Before I buy.....

[cu62677]

I've been looking through these forums for the past 2 weeks and found tons of info in helping me decide to buy a 300zx. I understand that the maintenance can be pretty expensive and they're tough to work on but that's not what I'm worried about. I've been wanting to buy a second car (for weekend driver) and I wanted something REALLY nice and it's come down to a 300zx or a 3rd gen RX-7. Both are pricey and require a decent amount of $$ to maintain. In all my driving years a mechanic has NEVER, EVER touch any of my cars which is what worries me about the 300zx. Has anyone here replaced the turbos themselves, or changed the timing belt? Is it possible to do everything by myself? People have told me that to replace the turbos the engine has to be pulled out. Is this true? I really want a TT but I don't want to take to some shop to work on my car.

[DeleriousZ]

talk to broke as **** he's replaced/replacing turbo's and has done quite a bit of work on his VG, he's the man..

[igota20hpweedeater]

yeah i think u do have to take the engine out to replace the turbos but im not 100 percent sure as i do not have a tt 300zx.

[kkiepvvessau]

''' cu62677 '' why don't u replace VG engine with corvette engine so you don't have to change turbos lol....

[DeleriousZ]

hey now.. stop givin the new guy idea's about bastardizing the ZX

[Broke_as_****]

Because thats even more expensive KK.

Anyway, supposedly Nissan left enough room and access to pull the turbos if you work at it from top and bottom. I can tell you now, its not going to happen. While you might actually be able to get to the 2 or 3 of the 4 bolts attaching the turbo assembly to the exhaust manifold, you'll never get at the myraid of tubes and hoses that surround the turbo much less be able to remove the turbo if you did get it loose.

Pretty much straight up, unless you are really comfortable with pulling apart all the stuff under your hood and trusting yourself to get it running again, you won't be able to anything other than maybe an oil change and check the plugs. I have access to a small shop worth of tools, including such essentials as an engine lift and stand, and a mechanic of 30+ years on speed dial. And even with all the false confidence I can gather, looking at the now empty engine compartment and seeing all the various wires and hoses on the walls, imagining what its going to be like trying to hook all that back up when its packed wall to wall and top to bottom with VG30, it still makes me pause.

Now, if you can do that and want to proceed then the work is not really that hard. Armed with some basic knowledge and the service manual you can do much of the work yourself. Its all just thinking it through and following the instructions. Timing belt requires alot of front end parts to be removed but otherwise is not that hard. Good thing too because if you plan on keeping it for a few years, you'll probably being doing atleast once or twice. Even if it still has that fresh rubber smell and is certified to be good for another million miles by god himself, change the timing belt at the recommended mileage, before that if you drive it hard. Basic maintence is fairly easy, anything else requires atleast some experience.

If you don't think you want to even try playing with all the hoses and sensors under the hood (a TT has about twice as many as an NA), then find a good local shop, preferably one that specializes in Nissans or even Zs specifically if you can find one. Warning: labor is harsh on a Z32, parts are expensive, down times are long. Even if my motor was in the car right now I couldn't drive it, I've been waiting for a driveshaft part for almost 2 months. TTs are budget supercars and require supercar maintence. Half the miles a Ferrari logs in back and forth from the shop, if it can make it on its own power at the time.

The good news is that a Z32 is a remarkably stout and durable machine. A well cared for VG30DETT can last 150K+ easily. Start seperating the wires and hoses out into specific systems and its much less imtimidating. I've spent hours just sitting with the service manual going over what each hose and wire is for and where it goes, that helps alot, especially when you know not only how it works but why it works that way. BTW: Factory manual is your best friend here. Nissan manuals are very good and very easy to use.

All in all: Its not a great car for people just starting out. But if you can afford it and maybe even do the work yourself, you can reap the huge benefits of TT Z ownership. And as we all know, the ladies are big Z fans:

[cu62677]

I've noticed that vg30det engines run around the $1,700 range. Would it be a good idea to find a TT with high milage and a decent price and just put a new engine in it? Also, I wouldn't even mind the n/a 300zx just because of the fact that it's such an awesome car so is there a lot of maintenance for it and is it expensive? Can a person maintain an n/a themselves? Unlike the TT that has to be taken somewhere if the turbos go out.

[longlivetheZ]

The twin turbo engine is the VG30DETT...dunno if you didn't know that or if you just left off a T. I wouldn't mess with a swap. I can't help but think that this subject comes up every day. Some people think it's doable...I wouldn't do it. I'd just buy a TT in the first place if I wanted a TT.

[cu62677]

Haha, sorry about that. I did mean VG30DETT. But my question was not swapping an n/a for a TT but swapping a high milage TT with another engine all together instead of messing with the turbos. I mean, if the engine has to be pulled out I'd might as well replace the whole thing.

[longlivetheZ]

You're still doing a swap...removing one engine and putting in another...and in most cases, I wouldn't want to mess with that. It kinda depends...if it has to be pulled, *I* would rebuild it...new pistons, new rods, re-deck it, valve job, over bore, balance the crank, etc. Ideally, if you have the money and it HAS TO BE pulled out, then yank it and ship it to SGP Racing for one of these engine building services. Why buy a clip and engine and all when you can just have yours rebuilt? It costs about the same (depending on which level of service you actually get, of course) and the end result is more or less a new, bullit proof race engine as opposed to just another stock engine. Wonder if they will do that work on VG30ETs...hmmm....<light bulb goes on>

[Broke_as_****]

*smashes the light to pieces*

You heard the man, no one works on Z31s.

YOU ARE UNWANTED!



Although I'm sure you can find someone to rebuild your engine if you wanted it badly enough, a good automotive machine shop can do just about any engine, parts may be another matter though.

[MikeMan]

Originally Posted by longlivetheZ

You're still doing a swap...removing one engine and putting in another...and in most cases, I wouldn't want to mess with that. It kinda depends...if it has to be pulled, *I* would rebuild it...new pistons, new rods, re-deck it, valve job, over bore, balance the crank, etc. Ideally, if you have the money and it HAS TO BE pulled out, then yank it and ship it to SGP Racing for one of these engine building services. Why buy a clip and engine and all when you can just have yours rebuilt? It costs about the same (depending on which level of service you actually get, of course) and the end result is more or less a new, bullit proof race engine as opposed to just another stock engine. Wonder if they will do that work on VG30ETs...hmmm....<light bulb goes on>

Thems fightin words!

Seriously though, my opinion was that the VG30E wasn't the greatest engine to start squeezing power out of. It just seemed to me that the DE would be a far better base to start building on as it already has 42 off hp more stock. I don't think you can find a better naturally aspirated power-to-capacity or torque-to-capacity engine on the market. Not many anyhow.

I'm definitely a torque man. I want torque as soon as I jump on the pedal. I want to jam my foot down and instantly the tyres start screeching. I've never been a big fan of turbos (no pun intended), even with no lag. I just don't like the idea that I have to wait for my power to come on, even if it is a second or two. This is why the VG30DE seemed so attractive to me. It was going to be upgrade the VG30E to VG30ET, with all the cams, exhaust system, chipped ecu etc., or get a stock VG30DE. With the VG30DE I'd have less total power, but I'd instantly have more torque as soon as I stamped down on the pedal. Besides, I could always do all that shit to the VG30DE down the track anyway.

-Mike

[E Honda]

I put a motor in my tt 2 weeks ago.......1 man less than 24 hours.....Whats the big deal?........No special tools......left the trans in the car....installed motor with all the goodies still bolted on. All done in my carport. So $8500.00 and you can buy mine......check my other posts theres a link to the swap.

[MikeMan]

Thats alright E Honda, we all think you're as great as you think you are.
Some people who aren't the greatest mechanics may not feel comfortable taking the whole engine out and putting a new one in. It could really be a 4 hour job, maybe less if you do this sort of thing all the time but evidently whoever it was that you were directing your comment towards doesn't.

-Mike

[longlivetheZ]

Originally Posted by MikeMan

Thems fightin words!

Seriously though, my opinion was that the VG30E wasn't the greatest engine to start squeezing power out of. It just seemed to me that the DE would be a far better base to start building on as it already has 42 off hp more stock. I don't think you can find a better naturally aspirated power-to-capacity or torque-to-capacity engine on the market. Not many anyhow.

I'm definitely a torque man. I want torque as soon as I jump on the pedal. I want to jam my foot down and instantly the tyres start screeching. I've never been a big fan of turbos (no pun intended), even with no lag. I just don't like the idea that I have to wait for my power to come on, even if it is a second or two. This is why the VG30DE seemed so attractive to me. It was going to be upgrade the VG30E to VG30ET, with all the cams, exhaust system, chipped ecu etc., or get a stock VG30DE. With the VG30DE I'd have less total power, but I'd instantly have more torque as soon as I stamped down on the pedal. Besides, I could always do all that shit to the VG30DE down the track anyway.

-Mike

Few things in there don't make much sense. You say in the beginning that you don't think the VG30E doesn't seem like the best for getting power out of, but then later on in the post you say how you wanted to upgrade your VG30E with cams and whatnot. Thought you didn't like the VG30E...

Your disliking of turbos is odd. Turbos are the single most effective power adder that can be done to an engine...better than nitrous, better than a supercharger, better than displacement, better than stroking the engine, anything...turbos are the best way to make a powerful engine. Read the "turbo vs. supercharger" thread in the Forced Induction section of the Cars in General forum.