To all the WA Z guys (other states welcome too!), Have a few questions and would like whatever feedback I can get. Basically planning to pull the engine to upgrade turbos and do a few supporting mods as well. I know its going to be a massive job but thankfully the Z community worldwide is rather good at documenting things but never hurts to learn more. I'm at a limbo between doing this myself vs getting a shop to do it. I'm leaning towards doing it myself but I fear that even with the wealth of knowledge out there I might stuff something up and I'm liable for anything that goes wrong. That being said, mechanics that I know of aren't very reliable and just don't go that extra mile to make sure things are done to my standard (I'm abit OCD lol). So my question is basically what are the opinions of the WA guys, knowing the standard of mechanics in Perth and the limited Z gurus. Am I better off attempting it myself? If not, what places are recommended to take that extra level of care with their work? If I do attempt it myself, is anyone keen to mentor me please? There's more questions I have it depends on the experienced replies I get. For those interested on what I'll be doing: I have a 1989 TT manual 2 seater, jap import. Motor has been rebuilt and probably done less than 20,000kms. The odo reads 76,000kms so I'm guessing that's the mileage of everything else on the car (but could be wound back etc). Motor rebuild was back to stock, only thing worth noting was a port and polish of the heads. I was worried about the age and KM's of timing belt since the day I bought the car (was last done together with engine rebuild which was a good 8 years+ prior, according to the rebuild paperwork date) so I've decided to bite the bullet and overhaul a few things at the same time on this 27 year old car. Desired upgrades are: GT2560R turbo kit AMS manifolds AMS 3" SS dumps AMS 3" to 2.5" test pipes 740cc Nismo injectors with CZP fuel rail to suit S1 Complete 120k timing service kit with Gates blue belt and RameyZ idler studs Complete HICAS delete Koyo radiator and CZP hoses Z1 full flow oil cooler upgrade Nismo thermostat Ashspec 2.5" intercoolers + 2.5" piping Selin dual MAF intakes Replace seized AC compressor and possible faulty AC ecu Replace heater core and taps Replace dash with one that isn't peeling Most of the parts will be ordered from CZP in kit form along with a valve cover gasket kit and the manifold gaskets so I think I should have all the bits and pieces required. Let me know if I've missed anything vital!
Depending on the time frame you intend for the work to get done over (IMO Tech days are not reknown for getting work done quickly, they are quite social events as much as work days). the work listed above is easily doable by a tech day crew, I would allow several though to cover the scope you have listed. and a couple may even end up being tech weekends.
Awesome, thanks Stu. Good to hear that it is rather manageable. I take it that means you would recommend a tech day(s)/weekend(s) over a mechanic shop. Would you be willing to lend me a hand if/when I get it together?
Work and other commitments pending I am always happy to help. Depending on dates etc I am happy to provide work space as well. I have basic tools and an engine crane at home.
The issue is, what garage would you use, and how deep are your pockets? A garage is nice as you have 1 person "responsible" for fk ups and they are LEGALLY responsible. I had a 4x4 expert workshop nearly completely fk up our old Terracan. He apologized profusely and fixed the problem at his expense. Tech day, with all the best good will in the world, time, patience, and planning, the shit can still hit the fan. Who is to blame? Well, everyone and no one. SO I guess what I'm saying is, in Perth....your garage options are limited to none these days sadly. With a tech day, just make sure YOU are the man in control and YOU are the person ultimately responsible for your own car if things go pear shaped. And as others have said, allow a long time frame. This is never going to be done in a weekend, so be patient and open to your car being off the road for a year IF you are 100% needing help at each step of the way. If you yourself are mechanically adept, then maybe you'll only need 2 tech days. Engine in Engine out and you can do the work in-between times in your own time at your own pace. my 2c
Re helping, I'm shit lol. But I have been known to supply Piza's and I owe some of the guys big time for helping with Simons car so I'll keep an eye on the threads. Also hit up Ross as the Engine Stand i purchased for Simons car, we then declared as a "forum" tool, so if it's free, you could use that too. no idea who has it at the moment.
My pockets aren't deep but I am willing to pay for a reliable job. Issue is I've not heard of anyone that does quality work on Z's in Perth. Even the first round of tuning and plenum pull work I had done on the Z at garage101 didn't end that well. And this was a shop that was quite highly regarded... If there is somewhere in Perth that will do the job well, happy to pay for it for peace of mind. Unfortunately after that first experience I feel like doing work on the car myself gives me peace of mind! I've lurked a bit on the forums and read a few build threads, have no doubt there's a lot of experienced WA guys that would do a better job than these workshops. I think perhaps 2 tech days might be the most 'convenient' option.
Yeah my "what garage would you use" was more a statement than a question. Sadly pickings ARE thin in Perth when it comes to Zeds, and one mans good experience may be another mans nightmare, from the same garage. (to be fair). You've read the lay of the land well.
I would say this is the most important advice for your first engine out job. Get yourself in a position where you really don't have any time frame you need the car back together in, regardless of whether you DIY or take it to a shop. There's so much fiddly work and tidying to do on these cars and you'll always forget or not realise that some hose or bolt or whatever should actually be replaced before you put it back in the car which means waiting for the shops to open the next day or postage or whatever, easily blows out beyond 'just three weeks'. That said, if you have the patience, some focus and a good supply of tools there shouldn't be anything with these cars you can't get done and once you've stripped and reassembled the engine bay yourself you'll find the car much easier to live with when it needs other bits fixed up down the track.
Oh, and if you want the thermostat version of the oil cooler kit (I would definitely recommend using a stat) the Mocal one that Z1 offer doesn't work very well with RHD oil filter trees, I couldn't get it to sit in a good position for fitting the lines past the steering column as the stat sticking out the back fouls on some engine bracket. Have a look around for a Greddy thermostat sandwich plate or consider running a plain plate with external stat. ^One of the many things that delayed me getting back on the road after new turbos.
Thanks guys, definitely considering the option of a tech day/weekend for engine out then I'll go through everything at my own pace and organise another tech day/weekend for engine in. @Fist thanks for that! Have not found much about these Z1 kits and fitment issues but that's mostly because the threads I found are on US forums. Will look for the greddy plate then - is this what you're running? Have read an old thread by mungyz about full flow oil cooler requiring a high flow filter so the standard nissan oil filter (or equivalents) won't work? What's your experience with this?
I ended up getting a relocation set up and mounting the mocal plate under the nose panel. I think a few others around here run the greddy though, blackbeast and maybe anti although not sure if anti has actually fitted his yet. Not sure about Mungyz's thread, I've just been running the R154a but no guarantee I'm not getting oil through the bypass valves.
