After a 6 month hiatus of not having a job and trying to get school done, I finally landed me a job.

Gotten a few paychecks, and now its time to rip apart the L28 and give my Z life again. Depending on how bad the undercarriage is, she and I may part. But I can definately get more for her running, if I can change my mind, I miss the sound of her BOV.

Anyone in the Tulsa/BA area want to help a fellow Z-fan. out?

I'll have the engine on the engine stand and the headbolts out. I'll have my laptop out with everything we need. Don't even need to bring your own nitrile gloves =). This would be so much more fun having a fellow Z driver, but if not I can stick to trance as my guide...

There will be Pizza =D

Z-Barbique!

BTW: I don't take that $15.00 is a logical price for a headgasket?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NISSA...Q5fAccessories

Kinda makes me think the damn thing will break before i even torque the headbolts down...

http://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/PROD/10-2444

Support thezstore?

 

I wouldn't trust any headgasket from Ebay... friend bought one from there, and the oil holes going to the head were in the wrong spot, and fried a cam before we could figure out what was wrong with it.

I rock a FelPro, if that counts for anything...

 

Felpro is fine for a stock n/a motor... I wouldn't ever use a Felpro again on any of my turbo motors. MLS 1mm or 2mm ONLY!

 

what about low boost flat top engine. like 5 psi max. felpro hold?

 

No! Stock Nissan head gasket for turbo is pretty good I hear. NismoPick is the turbo head gasket replacer guru!

$22 is cheap for a quality head gasket. I would expect to pay more like $50-75 for one.
Nissan used to charge $50 for the turbo gasket when it was available. I haven't checked in recent years since all my turbo cars are WEAK and don't blow head gaksets.

Back when the metal head gaskets were available they cost $99 ea

 

Thats what i was expecting to see, not 15 dollars or 22 dollars..

 

Sounds kinda normal to me for a standard head gasket. Felpro is $18 so...

 

I guess I'll go with MSA, nothing they've ever sent has been broken or had a bad rep.

Anyway, anyone up for chillin in my garage while we fix this year long headache of mine?

Its definate I'm selling my RB20.

 

^ I would, if you weren't so far away. And I could take the time off. Good luck man.

 

if you were close. that rb20 would have a new home.

 

I'm up for hanging out

 

you know what. pfffft. no Z'ers in ms **** me off! i'm going active duty in 2 months. ima choose somewhere out west.

 

WOW

SERIOUS FUCFAGKERGOT ALERT

Ok, so I got a breaker bar from work (Home Depot ftw) and finally started pulling stuff apart, and, when i went to start undoing headbolt #1, it did NOT have the required Tq. It was almost like it was lazily tightened, i know it didnt have more than 25 ft lbs, IF THAT. FAIL FAIL FAIL

Gunna wait till after work tonight to start doing stuff. Need a guide to follow on the L28 rip apart and rebuild. MY LAYLA SHALL RETURN! Video of (Second) first startup. Then im'ma start slowly bringing her back to her former glory. Anti rust, etc. etc.

--

You once started, even screamed, took me places that I dreamed.
Sitting with You, You and I, used to look me in the eye.
I saw it too, a dream with you, and down the interstate we flew.

Up until that fateful day, thermo. broke, pretty gay.
Around town we limped to find, new rad. hoses close in mind.
Covered in sweat and antifreeze, "Baby don't you do this, please."

Up on jacks, and in your heart, everything's fine, why wont you start?
And then I looked around even more... "There's coolant, in cylinder 4"
In your blood, and in my tears, these have come true, my wildest fears.

You used to stand, my hair on end, I loved you more, than a best friend.
The tools to fix you, are in my hand, the will to fix you, I must band.
Layla, you're my only life, a new engine shall rise, mechanical wife.

 

^ Wow very well thought out poem man. Sounds like you really do love your 280zx. Good luck on the build.

 

Anyone know of a good writeup on how to take everything apart and clean it efficiently? I hate Haynes.

Omg, failsauce!

So all of my headbolts were a veriaty of torque, number 8 was probably over the suggested TQ, while the rest were under, magnificently.

I was going to just keep chugging on into the morning until GM's magical product caught up with me...

DEARGMWHYYOUSUCKSOBAD.jpg?t=1277968698

Because number 8 was so overtorqued i had to go into Hulk mode and strain a bitch, until *plink*. Hand ravaging against the motor, bleeding, and a broken hex bolt. Guess i get to go to home depot in the morning and get a Husky hex bolt set =(

What are the possible consequences that my head was not torqued down all the way guise?

 

gay biotch update. my forgetful self undid the headbolts in the order you're supposed to put them on, as opposed to the opposite direction. And the bolt i was talking about being really hard to get out? Was really hard to get out, all the time, not just then. Warped..?

 

Who put this motor together?

 

Dunno. I know it wasnt the guy who owned it before me cause he didnt have **** for a garage, and I know he didnt have tools.

Needless to say, bolt number 12 was harder to get out than the rest. After all of them were unbolted, they would pull out. However bolt 12 needed to be unscrewed the entire length of the head, like the bolt was bent or some ****.

What is your diagnosis Nismo? 270 degrees for about 20 minutes plus? Warped?

 

Could be several different things...

Were there metal shavings on that last head bolt that was hard to get out? What do the threads look like? Dry? Oily? Carbon build up?

Just take it all to the machine shop & have them check it all. Buy yourself some ARP head studs for the install... it makes assembly so much easier. There's an ebay company selling them for $129 a set.

 

^ What do the ARP head studs look like? And are they a regular bolt, opposed to a allen type?

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ARP-H...Q5fAccessories
Like this auction here? And yeah, they do look like a regular hex bolt head. Kind of steep for me though. Probably get these later, with my turbo conversion.

 

^^^ Good find on ebay... you know they retail for about $300 right?

They do have a small hex on top. You lightly thread them in the block w/ the ARP lube on the threads, install head, and lock down the nuts.

 

I got all my ARP hardware from Jegs for under $300. including Rod bolts and mainstuds, along with the headstuds

 

There werent metal shavings. It was partially dry, oily at the top, dry in the middle, and had an orange/brown powder in the threads. All the other bolts had carbon buildup (why in the HELL I decided to smell the damn things... its like a cigarette) or oil on them (mainly from the top of the bolt, not down inside)

I'll get back with this tonight after work. Im going to attempt to pull the head off completely after I get the fuel rail, intake plenum and exhaust manifold off. Also, How do I go about removing my cam gear without ****ing up my timing, or is that impeccable...

 

I paitn a mark on the chain and sprocket then jam a wooden spacer down into he chain to keep the tension tight then you can under the sprocket and chain at the top.

I Highly suggest getting the FSM if you haven't yet...