seattlejester

My understanding which admittedly is quite weak. The saturn vue motor is like the worm gear drive setup posted, I think an S2k has the the differential gear type setup. For a worm gear it is connected to a shaft, the motor assist by sensing the input and supplying torque to the gear via a screw type mechanism (think like your thumb on a crescent wrench) powered by the motor. If the motor fails it just doesn't have power behind it, any brushed motor will still turn by hand most of the time just not generate power. The worst type of failure would be intermittent I imagine. Like starters can sometimes work when they are in certain orientations or when shocked by a hit. That would cause a jerky sensation to the steering. In theory if you felt the steering wheel fighting you all of a sudden you could just go disconnect the relay that powers it and just have uninterrupted manual steering.

^Daniel is the man, definitely helped me out with struts in the past too. If it hissed I would suspect it had pressure in the system, if it was momentary then most likely very residual, if it was running in the last decade I imagine they would have changed out the R12, but with cars that sit, who knows. Sound deadening comes off pretty easy with dry ice and a air chisel, if you want to do a full floor inspection and maybe put down some modern sound, or thinner or effective sound/heat insulation then pulling it off would be a good idea. Otherwise it is a bit of a hassle. I took all of it out and it was really buzzy, hot, and loud. I finally put some sound deadening in it is a bit quieter, much much cooler, and only a few buzzes/rattles.

I was going to say that it still has a connection with the shaft. It is a steering assist device, so when it fails you still get manual steering, with the device it just reads which way you want to turn and assists via the electric motor. If anything autocross is where I would want it to fail, most courses have cone workers away from failure routes, that would be compared to say failing at 70 on the freeway with a big left sweeper coming up.

Burn baby burn!

I am tempted I can keep megasquirt and reuse my ignition coils. I am definitely keeping an eye out, need the rear sump oil pan and a 1jz bell housing to start. I just don't have the room or the space to start fabricating new engine mounts.

So some news. Went to a new machine shop to me. Action Machine. I have heard some pretty good things so I thought I would give them a shot. Pretty much only one more place left to try in the area and I will have visited all the machine shops I have heard about. Friendly guys, I called them and they asked me to bring in the block along with the main caps and the front timing cover. Basically a dead or alive test is what they did off the bat. Made sure the bores weren't oblonged of cracked, that the main line of the crank was still in place. Basically a measure of if the block is salvageable. The verdict was that my block survived. Bores were worn and will need to be honed out over standard so standard pistons are pretty much off the table. They did find a supplier who makes decent cast pistons that they could throw in for less then $300, so not all bad news, I think I will try and get my hands on the probe forged pistons. I have a line on the final set available still NIB on a shelf, so if the bores are salvageable at 84mm, then I will try and grab those, only $100 more and if I am paying for the hone, might as well put in pistons deserving of it. Next step was to bring in the rods and crank. I received the verdict today that they are junk. Couple of the rods are worn out so bad that they aren't even worth welding up to grind back down. Crank is apparently garbage as well. They haven't taken a look at the other set of rods I supplied so I have my fingers crossed there. If I strike out that means I need to get eagle rods, another nice cost of $500. The benefit would be that those come with oil bushings and ARP hardware, and in theory should need absolute minimal fitting, so I would save some money there. For the crank, I'm planning on visiting someone I bought parts off from the past, he said I could have one of the blocks lying around so if the crank is salvageable then great, if not then I will have to buy a replacement crank. I found a company that does remanufactured cranks for 425 with bearings, if I return a used crank I get 150 back. Not too bad, but another $300 or so. Best case scenario, the used crank and rods work or can be salvaged, I buy cast pistons, they do the inspection and cleaning work. Clean & inspect block ($150) Hone block with torque plate ($250) Size rods, install new bushings ($100 in parts + $300 in labor) Polish crank or weld/grind/straighten/resize crank ($50-$350 in labor) Bearings ($100) Gaskets ($100) Cast or forged pistons ($300-$400) Oil upgrades, cross over pipe, oil pump, oil soft line kit ($700) $2050-2450 Worser case scenario, I need to order a reman'd crank, eagle rods, they don't have the probe pistons left which means next step up which is wiseco, and all the machine work there. I save a bit here because I don't have to have the crank worked on, the rods worked on, but I also am out more for parts Clean & inspect block ($150) Hone block with torque plate ($250) Order, inspect rods ($500 + $300 in labor) Order Reman'd crank, and inspect ($425 + $50 -($150 for core)) Gaskets ($100) Oil upgrades, cross over pipe, oil pump, oil soft line kit ($700) Wiseco Forged Pistons ($700) $3025 So many options below this price point, like I can buy a miata around there.... There is an RB20 driveline for sale for $1k, although that could be a pitfall, some RB25's are also floating around, 2jz's are also an option. In theory not too much fitting required, would bolt up with the correct bell housing and has parts support like no other. Then again I also have quite a bit invested in the 7mgte, the front facing intake manifold, the new turbo, the valve covers, those alone amount to a very hefty sum. I don't know if I have mentioned this, but while searching for a better setup for the oil filter to keep this from happening, found out that the 7mge runs a union bolt to put a filter directly onto the block. The 7mgte has a weird adapter as it runs through a factory over pressure/temperature activated oil cooling system, which is deleted in my setup and problematic in the stock setup. $10 bolt and I wouldn't even have had this problem. Granted also doubling up on the clamp or running a T clamp which costs about 3$ would have also prevented me from running into this setup. ARRGH

Curious if the chrome rings never seated properly. Even your low number is on the acceptable side if my memory is correct. Are you sure it is the bottom end? For no more then 200hp, I'm not sure it is needed. I am curious how you got two SU carbs to feed a draw through turbo setup. I would think there wouldn't be adequate fuel.

Gosh I miss packwood, I would have been there too if I hadn't blown my engine too. Would have love to have seen your car. Bummer on the engine. Hopefully back better then ever!

...100$ is pretty amazing! I say to do whatever floats your boat, as long as you don't start calling your 280z a 240z. So many ads for 1977 240z's, drives me nuts. Looking forward to the pictures!

Working with the rear struts with the control arms is a real PITA, makes it awkward to try and cut and it is basically spring loaded if you put it on the ground because of the bushings. Working with the hubs in place is also a real PITA, makes the assemblies much much heavier, harder to manipulate, impossible to clean easily (solvent baths etc). If you are gutting the car, then I would suggest a full disassembly the front and rear could probably benefit from new bearings anyways, once the strut casings are bare you can even cut a large portion of it off and make it super easy to transport and work on. I pulled mine apart, gave a quick cut and dropped it off at the sand blaster to get all the grime off, you can see the difference, if someone couldn't use a solvent bath or a sand blaster because you had a bunch of parts bolted to it and had to just get the immediate area clean with a wire wheel I'm not sure it would be very good. You might want to try Datsun Parts and Needs on Facebook, I know a couple of people have used mobile welders on there in california and might have a name for you, there are also quite a few people who offered the service for GC, this would in quite a few ways be much easier.

Curious on your budget too. Even thinking about a Vr38DETT and associated transmission is pretty up there. Not sure if a supercharger is going to cut it, the prochargers and stuff actually don't build much boost, and getting a 400hp v8 up 200hp would be somewhat equivalent of getting a 170hp L28 to 250hp. I know Timz got to 600hp at 25lbs of boost with a very worked over engine and a very big turbo and lots of work so it is possible, just depends on if it is worth it to keep that platform. Not sure why you are interested in twin intercoolers with a supercharger, if you mean running two intercoolers, then might as well run a bigger one with more FPI. Or run an intercooler and an aftercooler with an ice pump if you were looking for a cool charge, although you would be sitting there filling it all the time. Or you could run meth injection if you needed to cool the charge. If you are looking for high hp, it really isn't worth it to stick with the L28 for very long, it is doable, but there are easier platforms to reach that kind of power on. 2jz's can make that kind of power, v8's can make that kind of power with power adders etc. An R35 also makes like 470 stock, throw in the fact it is about 1000lbs heavier, and if you shoot for hp/ton you don't need 600hp if you just want to cruise.

$1140? My goodness. Give us full details I guess. If they are off the car, fully disassembled, cut down to spec and cleaned, I would feel guilty charging more then $200 or so. Most shops here have a rate of $85 to get started and $1 a minute for welding. Something like that would be probably $3-400. Now if you are asking them to take it off the car, un-install the hubs and all that, clean it up, cut it, clean it up again, weld it, clean it again, paint it, reassemble it with new bearings and such, then press in the stub axle, torque everything to spec, purchase and install the lock nut, then reinstall it back into the car, then that actually isn't a bad price. I think about 3 hours a corner, so 12 hours at shop rate of $80-100 an hour and it adds up.

I would say that is a pretty good deal, although with engines there is always an unknown. Never know what it is like on the inside, and without a way to reassure someone you just have to wait for someone who is willing to take the risk, or planning on rebuilding it anyway. List all the parts included like the harness and I would guess the drive shaft, life of the clutch, compression numbers if you can get them (not too hard to rent a compression gauge and reattach the trans with the starter and crank it over on the floor), and take some good pictures with the parts cleaned up and I think you shouldn't have too much trouble.

The bead isn't hard to lay, but I hear ya, I would be hesitant to offer the service to someone. Whoever does it, I would suggest finding someone with a TIG. MIG is fine, but someone who can use a TIG is usually going to be more aware of the penetration and how much heat they are putting into it. Remember the piece is dense so you have to make sure it gets quite a bit of heat for adequate penetration.

Looks to be a complete swap with the rear sump oil pan and associated mounts. Do you know that it runs and have compression numbers? If so I wouldn't feel bad asking for more then the importers charge especially with all the swap specific parts included. Looks like they are selling for 1.5-2k here, I wouldn't feel bad asking for 3k or so and settling for 2.5k. It would help to see what you were expecting to see if that is in the ball park. Also depends on how close to importers you are, there are 3 or 4 engine importers so certain engine prices stay low in my state, could be a different story if they are few and far between where you live.

That's a real bummer. Insurance at least? Hope they didn't root around in the datsun stash.

If you are a paying customer and ask for something specific that is a service I provide, and I do state my objections and perhaps have you approve of my objections, then short of a likelihood of a law suit or a guaranteed scathing review, which would be prevented by the approval of my objections, I do not see why they would be opposed. On the flip side, if I am a small manufacturer, live off of good reviews and references to others and am convinced, despite perhaps not a comprehensive grasp on the theories of flow dynamics etc, that you are asking for what I see as a potentially faulty product, it is indeed my right to refuse service. Very simple example, a gentleman walked in and asked for a pizza with the oil from anchovies poured all over it. While he was willing to pay, given that it was not an approved topping and that he would have to pay for a whole can of it since the oil is what preserves the rest, we politely declined. We did offer to sell him a regular pizza to which he could go and buy a can on anchovies in a smaller package and add to his own hearts content though.

Hmm I haven't heard that before, but makes sense, adding a kind of bump on the bottom and raising the roof would kind of arc the air flow up and over so it flows more naturally towards the valve vs a 90* turn. Adding a step would also generate some turbulence kind of like how that bellow design for mufflers was a big thing for flow, allowing the air to expand then to regain velocity. Perhaps they are just a manufacturing place with no R&D like Newzed. Or only experience with the misaligned castings of domestics like Tony said. Or it is not a big enough market to invest time in.

I guess it still depends on how deep the water damage is, if it is a one or two mm in the bore then a simple overbore with upsized pistons would still play fairly nice with the stock fuel system.

The stock EFI system really isn't the smartest or the most adjustable thing out there. Boring out to 3L means 0.2 more L of displacement, actually a bit less if memory serves, I think it is more the 2800cc stock and it will be less then 3000cc bored to "3L" Off the top of my head I want to say there is enough room in the stock fueling to account for the extra displacement without running too lean, but I can't give a positive answer. There are some tricks to make it run safer, more fuel pressure, or even upsizing the injectors (turbo injectors for instance), but you won't be benefitting from the extra displacement with the stock EFI system. Edit: Some things I am remembering are wrong. Ka24de pistons are 89mm, but have a lower pin height, you would need to run L24 rods to make up for the reduced pin height, but it is a viable option. 2.8L stock is actually 2753cc, the resulting 2.9L (Not 3L, 3L is actually I think a stroker crank with a slight overbore) motor using L24 rods and KA24de pistons would be 2949cc, so still less then 200cc difference, but it is there.

Yes something like that, it would need red locktite to make sure it doesn't spin with a bolt you put in, and you would have to make sure it would be rated for the proper load, some other things into consideration are the thread engagement length, the amount of room you have, but like all fixes it has up and downsides. That is just one of the methods here and probably not the best. NewZed is right, you might want to find someone more mechanically inclined who understands the problems that you will run into to help you with the installation or to see about one of the other methods.

So you essentially drilled out the hole with an oversized tap. That indeed does not bode well, but that does clear things up and does give you options depending on what you want to do. You can still save it if you wanted. You can drill it even bigger, and carefully manually tap new threads into it and then use a thread shrinker to bring it down to more normal size. It looks like a grub screw, gets screwed in with a flat head and has threads on the inside. This would be an example: http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/KM21500?adpos=1o3&creative=54989489041&device=c&matchtype=&network=g&gclid=CMWe3pHEt84CFQdafgodS6sJMQ Or you can use any of the other methods mentioned.

Very much so, a shop that can weld is not necessarily a shop that you want to have weld. Booger welds and stuff can be hidden easily under a coat of paint to a brief glance and seam sealer can hide a lot of sins. You won't know it fails until your trans is dragging on the floor. You are also planning on doing a butt load of work. New zed's advice is golden, you are on the right forum, you are being given very good advice, it is up to you to heed it. This would be a very simple job for someone who is mechanically inclined to replace the nut/plate that is inside via several methods mentioned, that is if you did really mess up the threads which you still haven't really told us how you "failed." It would be even easier for someone to tap in new threads assuming you didn't fail in the wrong way.

Hmm I think sleeving would be really expensive. I think if you search the site it comes up here, but I recall something about welding the sleeves together afterwards and some other things you need to do. I think a lot of work and cost for me personally. Did the x-ray reveal the depth of the damage? Could you bore it out to 3L spec and use KA24DE pistons and a cometic head gasket?

Welding in a whole piece like that is a lot more difficult then just fixing the nut in it right now. I'm not sure any shop would be willing to try and put that whole panel in without dropping the transmission and stuff first.