If it ends up being the bottom end, you can pick up a rod/piston combo for just over a grand. That would be a no brainer for me if there going to be pulling the motor apart anyway.

 

the parts are never the big cost. The machine time and the labor to pull, tear apart, rebuild, and reinstall are what kills ya.

 

well considering he would have to pay labor for the "stock" rebuild I would think the price difference would be negligible. To the OP if you want a simple, cost effective EMS the UTEC or Osiris should work for you.

 

I love when people half *** something like putting stock rods in when a few hundred bucks more could put him with trust worthy rods.

the biggest price is removing motor, taking it apart, and putting it back together. the price of rods/pistons is really not that much VS stock

anyways, its funny how many people in the honda world would save a few bucks only to blow their motors up a month later and have to do it over again.

Saving money ends up costing way more in the end.

 

Still no updates from ZCG.

 

WOOHOO! DJAMPS was right on the money...fried coilpack!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Next:
Topspeed exhaust out, APS 2.5" in.
Greddy Blue Manage out, Osiris UpRev in w/650cc injectors
New mushrooms and rubber
And a temp tune until I get her to Church

So happy. Now I can spend my Xmas bonus on something else!!

 

armchair mechanics FTW LOOOOL

 

Nice...

 

Your really lucky you did not blow it!!! I don't even know who in the VQ35 tuning world would ever tune our engine on that thing!!!!

 

Well...I bought it like that back in '05. Change is good huh?

 

Gonna drive it around for about 1k miles before I start the next phase. Give it a good shakedown to make sure nothing else weird is going on.

Weird...the SLIP and VDC lights stay on. Time to hit the search button...

 

UPDATE:

So after taken the car home from ZCG and driving the car around for less than 100 miles, the car is exhibiting the same motor issues that it had before I took it ZCG: fluttering of the throttle on acceleration. It sounds like a friggin WRX! NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

Anyways, prior to taking the car home from ZCG I paid for 3hrs of labor at $100/hr for an inspection and it was determined that the root cause of the problem was a couple of fried coilpacks that only allowed operation of 5 cylinders. So we replaced the coilpacks, battery, spark plugs, all fluids and I was sent out the door (with the VDC and SLIP lights stuck on) with the recommendation to put some shakedown miles on the car.

I'm paying for another tow back to ZCG for them to take a look again. I'll request for the 3rd time, a copy of the leakdown and compression tests to see if there are any other major issues with the motor.

Any ideas of what should be looked for? I don't want to step on the toes of ZCG's mechanics, but I thought it might be helpful to get some advice from folks that might have had similar motor issues and cut down the hours.

 

Comp numbers as follows:

Cyl 1 200
Cyl 2 190
Cyl 3 200
Cyl 4 195
Cyl 5 190
Cyl 6 200

 

Sounds like a ground somewhere is messed up.

 

Thanks...I'll check all that out.

 

I will be updating the thread on a daily basis as to inform my fellow Z Members my experience with Z Car Garage. My intent is not to harm their reputation, but to give an honest account so that members may compare to their own experience and arrive at their own conclusion.

Rob is a very enthusiastic person about Nissan performance and has always been more than friendly on the telephone.

Timeline
=======================
November 11th 2009 - Car was dropped off at Z Car Garage

November 16th, 2009 - Car was diagnosed to have a couple fried coilpacks. The are replaced with new ones.

November 18th 2009 - Payment for services rendered sent to ZCG and car is picked up.

December 10th 2009 - Car starts to exhibit the same issues again after less than 50 miles of driving and is put in storage (never driven since).

Early March 2010 - Car towed to ZCG

March 26 - In shop incident involving my car and he calls me to inform me of the situation. He promised to take care of my car.

April 5th - Sent Rob an email asking for status update. No reply

April 8th - Sent Rob another email. Rob replies that steps are being made to rectify the incident. Still no word on the engine problems my car is experienceing.

April 14th - Rob emails me that my Z "is on the lift". In a phone conversation he tells me that other coilpacks were fried as a result of the Greddy E-Manage piggyback. Advises to install new coilpacks and a different tuning solution. Still no resolvement on the in shop incident

May 5th - Coilpacks, ECU, upgraded MAF and injectors delivered to Rob. Still no resolvement on the in ship incident. Sent Rob email for update and estimated number of hrs to swap heads...no reply

May 6th - Sent another status update request to Rob...his reply "I am getting your emails. I will be in touch today. I got your parts from Alvin" I speak to him later on the phone

May 10th - We work on getting the in shop incident resolved and I provide him with info he's requested via email. No reply

May 11th - Sent him another status check via email asking for numbers to complete the project...No reply

May 14th - Another status check and numbers request...no reply

May 14th - He emails me that he'll be in on the weekend and will call me to has out the details

May 15th - He calls me and we come up with a a plan with a couple of options. We agree to:

• Install exhaust
• change out coilpacks
• install injectors
• install MAF
• Tune

While he looks up quotes on some DP's for me.


May 17th - I call to suggest an alternative option to my situation and we agree to stick to the original plan minus the DP's. I request a revised work order quote

May 20th - Request sent to Rob for update

May 21st - Rob calls and says he's gonna draw up that quote and email me

May 24th - Email sent to Rob requesting status of quote...no reply until the 25th

May 25th - He sends me an email replying "Yes. Coming to ya...Rob" Later that day he calls requesting information on the complete list of mods on my car so that he can thoroughly figure out the fuel side of things.

May 26th - I email Rob with all the mods done to my car. Rob emails me an estimate outlining the resolution to the in shop incident and quoting the labour estimate for my project. However, now it includes an install for cams. I reply back that I'd like to stick to the original plan and not install cams now. Asked for him to send an updated work order...no reply

May 27th - In the AM I email him asking if my brother dropped off an underbelly pan and fender liner. It was my way of just asking for another status update on that updated work order. In the PM I call Rob and speak with him. I tell him that I'm fine with taking an in store credit and verbally request an updated work order.

May 28th - Rob replies to my May 27th email, "I will look for these parts..I will hit you up later and let you know what my plan is for being completed". Still no mention of updated work order.

June 1st - Emailed Rob for Status Update...no reply

June 3rd - I email Rob not to worry about those parts as my brother has not dropped them off after all and I let him know that I'll be by the shop on the 11th to pick up the car.

Rob replies: "How do you know we will be done. Rob"

I reply back: "I'm hoping she will be! ..."

Current - waiting...
=======================

 

I don't know about you guys, but it really shouldn't take a week to do the following let alone a work order quote:

• Install exhaust
• Change out coilpacks
• Install injectors
• Install MAF
• Tune
• Install new turbo filters

 

That is like a days work if that.

 

Continued in new thread as this is a separate topic.

 

yeah that would take me no more than 5 hours on jackstands