Resurrection 510 Turbocharged SR20NA

[BayArea510]

Well my datsun suffered a devestating blow back in August. This must have been a little after the July meet in Santa Clara because I remember planning on taking the car tuned at Z Garage in San Jo after chewing it up a bit with Finn who suggested for me to take it there. Well that never happened.

i was already concerned with a mild ticking at idle. Initially I thought it was a lifter rattle which now I know is commonly mistaken with a rod knock. Then I played around with the timing it seemed to get rid of the ticking but became sluggish and would misfire so I set it back to where it made the slightest ticking at idle. Over the course of a couple of days the ticking became louder and louder. I called up DMS a local machine shop to check out the problem and on my way to see them the bearing went out completely. :sick: It was Ugly!! Luckily I was less than a mile away fromy house as I drove back clunking n clanking! :no:

 

At this point I tought about what I should do next. Get a new engine? or rebuild?

I went with the rebuild as there are no guarantees how a used SR20DET will last even though they are advertised at 30k to 60k.

[FoxyRoadster]

Well my datsun suffered a devestating blow back in August. This must have been a little after the July meet in Santa Clara because I remember planning on taking the car tuned at Z Garage in San Jo after chewing it up a bit with Finn who suggested for me to take it there. Well that never happened.

i was already concerned with a mild ticking at idle. Initially I thought it was a lifter rattle which now I know is commonly mistaken with a rod knock. Then I played around with the timing it seemed to get rid of the ticking but became sluggish and would misfire so I set it back to where it made the slightest ticking at idle. Over the course of a couple of days the ticking became louder and louder. I called up DMS a local machine shop to check out the problem and on my way to see them the bearing went out completely. :sick: It was Ugly!! Luckily I was less than a mile away fromy house as I drove back clunking n clanking! :no:

 

At this point I tought about what I should do next. Get a new engine? or rebuild?

I went with the rebuild as there are no guarantees how a used SR20DET will last even though they are advertised at 30k to 60k.

Yeah, I'd rebuild any of those import engines. No sense in putting a used motor in if you're going with a swap in my opinion.

 

you might also tear down the engine you have before buying another and see how bad the damage is if you haven't and then decide what to do.

[BayArea510]

Yeah, I'd rebuild any of those import engines. No sense in putting a used motor in if you're going with a swap in my opinion.

 

you might also tear down the engine you have before buying another and see how bad the damage is if you haven't and then decide what to do.

 

Well I did pull out the engine somewhere first week of September then I began tearing it down. I found the #4 piston with the spun bearing and some damage to the crankshaft.

[BayArea510]

Here are a couple of shots when pulling out the SR20

 

 

[BayArea510]

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[Icehouse]

So you boosted the NA motor and it ran good for a while? Or did the ticking start before the turbo was installed?

[BayArea510]

So you boosted the NA motor and it ran good for a while? Or did the ticking start before the turbo was installed?

 

 

Yeah It ran good for about a month! But I gotta say even before I boosted the rattle was already present just not as pronounced. I bought the car about a year ago and the SR20 had been in the car for about two years prior. Done by Dan at DGR in San Bruno, CA. Who knows how hard it was driven besides me ;) plus all that hours of traffic out in Japan.

I heard most of these 23 year old Sr20det's out of Japan aren't that much of a bargain even with the low milage claims. A guy told me back in Japan traffic is so heavy that many cars sit in traffic with alot of hours at idle or stop n go, thus the low mileage. But this puts a lot of wear and tear on the engines I assume!

I was running 10psi and felt pretty darn peppy from the get go! I haven't driven an SR20DET 510 but I read some dislike the turbo lag when it comes down to autocrossing.

[DISLEXICDIME]

Yeah It ran good for about a month! But I gotta say even before I boosted the rattle was already present just not as pronounced. I bought the car about a year ago and the SR20 had been in the car for about two years prior. Done by Dan at DGR in San Bruno, CA. Who knows how hard it was driven besides me ;) plus all that hours of traffic out in Japan.

I heard most of these 23 year old Sr20det's out of Japan aren't that much of a bargain even with the low milage claims. A guy told me back in Japan traffic is so heavy that many cars sit in traffic with alot of hours at idle or stop n go, thus the low mileage. But this puts a lot of wear and tear on the engines I assume!

I was running 10psi and felt pretty darn peppy from the get go! I haven't driven an SR20DET 510 but I read some dislike the turbo lag when it comes down to autocrossing.

 

A friend of mine told me when ever he gets a sr for a swap he always tries to talk who ever he is doing the swap for in to changing the rod and main be bearing's. and after seeing what the oil looks like coming out of these engines i under stand why.

As far as lag my sr20det was awesome last time i auto crossed it but i still have a t25 on it.

[BayArea510]

A friend of mine told me when ever he gets a sr for a swap he always tries to talk who ever he is doing the swap for in to changing the rod and main be bearing's. and after seeing what the oil looks like coming out of these engines i under stand why.

As far as lag my sr20det was awesome last time i auto crossed it but i still have a t25 on it.

 

 

:DYeah I've learned from researching how a ton of people end up with blown motors or rod knocks. Do a youtube search and you'll be startled by how many vids pop up with rod knocks or ticking lifters. Your friend is on the right track. I am glad I spent my money on the rebuild rather than taking the short way out and swapping with another used long block.

[BayArea510]

Can you guess which one is the bad Rod??

[BayArea510]

 

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[WAGON JON]

Well, rebuild it right, turn up the boost and you will win the fight... against that other guy that thought he was fast! Looking awesome.

[BayArea510]

Looking awesome.

 

Thanks!

[BayArea510]

Mid September I took the bare block and head to Delta Machine Shop here in Pittsburg, CA. I had the block bored ,020 over to 86.5 mm and surface decked, the cranckshaft got milled and resurfaced. I decided to lower the compression and went with JE Pistons with 8.5:1 compression paired with Eagle Rod I-Beams with ARP rod studs with ACL bearings. The head was in pretty good condition so Ernest did a rebuild with oem parts valve stems, seals etc...nothing fancy.

At the end of October I picked up the rebuilt head and block . Then I started degreasing and celaning all the outer compnents oil pump cover, rear seal plate, oil pans, thermostat housing, water neck, intake manifold.

I repolaced the front and rear seals. I sprayed everything with silver color Hi-Temp Paint.

I ended up getting a Cometic head gasket, oem intake gasket, two rolls of thermal wrap, misc. fitting, ss oil and water lines for the turbo, all aluminum pulley, SPEC Flywheel and Stage 2 Clutch.

Putting the motor back together went relatively easy considering its my first time. I had to borrow wifey's laptop in the garage to view the S14 service manual. I am pretty good at reading manuals and everything got torqued to specifications.

However when it came down to installing the oil filter adapter sandwich to the oil filter bracket. I overtightened the sandwich adapter to a point were I snapped off the threaded part of the oil filter bracket.

Lucky to say I found a used one on ebay for 20 bucks.

i got the bracket on Tuesday and the pulleys on Wednesday.

 

 

[BayArea510]

Here is the used oil filter bracket I picked up on ebay.

Cleaned it up, installed it but this time didn't over torque the sandwich adapter.

 

 

[BayArea510]

These pulleys are made in the USA but I am a little suspicious if they really are?? The anodizing was a little scuffed up.when I opened up the box.

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[BayArea510]

Taking off the pulley on the alternator was a real pain!!:hmm:

I don't have an air impact so I had to take it off the hard way. I didn't feel like buying a specialty tool so I wrapped and old rubber hose around the pulley and clamped it down on a vise. First couple tries the nut would not break loose. Sprayed some WD40 to soak up and tried again. no luck!! :no:

Finally used a cheat bar and got it loose.

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[BayArea510]

I also got a chance yesterday to spray the wrapped downpipe. I wrapped it last week but didnt get around to spray it because it was wet. The guy at Morgan's "hi-po autostore" told me to wet the wraps before installing it to loosen up the fibers and make it easier to install plus iy makes for a tighter wrap after drying up.

I sprayed it with silver HiTemp Silicone paint

 

Engine pic last week

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Yesterday

 

 

[BayArea510]

I gotta pick up a new belt. The crank pulley is significally smaller than the stock and the old belt is too big. I did a lttle searching online and came up with a belt from Napa. Anyone who needs a part number for smaller crank pulley belt this is it Napa # PBH 5k336. I am also picking up spark plugs tomorrow . Going with NGK BKR7E part # NGK 6097.

I'll be taking the motor off the stand to install the new flywheel and clutch.

 

Hopefully I can get it all done this weekend!! :cool:

[datsun brat pack]

Looking good:D

[Everat]

Hey how much was the rebuild for parts and machining. Im thinking of turboing my sr and I will probably do a rebuild right off.

[BayArea510]

Hey how much was the rebuild for parts and machining. Im thinking of turboing my sr and I will probably do a rebuild right off.

 

 

Machining & Head rebuild $900. Rods and pistons $650, Gaskets & Seals $200. Clutch & flywheel $650. Thats about $2,400.

[BayArea510]

I need some advise guys! So I dropped the motor in, checked all the bolts hooked up everything and fired it up.

Here is what's going on. The motor started smoking a little bit after warming up and turned out to be the thermal wraps. But then my brother noticed a good amount of oil leaking towards the front of the engine.

Traced the leak and its between the block and the head just below the chain tensioner. Checked all around the block and head and no leaks anywehre else. I know there is a mating surface here between the block, oil pump cover and head. The service manual specifies to apply liquid gasket in this spot which I did but unless I applied too much or too little.

Would like some opinions as to what I should do?? Should I just smear more luquid gasket were it is leaking or am I looking at having to take the entire head off and reapply liquid gasket??

My second problem is with the clutch. When the car is off I can easily shift gears but once the motor is running the gears don't want to drop in place. I have to fight with the stick and only then I was able to drop it in gear. What can it be?? I replaced the flywheel, clutch and pilot bearing. I did not replace the pilot bushing. Bearing spun freely when I installed.

[BayArea510]

Day 2 After Install

Now that I had daylight I searched for the oil leak. It sure had me panicked :unsure: but luckily I figured it out! I did not replace the chain tensioner gasket and this is where the oil was leaking. There is this small port on the head that I think jets oil through the tensioner in order to keep it firm against the chain guide.

The clutch felt better after a few pumps today. A friend told me its common with new clutches and I need to brake it in. He told me I should bleed the ltuch cylinder just in case.

Other issues alnog the way. The fuel return line somehow became loose in the process. Gas gas dripping everywhere but good thing I caught it before it turned my 510 nto flames and ashes!!!B) I'll put more pix later!

 

 

[BayArea510]

Flywheel mated to crankshaft lockthreaded and torqued to 105lbs,

Clucth and preassure plate lockthreaded and torqued to 32.5lbs

Checking clreance while my brother is more concerned about texting!! :frantics:

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Slowly closing the gap :)

 

Finally tranny and block bolted together :thumbup:

Aliging the motor mount bolts