RobD Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 Bought this back in January, was planning to keep it after I built it but was offered my old supra back so it's going to be sold after its built up, so thought I'd give it a build thread on here to give it a send of as I probably won't drive it much after! So, I bought it as a shell originally, then found out the owner also had an engine that 'supposedly' was built by a trader on the SXOC! For one thing and another I don't think I'll be using there services much ( more on this later!). Anyway, the car itself is a R plate uk spec manual in sapphire blue, it has done circa 55k and has next to no rust! For anyone that doesn't know about these cars, they tend to rot out badly, but this has been kept well it has to be said! Mods when I bought it consisted of the following... Apex cat back exhaust ( nearly new ) Apex FMIC ( nearly new ) Walton fuel pump Apex lowering springs Front braided lines Engine Head: Skimmed Chemically cleaned Genuine Nissan valve guides Genuine Nissan VSS Valves lapped and cleaned Pressure tester Block Skimmed Pistons cleaned checked and balanced Light hone New piston rings Uprated main bearings Uprated con rod bearings Crank cleaned and checked New oil pump New water pump 5.0 baffled sump When I picked it up it'd been stood for the best part of 2 years! The engine was oiled and covered and turned by hand to stop it seizing etc every so often, the car itself was garaged. Pics when I went to see it... As you can see, it needed some love but it's not a lot of work as the pics suggest! So, me and a few mates went up with a trailer to get it in January, and what with one thing and another I just didn't get time to work on it until the last couple of weeks on my days off, but finally managed to get some hours on it. First up, call me paranoid but when someone says something's fitted I need to make sure 100% that it is, it seems this time my paranoia paid off as I found a fair few things that needed attention! So the engine goes onto an engine stand and I begin to strip ( block and head were separated just to point out). Started out really well just by draining the oil and beginning to remove the baffled sump, I noticed it had been leaking and the root cause turned out to be a sheered bolt going through the sump into the upper sump! so I carry on removing parts, and finally came to the main bearings, supposedly uprated bearings, they turn out to be genuine Nissan bearings HEAVILY scored! Luckily the crank was untouch thank god! Thank god I decided to strip otherwise it would've cost a fortune further down the line! Stripped block... I gave the head a quick look over to find an exhaust stud had completely ripped out of the head, so badly that a heli-coil wasn't going to touch it, to fix it it was sent to a machine shop where they had to open the hole up more then weld directly into the hole to build it up then drill and retap it, luckily it didn't cost a lot but still shouldn't of been a problem! Stripped stud... So I decided to go and by some hardware... ARP Head Studs ARP Main Cap Studs ARP Con Rod Bolts ACL Main Bearings ACL Con Rod Bearings ACL Thrust Washers HKS 1.2mm Metal Headgasket Genuine Nissan Full Gasket Kit Now to build it back up... Mains in... Main caps crank ladder and ARP studs in... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobD Posted April 6, 2012 Author Share Posted April 6, 2012 Pistons back in and head gasket on... Went to install the head but thought I'd bleed the lash adjusters first, this turned into a nightmare! They were solid in the head, 2 years of conjuled oil in and around them and it's left me with a head ache to deal with Managed to get a few out but in the end, mocked up a home made slide hammer and welded the tip to the adjuster, after a few hours of messing around this was the end result... But now that was sorted the head can go back on... Rocker arms in... Cams, chain and oil sprinklers in... And how it currently is sitting... Tomorrow I've got to put on the baffles and oil pick up, then both parts of the sumps, sort a bolt in the cam cover that's sheered ( yes another!) refit the cam cover then inlet and turbo and it's ready to go back in! Other mods ive bought are... Stage 1 exedy organic clutch 3" turbo elbow and down pipe 3" decat pipe Apex tubular manifold T28r DBB turbo Rays forged 350z 18" alloys Dip HID's LED side lights 8 ball gear knob Apex short shifter I'm hopefully going to have it on the road tail end of Sunday if not Monday! For sale Tuesday ready for the supra to return! I want to give it one day of my ownership on the road without being up for sale Thanks for reading, I'll update tomorrow with more pics Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supraGZaerotop Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 nice , before i bought the supe i had an s14a for 4 years, loved every second, if i had a garage for 2 cars, there would be a supra and a 200sx in there ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Bailey Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 Looks good pal - One day when im older and more experianced with engines I wouldnt mind having a go at rebuilding a 2JZ Or SR20 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jos Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 Nice work, Loved the S14 when I had it, although in the beginning I also had manifold to head stud issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobD Posted April 7, 2012 Author Share Posted April 7, 2012 Thanks guys, the stud issues pretty common as is the manifold to turbo gaskets blowing so this will be getting special treat ment Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackie Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 Cool, Looks interesting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supra Gaz Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 Cool, cheers for the pics, that was a good read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobD Posted April 7, 2012 Author Share Posted April 7, 2012 Well managed to get the cam cover on, went to clean up the sump ready to refit and saw a hairline crack in it! Now in Chelmsford picking a new one up! Built previously by an absolute pikey! Managed to get the front mount and bumper/lights on before I left... Sitting a bit high at the moment as the engine is obviously out, hopefully it'll sit nicer once it's in! That's all I can do today now as itll be gone 5 by the time I'm back and I'm out on the lash tonight! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j_jza80 Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 Nice car. I've had a few 200sx, great cars to learn RWD in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobD Posted April 7, 2012 Author Share Posted April 7, 2012 Definitely, I'll be sad to see it leave as I've put a lot of time and money in it in just a few months but needs must Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdistc Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 Love the S-body cars - especially as SR20s can take some punishment! Wouldn't mind one in the future, have to say... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobD Posted April 7, 2012 Author Share Posted April 7, 2012 The future as in a month or so? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tkddav3 Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 always liked the s14a's you need to show that some roundabouts sideways before selling up mate! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobD Posted April 7, 2012 Author Share Posted April 7, 2012 "it's like the Mona Lisa of driftin' man!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdistc Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 The future as in a month or so? Haha, sorry but no. I only allow myself one impractical car at a time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross C Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 Good wee write up. Interesting to see. I really fancy getting an S at some point in the next few years (not months, sorry ) And do a complete rebuild like this. Keep up the good work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobD Posted April 8, 2012 Author Share Posted April 8, 2012 Thanks guys! Was supposed to go down to do a few more hours on it today, but decided to just chill out, more updates tomorrow, hopefully it'll be in the car tomorrow, maybe running! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobD Posted April 10, 2012 Author Share Posted April 10, 2012 Well I've been having a right nightmare with this, seems like the ARP Main Stud Kit I was sent was labelled up wrong! As I was installing the upper sump I found that the sump wasnt sitting correctly, it was pivoting on the stud, took them all the nuts off and made sure there wasn't any movement in the studs themselves which there wasn't, retorqued them, still the same problem! Removed all the studs and caps and checked again that there wasn't anything in stud bores, run a tap down it, still didn't sit right! So I'm going to have to wait until another set turns up and hopefully they'll be ok! Managed to get the front end on though, from this... To this... List of things to do... Fit new ARP main stud kit Fit inlet plenum and runners Fit fuel rail and injectors Fit coil packs and loom Fit injector loom Fit turbo to the manifold Fit manifold Fit engine to the car Fit 3" turbo elbow Fit 3" downpipe Fit 3" decat (345mm) Fit Apex short shifter Start the engine Fit new wheels Change brake fluid and clutch fluid Swap insurance Take it for an MOT Get tax 500 mile run in ( with a oil change every 100miles) Sell it! So not a lot to do now! Seems like a lot but it justa needs a good day or two at it now, once the sumps are on then the nightmares are hopefully over! ( he says...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TubbyTwo Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 Good work, do like the S14a's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross C Posted April 18, 2012 Share Posted April 18, 2012 Have you had any more luck with this Rob? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobD Posted April 18, 2012 Author Share Posted April 18, 2012 I totally forgot to update this, thanks for the reminder! Well, turns out with a RWD SR20DET, ARP main studs WILL foul on the upper sump! To cure this, you have to cut your lovely £100+ studs with a grinder to fit them! so very unhappily, I took a grinder to them, it needed about 2-3mm of 3 of the studs to make the upper sump fit, but now it's flush with the block so all good. So, ARP main studs, upper and lower parts of the sump all back on, sorry to say though I didn't get any pics as I just wanted to get it together, the turbo/manifold is attached, all the inlet is on also! I just need to reinstall the cam cover again as I wasn't happy with a bolt that had gone in so I retapped the hole, just needs the cover on, clutch on and it's ready to go into the car! So looking at an hours work give or take a cup of tea and about 2-3 hours fitting it back into the car and she should be running! Planning on getting this wrapped up on Saturday, still can't drive it though as I need to sort out insurance now! I sold my last car in February but kept up the repayments not to loose half a years NCB, only to phone them up last weekend to be told that they won't insure me on the 200 as I was under 25! So now trying to sort out insurance, just so I can tax it really and run it in as I'm hoping it'll be sold there after I'll get pictures of the engine as it sits now when I go down Saturday, hopefully a start up video also Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tkddav3 Posted April 18, 2012 Share Posted April 18, 2012 what bhp you think she'll be busting out whens she's done bud? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobD Posted April 18, 2012 Author Share Posted April 18, 2012 Around 260bhp I'd imagine, to get the most of out of the mods it's already got ideally it needs a boost controller and a H-Dev stage 1a chip, which should see it around 290bhp, but weighing as much as they do, it'll be very quick at 260bhp I'd imagine, my mates s14a before he went holset was around 300 and that felt very fast indeed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tkddav3 Posted April 18, 2012 Share Posted April 18, 2012 so to add to the list you'll be buying some new rear rubber as id imagine youll be taking a few roundabout at 90 degree then Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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