A tale of two Infiniti's

Nice work! Remind us (me) please, what's going to happen to the white car?

Will be sold...Sad to see her go, but I have no room for a third car right now.

Things that I want to do in the near term:

• Crossmember bushings replace (purchased - waiting to install)
• Shifter mod and shift stabilizer bushings replace (purchased - waiting to install)
• Front struts replace (KYB Excel) (purchased - waiting to install)
• Front wheel bearings replace
• EGR Correct/Delete (unsure)
• Hawk street pads install
• CD Changer cartridge (currently missing)
• Chip in windshield epoxied

Long term

• Tein springs
• B15 Sentra SER wheels
• B15 Sentra SER Brembo brake upgrade
• 91/93 P10 intake cam
• larger rear swaybar
• Rear strut tower bar (custom)
• In dash touchscreen head unit
• E46 M3 style rear trunk-lip spoiler
• Window tint

Completed:
+ lower motor mounts replace (and fill with RTV)
+ Head Unit swap
+ MAF Adapter and Cone Filter

just wanted to put this stuff in writing somewhere for quick reference...

Looks good! Can't wait to see it progress! I'm more of a P10 fan myself, but I've never owned either, so that doesn't really matter. I am a big fan of FWD Nissan/Infinitis, so this is good! Keep the pics and updates coming!

4cylndrfury wrote: ... My only issue - and I mean ONLY, was the vague shifter feel. Twice during the test drive, I found second when looking for fourth - just was really loose feeling. Im not sure if thats an actual problem versus just my driving style. Its been a few years since I DD'd a manual, so I was brushing some dust off my 3 pedal skillset. But my 95 Corolla shifter felt awesome - like it had a steel gate plate off a Ferrari. Who knows...I guess thats what aftermarket shifters and bushings are for!! ...

You might already know all this but you can relocate the shifter ball on the stock shifter and get the same results as an aftermarket one. That and poly shifter bushings and improvised poly shifter mount will make the shifter almost too tight Make sure to swap the trans bushing to poly too. They tend to be the end of a good amount of transmissions

wait wait wait...relocate the shift ball? Links? Ive not heard of this one! Sounds interesting

The shift-lever bushing and stabilizer bushing are in my plans as well...forgot to post them originally.

Both lower mounts (fore and aft on the crossmember) will be replaced. Those will have a pretty substantial impact I think. The upper mounts(engine/trans or port/starboard) will come later. The biggie is usually the front lower - its directly behind the radiator - both the front mount and crossmember bushings deteriorate fast because of the heat they see.

In reply to 4cylndrfury:

write up on SR20forum I skipped the welding and haven't had any issues.

I swapped them all on my turbo-d NX and recommend the same. But if that one over the trans has even a little sag the shifter linkage will start messing with the glass gears inside ie 3rd and 5th gear death.

hmm...a lot of the short shifter kits mention that the heat shield on a P11 will need to be spaced down a bit to allow for the bottom of the shifter protruding lower. But, that still looks pretty simple. Im betting that freezing the shift lever and then heating the ball will allow you to move it without butchering the threads...hmmm

Thanks for the link. I spend more time at G20.net and the dash, dont get to the sr20 forums too often. I will have to get over there more often!

You can use a block of wood or two sacrificial nuts and partially thread them on to hammer on. I would avoid the heat so as not to melt the nylon ball. It doesn't take much to knock it down if you have a vice.

mini update...

Since I purchased the car, I swapped in my home made cast aluminum MAF adapter for running a cone style filter and ditching the restrictive factory intake plumbing. Pics look exactly the same as in the link.

I also replaced the work lower engine mounts with new OEM style aftermarket units I filled with gasket material. No pics because...well...I didnt take any, plus, it doesnt look like much.

What I thought previously was a bad o2 sensor, turns out to be a bad Exhaust Gas Return solenoid, so that item needs attention...not sure if I want to just delete the EGR, or repair. EGR apparently helps boost MPGs at part throttle (long freeway runs that are part of my commute). But, deletion removes a bunch of vacuum lines, and also can boost 4th/5th gear acceleration (because I really need to cut some time from my 60-95mph times)

Also, what I thought was a leaking power steering line is actually a leaking PS reservoir. A less common, but still prevalent issue with these cars is that the plastic reservoir cracks about halfway down, allowing a leak. One of the first things I did once I got her home was check fluids, and the PS was low, so I filled her up (thats what she said). Sure enough, a softball sized spot was found underneath her the next day (thats what sh...well you get it). The crack still leaves the reservoir about half full, which is wholly good enough for me, so crisis averted lol.

The mounts and filter make a difference...the filter makes super neat-o vroom vroom sounds (and probably technically helps with MPG's), and the mounts help improve throttle response.

I have a blown strut on the passenger front wheel, so it bounces around like crazy over medium bumps. Big ones cause the car to jerk if under power as the wheel is out of contact for so long due to erratic movement that the whole thing pulls to the left (wheel is still in contact). So, I purchased some low mileage KYB GR2 OEM style replacements.

I also purchased a new urethane shifter bushing, urethane swaybar bushings, and some nylon crossbrace bushings. The G20 lower engine mounts are on this brace. Replacing the worn rubber crossbrace bushings will further improver engine response by limiting movement. Apparently, the swaybar bushings actually promote understeer in this car, so they will be saved for the aftermarket REAR swaybar I hope to install one day.

Shifter bushing installation is going to be delayed as well, as aparently the stiffer bushing can cause damage to other shifting components, or tear itself apart, on cars that have excessive play in the transmission mount. Its too small to effectively control the movement of the larger parts of the drivetrain, so it has to wait until I install a new upper transmission mount with hopefully a real urethane insert.

Then, theres those GR2s I mentioned earlier. Im moving in a week and a half, and my whole garage is packed up. So thats on hold too...

In reality, Im not sure why I, updating this except that Im on my lunch break and I just recently purchased the struts and Im anxious to get them in. I hate the steering feel/noise associated with the worn struts, and am ready to get these things in!!!

Also, I get some odd clunks when going over smaller bumps. Its not the same as the blown strut bounce of doom, its like either a subframe or control arm bushing is toast, and somethings moving when its not supposed to. In my last G20, that same noise was eliminated when I replaced the failed lower mounts (see paragraph 2). Unfortunately, this did not correct the issue in G20, the sequel, so more investigation is needed.

But otherwise, after nearly 2 months of ownership, Im still 1000% enamored with this car...love the 5 speed, it just suits this engine soooo much better than a slushbox. Once the firmer bushing is installed, and the short shifter trick mentioned by Jere is completed, I think the shifter feel will really come around. Then the suspension will get addressed, and hopefully all will be right with the world.

Edited 8/15/13

Things that I want to do in the near term:
+ Crossmember bushings replace (purchased - waiting to install)
+ Shifter mod and shift stabilizer bushings replace (purchased - waiting to install)
+ Front struts replace (KYB Excel) (purchased - waiting to install)
+ Front wheel bearings replace
+ EGR Correct/Delete (unsure)
+ Hawk street pads install
+ CD Changer cartridge (currently missing)
+ Chip in windshield epoxied

Long term + Tein springs
+ B15 Sentra SER wheels
+ B15 Sentra SER Brembo brake upgrade
+ 91/93 P10 intake cam
+ Rear swaybar
+ Rear strut tower bar (custom)
+ In dash touchscreen head unit
+ E46 M3 style rear trunk-lip spoiler
+ Window tint

Completed: + lower motor mounts replace (and fill with RTV)
+ Head Unit swap
+ MAF Adapter and Cone Filter

Randoms...

I thought these had shocks all the way around, not struts?

Glad you're enjoying the new car. Did you already unload the white one?

yep white one is gone. And P10 has shocks all the way around IIRC. P11 is strut front shock rear.