Snw, is it true that if you use synthetic blend you should not switch back to regular after? I have been meaning to do that but only for 2 maybe three oil changes???? thx

 

not sure about the blend. i dont think its a big deal, if you go full synthetic thats what you should stick with. why would you want to use conventional oil though? doesn't lube or protect as well and is a true dyno fossil fuel extract. waste!

 

Good point...thx!

 

hey guys!!! i just totally went off this world for a couple of months. Accounting cr@p at uni. last semester right. thats why.

anyway, im still working on borrowing a cam to get those pics. Cars been working fine. But ill let you guys know whats going on with it.

QUick note: Car runs on LPG (1982 ZX NT)

Its a bitch when its cold. It just wont idle, but soon sorts out - say rev it and move , drive for about 2 minutes and it idles fine. But still, i am unable to clutch it on slopes as it simply loses the revs on steeper slopes and stalls. But i guess i can expect that in an old car and now in the hands of a bafoon who doesnt have a clue how anything works under the hood exept seeing a few videos and webpages on the internet.

But whats bothering me really is that, over the last month I have noticed a big boom like a tyre going flat - 'POP' (Pretty Loud - Actually very loud, I can hear it over my radio when thats going loud and the windows are up). First I thought it must be the tyres and somethings wrong with it, but then it seemed fine. And then I seemed to get that almost everytime I run the car, atleast once a day and got it a couple of time just after I started it and was revving to get it to temp. and realised it was from under the hood for sure. So, if someone got any idea as to what it may be, let me know. Im way too broke to take it to a mech.

And gheewala, my car is pretty similar to yours. Same silver with those original tyre rims (pretty heavy those). Thanks guys.

Regs
K

 

Hey guys!

Another issue is that, i left it out for the weekend and started it Monday morning and I had to crank it for 15 seconds to get it to start. That gonna screw my engine?? what do u think might have gone wrong?

I was also thinking of cleaning the engine bay. Its got a load of grease and oil all over the engine. Now, Im wondering whats the best way to do it? Do I need to cover some stuff up?? Is it ok for the spark plugs to get wet?

Thanks

 

I would say any electrical part that you know and think that water might get to should be covered. You don't want to spend couple of hours cleaning and then 2 days to dry the electric parts. I would suggest get a grease cleaner in a spray bottle and go at it that way.
Could be number of reasons why it would not start after the weekend, Fuel line (injectors), Spark (electrical system moisture), Air (air filter)???

 

hey thanks man. But just a quick q. Is it ok if the sparkplugs get wet?? And i read in many places that the alternator shdnt get wet. Pardon, where can I find the alternator. ill go out and have a look and see if i can locate it.

And, there is a lot of oil on the sides of the engine, in the area beneath the sparkplugs. Its a sort of joint in the engine. (Where the gasket sits? - Im jus guessing?). Is it ok to clean of all that oil, or would it give me troubes?

Thanks again
Regs
K

 

head gasket is leaking, sorta typical on an older car. PIA to fix. sparkplugs like, in water wet? and the alternator is at the front right side of the motor.

 

yeah, just got some degreaser to clean the engine bay. Coz i noticed the the middle bit of the spark plug is exposed, so would it be okay to get em wet? YEah first with the degreaser and then water to get it off.

And would you recommend taking the pain to fix the gasket or just let it be?? I sure cant do it myself.

Thanks again.

 

I would thinking that if the leak is not too much then leave it alone...you would eventually have to replace the Gasket but it will cost you , so if its very small leak then just keep you eye on it until it get worst. Head Gasket replacing has to be done properly, they have to be tighten with a certain tension/torque. And once you get it out you will find more **** that you would feel obligated to fix. So if it is not badly broken then let it run unless you really need to fix it. Liek snw said it a pain in the **** to fix

 

ok. ill let the thing alone for now. jus keep wiping the grime off once a month or somethin. Thanks.

Just curious: How does a leaking gasket affect the engine? Do i lose power or more oil than usual?? .....

And, Im getting water from my exhaust. Mine runs on LPG. ANy issues there??

 

I think water from the exhaust (tailpipe) is just condensation...that should be OK...with head gasket leak, it is not like a huge deal, the gasket is probably just wearing out. And like snw mention that happens in old cars, there is no "lets change the head gasket" maintenance you can do. Just get them change when they get really worst (which happens in old cars). The expansion when engine is hot and the contraction when it is cold is wear and tear. I would not think with a very little leak like this you would loose power. If you see yourself cleaning the same area every week with lots of oil deposit then i would seriously think about getting that done.

 

the head gasket keeps coolant flowing through the engine out of the cylinders, as well as oil... if the gasket is wearing out between a cylinder and the outside world then you will lose compression... if its letting coolant or oil in the cylinders you wont get proper ignition... so if your head gasket is wearing out then yes you will lose power... i would get it changed if you have the money...

 

i guess thats the reason why its tough to get it started. Gotta get it cranking for a while, and not much power on slopes either. But ill sorta clean the area and see how bad it is again in a week and then maybe Ill know. Im planning to get the engine bay cleaned and want to do it carefully by hand as there are way too many wires going and m scared to get em all wet. But I stay in an apartment and if i get the parking lot full of grease Im gonna get warned or somethin. So ill see what I can in a car wash.

Thanks guys

 

hey guys
got some pics


Got the engine bay cleaned by hand in the aprtment parking lot. Not the bay actually, just the engine. Took the car out to the car wash after that, and it was sort of sputtering and jerking for some 10 minutes on the road. Stalled it a couple of times, got honked at but then it got back to normal and it looks a million times better than it was. Im gonna see how much oil im gonna get in a week from that leaking gasket now that I have the sides of the engine clean. Take a look:

http://s694.photobucket.com/albums/vv309/septerra1/

Any of you got transformers pics of our Datsun??

 

The car looks really nice septerra, really nice. The body looks like there is no rust spots or any dings...you could take a picture of the leak area and post it up here since you have cleaned it. There are a lot of people here you can tell you you a lot about what to do just by looking at a clear picture.

 

Yeah, thanks NGGheewala. Here goes,


The area beneath the sparkplugs was where it was leaking. Cleaned it as much as i could at home by hand. ill post another pic in 2 weeks to track how much oil and crap it oozes.





Any input on how to fix this. Its the drivers side (right hand drive here), rear bumper.






Now, this is my biggest concern. The left side of the engine, I guess its the exhaust manifold?? is heavily rusted. Any advise on what to spray or coat it with for protection???

 

if the leak was coming from just below the spark plugs then yeah you have a bad head gasket, either theres a missing bolt on that bumper or it has rusted through, and that pipe thats all rusty comes off of your exhaust manifold... exhaust gets rusty... the only thing you can really do is take it all off (which, by the way, usually results in a few broken bolts) get all the rust off of it and coat it with header paint... fix the head gasket before you mess with the rust on that pipe... thats mainly detail for now

 

nah, dont wanna meddle with the head gasket for now. Coz thats definitely gonna make it very expensive. Can anyone gimme detailed advise on how to safely remove the rust and paint it??

 

Okay. Just a bump. Im really worried how long that would hold up (please take a look at the last pic above). Anyway I can remove the rust and coat something at home?? I read most paints dont hold up to the heat....

Thanks again

 

It's lasted 28 years so far... Unless there's a hole in it don't worry about it.

 

The rust on the exhaust is not a problem you should worry about. It's completely natural for this car and it's age and an area that is exposed to such heat cycles.

You said earlier that your ZX has been converted to LPG (Liquid Propane Gas). I believe I verified this in your pictures with the modification to the fuel filler.

If that is true, then you can completely ignore any information from the members of this board regarding startup, performance or tuning. They have no background or experience in this area.

LPG has similar properties as CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) which is a very popular conversion here in the states and requires the ECU be tuned specifically for the alternative fuel you're running in order to adjust the AFR's to accommodate for the energy content per volume of LPG or CNG.

Congratulations on your ZX. It appears to be in pretty good shape.

Get yourself a factory service manual (FSM) and a Haynes service manual and start to learn the systems on your car. You'll be an expert shortly.

Cheers,
LWW

 

hey

thanks for that info on rust. Since u all say its nothing to worry about, Ill let it stay for now until it gets worse.

lmw, good idea mate. i just ordered a manual from the internet from another z owner. Shd have it soon.

Regs