Hoping to get a list of jobs that can and should be tackled while the engine is out. Starting off with two jobs I've done very recently. - Replaced steering shaft bush with a solid unit. Sourced from GKTech. - Replaced steering rack bushes with new OEM units. Sourced from CZP. I'm sure these jobs are doable with the engine in place, but life's easier like this. What have you guys done?
Granted, I more meant preventative maintenance jobs though. New heater hoses is another good item to replace while you've got the opportunity. - Heater hoses replaced with OEM units. Sourced from CZP or Nissan.
If you want to go to a 1 piece braided clutch line now is the time to do it, clutch and brake master cylinder servicing would be easier now than with the engine in, maybe check them for any signs of leaks. Obviously an ideal time to give the engine bay a really good clean too. If you've done the PCV re-route you can replace the bun in the exhaust cam cover than you're no longer using with welsh plugs too, this is possible with the engine in but rather tricky to do. O2 sensors would be very easy with the engine out, if they are old maybe replace them to save having to do it later.
Great suggestions, cam covers have been welded up on my set, one piece line is ready to go in, engine bay cleaned, and am looking into running a wideband to replace the O2's. Still don't know enough about them though.
O2 (aka Lambda) sensors are a voltage generating device and output a voltage dependant on oxygen in the exhaust anmd require heat to operate. NB sensors output a small (narrow) NON-linear voltage range and ONLY give out useful information right around stoich (14.7 afr). 02 sensors come in either non heated, or a heated type with their own funky little 12v fireplace inside. Non heated are totally reliant on exhaust gas heat to work at all. Stock O2 sensors are a "narrow band" internally heated type. The stock "Closed Loop" section of the stock ECU, if several fairly strict running conditions are satisfied, will take some authority over the fuelling tables and will cycle the fuelling around 14.7 a couple of times a second. This is largely at Idle, light load and cruise. You can easily display this behavior connected up to datascan/Conzult/whatever, rev it up a little and hold steady revs and watching the O2 display. The display will swing quite hard with stoich as a middle point several twice a second or so. Have a keen ear? You can actually hear the engine sound change in response to the swinging AFR's! The stock ECU "can" even make slight persistent adjustments to the fuelling tables to compensate for varying engine conditions such as free flowing inlets and exhaust over an extended time. However, these changes can only occur if AFR's are around/very close to stoich to begin with, AND if the conditions necessary to invoke closed loop operation are met. WBo2 (wide band) is reasonably self explanatory and these sensors output a LINEAR voltage range, typically 0-+5v over an extreme (in comparison to an NBo2) AFR range and this makes it easy to display believeable exhaust gas oxygen, or AFR's. All WBo2 sensors are internally heated. Wb and Nb sensors are NOT interchangeable! The displays use some very sophisticated and finely calibrated circuitry to output a stable, believable and repeatable (in a wildly changing environment of exhaust post turbo/pre-cat) AFR figure and this is why WBo2 displays are so pricey. The Wb sensor itself is not greatly more expensive than its Nb cousin. Wasnt that long ago a crap WBo2 and controller was the exclusive domain of well heeled tuners. Aftermarket ECU's, configged appropriately can exploit the Wb AFR information for auto-tuning. The ECU can/will adjust load cells as they are visited and after time, you can log all this info and display it graphically and make the rest of the adjustments the ecu has missed by hand. Cool eh!!! You can easily use this feature to get a good and useful tune AFTER the tuner has done his job with the initial dyno hand tune and just let the auto-tune function fine tune the lower and middle power settings over time for good economy. Lets face it, time is major money on a dyno and if you can afford to splash 5 large + on several days of extra light to moderate load fine tuning then go right ahead, but the ECU in conjunction with a decent WBo2 sensor and controller is just as capable as the best hand tuners in this regard. It never stops for tea breaks, shithouse visits and telephone calls while the money meter is running at 80-100 clams/hour!!!!! Both my Adaptronic ECU cars run permantly in a "Slow Converge" adaptive tuning mode reading off AEM WBo2's. remember tho, the vast mojority of running is done at low/moderate revs and low power/cruise and with a powerful engine, like in the Ute Of Death, its difficult to visit the high load cells to get a meaningful adjustment. As time goes by, I log extended drives and then display this data using Megalog in graphical form and i can see any tuning issue and just make offline adjustments which upload next time i bother to connect the notebook. By using some simple mathematics, I can make accurate fuelling percentage adjustments to achive a smooth fuel map and stable AFR's without leaving the comfort of the lounge. Its never adviseable to use auto tuning or closed loop operation at high power/boost conditions and as a rule, ECU always revert to open loop fuelling under hard power/boost. Different brand displays, say AEM and Zeitronix will use different voltage ranges to display AFR's so if interfacing with an aftermarket ECU, you must config the ECU to "understand" the AFR reading V's outputted voltage or some strange things can happen ranging from excessive fuel usage to a totally grenaded engine!!! Lastly, some WBo2 displays with have a "Simulated Narrow Band" output which can be connected to the stock ECU to maintain stock ecu closed loop operation while still being able to display Wb EGO!!! This is probably a feature that is largely ignored when using WBo2's There you go /rant E
If you are taking the engine out id do these: - Turbo upgrade / maintenance - Timing belt and water pump - Respray - Tuck and tidy - Rear Main Seal - Replace corroded pipes and hoses - Underdrive pulley - Change oil and filter - Spark plugs - Air Filter - Change tyres - Reset Clock - Replace targa seals - Check tail light globes A few of those can be done with the engine still in the bay, but all of them would definitely be a lot easier and quicker if you take it out.
I don't run o2 or knock sensor, run wideband though. The wide band will tell you were it should be placed from turbo outlet so follow intrusions. Wouldn't classify it as engine out but. When you run max load it's handy to have piece of mind that you have enough fuel. For that I recommend it!
Thanks! Currently looking into this unit here. I'm happy to leave the o2's to do their thing and run this separately as a safety precaution, most likely at the bottom of one of the dumps. http://www.innovatemotorsports.com/products/MTXL.php
This. Take the opportunity to put one or two neat holes to run through vacuum line(s) and wiring/lines for your gauges. I'm looking forward to having one vacuum line coming through to split off to the three boost gauges (boost controller, after market gauge, OEM), rather than routing a long line through the fenderwell...
I'm useless with anything related to TT vac systems, so I'll really need to read up on that, but I'll take your advice and make a neat hole with grommet for any future installs Keep them coming people!
You only need a vac line in the cabin if it's for an aftermarket gauge or controller. The factory gauge is electronic -there's a boost sensor on the drivers side near the AIV/EGR solenoids. Actually assuming you're staying with an NA dash? And EBC. You'll only need one vacumm line... Personally I would prefer to have it running through the fender and in through one of the existing grommets.
Plenty of places for you to run hoses and wires throug the firewall already, why make another? Delete the silly power steering hard line that runs in front of the radiator and replace it with a shorter rubber line suitable for oil.
