Old Lady to Young Lady Part 12

I was assigned for an outstation work trip down the south of my country. The trip would be around 250 km, one way and usually takes around 3.5 hours. I decided to drive my Nissan Fairlady Z and test how it would serve me on a long-distance trip. Actually, this would not be the first long-distance trip because I bought the car from the most northern point of the country but it was in terrible shape. So, this time it would be a proper test. I had some fun traveling south and learned several things. I found out that with its high weight, the 350Z's have a cruising speed of 190 km/h. Also, the acceleration of the Naturally Aspirated, V6 engine is very linear and easy to be done. I had a few cars tailgating me and I did not even have to downshift. I could accelerate easily in the sixth gear to get away from them. It was overall an exciting experience and the 350Z is a really nice and fast car to drive. I even reached the speed of 2However, it was very tiring in the Nismo sports seat on a trip like this.

 On the way back to my home, I had an issue with the 350Z. Out of a sudden, I heard a loud thunk and my exhaust note sounds weird. I quickly stopped at a petrol station and looked under but I could not see anything. When I start my engine, it sounded different too. I immediately called my workshop, Redsun and asked if they were available. I was already near my home, so I might as well visit to have my 350Z checked. When I arrived, the mechanic checked thoroughly with a flashlight and found the problem. It was one of the downpipes that broke, causing an incomplete path for the exhaust gas. The right way should be exhaust manifold, downpipe, mid-pipe, and muffler but now the gas comes out from the manifold. Half the gas flows all the way to the muffler at the end but the other half flows out in the engine bay. The owner of Redsun said I was lucky because the downpipe was still intact with mid-pipe and not fallen out of the car. There I was worried how much a new downpipe would cost me but it was just an easy fix.

As you can see from the photos above, the downpipe had a flange on each end. The flange that was supposed to connect to the manifold broke and still attached to the manifold end. Meanwhile, the flange to connect the mid-pipe is still fine. All there is to be done is to weld the broken flange back to the downpipe and it will be finished. I had the honor of the owner, himself welding for my 350Z. Luckily, he did not charge a premium price for his involvement. The gasket had to be replaced as well from a burn. In the end, it cost me little and everything was back to normal. I had a scare but I was glad everything was solved easily. Thank you, Redsun for saving my wallet and 350Z.

Old Lady to Young Lady Part 9

After the last visit to Redsun, I now know the cause of my Nissan Fairlady Z's left headlamp's problem.  The headlamp unit had water seeping in and caused the ballast and ballast cable to short circuit. I asked Redsun to search for the parts but at the same time I will be searching online. I started looking on an online trade website and managed to find a seller for the headlamp. Since the condition of the unit is not good, I might as well change the unit as well. I met the seller and was surprised that I was getting 2 left headlamps for the price of 1 and at a cheap price. One of the headlamp was perfect, had all the bulbs but ballast was missing and had some signs of old age. The other one could not be used because the housing was ripped. A few days later I found someone selling used ballast with ballast cable at a cheap price. I bought it and brought everything to Redsun to have those fixed. At the end of the day, the price for all the parts I bought is only 10% more than what Redsun was going to charge me for just the ballast. I would say I did pretty good and had a steal on the price.
It took around 1 and a half hours to remove part of the front bumper and install the left headlamp.

2 for 1 - Left: One with ripped housing, Right: Perfect replacement.

                             Perfect (Front) - No chip, No crack                                Perfect (Back) - Ballast missing

Used Ballast with ballast cable

On another note, right from the start of my ownership, I noticed that the headlamp is quite dimmed when the lights are on at night. I was told that the pre-facelift models' HID light is not bright enough.
I wanted to change to the facelift ones but now I know it was because of the tinting on my headlamps. So, I asked Redsun to remove the tinting from my right headlamp, that was done by the previous owner. However, by removing the tinting, there is a sticky residue from the adhesive that causes the headlamp to blur. The mechanic then rubbed some brake fluid and it started to clear a little but it went bad when he changed to car polish instead. I do not have the time to send the 350Z to have its headlamp polished. I will just have to drive it as it is, temporarily. Now, it looks bad during the day but at least both headlamps work well at night and it is brighter now without the tinting. I won't be mistaken for a motorbike when I tailgate someone. Next thing I should do is have someone look at the headlight and polish it so it could be clear.

Just removed tinting and rubbed with brake fluid

After brake fluid and car polish

On another note, if you remember, previously I bought a petrol cap that I have yet to install. I finally had the time for some D.I.Y. and got it installed. It was not an important repair but it was an eyesore. Every time I pump petrol, I had to find somewhere to put the petrol cap, which is annoying. This task only required an Allen key wrench and 5 minutes to remove the metal plate. At first it looks difficult because the C-shape opening is behind the flipping mechanism. So, the petrol cover has to be loosen as well. It is much better to the eye and more convenient now. I am satisfied. Not every repair or mod has to cost a lot to be a good mod.

Old 

New

Left: Broken cable, Right: With cable

Old Lady to Young Lady Part 8

One night while I was moving my Nissan Fairlady Z, the clutch pedal was stuck. It would not rise up after I have stepped on it. I keep stepping on the pedal, hoping it will pop up but it did not. I was lucky because I was done with the move because it would have been a disaster if I was driving and this happened. So, I quickly pop the hood and examined the clutch fluid tank. I found out it was bone dry and then I tried to pull the pedal up with my hand. Good thing it came up and I stepped on the clutch multiple times to see if it would get stuck again. It was fine but without any fluid in the tank, I suspect something is faulty. I text my mechanic friend on what I should do and he told me to rush out to find clutch fluid to pour into the tank and pump the pedal for the fluid to flow. I quickly went to a nearby petrol station and did as I was advised. I pour the fluid to half full tank and pumped the pedal. I left it for a few days before I brought the 350Z to Redsun Motorsport. I had an incident during my drive to Redsun. As I was pulling out after I pumped petrol, my clutch pedal was stuck again. I quickly stop the car, pull the pedal with my hand and pump a few times before I drive off. It was definitely scary and I was worried during the whole drive. I made it after a while and left the 350Z in the workshop for it to be repaired. I also had other work done to my 350Z.

Replacing fluid on my own

I left my 350Z on a Saturday and on the next Monday, I got a phone call that it was ready to be collected with everything done. As usual, Redsun shows how efficient they are when it comes to solving problem. Also, the owner does not like to keep cars in the workshop for too long because there is no space and business is too good. Back to my issue, clutch pedal getting stuck is usually caused by either a leaking fluid tank or hoses, or a faulty clutch pump/assembly. The problem was confirmed to be a faulty clutch assembly by Redsun. They ordered and installed a new original Nissan clutch assembly (code: 30620-CD00A) which cost a lot. The clutch fluid was bled and refill with new clutch fluid. I was told that with the new clutch assembly, the pedal will be lower but it will soon get back to the usual height. My first drive after this repair was a bit of a bittersweet feeling. The usual height for example is 10 cm but now it is like 4 cm. It creates a little discomfort for me, how little space I have but the new clutch assembly made it seems easier to hit the balance point. The 350Z is easier to move away from a still and easier to start with 2nd gear with less shaking. I wonder is this how it should feel when it was brand new.

While my 350Z was at the workshop, the owner advised me to do a regular service since it has been a long time since my last service. As all car owners know, regular services are usually done at the interval of 5,000 km/3 months or 10,000 km/6 months depending on preferences or type engine oil used. However, I only manage to drive my 350Z for only 4,000 km in 10 months. My engine oil should be still in good condition. Nevertheless, since it has been 10 months, I agree to service my car. Redsun did the usual engine oil change with M7 engine oil and changed the oil filter. I also had them look into my Tein suspension set up. I found out that every time I go over a tall bump, the left side undercarriage will hit the bump. There is a theory that since the driver is always present, there is more weight on the right side and to support that, the suspension has to be stiffer and vice versa. I also found the suspension overall is too soft at the corners. I dunno what the owner did to the suspension but I can feel it is more balanced over the bumps. His tuning makes the car better but I have not tested in the corners yet.

Lastly, I had them look into my left headlight. I always thought my left headlight's problem was its blurred surface due to water trapped inside and the projector is still working. Recently, I realized that in actual, the projector was not working. I thought it was the bulb but Redsun said it was the ballast. They had a spare unit and I was happy that it could be solved but when I arrived at the workshop, they were still fixing the headlight. It seems that not only the ballast had malfunctioned but the cable from ballast to the bulb also malfunctioned and there is no spare. After toying with it for another hour or so, they concluded that nothing they can do and the best solution is to look for a used headlight and exchange. I had my hope crushed but they will look for a lamp for me. So, in the meantime I will be using my high beam while driving at night because the high beam still works and even at high beam it is not too bright. I guess that is better than being a cyclops on the road with other user of the road mistaking me for a motorbike.         

Current Headlamp condition

Left: Projector works, Right: Projector does not work

Left: Water caused cable to mold, Right: Burnt parts on ballast

Both side headlamps removed

Testing and trying to modify cable from another ballast

Old Lady to Young Lady Part 6

Around 1 month ago, I was driving my Nissan Fairlady Z to work. It has been 3 weeks since I driven the 350Z because I was working overseas. However when I was driving back from lunch, I heard a weird humming sound. I turned off my air conditioner and the sound was still there. Next I turned off my engine and the sound was still there but as soon as I turn it off, I saw smoke came out from my front right wheel. I quickly open my hood and see smoke coming out of the coolant tank and brown stains nearby. I did not see the meter and did not know my engine overheated. After 2 hours of cooling down, I filled up the coolant tank with water and drove off. As soon as I drove for 10 minutes, it was overheating again. This time I filled up water in both the coolant tank and radiator. I found out the radiator was very empty and altogether filled up 6 liters of water. Ever since that day, I only drove to work and nearby my house in fear it might overheat again. Surprisingly, nothing happened all this while and I even managed to drive it all the way to a car show without a hitch. I was relieved but still it would be better to send the 350Z to the workshop for a checkup. It was only 2 days ago when I experienced another overheating. The next day, I sent the 350Z to Redsun Motorsport.

During my second overheat, I stopped in front of a car accessory shop and was told that it could be caused by a faulty radiator, faulty radiator fan, jammed thermostat or leaking coolant tank. However after observing a few days, I noticed there was no leaking and the fan was moving. It most probably needs a new radiator (RM 690) or a new thermostat (RM 480) and either one would cause my wallet
some damage. Redsun spent one day flushing the liquid inside the cooling system and found out the overheating was caused by a jammed thermostat. It was rusty and occasionally does not open to allow coolant to pass through the radiator, explaining why the overheating was not constant. The solution was pretty simple. Redsun removed the thermostat and bypass it instead of replacing it with a new thermostat. I was dumbstruck by this decision and questioned whether is this solution going to work. The owner of Redsun asked me to ask my friend, who drives a Nissan Skyline V35 with HKS Supercharger (tuned by Redsun) that had its thermostat removed as well. If the Skyline is fine with that amount of horsepower, I think it would not be a problem for me. I certainly prefer this solution as it only cost me some labor charge and new coolant, making this my cheapest visit to Redsun. After driving it for a while, I realized the bypass causes the engine to take longer time to reach optimum temperature as coolant is always flowing through radiator even though it is not hot.

Thermostat was removed and the frame is reinstall for the bypass to work.

Fully rusted thermostat

Wurth (Germany) Radiator Coolant used (actual used is -68c Red)

Since the 350Z needs to visit Redsun, I took the opportunity to have them install some new mods that I bought previously. First thing was a very rare, optional Momo steering wheel offered by Nissan in Japan. I never liked the original steering wheel of the 350Z as I think it is ugly but the thought to change it did not occur to me. However when I saw the Momo one for sale, the opportunity came and I bought it immediately because it was rare and cheap. There is two version of Momo offered (photo below). Initially I preferred the left one but after looking at the right one, the sportiness of the design overcame me. It shares the same design of the steering wheels found on Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 7/8/9. As it was offered by Nissan, the fitting and installation was easy. It definitely looks better than the original one and increases the sportiness of the interior 10 folds. When I first driven with the Momo wheel, I felt the weight is slightly lighter and the padding on the bottom is a bit different. I am satisfied with how it makes the interior more sportier but I noticed the position of the horn is not centered and the horn sounded when I press the bottom of the wheel. I will have to redo it on my own.

Too big gap on top

The second item that I had them install was a gear knob I bought off a Subaru WRX STI. Previously, I tried to remove the original gear knob on my own after watching a few videos on YouTube. However, the gear knob was stuck and would not budge. I gave up and decided to have Redsun have a try at it. Redsun told me the gear knob was glued to the shift lever and might damaged the gear knob. I asked them to go ahead as it was already badly scratched but unknown to me, they went and cut the gear knob forcefully. Further bad news was the STI gear knob would not fit the lever as the thread hole of the STI knob is bigger. So now I am left with the carcass of the gear knob for temporary drive. The best solution I could think of is to make an adapter in order to not waste the knob I bought. I asked my friend to fabricate the adapter and hope it works.

My failed attempt to remove the gear knob

Original Gear Knob

Bits and pieces of Gear Knob after cutting

All that remains for temporary use

Old Lady to Young Lady Part 5

Previously, when I left Redsun Motorsport after replacing my brake rotors, he warned me that I might see some markings on my rotor but it is normal. Just after 2 days, I could see a line in the middle of the rotor's surface. It is a rust color line, around 3 cm wide on all 4 rotors. Immediately, I fear it might damaged my new and expensive rotors. I think I should not delay replacing the brake pads anymore. Quickly, I called Redsun and have them order new pads for me. It took a few days for the pads to arrive and I arranged time to send my car over to Redsun. Initially, the main thing was to change brake pads but I also had a few other unfinished things that I need Redsun to tend to. Hopefully, this should be my last trip to Redsun for rebuilding my Nissan Fairlady Z. All these trips to Redsun is beneficial to my 350Z but it is killing my savings and it seem like before I could even enjoy the 350Z, I have to pay this much. 

A few months ago, I bought Brembo brake pads for replacement simply because, my brake calipers are Brembo. Despite Brembo being a famous and great brand itself, many owners would upgrade to other brands. One factor could be because it is difficult to get the original spec Brembo pads that you get from Nissan. The Brembo pads sold locally are unfortunately, made in China and are low in quality. No wonder, I got the pads for a very low price and here, I thought I made a good buy. The pads that I had was Endless, a very famous Japanese brand that produces Big Brake Kit for a lot of JDM models. It is widely used in many races and a preferred brand even in Malaysia but it is very expensive. So after considering all these, I opt to order Endless pads. Although it was only the front that needs replacement, it is better to change the rear too because the rear rotors are new too. The new front pads are rated 500 degrees while the rear pads are 400 degrees. These pads will need longer time to warm up but it could handle higher temperature which means lesser brake fading and better performance. It would make a great team with my DBA rotors. 

In Part 3, the pulley belts were replaced because of wear and tear, and old age. However, I started to hear a shrieking sound every time I cold start the car. Usually the sound would die off after I drive for a while and I thought it was nothing. Soon, it annoyed me because it was getting louder and after spending so much money on restoring the car, now the 350Z sounds like a broken down car. One day, I started the car and open up the front hood to check where the sound was coming from. I found out the sound was coming from the pulley belt area. Upon checking, there were 2 components that were causing the sound. Firstly, the A/C compressor pulley belt was replaced with the wrong belt. It was the wrong material and wrong length. Since this was the fault of Redsun, a correct belt was ordered and installed with no extra charges. Secondly, pulley bearings were due for replacement. It was small bearing with rubber cover, that I could easily take from my company's inventory. While replacing the bearings, the mechanic found the A/C pulley also needs replacement. So, with the belt, bearings and pulley changed, the shrieking sound immediately dissappears .

Bearings

A/C Compressor Pulley

This is another issue that was present from the first day I received my 350Z. There is oil leaking from the valve cover. The leak was not serious to the extend where a pool of oil could be seen under the car nor could you see fresh oil coming out between the seal. However, there is some dried oil stain that you could visibly see. This is caused by the engine valve cover seal not doing its job. The seal is made of rubber and over the course of time, it would either get dry and brittle or gets out of shape. Nothing serious here as the seal usually need replacement every few years. Redsun ordered new ones and install the seals. Each engine needs 2 seals.

In Part 2 when the whole transmission was changed, Redsun had previously changed the transmission oil. However due to the issue with 3rd gear, he changed the synchronizer hub but even with the new hub, I felt the problem still persist. Redsun's owner told me if it still happens, he will change the transmission oil for me. I resorted to double-clutching when shifting from 2nd to 3rd gear and luckily, it solves the problem. I had been thinking and it felt like maybe a thicker oil could help out when the hub moves in and out when engaging gears. After 2 weeks, it is time to change the oil to see if it helps. The oil that will be used is Redline's Lightweight Shockproof Gear Oil from USA. According to the owner, this oil is used for track cars and is more thicker that the average oil. If you use a finger to touch it, it will feel more like a sticky compound rather than the usual watery liquid. This is the good stuff.

My 350Z comes with the DVD and Navi package and so, it came with a display monitor. However, over the years, the monitor cracked and as I mentioned it a few times here before, I am looking to remove the monitor as there is already another touch screen player. Then, I finally found an original center console that has a storage pocket for sale online after looking for a long time. On the surface it looks the same but when you open up, there's no monitor there. I just had to buy and brought it over to Redsun for installation. It is quite easy to install it but since I had to bring the 350Z to Redsun anyway, might as well have the professional do it. It was very kind of them to do it for free. One of the weakness of the car's interior was the lack of storage space especially for my phone. Usually I put on the hand rest or by the handbrake but a lot of the time my phone just rest on my laps, which is inconvenient and it annoys me. Now I can put my phone and other things in the compartment and it is easy for me to retrieve those items from there. Definitely a good buy and it was cheap too.

When closed, it is the same with or without monitor.

Extra Compartment

On the day before I collected the car, the engine check light came up again. When I was told about this, I was worried. In my mind I was thinking, please don't let it be another thing that I have to replace! So, Redsun's owner took out his new On-Board Diagnostic (OBD) scanner to read the error code and found out it was caused by his workers. While removing some parts, his worker turn on the ignition and that is when the check light came up. I was relieved to hear that and I was impressed with his OBD scanner because it uses a wireless connection and controls it with an Ipad. Talk about state of the art. He must have spent a lot on that. He did mentioned that he wants to start doing maintenance for Lamborghinis and Bentleys. Maybe that is why he needs a new fancy OBD scanner.

Engine Check Light again.

Owner with Mighty Red Ipad OBD Scanner