SSSEXXX

When I went to the machine shop to pick up my block and head I saw a few CA blocks that had been either painted or powder coated black. They looked pretty awesome. Made me wish I didn't have the urge to do it all myself and to learn. Such a good segue too... When I went by the machine shop to pick up my block there was a recently worked on SR block that had been painted a gloss black. It looked cool, but what really stood out to me were the new shiny brass freeze plugs. I had always planned on replacing the ones in my block, but was unclear on two important details. First, I was not sure how important or not the work would really be, but I did like the aesthetics. And second, I heard a million and one different ways to get these little bad boys in. There seems to be a pretty even divide as to whether or not you should use sealant or not. You remember where we last left off??? Here is the intake side still fresh from my DIY paint and partially covered in tape. I removed the tape covering my old freeze plugs. Note how the don't shine like new and are screaming for love and affection... Close up... Let's just be honest with ourselves. I am not a mechanic. If you recall from the start of this thread, I have no idea what I am doing until after I read and read and read some more. To make up for my lack of mechanical precision I chose the liquid gasket route. After some research, I went with Permatex Aviation. $7 for a little added security and comfort in how badly I suck at hammering these in straight is pretty cheap if you ask me. Smashing one edge and you get it to tilt... YAY!!!! Out.... oooooh, look at all that coolant residue... interesting... Anyone know if this is a problem and or concern?? Is there a system flush I can do that would help remove some or all of this?? OEM old plug versus new aftermarket plug... Dorman plug kicks OEM's rear on shiny factor... In this shot you can tell that the OEM is a little thicker with slightly longer side walls.. not sure if this is a problem or not, I'm going to go ahead an assume the answer is no. Mainly because I don't want to have to pull these all out now... Bang! Bang! Pow! Pow! New plugs in... Long distance shot.... Flip, time to repeat... 3 this time... I had been somewhat conflicted as to whether or not I should have done this. Freeze plug problems or leaks are so rare from what I have read. But then this little guy popped out. I knew there was a problem as soon as I tried to flip it in the block. My screwdriver went through it. The rust and corossion was so bad that I am absolutely certain that at some point it woud have leaked. I guess it really was worth it in the end huh? All done!!!!! Up close... I spent the rest of the afternoon getting the parts together to send off to WPC this week and cleaning the garage which had become quite dirty since paint and the brake job. I bought some used GReddy S13 sr20det cam gears last week. One I have those and a dipstick tube, I should be ready for assembly.

Just wanted it to look pretty really. I dipped it and had it cleaned at the machine shop, but the head and the block came out two different shades of dirty looking. I decided I would scrub them with brass brushes, but that didn't help too much. Ultimately wound up spraying them to get the aesthetics I was hoping for. Is it bad to paint them? I have seen a lot of blocks done this way too. Let me know your thoughts my friend.

Yo!!! What it do??? or How have you been?? for those of you without the Hip-Hop music influence. I have had an interesting couple of weeks since we last spoke. I went to BMW to get a quote for new brakes and rotors on the 745i, the $tealership quoted me a stupid dollar amount and I went ahead and did it myself. All OEM parts and 2 hours later I was done for a much more acceptable $175 price tag. Suck it BMW!!! Next weekend I am going to get her up on jack stands again and find that pesky coolant leak I suspect is from the $tealership not putting a hose back on right after a radiator fluid flush. Arg!!!! Been a while since new parts arrived, but I was glad to see my new dipstick (perverts are allowed to laugh) come in. I inadvertently broke the old one during engine break down. I know, I know, it takes a special guy to screw that one up... Next I was off to prep the engine block for paint. Dupli-Color Heat Heat Ceramic Engine Enamel in Cast Aluminum for that OEM feel. Since this was my first every experience with spray paint or painting in general I figured I might was well spend as much time in prep as I could... Hard to screw up as badly that way.. Exhaust side: Front side: Top side: Intake side: Bottom side (he he he!!): An obligatory shot of my make-shift paint booth. I am clearly no expert lol!! Coat one on and I am getting the hang of this, definitely not perfect... Coat two on and I am not great, but not sucking as much... Engine block left to dry and I figured since I am feeling uber productive, I will takle that upper oil pain.. oops I mean pan Cleaned and prepped for paint.. yes sir!!! Who is your sr20det daddy???? A shot of her back side (and the innuendo continues...) Being as anal as I am, I wasn't 100% happy with the quality of my paint work. I couldn't get all the last bits of debris off of the block even after a dip in a whirlpool bath and scrubbing with copper brush. But I did do it all myself and I learned a lot. This will not be a show car, I plan on driving her. I do; however, want to keep this car clean and pretty after all of this hard work... flame away you professional engine painters.. I am open to hearing the good and bad...

Hey everyone!!! Been doing a lot of searching for a 4 door Nickle Dime for the engine and trying to get a body to fit this monster in to. That combined with two practices a day and running the companies doesn't leave a lot of time for working on the engine. My daily, the 745 is starting to have some transmission kick, needs new brakes, and has a slight coolant leak. I am beginning to question whether or not I should be picking up a new car to replace her too. Argh!!!! Expenses in the adult world suck. I am hoping to finish paint preparation on the block this weekend and shoot it with some high-heat engine enamel. Until then I managed to track down the requisite 30mm freeze / core /expansion plugs. I was going to go OEM, but they tried to charge me $3 each at the $tealership. I really haven't had a good reliable dealership experience yet and it is really unfortunate because I am a big buyer, I pay cash, and I am loyal. I digress. Anyone have any tips for spray painting the block?? I am very nervous about making my clean build look really bad and I have no spray paint experience...

Thank you all for the input and the responses. This forum has by far been the most helpful and responsive one I have tried. All the research I had done was leading me to the Cosworth Head Gasket too, so I am glad to hear that many of you felt the same way about it. I need to decide on the right size next. @]2eDeYe - That was exactly what I needed to know. The journals are all clean and the crank has just been sitting in the box. I will get it prepped for another week or so before I reassemble. @johnbureezu - The Cosworth logo was a pretty cool little bonus I thought too and most of the drift S13 builders I spoke to have pointed me in that direction. They have some of the most experience with these engines because they use to pop them into their S13 Silvias before the big $ and big HP sponsorships came through. I started researching management and tuning. It is pretty intimidating to say the least. Standalone seemed like a waste considering my application. Greddy has E-Manage, but I have heard some horror stories there. Whatever I ultimately decide, it is going to be a piggyback system that I can later tweak via a laptop. How do you like the 4828? What HP are you working with and how is the low end throttle response?? @DISLEXICDIME - I hope so man, I hope so. I feel so far away from that time that it makes me sad. @ariascarlos1990 - Sorry my friend, going 4 door, but I love me some goon. @dennis - Thank you for all of the help man. Cosworth is clearly unanimous it seems. Received my Blow-By Assembly Pipe for the block. It was one of two left in the US according to my dealership, but the size of this tube isn't the same as as the JDM versiong, but I seriously doubt that this will be a problem. Here is a side-by-side comparison. It looks like the new version is made out of a different material too. Interesting. I wonder if this was a JDM versus USDM thing or just an upgrade. Here are the two random pipes/tubes that I still need. The FSM does not specifically address these parts and it is a pain in the assets to try and figure out what they are. I guess I can clean the one on the right, but the one on the left I had to destroy to get out of the block. Also picked up a revised chain guide. My old one wasn't broken, but it just seemed so cheap when compared to the old plastic one. The new metal variant is a lot stronger and tougher feeling. Here is a comparison shot. Take special note, the old chain side guide uses different bolts, so make sure who ever you get yours from gives you the new hardware too. Taking pistons, pins, rings, main/rod & thrust bearings, and rocker arms in this week for WPC. Buying cams and engine assembly lube and I shoudl be set to put her together. Still need a top mount tubro manifold, turbo, and thinking about a new OEM timing chain. Then I am moving on to the fuel deliver system and transmission. Need top feed injectors, Walbro 255, oh and a CAR FML!!!! I have to things to complain about: First, I called GReddy to inquire why they have discontinued a lot of parts for the SR20DET and the reference was that the engine was too old. Not a direct quote, but it was definitely inferred. They are focusing their business on newer engine performance it would seem. Which does nothing but piss me off because I have truly enjoyed my experience learning how to work on an engine and it would not have been possible if it were not for the SR which has been done and documented by the tuner community. What other engine besides an RB can you get so much information on????

Actually, I didn't bore the sleeves (that was what i meant). I stayed with the OEM 86mm bore. It really didn't make sense to do it with the HP I am shooting for and the drive-ability. I am going with either a Disco Potato or a GT2871R with a .64 housing that will fit the OEM T25 flanges. I was shooting for a lot of power. Was hoping for 300-325 at this point with quick throttle response. So the bigger T3 setups just seemed silly. I would love to ride in an SR dime, but I don't know anyone that owns one. I think the engine has been over-worked at this point, but that was because I wanted to learn more than anything. Recommendations on a good head gasket?

Picked up the head yesterday. BC springs and retainers installed and ready to go. Best head I've gotten in a long time (sorry, had to do it). Close up shot of the retainers... Side view, intake side... Full frontal... So nice to have her all back in one place. For now anyway, I am sending stuff out this week for WPC. It is like my engine and I have a long distance relationship. The rest of my box-o-goodies... Let me tell you that it is super refreshing to now be working with a clean engine. It almost weirds me out a little bit. It makes just handling things so, so, SO much easier. It is also a lot easier to see what it is that you are doing. There are some dimples inside the head I noticed, not sure what those are, but I don't think they are going to be a problem. I am still gathering some miscellaneous parts, but I think the only parts I need to really buy are new cam sprockets, injectors, and the turbo. I did have some questions about the injectors. I have a top feed fuel rail, I need top feed injectors right?? I have been told the bigger, the better, I was thinking 555+ cc. Can someone recommend some good sprockets??? GReddy doesn't make them anymore I believe. My guy at the shop said that they take off as little material as they can from the block and the head when they deck it. He said a standard head gasket would be fine. Is that a good move?? I have the OEM JDM SR20DET gasket new that came with my gasket kit. Oh, and here is a list of what I had done to the engine while it was gone and the prices that I paid. I have no idea what is standard and I know that some people believe that you shouldn't share this kind of stuff, but if it helps just one person I am good with it. Pressure Wash Block - $40.00 Hone Bock to Fit Supplied Pistons - $140.00 Deck Block - $90.00 Valve Job - $240.00 Resurface Head $50.00 Balance Rotating Assembly - $150.00 Cryo 4-Cylinder Crankshaft - $80.00 TOTAL - $790.00

ARG!!!! Frustration beyond belief. Let me preface this post by saying that I NEED YOUR HELP. As this is my first time working on an engine, much less doing this degree of work, I don't know what to look for. I do trust the shop that I am working with, they did take their time, but that aside they have a great reputation. The head was not done yet; however, so my BC springs, retainers, and new seats were not on yet. I have to go back today and pick it up. Trunk-o-goodies. Shiny, clean block. My pistons, rods, crank, upper oil pan, gurdle... Close up of the block, back home where she belongs... So, I am not going to re-assemble her for a while. I need the WPC stuff done and am still in need of a few other misc. parts. Is there anything I should do to protect it while it is sitting in my garage???? The crank was supposed to be "cryo-treated" to harden it up and protect it from future damage should I put this thing back together wrong. I can't tell a difference, should I be able to?? My guy at the shop is a bit forgetful and I don't think he wouldn't do it out of malice, just that he may have missed it. Alos, there is a tiny bit of what looks like surface rust on the crank now. How do I get this off before I put it back together??? Is it okay to store like this??

Back again kids!! Still waiting on the engine to be done over at the machine shop, but did manage to finally get my Eagle "H" Beam rods and CP 8.5:1 86mm (Standard Bore) pistons in....

Uh oh!!!! Look what daddy did at lunch today... Brian Crower valve springs and titanium retainers.... Dropped off the engine block, head, and crank off at the machine shop today. Everything getting a hot tank. Nitrating the crank, balance, hone block, deck job, then having the BC springs and titanium retainers fitted after a valve job. Also have OEM valve seats that came with my OEM gasket kit. I ordered CP Pistons (86mm standard bore @ 8.5:1 compression), Eagle Rods, and have lined up the WPC treatment which really wasn't as expensive as people made it out to be. That should all be arriving this week. Meanwhile I dropped off the engine block and head to the machine shop. Micropolishing and balancing the crank, then cryo-treating it. Everything will get hot tanked and cleaned up, then decking the head and block. SUPER EXCITED!! I am also getting my BC springs and retainers and the OEM valve stems put on the head while it is there. Shot of my head on the floor of the 7 during transport lol. Made my v8 a 12 cylinder for a little bit... Oh, and I also managed to pick up some ACL main, rod and thrust bearings which of course will get the WPC treatment with the rocker arms, piston head, and rings...

@dennis & RedBanner - I will check out both. Thank you guys for the input. This kind of feedback is exactly why I finally decided to join and post. Oh and dennis, I have already read your build thread twice. You are mechanically way ahead of me my friend. When I saw your blusish titanium VHT, I was wishing I had gone with that color instead of the OEM looking cast aluminum color I chose. Pictures coming of that BTW. The cooling system I am getting more and more comfortable with, but the fuel system scares the hell out of me. The idea of running fuel lines, fittings, fuel tanks v. gas tanks, all makes me want to cringe. I am a complete rookie obviously. I know I will get over it. I just wish I could find a good car in SoCal that wasn't $4k+. I spent way more than I had planned on the engine build up and I would like to keep the costs down the rest of the way. How do flipped crossmembers hold up over time? I hear what you are saying with the datsport solution, it is super expensive. Not a massive update, but picked up my ARP main and head studs today... Also found a machine shop that is a little bit far away, but seems to be up to the challenge. Decided not to bore the head out and stick with the 86mm pistons. If the walls ain't broke, why fix them??? This way if there is ever any damage to a cylinder I can go 86.5mm and/or 87mm. Thinking 9:1 Compression Ratio. I'm 100% postive about decking the head and the 3 angle valve job. Also picked up a metric feeler guage for the rings today too... After a long week of research and not a whole lot of progress to report, I am picking up some BC springs and titanium retainers today too if I have enough time to swing by. Also got my front cover / oil pump in the mail...

@dennis - Wow!! Thank you for the info. I am pretty sure I am going to relocate the oil filter to somewhere off of the block. There are a few different versions I am looking at. I did have a question about the Permatex. I noticed that the factory used Grey Permatex here too, but people are telling me that the red stuff that came with my OEM gasket kit will be fine. Any thoughts?? Yup, I will be running A/C and I do not even know if I can run the power steering with the Datsun 510 yet. Still more research needed here before I conclude. I need to see a wiring diagram and read for a long time. I am glad it is a newer redtop and after all this time, you sir are the first to point that out. So, thank you again. Very helpful stuff. Still looking for a vehicle. In case it wasn't obvious, I am a bit anal retentive and have seen a lot of cars that I thought needed work that was way beyond my skill level. I am doing all of this for the absolute first time. As far as mounting goes, I have done my research there. People flip the cross-member and have much more mechanical skill than I do. I am not capable of welding. So it was either learn or buy a pre-fab kit. Datsport out of Australia is my lead pick right now. I can use the OEM S13 motor mounts with it and they have some suspension pieces that go well with it. More pics coming soon. About 50 left before we catch up...

@RedBanner - Now that makes more sense then my engine having 45k miles on it. I don't doubt you at all given what I have seen of other engines while doing my research. It is really scary what people wind up with. Literally like a crap shoot. That was what ultimately led me to deciding to tackle the internals and everything now instead of waiting until it was in the car and wired up. I am just super patient and have been reading a lot about it. I have been lurking on Ratsun for a long while trying to learn about suspensions, wiring, and all the tips and tricks before I buy a car. I appreciate the support and hope I can find a great vehicle soon, I am going to be reassembling the engine in the next couple of weeks and I really need to get started on body work, paint, etc. Otherwise this thing will be sitting in my garage waiting for a home... Finally lifted the crank out. It was really surprising how heavy this thing is. When you think about it, it makes sense. The block is all aluminum, pistons are pretty light, so it should be obvious that a lot of the engine's weight is center at the crank. Yet, I was still surprised... The only thing left on the block, other than some misc. bolts and freeze plugs, were the oil squirters and the oil filter and plate... So, naturally it was time to get that oil filter and plate off of my engine... So exciting to be this closed to transitioning on to the next phase of the engine build. I have stayed committed to my goal of learning and doing it right, but it has been a slow and tedious process. I really need a good recommendation for a trustworthy machine shop and a really good powder coater.

Taking the gurdle off was not a problem. Breaker bar and some spinach and you are good to go kids... A few shots of engine at this point... Eight bolts later I had the pistons out and was feeling pretty accomplished. I was really, really nervous about doing damage here. I didn't want to scratch or bang anything and you need a little bit of pushing to get those pistons to drop. I used a plastic oil pan filled with shop towels on my shop chair to catch each piston... All that was left was the crank and to get the casings that hold in out was going to need a bit of ingenuity... I didn't want to drop the cash on the proper tool that bolts in to the holes in the center of each casing, so I found another way. I used one of the longer aluminum oil pan bolts screwed through a larger 1/2" socket and it worked like magic... All out and ready to tackle that crank... Here is two different looks of the crank before she get pulled out...

Another weekend, another day in the garage putting the final steps on the sr20det block breakdown. My goal was to finish the block and get ready for research on the head work. I want to have the engine components to the machine shop this week. And, I want to get the GReddy intake plenum, high capacity oil pan, and valve cover to powder. It is exciting to be slowly shifting phases from the breakdown to the reassembly. First thing I did was get rid of some of the miscellaneous extras that were still attached to the block. Someone get me my rubber mallet!! Then it was on to that rear engine cover. A little tricky to get to the four bolts holding it on while the engine was on the stand, but definitely no big deal... Then it was time to flip this bad boy over and get my nubby little paws on the pistons and crankshaft...

Another Thursday brought another round of goodies after countless hours of research and reading and more research and more reading. I feel like being a drug addict at this point may be a cheaper hobby. Particularly if you have a GReddy affliction like I do... GReddy Camshafts. Went a little off of the typical and am going to run 264 11.5 Intake and 272 11.5 Exhaust. Open to hear your thoughts... OEM S13 Water Pump... GReddy High Capacity Oil Pan... Going to powder coat it a brilliant shade of red I think... GReddy said that the powder coat will not adversely affect the heat dissapation of the aluminum...

On to that pesky, dirty front cover. Couple of bolts and she popped right off. No cover, no cry... Timing chain and guides. The guide on the right has been updated with a metal variant from Nissan according to my research. I'll have to find a part number and pick one up, but that is definitely going to happen, the plastic piece on the right is a little weak for my tastes... A hex allen wrench, 3 bolts, you don't really need a FSM to figure this one out... All the goodies are off the front... Time to finish up some of the smaller bits I have been waiting to get to. Thermostat housing, thermostat, and outlet. Be careful kids, this is where the coolant starts to come out and things do get a little moist... Tilting the engine on the stand. What is that I see?? Is that the crank?? We are getting to the finish line kids!!!! YESSSSS!!!!!! Here is where coolant started to gush out. Water pump off with just a few bolts and bam, pow!! The tilt helped drain off the excess fluids. It got a little messy, but I worked it out. If you don't know what you are doing, might as well do it clean and organized right???? Before calling it a wrap, I will leave you kids with two more shots of the engine the way it stands right now. I know this thread is moving slowly. I am trying to do it right, research, and work. When I reach a point where I feel unsure about the next step, I stop and research some more. I didn't want to get to work on the oil filter and crank just yet. See you all again soon. Parts I am still waiting for this week include the back-ordered N15 Pulsar throttle body, Tomei adjustable cam sprockets, Greddy high capacity oil pan, and more... My wallet is still bleeding, but she will make it...

Another day, more breakdown, starting to see more block baby!!! Let's start with a reminder of where we last left off shall we? So here we are with the lower steel oil pan off and we are on to the upper aluminum oil pan. The steel pain was a bit of a pain to get off, but the kids over at Nissan made the aluminum variant much easier to get separated. All you have to do is use the transmission to engine bolt and screw it in to the hole in the rear of the oil pan and presto!!! She comes right of. Like butter baby!! I know how you kids love the up-skirt shot.... Dirty oil strainer, get in my baggie!! You may recall that I picked up an S14 variant, but no harm in keeping the old gear handy and ready to roll... Inner baffle plate off... Mechanical panty shot once again... you're welcome....

I have been busy doing research and buying lots and lots of parts. The next round of which have started to flow in. First off is the Greddy Intake Manifold / Plenum for the SR20DET made specifically for the N15 Pulsar 70mm throttle body. I ordered the throttle body, but it is on back order from Japan and is still on its way Of course I had to go with the matching Greddy top feed fuel rail. This was not discontinued like many douche bag vendors tried to tell me. The anodized blue is totally going to go with my red engine bay color scheme with blue and polished accents... And the S14 oil strainer I'm going to replace the S13 unit with. Heard it works a little better than the S13 variant, but even if it doesn't, it is still a newer unit right?

@Wide14u - A day or so?? Really?? Wow!! If that isn't scary, I don't know what is lol... @jdmdime - Thanks!! I have had no clue what I was doing. Research, forums, books, FSMs, stopping, starting, stopping again. It takes me a lot longer than most, but hey I have been learning. Woke up this morning, had breakfast and got straight to work. Here is the way the head looks as soon as you take the valve cover off. Today's goal was to get head off the block and start on the oil pans. I tried removing the cam sprockets from the cam lobes per the FSM instruction, but found it to be nearly impossible. Then I had "light bulb" moment and figured just take off the cam bolts, tilt the cam sproket down by the back of the cam lobes and slide each out. Worked like a charm. Since I am getting Greddy cam sprockets and JUN cams, this didn't seem like a bad idea. Another angle of my cam-less head... The cylinder head bolts were a pain in the arse to get out. 100 ft/lb of torque is no joke. I had to make a tool run to get a 10mm allen socket for my 1/2" drive socket breaker bar, but it all worked out in the end. I would not try this without a breaker bar or a sizeable torque wrench. Just make sure you do it in order. The FSM had like 3 warning about damange to the cylinder head caused by improper removal. After you see the amount of force necessary to take out the bolts it makes sense. Off with her head!!! So exciting. Dirty pistons.. Anyone with engine knowledge want to give me any detail on what it is that I am looking at?? Just looks dirty to me lol. Another angle of the same shot... A sneak peak at my engine block box. Trying to be organized. I figure if you don't know what you are doing, might as well do it cleanly... Next it was time to tackle the lower steel oil pan. It was dented and upgrading it is a pretty standard upgrade, so I beat the hell out of it trying to separate it. Here is a shot at the exposed under side, next it is time to remove the baffle plate... She is looking a lot more like I have actually done some work. I can't wait to put this thing back together. Shiny, clean, and full of hp potential. Can't wait.. Goodbye baffle plate, 7 bolts and it was off... Looking up her skirt. Done for the day. Next time it will be the upper aluminum oil pan, front cover, and chain...

@Yosemite_Sam - Thank you sir!! I have many more to go before you are all caught up. Still looking for a car though :( I am not willing to compromise. NISMO SR20DET engine and transmission mounts arrive. Anyone know why one has a shiny cap and the other has a black cap?? Today I decided that I needed to get off my lazy arse and begin tackling the internals of the SR. Like many of the women I date, this does me no good with the top on so... Okay so according to the S14 FSM that I have I needed to rotate the crank pulley until Top Dead Center (TDC). Okay, no problem. But, for those of you doing the same thing I have two important details for you. 1 - There is only one "silver" marking link on the S13 timing chain. I spun that beesh around a few times and tripple checked to make sure I wasn't missing something. 2 - As I spun the crank to TDC I heard a "pop" noise once and heard the air flowing in and out. It wasn't easy spinning the crank. Should I be concerned?? The good news was that you can still use the markings on the cam sprockets in order to ensure you are at TDC... Next up was the chain tensioner. Two screws and a tug and she slid right out... On to the crank angle sensor. Two 12mm bolts and it slid right out... Two 12mm bolts more for the chain guard and I was ready to take off the oil pan. A hard feat to accomplish with the engine is still on the pallet. What is a guy to do??? Out of frustration I took out the spark plugs while I played the "phone a friend" game. Luckily I managed to find a pair of helping hands and hope was on the way... Finally, finally, finally!! She is on the stand. Was going to tackle the cam sprockets, oil pan, and front cover, but realized I needed a 24mm socket. Of course I do not have one handy, largest I've got is 22mm and the 27mm one I used for the crank pulley. Figures right? Ah!! I can tell you how good it feels to have the daily back in the garage again!!! You can see the SR and the parts I've managed to get my hands on in their original boxes if you look really closely... Picked up a 12 point 24mm socket tonight from Sears. Wanted a 6 point, but had no luck. But, I digress... Tomorrow it is time to break her down even more. I want to get the head off tomorrow for sure. Can anyone recommend a good machine shop to hot tank the whole block, do a 3 angle valve job, and blueprint??? I am in SoCal.

Passed out last night from exhaustion, but managed to open this little box up to find my new (to me anyway) Z32 Mass Air Flow Sensor. Needs some cleaning, but otherwise grrrrrreat!!!! Anyone know if I can spray a light mist of water though this thing and clean it out a bit?? Finally got my DVD and the boys over at Drifting dot com hooked me up with a free SR20DET t-shirt to make-up for the long wait time. Thank you gentlemen!! I watched the entire thing and I must admit that I am intimidated... I really don't know if I should got to this extent in order to make 375-400 hp. The stock internals are more than capable... so conflicted... anyone have any thoughts??? It has been extremely frustrating waiting for parts to come in and deciding if I am up to taking the block apart and working on the internals. I am 100% going to strip her down, boil and blueprint her but am now waiting for even more parts to come in. When you have OCD, the lack of forward moving progress eats at you. So, in order to subside the frustrations I went down to the local auto parts store and picked up a 27mm socket to take off my main pulley. It was actually a harder size socket to find surprisingly. I then rented a pulley puller and went home to get jiggy with it. I first used the chain link method I told you about above to lock in the crank from spinning while I got to work. Then I went to work on that big bolt..... Another view for those of you who enjoy engine purno.... BAM!!! POW!!!! She's off... The saga continues... If there was an award for the slowest moving and most detail obsessed SR build, I would like to nominate myself. LOL!!! Stay tuned for the block breakdown which I plan on starting this week... Any advice from those of you who have done internal work, now would be a great time kids...

Some goodies arrived in the mail today.... Thank you Mr. Postman!! OEM JDM SR20DET Gasket Set. If you're gonna do it, do it right. Anyone know what type of Engine liquid gasket this is? I was going to get some Permatex RTV High Temp Red, but this kit came with a big tube of this stuff so???? Also got my engine stand bolts in today... that's right, two shipments, one day = baller. Or just excess weekend shopping, but I digress. Surprisingly finding the right size bolts, proper grade, and mounting info was not as easy as one would think. I first went to Home Depot and althought I found the right size bolts and picked up four 12mm x 1.75 x 80mm Metric Hex Bolts, they weren't the proper grade. Research lead me to believe I needed Grade 5 or higher. Despite the suggestion to use the Transmission Bolts, I wanted to get something super strong. I went with bolts that I thought were rated Grade 8 because they were stamped "8.8" Well, kids those are equivolent to your standard generic grade bolt. More research lead me to Bolt Depot where I picked up four Grade 10.9 bolts... Everything I read made me think that three of the bolts where going to bolt in to the transmission bell housing and that one, on the starter side, would need a nut and a few extra washers. When I actually went to bolt it all up and tighten it down, that did not wind up being the case. For those of you interested, I used one 1/2" Flat Washer with each bolt and Bam! Pow! she is ready to be lifted on to the stand. No more hunch-back. Then I tried to lift it by myself. Bad idea. Done for the night, need to buy me a friend next or rent a hoist. Fook!

Am I being a little too anal and slow with posting? I assumed that the mass amount of photos would help me later putting it all back together and I hoped that it may help someone else someday... Only a few more and we are up to date... I don't understand why there is such a massive amount of oil/dirt sludge here... but my OCD will not let it stand.... ugh, F my life... Not perfect, but this is where I wrapped for the night... Oh and more GReddy goodies arrived, Rocker Arm Stoppers (RAS). Always use protection kids... Z32 MAF on the way, OEM JDM Nissan gasket kit and DVD from drifting dot com already paid for and en route. I am planning on working the intake and exhaust sides, but am 50/50 on internal work. I ordered the DVD to gauge whether or not I think I can or should do it. The internals don't look that bad and I am only looking for approximately 400hp. I know I will need an AFC unit. Do I go with GReddy E-Manage or a standalone like the APEXi Neo??? There is so much to learn and know, I have a whole new respect for engine builders, this is complicated.

Okay, okay, so some of you may have figured out that I got a head-start before I began posting. I wanted to commit to the project before I made it public. I'm 110% in and my wallet is shrinking everyday.... Now about that annoying, spinning rusty flywheel. After some research in the DIY section and the good old fashion SEARCH button I came accross this lovely suggestion. Worked like gumdrops and lollipops... Damage outlook.... actually not that bad, just really, really dirty... So, for those of you that are experts. Is this as bad as it made me feel? I was planning on getting an upgraded clutch anyway, but what does this mean? Was it sitting for a long time?? This amount of rust is uncommon in all the build threads I found. I am concerned... OCD kicks in again. Going to paint with High Heat Cast Aluminim Ceramic, but couldn't stand waiting to clean up before I mounted her to the stand...