The "I'm New Here And I have A Simple Question Thread" v2.0

[K3Fallout]

Ok, I got off my a** and adjusted my headlights. Cibie housings. Adjusting the vertical was fine, but I had a problem with the horizontal. No matter how much I turned the screw, I saw no differences in the alignment. I read that I was supposed to look for the "kink" or where the light begins to rise but it did not go up or down.

Just driving it around the way it is, I'm a little concerned as some of the light hits stop signs. The only possible options I could think of is that, since this was my first time adjusting headlights I missed seeing something, maybe there is something wrong with the screw, or that the parking lot I was in was not idea because the wall was not very tall and there were some trees in front of it(nearest parking lot was by a baseball field).

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Whats the easiest way to reapolster the headliner for cheap?

Spray it with the 3M general adhesive (in a can... also might be called headliner adhesive) and put your fabric on it. Trim it to size, and tuck it.
Note: I've never done this.

[philipdistefano]

I hope this is a quick question. I am in the process of buying a '93 240SX with those awful stock teardrop rims on it, and that would be the first thing I change out. What size tires/rims do I have to buy so that I don't have to have the speedometer recalibrated? Or is that not even a big deal to get done?

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Its really not a big deal at all. You can use this calculator to figure out how off you'll be:
http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html

[philipdistefano]

Nice link, thanks. I'd only be 3.7% off.

Any idea how much it costs to get the speedometer recalibrated if I wanted to?

[240man91]

um 225/50/16 works good.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Nice link, thanks. I'd only be 3.7% off.

Any idea how much it costs to get the speedometer recalibrated if I wanted to?

I think there is just a potentiometer screw on the back of the gauge set. I'm not 100% sure on that though. Never heard of anyone paying for it.

[philipdistefano]

Cool, I probably won't. I was just curious.

One more question...what octane do you fill your 240sx up with? Someone once told me that if a car has an anti-knock sensor, then I have to use premium, but I've also read countless times that unless the manual says that premium is required, then regular is fine, and the manual for the '93 240sx says "recommended."

[PapaSmurf2k3]

I run premium all the time... but then I'm boosting... sooo yeah.

You CAN run regular, but your ECU might retard the timing a bit and you'll lose a little power and efficiency (in the form of gas mileage).

[rootS13]

I just finished doing a 5 speed swap in my 240. The car is a 90, KA is a 98, and trans is a 91. The problem Im having is that both my speedometer and fuel gauge are not reading.

Im pretty sure that the speedometer problem is because Im using an S13 5spd speed sensor when I need an S14 one. I have no clue about the fuel gauge though. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

The fuel pump harness was different for S13s and S14s. Did the fuel gauge just stop working when you did the 5 speed swap, or has it been that way since the addition of the new engine?

[mechanicalmoron]

whats up everyone, i just purchased a 240 and plan on swaping in a sr20. im not to sure with how to go about doing this cause im not planing on buying engine just yet. first i want to prep the car for the engine so it can handle turns and clutch wear from drifting and what not. so iknow im going to need suspension and clucth for sure but should or can i really buy a clutch to have on my ka24 now for my sr20 later. as far as susp. goes can someone recommened some. also i got this grinding from when i try shifting into second, is that my clutch or transmission. ALL OTHER GEARS HAVE NO PROBLEM. IT tends to happen more so when in high rpm @ 1.5k rpm it just slips in otherwise it grinds. any info helps out thanks

I'm not pretending to know anything about cars, but it sounds to me like a messed up syncro and time for a transmission rebuild, from what you say.

Try double clutching it.

For my own simple question:

When I take my foot off the gas suddenly, revs dip way too low, like 200, and sometimes the engine even dies, to come back to life by making my next shift suprisingly rough(which I assume is horrible for my clutch, which I'm not exactly feeling ready to replace, I don't even own freaking jackstands or a socket set, and probably horrible for the engine too) This is usually when I throw it into neutral to coast up to a stop, or something like that, but if I spend a second before shifting for whatever reason, it can also happen.

Also, especially on a steep hill so it's more noticable, if I hit a bump like a sealed crack in the road, it feels like the car really pulls back, and then surges forward when it comes off the bump. And sometimes it feels, at lower speed, like it's doing a bit of the same surge/pull on level ground, but not really enough to be that sure of.

The engine sounds good idling, although it idles a little low, maybe 700RPM, which I think is like 50 low?

Is this spark plugs/wires/distributer? And if so, what should I get for good quality/milage/performance, considering that my car's stock and I don't need super racing overkill parts? (92 240, LE i think)

*edit* also, is it bad that my oil plug has no washer? I had a hell of a time getting it off, I had to use vice grips and a huge amount of force to get it off, I put it back on reasonably tight, but not stupid tight, with the whole thing lightly coated in oil. It's not leaking or anything. Should i go get a washer? And will autozone or somewhere be able to throw a washer at me, or will I need to order it?

[OutToWinPAHC]

First I think the KA and SR clutch are different, but the trans are the same as lkong as you swap bell housings. So your going to need clutches. As for the trans, ONLY USE GL-4 GEAR OIL. But chances are that syncro is gone. You can try 3/4 a qt of syncromesh and 2.2 qts of Amsoil GL4 gear oil and see if it comes back.

You can get a replacement oil pan drin flug with washer and gasket for like 10 bucks.

If your swapping an SR dont worry about plug wires, just make sure the plugs are good and gapped on point.

[mechanicalmoron]

First I think the KA and SR clutch are different, but the trans are the same as lkong as you swap bell housings. So your going to need clutches. As for the trans, ONLY USE GL-4 GEAR OIL. But chances are that syncro is gone. You can try 3/4 a qt of syncromesh and 2.2 qts of Amsoil GL4 gear oil and see if it comes back.

You can get a replacement oil pan drin flug with washer and gasket for like 10 bucks.

If your swapping an SR dont worry about plug wires, just make sure the plugs are good and gapped on point.

Oh, I was quoting someone else about the swap :p (I didn't see anyone address the shot syncro part of his post, and felt special because I knew something)

About the plugs/wires, would they cause those symptoms?

*edit* however, while on that note, how much oil does the standard transmission hold, and how much does the differential hold? my manual doesn't say, just says they're GL-4 and GL-5.

[rootS13]

The fuel pump harness was different for S13s and S14s. Did the fuel gauge just stop working when you did the 5 speed swap, or has it been that way since the addition of the new engine?

It stopped after the 5 speed swap. It worked perfectly after I had the engine swapped.

[240sxcl50]

Quick question is it possible to use an auto motor harness, for a manual motor?

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Yes, the engine should be the same.

[240sxcl50]

Will it hook up to a manual trans lower harness?

[240sxcl50]

Has anyone used a deatschwerks 300+ lph fuel pump on an s14? or is it specificaly s13?

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Will it hook up to a manual trans lower harness?

There might be a few things that you "need' that aren't there, and there might be a few things that are there that you don't need.. but it should work

[240sxcl50]

I am having idling issues with my ka24de. This morning i went out side and started my car and it started idling at like 6 or 7k rpms. changed the fuel filter and the wires and plugs were just changed about a month ago. Any ideas??

[PapaSmurf2k3]

WOW, that is high. Check for vacuum leaks and/or stuck throttle.

[mechanicalmoron]

What should cause a low idle, like 1-200RPM, as i throw it into neutral to come up to a stop? Sometimes it even dies, I can't imagine it's good for it. I don't feel like I should have to heel/toe to keep the motor running for a stop sign... And I'm rather horrible at it, so I usually stop suddenly and let the engine die, or rev and not stop at all

And what's the difference between GL-4 and GL-5? It's usually 60-100F where I drive, what weights should I use for the transmission and differential?, and is GL-5 "better" than GL-4, or do I NEED GL-4 for the transmision? The store didn't even have anything marked GL-4, and nobody there had ever even heard of them, some random guy told me GL-4 probably has something for the syncros, which made sense, other than the fact that there's no damn GL-4 on the shelf.

[240sxcl50]

WOW, that is high. Check for vacuum leaks and/or stuck throttle.

Sorry i meant 6 or 7 hundred not thousand.

[mechanicalmoron]

WOW, that is high. Check for vacuum leaks and/or stuck throttle.

Sorry i meant 6 or 7 hundred not thousand.

The numbers on the tachometer are thousands. 7-800 is a good idle, ideally 750. So that's 3/4ths of the way from 0 to 1. Sounds like you're a mite on the low end of perfect, not high.

Now can someone answer MY question? Pleeeease? I need to figure this out and get gear oil in the next day or so, I'll be going on a 1k mile round trip, I'm pretty sure, and when my car was on a lift I saw that the drain plug had a leak stain around it.... I'd like to get that totally changed out.

And if no one has anything to say about my engine dieing, how do I adjust the idle? I could just stick it at 1k, and it wouldn't dip so horribly low.

[allenms240]

You'll want GL-4 gear oil. GL-5 eats at the synchros in the transmission. Not alot of people know about it, or even carry it. The only place I could find it was online. Check out redline mt-90 (GL-4) of course. Or there is a mod on the forums by the name of PEZi, he is an amsoil vendor I believe. He can tell you all the info you'll need, and he can get you some bottles of the good stuff (amsoil). He is where I got my latest stuff, pretty legit.
You can change the idle but the IACV(?) I believe. you let the car warm up, unplug the coolant temp sensor, and adjust accordingly (try to get it close to 750-800), plug back sensor and you're good to go. If you need more clarification, you can search the forums for idle adjust and something will definitely come up with a writeup. You can even google nicloclub tutorials and a link for many, many DIY comes up.

[allenms240]

WOW, that is high. Check for vacuum leaks and/or stuck throttle.

Sorry i meant 6 or 7 hundred not thousand.

That's about stock. See above to idle adjustments.

[mechanicalmoron]

You'll want GL-4 gear oil. GL-5 eats at the synchros in the transmission. Not alot of people know about it, or even carry it. The only place I could find it was online. Check out redline mt-90 (GL-4) of course. Or there is a mod on the forums by the name of PEZi, he is an amsoil vendor I believe. He can tell you all the info you'll need, and he can get you some bottles of the good stuff (amsoil). He is where I got my latest stuff, pretty legit.
You can change the idle but the IACV(?) I believe. you let the car warm up, unplug the coolant temp sensor, and adjust accordingly (try to get it close to 750-800), plug back sensor and you're good to go. If you need more clarification, you can search the forums for idle adjust and something will definitely come up with a writeup. You can even google nicloclub tutorials and a link for many, many DIY comes up.

Thank you

and for yet another "simple" question, that's related: Sometimes in reverse, I get awful grinding noises, that seem to be coming from the differential. And sometimes throwing it into neutral while rolling back seems to help, ans sometimes it continues. Makes the whole car shudder and slow, I can feel it. Should I first change the oil and watch for improvement, or should I just rip the whole thing apart and see what's going on? Can I expect to see chunks of gears sitting in the bottom, or is there some other explanation for this?

[allenms240]

My car has been doing that forever lol. I'm not sure why it does, but it does. Only in reverse also. I think my girlfriend's vert also does.

You can try changing the differential gear oil. Again, you might want to research what kind of oil you'll need for that. When you drain your transmission, you'll most likely have metal shavings on the magnetic plug from the P.O. gl-5 gear oil if that's what they used. I would swap out the transmission fluid and diff oil and see for improvements.

[mechanicalmoron]

My car has been doing that forever lol. I'm not sure why it does, but it does. Only in reverse also. I think my girlfriend's vert also does.

You can try changing the differential gear oil. Again, you might want to research what kind of oil you'll need for that. When you drain your transmission, you'll most likely have metal shavings on the magnetic plug from the P.O. gl-5 gear oil if that's what they used. I would swap out the transmission fluid and diff oil and see for improvements.

Cool, thank you.

I guess I'll just change the oils and go from there. Would you have any suggestion for the weights?

I think the transmission does have the correct oil now, I didn't change it, I just hit up auto-zone for oil, and couldn't find the right stuff. Both the transmission and diff have stains around the drain plugs, and I'm hoping they haven't lost a signifigent amount of oil or anything.