Quote:
Originally Posted by jakesktm
I am getting ready to (re)build my Z's tired engine. Initially, I was doing the timing chain because there was a timing issue that popped up. Come to find out the chain actually jumped timing at the head due to very badly lubricated, under lubricated tensioner. I married into this car so I will spare the ugliness of Z neglect and just tell you the deeper I got into the timing cover and valve covers the worse it started to look. Crappy oil, irregular oil changes, failure to ID the oil consumption TSB on this motor all contributed to early retirement.
So it's in my friend's shop and we are contemplating the build and preparing for the overhaul now. I want to keep the engine NA, but want the short block upgraded to Stage 1. I don't know much about this engine. What other upgrades would you consider for a solid long block that will be rock solid reliable, long life (with proper and regular care), and maybe a few extra horsepower. This is a daily driver and I don't want to spend a fortune building a super street car.
Do I need to upgrade the oil delivery system? Sump? Do I need an oil cooler? What are the weak points on this engine that have aftermarket solutions?
Any help would be great. I am still researching this site and others for the answers. Any suggestions would be considered.
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Nice to see a fellow Z enthusiast doing a engine rebuild before engine failure. What year is your Z? How many miles do you currently have? Your rebuild will depend on what your budget is? Instead of using your current VQ37HR and rebuilding with a rotating assembly I would opted for installing a new long block it's your Z you have to live with it. If you are just looking for a reliable engine you can use for street duty I recommend the AAM Competition stage 1 long block very nice engine for what you are paying for with upgrade options just an idea and will be better. Think before you purchase a used engine could be hit or miss. The oiling system on the Z is quite sensitive actually. Using the correct motor oil could be detrimental to the engine. I recommend running a quality synthetic motor oil. Oil pump failure happens more often on our cars than you may think and is a weak point on our cars. When you do your rebuild seriously consider installing upgraded Boundary Engineering billet oil pump gears it's a good investment in your engine and is well worth doing. Definitely install an aftermarket engine oil cooler the "bandaid engine oil cooler" isn't the best. I believe every Z should have a oil cooler it will add life to your engine. If your Z has a manual transmission install the Z Speed CMAK because the Genuine Nissan CSC will fail it's a question of when will it fail not will it fail? There are some small NA performance upgrades you can do on your rebuild. I would consider installing a better flowing exhaust system and HFC's or test pipes would be on my list but be careful since you are in CA. Best option is to spend the time searching this wonderful forum there is a large wealth of knowledge here.