Started tearing into the clip

HybridAndy · Sep 11th, 2004, 10:34 PM

Finally getting started on my clip. I just went over and started working on it today. I got it up on 4 jackstands, got the hood off, got the skid off (was wired to the chassis) got the front bumper off (damn there's a lot of bolts!) and drained the radiator and I was planning to vent the A/C's R12 but I guess they already did. I disconnected one of the A/C lines expecting it to come hissing out but got nothing. They must have drained it before it was sent. I had a buddy of mine take some pics on my digital camera but I left it over at the shop. I'll probably have the pics up tomorrow. I'm going to actually start tearing it apart tomorrow and get the redtop out and ready to ship back (there's another thread with the whole story, short version, bought a clip, clip has 96k miles already, sending the motor back and getting a low milage blacktop). I gotta go pickup my engine hoist tomorrow and start actually unbolting everything. Should be fun, I'll have lots of pics tomorrow probably.

Joel · Sep 14th, 2004, 03:33 AM

good luck dude, label everything on the wiring harness

AlexAtMyNismo · Sep 14th, 2004, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joel

good luck dude, label everything on the wiring harness

YUP!.... or else you'll get lost with 50 million wires and no idea where to splice, solder, or connect.....

-Alex B.

180SX-X · Sep 15th, 2004, 05:58 AM

hmmm...^^^you drive an s14 with a redtop?? what gave you the idea to downgrade (well, its not really a downgrade...they both have their ups and downs...)to the S13 engine instead of using the s14 blacktop? was it the price or just cause it was there?

HybridAndy · Sep 15th, 2004, 04:18 PM

I've got a bunch of pics but I don't have time to upload them yet (I'm working 2 jobs and going to school full time so finding time to work on the car is tough). Last weekend I managed to get the whole front of the engine torn down, radiator and clutch fan off, all the IC pipes and the side mount off (the top corner bolt is a bitch!) as well as disconnected everything on the driver/passanger (to us passanger, but the clips RHD so driver) side disconnected (throttle cable, fuel lines, vacuum, electrical ...). I've been labeling, taking pictures and diagramming the vacuum lines pretty well so farl. I haven't started with the wiring yet, I'm going do that once I have the engine out and can work on it easier.

I do have a couple of questions. The EGR system, is it nessicary to hook back up? I read about a Nissan blockoff piece in SCC's article about doing this swap but I"m not sure exactly what was involved with it. I also remember reading the ECU changed with it but I don't know yet what ECU I will have. My clip didn't have one and I'm assuming I'll get the one that goes with my blacktop engine and I don't even know if that engine has an EGR system. Also, the charcol canister/EVAP system? Will it hurt anything to simply cap those vacuum lines and not install that as well. Emissions is not an issue where I live (at least not yet, I think I can get it to pass regardless). At this point, I'm just planning to fabricate a 3" test pipe to run for now anyway so I won't have a cat.

I'm actually finally starting to get into working on this again, I just wish I had some more time. Hopefully Sunday I can get down there and really crank on it, maybe even get the hoist down there and pull that engine.

Joel · Sep 15th, 2004, 10:32 PM

with the egr just remove it, cap the vacuum lines and weld the exhaust return pipe in the dump pipe shut - or just buy a $100 stainless dump off ebay

HybridAndy · Sep 20th, 2004, 12:14 AM

Cool, that's probably what I'm going to do. I didn't really want to have to reinstall all those extra parts. From what I understand, blacktop motors didnt' have an EGR system so hopefully the new motor I get, it won't be an issue.

I got the motor mostly torn down last weekend (damn sidemount is a bitch to get loose) and today I went and picked up my hoist and actually got the motor yanked out. I put some pics up on my site.

http://divizion.com/240/teardown/index.html

Ignore most of the goofy one's, my girlfriend had the camera and was just snapping away. Motor actually comes out pretty easy. I couldn't figure out where the hell I was supposed to hook the passanger side chain to so I just ended up wrapping it carefully around the intake manifold and lifting it that way. Seems to have worked out okay. I just bungied it down for now and I'm going to actually strap the thing down with metal bands and shrink wrap it tomorrow to send out. Hopefully I'll have a good engine soon and I can start putting it back together.

A couple of questions though, I gotta look at my 240 but I don't really see what's so different about the wiring. I know some of the plug/wire locations have to swtich around but it doesn't seem like it's going to be that bad. Also, the rear subframe/tranny mount. Every single bolt (the 4 holding it to the car and the 2 going to the tranny) snapped when I tried to unbolt it. Is this a common thing or just an issue with my clip (I've had quite a few bolts snap so far, nothing off the motor, all chassis stuff). I'm just worried about getting my KA's down and back up if it's a common thing, I don't want to have to drill all those bolts out on my own car (I don't care about the clip). Oh well, hopefully I get the new motor soon and can get this running before it starts getting cold around here.

JDMJunior · Sep 20th, 2004, 01:32 PM

I've never doen a swap but is it alright for the motor to have all those black spots? Does that indicate that the engine was pushed hard or juss dirty? lol

HybridAndy · Sep 20th, 2004, 04:01 PM

Some of them are just oil and power steering fluid that leaked onto the motor while I was removing it but the large black stain on the front of the engine is from a oil leak. The engine I recieved has 154k km (about 96k miles) so I'm sending it back for a replacement blacktop which hopefully I'll recieve soon. Hopefully if you do a swap, you don't get an engine like this one. It basically just means the engine is old.

Joel · Sep 20th, 2004, 09:50 PM

yeah it looks pretty shagged! It looks as if it saw a fair bit of coastal/salt air or possibly was driven a lot in snow. All the ali on it is oxidised so im not suprised some bolts snapped off. You shouldnt have that problem with your car.

HybridAndy · Sep 21st, 2004, 12:05 AM

I live in PA and the cars from NY (as far as I can tell, that's where I bought it and found a parking tag from NY dated 94 on it when I cleaned) so salt and snow are an issue here. My 240 has no rust though so I'm guessing the orignal owner had a garage and a winter car though. Hopefully I don't have any issue with mine.

I forgot to ask earlier, is there some easier way to unbolt the motor mounts? I tried to loosen them with a 14mm 3/8" wrench from below but the steering rack/subframe wouldn't let me get straight on the bolts and I ended up rounding one off trying to just torque on it from the side. I ended up unbolting my engine by removing the top bolt with a 14mm combination wrench and just turning it a little bit at a time. It was a real pain in the ass. I was thinking a set of those ratching box wrenches I've seen for sale would probably work better than the box end wrench I was using but I was wondering if anybody else had a better idea. The FSM wasn't much use.

DWLSRx8 · Sep 21st, 2004, 10:49 AM

Damn must be real nice to have a fork lift... I woulda used it over teh hoist any day.... ha ha... Either or good deal Keep teh pics coming....
~skott

HybridAndy · Sep 21st, 2004, 11:01 PM

Eh, the forklift is nice to move everything around but you really need the control of a hoist to really pull an engine carefully. I'm bringing the motorset back to my house to do the swap in my garage when I actually take my car off the street to do the swap. I contacted the company about sending the motor back and they said they'd let me know about shipping but I haven't heard back yet. I'll have to email them again tonight. Hopefully get started soon. I ordered the clutch, flywheel, radiator and downpipe this morning. I can't wait to get this damn thing on the road. The wasted cluch in my KA is driving me nuts.

TWAN · Sep 23rd, 2004, 12:02 PM

awwww.......... memories. good luck man.

HybridAndy · Sep 23rd, 2004, 04:01 PM

Thanks, I got the motor banded down to a skid and shrinkwrapped, ready to send. The trucking company should be here tomorrow to take the redtop away. Hopefully I'll have my new blacktop soon and I can get started on this damn project.