on the car. Believe it or not some people acutally rebuild the transmission to shift like that. Me personally I would rebuild it or have it rebiult. Its mostly in your valve system and where the check balls go, no big deal. Smog is a little more difficult, to put its simply its illegal. Now most cars have to have a smog check every 2 years, but there exceptions. Certain zip codes are exempt from this (i think I am I have to check). Some know smog techs that will do it even though they have the swap (a felony). Others have ka engines that they swap back in when the smog is due.

Ok now about sequoia. I used to do about 70 miles a day myself (I live in Half Moon Bay out on the coast). If you really want to learn a lot you have to bug the teachers and pick there brains for every bit of info they have. Most are domestic experts, but there are a few you want to pal up with. Singh, Rushin, Fowler, Eulenberg, Knight, Wolf, Baum, and Moore. Now the smartest guy there doesnt even work for Sequoia. He works for Hyundai, his name is Andy. He is practically a god when it comes to anything electronic/electric on any vehicle. All of these instructors very friendly and will take the time to answer any questions you have.

BMW STEP program hehehe (evil snicker). I actually passed there entrance exam and got an interview with them. I was very open at the interview and I didnt get in. Basically they found out I was a "extreme athlete" and thought I was too high risk (likely to get hurt and not be able to work). Basically you have to be in the top 1% of your class in order to get the invite. All I can say is show up everyday, and get those perfect attendance awards those are gold. Its not hard to get on the honor roll either so strive for that. I graduate with perfect attendance (all 10 classes) honor roll (all ten classes), and won the Presidents award for my class. So it is do-able. I highly reccomend the smog program the teachers are great I am about to get my license next week.

jason

Post by **ProjectSichiSan** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 7:07 pm

So you're saying that it's ok unless it bothers me? I mean I'm planning on swapping the auto to a 5 speed when I actually learn how to do it. What about the timing chain? Do you have that problem? I'll be taking it to the Nissan dealer and have them make a maintainance check up on it. Oh btw, is it necessary to replace some stuff on it? It had a broken digital speedo that I replaced with an analog, but the old speedo said 107k, and since the odo doesn't work if the speedo is broken, I figure I would be on around 110 already or something like that. I have a somewhat of an idea which is needed to be replaced. The belts are new and the radiator hoses too. I was thinking of replacing the oil with syntethic (is that good or will it eat off the seals?), syntethic transmission oil (again is that advisable?), O2 sensor, transmission/Oil/Fuel/Air filters, brake pads & fluids, and a rad flush. Do I need to add anything else to check? Thanks

Alex

Post by **hybrid_flyer** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 7:07 pm

the synthetic oil is a great place to start, it doesnt gum up the engine like petroluem does. Also one word on O2 sensors BUY OEM OR REGRET IT LATER. Trust me on this one nothing works like an OEM 02 sensor. On top of everything you listed there you may want to add: Plugs, wires, cap and rotor. Also what you want to do (and you can have a 110 class do this), is have them do a top end cleaning. They may want to do an injector cleaning, but have them do a top end cleaning instead. Its kinda the same idea, but the top end cleaning hits more than just the injectors. The odometer is not an issue unless you plan on selling the vehicle. Even if you do plan on selling it, on the pink slip there is a section where it asks for the mileage and if its accurate. As long as you dont lie here everything will be fine.

By the way, what class do you have and who are the instructors??

Jason

Post by **ProjectSichiSan** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 7:07 pm

Oh, actually I haven't started class yet, not till September. I'll be carpooling with my girl who will go to Devry in Newark. Anyway, so synthetic won't hurt my motor even though it has 100k+ miles of dino oil? And also I know I want to use the highest octane I can find which is 91, cuz I use that on my Spec V, do 240's need premium? And when you say top end cleaning. Is that cleaning the head to get rid of the carbon deposits? and does that include the intake manifold cleaning? Thanks...damn man sorry if I'm being a bother. I know that I can learn them when I go to Sequoia, but I want to go in there not feeling like a total n00b. Thanks again

Post by **hybrid_flyer** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 7:07 pm

well whats goin to happen with the oil is that the actualy molecules of synthetic are smaller, so you make leak or seap a little oil when you switch. I think the manual reccomends minimum of 87 octane, but i would not use that crap on my life. For me its 76 or Chevron minimum 89 octane. As for the top end cleaning you have the idea exactly, and yes it includes the intake manifold. All you do is suck the cleaner through any vacuum line (I prefer to use the fuel pressure regulator line). When you do it be sure to have somebody with there foot on the gas, keeping it reving at 3000. Also have the helper snap the throttle every once in a while to help dislodge the larger pieces. When you stop seeing black or white smoke pouring out of the tail pipe, thats when you know you are done. It may take several botles to do this, so just be prepared. Trust me you already have a leg up on some people at the school because you understand some things about a car already. When I started I knew how to change oil, a tire, plugs, and thats about it LOL.

jason

Post by **ProjectSichiSan** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 7:07 pm

Oh cool man, sorry for the late reply, I was so tired from our new club's first meet. No, not for the 240, but for my Spec. We were ripping thru calaveras rd/sierra rd down in San Jose. So I guess it is not advisable to switch to synthetic unless I rebuild the motor? I guess I'm gonna have to wait until I graduate from Sequoia and do it along with the transmission swap. Do you know if the differential fluid needs to be replaced too? And off topic, on a FWD, like my Spec, is the transmission fluid good for the differential as well? Thanks

Post by **hybrid_flyer** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 7:07 pm

no you can defintly switch over to synthetic, just be prepared to find some small leaks or some seapage. The differential fluid is like 90 weight oil, so yes it can get bad and need to be changed. As for the transmission fluid being the same as differential?? No. 2 Different animals.

Post by **ProjectSichiSan** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 7:07 pm

I meant the lube for my FWD, I never got a straight answer from any one at the boards I go to. I mean I know that the gear oil for the RWD is totally separate, but some one said that our transmission oil is being used by the HLSD. So that's why I was wondering about that. And when I do see seapage or leaks when I switch over, what do I do? Thanks.

Post by **hybrid_flyer** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 7:07 pm

The seapage will just occur over time. There isnt really anything you can do about it. The molecules in synthetic are smaller than petroleum so they find cracks a lot easier. What to do about it is up to you. Usually you just have to fix or replace whatever is leaking. As for the transmission oil on a FWD, that I am not sure of.

Post by **ProjectSichiSan** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 7:07 pm

That's cool man. I was planning to do the manual swap anyway after or when I get the know-how and I'm prolly gonna rebuild the motor with either high comp(for na) or low comp (for turbo) and switch to synthetic. Anyway, have you had to troubleshoot a rattling timing chain? My chain is rather annoying, but I did check it and removed the valve cover and actually removed the upper chain guide and still have it. The chain themselves don't have slack on them though. Any thoughts? NICO said just to raise the idle so I wouldn't hear it, but I'd rather take care of it rather than have a oil/water spill and all. Thanks

Post by **hybrid_flyer** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 7:07 pm

my guess is the whatever the nissan uses as the "silencer pads" are probably worn out. Basically all those are, are surfaces where the chain would rub up against, that are made of a material to deaden the noise. I am not sure if Nissan uses nylon coated teeth on the timing gears either. So you need to find out if it could be either of those two

N00b here

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