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Sounds like your alternator is probably fine, but keep in mind if you do need to change it the best way to get at it is from underneath the car and a fair amount of contortion of both your body and moving the alternator into place. The also means you'll want ramps that have a low enough slop angle to drive up on. It's a good idea to have a set of appropriate ramps anyhow. Also, keep an eye on your PS fluid. Those Nissan racks are infamous for leaking.
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Nov 28, 2014 02:47
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Sperglord Firecock posted:It's winter. The heater was on full blast. The radiator is at an angle wedged in the nose. The cap is readily accessible off the upper rad hose though as is the drain under a splash shield. Also it looks like the previous owner removed the fan cowling which will not help with cooling either... although it will greatly help get at the thermostat if you need too! 
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Nov 29, 2014 09:01
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You need to make sure the air is all burped out of the system. Run it with the cap off until the thermostat opens and you can see the fluid flowing underneath it, then keep topping it up. Even if the reservoir is at the fill line, it's possible its plugged so don't rely on that for coolant level. If it still overheats, I'd be leaning towards something other than the cooling system itself, it might just be a symptom. Since the PO obviously had it apart and set up the questionable boostu plus sketchy electrics/sensors even 20 years ago, god knows what. You might want to get familiar with the ECU and learn how to run the codes with the built in LED lights. It's in the passenger foot well. Is it detonating? Since the fan cowling is off you might want to check the timing as well.
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Nov 29, 2014 22:12
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Sperglord Firecock posted:Literally nothing. Not even a crank. Literally nothing? As in no dash lights? No interior lights? Nothing? Revisit your adventures at your battery. Ensure everything is clamped down nice and tight again but also follow pos cable to the starter. This is REALLY going back for me (like, 15+ years) but I think there was an electrical box with fuses/fusible links near the battery. Take a look at those too.
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Nov 30, 2014 01:21
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Sperglord Firecock posted:Yeah, I'm leaning more towards an electrical issue. I'd look more closely into it, but I really lack any semblance of tools, experience, or parts, so I have a plan. I really doubt the overheating is due to the power problem. Hopefully the overheating didn't do anything too serious as the VG30 series is an iron block with aluminum heads and don't tolerate overheating terribly well. Echoing what ^^ about a rebuild. Who knows how good of a job he did. I can already tell by leaving off the fan shroud in a car like that he wasn't terribly bright.
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Nov 30, 2014 18:38
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Sperglord Firecock posted:Something tells me this is sarcasm. Yeah, the chances of that are pretty slim, albeit not impossible. If you ask and he allows it make sure you buy a lottery ticket ASAP.
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Nov 30, 2014 23:33
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I'll have you know OP that I dreamed about my Z31 for the firs time in many years last night and I blame you OP. I was driving it around town and my transmission conked out. I babied it home and though "Man, this sucks. I will get nothing for it like this so I will have to fix it.. but I can probably part it out for that guy on the internet!" 
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Dec 3, 2014 15:19
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Guy just rebuilt the engine and hosed up on a belt that badly? Yikes. 
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Dec 5, 2014 21:17
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First confirm fuel and spark as mentioned. Ensure plug/coil wires are snug. Remember the spark plugs on these are a bitch to get at. There is a tool to pull the plugs in your tool kit next to the spare tire (or at least there should be). Was it running well before the no start fiasco? Download that OEM shop manual (or get a Haynes), pop the passenger kick panel off and run the codes off the ECU LED lights. Crank angle sensors were common to go on these 20 years ago, I can't imagine they've gotten more reliable. ECUs were known to go too. I had to replace the one in my 1985 around 1992 or so. Does it sound like it's backfiring or anything at all when cranking? If so, I'd be concerned with timing and a cam jumping. We can go down that road later if you need to. I don't think these have a test port for fuel pressure unless the PO installed one with his gauge setup.
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Dec 6, 2014 01:57
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Liquid filled gauges are filled with oil, although typically not colored as that would be counter productive. It should be very full, as in 80%+ if it is supposed to be filled. Just drops or condensation means it's a P.O.S. and broke.
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Dec 6, 2014 04:47
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A battery can show 12v and still be shot. In fact, a healthy battery will show more than 12V. Not quite sure what you mean by "clunk" and "catches then shuts off immediately" Can you take a quick vid and upload to youtube or something? Would make it easier to assist.
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Dec 6, 2014 20:05
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The audio will probably be more important than the video. Can you just put the camera on a table or something near the engine compartment and crank?
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Dec 6, 2014 20:38
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Sperglord Firecock posted:I keep on forgetting to head over to my neighbor and borrow his charger. If you own a car, especially an older car, a battery charger is a must have. Even just a cheap P.O.S. from Walmart. I bought a computerized smart charger there to use on my bike during the winter and it was something like $25.
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Dec 9, 2014 02:12
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Slow is Fast posted:Fix your loving cables already Also: Sperglord Firecock posted:Overheating was fixed by turning on the fan. That is not a fix buddy, you have a problem. Make sure the air is out first of the system. Did you actually flush the cooling system or just drain it? Make sure the thermostat is good (the "mechanic" who rebuilt the engine should have done this, but that is a $5 corner he might of cut) Make sure water pump belt isn't continually slipping. Water pump may need to be replaced. That missing fan shroud isn't helping either. Get a hold of the previous owner, he might still have it since they are a pain in the rear end to re&re he probably just left it off.
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Dec 11, 2014 20:13
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Sperglord Firecock posted:Update: I'm going to counter that. Spend $30, fix the drat cables already, tackle the cooling issue and just drive the loving thing in the winter. It's not like that car is a collectors item at this point, if ever. If it rusts out/you run it in the ground so be it. I drove mine for a few Northern Alberta winters and it wasn't that bad. Just keep it clean and avoid the worst of the road conditions.
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Dec 14, 2014 18:19
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Keep it clean, spray underneath it well each time you wash it and get right in the wheel wells. It won't be the end of the world if you drive it in the winter. You have to get it running first though. I will caution you (although you probably have figured this out already): This could be a real money pit. You WILL learn to wrench on it yourself or you WILL go broke paying others to work on it for you. Get that shop manual and a Haynes. Learn to troubleshoot and work on it. You might also want to consider giving yourself a $$ you are willing to spend on it before you cut your losses.
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Dec 15, 2014 04:26
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Jesus man, That small fan in the front of your radiator is NOT meant to be your cooling fan, that's for your AC which you do not have anymore by the pics I saw of your engine compartment. It's just some jerry rigged POS if that's the case. Your cooling fan is driven by a belt, it's the big fan shaped thing in front of your engine. Fix your god damned cooling system. Make sure the air is all burped. If it is, flush it, replace the thermostat and if you are really ambitious the water pump if it still doesn't work. Get the cowl/shroud from the PO if you can. Buy some from a wrecker if you have to. This is not rocket science. e: I am ASSUMING the previous owner did not actually remove the engine fan for some crack head reason. You do still have a fan on the front of your engine don't you? I am assuming it's just hidden in the first photo of the OP behind the crossmember. That was my center console, but I don't remember the knobs quite like that on the bottom. Faux woodgrain though, absolutely! slidebite fucked around with this message at 02:55 on Dec 19, 2014 |
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Dec 19, 2014 02:50
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Sperglord Firecock posted:There's a switch next to that AC switch.  I know there is no shroud there as I've been saying from the beginning of your thread, but is there a fan in the right spot period? The fan is supposed to be behind the radiator, right in front of the engine like the ^^ photos previously showed, which I began to doubt hence my earlier edit. If not, as I suspect there isn't, the previous owner was a god drat hack and no wonder you're having heating issues. Hopefully nothing serious has happened. Get a fan and clutch, even a non-turbo should be fine, and put it on.
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Dec 19, 2014 04:44
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Behind (IE: motor side) of the radiator or the front? The front is the OEM spot for the AC condenser fan and won't give nearly enough air movement for the radiator.
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Dec 19, 2014 04:46
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OK, so no mechanical fan at all then. Solution: Get the old fan/clutch from the PO or buy from a wrecker. The PO was obviously concerned about parasitic drag from a loving 30 year old VG30ET and decided electric is the way to go for which he should be shot. You still need to confirm that air is purged from the cooling system even though the fan is almost certainly the problem. You could look at wiring a thermo switch for the fans but no offense, that seems beyond your present skill set. The fan hub is literally 4-6 bolts and I'm hopeful you could do that.
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Dec 19, 2014 05:06
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Sperglord Firecock posted:Edit:
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Dec 19, 2014 05:10
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It's not so much poor comprehension, this thread is all over the place. His Z31 has heating issues, the mystical 300X is a potential beater while he gets his pussy wagon in shape.
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Dec 19, 2014 05:20
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If I understand it right, the 300ZX hopefully hasn't had a belt thrown, it just has no mechanical fan which is a stupid move from the PO. Dude just needs to do a little bit of elbow grease, getting parts and research, of which there is plenty of help right here, to get his ride going. It's not tough, he just needs to take the time to comprehend what is needed and do it.
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Dec 19, 2014 05:35
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Sperglord Firecock posted:Weren't those cars just really really sluggish without a turbo? IIRC a stock NA Z32 put out more HP/torque than a stock Turbo Z31.
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Dec 19, 2014 18:03
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That fan setup looks better than I thought it would but I would still it for an OEM fan/clutch unless there was a thermoswitch on it. However, I am not sure what the clearance is going to be like with that pipe there. Where is it going? The turbo and all the plumbing should be on the drivers side. Does it have an intercooler? Safety Dance posted:It's got a couple of problems from what I saw: I'd make sure the belts are sized properly (not just length, width too). Alternatively, the thing is almost 30 years old and the belt sheaves/pulleys could certainly be worn, or you know, bearings. quote:- Problems idling. The engine will sometimes stop running when you take your foot off the clutch. Idle RPMs bounce up and down a little bit. quote:- Weak clutch. In third, I was able to make the clutch slip pretty dramatically. I am glad that there doesn't seem to be an actual overheating issue other than the fan. I would be curious to know if this car started life as a Turbo or was converted. The "3000" on the intake plenum cover is actually the cover they used on the non-turbo models, although it's possible he just swapped it for some reason.
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Dec 21, 2014 02:15
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mafoose posted:The biggest issues I have with this car is the fueling. If it is not running the turbo efi and upgraded injectors, the motor is not long for this world. Hell, I would hope it has been chipped or nistuned for reliabilities sake, but the cost to do that easily eclipses the cost of all those Chinese parts. quote:VIN Number Arrangement: JN1 C Z 1 4 S * G X 000101 Cutting losses is not a crazy thing to do.
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Dec 21, 2014 02:57
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Safety Dance posted:I wouldn't go quite that far. Yes, there's a buttload of PO fuckery, but Firecock told me he'd be willing to dump about $5K into getting this car running well once he starts working. Reading the plugs would tell us if the fuelling is way off. Once that's sorted and he has a new clutch in place, then it would be pretty good. If the PO did convert a NA motor in a Turbo, I'd be really curious to know what he did to the internals, in particular pistons and compression. Cutting losses is a reasonable course of action. He isn't comfortable working let alone have the knowledge. It'll always be parked.
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Dec 21, 2014 03:01
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quote:Ok, slooowwwly come up Ay%#% the clutch Good thing it has enough torque to not stall out. 
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Dec 21, 2014 03:24
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Sperglord Firecock posted:Understood. I'm getting a full tool set for Christmas, in addition for a few other neat nifty things and money. Get the Nissan shop manual. I had mine up to 3 years ago, I would have given it to you.  3/8 and 1/2" drive ratchets. 1/4 isn't a bad idea but probably not as important. Adapters between the sizes as well but a kit might come with them. Maybe a breaker bar too. Wrenches, vice grips, pliers, good screwdrivers. Test light, multimeter and learn to use it. A good trouble light. Oil drain pan and filter wrench. I don't recall a ton of allan head fasteners but it's probably not bad to have them. Torque wrench. Magnet and grabby thing on an extendable stick. You will drop nuts, bolts and washers intinto awkward places. That's just off the top of my head and I am sure I am forgetting things. If you are going to learn wrenching, start with maintenence to get your confidence up. Do the fluids. All of them. Change engine oil and filter, diff and rear end. Even power steering. This will tell you more about what the p.o. was like too. Check the brakes and maybe change the brake and clutch fluid too. Learn how to take the electrical connections off without breaking them. When you jack it, be careful where you put the jack. Either do it on a major piece of suspension or a designated jacking point. I have seen people almost put their jacks through the floor before.
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Dec 21, 2014 08:09
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If the PO actually lowered the compression because he wanted to build it for boost, that could be a problem. If he didn't though and it's stock compression, that is a reasonable alternative but instead of boosting it again I'd just sell the parts to some sucker to help recoup some $$.
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Dec 21, 2014 18:45
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Learning to properly drive a stick is the simplest issue he has at this point. It is curious though, the engine and clutch were supposedly rebuilt 5K ago. Really makes me question even more the history of this car and how long ago it was redone.
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Dec 21, 2014 19:43
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Buy an appliance, preferably something that hasn't been hosed with by somebody going the puberty. Something like these might be worth a look: http://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/cto/4808229177.html http://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/cto/4815820184.html http://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/cto/4815888411.html
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Dec 22, 2014 17:30
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Sperglord Firecock posted:Sorry. If you are fine with that, knock yourself out. Did you ever post the VIN or look it up yourself to confirm if it was originally a Turbo or not? Raluek posted:Do we know this? The ECU could be chipped, right? I mean I know we can probably assume the PO is a lying shitsack for a variety of reasons, but figuring out if it has a tune seems like a good thing to do. I assume the stock ECU isn't flexible like an LS1 and so would need a physical chip mod, right? A system like a megasquirt or some sort of piggyback system would really be the only thing a person could reasonably do and I strongly doubt that anything like that was done.
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Dec 24, 2014 17:01
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Now that you mention it, I do remember Jim Wolf doing something. This was back in the day before the internet was really big so that's my excuse 
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Dec 24, 2014 18:10
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If it's an 85, the PO did a lot of work on the body to convert it to an 86. Take a look at the quarters and rockers of yours:  and compare to an 85 http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/28/CleanZ31.jpg It's not impossible though. Does the VIN plate on the shock tower tell you the model year? There might be another plate on the inside of the frame of the drivers door too. Compare the VIN # on the plate to the # on your dash. Also, did the VIN show as a Turbo? 84-85 Non-turbos had 4 stud hubs, Turbos had 5 studs. slidebite fucked around with this message at 18:32 on Dec 24, 2014 |
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Dec 24, 2014 18:22
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InitialDave posted:My understanding is that the lower compression of the turbo motor compared to the NA is from dished pistons rather than flat ones, so an endoscope camera would let you see down through a plug hole and check that out? Pretty sure you are correct, they were dished pistons.... I think down to 7.8:1 or something. That rear panel would be pretty easy to swap as I think they were only held on with double sided body tape. For someone who threw a 87-88 front end on for kicks, they could have done that. I also think the Turbo tail lights were a little darker/smoked compared to the non-turbo. However, this would be really easy to put to rest once and for all if he could tell us if if it was a factory turbo from his VIN or if he could just post his VIN here. http://z31.com/vin.shtml Actually, now that I think about it I think the VIN plate under the hood even says which engine it came equipped with. It should say VG30ET or something like that (maybe with brackets) if it's a turbo.
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Dec 24, 2014 19:20
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Sperglord Firecock posted:It's not a factory turbo. Then I think it is likely a 86 model year. OK, so since you seem to have a big stiffy for a Z31, here is what I would do: Either: 1: Sell the car as is (or, running decently), take money and buy and keep a look out for an unfucked Turbo Z31. They are out there and tons were sold. 2: This was touched on earlier, but maybe get a hold of the previous owner and ask him if he lowered the compression or did any internal engine modifications. Just fire him an email if nothing else. If not, bring it back to a stock NA. Do the clutch, sell the Turbo and assorted doo-dads to some sucker on ebay or something. This will also benefit you by learning to wrench by un-loving it (which you will need to do if you plan on having a mid 80s car as your DD). Bank the money and keep eyes open for a Turbo. 3: Keep car as-is and live with it. I know you are really looking at #3, but seriously give 1 & 2 thought. It's just a car and you will have another that you love even more. Trust me.
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Dec 24, 2014 19:57
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Sperglord Firecock posted:I'm really not looking at 3. Don't go through the effort of learning/unfucking this thing just to use it to experiment on again in the future. It'll cost you way more in money and time than just buying a nice OEM car. If you are going to unfuck this (a fair idea) just keep it that way.
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Dec 24, 2014 20:37
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Other than an alternator belt, what parts do you need? IIRC it's easiest to work on that alternator belt from the bottom than the top. Make sure you can safely get under the car and use your time underneath there to look at things and understand what they are. Other than your Mk1 eyeball, do you know how to check alignment and wear? revmoo posted:I still use the first socket set I ever bought, a Pepboys branded Goodyear kit. It even still has some of the original parts (case and SAE sockets mostly). Take good care of it and it will take care of you. Kobalt is actually pretty decent as far as low-end tools go. Also, every fastener on that car is metric. Every single one. The only time an imperial fastener would be encountered is from the PO fuckery so be extra-sure before you put an inch socket/wrench on it before you pour on the torque. That can be an express way to round a head.
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Jan 8, 2015 22:46
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Sperglord Firecock posted:So the next thing. That will not tell you how worn it is though. A guage is the best way but see if you can feel a ridge where the belt rides or if it riding deep in the groove.
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Jan 9, 2015 02:11
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