OlderThanMe

hmm...not good. I have already pulled the valve cover a couple of times...and I don't know how it would get to the oil pan from there. the camshaft oiler looks like thinwall tubing. This piece was made from a solid piece of metal. The end with the big hole was resistance welded onto the lower piece.

hmm...the coloring on my crank and connecting rods does not look oem to me... full size: http://x72.xanga.com/4b7a557b6513265521474/w43964468.jpg balacning...don't know if that is OE either...this shot is the rear side of the crank. full size: http://xc2.xanga.com/f31a35450763065521431/w43964438.jpg front side of crank: [/url] full size: http://x56.xanga.com/719a52400533365521386/w43964410.jpg a further away shot. full size: http://x8f.xanga.com/3aca344103c3065521332/w43964373.jpg

these pics are very large so I will just post links. the piece of metal on the pan. http://x3e.xanga.com/4f1a3b427703065512431/w43958536.jpg close up #1: http://xed.xanga.com/285a57427663365512395/w43958512.jpg close up #2 http://x59.xanga.com/905a25765113365512324/w43958458.jpg I am making a wild guess but I don't think that was supposed to be sitting in the bottom of the oil pan. Looks like a piston oiler to me. I'll get under the block and take some more pictures. It possibly looks broken off on the side furthest from the large hole.

could be where the bolts from the diff go through the moustache bar. If the nuts on them losen up it sounds like a bad U-joint.

oil pan removed. I will post pics in a few minutes when I clean up.

oil is draining. Getting ready to pull the oil pan.

search...done many times...

I always liked that decal in that kit...

I just got the MSD 5900 OEM replacement box and it works fine but time will tell.

I don't have a tool o test compression so I did a vacuum test and 4 of the cylinders read in the 40-42cm HG vacuum range. The #1 cylinder read 38cm HG vacuum #4 cylinder read 35cm HG vacuum. I used to have a problem with the #1 misfining like crazy when I would rev the engine and then when I let off the gas it would drop about half the sparks. When I cranked it before the noise appeared I was not dropping any sparks.

all great advice... I did the exact same thing... drove it for almost two years and then last October I started doing brakes wheels and a transmission repair. It went downhill from there to where I am now. I now have to rebuild the motor since there is something wrong in the short block.

I ran 215s on a 6.5in. wide rim... barely fit uder the stock fender with 3.5 inches of backspace.

all current plans for the car just stopped...have to get the motor rebuilt now... check this thread: http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?p=660423#post660423 Time to go crazy... Right before it started making the noise it was making lots of power. I drove it up the street and at partial throttle it went really quick. I am guessing that I gained 10-20 horses just from new wiring and new MSD 5900 ignition module. The old ignition module was dropping spark all the time. Compression checks...4 culinders from 40-42cm HG vacuum. Cylinder 1 has 38cm HG vacuum Cylinder 4 is at 35cm HG vacuum

urethane air dam is easy...4 holes in your headlight buckets. bombproof design... The service is OK... You can probably get a new one cheaper than the MSA price... Don't know about the flares or bumpers.

true...I have been thinking about it...since a shop has never touched my car since I bought it... Except a tire shop and I watched them very carefully. I just need to figure out what parts I need to make a good 280hp NA...I like turbos but I want this car to be a NA car...someday a track car... I'll drain my oil tomorrow and pull the pan.

I am about 95% sure it has to do with the #4 piston. I used a mechanic's listening stethoscope (like what a doctor uses except for mechanical stuff). I have pretty much scratched out driving my car down to college this fall...and since that is the case...I am going to go buy a engine stand and rent an engine lift. The engine may be out soon. I can't get to all of the pan bolts while the motor is in. I took about 10 minutes to get the drivers side steering rack bushing on and about 4 hours for the passenger side one. I am just to the point where when I pull the oil pan off and there is anyhting wrong I will rebuild...there are enough things wrong and horsepower is addictive...I may have a 300, 310 a 320z next year...probably just send the short block off to rebello or to do their magic.

My dad was cutting wood on a stump once...46 yellowjacket stings...they got all in his shirt somehow...that was real bad...

just turned the motor the hard way. I put the car on jackstands, unhooked the E-brake cable on one side, engaged the e-brake, had my Dad turn the other wheel while the car was in 4th. I tested teh vacuum and it was around 42cm HG on all of the pistons except #4 and #1. The #4 was the worst at 35cm HG. The #1 was at 38cm HG vacuum.

nope...it is coming from the #4 cylinder...definitely not from the chain...plus the chain is fairly tight... My dad's 944 had a bad chain so I know what that sounds like... I am tending to think it is something with the piston. I think the piston is ratteling on the wrist pin or the connecting rod is.

yeah...but all the cool people voted for the GN...

it's a standard 4 speed. I am gooing to do just that. I just went about 12 miles of mountain biking today so I am pretty winded...I'll do a compression check too. If the compression check fails then off comes the head...maybe I'll just pull the motor...I've never disassembled my engine past removing the valve cover or any motor for that matter.

pulled the valve cover and everything looks ok...makes me feel bad about my shortblock...I am suspecting either a valve is stuck or something else much worse. Looked in the #4 spark plug hole and the piston looks fine from what I can see. I may go ahead and pull the cylinder head today if I can't see anything else wrong. I may just put it on jackstands and pull the pan first like you suggested Oliver...

the sound is coming from the head though! I am thinking a valve is stuck open. I just changed the oil last week too...arg... this is just great...thinking of a worn out wrist pin...I started it just last week and it ran awesome!

Engine: L26, SU's, header...mild motor. Since I have owned my z there has always been a slight noise coming from the valvetrain. I have started it after it has sat for the last two months and there is a very loud clacking sound coming from the #4 cylinder. here is a video. You can hear it plainly different from the rest of the car. HELP!!!! What is the noise! I hope something is not stuck in the valve or the rocker arm is loose. I need this car to be operational soon. Thanks