Gerg_R31

Unless your intending to run over 100 pounds seat pressure on the springs, there is no real benefit over the standard cam cap bolts But yeah they are also made by arp

Vacuum test - tests that the ports in the head have a vacuum seal, if it fails then its either leaking via the seats or guides (rb26 heads are known to have flogged out exhaust guides pressure test - this tests the water ways to make sure there is no cracks, 26 heads rarely crack, sometimes they'll leak via the welsh plug or grub screws surface grind - this is machined to make sure the gasket sealing face is flat and scratch free to make sure the gasket will seal (as long as they do the right finish to suit the material of the gasket your using) If it has warp the valves rarely seal so maybe get them to chuck in a straightness check hope that helps

Ask the machinists for a vacuum test, pressure test, surface grind, usually about $150 600ish if need reco (+parts) 40-150 for composite gasket 330 for a nitto gasket 280 generic brand vrs kit 80-150 new timing belt 1500 guestimate on mechanics labour 100 new fluids For 4500 i could port machine and supply quality parts so yeah my quotes are a bit more realistic id suggest to shop around

We've machined up a few rd blocks with the nitto 3.2 crank. the only feed back we've heard is 1 got under 8 seconds down the quarter (methanol nos 60psi and sohc, dedicated drag car)

I partly disagree with this part, both 25 & 26 base circles on the cams have the same flat surface, if the lifters have wear marks (top of lifters has a indented grove from the cam) then id suggest to replace them but yeah older motors have radiused base circles and lifters radiused to match the cam lobes so you can't mix them up, or the solid lifters unless you want to reset the clearances

Could always get it welded up get springs to suit the cam lift (id recommend supertech or ferrera) And as jonnohr31 said the hydraulic lifters make their own clearances, wear matching is "old fashion" as the older motors weren't designed and made with the consistency that the newer motors are, which are made on better newer machines then the older stuff

VL box and custom clutch on its way, got new plates will upload pics soon and to the guy in the van this morning, sorry im not much of a morning person but yeah i work at Duncan foster (link below) pm me for details on what you want to do to your r32

Doesn't hurt to grind it, but if there is no scratches that will prevent the gasket sealing you should be fine I also recommend to lightly run a 2nd cut file over the block deck after you've scraped all the gasket off

Im still leaning towards firing ring failure on head gasket for low comp and how does the piston top look compared to the other cylinders?

what 25 head was it? 32/33 or neo? if you can get the long motor to my shop in western sydney ill be happy to strip it down in my spare time and report everything no charge

well i was more thinking the common thing that we see at work (which is chrome molly rings not sealing due to wrong bore finish) but yeah i agree with everything GTRNUR said

you said your cylinders are loosing compression due do something NOT sealing and he recomends to up the boost to compensate? bad advice there compression test is the pressure the piston is making whilst on the upward stroke compression ratio is a volume / how many times the volume of the piston at Bottom Dead Centre can be squeezed into the combustion chamber when the piston is at Top Dead Centre here is what i suggest, find out why your only getting 85psi and not something around 130-150psi during a compression test, correct that issue and you may have solved one problem

Platinum 4wd adapter plates is what we'ved used on the rb30 awd conversions at work

4ra and 3ra finishes both have the cross hatch pattern but if its not smooth enough or too smooth the chrome moly rings won't fully seal, fingers crossed its not that (and i could do a 26 head at work for $4000 all parts labour porting etc)

Compression test will measure how the cylinders are sealing, low static compression will lower the result but it should still be higher then 85psi Chrome moly rings? (cp's usually are) 4ra or 3ra bore finish? (aka was it honed to suit chrome moly rings?)

Min seat pressure should be 60ft pounds max 90ft pounds

Valve stem seals would explain the smoke / burning oil on start up, the burning oil may have glazed the bores and your leaking compression past the compression rings, preventing a proper seal with the glazed bores, but your oil control rings are still sealing to explain why your not consistently burning oil leak down test / wet comp test will help May also be leaking passed the head gasket giving you low comp

I think what Hanaldo means is genuine nissan you will pay a shit load for, but you can get generic stuff for about $40 that is pretty much the same stuff (and in some cases what gets put into the genuine parts packaging) you said your a novice with engine internals; below is a write up, wont make you an engine builder but will make more things make more sense http://www.skylinesaustralia.com/forums/topic/378823-engine-internals-comp-ratios-general-info/ metal head gaskets require a 7ra surface finish on both block and head, the lightest scratch / grinding mark you can feel and it will leak (the composite material gaskets need the grinding marks for something to bite into for better sealing) more details in link above inside diameter of the gasket has little to no actual relivance to what size your current cylinder bore is, rb25 / rb26 / rb30 are all 86mm bore standard, and RB blocks can be bored out to 86.5mm 87mm and some to 87.5mm thicknesses will vary depending on what compression ratio you want / want to keep. how to work out your compression ratio formula in link above I personally I dont see any point to using a metal head gasket if standard head bolts are being used. both gaskets have a sealing ring around the cylinder, both will seal the chamber/ cylinder exactly the same, with the same head bolt torque settings. But with head studs, metal head gaskets wont "muffin top" anywhere it can like the composite gaskets or if you want to go through all the effort and expense there is the copper + o-ring style gaskets

the way i think of it, which holds better a screw after 3 turns? or after 15 turns? same theroy, more crank material there is to contact the oil pump gears then less chance of slipping here is a before collar fitted and after, (if you dont know what your looking at the main journal is covered in red anti rust, just before it towards the snout is the collar)

Yeah these things can't be rushed so when i do hit the tracks my patience will pay off once xmas has passed ill come down to WSID to watch, kinda here at the rodders life thing now at WSID working and choking on methanol fumes

grumblebee - yeah was thinking of getting another new pressure plate and getting it strengthened, though your track car is a dedicated track car, alot of clutch plates built for track die on the road, but will look into clutch plates to suit. Oh and its a series 1 r31 sillo gearbox, bought it for $50 and was told its a non syncro gearbox by the owner pete - cheap.... that was the extreme one lasted 3 weeks after the cruise last jan wouldnt you or jen need the clutch after skidz?

those headers arent perminate, maybe titanium or chrome dipped on the tuned length extractors when i get them made up, plus they have faded the holes on the bumper are inline, the holes on the number plate are crooked, but new plates coming soon if it was a 2 door i probably would have chucked an oversized snail shell on the exhaust (way too much room there) i thought exedey were a decent brand, though gotta say, a N/A that has killed 2 clutches, i must be doing something right but yeah as long as this once lasts long enough, I'll stop being a tight ass 31 owner and buy a 25 box, carbon fibre tail shaft, and a decent/ top of the line clutch kit suited for this.... yay researching again... oh and gear sets for the 25 boxes are over priced track videos after working clutch, crunching gears probably not going to be too impressive

so you got in trouble for the exhaust being too loud, so you want a temporary "get out of jail free card" then go back to being how it was again, which you may or may not be pulled over again for it being too loud, then going through all of the same hassel again then again you could get a dodgey slip to say its fine how it is, then the authority checks on who said its fine, then that company gets fine/ trade license canceled because of something small is it really worth the hassel for yourself and/or any company you take your car too for an exhaust issue? the correct and cheapest way is to take it to an exhaust place and say "this is too loud make it quieter legally" cant afford it? catch a bus, eat 2 minute noodles until you can

yeah I know aye, wish I had that camera skill, I'm like "yup its all in frame" *click* "done" on other news, slight update.... Excedy HD Ceramic clutch is dying, again. First one lasted 3 weeks - it was an "extreme" HD Cussion button clutch.... enough said, this lasted a month and a half till it started having issues *symptoms, I have to go into 2nd before putting it into first while stationary, 1st 2nd and 3rd hard to get into gear. on down gearing 3rd and 2nd crunch as they go in, on a small rev then launch it will slip for a couple seconds, if not then it will take off and half way through the gear it will start to slip then pick up again. *Other issues caused by me, I rode the clutch a little on take offs in the first couple weeks till I got used to the torque, clutch point and what revs I could and shouldn't launch at for different driving styles (yes I can grandma it now), I also have a habbit of riding the clutch for about half a second in wet wether to keep traction local mechanic near work, gravity bled the clutch, then took it for a drive, he said he is surprised that its died so quickly as he's used them in in more powerful turbo'd cars, though I did mention the lack of turbo gives me instant response and torque, he also said that me riding the clutch for the first couple weeks would have done some damage but not the amount it has this quickly anyways looking into a new ceramic spring button kit, and might get the pressure plate modified while I'm at it I may as well do the r33 rb25det gear box up grade fingers crossed this clutch can last a couple more months oh and I'm going to make up some engine braces as I couldnt find any that were long enough to go from the bolts around #1 cylinder to the strut towers,