I'll be having a new engine put into my Z within a week or so and am putting together a list of jobs which it's worthwhile doing whilst the thing is out of the car. So far I've got:-

 

1) Oil change (goes without saying..)

2) Fit new cambelt

3) Relocate PTU to rear bulkhead

4) Replace EGR valve

5) Replace ECU temp sensor

6) Replace Hoses above the water pump

7) Replace rear oil seal

 

I'd be grateful for any other suggestions or words of advice! :)

 

Cheers,

Nick

Do the plenum water hoses bypass

 

Change the camshaft and front crankshaft oil seals

 

Change the water pump

 

Change the cambelt tensioner

 

 

 

Paint your cambelt covers to a colour of your choice

Personally I'd ditch the EGR altogether rather than replace it. It's also an excellent time to think about fitting a whole new wiring loom (though you may find you need to pull the dash as well - it's a bugger to get through the hole).

 

Replace *all* the rubber coolant hoses on the new engine and bypass the throttle body hoses.

 

If the new engine comes with tubs & downpipes and is from a 1992 on car (IIRC) then take the pass side downpipe off and knock out the precat.

 

Do a whole 60k maint on the engine, rather than just a new cambelt ;)

 

Fit a lightened flywheel & performance clutch - makes sense to do it now, considering you already have the engine out..

 

Fit new engine->heater matrix hoses when refitting.

 

Fit new PCV valves and all three rubber hoses (there's one you can't get to with the engine in)

 

I'm sure I'll think of some more later ;)

FLush out rad, and blow through the fins with a compressor, remove PRVR system.

get 4 core plugs take the old ones out and dremmel the slag out of the water channels, you will be amazed how much crap there is in there and it really helps cooling!!

get 4 core plugs take the old ones out and dremmel the slag out of the water channels, you will be amazed how much crap there is in there and it really helps cooling!!

 

 

I think from the post mate he is getting a second hand engine and sticking it in, he might be able to knock the rear core plug out and do the front by the thermostat?

still worth doing that then just getting 2 plugs and doing the back and front its the back that tends to be the worse anyway but a job worth doing, i think you did yours didnt you mark?

 

Mike

Ooh - another one - OK, so it'll mean new upper & lower plenum gaskets, but.. replace the knock sensor - actually, you might be able to do it with the EGR off and the plenum on, if the engine is on a stand ;)

 

Cheapest time to replace it, for sure..

still worth doing that then just getting 2 plugs and doing the back and front its the back that tends to be the worse anyway but a job worth doing, i think you did yours didnt you mark?

 

Mike

 

 

Yes mate, this is a A1 priority job, the old casting flashing over no 4 &6 cylinders is profound, and you can see why no 6 is the one that always fails!

 

Didn't think of that one Aaron, well done, you should be able to just about reach the Det Sensor from there, or at worse put a new loom on as it is this that always fails!

Thanks for the ideas guys - keep 'em coming :)

 

I know that the wiring loom has been replaced recently but the rest of the suggestions I'll definitely be taking on board!

 

Nick

I doubt if the wiring loom to the det sensor has, because to replace it is an engine out job and it is not sold as part of the wiring loom I think.

it is not sold as part of the wiring loom I think.

 

You're right Mark - it isn't..

 

Nick - for clarification on that bit, the 'det sensor wiring loom' is a bit of wire about 6" long basically - has the right plug for the det sensor on one end, and the right plug for the main EGI loom on t'other - breaks down due to heat etc etc and is usually the bit that stops the det sensor working..

 

Although in my case, it was also the fact that my det sensor had exploded (pretty much literally).. :)

 

Engine out and/or plenum off job for both bits - if you have small hands, a torch and the engine on a stand, you can just about do both without taking the plenums (upper & lower) off :)

Yeah it is JUST possible to reach the det sensor with the EGR removed and lower intake still in place. Damn fiddly tho - and the engine must be OFF the stand - if its on a stand then the stand gets in the way ;)

 

Only other addition to the above suggestions would be to re-seal all rocker covers and the sump - the liquid gasket breaks down over time and starts to leak. For the price of the upper intake gasket (

 

JUNK the EGR - waste of time and space (IMO of course ;)). Remove the AIV's and all associated solenoids from drivers side bulkhead area.

 

Replace the engine mounts - seen so many failed ones. Consider using uprated poly ones.

 

Did anyone mention the rear main seal? worth doing that too.

 

Consider replacing the oil pump as its an engine out job to replace if it fails...

 

Think thats about it :)

Well - looks as though it's going to be an savings account depleting monster of a service.

 

If anyone knows the approximate costs of the parts I've highlighted please let me know!

 

Here's my job list

Radiator fitted [done]

Fit new engine from TT Auto

Cambelt service

Replace oil pump

Fit heater matrix and new engine -> heater matrix hoses

Transfer grounding kit from old to new engine

Fit new dashboard

Replace ECU temp sensor

Oil change

New sparks

Change water pump (if necessary)

Reseal rocker covers and the sump, change plenum chamber gaskets

Uprated clutch

Fit new thermostat

Replace rear oil seal

Replace Hoses above the water pump

Fit new turbo seals

Fit new PCV valves and rubber hoses

Relocate PTU to rear bulkhead - anyone know if this needs some kind of wiring extension?

Replace Engine mounts (if necessary)

Knock out pre-cat

Replace knock sensor

 

Couple of questions:-

1) What's the PRVR system and why should it be removed?

 

2) I'm having difficulty understanding the technicalities of the posts by Kirbz and Mike - can anyone re-explain, in idiot proof terms? :)

 

"Quote:

Originally Posted by kirbz

still worth doing that then just getting 2 plugs and doing the back and front its the back that tends to be the worse anyway but a job worth doing, i think you did yours didnt you mark?

 

Mike

 

Yes mate, this is a A1 priority job, the old casting flashing over no 4 &6 cylinders is profound, and you can see why no 6 is the one that always fails!"

 

 

Thanks again guys!

 

Nick

speak to smithy regarding the clutch. The ptu wont go to the rear bulkhead, but it will go to the passenger wing, beside the fuel filter. Knock sensor (and Loom) is not cheep , I think betwen 60-90 quid. Fitting new turbo oil seals may be a problem, I was under the impression only certain types can be rebuit, otherwise its new turbos. Mark and Kirbz are talking about removing the core plugs (look like round plugs all over the engine, which give access to the waterways of the cooling system) and cleaning out the waterways, both of limescale and flashings ( which are little wbs of metal left there during the casting process) this will help the cooling system work more efficiently. HTH

As jock says, the turbo seals aren't really seals like you'd think of the rear main or cam seals - and replacing them requires a turbo rebuild, which doesn't come that cheap.. However, if you're unsure of them - good idea to get them done..

 

1) What's the PRVR system and why should it be removed?

 

PRVR - if the ECU sees that the fuel is 'hot' (IIRC fuel temp over 75C) during engine cranking, it raises the fuel pressure by presenting atmospheric pressure (rather than engine vacuum) to the fuel pressure regulator by means of the PRVR solenoid, to try and prevent hot starting problems.

 

However, I ditched mine long ago, and IIRC Mark's convertible TT conversion has never had a PRVR system at all - and to my knowledge, neither of us have had any hot starting problems.

 

Removing it, though, removes some considerable lengths of (old and brittle, by now) vacuum hosing - including some that goes down into the inner wing that you can't get to to replace - as well as a vacuum canister in the inner wing that can get old and split with age, introducing unseen vacuum leaks into the system.

 

HTH

Just thought I'd add - you don't actually need to *remove* the canister etc, what I meant was that by removing the solenoid and the first parts of the pipework (it's easy once you're looking at the hoses, honest), you take all those other parts out of the loop.. They can happily stay there, dormant, not connected to anything - which saves having to take the arch liners off etc and messing with rusty bolts ;)

 

(Must resubscribe so I can edit posts! ;))

Hi Nick

 

I have put up a few pics to give you a better idea, i really should have taken some pics when i actually did the job but forgot.

 

On the pics you can see the gold coloured core plugs this is where you can get to the water chanels to clean and remove the crap, if your not stripping it down to the block then just buy one plug which will go on the rear of the block (ringed in the second pic) and when the waterpump is off at the front you can get in from that end as well. If your doing it from each end its going to be hard work and i dont think you will get to the middle but like topless says its the rear ones that tends to be the worse to remove as much as possible.

 

Give me a shout if you get stuck

 

Mike