The original horror story where a 11week rebuild by PZP gets stretched out to 9.5 months BS & excuses http://www.aus300zx.com/forum/showthread.php?t=310553&highlight=pzp+engine&page=4 So Just got back from Nissan Cannington (imho great work for a decent price) after getting my service done + wheel bearings and they commented on the amount of oil leaks. I say the engine was only rebuilt ~2-3 years ago by a shop and they say - thats not right. So here are the oil leaks as listed by AHG Cannington: RH Rack End Oil Sump Front Crankshaft Seal Head Gasket Oil Leak Rear Main Seal Oil Leak Rocker Cover The head gasket 1 has me the most concerned. Im going to fire off an email to old tom and see what he says. Another thing that has been annoying me since the rebuild is originally I was happily running 17-18 PSI peak with a 14.8 constant. Post rebuild @ PZP the car has only ever managed to peak at 12 PSI and sits around 9psi (might be stuck in safety mode due to improperly bypassed det sensor that pzp left off on the rebuild (why the **** they did that I have no idea)). I had nissan do a boost leak test but they couldnt find any issues. Help please
either way, 3 years later PZP will not offer any warranty i wouldnt think. they can be a tricky engine to seal up, I doubt the headgasket is leaking oil, thats quite uncommon. oil leaking down from the valve covers is very common, can be hard to distinguish between the two. Hope you can get it fixed easily.
it must be slow leaks / weeping as I honestly have not noticed the car losing any oil. Not seeing any spotting on the drive way, but have not been looking for it either.
Unfortunately there seems to be all too many of these events with engine rebuilds. Your definitely not on your own and to anyone who is considering getting a rebuild you must understand that paying less will likely cause you to pay more (I have no idea what mem paid). Make sure you do thorough research and then choose the business with the most positive references......this still may not save you, but its a start. Hope you get everything resolved in the end mem.
Just under 6k @ PZP. After this I think next time I need a new engine I'll buy a crate engine from the racing mob in the USA and have it shipped here. IIRC their 2nd best engine shipped to perth is about $7500 then at least its a straight swap out from a well known engine builder. edit: just did the ECU test, no error codes So now I just need to figure out why the boost is so weak. Maybe my turbos just got tired sitting there doing nothing for 9 months while tom did the rebuild ? If thats the case maybe I just need some nice new turbos (if I cbf).
mem, if i was you i wouldnt worry too much mate, find the boost leak, give it a degrease and i think you will get another 40'000 happy kms out of it. Is much nicer to drive when you have decent performance though. good luck
Was the engine reinstalled with stock turbos? There's a good enough chance that they're just wearing out after 20-odd years of service causing lower boost
What head gaskets did they use, Cometic MLS can weep, Front and rear engine seals dont normally leak at that age unless crankshaft seal surfaces are worn or damaged, cam seals can leak, have you checked that all bolts are tight. As Niall says, if you havent noticed a high oil usage, then degrease and away you go. One drop of oil goes a long way. You dont say what servicing and after rebuild checks were done! BUT who am I to question this, my latest engine lasted one practice day at Willowbank Qld and 10 qualifying laps at Lakeside, Before basically destroying itself. Dont get old is my only advice.
I would do the rocker cover first like Rollin suggested. Oil maybe working it's way down so start at the top. Also check the cam seals just in case the seals are leaking and the oil is showing down near the crank. The sump leaking sounds like a pain but I would still start at the top. Cheers Dave
resealing the vct or vtc solenoids (wtf they're called) as well. thats where my cam covers were leaking from dont use a single drop of oil at all any more.
