wstar's Journal

wstar · 06-30-2009, 07:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Josh@STILLEN

Anywhoo.. so this stuff stripped your pan like this? Or you found something else to complete it?

Yeah I just sprayed it down with "Gasket Remover" counted to 10, wiped it down with a paper towel, and blew it off with an air gun. I'm a little worried about corrosion now of course, but I don't have any good high temp paint here at the moment anyways. I may pull the pan and repaint it at the next oil change.

Anyways, I just finished up with the oil pan business, it took a lot longer than I thought it would owing to a fitment complication of sorts. The pan spacer fits on the engine fine, and our engine with a spaced pan installed on it would drop in our car fine too. However, you can't really install a spaced pan on this engine while it's in the car.

There's a metal tab, whose purpose in life is to be the backing for one of the 16 bolts for the plastic undertray, which sits directly above one of the oil pan bolt heads. It's merely a pain in the *** when removing the stock pan, but after making the pan stick out an inch further, there's just no way to tighten the oil pan bolt behind it. You can't even get the bolt in there to start it unless you bring it in with the pan (already sunk into the spacer), but even after that there's no way to tighten. I tried everything, even shaving down the sides of a small 10mm open wrench, but no go.

The only thing I think might work for tightening that one oil pan bolt would be to hoist or jack the whole engine up a couple of inches on its mounts to give more temporary clearance while tightening. Then maybe you could get it 1/16th at a time with an open wrench. It would still be a total pain in the ***.

I tried a few variations and gave up on doing it nicely. So I got out the trusty dremel tool with a heavy duty cutoff wheel and gave my plastic undertray one less attachment point. Problem solved, now I can move on

Pics of all of this will be coming, much later tonight.

miguez · 07-01-2009, 05:00 AM

Nice update, thanks!

miguez · 07-01-2009, 07:52 PM

Bummer about the phone!

When you refilled the 8.5 quarts, did it stop filling at one point, requiring you to wait for it to fill the cooler, to then continue, or was it in one shot?

RCZ · 07-01-2009, 07:52 PM

so?

wstar · 07-01-2009, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by miguez

Bummer about the phone!

When you refilled the 8.5 quarts, did it stop filling at one point, requiring you to wait for it to fill the cooler, to then continue, or was it in one shot?

I had to do it in steps, yes. I initially poured 6.5 quarts into the cold engine for the first startup. Started the car, let it run about 5-10 seconds, shut it off, dipstick was low again. Added another quart, ran it a *little* bit longer, shut it down again, added another quart and warmed the engine up fully. Right after shutoff I checked the dipstick again and it was slightly over the full mark, so I knew that meant it would be overfull once the engine drained to the pan as it cooled off.

Just now I drained it back to the correct "cold" level, ended up taking slightly over half a quart back out (did this by loosening the oil drain bolt, letting a little pour, then screwing it back in and checking level, took a few tries, but eventually nailed it without going too far).

Quote:

Originally Posted by RCZ

so?

Car is definitely healthy. I've checked and rechecked and rechecked everything a bazillion times, done lots of testing in the driveway. Bumper is still off the car and no test drive because I'm lazy and tired now

I learned *lots* of interesting stuff I'm going to have to post about doing DIY installs of the oil pan spacer and the oil cooler kit. Was hoping to put some photos up with them, but the damn camera/phone :P. I'll make a DIY thread about this project regardless sometime tonight, with or without any good pics.

wstar · 07-01-2009, 10:17 PM

First test drive done (without the plastic undertray, so that I could inspect things easier). It was a relatively tame drive, with stops about once every two blocks to pop the hood, check fluid levels, stare under the car with a flashlight, etc. I'm paranoid

Anyways, nothing leaked, everything worked fine. I got in some harder acceleration runs a few times near the end of the drive, all was smooth. Oil temps are definitely going to be way better. It warms up a lot slower, and stays a lot lower. Seems to stabilize at around 195 when cruising around at night now (which is about what our coolant stabilizes at isn't it? doubt that's a coincidence), although it takes its sweet time getting up to that.

No serious oil-temp-stress testing tonight though. I want to go through testing the car at this point in stages so that I can hopefully catch any small problems without them turning into catastrophes

It's worth it to avoid a $10K engine bill or whatever it is if I blew out a line during a hard driving stretch.

travisjb · 07-01-2009, 10:46 PM

That's great, congrats on successful install... sounds like all is well so far.

wstar · 07-01-2009, 11:45 PM

Pic-less DIY thead on the pan install for now:

DIY: Oil Pan Spacer

The oil cooler install really needs pics even more than that one does, and needs me to organize my thoughts about all the little gotchas along the way. Coming soon

wstar · 07-02-2009, 09:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by miguez

Bummer about the phone!

Phone screen is alive again this morning, seems to have sorted itself out once whatever chemical evaporated away or something.

DIY: Oil Pan Spacer <- updated with pics now

semtex · 07-02-2009, 01:53 PM

Congrats on getting your first Z ticket?

Just kidding. Hope it isn't too expensive.

wstar · 07-02-2009, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by semtex

Congrats on getting your first Z ticket?

Just kidding. Hope it isn't too expensive.

Thanks, I think. It'll probably be $40 in court costs and then whatever it costs to take some cheesy online defensive driving course. It's more of a pain in the *** than anything.

wstar · 07-02-2009, 05:10 PM

Just more tiny status updates, another long-ish drive, another 220 peak, which quickly went back down to 200 cruising in 7th in traffic on the highway. God I love having a cooler on this car now.

Back to brakes stuff: I identified my leak, it's the flare connection where the hard line interfaces the braided cable for the right front brake. Like I said, I hate those things (brake line flare connections), I seem to have a habit of over-torquing them and ruining them, my record is 2 ruined out of 8 tightened on two cars

I'm actually going to skip the ******** of trying to remake the flare on the existing line with the special tools. Instead a local Nissan dealer is overnighting me a replacement hard line to pick up tomorrow for $35 shipped. Can't beat that.

theDreamer · 07-07-2009, 09:56 PM

wstar, how are the sways after some more travel time?

wstar · 07-08-2009, 07:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theDreamer

wstar, how are the sways after some more travel time?

The sways are still doing great, my (good) opinion of them hasn't changed, but I'm not driving many miles the past week or so, and taking it real easy in the car. Real testing of everything else lately (oil temps, brakes) is still held up because that brake line the dealer was getting "overnighted" for me on Thursday last week still isn't here

. Supposedly it's really going to arrive today, then I can fix the brake leak, rebleed everything, trust my brakes again, and then drive aggressively enough to test the oil temps for real

wstar · 07-08-2009, 05:21 PM

The replacement hard line is finally in my garage now, and I picked up some M10x1.0 hardware to temporarily plug the brake system while I'm replacing the line so I don't lose more fluid than necessary and make a total mess. Should all come together tonight. It's going to be a bit of a pain in the ***, since the hard line runs from the passenger wheel well (where it hooks up to the braided line) all the way back over by the brake reservoir in front of the driver, requiring the removal of the strut tower brace and all of the hardware under the edge of the windshield to access it at the very least.

07-01-2009, 10:17 PM	#6 (permalink)
wstar A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 4,024 Drives: too slow Rep Power: 3596	First test drive done (without the plastic undertray, so that I could inspect things easier). It was a relatively tame drive, with stops about once every two blocks to pop the hood, check fluid levels, stare under the car with a flashlight, etc. I'm paranoid Anyways, nothing leaked, everything worked fine. I got in some harder acceleration runs a few times near the end of the drive, all was smooth. Oil temps are definitely going to be way better. It warms up a lot slower, and stays a lot lower. Seems to stabilize at around 195 when cruising around at night now (which is about what our coolant stabilizes at isn't it? doubt that's a coincidence), although it takes its sweet time getting up to that. No serious oil-temp-stress testing tonight though. I want to go through testing the car at this point in stages so that I can hopefully catch any small problems without them turning into catastrophes It's worth it to avoid a $10K engine bill or whatever it is if I blew out a line during a hard driving stretch. __________________ 7AT Track Car! Journal thread / Car setup details

07-01-2009, 10:46 PM	#7 (permalink)
travisjb A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: GSO Posts: 2,803 Drives: VIR Rep Power: 190	That's great, congrats on successful install... sounds like all is well so far. __________________ 2009 370Z #104 For Sale

07-01-2009, 11:45 PM	#8 (permalink)
wstar A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 4,024 Drives: too slow Rep Power: 3596	Pic-less DIY thead on the pan install for now: DIY: Oil Pan Spacer The oil cooler install really needs pics even more than that one does, and needs me to organize my thoughts about all the little gotchas along the way. Coming soon __________________ 7AT Track Car! Journal thread / Car setup details

07-02-2009, 01:53 PM	#10 (permalink)
semtex A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Behind enemy lines Age: 55 Posts: 5,995 Drives: People to drink Rep Power: 34	Congrats on getting your first Z ticket? Just kidding. Hope it isn't too expensive. __________________ "There are no small accidents on this circuit." -- Ayrton Senna 316.8whp & 248 ft/lbs (Dyno Dynamics) \| 319whp & 256 ft/lbs (DynoJet) (04/23/10) Stillen G3 CAI, CBE, Pulley / F.I. LTH / GTSpec Ladder Brace / Setrab Oil Cooler / UpRev-tuned by Forged Perf.

07-02-2009, 05:10 PM	#12 (permalink)
wstar A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 4,024 Drives: too slow Rep Power: 3596	Just more tiny status updates, another long-ish drive, another 220 peak, which quickly went back down to 200 cruising in 7th in traffic on the highway. God I love having a cooler on this car now. Back to brakes stuff: I identified my leak, it's the flare connection where the hard line interfaces the braided cable for the right front brake. Like I said, I hate those things (brake line flare connections), I seem to have a habit of over-torquing them and ruining them, my record is 2 ruined out of 8 tightened on two cars I'm actually going to skip the ******** of trying to remake the flare on the existing line with the special tools. Instead a local Nissan dealer is overnighting me a replacement hard line to pick up tomorrow for $35 shipped. Can't beat that. __________________ 7AT Track Car! Journal thread / Car setup details

07-01-2009, 05:00 AM	#2 (permalink)
miguez Enthusiast Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Columbus, Ohio Posts: 359 Drives: '04 Cavalier Rep Power: 183	Nice update, thanks!

07-01-2009, 07:52 PM	#3 (permalink)
miguez Enthusiast Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Columbus, Ohio Posts: 359 Drives: '04 Cavalier Rep Power: 183	Bummer about the phone! When you refilled the 8.5 quarts, did it stop filling at one point, requiring you to wait for it to fill the cooler, to then continue, or was it in one shot?

07-01-2009, 07:52 PM	#4 (permalink)
RCZ A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Miami Posts: 6,403 Drives: '09 370Z Rep Power: 1120	so?

07-07-2009, 09:56 PM	#13 (permalink)
theDreamer A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Texas Posts: 30,879 Drives: 370z Rep Power: 4212	wstar, how are the sways after some more travel time? __________________ theDreamer's Z // Fast Intentions // Uprev // GTM // HKS // TEIN theDreamer's Silvia // URAS // GREDDY Houston Zs // Facebook // Twitter // Instagram

07-08-2009, 05:21 PM	#15 (permalink)
wstar A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 4,024 Drives: too slow Rep Power: 3596	The replacement hard line is finally in my garage now, and I picked up some M10x1.0 hardware to temporarily plug the brake system while I'm replacing the line so I don't lose more fluid than necessary and make a total mess. Should all come together tonight. It's going to be a bit of a pain in the ***, since the hard line runs from the passenger wheel well (where it hooks up to the braided line) all the way back over by the brake reservoir in front of the driver, requiring the removal of the strut tower brace and all of the hardware under the edge of the windshield to access it at the very least. __________________ 7AT Track Car! Journal thread / Car setup details

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