SSSEXXX Posted August 30, 2011 Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 Hi everyone!! Let me start by saying that although I have been a fan of the import scene since well before I could actually drive my own car, I have never done any of my own engine work. After a couple of months of research I decided that it was time that I built a car from the ground up. I do not profess to be good at this and am trying to learn as I go only stopping to ask questions and do research. If you have any comments, good or bad, I am listening. I want to learn and build the engine on my own, but I don't want to be an ignorant idiot either. The goal is to build a weekend driven 4 door Datsun 510 with a little JDM flair. I have already been collecting parts, but still need to find a great car to start with. So here she is, my SR20DET S13 redtop engine fresh off the boat from Japan. I was told that the engine had approximately 45,000 miles, but I am not exactly sure how true that is after doing some work. I'll let you guys give me your thoughts... 1 Quote Link to comment
SSSEXXX Posted August 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 First thing I did was get rid of those harnesses. Harder than I thought it was going to be. Damn thing was a little brittle... Engine harness.. Transmission harness... Then the first signs of trouble, f00000k me and my rusty transmission bell housing. Who do I blame for this horror??? Quote Link to comment
SSSEXXX Posted August 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 Well, here is who you blame... Rusty Clutch and his dirty slurt Rusty Flywheel. This was a bad sign, even with my limited mechanical knowledge base... Now my OCD kicks in and I think "Oh Schnitz, what if the internals are just as ugly???"" Had to take her top off ASAP, you know daddy doesn't do rust... I'm no pro, but from the research I did this actually didn't look too bad. Someone wasn't a fan of oil changes, but that is forgivable right??? Any of you peeps out there want to cosign my concerns?? Is she still good?? Compression tested well over 150psi so Quote Link to comment
SSSEXXX Posted August 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 For those of you who enjoy something sexy that isn't silicon... A close up of that OEM Nissan Exedy Rust-o-Crap... Let the exhaust side breakdown begin.. hold on to your panties... But, before I started the curiousity got the best of me.... OCD... How bad was the rust???? SMH.. it was bad... so I had to change my perspective and stop looking at her rust arse.. ahhhh, full frontal... Quote Link to comment
SSSEXXX Posted August 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 Back to exhaust side business at hand.. Power steering and A/C Compressor off... That's one small step for me, and well, yeah that's pretty much it.... Exhaust manifold cover goes bye-bye... Be gone you ugly down pipe... take your rust with you... HelloT25... I like you, but I LOVE your cousin the GT2871R .64 (hint hint ) Quote Link to comment
SSSEXXX Posted August 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 Exhaust manifold off!! Progress!!! First round of parts arrive... GReddy pullies ------>>> YES ZIR!! NISMO Thermostate, Front crank seal, rear crank seal... Thank you Positron, your write-up was nothing short of inspiring... On to the intake side next... OEM Intake manifold goes bye-bye... Okay, now I know that getting these right later on is going to be a serious pain in the arse...intimidating.. Lower intake manifold, IACV, and Throttle Body gone next... planning on GReddy intake plenum, fuel rail, N15 TB so far.. any other good ideas?? Quote Link to comment
SSSEXXX Posted August 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 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... 1 Quote Link to comment
SSSEXXX Posted August 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 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. Quote Link to comment
SSSEXXX Posted August 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 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! Quote Link to comment
SSSEXXX Posted August 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 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... Quote Link to comment
Yosemite_Sam Posted August 30, 2011 Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 This is looking promising! Good luck! Quote Link to comment
Wide14u Posted August 30, 2011 Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 that rust could happen in as fast as a day or so Quote Link to comment
jdmdime Posted August 30, 2011 Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 Nice build so far Quote Link to comment
SSSEXXX Posted August 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 @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. Quote Link to comment
SSSEXXX Posted August 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 @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... Quote Link to comment
SSSEXXX Posted August 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 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? Quote Link to comment
SSSEXXX Posted August 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 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.... Quote Link to comment
SSSEXXX Posted August 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 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... Quote Link to comment
SSSEXXX Posted August 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 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... Quote Link to comment
SSSEXXX Posted August 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 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... Quote Link to comment
RedBanner Posted August 30, 2011 Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 well done. i mean keep it up man your better han half of us already. i just wanted to pop in and address the "milage" on your motor, you your self said its supposed to have 45,000 or close to it but who know and the answer..... no one.... what they do on import motors is take the average mile per year the average japaniese driver would put on there car and multiply that number times the age of the vehicle they say the motor was pulled from. so in fact it could be way more or way less.... id have to say way more just to feel safe. but you seem to be pumpin the life back in it fast good luck on the dime search we'll keep an eye out for one Quote Link to comment
SSSEXXX Posted August 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 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... Quote Link to comment
dennis Posted August 30, 2011 Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 The oil leaking where the oil filter block adapter is normal. You can either run a external filter block adapter or use some Grey Permatex and reinstall it. When replacing your water pump you should have went with an S14, this is considered an upgrade. You can ditch the black mounting plates on the block for the A/C and Power steering pumps if you havent already or if you are running A/C and PS. The S13 Redtop you picked up is a new engine in the series since you have the fins on the head. The fins show up on newer S13 Redtops and all blacktops. Lets see some pics of the 510. Also what are your plans for mounting the engine? Quote Link to comment
SSSEXXX Posted August 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 @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. 2 Quote Link to comment
SSSEXXX Posted August 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 @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... Quote Link to comment
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