question for rickskylinebnr32gtrjp ? (common problems)

[thumper]

actually steve sort of answered what would have been my next question. i figured that because in japan traffic is all stop and go the brakes would suffer the most, next to the clutch. and on steve's car it obviously shows

what about the brake booster? would that be on it's last legs also?

[rickskylinebnr32gtrjp]

Replies below:

thanks very much rick... i hope u don't mind this. this FAQ section is a little impersonal when compared to a living, breathing longtime skyline owner

>>No problem. I know you guys are hungry for good Skyline owner info!

u mentioned "PS pump" often.. what does "PS" mean?

>>Yes, Power Steering...

also... this "lock bar" for disabling the HICAS... what exactly is it? does it replace the rear steering arms? is it expensive or complicated to do for someone like me here with zero experience in HICAS?

>>Close...the lock rod replaces the rear HICAS hydraulic unit that mounts behind the rear diff. The rear steering arms remain in place and are bolted to the lock bar on either side to lock everything in place. My lock bar only cost $80 and it doesn't take much work to do it. I think you will find 300Z or 240SX owners that have done away with HICAS as well.

u also did not mention anything about the turbos. steve's gts-t has a bad turbo, but i consider him lucky because he has only one to deal with since a gtr has 2... what can i expect at the mileage typical of a 15 year old skyline? broken ceramic blades? excessive shaft play? should i be looking for rebuilt stock or something aftermarket? if aftermarket, will i create a new problem in the sense i have to find some sort of electronic tuning assist to run it?

>>I never mentioned anything about turbos because I have never had stock turbos or twin turbos. I started out with a single Trust T88 and still have it in excellent working condition 3 years later. I wouldn't own a set of stock turbos...mainly because of the ceramic wheel limitation of 1.0~1.1 bar boost. The stock engine can easily handle 1.3~1.4 bar boost but the turbos can't do it without swapping to twin Nismo, LeMans, or HKS 2530 turbos.
>>If there were broken blades on your ceramic turbos, you would know about it. They would all be broken and you wouldn't be able to generate any amount of boost. You can get the stock turbines rebuilt with all new wheels (steel not ceramic) and ball bearing if you want. Depends if you want to do a rebuild or purchase a completely new set of turbines.

what are the brakes like? i've watched too much initial-d... are the gtr brakes that bad?

>>I had a few too many experiences with the "going too fast with cars in front of me trying to stop at the last second and brakes not working scenario" so I upgraded to a 2-piece 340mm rotor and Brembo Ferrari F40 calipers. They work WAY better than my stock GTR R32 brakes.

>>Background Brake Info:
>>R32 GTS-t 1989 single piston caliper and 280mm rotors...1991, Nissan upgraded to 300Z style 4-piston Nissan caliper with same rotor size. 2-piston 300Z/GTR style in the rear.

>>R32 GT-R 1989 Nissan 4-piston caliper (larger than 300Z/GTS-t) with 296mm rotors...1993/1994 VSpec upgraded to larger Lotus style Brembo caliper with 324mm rotor...R33 and R34 even though heavier by 150lbs or so followed the same brake kit.

>>As you can see, there were upgrades within a few years of the R32 body style because of the lack of braking power.

are there any other websites for used skylines outside of what little we know here, ie. auctions and yahoo?

>>A wealth of information at the following sites:

http://www.skylinesdownunder.com

http://www.meggala.com

lastly... what kind of people own a 15 year old skyline in japan? are they like 2nd or 3rd owner on a shoestring budget? hard racers looking for something cheap to thrash and dump after the inspection expires? or people like u who love and cherish it?

>>all of the above...most of the R32 GTS-t's I see these days are trashed...a well kept few are in great shape...95% of the GT-Rs are well kept...but that is mostly due to the investment and owning the "R" version. (These are Okinawa prices) If you purchase a nice GTR for $8-13000, you might take better care of your car than if you purchase a beater R32 GTS-t for $2000.

[JZ]

8)
Fantastic Rick!

[will_k]

As an avid member of the Z community, I can tell you about HICAS, and the horrible thing that it is. The problem with HICAS is that it doesn't work at slow speeds to decrease turning radius, like every other four-wheel system out there. Instead it deploys at high speeds, and screws up the overall feel of the car. All in all, the HICAS can be replaced rather easily, and if I get my GT-R eventually, it will go ASAP.

[thumper]

No problem. I know you guys are hungry for good Skyline owner info!

i hope u realize what u are getting yourself into... be advised i have 15 years worth of questions to ask

i am confused... the ps system and HICAS system run off the same reservoir? does the HICAS also run off the ps pump? how does the broken speedo and the 4WD defaulting to 2WD related to the ps reservoir failing or running dry?

would running a power steering fluid cooler help? i noticed that the subaru sti has a ps fluid cooler stock on some/all of the jdm models.

will the ecu have something to say about the deleted HICAS?

will running a single turbo mean lots of turbo lag? i rarely see a single turbo gtr for sale in all the ads i've passed thru here so far...?

what is a budget upgrade on a normal gtr/gts-t? r34 brembo hardware?

all of the above...most of the R32 GTS-t's I see these days are trashed...a well kept few are in great shape...95% of the GT-Rs are well kept...but that is mostly due to the investment and owning the "R" version. (These are Okinawa prices) If you purchase a nice GTR for $8-13000, you might take better care of your car than if you purchase a beater R32 GTS-t for $2000.

these prices are USD?

going back to your comments about overheating gtr engines...is it to be expected that almost all gt-r's have overheated at some point? after u mentioned this, i realized how many yahoo auction fire-sale gtr's that mentioned they've overheated and the engines are damaged/dead.

new questions...

when faced with a heavily modded gtr, vs. one that is pretty much stock... which one would u choose? i'm not sure if a modded gtr would be well sorted out or requires too much tuner support that is non-existent here, or a stock one that may have been thrown back together with wood screws and masking tape

1989 being a first year model, were they full of teething problems? or is there a better year for the r32 that i should be gunning for?

would a jdm car with a still-current valid inspection have less or no problems compared to one that has expired? i've noticed a difference the sale price because of this.

more to come! but not now... thanks...

[rickskylinebnr32gtrjp]

i hope u realize what u are getting yourself into... be advised i have 15 years worth of questions to ask

Just trying to help out if I can...

i am confused... the ps system and HICAS system run off the same reservoir?

Yes

does the HICAS also run off the ps pump?

Not really...there are two HICAS pump mechanisms. The lines run from the PS pump to a pump mechanism under the intake manifold, then two more lines run all the way to the back of the car to the pump that shifts to the left and right (internally) to steer the rear wheels.

Please see the following GTR manual for more info:

http://66.194.152.253/%7evideof6/manuals/gtr_32_service_manual.pdf

how does the broken speedo and the 4WD defaulting to 2WD related to the ps reservoir failing or running dry?

I don't recall wording this problem in this fashion. You are putting two different problems together...they are not related.

The broken speedo cable does not allow a speed signal to get to the computer. The computer in turn, does not know how much power assist (through the Power Steering pump) to give you at any given speed. Your 4WD will still work in this case.

IF your PS reservoir runs to low your fluid will boil. Your PS pump does not like that. If you race while this is going on, your PS will get stiff for a short time because the fluid boiled. Once the fluid cools off, your PS will be back to normal, but your fluid is definitely low and it needs to be filled. Also, during the summer months when your engine bay gets hotter and you drive more often, your fluid will boil easier and your fluid will leak out and/or evaporate easier. Keep an eye on your fluid level, especially if you see your 4WD light come on out of the blue. You will be in 2WD mode and you will need to fill your reservoir.

would running a power steering fluid cooler help? i noticed that the subaru sti has a ps fluid cooler stock on some/all of the jdm models.

I would assume that a PS fluid cooler would help but so would a larger reservoir. They would both serve pretty much the same purpose which is to not have boiling PS fluid.

will the ecu have something to say about the deleted HICAS?

Not if you remove the mechanicals. The computer won't care...won't know. I have never had any problems or idiot lights come on related to HICAS.

will running a single turbo mean lots of turbo lag? i rarely see a single turbo gtr for sale in all the ads i've passed thru here so far...?

A single turbo will have a very slight amount (1-200RPM I believe) of more turbo lag than a comparable twin kit. The beauty of the single kit is the ease of installation and the space savings. One turbo instead of two, one wastegate instead of two (some twins use 1 wastegate if both exhaust manis are connected), one downpipe instead of two, one intake pipe instead of two, one intercooler pipe instead of two. With a single, only half as many parts have a chance to fail on you. If one turbo blows, you must get them both rebuilt.

Most guys with aftermarket twins remove their ABS because they need the space. With my large single I can easily work on my PS pump, AC, or ABS without any space problems.

what is a budget upgrade on a normal gtr/gts-t? r34 brembo hardware?

Concentrate on the fronts and don't worry about the rears. I bought my used set of brakes...two piece rotors and pads barely used and Brembos with average use for US$1600. The same kit brand new goes for US$3000. A used R33/34 set of Brembos with stock single piece rotors in Japan should not cost more than $1200 for a front set.

all of the above...most of the R32 GTS-t's I see these days are trashed...a well kept few are in great shape...95% of the GT-Rs are well kept...but that is mostly due to the investment and owning the "R" version. (These are Okinawa prices) If you purchase a nice GTR for $8-13000, you might take better care of your car than if you purchase a beater R32 GTS-t for $2000.

these prices are USD?

Yes, US$.

going back to your comments about overheating gtr engines...is it to be expected that almost all gt-r's have overheated at some point? after u mentioned this, i realized how many yahoo auction fire-sale gtr's that mentioned they've overheated and the engines are damaged/dead.

Please don't let me scare you into assuming that all GTR's have been overheated. Just be careful of what you purchase. Take it out on a test run if possible. Then look in the engine bay to see if anthing looks out of the ordinary. Check the water overflow tank, oil catch tank (if there is one), and check for leaks.

new questions...

when faced with a heavily modded gtr, vs. one that is pretty much stock... which one would u choose? i'm not sure if a modded gtr would be well sorted out or requires too much tuner support that is non-existent here, or a stock one that may have been thrown back together with wood screws and masking tape

Tough question...I bought mine fully tuned for a great deal. I knew that I would want to put all the aftermarket parts on my R eventually so why not let the previous owner take the loss on the parts. Also, a key was knowing the history of my car before I purchased it. I knew the owner, knew of the tuner reputation, knew how fast the car was, and was afforded the luxury of a full boost ride in my GTR before plunking down my hard earned cash.

I cannot answer that question. It really depends on each individual's goals for their own car.

1989 being a first year model, were they full of teething problems? or is there a better year for the r32 that i should be gunning for?

Yes, the first few years were a learning endeavor for Nissan. The oil pump contact with the crank (crank walking) problem, for instance, was not fixed until 1993, which was the second model change of the R32 GTR. There were other changes in 1991 for the first model upgrade. The headlights were upgraded with a better projector setup and the door beams were added for safety (BUT increased weight by 50kg).

Then in 1995 the R33 was released. The R33 trans’ can be rebuilt. The R32 GT-R trans is a write-off. The gear contact teeth on the 33 syncros are different. They sell an upgrade to 33 parts kit which includes the gears, so you can imagine how much it must cost. The syncros are interchangeable between the RB26 and RB25 R33 transmissions, but I know that 1, 2, and 3 have double blocking rings (awesome for hard-shifted race trannys) on the GT-R trans. My R32 trans was overhauled to the R33 stronger design as well as OS Giken gears (1st, 2nd, 3rd), Holinger input shaft, and stronger center plate.

would a jdm car with a still-current valid inspection have less or no problems compared to one that has expired? i've noticed a difference the sale price because of this.

The inspection status has no bearing for a car being exported overseas.

[BigBlueR32]

That was usefull info... thx.. 8)

[thumper]

Just trying to help out if I can...

we all owe u a beer...

Not really...there are two HICAS pump mechanisms. The lines run from the PS pump to a pump mechanism under the intake manifold, then two more lines run all the way to the back of the car to the pump that shifts to the left and right (internally) to steer the rear wheels.

wow... no wonder why the ps fluid is boiling.

I don't recall wording this problem in this fashion. You are putting two different problems together...they are not related.

The broken speedo cable does not allow a speed signal to get to the computer. The computer in turn, does not know how much power assist (through the Power Steering pump) to give you at any given speed. Your 4WD will still work in this case.

IF your PS reservoir runs to low your fluid will boil. Your PS pump does not like that. If you race while this is going on, your PS will get stiff for a short time because the fluid boiled. Once the fluid cools off, your PS will be back to normal, but your fluid is definitely low and it needs to be filled. Also, during the summer months when your engine bay gets hotter and you drive more often, your fluid will boil easier and your fluid will leak out and/or evaporate easier. Keep an eye on your fluid level, especially if you see your 4WD light come on out of the blue. You will be in 2WD mode and you will need to fill your reservoir.

my bad... sorry.

A single turbo will have a very slight amount (1-200RPM I believe) of more turbo lag than a comparable twin kit. The beauty of the single kit is the ease of installation and the space savings. One turbo instead of two, one wastegate instead of two (some twins use 1 wastegate if both exhaust manis are connected), one downpipe instead of two, one intake pipe instead of two, one intercooler pipe instead of two. With a single, only half as many parts have a chance to fail on you. If one turbo blows, you must get them both rebuilt.

Most guys with aftermarket twins remove their ABS because they need the space. With my large single I can easily work on my PS pump, AC, or ABS without any space problems.

okie... so when the twins die, i better be ready with a single turbo setup reading to go in.

if there is so little loss with a single turbo... why did they bother with a twin setup? :?

Concentrate on the fronts and don't worry about the rears. I bought my used set of brakes...two piece rotors and pads barely used and Brembos with average use for US$1600. The same kit brand new goes for US$3000. A used R33/34 set of Brembos with stock single piece rotors in Japan should not cost more than $1200 for a front set.

yahoo auctions?

Please don't let me scare you into assuming that all GTR's have been overheated. Just be careful of what you purchase. Take it out on a test run if possible. Then look in the engine bay to see if anthing looks out of the ordinary. Check the water overflow tank, oil catch tank (if there is one), and check for leaks.

unfortunately it's not possible for me to test drive

Tough question...I bought mine fully tuned for a great deal. I knew that I would want to put all the aftermarket parts on my R eventually so why not let the previous owner take the loss on the parts. Also, a key was knowing the history of my car before I purchased it. I knew the owner, knew of the tuner reputation, knew how fast the car was, and was afforded the luxury of a full boost ride in my GTR before plunking down my hard earned cash.

I cannot answer that question. It really depends on each individual's goals for their own car.

for me... reliability comes first, coupled with good driveability. i'll never drag race it, hoping for some track days (hence the sudden fears of boiling ps fluid...!), and that's it. i'm not much of a car show person... just a lonely hermit holed up with my computer here

Yes, the first few years were a learning endeavor for Nissan. The oil pump contact with the crank (crank walking) problem, for instance, was not fixed until 1993, which was the second model change of the R32 GTR. There were other changes in 1991 for the first model upgrade. The headlights were upgraded with a better projector setup and the door beams were added for safety (BUT increased weight by 50kg).

Then in 1995 the R33 was released. The R33 trans’ can be rebuilt. The R32 GT-R trans is a write-off. The gear contact teeth on the 33 syncros are different. They sell an upgrade to 33 parts kit which includes the gears, so you can imagine how much it must cost. The syncros are interchangeable between the RB26 and RB25 R33 transmissions, but I know that 1, 2, and 3 have double blocking rings (awesome for hard-shifted race trannys) on the GT-R trans. My R32 trans was overhauled to the R33 stronger design as well as OS Giken gears (1st, 2nd, 3rd), Holinger input shaft, and stronger center plate.

would it be simpler to just replace it entirely with an r33 unit? or even go further with a r34 6spd?

The inspection status has no bearing for a car being exported overseas.

my thinking was... your inspection procedures in japan would have caught stuff like what steve has had the misfortune of discovering... worn brakes, leaking steering, blown turbo? if it had recently passed inspection (ie. not near renewal anytime soon) would it save me from having to find a mechanic to look at it again?

more questions...

how is the r32 body holding up after 15 years? besides the expected fender benders and parking lot scrapes something this old will get, how is it structurally and is it suceptible to corrosion? i've seen a few rusty rocker panels and side sills, but nothing much else. i have this old back issue of options magazine with a step by step instructional on how to pour urethane mix into the sill cavities to strengthen it up...?

[tyndago]

Not really...there are two HICAS pump mechanisms. The lines run from the PS pump to a pump mechanism under the intake manifold, then two more lines run all the way to the back of the car to the pump that shifts to the left and right (internally) to steer the rear wheels..

Why - when you get rid of Hicas to put an R33 PS pump on the car. The bracket also requires some modifcation to fit.

IF your PS reservoir runs to low your fluid will boil. Your PS pump does not like that. If you race while this is going on, your PS will get stiff for a short time because the fluid boiled. Once the fluid cools off, your PS will be back to normal, but your fluid is definitely low and it needs to be filled. Also, during the summer months when your engine bay gets hotter and you drive more often, your fluid will boil easier and your fluid will leak out and/or evaporate easier. Keep an eye on your fluid level, especially if you see your 4WD light come on out of the blue. You will be in 2WD mode and you will need to fill your reservoir.

If you see the 4wd light come on - thats the reservoir in the trunk. If you see the Hicas light come on , thats the reservoir in the engine compartment. Every PS reservoir I have seen on GT-R's sweats a little fluid out around the cap. R32/R33/ and R34.

would running a power steering fluid cooler help? i noticed that the subaru sti has a ps fluid cooler stock on some/all of the jdm models.

There is a stock PS cooler of sorts. The lines have fins on them. In order to clean up in the front of Nicks car , get rid of the rubber lines , and save a little weight - I put an aluminum PS cooler on it.

Before



After

With a single, only half as many parts have a chance to fail on you. If one turbo blows, you must get them both rebuilt.

True about 1/2 the number of parts to fail , but if one fails - I would get the other inspected , but not necessarily rebuilt.

what is a budget upgrade on a normal gtr/gts-t? r34 brembo hardware?

If you want to stop well . Good pads . Good fluid . A good bleed. Good tires. Larger brakes , unless matched and well balanced normally worsen 60-0 stopping distances. I have done enough magazine testing to see this first hand on a number of cars.

Yes, the first few years were a learning endeavor for Nissan. The oil pump contact with the crank (crank walking) problem, for instance, was not fixed until 1993, which was the second model change of the R32 GTR.

The oil pump drive. I wouldnt say its from the crank walking. Crank walk would show up on all the engines then , as the thrust bearings have not been changed. The problem is that the oil pump drive surface on the crank is about 1/2 the width of the drive surface on the oil pump itself. At high revs , the oil pump gear spins on the crank. The fix on the later model cranks is to nearly double the width of the drive surface on the crank. JUN sells a collar kit for early cranks. For the hassle , if you are rebuilding , better to start with an R33 crank.

Then in 1995 the R33 was released. The R33 trans’ can be rebuilt. The R32 GT-R trans is a write-off. The gear contact teeth on the 33 syncros are different. They sell an upgrade to 33 parts kit which includes the gears, so you can imagine how much it must cost.

Not true. I have messed around with a lot of GT-R transmissions... I have personally broke (3) 3rd gears. The internals of the transmission , save a few pieces - input shaft , main shaft , are the same as many other Nissan vehicles.

The early R32 trans is rebuildable , HOWEVER , the early parts are no longer available from Nissan. There are superceded parts. So in order to use the superceded parts - you need the other new parts to go along with them.

I have complete lists of the parts required to convert an early transmission to a late one. The bits and pieces - last time I bought some were around $600 . Some of the superceded parts are not available in the US , so add some shipping and time in there.

The mismatch between gear teeth actually got worse on the later transmission. Steve Mitchell from Nissan rebuilt a couple of transmissions . We talked with some Nissan engineers , we talked with people from Nissan motorsports USA , we went over the parts lists , and compared parts. The newer design synchro actually makes third gear move in the wrong direction to give it full meshing. We tried using some old , some new parts , and the transmission did not like that.

At 280 hp , the transmission , and third gear are fine. But , and I know - soon as you guys get your cars , there are probably going to be one or two that break third gear nearly straight away.... put Redline Shockproof Heavy gearoil in the trans , and shift easy into third. If you bang third gear hard , it can , and it WILL , BANG back.

Besides me breaking (3)third gears.... probably 5-6 customers in 2 years broke third also....

[tyndago]

The broken gears in the above picture are third gear. If you look carefully at the face on the gears you will see they are different. One is indented , one is has a ridge above the face. These are early and late gears....

The big single gear/shaft at the top of the picture is the countershaft.

[tyndago]

Actually this is a good photo for common - hard problems




Piston - lost ring land. Detonation

3rd gear - banging gears too hard

Ceramic exhaust wheel - Detonation

[tyndago]

When your idiot mechanic forgets to put oil in the front diff. You stay awake 40 hours working on the rest of the car to get it ready for the race.

Then the first pass , letting off the accelerator at the top of the quarter mile at 100+ mph- the front diff case just about breaks off the oil pan....

I had to be restrained that day......

[Unlucky Menace]

Just wanted to bring back this topic since 2 people have pm'd me in 2 weeks regarding what transmission fluid to use. One was having problems with their fluid.

After speaking with several experts they suggested:
Redline Shockproof Heavy Gear Oil

Anyone care to explain why you swear by this for everyones benefit, not just current owners...Sean, Nick, Rick?



Thanks,
UM

[tyndago]

After speaking with several experts they suggested:
Redline Shockproof Heavy Gear Oil

Anyone care to explain why you swear by this for everyones benefit, not just current owners...Sean, Nick, Rick?

Its thick. Thick, thick, thick. Its not going to help with synchro noise. People probably having 4th gear grinding. Thats normal from people pulling gears too fast. Nothing you can do for that but pull the trans down and replace synchros.


Heavy ShockProof™

A unique lubricant containing a suspension of solid microscopic particles as an extreme pressure agent--unique solid dispersion which cushions gear teeth to help prevent tooth breakage and allows the use of lower viscosities. Recommended for heavily-loaded racing differentials and transmissions, Off Road racing and problem gearboxes. The viscosity characteristics allow the lubricant to resist throwoff and provide a film thickness similar to a 75W250 grade, while providing the same low fluid friction as an SAE 75W90.

http://www.redlineoil.com/products_gearlubricants.asp?pvID=87&prodID=61&subcatID=20

[Toughguy]

Its thick. Thick, thick, thick. Its not going to help with synchro noise. People probably having 4th gear grinding. Thats normal from people pulling gears too fast. Nothing you can do for that but pull the trans down and replace synchros.

Or start double clutching. My Integra used to do it from 3rd to 4rth, but it had over 300k on it!

Toughguy