i got mine on ebay for about $30 iirc. works fantastic with the cam on the head. care must be taken with the valves that are right adjacent to the cam towers as it's a tight fit, but just fine once you get the hang of it. i was grumbling about buying the tool for what i thought would be "just one use" but boy was i wrong... ii've used it a dozen times since and i'll be swapping out my stock cam at some point soon as well.

i'd mark it as an essential tool for the "involved" z owner.

Hudgt91, I'll stop posting in your thread. Sorry for that.

I'll try and do better but I'm terrible about jacking up somebody else's when I read something that is relevant to me.

Hey. Doesn't bother me. Bumps it back to the top where more people may have input. Ha

Well I completely disassembled the bottom end on my F54 block. It's about ready to head to the machine shop.  I have some decisions to make before hand, and I need to find out my goals.  After adding everything up, a rebuild is not going to be cheap. No matter how you stack the cards.   

There is also a L28et engine in the junkyard very close by.   Decisions.

If you get the l28ET see if they will let you pull it yourself or at least help. Yard workers are notoriously rough with stuff and tend to cut versus disconnect or unbolt. You need all the harness, ECU, intake system, ignition and the exhaust through the "J" pipe

If you get the l28ET see if they will let you pull it yourself or at least help. Yard workers are notoriously rough with stuff and tend to cut versus disconnect or unbolt. You need all the harness, ECU, intake system, ignition and the exhaust through the "J" pipe.

Boy oh boy is that true!  I got a ZX motor a year or so ago and they came with some chain and a big arse front end loader.  I got them to let me go home and get my tools, came back and for $50 less they let me disconnect everything.  They did put it on it's side for me first to get the low stuff then righted it up for the rest.

Well I've decided to hold off the turbo motor for the time being, or at least wait until I bring my bottom end to the machine shop to get a diagnosis.

Here are a couple pictures of what I'm dealing with. What I'm concerned most about is the discolouring of the crank where it was clearly getting quite warm. What do you think?

Edited August 14, 20159 yr by HuD 91gt

What is interesting is the bearing journal has no discoloring at all. I wonder if the coloring happened before machining. Also I have seen much worse bearing shells. If the crank is true and not under sized have it magnafluxed and move on...

looks like the discoloration happened during manufacturing when the crank casting sprues were cut off (the flat spot with rough machine marks). note the area at the bottom of the pic next to the cap where additional material was ground off post-machining (i'm guessing for balancing) which shows no discoloration. if the rainbow happened while the crank was in the car that would not be the case. 

 

and if there was enough friction to cause the crank to heat up that much in an oil bath, the bearing would be toast and/or spun. the crank journal looks fine - you shouldn't be able to feel ridges with your fingernail. 

You guys make some good points.

Finished up with he block yesterday.  Removed oil galley/coolant plugs and chased all the threads.  Ready to be dropped off in the morning.

Well a little update.  Awaiting reply from machine shop on what needs work. In the mean time i've negotiated a deal for the L28et motor at the wreckers.  I'm going to help them pull it friday.   It's also in unknown condition.  I'm just hoping the head is still good/repairable.  I plan to toss it onto my rebuilt flattop bottom end with SU's first (Anyone have any advice on installing studs for the SU's on this head?) for the time being while I plan out a megasquirt plan for the future turbo.   This is getting exciting!  And expensive!

 

 

Also,  I contacted Courtesy Nissan and they no longer sell pistons.  It seems the only piston options are from ITM, which include rings and seem to be getting good reviews. My options for bearings are Clevitt 77, ITM, or Nissan.   Are some particularly better then others?  I see ITM also has a timing kit, gasket kits and other odds an ends.  Is there any reason I should no going ITM all the way?  Or some parts I should stick to the name brands?

 

ARP studs and rod bolts are expensive but I believe they are reusable, correct?

From the ARP website FAQ:

 

Are ARP bolts and studs re-usable?

Yes. As long as the fasteners have been installed and torqued correctly, and show no visible signs of damage, they can be re-used. If they show any signs of thread galling or corrosion, they should be replaced. In the case of rod bolts, if any of them have taken a permanent set and have stretched by .001” or longer, you should replace them immediately. See page 29 in the catalog for more detailed information on this critical measurement