New Door Cards for the 280z

When I acquired my 280z I found it adorned with a customized cloth interior that was a little worse for wear.  I had previously replaced the seat covers with factory-look vinyl but the door cards still had the cloth inserts.  

I came across some factory reproduction door cards at Z Car Depot so I decided to pull the trigger.  While I had the door cards off I decided to install some new door handles I had lying around since the return spring on the passenger door handle had broken long ago.  I also took the opportunity to fix a problem with the driver side locking mechanism where the key would barely turn far enough to lock the door.  I designed and printed new door lock gaskets out of TPU.

280z Engine Compartment Labeling

I had a few dress-up items for the engine compartment that I had accumulated over time and decided to install them.  This included labels for the air box, paint code, coolant type, radiator and a Nissan "OK" quality sticker for the passenger-side rear window.

Air Filter Change Interval

Coolant Type and Paint Code

Rogue Catch Can

After reading so much about oil catch cans I thought the was no reason not to put one on our 2019 Rogue, even though the QR25DE is port injected.  It was super easy to install.  Even if it does nothing it was fun to install.

The Dreaded KA24E Death Rattle

For several years my 1996 Nissan pickup with a KA24E engine had been rattling upon startup.  When it first began, the rattle was subtle and went away within a second or two after startup.  After a few years, the rattle was quite loud and lasted for about 5-6 seconds after starting.  The rattle would never be present if the engine was warmed; this was only a cold start problem.  After just a bit of research I found that this is a common issue with the KA24E engine: the timing chain tensioner loses its ability to hold tension after the engine cools, causing the timing chain to rattle against the chain guide when starting.  In some extreme cases people had reported that the timing chain had actually worn a hole in their timing cover behind the coolant passage leading to the water pump, causing catastrophic damage.  I certainly didn't want this to happen so I decided to address the problem.  Additionally the truck had developed a small coolant leak so I would also be fixing another issue with no additional work on my part.  For reference my pickup has about 144,000 miles on it and has been well cared-for since new, using nothing but Mobil 1 full synthetic oil since 30,000 miles.

I'm not going to give complete instructions on this process but instead give the highlights from my experience.  The procedure itself is well documented with the best writeup I found located here: Timing Chain replacement on KA24E - Infamous Nissan - Hardbody / Frontier Forums

Removing the radiator, fan and belts was relatively easy.  I also moved the steering pump from its bracket but did not disconnect the hoses.  There is a leak around the fluid return line but I decided that would be a problem for another day.  Once I removed the valve cover I was able to confirm that the plastic has disintegrated from the stationary chain guide but the chain had NOT worn through the metal part of the guide.  Whew!

Removing the oil pan revealed where all that plastic from the chain guide had landed.

I had purchased a timing chain replacement kit from Amazon.com, although I decided there were a few parts I would not use from the kit:

• I sourced a new timing chain from my local Nissan dealer as I definitely didn't want to risk my engine to a non-OE chain.
• Research revealed that using the same type of hydraulic chain tensioner would allow the problem to return, likely a bit sooner than the factory tensioner lasted.  Many people use a ratcheting tensioner and I decided to go this route as well.  I purchased the tensioner here: Nissan KA24E Self Adjusting Tensioner (12 valve SOHC engine) | Martin Industries
• After inspection both can chain sprockets looked to be in great shape so I decided not to replace the factory sprockets

After more disassembly I found the source of my coolant leak to be cracking hoses and corrosion around the hose nipples.

Removing the timing cover itself wasn't too bad.  I made sure I was careful not to damage the sealing surfaces.  If you look you can find a few areas that allow you to pry the cover without damaging those surfaces.  Once removed make sure to get all the factory sealant off the timing cover and the engine block, otherwise you'll likely have leaks after reinstallation.

The timing cover uses bolts of various sizes; be sure to keep them in order!

I was able to find new coolant passage nipples for the thermostat housing but others had to be reused.  I also stripped and painted the PCV cooler.

After cleaning the re-used parts I started putting things back together.  During this entire process it is critical to ensure that the cam and crankshaft are not rotated, otherwise you risk your timing being off.  Even though the OE chain had indicators to properly align the chain to the sprockets, I still counted links just to be safe.  I found the indicators to be accurate.

There are two things I learned when installing the timing cover that I hope will help anyone reading this:

1) The two oil passage gaskets located on the passenger side of the cover can easily move during installation!  After my first installation attempt I had to pull the cover and clean the gasket material from the mating surfaces because one of them had not only moved but became damaged.  Luckily I had a spare.  Use some grease or even a VERY SMALL amount of RTV to keep them in place and check them during and after the installation process.  You can see that the lower seal moved completely out of its location for me and I was lucky enough to see this when inspecting from the underside after installation.

2) If you are like me, you decided not to pull the head for this process and you were lucky not to have damaged the head gasket during the removal of the timing cover.  Like many, on my first attempt to reinstall the timing cover the head gasket started to "pull" towards the engine.  To prevent this from happening I on my second attempt I did two things: a) Use a small amount of lithium grease on the timing cover side of the head gasket to allow the cover to slide on the gasket without causing it to bunch.  b) I fashioned two "keys" that I slid into the top timing cover bolt holes to keep the gasket from moving.

If you followed the instructions in the above writeup on InfamouseNissan.com the rest of this process should be fairly straightforward.  I was worried about lining up the distributor with the timing shaft but that wasn't an issue for me.  I did also replace my oil pump since I was here even though there was no sign of issues with it.  I was able to obtain the part straight from Hitachi way cheaper than through the dealer.  I also installed a new water pump and thermostat inlet.

During reassembly I also replaced every vacuum hose I could get my hands one, one at a time to ensure I didn't route anything incorrectly.  There was only one hose I couldn't reach on the underside of the engine and I think I'll be able to replace it when I later replace the clutch and rear main seal.  

After reassembly I spun the starter for about thirty seconds without the plugs installed to build oil pressure before letting it run on its own.  When I drove it for the first time I had a knocking sound that ultimately I thought was the oil passage to the tensioner filling with oil.  The sound went away after driving for about ten minutes.  On the first oil change after completing this repair I sent a sample for used oil analysis.  Thankfully there were no excessive metals in the sample and no sign of coolant in the oil!  There were high levels of silicon which are to be expected since I used RTV to seal the timing cover and oil pan.

For anyone experiencing the dreaded rattle of death on your D21 pickup with a KA24E engine I hope my experience can help you avoid problems if you choose to tackle this issue.

Flipped-Out Pickup Fuel Gauge

Recently, Just after starting my truck I noticed that my fuel gauge stopped working and my check engine light illuminated.  Reading the code from the ECU revealed that the fuel temperature sensor had malfunctioned.  Since these two events happened at the same time it became obvious to me that the problem must be in the fuel pump/sending unit assembly.  The easiest way to get to that would be to lift the bed.

I had always heard that lifting the bed was easy, but I had no idea just how easy it was.  Essentially 6 bolts and some electrical connectors were all that needed to be removed to lift the bed.

After lifting the bed I found that several wires to the fuel pump assembly had been severed!  There was no evidence indicating how the wires were severed although years ago a body shop had the bed off for a repair; maybe they pinched some wires and it took a while for them to eventually break.

Given the short lengths of wire I decided to strip and solder instead of using crimp connections.  Weatherproof heat shrink tubing was used to protect the wires from the elements.

I also used this opportunity to install new bed spacers as that body shop I mentioned earlier didn't do a very good job leveling the bed.  I verified after reinstalling the bed that nothing was near the fuel pump wires so hopefully this repair will last the lifetime of the truck.

Pulsar Parcel Bar

The Pulsar NX came with a parcel bar across the back seats whose purpose was to keep items stowed in the back from flying into the front of the car when stopping.  This bar was missing from our Pulsar.  In fact, I had a hard time finding an image of tis parcel back large enough for me determine if I could recreate it.  I finally found a listing for another 1988 Pulsar that still had the parcel bar intact.  

Using this photo I created a couple of designs.  The first was a bit off.

But the second design looked close enough to move forward.  The design leverages a chrome shower curtain rod as the bar across the mounts.

I used stainless steel cap bolts to attach the mounts to the seat backs.

I'm quite happy with the way this turned out and unless you're close enough to see the layer lines in the mounts you'd never know this wasn't the factory parcel bar.

Pulsar Door Vent Seals

 The door vent seals on the Pulsar had become brittle and started disintegrating over 30 years.  

With replacement seals unavailable, I decided design and print replacements.  The seals themselves weren't too complex in shape.  Instead of trying to fit the metal clips on the factory seals I simply used Ultra Black to attach the seals to the car.  This worked perfectly and now the door vents blow strong again!

 

Pulsar Fuel Pump Change

I've been chasing an issue with the Pulsar where it is hard to start after sitting for some time.  Since the car has unknown mileage I thought it wouldn't be a bad idea to try replacing the fuel pump.  The thinking here is either the pump itself is not pressurizing fast or the check valve has gone bad.  This would also give me an opportunity to inspect the fuel tank for dirt or corrosion.

Dropping the tank wasn't particularly difficult, just tedious.  After disconnecting the electrical connections and hoses under the seat, removing the filler hose, removing some shielding and finally the tank bolts I was able to work the tank out from under the car.

While the outside of the tank looked 30 years old, I was very happy to find the inside of the tank extremely clean.  I found no need to clean the inside of the tank.

The fuel pump itself (ordered from Summit Racing) was an easy swap as it was identical in size and shape.

Using a new seal and stainless bolts, I returned the fuel pump to the tank.  Reinstallation was simply a reversal of the removal steps.

While the new pump ultimately did not solve my starting issues, I do feel better knowing the likelihood of being stranded by a pump failure has been reduced. 

Rogue Oil Change

 On February 12, 2023, the oil was changed on the Rogue.  I forgot to record the mileage.

Sloppy Pulsar Wipers

The wipers on the Pulsar always had a lot of "slop" to them; they seemed to pause momentarily at each end of their stroke.  I opened up the cowl to find that the bushing between the wiper motor and linkage to be missing!  I searched online but could not find a suitable replacement, so I decided that I could create one myself using my 3D Printer.

After a few measurements I had a design that I felt would work.  I printed the part using carbon-fiber infused nylon to give it some strength.  The black part in the photos below is the newly created part.

Before installing I used some 3M silicone grease to lube the parts.  The new bushing snapped into place perfectly.  

No more wiper slop!