RB26DETT into 240Z Beginner Progress

[synthtk]

How much are stock MAFs going for? I have two available.

[getoffmyinternet]

Okay so obviously progress is slow because I'm still working out the kinks. It doesn't matter too much how fast I go at this point because I want to be as ready as possible before my car is out of service. That said, I doubt I currently have all the funds to buy everything. WHEN I MY FIRST CHECK COMING?? Plus, my dad's truck is in the shop--the very one I will need to drive while mine is out.

 

Anyway, I figured I'd recap my thoughts and plan, and post a pic or two just because. Again, I plan on doing a full writeup at the end for anyone who might be interested in a full "guide"

 

Grocery List:

 

radiator: buy new, or possibly add rows to current one

intercooler: going basic

fuel pump: Bosche 0580254909 is closest match, looking for a deal

fuel pump regulator: still not sure if I'll need one if I get a near stock pump

clutch slave cylinder: my car may also need a new master

drive shaft: I hear 300zxtt is a start with custom length modification

clutch: buy new or have old relined

flywheel: buy new or resurface (really bad wannabe stick jockey)

downpipe: not sure if stock will fit, otherwise completely from scratch

exhaust: leave it to a muffler shop (any ideas on sound?)

motor mounts: looking for cheaper options than infiniti mounts

oil pan: probably from nismoparts, but fab is a possibility

afms: and filters of course

assorted relays: might be harder to find, not sure which I need still

diode and resistors?: missing from harness, for injectors

 

misc: wiring, hoses, shift boot, throttle cable etc. etc. most of which will only present themselves after the engine sits

 

Current status: tracing wires and whatnot. It doesn't seem as hard as I initially thought. Most of the plugs will obviously be cut out. I didn't pick up this for the power steering and anti-lock brakes.

 

BTW: If there is anyone out there that wants the original pan or steering pump let me know. Also, I'll be selling my 5spd and the engine. So far it seems that the engine will be better separated since there's not a crazy market for l24s and stuff like the SUs sell on ebay not bad.

 

[getoffmyinternet]

Wow, clutches are so cheap on ebay, screw getting the old one refinished. I'm almost tempted to get a 5 puck for like the same price as the stock, but this is supposed to be my daily driver so...

[Careless]

Wow, clutches are so cheap on ebay, screw getting the old one refinished. I'm almost tempted to get a 5 puck for like the same price as the stock, but this is supposed to be my daily driver so...

 

i try not to do the whole hear-say thing, but a couple of friends tell me that the RB25 clutches on Ebay are usually rated about 100 - 200 ft lbs more capacity than they can actually hold if it's a high number like 600 - 700.

 

The regular ones are @ 390 to 450ish hp are marketed for about 100 ft.lbs more than what they can take.

 

I guess it's dependent more so on the driver if you use it as a daily grind. But keep yourself free of over estimations from cheap after market brands or ones you haven't had discerning enthusiasts give good input on.

 

I was going to buy a 320ftlbs clutch from JGY Customs, but I MIGHT go with the 390 ft.lbs version. I think for the cash it's worth it.

 

You can also use 300zx N/A aftermarket clutches, they are 240 mm as well.

 

RB20 ones should work too, but the good thing about the N/A Z32 300zx clutches are that well known American made brands are more abundant than even japanese or chinese/taiwanese aftermarket clutches for RB25's or even 300zx z32's as well.

 

Then again I did buy a lightweight "japanese" no name flywheel, but it's a lightweight one piece steel billet, and i've heard good things based on the sellers name on ebay, and also some feedback regarding this flywheel in a current RB25 car too.

 

I would go with one that someone you trust with their driving has told you is good for daily or one that someone on here got for a good price and feels is good.

 

But i would wait for some input on the clutch brands before layin the hammer down.

 

 

I'm glad that your build is coming together quite quickly, too =)

 

It's fun at this stage, no!?

[getoffmyinternet]

I suppose that's a good call all around. Right now it actually seems that there's only one seller with a bunch of 6 pucks for the rb26 but I don't have any business cards and in terms of friends I think I'm alone in my principles...

 

I'm not really familiar with which brand names are the best either.

 

If I were to buy one for a 300 off ebay I'd probably be in the same boat. Are the flywheels the same as well?

 

Of course if there's anyone that has a clutch for sell let me know.

 

Thanks for the heads up

[Careless]

I suppose that's a good call all around. Right now it actually seems that there's only one seller with a bunch of 6 pucks for the rb26 but I don't have any business cards and in terms of friends I think I'm alone in my principles...

 

I'm not really familiar with which brand names are the best either.

 

If I were to buy one for a 300 off ebay I'd probably be in the same boat. Are the flywheels the same as well?

 

Of course if there's anyone that has a clutch for sell let me know.

 

Thanks for the heads up

 

RE: the flywheels.

 

I had messaged ebay user: mx83*gx81

 

I had asked what types of clutches he had that he has sold with his flywheel to other buyers.

 

Keep in mind that his flywheels are not SFI approved, and the one that I bought from JPS Trading company is EXACTLY the same as the one he sells. It looks EXACTLY as the one in his picture. He then proceeded to call me "dumb" for buying a flywheel from hong-kong (jps is from japan, and so is the product), and then he banned me from bidding on his merchandise. You will find assholes like that, and he's most likely peddling cheaper ♥♥♥♥ anyways. JPS Trading doesn't have 10,000 transactions with 99% positive feedback for nothing.

 

Calling someone dumb for not buying "your" product, and assuming that the alternative choice was "cheezy junk" anyway is not something I appreciate in a business model, especially when his similar product doesn't seem to carry any certification, and neither does mine. I think he's annoyed at the fact that I paid 260 + 85 shipping, when he's selling his for 320 + 30 bucks shipping or something.

 

I am personally going to go with a Spec Stage 2 clutch if I can find one for a good price.

I have a friend with a 355 SBC in his 3rd gen camaro, and he has a T56 with a Spec stage 1 clutch, and he said it's amazing but he should have went with the spec stage 2.

 

His car has roughly 350/350 hp/tq, and he's a car guy I trust, so for me, that's a good indication of their quality, considering he's been through MANY clutches in that car because it seems to like to eat a lot of parts and he can't seem to lighten the weight of his shoes much

[getoffmyinternet]

Sometimes it's just a given that a clutch is going to be cheap as hell and I wouldn't bid. Some on there have pictures that make you go "Are you serious?" to their claim that the tin can they're selling pulls 400ft lbs.

 

Are the 300zx flies also interchangeable? I bet there's plenty of market for the clutches too so I would assume it's pretty easy to find a good one.

 

I've seen a lot of stuff on ebay with the JPS tag to it, wasn't sure what they were all about, but I don't see any clutches that don't come with a fly for a pretty penny. I guess I'll keep looking into it.

[Careless]

Sometimes it's just a given that a clutch is going to be cheap as hell and I wouldn't bid. Some on there have pictures that make you go "Are you serious?" to their claim that the tin can they're selling pulls 400ft lbs.

 

Are the 300zx flies also interchangeable? I bet there's plenty of market for the clutches too so I would assume it's pretty easy to find a good one.

 

I've seen a lot of stuff on ebay with the JPS tag to it, wasn't sure what they were all about, but I don't see any clutches that don't come with a fly for a pretty penny. I guess I'll keep looking into it.

 

All clutches with an integrated flywheel or a combo kit are a hefty price, but it may save you money in the end.

 

The N/A Z32 clutch MAY or MAY NOT fit, depending on who makes it. That's what I've been told, some clutch casings have weird designs that make the casing come in contact with the bellhousing, or something to that effect.

 

But there are good exedy and spec clutches, as well as ACT and Clutchmaster for the skyline engines, so you don't really have to look overseas.

 

Sure, the JDM clutches look different with their billet cut casings and all that, but ask yourself if you really need that...

[getoffmyinternet]

All clutches with an integrated flywheel or a combo kit are a hefty price, but it may save you money in the end.

 

The N/A Z32 clutch MAY or MAY NOT fit, depending on who makes it. That's what I've been told, some clutch casings have weird designs that make the casing come in contact with the bellhousing, or something to that effect.

 

But there are good exedy and spec clutches, as well as ACT and Clutchmaster for the skyline engines, so you don't really have to look overseas.

 

Sure, the JDM clutches look different with their billet cut casings and all that, but ask yourself if you really need that...

 

Okay, the cheap clutches I was seeing on ebay where either act or clutchmaster and they looked their price so I wasn't sure. You're saying they can be good, they are just overrated so I should get one rated at more than I need to be safe? Before I get a combo I'm going to get a price on resurfacing my fly and see if it will save me very much.

[Careless]

Okay, the cheap clutches I was seeing on ebay where either act or clutchmaster and they looked their price so I wasn't sure. You're saying they can be good, they are just overrated so I should get one rated at more than I need to be safe? Before I get a combo I'm going to get a price on resurfacing my fly and see if it will save me very much.

 

hmmm Ive heard good things about ACT and Clutchmaster.

 

Be wary of eCLutchmaster, knockoff brand

 

A nissan enthusiast that i chat with says he would never go back to a single plate clutch again, due to having a twinny

 

but twins are expensive. however, the flywheel is integrated into the housing case, and it's also lightweight around 11 to 15 lbs, compared to what...27 lbs of standard flywheel weight?

 

For my build, I'm just gonna buy a relative good Spec 2 clutch, or a JGY version, and see how that fares. if it sucks, I'll upgrade to a twinny with as close flywheel weight as possible so it stays as close to the balanced weight as possible.

[getoffmyinternet]

Ah, that was probably it. I was thinking eclutchmaster was just his ebay name, but yes, his clutches looked like garbage.

 

Flywheel weight as close to the balanced weight as possible? Please elaborate.

[Careless]

Ah, that was probably it. I was thinking eclutchmaster was just his ebay name, but yes, his clutches looked like garbage.

 

Flywheel weight as close to the balanced weight as possible? Please elaborate.

 

It's nothing to worry about right now. you arent taking apart your engine are you?!

 

if so, when stuffing it with new goodies, you have to balance the rotating assembly and might have to shave off several grams of metal or add some to certain parts so that the weight of the entire crank shaft and all it's roundy-roundy bits are all balanced as well.

 

It creates less harmonic vibrations especially in higher RPM ranges, since it's vibrating way more.

 

flywheel balance and harmonic damper balancer are things that people do when balancing the rotating assembly. Some don't include those two parts, some do.

 

I'm including my damper (crank pulley) as well as my flywheel and whatever clutch casing I get. Obviously the disc wont be balanced, as it's not directly attached to the flywheel, but the rest of the assembly will be balanced.

 

It's only something to worry about when putting an engine together, not necessarily when upgrading an existing setup.

[getoffmyinternet]

It's nothing to worry about right now. you arent taking apart your engine are you?!

 

if so, when stuffing it with new goodies, you have to balance the rotating assembly and might have to shave off several grams of metal or add some to certain parts so that the weight of the entire crank shaft and all it's roundy-roundy bits are all balanced as well.

 

It creates less harmonic vibrations especially in higher RPM ranges, since it's vibrating way more.

 

flywheel balance and harmonic damper balancer are things that people do when balancing the rotating assembly. Some don't include those two parts, some do.

 

I'm including my damper (crank pulley) as well as my flywheel and whatever clutch casing I get. Obviously the disc wont be balanced, as it's not directly attached to the flywheel, but the rest of the assembly will be balanced.

 

It's only something to worry about when putting an engine together, not necessarily when upgrading an existing setup.

 

Gotcha, I was gonna say, balancing the clutch makes no sense, because... But yeah that would be pretty fine tuned to balance everything including the housing. To have it done for you sure as hell isn't cheap.

[getoffmyinternet]

Next on the list is the rb20 pan. I found two part numbers, if anyone wants to verify. 11100-08U00 is for the r32 and some other nissan models. 11110-20P00 is for the z31. It seems that this pan, which I believe is the one they sell at nismoparts.com is shallower in the front. I'm not sure if that makes any difference or not. So far they have the cheapest price, $141. But that is still not great, so I wanted to search a few junk yards first. Any thoughts? Once again, if anyone has a pan they want to sell or if there is another way to get it cheaper, let me know. Thanks guys!

[Careless]

Next on the list is the rb20 pan. I found two part numbers, if anyone wants to verify. 11100-08U00 is for the r32 and some other nissan models. 11110-20P00 is for the z31. It seems that this pan, which I believe is the one they sell at nismoparts.com is shallower in the front. I'm not sure if that makes any difference or not. So far they have the cheapest price, $141. But that is still not great, so I wanted to search a few junk yards first. Any thoughts? Once again, if anyone has a pan they want to sell or if there is another way to get it cheaper, let me know. Thanks guys!

 

damn, i would sell mine, but i paid 220 for it =/

 

but for me, thats not bad because getting it from US and then paying shipping and customs would have been like 210 bux anyway.

 

now I found out that i MIGHT not need it, cause of my front suspension :-/

 

20P00 is what ur after.

 

try your local nissan dealership/parts and force them to purchase it, just put a full down payment on it. they'll do it.

[getoffmyinternet]

You guys got me in a scientific mood, so I decided to go out and take a few measurements of the intercooler area. I put the measurements on my photos, I don't know if they will help anybody or not, and any architects in the room will cringe, but here they are. I didn't feel like removing the hood just for a good picture, so the angles might make the measurements more challenging to read.

 

 

I heard some people saying a 31" wide intercooler would fit snug, and some say it would require too much modification. As you can see, my car seems to be missing it's hood springs, so I don't know if that's part of the discrepancy or not. I would think the real issue is whether or not you get an intercooler that already has the elbows built in and they account for the overall length. The big ones I see on ebay that have 3" inlets say 31" wide but go straight out the sides, so you have to add the width of the elbows. I don't see how it would be remotely possible to fit an intercooler that size because the overall length even with complete 90 degree elbows would make the intercooler at least 37" wide and it would run into the hood fasteners, which are 35.5" apart.

 

The way I see it, the maximum size intercooler, assuming it has elbows on, whether integrated or rubber, would be 34.5" wide if you want to use those holes already there without cutting new ones. It could be slightly wider if the inlets were on the center of the sides rather than the top, but not much. The maximum height of an intercooler using those top holes would be 11", that is from the top of the inlets to the bottom if the bottom isn't much narrower than the top. If the bottom is more than 1" narrower than the top, such as the case where the elbows are added and not part of the design, then the max height can be about 13" because the bottom will clear the extruded corners that you can see in the first picture.

 

But let's step back and think, how big does this intercooler really have to be? For starters, if the core is wider or taller than the radiator hole, which is a little under 24"X12.5", then you're just wasting the energy fitting it in and if anything are being counterproductive. I would like an intercooler that has a core no larger than the hole, but doesn't have any unneccessary blockage of the hole, like if the core was smaller and had the caps and tubing running inside the hole blocking air to the radiator. That said, I doubt the intercooler needs to be 12" high to do popper cooling. It might allow the air to flow more freely, but at a higher cost to the radiator and engine cooling. The problem for me is that the intercoolers on ebay that are a more desirable size are mysteriously more expensive. the 31"X12" can be $50 cheaper than a 28"x9" cooler. That in mind, I say the hell with it, I'll just get a big one like everybody else. The 31" with straight inlets will definitely be too wide though.

 

In retrospect, you'll probably be seeing me a year from now selling the intercooler I get to go with a liquid cooler. Right now I'm keeping myself from spending the extra dough and keeping it simpler, but the call of the liquid intercooler is relentless. For about the same price as an air cooler, I could get a large liquid cooler, but I'd have to get a pump, a reservoir, and a condenser to go with it, plus extra piping, tubing, and the joy of cooland, wiring, and monitoring...

[Careless]

your car is green! <3

[getoffmyinternet]

Yay! ... Um, why is that special? I thought we went over this already, anyway! You saw it before. You're not the one with the s13 you just painted green are you, someone was pming me about that. Green probably wouldn't have even entered my mind if I were to have painted it myself, but it looks nice. Probably won't last a year though, looks like Earl painted this car a week before I bought it. And yes, I finally found some bondo chipping off a rusty kicker--I know people often become bold faced liars when selling a car and I expected the unexpected, but I'm still mad and am learning to hate the previous owner. Cheers!

 

P.S. So no take on my worthless intercooler update huh?

 

Oh, and my radiator already has 4 rows! What the heck? That piece of crap couldn't cool a lawnmower. I guess I will indeed go with an aluminum one as a replacement.

 

P.P.S. Let's be cool and call them aftercoolers from now on and be the only ones who can laugh at the others for their incorrectness.

[stony]

On my intercooler, Which is 4 inch think ebay cheapo, would have fit thru the enlarged core support holes on if the ends were chopped off and had tight radius 90s welded in. like this

 

 

 

 

 

You might have to fine tune it by cutting some off the 90s also.

 

Good writeup with measurments by the way.

[getoffmyinternet]

That's what I was afraid of. I was going to draw what the core support looks like directly from the front and post it so it would be easier to read, but I can't get my scanner to work lately anyhow. Maybe I'll take the time to draw it in freehand or something.