1vicissitude

Well after seattlejesters suggestion I closely looked at the valve cover gasket. On the messy side there is quite a bead running along the valve cover gasket. The bead runs around on the backside of the VC too, which wouldn't be there if it was from the front being blown upwards. The mech fuel pump is also very messy, and the bracket had some oil pooled as well between it and the VC.The clean side (carb side) there is nothing. So hopefully changing to a genuine Nissan VC gasket will bring the car back to just having a small RMS leak. I drive the car maybe 5 miles a week if I'm lucky. I really get to enjoy it maybe twice a month. Building a flat top 2.8l block is something I really want to do, so if this fix can hold me off until it's installation I'll be a happy camper. With how rarely I drive the car I always check the fluids before taking it out anyways, so a small leak from the RMS onto a piece of cardboard is no big deal.

Well I threw the battery on the charger, got to love optimas. I had forgotten like 2 oil changes ago i replaced mine with a felpro unit. After some reading these appear to be a total POS. I will order a genuine nissan right now. After changing the valve cover gasket I think I am just going to give Bar's RMS stop leak with a thicker grade oil. I have plans to build a new engine anyways to replace the old l24 block in there. Honestly pulling the engine to get the RMS, the front oil seal, and timing cover gasket sounds like a huge pain for an engine I am going to replace sooner than later. I will look into pulling it if the valve cover gasket doesn't solve the problem. As for the alt, the ammeter was moving just fine a few weeks ago. The plug was a bit loose on the backside so I seated that properly now. I'm probably just having issues keeping the big ol optima charged with the 45w amp with how much the car gets driven. Thanks for the help, I will report back once I have the new gasket and everything is cleaned up again.

So my car has had a small but persistent leak from what I am assuming is the rear main seal and somewhere up front as well. I have cleaned the engine down many times to try to track it down and the rear is obvious, but the front eludes me. It really hasn't been a huge issue, I just occasionally top it off and use Valvoline Maxlife, and life goes on. However, yesterday I take the car out just maybe 5 miles down the freeway to a friends house. We ended up heading to the shooting range in his car so I left mine at his place. I get back maybe two hours later and it looks like at least half a liter has hit the floor in this time period. I pop the hood and there is a lot of oil sprayed all over the underside of the hood, and it has even pooled up on the cross member and around the steering rack. I still have some oil pressure, but it is low. Anyone ever encounter something like this, and if so what was your issue? My best guess is my front timing cover seal is toast, and the radiator fan flung oil everywhere? It's a huge mess all over the spark plug side of the engine, the underside of the hood, the alternator, the cross member and around the timing cover. Speaking of which, I noticed my amp meter is no longer moving when the car is on, only goes backwards with brake lights and blinkers. I am assuming the alt ins't charging anymore. Was fine before this oil mess, could that much oil kill an alternator? It was also raining heavily a couple weeks ago and I might have missed it until now. Granted, I had no idea either could kill an alternator. (I'm just guessing as it is the only variable that has changed) Also, before anyone asks. I have not performed any recent services on the car other than an oil change. It has been running and driving fantastic. Usually I know to go backwards and recheck what was redone, in this case I'm at a total loss.

They look like the ones sold everywhere for miatas these days, should try taking a measurement and comparing if you are interested. Yeah I have seen yours.(Nice ride by the way) I'm thinking he is running 255/40/17 or 245/40/17 on the rear because they tuck more into the flare and looks more stretched. Plus, the dunlop zII in 245/40/17 is actually rated to a max 9.5" wheel width and these look about as stretched as a manufacturer would recommend. The front is what I have no idea about. Tire looks similar so my guess is 255/40/17 or 245/40/17 again, but they offer that 17x9.5 RKR in multiple offsets now, 0- (-20). I'm very curious if the 17x9.5 0et could fit up front with coilovers, seems like it would be very tight.

I love this car.

Anyone have a clue what wheels and fitment these are? Was at the 2013 JCCS show and is rb25 swapped. I'm assuming 17"x9.5" Rota RKR since they look larger than 16s, have a decent lip, and the finish doesn't look like Watanabe, but I could be mistaken. Would love to know the offset, width, tire size, and suspension used.

Technically all the newer fabricated parts they make are designed here in CA. Not sure what happens after that point, but they have a huge shop here even with 3d printing capabilities for rapid prototyping and a whole herd of development cars. Even do in house development for a lot of racers/drifters. The company in recent years has been doing a lot more than just importing all the same old cheap stuff found all over ebay.

Very cool project. I'd be curious to see what one of these heads could do N/A. I'm sure you are a busy man, and I have no idea how long this took to make, but with people dropping 3k+ on a worked over head by shops like sunbelt is there not a market for selling these? Either way, keep up the great work

I sent out PMs to everyone. I also emailed you Howard. If you don't have enough posts to reply to a PM feel free to email me at 1vicissitude1@gmail.com

I think if you do a search there was a vendor in that section selling them.

From the spring shoot outs I have read, the eibachs are already pretty darn good. I guess it would be nice to save weight and avoid coil bind with the swifts, but we can run pretty long springs as it is. Also, the ground control kit comes with the weld on rings, not an issue if you can fab but will add to the price if you can't.

If you look around you can find ground control coil and sleeve kits for basically the same price. Don't see how this is any more budget, just a lot more foot work.

PMs sent, any one else?

Hey guys I'm looking for a p90 head to rebuild, port, and install a cam into. I'd like the head to be complete, or at least have all the parts labeled and included, but it doesn't need to be in pristine condition. Just a good core for a build. and I am interested in finding a f54 short block with flat tops in good shape. or I am interested in a n42 short block. It can need new pistons or bearings as long as the block and crank aren't trashed. I will also be using it for a performance rebuild so most of the parts will be replaced anyways. Let me know what you have. Just shoot me a pm. Also, local would be preferred. Thanks

Very interesting stuff here. Wonder what one of the Crower kits will run? Very cool they are going to offer a tall block and std height block option. I imagine just based off Crower's other kits these will be lots more affordable than the jdm offerings.

Oh yeah i saw that, I appreciate you trying though. I'm more interested in what the mounting points look like. Curious about things like: Is it a huge tab on the underside for the tape? Does the attachment point have any effect on how much fender can be cut off? Will these cover up fender holes from previously installed ZG flares? Do they provide the same extra clearance as a ZG flare?

To my knowledge the marugen shoukai flares are only wider in the rear and the front is standard ZG size.

Nv_s30 does that mean all the fiberglass or carbon parts on that car are of that brand? The flares look different IMO.

Any of you guys have an idea as to who made the flares on the car? They look much nicer then the cheap reproduction zg flares I have and usually see on other cars.

I wish there were more pictures, I'd really like to see the backside of the flares to better understand their mounting. Guess I could always swing by the store and bug the guys haha.

Is it just me or do the front flares look different? They seem slightly larger and more symmetrical than the run of the mill zg copies. For a second I thought they mounted two sets of the rear flares, but I do not think that is the case after closer examination. Anyone have an idea what they are?

I understand what you are saying, but If this manifold had worked (it doesn't without an adapter) it looks many times better than the HKS or cartech boxes. When the only application specific options are antique from the dawn of aftermarket turbo charging, surely you can't think they would have been better than this plenum had it worked? Heck, it looks a heck of a lot better than the racetep or TWM boxes as well.

Ah I didn't mean it sucks by any means. It looks great and the idea is ingenious. I'd call anything "cobbled together" that is made out of part laying around.

Honestly, just kind of curious. The thought did cross my mind. IMO a heck of a lot nicer looking than the HKS surge tanks too. These plenums can be had on ebay for well under $200 shipped. While I haven't checked, my guess that is that is at least 1/3 the price of the TWM plenum based of past dealings with the company. I've seen instances where a well designed plenum on various N/A ITB setups actually adds horsepower. I'm not sure if this occurs from some sort of smoothing effect, cooler air, or because the under hood air flow in those cars was poorly distributed, but as example I have seen built 4age blacktops pickup 7-10whp across the range by using a well designed plenum. Decently substantial when your talking about 160-170whp engines. That post says he was $250 into the project all said and done. These are more affordable and actually have a smoothed airflow, like a trumpet, leading to the throttle. My assumption would be the rb26 plenum should flow much better than a cobbled together valve cover. It shares many characteristics with what I have learned to be a well designed manifold. Of course this is just an assumption, but then again it is a direct knock off of a $2,000 plenum as well. However, the rb26 manifold was designed for pressurized airflow so who knows how it will do in a N/A setup. Like I said, I'm just curious if anyone has used these before. I'd prefer not to buy a $200 paper weight. NVM the rb26 is not dcoe, adaptors would need to be made. Lame.

Wow, thanks for that. Those mounts sure look great. Is that their trans mount as well? Looks like welding is involved for it? Am I interpreting the picture correctly? Sorry a few are kind of blurry and I have yet to stick my head in a bare trans tunnel on this car.