Do you have the HR?
Have you looked at Z1's timing repair kit?
Definitely recommend replacing gallery gaskets with Z1's. They updated the gaskets so they won't break. My OEM ones broke at around 114k miles and made my oil pressure DROP IT LIKE IT'S HOT. At 126k miles now with new gallery gaskets, chains, tensioners, and guides and that's a huge piece of mind.
when you put the cover back on, only use Nissan's RTV! I used Permatex the first time and it ended up leaking so had to take the cursed cover back off and do it right.
keep us updated and ask plenty questions

 

BAD news.




I think I found my rattle.

 

The VVT cam sprocket (driver's side) pin is broken. By the looks of the camshaft mounting surface, which looks exactly the same (elongated hole), this cam has been rattling back and forth for a while.

I'm making the assumption that this means that I need a new intake camshaft on the driver's side as well as a new cam sprocket.

 

How long have you had the car?????

 

Since new. The rattle on startup has been taking place for awhile, but this car has been sitting in my garage unused for 3 years now (after storing it one winter, I was unaware that my battery tender failed, and killed the battery so thoroughly that it erased NATS key storage, and it wouldn't start). I've been too busy with other things to devote to fixing the problem, but I decided to do a bunch of upgrade-type work on it and get things going - and this was my last thing to do, other than either buying an UpRev NATS delete or towing the car to the stealership for a Consult Key lobotomy.

I'm assuming that it isn't wise to weld the elongation in the cam and redrill the hole to save the cam; it's got 233k on the engine. I can pick up a used cam for around $50.

 

Well with that being said, kudos to you being the original owner and keeping her running well past 200k!
In my honest opinion, I'd get her some new pistons, rods, valves, machined, all that good stuff OEM or not. With that mileage on your Z, something's bound to fail from all the wear over those miles.
That is if you got the money for a rebuild!

 

Unless you have a good aftermarket alarm like Viper, I would keep the NATS. At least that way you'd have somewhat decent security on your Z. The stock security really isn't worth damn but the whole key recognizing thing is good enough.
As for tampering with the...... mind went blank..... can't remember word.....I would definitely recommend getting at least used ones. The wear overtime from the shaking (still blank) probably actually caused more problems than you think. Could have actually shaved the engine around it

 

I was thinking of picking up a low mileage engine replacement - but the compression on this engine was excellent prior to this fiasco, so I'm not sure. The car has been babied, has hardly even seen rain.

 

Well I don't know much of anything about engine swapping. But I can tell you your ecm is gonna have to relearn a new engine, gonna need many gaskets to reassemble things onto the engine including the trans, probably gonna fight with it more electronically than mechanically (wiring, relays, blown fuses, sensors). That's my guess though. Like I said, I don't know much about it, but from all the research and forums I've ever read, it can be a pain. But if you're up to the challenge, I'd say go for it!
On the other hand, there are companies where you can ship parts of your engine to to have it machined and cleaned up to basically new. I'm sure there are things to consider as far as getting cylinders machined and such, but I'm not sure as I have not had it done myself.

 

By the way as for babying your Z, it's not bad to do so, but it's also not great either. Every now and then you really should push her around as that was the intention of the Z's. It's a high power high compression engine. Babying it isn't exactly what the designer had in mind

 

Any update?