Mad
Well-Known Member
http://www.oocities.org/evilnis_nz/f_a_q.html
NISSAN PULSAR GTIR F.A.Q
Q :Can I change the timing?
Sure can. There's a small nut on top of the distributor (mines sealed with tape). Take the tape off and slacken off the nut. The distributor should now be free to move a few cm's either way.
Q: Where the hell is the ECU?
Its right in the middle of the car, under the dashboard, at floor level. Looking in either footwell, towards the middle of the car, there are small plastic blanking plates on either side of the centre console. Remove these, and the ECU is right behind lying flat. Its a real pig to work on!
Q: ....and where is the ABS computer?
The ABS computer is under the left hand kick panel in the passenger footwell.
Q: Whats the capacity of the fuel tank?
50 litres unleaded/super unleaded (min. 92 octane)
Q: What oil have you tried/would you recommend? How much does it take?
Last question first : 3.2 litres (3.4 if you include the filter) .Nissan recommend a 5w 30 oil, changed every 5000 kms (thats 3100 miles).Personally I use Castol
Magnetec,which is a 10W 40. I'm never too keen on these thinner oils, they do offer better protection at startup, but arguably, if you idle your machine properly you shouldn't get any problems at startup. Mobil 1 is a definate no no for me. I saw too many turbo'd engines blow up, which were attributed to this oil. Fair enough running Mobil if you've got a fully re-built comp. spec. Group A blueprinted engine pushing out 400+bhp, but i'm running around in a 260 bhp engine thats done 64000 miles. Not quite the same. Aside from the obvious (use branded before it's too late, and change it as frequently as you can afford) there is a debate raging on another site about what to use for turbo's. If the oil you want to use meets the specification in the handbook, you should feel confident that it will perform. If you're buying an oil on a mate's advice - can he/she prove that the oil won't damage your motor? If in doubt - ask your local Nissan dealer. I hear that fully synthetic is a no-no for turbo's. Anyone confirm this?
Q: How much water does it take?
It takes 5.7 litres of water, of which you should reckon 25% or 33% should be anti-freeze (depending where you live). Never put too much anti-freeze in an engine. It actually corrodes the alloy head if used to excess.
Q:What size speakers can I get in the car?
The fronts are (correct me if i'm wrong) 7" x 5" ,possibly even smaller, and sound poo. My car's got Kenwood replacements of the same size, which dont sound too bad, but lack bass. I've heard of people having limited success with 6.5" speakers, the main problem with fitting is the odd shaped hole behind the speaker ( a sort of squashed circle), but it is possible. Rears are standard round 5" jobbies, fairly easily available.
Q: Does anyone know what the warning light on the right of the instruments in the middle means?
Its the light warning of high exhaust temperature in the catalytic convertor. The is a danger of them catching fire if temperatures remain too high for too long. How you've got it to come on, I have no idea.I've pulled a Volkswagen Golf up a 1 in 4 hill (25%) with high oil and water temperatures, and the boost gauge reading high all the way up - I never had this light come on though. I'm guessing, but maybe the lamda sensor doubles as a thermistor of some kind?
Q: I can't understand the boost guage!
The standard boost gauge in an imported GTiR is in the unit Torr, or millimetres of mercury. Standard boost, approx 9 - 10 psi , will give a reading of around
5mmHg. Just over 7mmHg is 1 bar.Bar is the metric standard for pressure. 1bar = 14.7psi roughly. Always bear in mind that the in car guage is reading boost AT THE ENGINE i.e. the inlet manifold. This is after it has passed through the restrictions of the intercooler and throttle bodies. A turbocharger manufacturer will always quote the maximum boost the turbo produces (say 15psi) FROM THE TURBO. A loss of 4-5psi is expected between the turbo and the engine, hence the in-car reading would be somewhere in the region of 10 psi or 5mmHg. UK cars have a gauge in psi as standard.
Q: Whats the blanking plate for, behind the gearstick?
Some Pulsars were fitted with heated front seat, and this is where the switches would go. Does anyone actualy have these!
Q: I give up, what are the small hooks for on the carpet in the front?
The Japanese foot mats, of course!
Q: Wheels & tyres
Generally 7" x 16 or 7" x 17 maximum, but if you want to roll the arches (the arch shape "L" becomes a tight "J" and you'll probably muck up the paint, (I hear it's possible to persuade the lip of the arch into the right shape with a wooden baseball bat! I won't be trying this) then you might go to 7.5" x 17 or even 8 x 17, but then you may run into clearance problems with the inner arch. Tyres are a moot point: generally, tyres that are good in the wet are not as good in the dry (e.g., more wear) and tyres that are good in the dry are usually hopeless in the wet. No tyre is "the best" at everything. There may be an excellent compromise tyre, but is it too expensive for your budget? Also, in the UK, it is rare for the air temperature to rise over 30c. On the two days a year when that happens in the UK (like 1998) a certain tyre may give the best 'bite' and 'feel'. It's more likely to snow than that. If you do track days, get a pair of spare rims, check the weather forecast (hahaha-UK only) and kit them up with suitably grippy low-profiles. More debate on this one I feel certain! I run 7x17" wheels with 205/40ZR17 Falken GRB tyres all round. The only wheel that rubs is the front nearside (passenger side) for some reason. The point on the arch that it rubs against is the mounting screw for the arch plastic. The solution is, indeed, a large hammer.
Q: How much boost can I run?
The more, the less. That is - it depends what you want to do with the car.If you're out to post the fastest time on a drag strip and can afford a rebuild afterwards, then I've seen figures of 450 BHP from a well overboosted car. That owner has gone through a couple of gearboxes, too.Standard boost is 9psi and if the usual engineering tolerances are built in,then up to 10%extra might be acceptable for everyday use, hence varying 'standard' boost quotes up to e.g., "about 10.6psi". You pays your money and you takes your chances.
Q: How low will it go?
-35mm is probably as far as you'd want to go for everyday use: but check first that your car hasn't already been lowered! After that - it depends on whether you want to use all four (five) seats at the same time. A simple check to see if your car has been lowered - take one baby elephant, and if you can fit it under the arch, your car hasn't been lowered! Seriously, though, it also seems that if you use springs designed for the Sunny (N14) body in general (i.e. all models), you can get a good 70mm drop on the front. The back, not so much , maybe 45mm. But this is good if you ever need to carry any passengers!
Q: What are the best geometry settings?
Horses for courses - go radical and buy tyres twice as frequently as you should. That is, too much camber (positive or negative ) will give unevenwear. So will too much toe-in/out. But if it's for the track - you'd want the settings that give the best performance and to heck with tyre wear.Anyone out there help, please, is it necessary to change settings? If so,why?
Q: How do I keep my wheels looking like new?
Oh no! My wheels got dirty. Sorry, but for me there's more to life than worrying about minor scrapes and smudges. If they're originals and they're bad you can get them re-manufactured at almost any wheel/tyre outlet (they'll forward it to one or two specialist wheel restorers): the current price is about GBP35-45 (GBP = Great Britain, Pounds). I've seen some that have been done like this and it seemed to me that a lot of meat was taken off, making the rims more susceptible to further damage. Note that some tyres have a built-in 'shoulder' to help prevent damage.If you must use a toothbrush to clean them, here's what works for me (every 2-3 years, I really hate this work). Wait until they're cold. Clean them out of the hot sunlight - it just makes life easier. Wash with a wax-free shampoo: not a washing up detergent - that will seize your callipers. Don't dry. Rinse and agitate with a nylon bristle brush. Dry. Remove tar with a proper removing fluid. Use Wonder Wheels or a similar product, as directed. Wash again. Dry. Wax - no, seriously! But don't spray the wax, drop some onto a rag and rub vigorously. Buff the polish off and that's about the best you can do. (Colour Magic is good e.g., black for dark-pained wheels,because it has a slight de-oxidising effect. That is, it takes a layer of paint/lacquer off ... not enough to make any difference to the paint but a big difference to the finish). I would never use power tools to do any of the above. Maybe toothpaste works, I've never tried it but I hear it will make your wheels smell better that your average polish.
Q: Should I keep using the climate control in the winter?
Yes. It keeps the pump seals lubricated.
Q: Can I run leaded petrol?
One has to ask why, but yes you can so long as the catalyst and lambda sensor have been removed. If you live in the UK, removing a catalyst is illegal. This may be true in your country, too. A lambda sensor will rapidly fail if leaded fuels is used. A failed sensor will cause erroneous (possibly catastrophic) fuelling in your engine. Still want to do it?
Q: What's a turbo timer and must I use one?
Last point first: no. You can go without a turbo timer but after a period of on-boost running, wait for at least a minute before switching the engine off or else the turbo will be damaged by oil overheating in the bearings/shaft. You can guess from this it's the purpose of a turbo timer to automatically prevent the engine from being turned off and avoid consequent damage to the turbo. Note that it is illegal to leave a car unattended with the engine running, even if it's locked, in
NZ.
Q: What's the best alarm system?
How about a very big, angry dog wearing a bullet-proof vest? It'd make me think twice! Seriously, there's a golden rule about theft of any kind. Thieves, if they want it, they'll get it. The better systems give you a chance of getting it back at some later date e.g., Tracker. The better the (non-canine) system, the more it will cost. Currently, the Disklock is popular in the UK. It fits over, and completely covers, the steering wheel. My insurance demands a Thatcham (Association of British Insurers) Category 1 Alarm plus Immobiliser. That, to me, is the bare minimum I'd contemplate. With a rare (and getting rarer) model like the GTi-R all spares are hard to get, legally. And like any work of art they have a relatively high price on the street. Shame, but that's just the way it is. There's a popular story about a high-performance car that the owner parked in his converted garage - in pit lowered by a four-poster lift, all locked up. He'd had the work done because he was fed up with it being nicked all the time. One morning he went out his front door to see the car parked outside his house. With the keys on the driver's seat. The tealeaves did it just to prove that it could be done. I've got a Clifford Concept 50 CAT1 alarm/immobiliser. These are the very best alarms on the market, and come with a lifetime warranty.Thieves will literally walk away, cause its just too much trouble to steal. Clifford also give you GBP1,000 if your car is stolen with their alarm on board.
Q: Can I replace the standard catalyst with a high-performance one?
There have been no reported problems with doing this. All British vehicles registered AFTER August 1992, must by law have a catalytic convertor fitted. Vehicles registered before this time are allowed not to. HOWEVER if it is fitted it must be tested! Have you rang Nissan recently to find out how much a replacement is? 334GBP. Makes it worth while changing it out for a straight through pipe, at only 75GBP, doesn't it.
Q: What's an extended warranty and must I have one?
Last point first, again: no. But if you don't get a warranty and the starter motor goes you could be facing a bill up to four times the cost of the annual warranty
premium. That's what an extended warranty does - it covers you against certain unforeseen expenses. So, it's another form of insurance. Warranties generally
exclude items that are subject to "wear and tear" - like exhaust, brake pads and clutch. There are usually limits on claims, too. For example my policy covers me for up to GBP1,000 per claim and no more than GBP3,000 in total. Check the list of excluded items before you buy the cover and judge for yourself whether it's worth it. There are a number of national and international organisations providing extended warranties. A warranty of this type usually requires that the insurer arranges an inspection: it's to cover shed's being covered then huge claims being made.
Q: Whats adjustable on the suspension ?
The Gti-R is almost unique in that EVERYTHING on the front of the car is adjustable. Set-back, toe, castor, camber is all adjustable, but can cost a lot to do at a garage that charges per adjustment. Best to find a garage charging by the hour. The rear of the car loses out somewhat, as camber is not adjustable. As a rule lowering springs for our cars do not lower the back as much as the front because of this.
Q What should I do if I have to cross a flood/ford?
On the clutch housing, there is a rubber plug, after driving through water that is over the height of the housing (not very deep if your car is lowered), then you are supposed to remove this plug to drain [everything] off, then put the plug back in. This is from the Nissan handbook that comes with the car!
Q How can I get a Workshop Manual ?
Order part numbers Part # SM1E-1N4BG0 (Vol 1) and SM1E-2N4BG0 (Vol 2) In Australia get workshop manuals from Bookworks in Sydney. This mob is the supplier for all Nissan manuals. Contact: Bret Shadwell 56 Bonds Road, Punchbowl NSW 2196 Australia Ph: 61 2 9740 6766 Fx: 61 2 9740 6591 Vol 1 - Aud$395 Vol 2 - Aud$295 (just mortgage the house) There is also a supplementary book which just covers airbags, airconditioning, seatbelts for an extra Aud$90.
Q Are standard brakes adequate? If not, what can I do to improve them?
It depends on what you define as adequate. What do you want to use your car for? Is it a full-out circuit car or a cruismobile? That's the deciding factor. How often will maximum braking be required? If the answer is "only in emergencies" then the standard brakes are probably "adequate". More than that and the question is more difficult to answer. Why? Well a bit of theory won't go amiss, first, in helping you to decide what to do. Few cars can exceed 0.8g deceleration. The limit is the tyres breaking grip (locking). Full braking from 120kph on a GTi-R generates enough energy to bring 2 litres of water to the boil from ambient temperature. This heat has to be eliminated. Nearly all the energy lost during braking is turned into heat in the disk. The pads heat up, of course but it is also their job to insulate the caliper from heat. A small amount of noise is unavoidable. Size matters! If the disc becomes too thin, wear will increase exponentially, because heat cannot be eliminated into and from the mass of the disk during braking. The disk overheats and stresses form in all components. As an example, the surface temperature of a worn, 4mm thick disk increases by almost 3 times that of a new 10mm thick disk. At a depth of 2mm below the surface the temperature can bu up to 800oC. The minimum thickness of a disk is indelibly marked on the outside edge. Final surprise: the disk melts during braking. Not much - but just a few microns under the surface, the temperature exceeds the melting point of cast iron. So how can the brakes be improved? Well, under maximum braking the load is transferred to the front axle, so the front brakes are the most critical. If you want to retain standard running gear the only options available are improved pad material and braking fluid. There are four major components of a braking system;- a) disc b) pads (or more
specifically, the pad material) c) caliper, piston(s) and seals d) brake fluid If you want to use the car on the track, you'll probably need to change everything, including your budget. i) bigger diameter discs inside bigger wheels ii) cross-drilled and grooved disks (ventilated, of course) competition pads that only work after they have need brought up to temperature (dangerous for road use) iv) competition brake fluid that resists boiling better than standard fluid v) lighter, open, multi-pot calipers in aluminium to get rid of heat and keep it away from the brake fluid vi) full stainless steel braided hoses Failures can be characterised in any of these components, however, catastrophic events due to high-energy use will generally only occur in either the disk or the fluid. Brake fade due to vapour lock in the fluid is usually progressive, so that just leaves the disks. Failure commonly arises from;- 1) poor fitting (over-torque/dirt on the braking surface/mis-alignment/no running-in/caliper movement) 2) incorrect theory (disk is too small/thin/poor design/non-homogenous/wrong mix/under-specified) 3) wrong or poor pad material (vitrified disk/excessive pad wear/scoring) 4) excessive wear/cracks (not checked before use) There are many other elements embodied in the brake system: the pad material can comprise up to 20 seperate components. Most surprising (to me, anyway) are the inclusion of marble and graphite! The discs contain 93-94% grey cast iron. Carbon, silicon and manganese make up nearly all the rest but there are 9 other elements which are mainly impurities of manufacture and are impossible to eliminate. Conclusion: generally, bad brakes are ones that are just plain being asked to do more than was intended in the original design or are not properly checked/fitted. A 1974 1.5 Golf weighing 780kg uses the same disk as a 1030kg MKIII - because they got it right for normal, everyday use.
Q Is the standard clutch ok ? How can I tell ?
Clutches are rated by how many kg's they can handle. A standard road car will be able to handle 400kg. Most NA 4 cylinder cars have 400kg clutches. A hypo 4wd car will have a stronger clutch because there is more weight to push around in the drivetrain. The Nissan Pulsar GTi-R has a standard 600kg clutch, this will and does feel heavier than a standard road car. Nismo make upgrades to 880kg and a special 960kg (almost a 1 tonne clutch). Also when upgrading clutches try and get a carbon kevlar clutch as these will last 3 times as long as the standard unit. I am upgrading and will be getting a real mix and match job done. 1 side will be copper for total grip, and the other side will be kevlar for a bit of slip. One other thing to note is that kevlar grips better the hotter it gets
.
Q Would you buy a secondhand car 'blind'?
Do all the usual checks first - Japanese log book/service record. And don't be fobbed-off, good ones have a full Japanese service history to back up the odo.
Clocking is rife, so buyer beware! Here's what one NZ list member has to say ... Some guy went over to Japan because of these rumours and went to an auction and watched and noted the cars the NZers bought, he got the original reg forms from the authorities over there and brought them back. He found the people that brought the cars and they did a TV show on it. One guy had a 90 Subaru Legacy RS that had 65000km on the clock and in Japan it had 155000km on the clock. Why do they do it? Because clocked cars are cheaper and about all that is available over here. Some places guarantee the odo reading and they have stopped winding them back, but it hasn't affected the price. Yep buyer beware, most people don't believe the odo reading anymore so that is OK, you just have to get the car checked for everything. The upside of this is that if the car is three years old (or 5, 7 etc) in Japan the owner has to get the car totally checked and every nut and bolt is replaced to meet their rules for a Warrant of Fitness ("shaken", see below). So If you get a car that has been through this situation you should be fine. Japanese cars are sold with "shaken" which is commonly referred to as motor vehicle registration, but is actually a series of taxes, tests and compulsory insurance that you must have to drive your vehicle on the road. It consists of a Safety Inspection, Compulsory Insurance, Weight Tax and Vehicle tax. It's like an amalgamation of UK MOT (but taken to a much greater extreme) and insurance. The "shaken" that comes with a new car is valid for three years, but must be renewed at expiration at an average cost of US$1,500. The Japanese enforce this rule with strict penalties. The "shaken" is renewable on a bi-annual basis for the duration of ownership of the vehicle. Consequently, most vehicles available on the used market are 3,5,7 and 9 years old as they are usually traded in or sold by the user when the "shaken" expires. Purchasing vehicles with 6 months or more valid "shaken" increases the value of the vehicle domestically and generally is more expensive than units with no "shaken" left.
NISSAN PULSAR GTIR F.A.Q
Q :Can I change the timing?
Sure can. There's a small nut on top of the distributor (mines sealed with tape). Take the tape off and slacken off the nut. The distributor should now be free to move a few cm's either way.
Q: Where the hell is the ECU?
Its right in the middle of the car, under the dashboard, at floor level. Looking in either footwell, towards the middle of the car, there are small plastic blanking plates on either side of the centre console. Remove these, and the ECU is right behind lying flat. Its a real pig to work on!
Q: ....and where is the ABS computer?
The ABS computer is under the left hand kick panel in the passenger footwell.
Q: Whats the capacity of the fuel tank?
50 litres unleaded/super unleaded (min. 92 octane)
Q: What oil have you tried/would you recommend? How much does it take?
Last question first : 3.2 litres (3.4 if you include the filter) .Nissan recommend a 5w 30 oil, changed every 5000 kms (thats 3100 miles).Personally I use Castol
Magnetec,which is a 10W 40. I'm never too keen on these thinner oils, they do offer better protection at startup, but arguably, if you idle your machine properly you shouldn't get any problems at startup. Mobil 1 is a definate no no for me. I saw too many turbo'd engines blow up, which were attributed to this oil. Fair enough running Mobil if you've got a fully re-built comp. spec. Group A blueprinted engine pushing out 400+bhp, but i'm running around in a 260 bhp engine thats done 64000 miles. Not quite the same. Aside from the obvious (use branded before it's too late, and change it as frequently as you can afford) there is a debate raging on another site about what to use for turbo's. If the oil you want to use meets the specification in the handbook, you should feel confident that it will perform. If you're buying an oil on a mate's advice - can he/she prove that the oil won't damage your motor? If in doubt - ask your local Nissan dealer. I hear that fully synthetic is a no-no for turbo's. Anyone confirm this?
Q: How much water does it take?
It takes 5.7 litres of water, of which you should reckon 25% or 33% should be anti-freeze (depending where you live). Never put too much anti-freeze in an engine. It actually corrodes the alloy head if used to excess.
Q:What size speakers can I get in the car?
The fronts are (correct me if i'm wrong) 7" x 5" ,possibly even smaller, and sound poo. My car's got Kenwood replacements of the same size, which dont sound too bad, but lack bass. I've heard of people having limited success with 6.5" speakers, the main problem with fitting is the odd shaped hole behind the speaker ( a sort of squashed circle), but it is possible. Rears are standard round 5" jobbies, fairly easily available.
Q: Does anyone know what the warning light on the right of the instruments in the middle means?
Its the light warning of high exhaust temperature in the catalytic convertor. The is a danger of them catching fire if temperatures remain too high for too long. How you've got it to come on, I have no idea.I've pulled a Volkswagen Golf up a 1 in 4 hill (25%) with high oil and water temperatures, and the boost gauge reading high all the way up - I never had this light come on though. I'm guessing, but maybe the lamda sensor doubles as a thermistor of some kind?
Q: I can't understand the boost guage!
The standard boost gauge in an imported GTiR is in the unit Torr, or millimetres of mercury. Standard boost, approx 9 - 10 psi , will give a reading of around
5mmHg. Just over 7mmHg is 1 bar.Bar is the metric standard for pressure. 1bar = 14.7psi roughly. Always bear in mind that the in car guage is reading boost AT THE ENGINE i.e. the inlet manifold. This is after it has passed through the restrictions of the intercooler and throttle bodies. A turbocharger manufacturer will always quote the maximum boost the turbo produces (say 15psi) FROM THE TURBO. A loss of 4-5psi is expected between the turbo and the engine, hence the in-car reading would be somewhere in the region of 10 psi or 5mmHg. UK cars have a gauge in psi as standard.
Q: Whats the blanking plate for, behind the gearstick?
Some Pulsars were fitted with heated front seat, and this is where the switches would go. Does anyone actualy have these!
Q: I give up, what are the small hooks for on the carpet in the front?
The Japanese foot mats, of course!
Q: Wheels & tyres
Generally 7" x 16 or 7" x 17 maximum, but if you want to roll the arches (the arch shape "L" becomes a tight "J" and you'll probably muck up the paint, (I hear it's possible to persuade the lip of the arch into the right shape with a wooden baseball bat! I won't be trying this) then you might go to 7.5" x 17 or even 8 x 17, but then you may run into clearance problems with the inner arch. Tyres are a moot point: generally, tyres that are good in the wet are not as good in the dry (e.g., more wear) and tyres that are good in the dry are usually hopeless in the wet. No tyre is "the best" at everything. There may be an excellent compromise tyre, but is it too expensive for your budget? Also, in the UK, it is rare for the air temperature to rise over 30c. On the two days a year when that happens in the UK (like 1998) a certain tyre may give the best 'bite' and 'feel'. It's more likely to snow than that. If you do track days, get a pair of spare rims, check the weather forecast (hahaha-UK only) and kit them up with suitably grippy low-profiles. More debate on this one I feel certain! I run 7x17" wheels with 205/40ZR17 Falken GRB tyres all round. The only wheel that rubs is the front nearside (passenger side) for some reason. The point on the arch that it rubs against is the mounting screw for the arch plastic. The solution is, indeed, a large hammer.
Q: How much boost can I run?
The more, the less. That is - it depends what you want to do with the car.If you're out to post the fastest time on a drag strip and can afford a rebuild afterwards, then I've seen figures of 450 BHP from a well overboosted car. That owner has gone through a couple of gearboxes, too.Standard boost is 9psi and if the usual engineering tolerances are built in,then up to 10%extra might be acceptable for everyday use, hence varying 'standard' boost quotes up to e.g., "about 10.6psi". You pays your money and you takes your chances.
Q: How low will it go?
-35mm is probably as far as you'd want to go for everyday use: but check first that your car hasn't already been lowered! After that - it depends on whether you want to use all four (five) seats at the same time. A simple check to see if your car has been lowered - take one baby elephant, and if you can fit it under the arch, your car hasn't been lowered! Seriously, though, it also seems that if you use springs designed for the Sunny (N14) body in general (i.e. all models), you can get a good 70mm drop on the front. The back, not so much , maybe 45mm. But this is good if you ever need to carry any passengers!
Q: What are the best geometry settings?
Horses for courses - go radical and buy tyres twice as frequently as you should. That is, too much camber (positive or negative ) will give unevenwear. So will too much toe-in/out. But if it's for the track - you'd want the settings that give the best performance and to heck with tyre wear.Anyone out there help, please, is it necessary to change settings? If so,why?
Q: How do I keep my wheels looking like new?
Oh no! My wheels got dirty. Sorry, but for me there's more to life than worrying about minor scrapes and smudges. If they're originals and they're bad you can get them re-manufactured at almost any wheel/tyre outlet (they'll forward it to one or two specialist wheel restorers): the current price is about GBP35-45 (GBP = Great Britain, Pounds). I've seen some that have been done like this and it seemed to me that a lot of meat was taken off, making the rims more susceptible to further damage. Note that some tyres have a built-in 'shoulder' to help prevent damage.If you must use a toothbrush to clean them, here's what works for me (every 2-3 years, I really hate this work). Wait until they're cold. Clean them out of the hot sunlight - it just makes life easier. Wash with a wax-free shampoo: not a washing up detergent - that will seize your callipers. Don't dry. Rinse and agitate with a nylon bristle brush. Dry. Remove tar with a proper removing fluid. Use Wonder Wheels or a similar product, as directed. Wash again. Dry. Wax - no, seriously! But don't spray the wax, drop some onto a rag and rub vigorously. Buff the polish off and that's about the best you can do. (Colour Magic is good e.g., black for dark-pained wheels,because it has a slight de-oxidising effect. That is, it takes a layer of paint/lacquer off ... not enough to make any difference to the paint but a big difference to the finish). I would never use power tools to do any of the above. Maybe toothpaste works, I've never tried it but I hear it will make your wheels smell better that your average polish.
Q: Should I keep using the climate control in the winter?
Yes. It keeps the pump seals lubricated.
Q: Can I run leaded petrol?
One has to ask why, but yes you can so long as the catalyst and lambda sensor have been removed. If you live in the UK, removing a catalyst is illegal. This may be true in your country, too. A lambda sensor will rapidly fail if leaded fuels is used. A failed sensor will cause erroneous (possibly catastrophic) fuelling in your engine. Still want to do it?
Q: What's a turbo timer and must I use one?
Last point first: no. You can go without a turbo timer but after a period of on-boost running, wait for at least a minute before switching the engine off or else the turbo will be damaged by oil overheating in the bearings/shaft. You can guess from this it's the purpose of a turbo timer to automatically prevent the engine from being turned off and avoid consequent damage to the turbo. Note that it is illegal to leave a car unattended with the engine running, even if it's locked, in
NZ.
Q: What's the best alarm system?
How about a very big, angry dog wearing a bullet-proof vest? It'd make me think twice! Seriously, there's a golden rule about theft of any kind. Thieves, if they want it, they'll get it. The better systems give you a chance of getting it back at some later date e.g., Tracker. The better the (non-canine) system, the more it will cost. Currently, the Disklock is popular in the UK. It fits over, and completely covers, the steering wheel. My insurance demands a Thatcham (Association of British Insurers) Category 1 Alarm plus Immobiliser. That, to me, is the bare minimum I'd contemplate. With a rare (and getting rarer) model like the GTi-R all spares are hard to get, legally. And like any work of art they have a relatively high price on the street. Shame, but that's just the way it is. There's a popular story about a high-performance car that the owner parked in his converted garage - in pit lowered by a four-poster lift, all locked up. He'd had the work done because he was fed up with it being nicked all the time. One morning he went out his front door to see the car parked outside his house. With the keys on the driver's seat. The tealeaves did it just to prove that it could be done. I've got a Clifford Concept 50 CAT1 alarm/immobiliser. These are the very best alarms on the market, and come with a lifetime warranty.Thieves will literally walk away, cause its just too much trouble to steal. Clifford also give you GBP1,000 if your car is stolen with their alarm on board.
Q: Can I replace the standard catalyst with a high-performance one?
There have been no reported problems with doing this. All British vehicles registered AFTER August 1992, must by law have a catalytic convertor fitted. Vehicles registered before this time are allowed not to. HOWEVER if it is fitted it must be tested! Have you rang Nissan recently to find out how much a replacement is? 334GBP. Makes it worth while changing it out for a straight through pipe, at only 75GBP, doesn't it.
Q: What's an extended warranty and must I have one?
Last point first, again: no. But if you don't get a warranty and the starter motor goes you could be facing a bill up to four times the cost of the annual warranty
premium. That's what an extended warranty does - it covers you against certain unforeseen expenses. So, it's another form of insurance. Warranties generally
exclude items that are subject to "wear and tear" - like exhaust, brake pads and clutch. There are usually limits on claims, too. For example my policy covers me for up to GBP1,000 per claim and no more than GBP3,000 in total. Check the list of excluded items before you buy the cover and judge for yourself whether it's worth it. There are a number of national and international organisations providing extended warranties. A warranty of this type usually requires that the insurer arranges an inspection: it's to cover shed's being covered then huge claims being made.
Q: Whats adjustable on the suspension ?
The Gti-R is almost unique in that EVERYTHING on the front of the car is adjustable. Set-back, toe, castor, camber is all adjustable, but can cost a lot to do at a garage that charges per adjustment. Best to find a garage charging by the hour. The rear of the car loses out somewhat, as camber is not adjustable. As a rule lowering springs for our cars do not lower the back as much as the front because of this.
Q What should I do if I have to cross a flood/ford?
On the clutch housing, there is a rubber plug, after driving through water that is over the height of the housing (not very deep if your car is lowered), then you are supposed to remove this plug to drain [everything] off, then put the plug back in. This is from the Nissan handbook that comes with the car!
Q How can I get a Workshop Manual ?
Order part numbers Part # SM1E-1N4BG0 (Vol 1) and SM1E-2N4BG0 (Vol 2) In Australia get workshop manuals from Bookworks in Sydney. This mob is the supplier for all Nissan manuals. Contact: Bret Shadwell 56 Bonds Road, Punchbowl NSW 2196 Australia Ph: 61 2 9740 6766 Fx: 61 2 9740 6591 Vol 1 - Aud$395 Vol 2 - Aud$295 (just mortgage the house) There is also a supplementary book which just covers airbags, airconditioning, seatbelts for an extra Aud$90.
Q Are standard brakes adequate? If not, what can I do to improve them?
It depends on what you define as adequate. What do you want to use your car for? Is it a full-out circuit car or a cruismobile? That's the deciding factor. How often will maximum braking be required? If the answer is "only in emergencies" then the standard brakes are probably "adequate". More than that and the question is more difficult to answer. Why? Well a bit of theory won't go amiss, first, in helping you to decide what to do. Few cars can exceed 0.8g deceleration. The limit is the tyres breaking grip (locking). Full braking from 120kph on a GTi-R generates enough energy to bring 2 litres of water to the boil from ambient temperature. This heat has to be eliminated. Nearly all the energy lost during braking is turned into heat in the disk. The pads heat up, of course but it is also their job to insulate the caliper from heat. A small amount of noise is unavoidable. Size matters! If the disc becomes too thin, wear will increase exponentially, because heat cannot be eliminated into and from the mass of the disk during braking. The disk overheats and stresses form in all components. As an example, the surface temperature of a worn, 4mm thick disk increases by almost 3 times that of a new 10mm thick disk. At a depth of 2mm below the surface the temperature can bu up to 800oC. The minimum thickness of a disk is indelibly marked on the outside edge. Final surprise: the disk melts during braking. Not much - but just a few microns under the surface, the temperature exceeds the melting point of cast iron. So how can the brakes be improved? Well, under maximum braking the load is transferred to the front axle, so the front brakes are the most critical. If you want to retain standard running gear the only options available are improved pad material and braking fluid. There are four major components of a braking system;- a) disc b) pads (or more
specifically, the pad material) c) caliper, piston(s) and seals d) brake fluid If you want to use the car on the track, you'll probably need to change everything, including your budget. i) bigger diameter discs inside bigger wheels ii) cross-drilled and grooved disks (ventilated, of course) competition pads that only work after they have need brought up to temperature (dangerous for road use) iv) competition brake fluid that resists boiling better than standard fluid v) lighter, open, multi-pot calipers in aluminium to get rid of heat and keep it away from the brake fluid vi) full stainless steel braided hoses Failures can be characterised in any of these components, however, catastrophic events due to high-energy use will generally only occur in either the disk or the fluid. Brake fade due to vapour lock in the fluid is usually progressive, so that just leaves the disks. Failure commonly arises from;- 1) poor fitting (over-torque/dirt on the braking surface/mis-alignment/no running-in/caliper movement) 2) incorrect theory (disk is too small/thin/poor design/non-homogenous/wrong mix/under-specified) 3) wrong or poor pad material (vitrified disk/excessive pad wear/scoring) 4) excessive wear/cracks (not checked before use) There are many other elements embodied in the brake system: the pad material can comprise up to 20 seperate components. Most surprising (to me, anyway) are the inclusion of marble and graphite! The discs contain 93-94% grey cast iron. Carbon, silicon and manganese make up nearly all the rest but there are 9 other elements which are mainly impurities of manufacture and are impossible to eliminate. Conclusion: generally, bad brakes are ones that are just plain being asked to do more than was intended in the original design or are not properly checked/fitted. A 1974 1.5 Golf weighing 780kg uses the same disk as a 1030kg MKIII - because they got it right for normal, everyday use.
Q Is the standard clutch ok ? How can I tell ?
Clutches are rated by how many kg's they can handle. A standard road car will be able to handle 400kg. Most NA 4 cylinder cars have 400kg clutches. A hypo 4wd car will have a stronger clutch because there is more weight to push around in the drivetrain. The Nissan Pulsar GTi-R has a standard 600kg clutch, this will and does feel heavier than a standard road car. Nismo make upgrades to 880kg and a special 960kg (almost a 1 tonne clutch). Also when upgrading clutches try and get a carbon kevlar clutch as these will last 3 times as long as the standard unit. I am upgrading and will be getting a real mix and match job done. 1 side will be copper for total grip, and the other side will be kevlar for a bit of slip. One other thing to note is that kevlar grips better the hotter it gets
.
Q Would you buy a secondhand car 'blind'?
Do all the usual checks first - Japanese log book/service record. And don't be fobbed-off, good ones have a full Japanese service history to back up the odo.
Clocking is rife, so buyer beware! Here's what one NZ list member has to say ... Some guy went over to Japan because of these rumours and went to an auction and watched and noted the cars the NZers bought, he got the original reg forms from the authorities over there and brought them back. He found the people that brought the cars and they did a TV show on it. One guy had a 90 Subaru Legacy RS that had 65000km on the clock and in Japan it had 155000km on the clock. Why do they do it? Because clocked cars are cheaper and about all that is available over here. Some places guarantee the odo reading and they have stopped winding them back, but it hasn't affected the price. Yep buyer beware, most people don't believe the odo reading anymore so that is OK, you just have to get the car checked for everything. The upside of this is that if the car is three years old (or 5, 7 etc) in Japan the owner has to get the car totally checked and every nut and bolt is replaced to meet their rules for a Warrant of Fitness ("shaken", see below). So If you get a car that has been through this situation you should be fine. Japanese cars are sold with "shaken" which is commonly referred to as motor vehicle registration, but is actually a series of taxes, tests and compulsory insurance that you must have to drive your vehicle on the road. It consists of a Safety Inspection, Compulsory Insurance, Weight Tax and Vehicle tax. It's like an amalgamation of UK MOT (but taken to a much greater extreme) and insurance. The "shaken" that comes with a new car is valid for three years, but must be renewed at expiration at an average cost of US$1,500. The Japanese enforce this rule with strict penalties. The "shaken" is renewable on a bi-annual basis for the duration of ownership of the vehicle. Consequently, most vehicles available on the used market are 3,5,7 and 9 years old as they are usually traded in or sold by the user when the "shaken" expires. Purchasing vehicles with 6 months or more valid "shaken" increases the value of the vehicle domestically and generally is more expensive than units with no "shaken" left.