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

[240twoforties]

Hey all, i've got a problem with my s13. its a ka24de. when i drive it everything goes fine until about 4000rpm and then the car kinda just boggs down and hesitates to accelerate... i checked the whole intake + sensors and all the vacuum hoses and lines, and checked the fuel pump. i heard that it might be the timing but the timing on the car is fairly new (was replaced by previous owner and i have inspected it frequently) any ideas why this is happening...?

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Are there any engine codes? Have you checked ignition timing? When did it start? Did it just sort of come on quickly, or did it develop over time?

[240twoforties]

theres no engine codes... everything about the car goes smoothly except that. no check engine light or anything. i havent checked the ignition timing, i'll do that as well as check the injectors out tomorrow. and it just started happening one day a little while ago..

[mechanicalmoron]

I took all of that garbage off, and threw it away.
Clutch fan, shroud, everything. Wire your AC fan up to a switch if you're worried about it. Mine never hinted at overheating until I went turbo in the dirty south.

Haa.... and I just got a new clutch fan... oh well. I do live in the tx desert, but have seldom seen the temp gauge above half, and I believe normal operating extends more like 7/8th's of the way up.

I guess I'll play with pulling that stuff out after I do a coolant flush and change.... which I desperately need to do, I expect it's been about a decade, with what I know of the car's previous ownership. Also some unpleasantly swollen looking hoses, should probably look into replacing those I guess.... I don't even know where to start looking for those or anything though.

Antifreeze and/or flushing chemicals won't melt milk jugs, will it?

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Nope, you'll be fine. I use them quite often myself.

[mechanicalmoron]

When removing my clutch fan I realized just HOW much power steering fluid has leaked over the years, and how much dirt's stuck to it. Also looks like it may be leaking multiple places, including the pump's drive shaft, and hose connection or two.

Out of curiosity, if it was to catastrophically fail, would it damage anything other than the pump? In fact, just supposing I was to run without a pump, totally dry, would it hurt the steering rack? (this assembely is mysterious and expensive, that's all I know about it)

Just wondering.... doesn't seem to be worse or anything.

I hope I don't end up having to put in my other fan, the car is SO much quieter without that thing. Now it purrs, before it sounded like a failing industrial sized air conditioner on it's highest setting. And not having the shroud in the way lets me actually access stuff I couldn't even see before.

[idreamofs13's]

What a great resource this is. Been on the hunt for a 240 for a good while, I'm a picky SOB. Gave my girlfriend the low down on why a 240 is a great idea (i don't want hassles from her when this thing becomes my hobby), and she completely agreed. I've done quite a bit of research, and it continues... so I have a couple questions.

I've read that the pistons and the head gasket are the most likely 'internals' of a KA24 to fail when approaching 300+hp. I was looking at JWT internals anyhow, but being VERY price conscious I would like opinions if there are any.

I live in a dry and hot climate with temps easily reaching 100+ in the sun most of the summer, having had a 80's 300z in this area I know that keeping things cool is important (perhaps AZHitman would know this answer). Are the stock cooling capacities of the KA series able to handle >300rwhp and >300lb/trq or am I looking at an automatic upgrade in radiator/oil cooler/transmission cooler? I've read issues on here that people seem to have with idle speeds and problems reving over 3, 4, 5k rpms and how they might be related to temp sensors (much like my old 300z used to have). Is this a common issue?

Last would be a consensus question. From a 'ease of use' perspective, have you all found that 240's (KA24's specifically) are novice wrencher friendly? I have some limited experience working on cars, and feel comfortable doing work with a good manual and the resources I've found on the internet so far. I know my limits and do not intend to cross that line. I want to do most (read all) the work myself, so aside from major work and swaps, is working on these cars somewhat user friendly?

I'm sure I'll have more questions, but those seemed to be the main ones. I know what I want in a car, and haven't found the right base yet. I also know where I want to go with my daily driving/under cover track car dreams. Oh, and I guess I'm fairly new to the site... so Hi!

[Michaelmoore]

So i finally got around to re-adjusting my timing and TPS. Car would hover at 19-20 BTDC for the first 20 minutes or so of driving then it would drop to 13-14, and my TPS was at .38. Well today i ran some errands to warm the motor up and adjusted the timing to 20 (with TPS unplugged) and adjusted the TPS to .46. car idles great and it doesnt sound like its going to die at idle. My issue: the car drives decent but when you give it gas it brings the timing to 10 and i go almost nowhere. TPS is bolted down and my distributor is tightened down so they aren't changing physical postion, eve just revving the motor drops the timing to 10, only code I am getting is knock sensor but that only pops up occasionally and the damn thing isn't even a year old. Help?

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Are you using crap fuel? Try retarding your timing to 18 or 19 degrees to see if it fixes anything. Maybe you really are knocking...

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Are the stock cooling capacities of the KA series able to handle >300rwhp and >300lb/trq or am I looking at an automatic upgrade in radiator/oil cooler/transmission cooler? I've read issues on here that people seem to have with idle speeds and problems reving over 3, 4, 5k rpms and how they might be related to temp sensors (much like my old 300z used to have). Is this a common issue?

Last would be a consensus question. From a 'ease of use' perspective, have you all found that 240's (KA24's specifically) are novice wrencher friendly? I have some limited experience working on cars, and feel comfortable doing work with a good manual and the resources I've found on the internet so far. I know my limits and do not intend to cross that line. I want to do most (read all) the work myself, so aside from major work and swaps, is working on these cars somewhat user friendly?

Upgrade the radiator at the very least. Lots of people run without oil coolers, and most use manual transmissions, so they don't use transmission coolers.
Not revving past a certain RPM is a sensor issue (MAF usually). Its fairly uncommon, but these cars ARE getting older, so it will probably start popping up more and more. I'm sure most are due for new engine grounds and whatnot.

240s (in pretty much every facet) are easy to work on. The RWD layout allows for plenty of room under the hood, especially once you get some of the non-essential s*** out of the way (AIV/PAIR valve, mechanical fan and shroud, etc).

As far as pistons go- I don't think I've heard of anyone running JWT pistons, but I haven't been really looking either. Most/all forged pistons are better than stock. If you're looking for 300whp, you can get away with factory internals, just make sure your tune is top notch.

[idreamofs13's]

Thank you kindly for the response. I had some JWT cams and gears on my 300z, and I do like their parts. They make internals (pistons included) for the 240, so for ease of build and familiarity I would go with them for most of the goodies I could.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Yes they have been friends of Nissan tuners for years. They are a safe bet.

[mechanicalmoron]

When my engine's cold, it sounds great (to my untrained ear)

When it warms up, it still revs smoothly and doesn't seem to shake excessively or anything, but it makes a chattering noise. It's not the timing chain slapping the cover (I heard that on youtube, it was LOUD and obvious) and doesn't sound like plastic guides to me, besides I think they would have been chewed up by now with this kind of noise. (I mean very warmed up, been driving hard)

Chattering seems to come from the front of the engine (yeah, I know, the timing chain area....) any possibility it could be bearings on a pulley, or something? they could have got grit or something in them, the front's coated in leaked PS fluid, and of course gritty mud stuck in it. (cleaning it up's been something of a project.... an ongoing one)

I'll try to get hot and cold videos, if that would help.

[Dmurphjr]

Ha I didn't read the keyword part, I don't know what that's all about.

Another question I wanted to ask is, what kind of company is Enkei? As in, is it like xxr, sportmax, OR like Volk, Rays, and Advan etc. Are they an original company? Or do they just make replicas?

Enkei is a good enough company to produce most of the stock wheels for sport bikes (at least Kawasaki)

[PapaSmurf2k3]

When my engine's cold, it sounds great (to my untrained ear)

When it warms up, it still revs smoothly and doesn't seem to shake excessively or anything, but it makes a chattering noise. It's not the timing chain slapping the cover (I heard that on youtube, it was LOUD and obvious) and doesn't sound like plastic guides to me, besides I think they would have been chewed up by now with this kind of noise. (I mean very warmed up, been driving hard)

Chattering seems to come from the front of the engine (yeah, I know, the timing chain area....) any possibility it could be bearings on a pulley, or something? they could have got grit or something in them, the front's coated in leaked PS fluid, and of course gritty mud stuck in it. (cleaning it up's been something of a project.... an ongoing one)

I'll try to get hot and cold videos, if that would help.

Bearing noise is usually more of a howl than a chatter. Is it a random chatter, or does it follow RPMs? Like, if you're sitting there at the same RPM, is it like a metronome? If so, that could be valve tap or something. If not, its probably your timing chain. After driving hard, your oil pressure is lower than it is when its cold. The tensioners are pressure operated, so you probably don't have as much tension on them at that point.
If you hit the throttle a little bit, does it go away? If so, its the chain. Hitting the throttle raises the RPM and oil pressure. Have you removed the upper guide?

[mechanicalmoron]

When my engine's cold, it sounds great (to my untrained ear)

When it warms up, it still revs smoothly and doesn't seem to shake excessively or anything, but it makes a chattering noise. It's not the timing chain slapping the cover (I heard that on youtube, it was LOUD and obvious) and doesn't sound like plastic guides to me, besides I think they would have been chewed up by now with this kind of noise. (I mean very warmed up, been driving hard)

Chattering seems to come from the front of the engine (yeah, I know, the timing chain area....) any possibility it could be bearings on a pulley, or something? they could have got grit or something in them, the front's coated in leaked PS fluid, and of course gritty mud stuck in it. (cleaning it up's been something of a project.... an ongoing one)

I'll try to get hot and cold videos, if that would help.

Bearing noise is usually more of a howl than a chatter. Is it a random chatter, or does it follow RPMs? Like, if you're sitting there at the same RPM, is it like a metronome? If so, that could be valve tap or something. If not, its probably your timing chain. After driving hard, your oil pressure is lower than it is when its cold. The tensioners are pressure operated, so you probably don't have as much tension on them at that point.
If you hit the throttle a little bit, does it go away? If so, its the chain. Hitting the throttle raises the RPM and oil pressure. Have you removed the upper guide?

It seems to cut in and out, and it's hard to tell (with how much louder the engine is when reving) but it seems like when I rev, the noise doesn't change speed, but dissappears (or is drowned out) at some point. I have a hard time telling myself, should be easier if I get those videos, by leaving a camera by the motor.

I think if I just hit the throttle a little, the chattering keeps going the same speed... but again, not quite sure, hard to tell alone.

If it's valve tap, will it damage anything? And would that be consistant with happening ONLY when it's warm?

I have not removed the timing guide.... I'm rather afraid to do anything remotely internal. (Also, I need a torque wrench... been tightening to common sense levels, with the stuff I've been doing)

I think I should probably do my timing.... but I have no idea how, other than that I've been told I don't want to. I was a little confused with the how-to's I've seen. If it's unrelated to the chattering, it could hopefully help the problem with dieing while stopping I was having. Also, how would I go about cleaning the idle air valve? I read that it can get stopped up, and cause idle problems like that, but the guy wasn't clear on cleaning it. If I take the screw all the way out, will I have an explosion of springs and crap that I'll never get back in?

You where totally right about the fan, took it about as fast as it goes for a few miles, in 95-ish degree weather, couldn't make it even go above where it did with the fan on the gauge. MUCH better, having all that room and quiet.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Sounds like a timing chain thing. You shouldn't really have to re-do your timing, but removing the upper guide should get rid of the noise... I'm not sure what year your car is, but Nissan actually stopped installing them at the factory on the KAs at some point. You won't need a torque wrench to do it.

The only way I've ever cleaned the idle air control valve was removing it from the intake manifold, and going at it with some carb cleaner.

[mechanicalmoron]

Sounds like a timing chain thing. You shouldn't really have to re-do your timing, but removing the upper guide should get rid of the noise... I'm not sure what year your car is, but Nissan actually stopped installing them at the factory on the KAs at some point. You won't need a torque wrench to do it.

The only way I've ever cleaned the idle air control valve was removing it from the intake manifold, and going at it with some carb cleaner.

You mean by taking the screw all the way out? Or the cramped stuff with a hose (presumably going to that?) up against the firewall?

So about the timing guide, if I don't remove it, will it hurt anything? I read it was just plastic that shreads eventually, or something. (My car's a 92) Am I totally backwards about things, or do you get at it through the valve cover? I thought I was going to blow things up if I didn't torque that all properly?

^^^Just exposing my remarkable ignorance.... On that note, to the guy asking about how friendly the car is, it's my first that I've done anything on, but between it's layout and the fact that parts and support are available as it's something of a classic, well loved, cheap sorts car, I've found everything very easy and friendly, other than problems caused by various damage to my specific car.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

IIRC there are 2 bolts that hold the IACV onto the intake manifold (back near the firewall). The hose that goes from the intake tube (before the throttle body) leads to it. Remove the 2 bolts, the hose, and the electrical connector, and the whole unit will come out of the car. DOUCHE it with carb cleaner and work as much of it through the system as possible. Check the hose for gunk and cracks.

Upper timing guide: Remove the spark plug wires... label them if you have to but it should be self explanatory. Remove the valve cover. Remove the 2 bolts at the front of the engine that hold the guide on. Make sure you don't drop them down into no-man's land. Now is a good time to replace the valve cover gasket. Re-install the valve cover, be careful not to overtorque the valve cover bolts. Re-install the spark plug wires. DONEZO.

[mechanicalmoron]

IIRC there are 2 bolts that hold the IACV onto the intake manifold (back near the firewall). The hose that goes from the intake tube (before the throttle body) leads to it. Remove the 2 bolts, the hose, and the electrical connector, and the whole unit will come out of the car. DOUCHE it with carb cleaner and work as much of it through the system as possible. Check the hose for gunk and cracks.

Upper timing guide: Remove the spark plug wires... label them if you have to but it should be self explanatory. Remove the valve cover. Remove the 2 bolts at the front of the engine that hold the guide on. Make sure you don't drop them down into no-man's land. Now is a good time to replace the valve cover gasket. Re-install the valve cover, be careful not to overtorque the valve cover bolts. Re-install the spark plug wires. DONEZO.

Well thank you

*edit* Should I be worried about my oil pump, if this is oil pressure related?

*edit2* Had someone give it gas for me-the chattering DOES speed up as the engine speeds up. But then seems to die out about 2k rpm

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Most of the stuff you have to worry most about is in the sub 12 ft lb range...
Those are the ones you always end up stripping out. So get a small one. I pretty much never use my 3/8" drive torque wrench aside from torquing lug nuts.

[mechanicalmoron]

Most of the stuff you have to worry most about is in the sub 12 ft lb range...
Those are the ones you always end up stripping out. So get a small one. I pretty much never use my 3/8" drive torque wrench aside from torquing lug nuts.

Cool, thanks.

I had someone give it gas for me, the chattering speed DOES follow rpm's and then dies out around 2-2.5k rpm.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

You know you can just manually reach your hand over and twist the throttle right? You don't need someone to hit the gas for you.

Anyway, now is when you need to do a little detective work. It could be a valve tap, or a noisy injector. Try getting a long screw driver, putting the metal end on various things, and the other end to your ear. Check each injector like this, as well as various spots on the valve cover. Be careful around rotating assemblies (belts, pulleys, etc).

[mechanicalmoron]

You know you can just manually reach your hand over and twist the throttle right? You don't need someone to hit the gas for you.

Wow... I'm stupid...

It doesn't really sound like it's coming from the injectors though. But I'll check and see what I find.

I think it was you that said I didn't need the resonator box, a while back-it's okay to just take it out? (if it's that easy, I haven't checked, but I'm on a drive to remove everything that doesn't do something important and that's in the way) Does it just give a space for noise coming back out of the airbox to get trapped, to quiet things?

Also, the bottle shaped container on a large hose going down from the air intake, what does it do? It's not connected to anything but the intake....

[PapaSmurf2k3]

That's an intake resonator as well.
The only thing you need after going to the throttle body is as follows (from start to finish)
Air filter, Mass Airflow Sensor, hose going to your IACV port (the one close to the throttle body).

That's it. Everything else you can remove/block off.

[mechanicalmoron]

That's an intake resonator as well.
The only thing you need after going to the throttle body is as follows (from start to finish)
Air filter, Mass Airflow Sensor, hose going to your IACV port (the one close to the throttle body).

That's it. Everything else you can remove/block off.

Cool.

What's the vaccum hose that doesn't do iacv, it's right by it? (I probly should be able to tell this, if I was looking at my motor....)

And sound dampening is what the resonator chambers do?

[PapaSmurf2k3]

I think there's another line that goes to your valve cover. It really doesn't do anything... maybe aid in PCV function? Sucks out oil fumes and puts them into your intake manifold? I dunno, mine hasn't been hooked up in years.
Yes, the resonators primary function is sound dampening. They might also change the flow characteristics inside your intake tube (in a very small way)... but that's not something you should be worried about.

[arlok]

Hi everyone,i love silvias since i was kid and always wanted one, and finally im about to buy a 98 kouki 69k miles on body, has 1 accident, has a rb25 with a holset turbo making 450hp, 18" tsw wheels, $13.500, is this price good or is it too expensive?

And if i buy it, how ill pass the inspection since the car is 1998 and is odb2?

Thanks guys, that will help a lot.

[idreamofs13's]

You can add prices of the parts to the base value of a used car in that condition yourself and 'guesstimate' on the overall value based on your inspection and test drive of the car. A carfax never hurts either, if it's available.

Nada value of a base SE model with as many stock options I could put on. -Nada on 1998 240sx SE coupe

And here is the Kelly Blue Book value on the same model with options. - Blue Book on 1998 240sx SE coupe

And Edmunds. Not everyone uses it, but now you can make an average. - Edmunds on 1998 240sx SE coupe

This is what i'm doing for my hunt for a viable s13 for me. You have to research and know the general price of the parts and work put into installing them when you look at a modified car, and you REALLY want to pay attention to the detail of the work. It's taken me 2 years to find a candidate I want, and one of the first pieces of advice I got was to be picky. When you really want something you'll take the time to find the right one. Lastly, you should feel like the car is 'good energy' (sorry for the hippie ness)... I have test driven a few cars and I could sense when certain ones didn't feel like a good fit for me.

I'm off work today and nothing else to do. Sorry for the book.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Hi everyone,i love silvias since i was kid and always wanted one, and finally im about to buy a 98 kouki 69k miles on body, has 1 accident, has a rb25 with a holset turbo making 450hp, 18" tsw wheels, $13.500, is this price good or is it too expensive?

And if i buy it, how ill pass the inspection since the car is 1998 and is odb2?

Thanks guys, that will help a lot.

Depending on where you live, 240s usually fetch higher than KBB value.

How much you pay is entirely up to the condition of the vehicle, the quality of the modifications, and where you live.
Again, not sure where you live, but inspection is dependent on that too. Your best bet is to probably grease some palms.