New to forum, my project, pre-turbo

[sarkazmo5]

I had a long fancy post that I "lost" so here is 2.0

I am on my 3rd 240sx. I had a 91 hatch with N/A mods that was stolen. A 95 coupe that I wrecked (right after a buddy installed an sr20 that I refinanced my car loan for). And now my 98. I got it in 2009, 30k miles, old lady driven, garage kept, maint book stamped by nissan every few miles, etc, etc. Good find. I now have almost 90k miles, carefully driven and maintained by me. The car was in mint condition up until the last 2 year of living in Houston, TX, where I now have various rock marks, cracked windshield (rocks), scratches (prob more rocks), and even though it looks great for a 17 year old car, it looks no where as good as when it was 15. That aside, I have recently done all the maintainance I can think of to prepare for boost. Please let me know if there is more I should do before hand.

Flushed brakes, power steering, radiator, motor, transmission, rear diff, and replaced with new fluids.
New belts, hoses, brake pads/rotors, plugs wires and cap, new air, oil, fuel filters.
All that is left is maybe a new battery, its nissan oem and at least 6 years old.
Prob get and run a compression test, just to see what it looks like.

Couple minor "problems" before I am back to 100% (minus body work and windshield):
check engine light came on, took to dealership, says it vacuum leak or aicv (it threw several codes). Replaced a rubberish connector between the plastic intake pipe and likely the aicv (the pipe/tube/hose thing goes under the intake) (it is the small one next to a larger one right off that plastic intake near the throttle). The code stoped, the slightly rough (maybe 100 rpm) idle was fixed. Now the code is back, so possibly the aicv? A lot of post on cleaning, removing, replacing, so good bet right? Replacing intake gaskets while I am in there.

There is a slight oil.. film.. around the crack between the valve cover and the head. I assume just replace that gasket and it will go away. The motor is pretty clean even with that (pics once it gets light outside).

So I have a few forum posts I read on removing the intake manifold and cleaning the aicv. That is my next step. so finally a question comes from all this: While I have the intake off (with the goal of cleaning and inspecting all the components, specifically the vacuum lines and the aicv), is there anything else I should replace (knock senser, temps, various valves (no problems, just preventative maintenance))? Any parts that are likely or known to fail after 100k miles (at 100k I will be boosting, so any problems will happen faster)? Besides inspecting and cleaning, I will probably paint the intake, at least clean it well, it may not need paint as good as the motor is.

Anything else I should consider while in rebuild mode? Shocks, bearings, piston rings? What goes out first and at what mileage? Again, no real problems in the car, it is in great shape. Just want to knock things out before modifying. I will run stock head and bottom. The goal is only 250-300 rwhp. 350 max on higher boost (if I even add a boost controller). I have an automatic transmission, which I like and will keep, and read the max torque it holds is 400. Also the motor is good for an average number of 400 HP (read from 300-500 on stock). That is the basis of that 350 rwhp as a max, but daily driven at 250-300 (whatever the build nets).

Future build (prob at 100k miles, towards end of year): simple enjuku stuff, ISIS turbo kit, ISIS 255 pump, Deatschwerks 550s, OEM Z32 MAF, Nistune via local shop with tune, AEM O2, and ISIS exhaust with high flow cat. This should net that 250-300 HP range. Anything I NEED to add? Some possibilities: trans oil cooler (read this is the main consideration for turbo auto), eng oil cooler, head gasket (not sure from reading if actually needed at this HP), head bolts (same), boost controller and gauge (AEM has a 2 in 1), various temp and pressure gauges, 300zx brakes (if needed, would include larger wheels).

Thanks for any input. As a side note, I have been reading 240 forums since 2001. I have adhd, and I have trouble understanding some things just from reading. I have googled all the questions I have asked here, but 1-1 explanation and conversation sinks in much better for me. With the Intake question, so much is about emissions removal, which I don't want to do. I have not found a specific answer to additional maintenance I should attempt. With the other replacement question, most of the cars I see are old, rusted, beat up, or triple the miles I have. Most of that does not apply to me.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

yeah, you could always try to clean the IACV without removing it. Basically seafoaming or gum-out through that intake tube that you already replaced.

I wouldn't mess with anything else until you're ready to go turbo, at which point you'll pull the engine and do a full teardown/rebuild with forged goodies.

As for the turbo package, you're going to want a boost gauge, and I like to have a wideband O2 running full time so you can see if anything takes a s*** on you.

I've also reached the point in my life where I don't really see a need for the 300zx brakes. I've never had mine fade on me. I swapped over to 300zx on my coupe, but kept the stock ABS brakes on my truck. If you had bad calipers and rotors to begin with, I'd say yeah go for it, otherwise save your pennies.

[sarkazmo5]

I tried that spray cleaner in tube trick via another forum post. I could try one about gumout in that tube.

[sarkazmo5]

You mentioned a tear down and rebuild with forged internals. I don't think that is necessary, although you are more of an expert and I, with a goal of only 300 wheel horsepower.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Yeah you'll probably get away with it, but the stock internals are very unforgiving of detonation. So if you get some crappy gas, or your fuel system decides it wants to lean out, or you boost spike, kiss your stuff goodbye.

I basically advocate either getting a backup car, or a built engine.