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Well, thanks to all the helpful and knowledgeable folks on the board I just got done assembling my mess o' parts to start getting the ZE swap done on my '93 GS.

The final piece of the puzzle, the ZE, just got shipped in from Noyan last week and today I got my first look at it. Here's a few pics:





It looked pretty clean to me (on the outside, anyways), and the head of the shop I'm working with and I were able to find most of the external markings you'd look for. We didn't crack open the valve covers to check the cam stampings, but we found the KL31-101 and KL31-1A1 markings on the heads. If anyone notices anything funny 'bout the pics, please let me know.

The other parts I got are OBX headers, CM Stage IIR clutch, KL31 ECU (Thanks Rick!), plugs, plug wires, SRD mount bushings, fuel filter, new FG springs and nuts, and steel braided clutch line. Hope to have them start work next week. I totally can't wait to get this sucker in.

Thats a clean motor, how much did you pay for it?

Now THAT is a clean engine..

If I might make a suggestion.. once you have your engine out of your car.. clean your engine bay thoroughly.. Steam clean it.. degreaser.. whatever.. but you have the option at this moment to have a engine bay clean enough to eat out of Always a bonus. Best of luck and post lots of pics!!

Tunes67

Rick Johnson wrote:Thats a clean motor, how much did you pay for it?

Hey Rick.....yeah, I wasn't going to gush too much, but I was very surprised at how clean it looked. I think I got lucky...I also asked the Noyan guys if they could get me a particularly good example...looks like they hooked me up. In any case, from Noyan, it was $850 US + $125 US for shipping to Michigan. A bargain in my book, but then again, I've never bought an engine before.

Tunes67 wrote:Now THAT is a clean engine..

..you have the option at this moment to have a engine bay clean enough to eat out of Always a bonus. Best of luck and post lots of pics!!

Tunes67

Yeah, the way my engine bay looks right now, I'd be ashamed to put that engine anywhere near it! When I have the shop start work, I'm definitely going to ask them what they can do to help me get the bay cleaned up before putting the ZE in.

Will do regarding the pics....I dunno how many I'll get 'in process' though as most of the work will likely be done without me being present. I wish I could just hang out at the shop while they did it.

No, you got a really good deal. That definitely looks like a low mileage newer engine. Question tho, how many wires are on your alternator?

One of the possible solutions would be to have the shop call you when your current engine is out. Then go down to the shop and tow it to a U Wash type car wash. Buy a couple of cans of engine degreaser (Gunk makes a nice cheap one that works excellent) Hose everything down with the degreaser.. let stand for 30 minutes.. then blast it all off with the hot soapy water setting.. using the rinse at the end of the cycle to get any remaining soap or degreaser.. then detail by hand. Probably 2-3 hours worth of work.. but definately worth it.


Tunes67

Hmmm....I didn't look at the alternator very closely. Are you asking for comparison purposes, or does the number of wires on the alternator represent some hidden 'gotcha' that's going to bite me?

No I'm just wondering because I think that will help date your motor, I think the older ones have 3 wires, where the newer one's have 2 wires.... I'm not sure tho still researching.

millaj01 wrote:The other parts I got are OBX headers, CM Stage IIR clutch, KL31 ECU (Thanks Rick!), plugs, plug wires, SRD mount bushings, fuel filter, new FG springs and nuts, and steel braided clutch line. Hope to have them start work next week. I totally can't wait to get this sucker in.

Not sure, but it looked like thare was no water thermosensor by the rad cap. Might need to snag a K8 one. Then again, you probably new that already.

Someone snagged your A/C by the looks of it..... anyhow do me a favour and pull your plugs and tell me how clean the tops of your pistons are, you'll need a flashlight of some sort, mine have quite a bit of carbon on them...

I can't get over how clean that engine is, mine is so dirty compared to yours and it was "cleaned" before I got it....yea right.

looking clean but for the money it better be, now have to spend some $$ putting in new pump/plugs, maintenance stuff while its out much easier

Rick Johnson wrote:Someone snagged your A/C by the looks of it..... anyhow do me a favour and pull your plugs and tell me how clean the tops of your pistons are, you'll need a flashlight of some sort, mine have quite a bit of carbon on them...
.

Hmmm...no A/C doesn't bother me. Wasn't planning on keeping the A/C anyways. I'm not going to be back at the garage to see the engine until prolly Tuesday of next week....that's when they're going to start work. I'll try and take a look then and let you know what I find....

tell me how clean the tops of your pistons are, you'll need a flashlight of some sort, mine have quite a bit of carbon on them...

Just a side note Rick.. and you may already even know this.. but just a FYI about the carbon on top of the pistons..

In engines with a indeterminate amount of miles on them.. it can actually be a good thing to see solid black carbon across the tops of your pistons. This tells you that the cylinders were firing correctly.. if you see bald areas on top of the piston.. this could be due to "Washing" where the fuel and in some cases, oil arent fully consumed during combustion.. and as a result wash the carbon off in spots. There are a number of things that this can be attributed to, none of them good So even though you have carbon build up on your pistons.. as long as its even carbon build up.. its not neccessarily a bad thing. Also.. even if you do see a few bald spots where the piston shows through the carbon, this is not an immediate indicator that washing IS or IS NOT occuring. But its something to check in any case. A couple of things I know that can cause washing are; A severly burned exaust valve (The exaust gases start to escape before combustion is complete) and a dead plug wire or spark plug (nothing happening to ignite the fuel to begin with).

I am sure there are probably other things that can cause washing.. but I cant think of them off the top of my head. If you do find bald areas on a piston.. at least a compression check on that cylinder is desirable. Have a couple of copper pieces on me

Tunes67