Well I have an oil burning problem caused by bad piston rings and Nissan is refusing to cover under warranty because I don't have proof of two oil changed because I did it myself.

I have been thinking about having a place (not a Nissan service department) replace the rings. I don't really wanna use OEM rings since there is obviously a problem with them. I have been doing some research and...

Stillen does have Cosworth "performance piston rings" for $134
Would those actually be better than stock?

They also have Cosworth pistons for $1,392.00.
I figured since im gonna have the pistons out anyway....
Would those be worth it? Benefits? Gains?

They also have the heavy duty connecting rods for $1,434.24.
If i get the pistons do I need the new rods?

So, should I buy...
Rings
Pistons
Pistons and rods

I will admit that I don't have a lot of knowledge when it comes to engine internals.

Rings and pistons - http://www.stillen.com/product.asp?id=COSWNPIST1&c=PE
Rods - http://www.stillen.com/product.asp?id=COSWNRODS1&c=PE

 

HR pistons and rings

 

Take Nissan to court.

how many miles is on the car, and when were these oil changes done by you?
how far apart?
both consecutive, or separated by a change from a shop?


all you need to do is provide something on a sheet of paper that says you changed it on zzz day and yyyyy mileage with xxxxx oil.
otherwise, there is absolutely no way they can refuse warranty on it.

 

i have already done all that...i provided everything and they wont budge.

this thread isnt about that....my 9 page thread in the 5th gen forum covers all that.

 

I would go with a set of Eagle rods with ARP 2000 series bolts for $600

a set of Mahle pistons for $835 with rings OR get a set of ZGS (Zero gap second) rings.

Then get yourself a high quality machinist who can bore and hone your cylinders to according to the ring manufacturers specifications for roundness, taper, and bore finish AND angle. The last two being very important to a good ring seal and long life.

If you want to see some quality machine work look at this guys work,
" http://www.theoldone.com/articles/Larryscivic/Larrys_Civic.htm"
His name is Larry Widmer and he is very, very good at what he does.

I've already contacted him about getting some engine work done. He is in the process of creating some of his own piston designs to complement his head port work.

 

Tommy Boy,
thats what i needed, thanks.
im just doing research right now. i'm going to korea for a year soon and plan on doing this when i get back home.

 

i thought i had the same issue as you. I almost went with HR pistons/Eagle rods but I ended up with just the 07 Altima rings which fits with no issue, if you plan on the spending the money for aftermarket pistons, I would go with some Arias XD. If you get aftermarket pistons, you should do rods also along with bearings and arp hardware. Good luck!

 

well ive been doing some research on my350z.com and im probably gonna do everything while im in there (pistons, rods, cams, etc)

 

Aftermarket VQ35 piston options include but are not limited to JE, CP, Wiseco, and Arias. These are the manufacturers that i would recommend. I like Wiseco's ring set the best. They feature a gas nitrided top ring and a Napier-style phosphate coated 2nd ring. They sell it separately.

The Arias ED pistons are a zero-silicon forging and as such require the largest piston-to-wall clearance. Totally unnecessary for an n/a machine.

The rods i would recommend are eagle (for how cheap they are) and Carrillo a-beams (for how light they are).

Would definitely recommend the cosworth main and rod bearings while you're at it.

For cams, i say go big or go home if you're building up a motor. No JWT or R-tune bs. Nismo spec 1 or 2 or tomei 272's (or bigger).

Oh yea...rev-up oil pump.

 

Not to mention ARP hardware and head gasket along with maybe some valves/valve springs if you want to rev higher.

Cosworth offers both the rod and main bearings in STD or Race also...

 

The only ARP fasteners that are worthwhile for an all-motor setup are the rod bolts. But i didn't mention them because eagle rods come with ARP rod bolts and Carrillo's comes with their own VERY strong ARP equivalents. Also the 3-layer OEM 350Z head gasket is sufficient.

But you're right about the valvetrain. Dunno how i forgot to mention that.
The only difference between the standard and race bearings is the race version has extra oil clearance. Not recommended for a street setup.

 

thanks for all the advice guys.
looks like this wont be cheap but if im gonna do it...i dont want to half @ss it.
might as well make it bulletproof for the future...guess i will need a HSLD tranny too.
i'll have a year in korea to save up.

i wanna be the first maxima VQ35 to do all this

 

now i need to do some research to find a place that has experience with this kind of stuff on a VQ

 

All this might hurt your auto/x'ing capabilities since it will favor the right side of the tach.

 

well i need to stop my oil burning anyway.

all auto-x i have run were in high 1st/low 2nd (bogging in 2nd on most turns). if i do this and raise the rev limiter, i can run in higher 1st and be in the peak power band. i should actually do better.

 

Hmm, sounds fun.

 

and when i move back to OK next summer i plan on doing SCCA Club Racing (road course). ive grown out of auto-x and want to do something where my horsepower can be used.

 

Where do you think you're going to do that in a Maxima with a modified engine?

You'll be able to do DE days and such, but you won't be class legal for anything.

 

This may be the beginning of the end of me and the Max's relationship, I don't think I'm man enough for a $2,000 rebuild.

 

he can become a member of NASA instead, they hold a number of road-racing events and im pretty sure that he could make it into one of the classes (Nasa progression)

 

Do you really have to bore out the cylinder can't you just buy factory spec pistons and get new rings then hone them out?

 

Neither using standard size forged pistons nor re-honing when the crosshatch pattern is still visible is recommended.

Reasoning:

A. From the factory there are very slight variances in bore diameter and taper in each cylinder. So overboring is not only recommended to make sure each cylinder is true before putting it back together, it also allows you to dial in the piston-to-cylinder clearance with precision which varies depending on the piston's silicon content.

B. Re-honing a cylinder with crosshatch pattern still intact remove material that the rings could have used to break in. It could could potentially screw up the pattern in such a way that it could possibly hold too much or not enough oil on the grooves. I say leave well enough alone unless the cylinders walls are glazed, IMHO.

 

Would it be smart to find a high mileage motor and just rebuild it rather than rebuilding your own?

 

I have the oil problem too and warranty is almost up. If it doesnt get covered by my dealer I will be taking the same route as you. But since the problem is with the rings thats all I need to get correct? Your getting new pistons and connecting rods and all that but is it really necessary? Whats necessary to stop the oil consumption only? Its the rings correct? If so, thats all Im looking to get.

The ones you posted in your 1st post, will those work with OEM pistons and connecting rods or are they made for the other Cosworth pistons etc?

 

yes you only NEED the rings, but if you plan on keeping the car for a while and going really fast, you might as well do more while you have the engine torn down. if not then rings only

 

you only need the rings to fix the problem.

im thinking of doing the other stuff since its gonna be open anyway.

 

this is exactally what i want to do as well... i burn through oil like its my job but hopefully the 2,000 or so will come quite easily this summer. love the thread. answered all my questions.

How hard would it be to tear it down and build it back up yourself?

 

If you're asking that question, it might be a touch much.

Get an FSM and read it until your eyes bleed, then, after you clean them up, do it again until green stuff comes out. After that, give it a week, and go back and see how much you retatined.

If you're on track, you'll read it again until your eyes bleed, then sweat, then tear.

Particularly the EM & EC sections.

 

not to steal the thread but has anyone with a maxima gone with a cam with that or greater duration? i saw these and my mind remembered this thread http://www.slowboyracing.com/estore/...id=5896&page=1