Ross

My point wasn't that there were a few bad ones -- rather that there were comparatively few good ones. I'm not trying to argue - just think that other people may as well learn from my country's mistakes!

many cars do this - especially once the gearbox & drivetrain have worn a little. Nothing to worry about, just don't take your foot off the pedal so fast...

BPR6ES are the ones you want anyway - they go sweet. 40 thou will be fine, but check to make sure they are pre gapped properly - it doesn't take much to knock them out.

Best to check it.... I have found rtv to be a good easy substitute for 'blue' - easier to see in low light etc...

Always worth spending a few extra bucks on good quality tyres. They last much longer (tend to anyway) and are much better on wet roads etc. Plus they tend to have stronger sidewalls for the offroad stuff.

Yes, risky. Maybe not financially for you since you have a warranty, but it would still be a pain for you if something went wrong and it had to go back. And because you have done this, I don't see how you can claim to know everything that's in the car - how can you know the full history of the 2nd hand motor you put in? I'm not saying all Jap import motors are bad - just that some certainly are, and that if you have the time then reconditioning your own motor is the safer option. The Jap import thing has been ridiculously common over here for at least 20 years now, and you would not believe the number of horror stories I have heard. Regarding the price, im not sure if things are much cheaper here or not (I doubt it) but i reconditioned an ea81t (very rare around here) recently for considerably less than that. I now know for certain that everything in the engine is in as new condition.

Sure, its the easy route to take, but it is risky. For every sound second hand engine/car coming out of Japan, there are many unsound ones. Especially with '80s stuff. What you have to realise is that while these engines may have only done 80,000kms, they have often done this without ANY type of servicing at all. A large part of our car population in New Zealand is second hand imports from Japan, and nowdays these tend to be OK for the most part, since the newer vehicles have been designed to do 100,000kms without needing a service..... but in the '80s and early '90s, there were a lot of people round here getting stung by purchasing cars/engines that went for 10,000kms then self destructed. How much do you pay for a 2nd hand Jap engine? These motors are so cheap and easy to recondition, isn't it worth doing a recond and knowing you have an engine that will last as long as you want it to.... I certainly think so.

Thats probably the best outcome you can hope for! Shouldn't cost much at all, if anything. It could also be a bent rim - it is possible for the balancing machine to say a wheel is properly balanced, when the wheel is in fact bent, and as such will always cause vibration. Again, swap your rears with your fronts and see if there is a difference.

Ah, fair enough, we don't have the same brand names etc. over here so thought you were talking about something else....

See my post below - the solenoid is engaging properly, since the starter motor itself gets power.

No you only start to feel it in the whole car if it is really bad. If its just a little out, you only feel it in the steering wheel.

They should have, but they often don't! For such an easy task to complete, its amazing how many people seem to mess it up. Try putting your rears on the front and see if it changes.

regarding silicone type sealants - a good rule is to never ever use anything thick and stodgey on any gasket whatsoever. It is crap. Even if it does seal in the first place, it tends to be dissolved by oil. I have found that the spray on copper stuff enables you to use crap cardboard gaskets on crap mating surfaces without any issues. That includes intake manifolds and head gaskets (obviously not cardboard hgs!). No, i don't make/sell the copper stuff Personally, i wouldn't put that plastic weld rubbish anywhere near anything i own.....

First things first - have you checked/replaced ht leads, dist cap, spark plugs etc?

No, the subaru ones not supposed to be used with any sealant. Make sure you clean the surfaces very well though. If the mating surfaces are damaged beyond what you can fix with a bit of sandpaper and you are worried about the gasket not sealing, that spray on copper stuff works ok with this type of gasket - I have used it with excellent results. But you should only use this as a last resort - the gasket should work fine on its own.

Unless it had no oil in it at all, a cam will not wear out to such a huge extent in only 24 hours of running..... and as you mention earlier, a bad cam would cause problems on an opposing pair (1 and 2 or 3 and 4), not one bank....

Yes i had it all apart - the solenoid itself must be working since the starter motor itself gets power - this can only happen once the solenoid has operated..... Seems like it would be a problem with the linkage between the solenoid and pinion slider, but it looks ok....

Seems unlikely that a worn cam would be the cluprit, since I gather this problem has occurred suddenly? Cams don't wear out overnight..... I think your theory of stuck hydraulic lifters deserves more investigation before you go out and buy a new motor...... I'd certainly say to neglect anything bottom end related (short of a broken conrod!) since I doubt you would ever get a 0psi reading even without any rings at all!

Could you give a better explanation of exactly what you mean by "bucking"? I think what you are saying sounds like there is a little slop in your gearbox/drivetrain, which can make things a little nasty when you start going rapidly between accelerating and decelerating with the engine.....

Having issues with a starter motor.... most of the time when I try to start it, the starter motor just spins freely without engaging with the ring gear. After a few tries it usually ends up engaging and working fine. It doesn't usually crunch gears when it is spinning freely, so mustn't be getting pushed on to the ring gear at all. I've had the thing apart - it all looks fine, and the pinion seems to slide out nice and smoothly..... Only thing I noticed was about 3-4mm of end play on the motor shaft - not sure if this is normal or not..... Any ideas on what the problem may be? (Its a direct drive one, not a gear reduction one...)

The figure in the manual is only meant as an indication. Put three quarters or a bit more of the amount it states, check the dipstick, add a bit more, check again etc. untill it is correct. Start the car, run for a min or two, let the oil settle for another minute or two, then check again and top up as necessary.

No, you'll need an aftermarket engine management computer (megasquirt, link, etc.). You can get the car to run with the stock ecu and nissan injectors, but it wont be nice at all.....

Its function is to hold the butterfly valve so that it is just short of being completely closed - simply to stop the valve sticking in the bore. As such, to adjust it, just back it right out so that the butterfly sits on the TB bore, then wind it in maybe 1/4-1/2 turn so that it holds the valve off the TB bore walls very slightly. As long as it is within the 1.5degree allowed by TPS and it holds the valve off the wall, the exact adjustment is NOT critical (contrary to common belief...).

?? old escorts we got here are mostly still going! basic, but they do the trick.... For crap cars, how about the old original hondamatics...... And, of course, anything starting with vauxhall.....

It should pull right, but only to above 4th.... spring in gearbox should resist going to above reverse....