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

[speedeast]

Fouled suspension parts can make a car very squirrelly. If you lift the front end up, you can tell if the tie rods are messed up by jerking it back and forth to see if there is any play in the movement.

[allenms240]

What kind of shop towels should I use to the the motor for a rebuild. I don't want to use just a shop towel because they have fibers and will leave stuff behind. I want to use one that will keep the surface clean so I don't have any problems later on down the road.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

I typically just use the blue shop towels, but be careful you don't rip them to shreds wiping off something that's rusty or sharp. If you're serious about lint free and plan on using a ton of them, I used to use these when I worked at BorgWarner:
http://www.wipeco.com/paper-wipers.php
The Kimberly Clark X60 and X80 ones. They were the s***.

[allenms240]

The blue shop towels don't leave any lint behind? I saw in a video someone using those and wanted to pick some up from autozone. I just wanted to get a second opinion,

_Allen

[PapaSmurf2k3]

I'm sure they leave SOME behind, but they really aren't bad. Not like a roll of charmin or anything haha.

[240sxcl50]

Ok so due to the japan flood i was thinking about boosting the ka instead of sr swap what kind of price difference is there between the 2 i thought the ka boosted would have been cheaper before but i looked around and theres like 1 kit thats not from ebay and it was 3500 so if you know of other kits or have decent pieced together kat any info would be great.

[allenms240]

Thanks Papa!


As far as a KAT vs SR, SR will be cheaper to do right. KAs are relatively more expensive, that is, if you're doing it right.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Yeah a low-boost setup on a KA would probably be cheaper than doing an SR (to get you to the same power level of around 200-220whp), but anything passed that and it becomes cat and mouse as far as funds/setup go.

[240sxcl50]

SO this is a pretty dumb question but i bought pedals of enjuku do you just drill holes or something?

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Which pedals (do you have a link)?

Most just slip on over the factory ones.

[nissans13coupe91]

i have a 240 coupe SE with the digital dash, and it has crapped out on me. not only the speedometer doesnt work, but the tach doesnt either. i was wondering if this was a common problem, and if i can fix this without having to get a whole new dash?!

[PapaSmurf2k3]

They tend to go bad. People usually swap in analog clusters.
s13-240sx-coupe-digital-dash-help-t274049.html

[nissans13coupe91]

Thank you!

[240sxcl50]

http://www.enjukuracing.com/products/SR ... ns%29.html

these are the pedals and they definantly dont slip over

[speedeast]

Yes, those come with attachment hardware and instructions. They're screw ons.

[mechanicalmoron]

So I've come to the conclusion that I have JUST about no piston rings left. With just 5w30 valvoline it makes smoke clouds bigger than the car if you race the motor even lightly, once it's warmed up.

I have some "ring stop" stuff from autozone in it (I've heard good things about motor honey, could try that too-but I don't think it's as thick as this stuff) that did help a lot, although it still smokes quite a bit more than a healthy motor, and smells like burnt oil, once warm.

For my next change, I got a lucas oil conditioner thing, and valvoline non synthetic 20w50. Opinions? Is it way too thick, to the point it would do more harm than good? It's also rather cold here right now, past second or third gear even once the motors warm, the water temp stays all the way at the bottom of the gauge, when you accelerate you can see the gauge drop as you get up to speed.

Also, on a very related note, where should I be looking for a good deal on engine shipping, presumably for as much as a full front clip, from a residential area to my own residence? And about how much should I expect this "good deal" to cost? NOT more than half way across the cont. us, I should think.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

20w50 is pretty thick for cold weather. The motor will probably run crappy and sluggish when cold, which it sounds like it does quite often (is your thermostat broken/stuck open?).

If you're just going to replace the engine with the same type, hit up local junkyards and/or the NICO classifieds.

[mechanicalmoron]

20w50 is pretty thick for cold weather. The motor will probably run crappy and sluggish when cold, which it sounds like it does quite often (is your thermostat broken/stuck open?).

If you're just going to replace the engine with the same type, hit up local junkyards and/or the NICO classifieds.

I don't know about my thermostat, I suppose it could be stuck. The motor's obviously at running temp though, after a short time sitting or working hard the water temp goes right up.

As for a junkyard, the problem is that I don't have any way to move the motor, I was hoping for a low milage motor from a nico member, but where I am would generally preclude the existence of anything closer than 500 miles. I would be interested in something more powerful, but it needs to be swapped relatively quickly, with the least possible screwing around and time wasting. hopefully a matter of weeks or months, to do the swap and while the motor's out of the way, deal with steering stuff and maybe suspension. (the accordian-bellow looking boots are ripped open and full of crud, I don't know how damaging it is, but.... damaging, I'd assume.)

So yeah, I'm all for more power, but need the car on the road as soon as possible. I tentitively planned to rebuild the old motor or find a project motor, while having a replacement that would hopefully go up to 100k on it's own. I had found what seemed to be okay on nico classifieds a while back, but the guy said the shipping he found was like 2/3rds as much as the motor would be, which would put the cost at pretty close to that of the entire car.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

past second or third gear even once the motors warm, the water temp stays all the way at the bottom of the gauge, when you accelerate you can see the gauge drop as you get up to speed.

That is not normal. Your water temp can go up while you're just sitting there, because you have no airflow through your radiator.
What year is the car anyway?

Any chance you can just buy another one, or other backup vehicle while you fix the one you have right? You could just get it all rebuilt.

[mechanicalmoron]

past second or third gear even once the motors warm, the water temp stays all the way at the bottom of the gauge, when you accelerate you can see the gauge drop as you get up to speed.

That is not normal. Your water temp can go up while you're just sitting there, because you have no airflow through your radiator.
What year is the car anyway?

Any chance you can just buy another one, or other backup vehicle while you fix the one you have right? You could just get it all rebuilt.

It's a 92. All stock except some shoddy wiring.

And now that you mention it, a few months ago, it would cool down doing things like engine braking down a large hill, but I don't think it could really stay cold while running, once it warmed up.

Money is very tight, I have no way to buy another vehicle, and either way, would like to work specifically with this one, really. Even if I got a good deal it means parts and fluids and service and the like, specific to that vehicle, titling, registering, and insuring a new vehicle, etc. So this is the one I've got. My eventual plan is to totally rebuild the car, but because of my current money and transportation situation, it's baby steps.

[ralphandthequeen]

k, so, im currently in Afghan, stationed in Okinawa.. How difficult would it be to get an S15 Silvia back state side?

[PapaSmurf2k3]

I've never done it, so I can't tell you exactly, but I'd start here:
so-you-want-to-buy-a-skyline-in-the-us-t159216.html
That thread is about skylines, but its pretty much the same concept.

[speedeast]

The service will let us bring home 1 car free of charge, BUT it has to be a car that is legally imported into the US.

[TunerPharm]

Hey guys, I have a problem. I have a nissan silvia s14 sr20det and my oil feed line for my turbo is copper and has a leak. what do you suggest i do as a quick fix until i can get the stainless steel braided line as recommended by everyone else? Also i live in the bahamas where the temperature is hot and I wanna know whats the best weight for me to use. 5w-30 or 10w-30?

[speedeast]

It's hard to patch a high temp, high pressure line. I would probably try JB Weld and a hose clamp, but I would recommend getting the hose changed as soon as possible. Make sure you get a JB Weld product that works for your line material. Try a 10w-30 and see what oil pressure you're getting. You might try for 10w-40, but may not be necessary.

[TunerPharm]

Thanks, I think im gonna use another copper line temporarily and ill try the 10w-30

[PapaSmurf2k3]

I doubt the JB weld would work... you might be able to wrap it in string and THEN JB weld it or something (kinda like they used to fix propellers)
If you can find a welder, someone should be able to braze it shut. Maybe try cleaning it all off and soldering over it too...

[TunerPharm]

I got a hydraulic hose instead of reusing the copper line and it seems to be working very well, thanks again guys

[allenms240]

I need some micrometers and a dial gauge but I don't really want to spend hundreds of dollars on a set that I will only use for one rebuild.
I also don't want to buy cheapo harbor freight ones, I'm only assuming they're pure garbage and are inaccurate.

Does anybody have any that I could borrow, with a deposit of course, or could point me in the right direction to rent some?

Thanks,

_Allen

[PapaSmurf2k3]

All my calipers are from harbor freight.