bigeZ Posted March 2, 2007 Share Posted March 2, 2007 I own a stock 83 zx NA with 210k miles on it and its time i did a little work to it. Its always had an annoying exhaust leak that keeps getting louder. Like most l28 heads the exhaust bolt by the fire wall has broken off in the head. Last summer i attempted to remove the broken bolt but failed and probably made things worse. When i went to put it back together the exhaust maniforld didnt even line up to the hole in the head any more because it was warped. So i drilled a new hole to place a small bolt in it to help the exhaust leak. But it did nothing. Im going to fix the problem this summer but im not sure what to do with the head. Should i take the head off and take it to a machine shop and have them remove the bolt and then do some head work? Id like some performance increases so what should i have the shop do? Ive also thought about getting a p90 ( or better head for a stock NA) and having some work done to it. Would this be a better idea if so what head and what should i have done to it? Im getting a headder to replace the warped manifold. Im located in the DFW area in Texas and i was wondering if anybody knows a good place that does Z head work? Im new to working on Z's and i know nothing about them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S30TRBO Posted March 2, 2007 Share Posted March 2, 2007 Last summer i attempted to remove the broken bolt but failed and probably made things worse. When i went to put it back together the exhaust maniforld didnt even line up to the hole in the head any more because it was warped.[/Quote] So the stud snapped off flush with the head? Did you attempt to drill and tap it out? So i drilled a new hole to place a small bolt in it to help the exhaust leak. But it did nothing. You drilled a new hole where??? In the head or exhaust manifold?? Should i take the head off and take it to a machine shop and have them remove the bolt and then do some head work? Assuming the stud snapped clear off flush with the head and if your attempted drill and tap it failed. Next step would have been to post here and to see if a fellow hybrider could come to the rescue. If no luck then yes you should take the head off and to a machine shop. Having said that, assuming that you have limited mechanical ability, I wouldn’t attempt to remove the head on my own without help from a mechanic friend and having the service manual there. Id like some performance increases so what should i have the shop do? I would worry about getting the stud out first. You next wise step while its at the machine shop is to have your machinist remove the remaining studs and replace them ALL. The stud kits from Nissan are not that expensive either. Ive also thought about getting a p90 ( or better head for a stock NA) and having some work done to it. Would this be a better idea if so what head and what should i have done to it? IMHO NO! The P90 won't give you much more compared to a E88 or N42. Cylinder head work is a big part of the puzzle but not the only part. You have cam selection, induction, exhaust, to name a few. You have to first decide what you want out of your Z? Keep it N/A or convert to turbo? There are other factors that come with more power like upgrading the suspension and brakes. If your Z is rusted out beyond repair don't even waste your time or money. Find a clean shell or another "project". How fast you want to go equals to how much money you have in the bank. With 210K I would have a compression and leak down test done. If the motor is blowing out any kind of smoke your in need of a rebuild (either top or bottom) and don't waste your time upgrading engine parts now. Focus on upgrading the suspension and brakes. Im getting a headder to replace the warped manifold. Im located in the DFW area in Texas and i was wondering if anybody knows a good place that does Z head work? Im new to working on Z's and i know nothing about them. I am sure there are members on here that will lend a hand and some advice. Listen to the advice from others and keep an open mind and know that it won't be cheap. If you can accept that you have to crawl before you can walk it won't be that bad. Answer those questions above to get you started. Good luck and welcome! BTW if you are in DFW change your location in your profile to reflect that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigeZ Posted March 2, 2007 Author Share Posted March 2, 2007 So the stud snapped off flush with the head? Did you attempt to drill and tap it out? I attempted to drill the broken stud out but the drill bit broke off in side the already broken stud. You drilled a new hole where??? In the head or exhaust manifold?? The hole is in the Head. a little higher and to the right of the hole with the broken stud. I didnt run into anything and the hole is prity shallow. I know this was a bad idea but i needed the car to get back to college and i had no time. Having said that, assuming that you have limited mechanical ability, I wouldn’t attempt to remove the head on my own without help from a mechanic friend and having the service manual there. Ive worked on 60's chevys for 8 of years, im good at taking things apart and putting them back together. is the head in a Z that much harder to remove than that of a 350 chevy. You have to first decide what you want out of your Z? Keep it N/A or convert to turbo? There are other factors that come with more power like upgrading the suspension and brakes. If your Z is rusted out beyond repair don't even waste your time or money. Find a clean shell or another "project". Im keeping it an NA for now. This is my daily driver and the car is in great shape. The only rust is where the spare tire sits. How fast you want to go equals to how much money you have in the bank. With 210K I would have a compression and leak down test done. If the motor is blowing out any kind of smoke your in need of a rebuild (either top or bottom) and don't waste your time upgrading engine parts now. Focus on upgrading the suspension and brakes. Money isnt a problem. I just dont have much time. I only have about 1 month to do all i can to the car during the summer. So if i have to pull the head off the car i would like to do something to it before it goes back on. This is a street car and i drive it pritty hard so i would like to have a few performance upgrades done to the head. When it comes to cam, valves, springs, etc, i know nothing. There is no smoke comming from the car. It starts and runs great except for the exhaust leak and a bad clutch. Im replacing the clutch and I will do a suspention upgrade right after i get the car back on the road. The brakes, i put new pads, had the rotors spun, fixed all the leaks in the lines not to long ago and they have felt great ever since. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pop N Wood Posted March 2, 2007 Share Posted March 2, 2007 I would look into buying a rebuilt head. Maybe one with some performance work already done to it. That way you can easily swap it out and have your car back on the road in at worst a weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woldson Posted March 3, 2007 Share Posted March 3, 2007 yea money and time are interchangeable....more money=less time and vise versa. Of course you have to know what your buying of course and do it right if your doing it your self. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1 fast z Posted March 3, 2007 Share Posted March 3, 2007 I stock every L series head that will bolt on a L series Block. So let me know what you need. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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