Officially a new 240SX owner!

[PapaSmurf2k3]

She looks beautiful man. Congrats.

The KA coolant system is a fickal b****. You'll have to bleed it from the bleeder screw on the intake manifold a bunch of times. Air bubbles are the #1 cause of over heating

[Ullusion]

Thanks alot Smurf! Other than the few little things I have to work out, I'm quite pleased on how she came out :- ). Overall a great build experience and I look forward to the day when engine swap time comes :- D! I should be able to get her bled out here shortly, and since my pipe plug still hasn't arrived I'm gonna check with Fastenal to see if they have the one I'm looking for. If all is well she'll be on the road this weekend which is what I'm shooting for :- ). Besides the loud manifold she sounds very well when running. I did notice the rattling has gone that was originally there so I suppose the timing chains eliminated that. I'll keep you guys(well Smurf apparently ;- p ) updated on if she hits the road this weekend and definitely expect some full pics when I get her cleaned up ;- ).

[PapaSmurf2k3]

More people are watching than you think! This thread has over 785 views.

[mrtsb4]

The valve cover looks great! Can't wait for the pics of the whole car.

[Ullusion]

More people are watching than you think! This thread has over 785 views.

Yeah I've noticed the views have been shooting up daily! That means I have alot of lurker followers checking things out lolz, but that's fine, I really appreciate everyone joining me in this build and showing overall interest in what I'm doing. At times its still feels so surreal because I went through such an experience with consistent searching to finally be blessed to have this car. I'm very happy to have her, and sometimes it just shocks me to realize I have my own 240SX sitting in the garage :- D. I hope everyone continues to support and show interest as my plans and personal experiences with this car grow overtime. Thanks and I will continue to keep you guys updated whenever time allows . Speaking of which, I backed her out the garage for the first time tonight. Took her out for a test run down the road and she did pretty well. I did start to observe some slight high temps but that was likely due to me not topping coolant levels off before going out perhaps. I'll get the rest of the coolant system squared away tomorrow after work and hopefully Fastenal has the pipe plug I'm looking for. The exhaust is quite loud and puttery lolz.

[Ullusion]

The valve cover looks great! Can't wait for the pics of the whole car.

Thanks alot! I put alot of prep time and meticulous work into painting it. I thought to myself, it seems like everyone does a red valve cover and I didn't want to go with a black because Im trying to stay with the base color of the car. With that being said I went with the white and used the red to accent the look, and it came out fairly well! Kinda wish I could have got a glossier look but I'm still pleased nevertheless. I can't wait to share the additional paint work I have in mind, so stay tuned ;- )...

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Yeah bleeding the KA cooling system take a special kind of patience. Turn your heat on while you do it too. That ensures you get any air out of your heater core (which could later make its way back into the cooling system).

[Ullusion]

Quick update, I checked in with Fastenal today during lunch and they didn't have the pipe plug I was looking for. On the other hand, they were able to order me one overnight so it will be in Monday. It cost a bit extra but I'm just becoming impatient due to the site I order one from originally screwing me over...I would have loved to have her on the road this weekend and take her out but Monday will suffice :- ). Was kinda tired this evening so I will likely fool with the coolant system tomorrow Smurf. I'm sure she probably has a small air pocket left in her or just needs the coolant topped in the radiator. Hopefully I can take some pics this weekend ;- ).

[PapaSmurf2k3]

hahah you're very gung-ho about the coolant bubbles. Just be fore-warned, it has brought many a KA expert to their knees

[Ullusion]

hahah you're very gung-ho about the coolant bubbles. Just be fore-warned, it has brought many a KA expert to their knees

Lolz, quite honestly I couldn't wait to tear into the KA. The whole experience was smooth and it is a relatively easy engine to work on. Can't say the same about mounting that wrecked transmission back up but I eventually got it XD. Whenever I get my hands on a RB I think that is when the real challenge will arise !

[Ullusion]

Quick update, FINALLY got my pipe plug for the manifold thanks to Fastenal. The guy was even so generous as to throw in some free high temp sealant which is originally priced at $40! Very grateful and satisfied with the service I received from them and for those who are curious, no the other one I ordered STILL hasn't come in. I figure its lost in the see of delivery hope now...Anyway with the manifold effectively sealed off she sounds absolutely great and quiet compared to when I first got her. I believe I've bled the coolant system out at this point(took quite awhile)and I even took her out to town to see how she would do. With the window's down and sunroof tilted I simply couldn't stop smiling while shifting through city :- D. Observed just a little high temp maybe twice or so but she went back down, so as soon as I got home I cracked her open and let it bled the remaining air out. Im gonna take her to work in the morning to see how she does on the interstate, hopefully all will be well..All in all, things are looking good and I'm happy to have her back on the road. Oh and I haven't forgotten pics are definitely coming soon! I started to snap a few while I was out, but I think I'm gonna wait and get some really good setup poses ;- ). Thanks for checking in/following and I'll be back with more news soon...

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Where in MS are you?
Did I already ask you that?

[Ullusion]

Smurf I reside in Clinton..Unfortunately I have some really bad news to update you guys on which has pretty much rained on my parade of an evening today..First off, this morning I fired my car up because as I mention I was gonna take her to work for the first time today to see how she does on the interstate. To make a long story short, I didn't get through town good before she started to seriously overheat on me. Luckily I didn't make it to far from home so I basically had to keep doing the 'stop and go' as she cooled down until I finally made it home (which had me late for work of course ;- P)..Determined at that point that the thermostat has absolutely taken a crap on me because it was heating up as if it was getting no flow at all. In addition, the lower radiator hose was cool as can be. So I ended up taking my trusty Celica to work and I picked up a new thermostat from the parts store during lunch break. Keep in mind the thermostat was the only part that I didn't replace during the renewing process so my advice to anyone is replace everything especially the small stuff lolz. Anyway I get home and take out the old thermostat to realize that I had actually installed it the wrong way :- P(checked the computer service manual while I was at work)..No big deal, replaced it anyway and installed the new one correctly. After the repair I decide that now would be a good time to clean the mass air flow sensor seeing as the car is so old and its probably dirty as can be. By the way, I've actually observed a noticeable increase in performance by doing this on most cars so make sure to keep those MAF sensors cleaned periodically. Anyway I went to take it off and in the midst of my ill-knowledge of it's construction I did something that most men would scream 4 letter words over...Broke the MAF sensor by taking it out from the ACTUALLY 'unscrewable' male connector end. Yep, thats a $160+ I just could have thrown in the trash..Note to anyone, DO NOT TAKE the MAF sensor OFF FROM THE MALE connector end held in by the four screws, it WILL break and your heart will drop when you hear the 'snap' of the prongs..

So now my car which could have been very much drivable and ready to hit the streets tomorrow, is undriveable until my new sensor comes in which will not likely be until next Monday. *Sigh* not the end of the world but definitely a disappointment

[PapaSmurf2k3]

You're about a month late on that MAF sensor:
help-maf-sensor-part-number-t577871.html?hilit=MAF
I could have hooked you up well haha.

I'm pretty sure you can use a MAF from a KA Altima as well though. Those are a dime a dozen.

[Ullusion]

Lolz, wow..Well Smurf, its good to know atleast that I wasn't the only one that has performed this monstrosity of a mistake..I don't feel so bad, but at the same time I still do bc my wallet is hurting from an unexpected $180+ MAF purchase . Anyway, priced one around town yesterday and determined my cheapest bet would be online so that is where I went. It should be in hopefully Monday, which means another weekend without her on the road. Oh well, still will enjoy it in the Celica lolz. Actually O'Reilly had one on hand but I just didnt have the coin to drop $225 for it upfront even with a core return on it..On another note did I not mention that my first ordered pipe plug came in yesterday ?...Yeah so now I have a spare on hand after two long weeks it finally arrived and the company that I ordered it from never did reply to my email regarding its delivery..Well you know what they say about things, "You live and you learn".

[Ullusion]

Been away for a bit but just wanted to check back in with a new update on things. So guys thankfully my new MAF sensor arrived shortly ago and I immediately got things fixed up on the car. She started right up and am now bleeding the cooling system (again) of any air and she should be good to go. Shouldn't have any problems with that with a brand new thermostat that is actually installed correctly XD. Unfortunately it is pouring down raining here now so that means no possibility for pictures today. Hopefully if tomorrow is beautiful I will definitely be getting some snap shots of her to post up here.

On another note I've been busy preparing for Fall semester at school and I can officially say I've now transitioned to a full-time college student :- ). Really excited and happy about that and I'm praying all will be well on my academic journeys. Now if I can get someone to give me some Algebraic refreshening I'll be good to go ...

[Ullusion]

Hello guys, checking back in after a little hiatus, but I must say the pass few days have been quite joyful! The 240 is back on the road and she is running excellently! I've truly enjoyed driving her the pass several days and it just makes all the setbacks feel so insignificant :- ). Shes far from done or where I would like to have her but I'm happy she is were she is. On top of that, no one said the journey was over yet, I have many additional plans/mods in mind for her. Not to mention she needs alot of suspension work to be sound on the road(have to watch my speed around these crap roads where I live) at the moment lolz. Anyway here is the moment all of you that have been following my build since day one have been waiting on. I wanna sincerely say thank you for keeping up with things whether you posted or not, I appreciate all the views and feedback! While I was out the pass few days I managed to snap a few pics, so without further due here is my lovely 240sx .

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Looks good. I wish mine was white.

[The_caveman]

Does look very nice,makes me miss my s14..wasn't near as awesome looking though. love me some stock 240 A**.

[Ullusion]

Thanks alot Smurf and caveman, much appreciated. I would agree she looks quite well for a '95, I'm very lucky/blessed. The interior is in excellent condition too! I hope to keep her that way for years to come. Cosmetically, my plans are to do a 5 lug conversion, get some very nice wheels to compliment her, and installed some sport coilovers to give it that stance. Also plan on a new stock front bumper with SE lip. The original bumper has a small crack on the bottom lip and holes in the front due to the front tag bracket..

[240jaysx]

Niceee stuff man. The valve cover looks sweet. Car looks beautiful would deff snap my neck in traffic lol. And I dog the rugrats towel when you dropped the motor in lol. good luck with the car! Lookin clean!

[Ullusion]

Thanks alot jay, much appreciated!Lolz, c'mon your KA engine pulling experience isnt complete if you don't have your rugrats engine bay towel on deck XD. Again thanks all. I been driving her to and from school occasionally during the week. I really need to park her until I can get some coilovers or some better struts/shocks all around because the ride is fairly unstable. In addition I need new radius rods in the front. I can only go so fast, especially with the condition of the roads where I live ;- p. Anyway I will keep you guys up to date on her as time progresses :- ).

[Ullusion]

Ok guys its been quite sometime but I figured I'd blow the dust off my original thread to introduce a small update. Its now 2014 and my beloved 240 sees the road every so often for a short ride whether it be here of there(usually to school sometimes). I still can't drive her much because of the condition of the front tires and suspension at the moment. I'm a full-time student and haven't quite come upon a part-time job yet to get some income flowing. As a result, I haven't been able to do much with her. I have, on the other hand, priced out quite a bit of the suspension work which to my surprise didn't come out to be that expensive($344.54) for the base components.

The list of planned items include:
Energy Suspension Steering Rack Bushings
Power Steering Rack, Boot Kit(instead of replacing whole rack)
Circuit Sports Front Tension Rods
Circuit Sports Outer Tie Rod Ends
Falken Tires 195/60R15 (2) Just to replace the currently bald front tires

In addition to those I also priced out a set of Autoselect Rear Traction Rods and a Nismo JDM Power Brace which would be another $390 total..

Ive also got my eyes set on a particular set of 17's. Until then, I've taken it upon myself to do alittle work on the original steelies this weekend. They are pretty faded, worn, and dirty so I decided to clean them up and refinish them with some fresh paint. Finished the rears today and will work on the front most likely this week. The finish was a drastic improvement even for steelies. Here are a couple pics, I'll post before pics of the front ones maybe tomorrow. Anyway I'll keep you guys updated, take care!
1. After laying the base coat

2. Finished steelies with clear coat laid :- )

[Rb20s13240]

I have a brand new looking roller that I'm about to toss a rb in! I'm so excited can't wait for the damn weather to warm up a bit. Upstate New York sucks! That's a clean looking s13 man always liked white. But hey if anyone's got any hints for the rb swap I'd love to hear em!

[Ullusion]

Hey thanks, welcome to the forum, and congrats on the roller! Lolz you know what, I live in the South and many ppl here complain about 30-50 degree weather. Without a doubt you guys up north have it way worse XD. Anyway I don't know much about the RB swap, but there's an article here on the site if I'm not mistaken that outlines the procedure..I'd love to do that swap on my car someday in the future but I'm just taking it one step at a time..Where do you plan on purchasing one? Also make a thread and keep us updated on the ride ;- ).

[Ullusion]

Hey guys. Today was absolutely beautiful, and the weather was nice so got into the garage and set out to finish up repainting the last two steelies for the car. In the midst of it I decided to repaint the hubs too since they were pretty faded..Took some pics of the how the wheels pretty much looked before painting and the hubs below. Also have some pics of the hubs post paint. Gonna lay the clear on the steelies tomorrow and wrap them up. Everything looks pretty nice, gives the car a 'fresher' look. Will post complete pics tomorrow if I get the wheels mounted back on.



Front tires are shot. Pretty much why I can't drive her much. On a positive side, the wear is pretty even which signifies a good alignment on the front end :- )


After respray!..

[Ullusion]

Well guys, finished up all the wheels & hubs yesterday. Took her for a small drive to the store and managed to snap a few pics of her while out. Looks better than I imagined. A subtle yet fresh look. The pics really don't do any justice since I snapped them with a dirty lens iPhone while she wasn't washed to begin with but enjoy :- ). More updates and new ideas to come soon!

[captainzen]

*Sigh* new update for tonight..Been very disappointed the pass couple of days I been trying to bleed the clutch system out but have had no luck. Printed out the service manual procedure for bleeding it using tubing and submerging in a cup to reveal the bubbles. Bled the car just now, solo, for an hour and a half straight with ZERO improvement. Talk about persistence met with anguish :- \...Pipe plug still hasnt arrived yet. Other than that I'm leaving the system open to gravity bleed all night and I'll check back in tomorrow..

LOL. Try connecting a vacum line to your bleeder at the slave and put it in a half full bottle of brake fuid. Now pump the s*** out of it and close you bleeder while hose is still in bottle. Don't forget to keep filling the master and never allow for it to go low.
Did you say you were a mechanic at Nissan? Not an aprentice I take it. These things are basic knowledge.
Here is a link of an earlier model in new condition. They are without a boubt a car that grows on you.

990-240sx-sport-package-sell-t584659.html

Mike

[Ullusion]

LOL. Try connecting a vacum line to your bleeder at the slave and put it in a half full bottle of brake fuid. Now pump the s*** out of it and close you bleeder while hose is still in bottle. Don't forget to keep filling the master and never allow for it to go low.
Did you say you were a mechanic at Nissan? Not an aprentice I take it. These things are basic knowledge.
Here is a link of an earlier model in new condition. They are without a boubt a car that grows on you.

Oh man that bugs been long squashed, but I appreciate the advise. On the other hand, even when working in the field, bleeding the master cylinder is sore thumb. I once replaced the slave cylinder on a modded 350z and even with help that took 2 days ;- p..Anyway I simply removed the dreaded clutched dampener and it was a go.

On another note guys, an update on the car. Got numerous suspension parts ordered and on there way here for delivery as we speak! My front tires 'should' be arriving sometime today and yesterday I installed my new steering rack bushings. Replacement was pretty easy and I'll have the pics up here soon. Also went to replace the steering bushing with the new aluminum one I got as a combo with my rack bushings. Got all the way to pulling out the steering column assembly then looked and realized that Nissan did away with the rubber bushings on the S14s and replaced them with a u-joint setup . Soooo with that being said anyone with an S13 need a brand new upgraded steering rack bushing give me a holler ($17). Anyway headed outside to get some more work done on her, take care!

[Ullusion]

Ok, its a very nice day here this afternoon and I got up early to finish up some things on the car. Also have to mention that my front tires did indeed come in yesterday. Ran down to the tire shop and got them mounted. Certainly feel more secure with some reliable rubber on the front now ! I'll see be washing her and taking her out for a nice evening cruise soon to test the improvement post-installation of the steering rack bushings and new rubber. Should be a blast and I'll let you guys know. Still waiting on my Tension Rods which are actually in town ready for delivery, but I don't think FedEx runs on weekends(slackers). Otherwise I would have had those today and installed to go out tonight...But patience is a virtue. Anyway here are some new pics of the recent progress.


-Brand new rack bushings and aluminum steering bushing that came with the set(aluminum bushing for sale).

-Old bushings were beat.

-Brand new rubber installed and ready to go ;- ).

-Decided to add a nice little touch so I painted the lug nuts gold. Something nice about Black & Gold.