gr8gatZby

I just started driving my car after about 12 months of being garaged. It runs pretty well. These are the descriptions of troubles I’m experiencing.

Engine Temp:
I have 1 electric fan right now and thinking maybe switching to a double unit. Anyone have any experiences/thoughts on that? What types of units did you use? I have a temp sensor right now in the radiator; some people say to have a toggle switch also. Is that a necessary item in this desert heat in order to not drain the battery?

Rough Idle: This is the main problem.
Sometimes it doesn’t want to start after being run. When/if it does start again; it’s very rough. I took it past 5500 rpm and it seemed to choke out. It sputtered and I thought I threw a rod, but I was at a stop light and it started to run fine again. I’ve been hearing PCV, Fuel Filter, Injectors…. So here are my questions; good places to get a PCV? Anyone use the PCV breather from Motorsports? Are there any good places to get a Fuel Filter? Or is there a way to clean those? Is there a way to clean the injector nozzles?

Upgrades:
-Thoughts on “rising rate” fuel regulator from Motorsports; any good?
-What fuel rails are you guys running? I hear the big two are pallnet and jsk.
-I know nothing about suspension. I have the Modern Motorsports Honda wheel adapters and someone is selling coilovers from Modern Motorsports; will those work together? The springs are 225 and 200 lbs and 10” tall. Will this lower my car any? They also have 5 way adjustable Tokico Illuminas. I’ve heard bad things about gas shocks in AZ heat, is that true? Price together is $555; that seems really reasonable.

Please help!!

bruiZer

Engine temp-- my little brother runs the flexilite fans in his 240,his is the dual fans, he hasnt had a single problem with over heating since he put them in. i think you can find the flexilites in jegs catalog.

BoulderZ

Ditto on Bruizer's recommendations on the Flexalites, I've used them in a variety of apps and have been very happy with both performance and value. Jeg's is a good source for them (and lot of other nice stuff, too, dangerous to the checkbook). A lot of the 4wd guys here use them with good results, too, and they're not exactly easy on equipment (fans are there only real cooling, other than deep water crossings). A toggle switch is a nice (and easy) extra feature, but you shouldn't have to worry about draining the battery, even with two fans, they don't draw *that* much current. Of course, that does assume your electrical system is in otherwise good shape (you didn't mention any problems, so I assume it's okay).
Rough idle on FI S30's can be fuel starvation (especially past 5500 rpm with a stock or original pressure regulator). Checking your fuel pressure with an inline gauge is a pretty quick thing (I put an analog one in between the filter and the rail, lots of room) and helps clear up some mysteries. A new fuel filter is a cheap good thing to do. If it's a fairly stock Z, the regular old NAPA type ones are cheap and readily available and will work just fine. Your heat issues could be part of it, too. Good cooling certainly won't hurt. You may want to check out the coil, too, as some of your systems sound like they could be a degrading ignition system.
A new PCV valve may or may not help the situation, but is another cheap and easy preventive measure. I'm not personally a fan of the breather-types, even though they look awesome, because if you wind it up once in awhile, I notice gas/petro fumes. If you're racing the car, you may not care, but you may find it annoying to smell gas/oil after stomping a Honda at a light or enjoying a nice twisty road (it doesn't bug some people, maybe it's just me).
Come to think of it, you mentioned the car sat for 12 months. A lot of the sputtering and rough idle could just be bad/old gas and condensation. It would be worth draining the tank and fuel system, and filling it with new gas and maybe some cleaner. In fact, I'd try that first (assuming you haven't done this already?).
I've cleaned the injectors by hand. It takes forever, is a real pain, and never comes out as good as sending them to a real cleaning/flow shop (there're a bunch online if you google it). In my case I had no choice, and it did work better afterwards, but wasted a whole Saturday, which is mighty expensive in my book.
I've never heard anything bad about heat and Tokico Illumina's, but if it were going to happen, Arizona would be the place. The coilovers will maintain height, raise, or lower your car depending on how you set them up (they're adjustable).
good luck,
Dave

pallnet

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