R32Abuser

Bare in mind, 0.020" (aka 20 thousandth of an inch) is only 0.5mm. If those pistons are sitting 20 thou below deck height its enough to shift the static CR quite a bit. In my build its enough to shift the static CR from 9:1 down to 8.64:1. Food for thought.

Agreed.

Ok so your deck height is the distance between the top of the piston at TDC and the top of the cylinder as per "deck clearance" below: Obviously if the piston sits above the cylinder, this will increase the static CR (all things being equal). Similarly, if the piston sits below the cylinder, this will decrease the static CR. I used a cometic 1.28mm head gasket as recommended in the RB30 DOHC guide. You can also use a standard RBXX head gasket IIRC. Once again, the thickness of your head gasket is going to influence your final static CR so first measure up what your motor has been built to and try a few different thickness head gaskets in a static compression ratio calculator. See what value you get and go from there.

If it sounds like a deck card flicking against a bike spoke, then I would say with almost 100% certainty that it is the speedo cable. Mine snapped a month or two ago after making this clicking noise for some time. Either one or two things fail. The end of the speedo drive "key" which inserts into your cluster breaks off the cable itself. OR the cable itself breaks like mine did from old age. Easiest way to check: remove cluster to reveal the key which fits in the back of your cluster. Unscrew speedo cable from speedo drive located on the gearbox (do not remove the speedo drive itself!) Spin cable at speedo drive end. If the key at the cluster end does not rotate, you have yourself a broken cable. IIRC ~100 dollars from Nissan and you can have yourself a new one. Check on Just Jap or Kudos motorsport for a replacement. May be cheaper than Nissan (most likely)

Also I have found some conflicting details regarding piston compression heights for some RB30 pistons. Obviously this will affect how the piston sits in the bore and therefore the static CR. So depending on these values the above static CR estimates may or may not be accurate. This drives home the point to measure everything up before/during the build.

I've looked (for the past 10 minutes lol) for the pistons you state above. I cannot find them. http://www.acl.com.a...80?OpenDocument Apparently, duralite are only for 202 motors. Sure you dont mean another style of piston from ACL? The only information (cc details etc.) I can find on ACL pistons is their Race series available in 2 styles for the RB30ET: One with a 4.5cc dish (http://www.aclperfor...rgedPistons.htm) and the other with a 10cc dish (http://www.aclperfor...orgedPiston.htm) Key this into my static comp spread sheet above and you get: 4.5cc dish pistons with a Neo head = 9.06 static CR 10cc dish pistons with a Neo head = 8.42 static CR Of course, this is ASSUMING you have a ZERO DECK HEIGHT on your block and the head is standard item and has a 51cc combustion chamber.

Likewise. Only thing I would change about my build.

I have wanted to, just haven't found the details regarding the OEM RB30 pistons. TBH I havent looked that hard as I already have a built RB30. But one day I wouldn't mind swapping the motor out to use the Neo head From memory when I disassembled my RB30, the RB30 OEM pistons have a dome but to what extent (cc wise) I'm unsure. Attached is my own calculator I used to work out my RB30's static C.R. Bare in mind, I used all metric units. So some converting may be required. static compression ratio calculator.xls If anyone can shed some light on the OEM RB30 piston specs, would be greatly appreciated.

^^^ Exactly. IIRC Neo heads have approximately 50-51cc chambers. R32/R33 RB25 and RB26 heads have 62-64cc chambers. This difference will shoot your static C.R. into the 10's if you dont get pistons suited to this head. That might be OK if your running E85 or race fuel, but definitely not on 98. Read the RB30 thread and associated RB30 DOHC pdf. Its there for a reason. It even states the brand of head gasket recommended for this build by many others on the forum. Im sure if you searched the R33 RB30 conversion thread, you might even get a part number.

Daniel, How much were the dust covers from Pedders? I don't see a problem using them, as you said, the ones from Sydneykid originally aren't up to the task and aren't doing their job. Slightly off topic, What are the rates on the tein's you had fitted? Front and Rear? Impressions? I find the Whiteline's a very good rate; not too hard, not too soft. But, I would like a longer spring to give me greater ride height. Been looking round a while, but no one seems to make a standard length spring in a similar rate to what the Whiteline items offer...

If anything it happens less often, but the severity/amplitude of the noise is still the same. Yeh I reused standard the original strut tops. Would want to retain this setup since most pillowball setups increase NVH a bit. My car is for street duties so would rather keep this to a minimum. I reckon I could just re-order all the standard shock bushes etc. from Nissan and replace all of them if need be. I think this weekend I'll remove the front shocks. Considering it takes all of about 5 minutes per corner once the car is jacked up, I think its worth it to inspect the shocks. This will also allow me to check all the bushes in the front end. *Sigh*... Least Ill get to try out the standard springs. If I disassemble the shock, I'll check for this.

OK so the Bilstein from sydneykid's kits have an allenkey socket in the top of the shaft which meant I could hold it still whilst tightening the nut. This was all done with the shocks in the car. The left side definately didnt seem "loose" but had about a turn in it until it was proper tight. The right side probably had about half a turn. So I took it for a drive and the noise is still there but its incredibly sporadic. Sometimes it will make the noise so easy over the smallest of change in the road surface. A minute later, it won't make a noise at all over small or large deviations of the road surface. Weird huh?! One thing i did notice as I push down on the inner guard with the car stationary, is that when it did make a small knock sound, it sounded as if you had tapped the spring with something and the vibration continued for a brief moment. Like a free spring resonating after you tap it! This makes me think its definitely shock related. I've been meaning to take my whiteline springs out of the Sydneykid setup. The spring rate is good but I simply do not use the extra spring rate and could use a little more ride height. At 345 front eyebrow height, the guard bottoms out on the tyre from time to time on big dips. Might get some custom springs made up - similar spring rate to the current whiteline items, but with a longer length for more ride height.

IIRC my Sydneykid bilsteins have an allenkey socket in the tops of the shaft. Could definately be wrong though as I haven't looked closely. Looks like I'll be searching for a rattle gun ASAP haha

Hey Stewy, Potentially keen on the Nismo 2 way. Age? Condition? Which model is it? Adjustable version (Pro TT IIRC?)? Do you have any spare R32 4.3 crown wheels floating around to go with it? BTW - Inbox full. Facebook message me with details if you could. Cheers, David (Scott's mate haha)

GTSBoy: Wound them up. Will drive the car to work tomorrow and see if it has helped. Worth a try as you have said. Come this weekend, Ill put her back up on the stands and check the lower upright BJ. The upper arm bushes looked fine but as Duncan pointed out, nothing is magically going to move around by hand. Duncan: I would like to give this a try but unfortunately I dont have a rattle gun. Will have to see if I can borrow one. So neither of you think it could be the wheel bearing? Im dubious but you never know!!!

MODS: I started a topic in General maintenance but, in hindsight, this topic is better suited to this section. If required, please delete/close my thread in "General Maintenance". Before I go on, I'll start by saying yes I have searched and apart from getting some very vague posts, I am yet to find an answer. Ok so the other week I replaced my speedo cable after it snapped, I took the car for a spin and it was all good. Being mainly a weekend car, I drove it the next weekend and noticed a very dull but distinctive knocking noise coming from what seems like under the bonnet or from the suspension (left side if anything). It occurs randomly, but seems as though its in sync with deviations in the road, hence why I think it is related to the suspension. Smooth roads it doesn't occur, bumpy roads its far more noticeable. Since it seemed like the bonnet may be the issue, I check tightened everything with regards to the bonnet (hinges etc.) but to no avail. The sound was still there. So on the weekend just gone, I thought I would do some checks on the car and check tighten all of the suspension to make sure it wasn't anything loose making the knocking noise. I went through the shocks (top and bottom bolts), sway bar chassis mounts, brake caliper bolts, engine cross-member bolts, caster rod bolts pretty much everything i could get to without having to take anything major off. All bolts were tight. Someone suggested that the issue may be a wheel bearing, so I went on about the checks I've seen for a busted wheel bearing. Now here's where it get's interesting: Being lazy, I didnt want to put the wheel back on. So, I pulled on the rotor (with the wheel off) on the right side ( opposite side where noise seems to be coming from) and the rotor didnt move. All good. Went to the left side (side where noise seems to be coming from), and the the rotor will wiggle about up to ~5mm. However, it is only the rotor which is moving, not the hub itself. So after doing this, I decided to put the wheels on and try. Next to no wobble from either wheel. I then checked for tie rod movement. There is very little if any in the rod ends. IIRC, the brake setup is a floating arrangement and there is no fastening mechanism directly between the hub and the rotor other than the wheel studs/nuts. In saying that, the rotors can become "bound" to the hub via heat, dirt etc. That being said, Im unsure why one side is able to be wobbled, and the other not. Furthermore, the wheel bearing from that side does make a very faint metal on metal sound like a bearing is begining to go. But it doesnt seem like this is the issue, as the knocking I'm getting I can't replicated, other than the rotor wobble. Can anyone shed some light/experience as to what they think or have found in the past? Cheers, David

I have whiteline urethane adjustable bushes in my upper arms, so when you jack it up it makes a small squeeking noise. Has done this from the day I bought them (3 yrs ago but less than 10-15000 km's ago). I highly doubt that its a worn upper bush. Last thing I want to do is change it aswell considering I'd have to get another wheel alignment if removed for checking. That said, its something to keep in mind I guess...

Before I go on, I'll start by saying yes I have searched and apart from getting some very vague posts, I am yet to find an answer. Ok so the other week I replaced my speedo cable after it snapped, I took the car for a spin and it was all good. Being mainly a weekend car, I drove it the next weekend and noticed a very dull but distinctive knocking noise coming from what seems like under the bonnet or from the suspension (left side if anything). It occurs randomly, but seems as though its in sync with deviations in the road, hence why I think it is related to the suspension. Smooth roads it doesn't occur, bumpy roads its far more noticeable. Since it seemed like the bonnet may be the issue, I check tightened everything with regards to the bonnet (hinges etc.) but to no avail. The sound was still there. So on the weekend just gone, I thought I would do some checks on the car and check tighten all of the suspension to make sure it wasn't anything loose making the knocking noise. I went through the shocks (top and bottom bolts), sway bar chassis mounts, brake caliper bolts, engine cross-member bolts, caster rod bolts pretty much everything i could get to without having to take anything major off. All bolts were tight. Someone suggested that the issue may be a wheel bearing, so I went on about the checks I've seen for a busted wheel bearing. Now here's where it get's interesting: Being lazy, I didnt want to put the wheel back on. So, I pulled on the rotor (with the wheel off) on the right side ( opposite side where noise seems to be coming from) and the rotor didnt move. All good. Went to the left side (side where noise seems to be coming from), and the the rotor will wiggle about up to ~5mm. However, it is only the rotor which is moving, not the hub itself. So after doing this, I decided to put the wheels on and try. Next to no wobble from either wheel. I then checked for tie rod movement. There is very little if any in the rod ends. IIRC, the brake setup is a floating arrangement and there is no fastening mechanism directly between the hub and the rotor other than the wheel studs/nuts. In saying that, the rotors can become "bound" to the hub via heat, dirt etc. That being said, Im unsure why one side is able to be wobbled, and the other not. Furthermore, the wheel bearing from that side does make a very faint metal on metal sound like a bearing is begining to go. But it doesnt seem like this is the issue, as the knocking I'm getting I can't replicated, other than the rotor wobble. Can anyone shed some light/experience as to what they think or have found in the past? Cheers, David

Urethane is perfectly suitable for the street. It offers increased rigidity over stock rubber bushes which improves suspension/handling predictability whilst still retaining good ride characteristics. Bare in mine, it will increase vehicle NVH which is felt in the cabin but only by a small amount. I would NEVER replace my suspension components with OEM replacements when the Urethane equivalent is of equal value if not cheaper.

Would have to be a custom job where someone has a RB30DOHC or dimensions to manufacture to. As it's been pointed out, no stock cover is going to fit since the RB30 block has the extra deck height and would require the "filler" plate. Alot of people simply got two front covers, chopped the bottom section of one too long and welded them together. Obviously the opposite can be done ( by making the top too long). Finish by grinding flat and painting. Still doesn't look 100% legit, since a) you have a weld seam and b) the grooves in the cover do not align 100%.

+1 This was the deal breaker for me. Closest one was the Caltex in town IIRC. This was too far to go for me from a convenience aspect.

What are you using the car for? Street? Track? Drift? Drag? All of the above lol? Where is the car lacking? Roll? Ride (pitch/squat)? Yaw? If its for the street, then I suggest the following: Step 1: Replace un-serviceable shocks Step 2: Upgrade front and rear sway bars. Step 3: Enjoy. Reason For arguments sake, assume the car is either in perfect roll or ride situations. Let the right components control the aspects of vehicle dynamics they were intended to control. Shock/springs manage ride aspects of the car (absorbing bumps, pitch/squat etc.) whilst also adding some roll stiffness. Sway bars control the roll aspects of the vehicle when cornering. Don't compromise your ride comfort by running too stiffer springs to make up for a lack of roll control. Alas, upgrade your sway bars to decrease the level of roll which will in turn yield better cornering performance. The factory shock/spring combo with some upgraded sways bars is more than enough if all you're doing is street duties with some light occasional hill runs. Sway bars are, by far, the best bang for your buck suspension upgrade. Id suggest upgrading sway bars first, then bushes (the car is getting long in the tooth and probably hasn't seen replacement bushes), then shocks and springs matched to one another. Most people do this in the reverse order! Another point: your suspension is only going to be as good as your tyres allow. On the street, even the grippiest of cheap semi slicks (Federal RSR's etc.) would require some stiffer spring rates over stock. Even then, not to the extent which most Jap "coil overs" run.

If you actually read all 350 or so pages, I would be surprised. You obviously missed this post then which took me all of a minute to find after searching... http://www.skylinesaustralia.com/forums/topic/15420-r33-rb30-conversion/page__st__700__p__685858#entry685858 What Sydneykid is saying there is that the car your installing the motor into and the sensors you use will dictate the ECU you need to run. Where it gets tricky is if you start mixing and matching intakes with different heads, fuel rails etc etc. Things begin to get messy and I've only heard of a specific few which are compatible with one another (e.g. R33 RB25 intake with R34 Neo head). IMHO keep it simple and use the intake from the head you are using and leave it at that. Also bear in mind, there are exceptions for sensor compatibility. From my understanding, R32 CAS will not work with R34 NEO head (and some R33 later production) for below reasons. (taken of NIStune forums)

Jay Car ~$120 (with four people) Install yourself. Obviously this is a standalone GPS tracker, not an inbuilt tracker to an alarm/immobiliser.

Want to sell charging stand separate Adrian?