dfj240

I met a few of you in my intro thread, but for those that I didn't meet, I'll start this off with the short version.

My name is Nathan. I'm from North DFW, Texas. A short while ago, I picked up a Z33 for a steal. Wasn't looking for one, but couldn't pass it up. My first car ever was a 77 S30 280Z, and I've also owned a 91 TT Z32. Being back in a Z really feels like home. I'm loving it.

That last bit is somewhat surprising because the Z I picked up now has 199,200 miles on it, and it needs some love. It runs very well though, and seems to be very receptive to the little bits of work I've been doing here and there.

Details:

2003 Touring (All electrics work!)
199,200 miles on it now
6 Speed Manual (3rd gear hates anything but a very slow granny shift, or maybe a double clutch )
DE motor is original VIN's matching (as is trans)

Time for lists:

Already done:
New center console
Head unit for Pioneer out of my ACura since it doesn't need it any more
Passenger side window switch garnish/cover
Dashboard cup holder assembly (Got one that still doesn't quite go all the way in)
All 4 front "lower control arms"
Replaced snapped or damaged wheel studs
JWT Popcharger
Battery tray/compartment cover

Parts acquired but not yet installed:
Front knuckle ball joints
Front sway bar end links
Passenger cabin carpet
Oil Pressure Sensor

With all that out of the way, there is a much bigger deal than just those little pieces. The timing chain tensioners are causing the notorious VQ chain rattle, so that is priority 1 for me.

So one of two things was/is going to happen. Option 1 would be to order all the parts and repair the existing motor back to future glory. Option 2 would be to pick up a spare motor, and build it up to glory before simply swapping the motor out.

In order to decide which route to go. I first needed to figure out what the state of the current motor really is. At 199,000 miles, I had my doubts about it, and I'm sure justifiably so.

Ran a compression test on it just a couple days ago and it yielded the following results:

1: 210
2: 215
3: 216
4: 212
5: 212
6: 212

Test was done with motor at normal operating temperature using a Pittsburgh Compression Test Kit. Ambient temperature was ~65 degrees F. Oil level was optimal. No oil assistance needed for any cylinder.

The compression is perfect! I'm a bit surprised honestly, but delighted at the same time. During the test, I found that the electrodes on the spark plugs (every one of them) was almost literally non-existant. I'm surprised it could even fire up, especially in the cold. I had planned to do the plugs early on, but was also planning the compression test, so I decided to do both at the same time. I dropped some NGK Iridiums in each of the cylinders, and she was obviously thanking me. Feels tons smoother throughout the range now.

With the compression test coming back with great results, I'm going to stick with the motor that's in there currently, and give her the full timing chain service. I'll be throwing in some extra goodies while I'm at it.

Timing chain bits (obvious parts; guides, tensioners.... chains...)
New OEM water pump (Open to potential upgraded parts for this, sound off!)
New RevUp oil pump
New crank sprocket (because it's only about $30, so why not)
New front main seal
New Valve cover gaskets
New Oil Cooler O-Ring
New Crank Pulley Bolt (For anyone that is new to cars, or inexperienced with engine work, this is a good practice when you are removing the crank pulley/harmonic balancer for the first time on an unknown motor. I've come across so many engines before that have rounded crank pulley bolts. It costs $8 for a brand new one from Nissan! Always worth it for a little bit of extra piece of mind.)
New Gates accessory belts
Motordyne 5/16" Plenum Spacer (Need intake manifold gaskets anyways)
New Oil Drain Bolt

I was considering a Fluidampr crank pulley, but I'm not sure that I will see a ton of benefit at the moment. I'm thinking that it would be best to wait until I'm ready to upgrade to a lighter flywheel, and compliment that with the Fluidampr at that time. So I'm thinking that may happen when I get to the transmission portion of this project.

Please let me know if you have any suggestions on anything. I always love to hear new ideas, new suggestions, and even questions that I could answer. I don't have a ton of experience, like I'm sure some of you do, as I've only really been working on and building cars for about 14 years. I know there are some guys that have been around and building cars for more years than I've been alive. I always love hearing from you.

Novel over. Thanks for reading.