Tudor...

Around the thermostat area you've obviously got your PTU, and CAS, as you said you've check all connections, check again, clean everyone you can get to. Are you getting any sparks?

I'm in Manchester mate, ex mechanic, got my engine out at the mo tho, rebuilding it, and the engine bay stripped getting ready for me to spray it, crazy busy at the mo, but could help you some time in the near future to at least get her driving if you like? Can't guarantee a specific time as of yet, everything is ars3 over t1t at minute for me!....

Good news, more often than not it's a cruddy/broken/duff/old/brittle/loose etc. etc. connector :)

Was going to edit that, over 3 foot long, pants, subs run out.

Crack the main hub nuts (end of the drive shaft) before you remove the hub, even if taking the hub off with the drive shaft attached, or you will more than likely struggle as they (or one, often the nearside) is so tight, it's very hard to work on and undo when not solidly on the car, and with the drive shaft attached it's a right contraption to be lugging about and putting on a press etc. Even doing that, with one of mine I used the biggest truck hub puller known to man, over two foot long, and a 4 foot breaker bar to tighten it, like something out of Dr. Who, and I was so close to breaking that, took me 3 days of soaking etc. just to remove the drive shaft from the hub, with no nut on it, hopefully yours will just fall off though matey :)

Looks like emulsified oil, may well just be a leaky rocker cover gasket, and the oil has filled up the spark plug hole and gone manky, hopefully....

I'm only 5'7 and scrawny to boot, and have little b1tch hands and long fingers, I don't have any problems :) £50 a day ? :lol:

I've had two :nana2:

Might be handy for anyone tackling an annual winter makeover on their Zed... http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/spray-painting.htm

I've had my engine out a good few times, although I am a mechanic, I did it in my home garage, I find the only ball ache being a small guy but a grafter, is getting the gearbox out on your own without bending/stressing things, straight forward enough, just basically remove everything attached to the engine, undo the mounts and lift out. The first time I bought a packet of multi coloured tie wraps, and put green to green, red to red etc, but if you run out of colours, then do red and green to red and green etc.... And watch out for the spring clips on most of the wiring loom plugs pi55ing off when you unclip them, you'll know what i mean when you remove your first injector connector, royal pain in the arse them things, but they the same clips/plugs are used on many other cars, so if you lose some (and you probably will), no major trauma, just take one down to a scrappy and have a rummage.

Now then now then......

Rotate it 90 degrees and bung one of the pipes up.

I had to do the same thing, think the new one was about 30 quid ish from nissan, was a couple of years ago tho.

minus 7 sounds right mate, that's 7 psi of vacuum (if your reading in PSI).

I had exactly the same problem, dropped of at about 68 mph, then as soon as I slowed down to 68 mph it sprung back into life, tried a different converter, still the same. I cured it by taking a chassis ground and a live feed from my radio loom straight to the converter, works perfectly now. I think the feed on the back of the speedo hasn't got enough balls to power the clocks and converter.

You could get a tap, or thread chaser the same size/thread as the hole, and clean the thread up, but with the same problem of debri.

Fantastic picture mate.

Reet, I shall start at the beginning... When I rebuilt my engine, I bought several tubes of, apparently, the best liquid gasket there is, from the company that re-bored my block. Turns out this stuff is utter pants, goes on great, but turns to dust after a couple of months. So, after monumental failure of it in various places, (including the water hard pipes at the front of the engine), it failed on both VTC solenoids, but the drivers side being the worse, in a short time, without knowing, it pissed most of it's oil out, all over everything (my shiny and brand new SS exhaust looks like it has been tarmacked). I only knew, after booting it, I would leave a motorway full of smoke as it hit the turbo, exhaust, bulkhead, everything really. So, I ordered new cam cover gaskets and plenum gasket to repair it. So, I kept my eye on the oil level etc. but just before I got chance to do these repairs, whilst doing a 'steady' cruise back from a gig late at night, just before I got home (about 3/4 of a mile), I noticed steam and both temp gauges shot up. Got her home within a minute or 2, checked her a few days later and discovered a burst turbo water feed pipe. Have replaced the pipe, and all parts fitted, no oil/coolant leaks, runs perfect, but....... I have a (I hope) lifter noise. Quiet at idle, but if your rev her, quiet until around 3K, then sounds like a diesel, then fades out as you rev it higher. I'm sure it isn't a journal knock, as it only does it when you want it to. The noise is definitely coming from above the driver's VTC solenoid, so, my questions are.... Is it possible that the oil leak has starved the nearest lifter of oil and it is goosed? (I've bunged some Wynn's lifter treatment in, only done about 20-30 miles yet though, still the same). Could this noise be from damage caused by overheating? And if so, what? The engine is coming out over the winter for engine bay spraying etc. so I don't mind working on it, but I need to correctly diagnose it before I remove it, or it may well be the same when re-fitted). I'll do my best to get a video of it today, so it can be heard, also I have unplugged the VTC solenoid and it still does it, but, is this correct way to test the VTC, or should I ground the green/black wire as I have read? (I haven't really pursued this, as the noise is without a doubt coming from above the VTC, so I kind of ruled out the sprocket spring). ANY help, is greatly appreciated..... Many thanks, Tudor...

Don't forget to put the earth strap from the battery to one of the top bell housing bolts.

Have PM'd you mate.

The orange wire goes to your 'illumination' (I usually take it from the radio ISO), so when you turn your lights on, the gauge dims slightly...

Can I just disconnect this? I have no belt on my air con compressor, so can I just disconnect this solenoid so the idle doesn't change when it thinks the air con is on? Also, the plug on the solenoid it's self is busted, connections are still good, useable, I could replace it, but I wont if there is no need and I can just leave it unplugged... Cheers, Tudor.

As my mini loom from dett. sensor to ECU loom connector was knackered, I cut off the plug, unclipped the top, soldered in my resistor the clipped the top back on, that way you are just left with a plug with the resistor in it, just plug it into the ECU loom, looks nice and neat...

1M, that is 1 meg ohm, the others are denominations, like 3M5 is 3.5 meg ohms...

Likely to be dodgy loom wiring or a plug, clean every connector you can get to, and have a thorough check for brittle/cracked/broken wiring and plugs...