1983 280zx turbo engine

[Dave WM]

flushed it with a lot of reg water, themostat out. will try running it that  way later today with rad reconnected.

 

[Dave WM]

some progress beside what I started on the P90a head..

Pulled the next to last main bearing, very little wear, two tiny scratches (on the bearing the journal looks perfect). the two scratches are hair thin, I am going to leave them be IF test with plastigauge are ok.

Pulled #2 conrod bearing again virtually no wear, and journal looks perfect. This engine looks like a low mileage low oil change or maybe cheap arse oil used. everything on the outside is coked up, the turbo was thrashed but the bearing and the cylinder hone looks low mileage. 

I was thinking of removing # 2 piston while the rod bearing was apart to inspect the rings, mainly the oil control rings (the leak down test shows good compression). 

This is new territory for me, (never tore into an engine before, I am an electronics guy not a mechanic guy). so each thing i do is new. I was thinking if the oil control rings are gummed up with the same cheap arse burnt up oil, maybe I could dunk the piston in my berrymans parts cleaner can and soak them. Clean off and reoil then reinstall. Thinking on it while waiting on the dumb plastigage, AZ showed in stock at local store but guy could not find it. 

 

 

 

 

 

[kickstand80]

Melted chocolate ice cream=bad head gasket oil leaking into coolant. There are 2 pressurized oil ports from the block to the head and they have restriction orifice in each. I have circled them in red. Whenever I do a head gasket I use Locktite 515 light coating on the metal reinforced holes I have circled. 515 is Anaerobic (only dried when no oxygen is present).

https://www.grainger.com/product/5E226?ef_id=CjwKCAjwwo-WBhAMEiwAV4dybTZyPbY-H5icKkwUzaiPmBp0NjntWAzyiw674kgkAxdh8noJCgWmJBoCWD4QAvD_BwE:G:s&s_kwcid=AL!2966!3!496359974779!!!g!1635640739665!&gucid=N:N:PS:Paid:GGL:CSM-2295:4P7A1P:20501231&gclid=CjwKCAjwwo-WBhAMEiwAV4dybTZyPbY-H5icKkwUzaiPmBp0NjntWAzyiw674kgkAxdh8noJCgWmJBoCWD4QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

There are lots of arguments about using gasket sealant on head gaskets for the L28 engine. That's a decision that is up to you. I grew up using aircraft sealant (Permatex Aviation Form-A-Gasket on my head gaskets but most of the engines I did in my early years were cast iron blocks and cast iron heads.   https://www.westmarine.com/permatex-aviation-form-a-gasket-sealant-4oz-13630512.html )  I chose not use sealant (except the red circles) on my 81 N/A and my 83 N/A in the last 2 years. That was my choice. 

I did go back and re-torque the head bolts when the engine was warm after taking the car on a couple of break-in runs.

[Captain Obvious]

5 hours ago, Dave WM said:

I am an electronics guy not a mechanic guy.

I thought you were a numbers guy, not an electronics guy?

I mean... Seeing your place, one would never guess that, but isn't that the case?     

[Dave WM]

counting beans was just a way to afford real passions 🙂

 

 

[Dave WM]

9 hours ago, kickstand80 said:

Melted chocolate ice cream=bad head gasket oil leaking into coolant. There are 2 pressurized oil ports from the block to the head and they have restriction orifice in each. I have circled them in red. Whenever I do a head gasket I use Locktite 515 light coating on the metal reinforced holes I have circled. 515 is Anaerobic (only dried when no oxygen is present).

https://www.grainger.com/product/5E226?ef_id=CjwKCAjwwo-WBhAMEiwAV4dybTZyPbY-H5icKkwUzaiPmBp0NjntWAzyiw674kgkAxdh8noJCgWmJBoCWD4QAvD_BwE:G:s&s_kwcid=AL!2966!3!496359974779!!!g!1635640739665!&gucid=N:N:PS:Paid:GGL:CSM-2295:4P7A1P:20501231&gclid=CjwKCAjwwo-WBhAMEiwAV4dybTZyPbY-H5icKkwUzaiPmBp0NjntWAzyiw674kgkAxdh8noJCgWmJBoCWD4QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

There are lots of arguments about using gasket sealant on head gaskets for the L28 engine. That's a decision that is up to you. I grew up using aircraft sealant (Permatex Aviation Form-A-Gasket on my head gaskets but most of the engines I did in my early years were cast iron blocks and cast iron heads.   https://www.westmarine.com/permatex-aviation-form-a-gasket-sealant-4oz-13630512.html )  I chose not use sealant (except the red circles) on my 81 N/A and my 83 N/A in the last 2 years. That was my choice. 

I did go back and re-torque the head bolts when the engine was warm after taking the car on a couple of break-in runs.

thanks for the tip!! I like the idea of the anaerobic on the copper gasket to head and block junction.

[Captain Obvious]

3 hours ago, Dave WM said:

counting beans was just a way to afford real passions

Haha! If you're anywhere near as good at counting the beans as you are with the stuff that you really enjoy, then you must be pretty good at all of it!

I'm not worried at about you opening up your first motor.    

[Dave WM]

checked on main .0015 (best I could read the plastigage), con rod .001 so looks good there.

pulled one piston (the one I was checking the con rod) rings were nice a loose in the lands pistons looked very good, and no coked up oil in the expansion ring was noted.

Lastly I fabed up a tool for installing the core plugs. Having not done this before I decided I needed a tool to make sure I get the plugs in a consistent correct depth.

here is a short video of the tool

 

[Captain Obvious]

Your plug installer tool looks great. I spent way too much time making a custom application device on the lathe. Don't have any pics, but when I use it, I'll snap some.

Yours not only took a lot less time to create than mine, but it's also adjustable which mine is not.  Forest through the trees....

[Dave WM]

got head on last nite, TC too, hand spun it all were about 75 psi. Spent a ton of time cleaning the gasket off the engine for the front cover. Will work on the front cover side next. Will prob pop for a dizzy drive just so i dont have to keep swapping them out to run my test stand dizzy. Got some OE core plugs on the way (thanks Jeff, I needed that, anyone remember the old aftershave comercial?).

Edited July 8, 2022 by Dave WM

[Dave WM]

hope to get the new oil pump spindle today tired of swapping it so I can run a NA dizzy. when I get that in I will be able to button up engine, then I can do another flush thru the open expansion plug holes. the OE plugs should be here monday (not gonna use the made in China dormans 🙂 ).

after I get the the plugs in I am thinking of filling up with some evap o rust and letting is set for a day to get more of the rust out. will just install some rad hose  on the water inlet and fill till it come out the T stat housing. 

oh and got a new OE turbo oil tube on the way from japan, hope it survives the trip. 

[Captain Obvious]

So I hope you actually counted the number of freeze plugs you needed and didn't simply rely on my memory.

Because... Last time we were talking about those plugs in this thread:
https://www.classiczcars.com/forums/topic/67591-p90a-head-f54-block-correct-head-gasket/

I had the numbers wrong... I have since found my bags of plugs and took a fresh look at the F54 block, and here are the correct numbers:

The F54 block has a total of eleven freeze plugs:

Nine 35 mm
One 40 mm
One 50 mm

I bought (a quantity of two) Sealed Power part number 381-8027 sets off rockauto Jan 2020

Each set contains 1-50mm, 1-40mm & 7-35mm plugs and because of that, I had to buy two sets to get enough of the 35mm plugs.

Edited July 16, 2022 by Captain Obvious