# My "new" ride and first Nissan.



## Juan! (Jun 24, 2009)

Hi everyone. I picked up this 93 Sentra for my Fiance and I'm in the process of fixing it up. It was only $1400 and at the moment I don't have much money to put towards it, so its little things here and there but there are more things planned. This is the best picture I can find of the little thing, I'm not home right now to take a better one:










I'm not used to working on little cars (that is my truck next to it!) so a lot of this is new to me. For example, on the list of things to do are struts, I've NEVER had to deal with struts on my truck, its shocks only. :newbie:

So anyway, so far I have done the following:
- Seafoamed the engine
- New motor mounts
- Recharged the AC
- New alternator
- New battery
- Replaced spark plugs
- Oil change
- Replaced all the filters
- New head unit, stock one was missing knobs haha
- New speakers, old ones had literally fallen apart and sounded horrible
- Subwoofers in the trunk, nothing big. Going for a little bump, nothing neighbors will hear

I think thats it so far. For now the only things we still want to do are:

- Shocks/Struts, the current ones are GONE, roughest ride ever
- New belts just to be safe
- New wires/rotor/cap to complete the plugs I replaced
- Replace headliner, its sagging in a few spots
- Retint the windows, the current tint is purple and scratched
- Paint it black, current paintjob is HORRIBLE and obviously cheap/peeling
- New wheels or powdercoat current ones
- Recarpet the trunk, previous owner removed it all for some reason...

Okay, so thats about it. I'd love any input. Is there anything that these cars are notorious for? Should I replace anything else that isn't listed above? Oh and when we have the AC on full blast, the little guy has HORRIBLE accelleration. Seafoaming and replacing the plugs seems to have made it a touch better but its still pretty weak. Could this be a belt issue or something?

Thanks a lot!


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## sr20_B13 (Jun 22, 2009)

wow 1400 is alot for that i have four of them and each of them did not cost me more than 500 a piece and if you need new shocks and struts and can sell you some i have four brand new ones for that model it already comes together so all you have to do is unbolt the three bolts on top and two size 17 bolts by the wheel and the clips that holds the brake line and thats it it should take you no mre that an hour to do so if you want them let me know you could make me an offer and ill ship them to you


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## Juan! (Jun 24, 2009)

Well the interior is perfect and it runs great and besides the ugly paint, the body is in great condition, so its worth the 1400 to me. I probably could have found a cheaper one though... Anyway, I'm glad that the shocks/struts are that easy, I got quoted 300-400 just for labor if I had the shop do it!


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## sr20_B13 (Jun 22, 2009)

wow that is alot for labor... I'm telling you, it is so easy you could do it right there where the car is park'd, i did mine on the street of New York, and i did a motor swap to a sr20 in a tiny garage without a lift and a peice of crap scissor jack that comes in the trunk of the cars... whats the quote on the shocks, if you dont mine me asking?


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## Juan! (Jun 24, 2009)

He told me how much labor was and said if I could wait a little while he'd find out how much parts would cost and I told him that's a little too much for now, I'll come back. Of course I didn't plan on going back for that much haha. I have every tool I could need also (dad is a truck driver with a garage full) so if its as easy as you say, I should be able to take care of it. Do you have to compress the springs or anything? I know how to get to the top bolts in the front, how do you get to the rears?


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## 2dr_Sentra (Dec 10, 2005)

Good start. Got anymore pictures?


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## Juan! (Jun 24, 2009)

That's all I have for now, if you're interested then I can take some more later. Didn't think anyone would want any of this little guy lol. The wheels are hit and miss also. My girl really likes them and they aren't half bad but they look to have been cheaply painted in the past so a good sandblast/powdercoat would do them good. I'd rather put some mesh type wheels on it, not sure how that would look tho.


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## fofgrel (Feb 12, 2006)

Yes, you'll need to compress the springs. Also, the previous owner probably took out the truck interior because it was water damaged. Sometimes these cars leak water trough the taillights. If yours is leaking, a little silicone will do nicely.


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## sr20_B13 (Jun 22, 2009)

well to take it out of the car you dont need to compress the spring but if you are seperating the springs from the shocks you need to compress it...and im telling you its easier than it looks... Ill sell you a full set of front and rear suspension already attached so you dont have to compress anything for 175 O.B.O and i only used them for 320 miles to be exact... and i took them out of my car cause i switched them to KYB G2's and megan racing springs... and i like the paint color it looks nice from the pics...


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## Juan! (Jun 24, 2009)

I noticed silicone around the lights and it doesn't look "perfect" enough to be factory so thats probably what happened. Do you know if they make a kit for it or should I just buy some scraps from a carpet place and cut it myself?


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## sr20_B13 (Jun 22, 2009)

Are you talking about the rear taillights if so it should have silicone it comes like that mine has it also I thought the same but i found out its like that


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## Dan9 (Sep 18, 2004)

the factory sealant is neverdry crap that will make a horrible mess of anything it gets on BUT to fix the leak, you pull the taillight our carefully and with a gloved hand, redistribute the goopy stuff around to re-seal the edges. I did that and no prob's afterwards

such a fun car I still cant get rid of mine :/


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## Juan! (Jun 24, 2009)

Well so far I haven't noticed any leaks and we've driven it through some hard rain. Maybe they just spilled some grocerys back there haha. I'll keep an eye on it, especially now that there is an amp/subs back there!

Do you want 175 shipped for them? What brand are they?


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## Juan! (Jun 24, 2009)

Dan9 said:


> the factory sealant is neverdry crap that will make a horrible mess of anything it gets on BUT to fix the leak, you pull the taillight our carefully and with a gloved hand, redistribute the goopy stuff around to re-seal the edges. I did that and no prob's afterwards
> 
> such a fun car I still cant get rid of mine :/


Yeah so far I am really liking it. It's main purpose is to be my fiance's car though so I can't do anything she doesn't like to it haha, that is what my truck is for (she's not a huge fan of the lift). Like I mentioned some mesh-type wheels and she looked iffy so not sure about that and any kind of lowering is out of the question.  But either way, I agree that it is fun to drive around and work on.


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## sr20_B13 (Jun 22, 2009)

I bought them from the dealer they are stock... Is 175 plus shipping cuase they cost me way more than that... and about the silicone it is factory just when it gets hot outside the silicone gets soft so somebody must of messed with it before because my right taillight loocks clean but my left looks messed up cause it was hot out and i was messing with it


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## Juan! (Jun 24, 2009)

Hmm I'll keep the 175+sh in mind but right now I don't have much to spend. We are saving for our wedding so not much will happen in the next few months.


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## kizer24 (Mar 23, 2008)

I would grab the struts as soon as you can. I paid almost 500 for new aftermarket struts and springs. Just dont tell her your lowering it, going turbo, or not letting her drive it after a few months..... Went well with my ex, but then again it wasnt long after I got the car that she became an ex. Hhhmmm maybe it was just a coincidence.


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## Juan! (Jun 24, 2009)

If I can't get them before he gets rid of them, do you think springs are necessary or just struts should be fine?

Oh and our driveway isn't very lowering friendly, it would be destroyed soon after haha. Factory height is fine for now.

Also, do any of you know if the headliner is easy to take out and recover? Its sagging right above the drivers/passengers heads and is quite annoying when it keeps hitting your hair haha.


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## sr20_B13 (Jun 22, 2009)

the headliner is really easy to take out just take out the visors the little light in the center and the headliner just clips right off their gonna be little clips around youll see them... everything on this car is easy... if you need any help with info just let me know and if i dont know ill find out


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## Juan! (Jun 24, 2009)

Sweet, after replacing the speakers and finding out that the doors, center dash, and the panel behind the back seat all came off with very little work, I figured the headliner would be similar. Thanks!


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## Juan! (Jun 24, 2009)

Hey guys, will an intake/exhaust give this little 1.6 any more power? With the AC on it has HORRIBLE acceleration. Seafoam/plugs didn't help much at all...


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## Juan! (Jun 24, 2009)

In addition to what I just asked, when it gets really hot out (Arizona ftl) the AC gets kinda humid. It was refilled with refrigerant recently so I don't think thats it (unless theres a leak).


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## jordanf1 (Feb 1, 2006)

Juan! said:


> Hey guys, will an intake/exhaust give this little 1.6 any more power? With the AC on it has HORRIBLE acceleration. Seafoam/plugs didn't help much at all...


2inch exhaust, a WAI from EBAY and some headers work great with this car. Also, advance the timing to 15 degrees. This will pick up like 10whp. Oh and a full tune up before doing anyhing to it!


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## kizer24 (Mar 23, 2008)

*power*

Exactly what he said. If you really want an improvement with the ac on go for a UR pulley. Not the easiest thing to find but if you can it was the second best thing I did. urethane mounts are also a great pick me up for most cars. The header was the best to me. Really lets it breathe alot better.

Also hit up the ga16de forum for alot of info about the engine.

http://www.nissanforums.com/ga16de-1-6l-engine/


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## Juan! (Jun 24, 2009)

jordanf1 said:


> 2inch exhaust, a WAI from EBAY and some headers work great with this car. Also, advance the timing to 15 degrees. This will pick up like 10whp. Oh and a full tune up before doing anyhing to it!


The exhaust and WAI I'll add to the list, is it any different than a CAI? Same thing right? I read how to adjust the timing, but I've never had to mess with the timing of an engine before. Is it really that easy or should I have a shop do it real quick? I know the guy who runs the shop here, he'll probably give me a good deal.

Also, what do you consider a full tune up? All the fluids, filters, plugs were replaced. The only thing I have left are the wires/cap/rotor. Anything I'm missing?


kizer24 said:


> Exactly what he said. If you really want an improvement with the ac on go for a UR pulley. Not the easiest thing to find but if you can it was the second best thing I did. urethane mounts are also a great pick me up for most cars. The header was the best to me. Really lets it breathe alot better.
> 
> Also hit up the ga16de forum for alot of info about the engine.
> 
> http://www.nissanforums.com/ga16de-1-6l-engine/


I'll look into the headers also. Ok, I read that the UR Pulley = Unorthodox Racing Pulley. Is it the same size as the factory one, just lighter? I see that they are a pain to get a hold of but I'll try if it makes that big of a difference.


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## Juan! (Jun 24, 2009)

Ok, I'm not gonna purchase these now, but just to get an idea, are these what you guys are talking about or are these crap?

CAI: BCP 91-99 Nissan Sentra/200SX/ Infiniti G20 Air Intake:eBay Motors (item 390061163140 end time Jul-02-09 15:14:53 PDT)

Header: 91 92 93 94 Nissan Sentra 200SX 1.6L 4-1 Exhaust Header:eBay Motors (item 350220138050 end time Jul-05-09 12:58:08 PDT)

Oh and for the 2" exhaust, do you recommend I buy a whole exhaust? On my truck I bought the muffler I preferred and had a shop do all the pipe work. Will a 2" exhaust make it sound like a mosquito? lol


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## 2dr_Sentra (Dec 10, 2005)

Do a 2" catback, use magnaflow mufflers.


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## Juan! (Jun 24, 2009)

2" catback to dual magnaflows or keep it single like it is? Magnaflows are a nice quiet tone right, nothing annoying?


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## 2dr_Sentra (Dec 10, 2005)

Juan! said:


> 2" catback to dual magnaflows or keep it single like it is? Magnaflows are a nice quiet tone right, nothing annoying?


Just to a resonator and a rear muffler. They sound really good.


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## Juan! (Jun 24, 2009)

So something like this:

One of these and one of these?

When you say it sounds nice i'm looking for fairly close to stock, nothing obnoxious, etc. My truck sounds like a beast but we don't want that on the little Nissan haha, but we also don't want it to sound like a giant mosquito while accellerating.


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## 2dr_Sentra (Dec 10, 2005)

Juan! said:


> So something like this:
> 
> One of these and one of these?
> 
> When you say it sounds nice i'm looking for fairly close to stock, nothing obnoxious, etc. My truck sounds like a beast but we don't want that on the little Nissan haha, but we also don't want it to sound like a giant mosquito while accellerating.


Use the round body muffler (the 2nd link) for the resonator under the car, and use a polished round or oval body which ever you prefer for the rear muffler. Make sense?


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## Juan! (Jun 24, 2009)

2dr_Sentra said:


> Use the round body muffler (the 2nd link) for the resonator under the car, and use a polished round or oval body which ever you prefer for the rear muffler. Make sense?


So I don't get an actual resonator? Just two mufflers? And the rear one is all the way at the rear right and visible (hence the polished)? I just gotta get used to this, I have a massive 3" pipe into a loud flowmaster and then the pipe is cut off after the muffler and doesn't even exit the body on my truck haha


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## 2dr_Sentra (Dec 10, 2005)

Juan! said:


> So I don't get an actual resonator? Just two mufflers? And the rear one is all the way at the rear right and visible (hence the polished)? I just gotta get used to this, I have a massive 3" pipe into a loud flowmaster and then the pipe is cut off after the muffler and doesn't even exit the body on my truck haha


Well the oval bodys dont fit under b13's very well. 










See the first muffler? thats the resonator and the exit muffler well you understand.


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## Juan! (Jun 24, 2009)

ahh ok cool, thanks for putting up with my noobness haha, its been added to my "Todo when I have money" list


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## jordanf1 (Feb 1, 2006)

Also, the longer the resonator, the less loud and obnoxious the sound will be. Just make sure all the componets are the perforated type, no louvered cores!


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## Juan! (Jun 24, 2009)

Ok, I'll keep that in mind also, thanks!

Can you guys check out post #26 in this thread? A cheap CAI like that works fine on these engines? As for the headers, I think the ones I linked to were generic ones that I wouldn't trust but I don't know any good companies for Nissan stuff, I only know about Chevy parts haha.


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## jordanf1 (Feb 1, 2006)

Those EBAY parts work great! I have that exact intake and header, and cant complain at all. Many people here also have them, do a quick searh, these mods are widely discussed.


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## Juan! (Jun 24, 2009)

Sweet! Everyone in the truck scene has the anti-ebay attitude (unless your buying an OEM or expensive aftermarket part) lol

So far most of the parts I'm gonna end up buying aren't expensive at all


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## 2dr_Sentra (Dec 10, 2005)

Juan! said:


> Sweet! Everyone in the truck scene has the anti-ebay attitude (unless your buying an OEM or expensive aftermarket part) lol
> 
> So far most of the parts I'm gonna end up buying aren't expensive at all


Well for your motor, ebay is all there is for parts really. Besides JWT or something.


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## Juan! (Jun 24, 2009)

Well its not that I thought ebay itself had crap but for example there are the little cheap CAIs for around $40-50 and then there are some nicer ones for $100+. I just wanted to make sure that the cheap one was fine.

You guys are teaching me more than you think lol


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## Juan! (Jun 24, 2009)

Okay, another question. I've seen a lot of Nissans (and other imports) with the bar running across the engine from strut to strut. What is the purpose of this bar? With normal every day driving does it make any difference? Expensive?


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## 2dr_Sentra (Dec 10, 2005)

Juan! said:


> Okay, another question. I've seen a lot of Nissans (and other imports) with the bar running across the engine from strut to strut. What is the purpose of this bar? With normal every day driving does it make any difference? Expensive?


There called Strut tower bar(s) it helps reduce chassis flex under cornering. You will notice a difference with everyday driving.



Juan! said:


> Well its not that I thought ebay itself had crap but for example there are the little cheap CAIs for around $40-50 and then there are some nicer ones for $100+. I just wanted to make sure that the cheap one was fine.
> 
> You guys are teaching me more than you think lol


Well WAI (warm air intakes/short ram) ebay brand type are around 20-50 bucks

CAI are alot more money cause they are true cold air and place the filter in the fender/bumper area to take the colder air.


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## Juan! (Jun 24, 2009)

2dr_Sentra said:


> There called Strut tower bar(s) it helps reduce chassis flex under cornering. You will notice a difference with everyday driving.
> 
> Well WAI (warm air intakes/short ram) ebay brand type are around 20-50 bucks
> 
> CAI are alot more money cause they are true cold air and place the filter in the fender/bumper area to take the colder air.


Ok cool so I'll add the bar to my growing list. The cheap short WAI is the one you told me would work just fine right?


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## 2dr_Sentra (Dec 10, 2005)

Juan! said:


> Ok cool so I'll add the bar to my growing list. The cheap short WAI is the one you told me would work just fine right?


yup it works


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## Juan! (Jun 24, 2009)

cool, thanks a lot


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## kizer24 (Mar 23, 2008)

You also get better throttle response and mileage with the WAI. The UR pulley is slightly smaller diameter than the stock pulley. Thats how it under drives the accessories. If you can find one GET IT! Its worth its weight in gold. I believe there is a thread about a new batch of them available. Check the GA16de forum for that. I would not change the struts with out changing your springs. Spend a little more now so you dont have to do it all over again.


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## Juan! (Jun 24, 2009)

Great! Ok, I'll keep an eye out for the pulley and be sure to get springs as well. I noticed the thread in the ga16de forum, I'll pay more attention to it now. Thanks!


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## Juan! (Jun 24, 2009)

Ok so besides oil, coolant, belts, spark plugs, filters, cap, rotor, and wires, what else should I "tune up"? Anything I am missing? Anything that tends to get dirty on these I should clean out, anything that should be replaced after a while (this car has 160k and I have NO idea what the previous owner did or didn't replace), etc?


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## kizer24 (Mar 23, 2008)

Well the front main seal is a common leak area. Unless its leaking though no real reason to change it. Possibly look at changing the timing chain and or tensioners, common issues. Real PITA of a job. Def clean your IACV and throttle body. Reground the MAF and check the throttle cable tension. Also check your brake fluid. If in doubt flush and bleed the lines.


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## Juan! (Jun 24, 2009)

kizer24 said:


> Well the front main seal is a common leak area. Unless its leaking though no real reason to change it. Possibly look at changing the timing chain and or tensioners, common issues. Real PITA of a job. Def clean your IACV and throttle body. Reground the MAF and check the throttle cable tension. Also check your brake fluid. If in doubt flush and bleed the lines.


Ok, here comes more Nissan noobness:

1) What all does changing the timing chain and tensioners involve?
2) What is the IACV?
3) What is the MAF? (I think I know, but want to be sure) and how do I reground it?
4) How do I know if the throttle cable is tight enough?

I'll check the brake fluid also.


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## greenbean699 (Jan 18, 2004)

160k is not really high to be changing the timing chain but if its making a rattle then you should think about doing it soon. its not a bad job, but it does require a few hours of tearing the whole front side (passenger side) of the engine. it has 2 chains and tensioners 
and guides. 

The IACV is the Idle air control valve and can get clogged up with carbon and can affect the idle. It will be on the intake, on the left side 91-94 and on the right side 95-99.

The MAF is the Mass Air Flow meter and its located just after your air filter box. you can reground it by taking another piece of copper wire and connecting it to the body.

Checking your throttle cable will give you better throttle response by taking the slack out of it. you will want to tighten it just enough but not so much that it starts affecting your idle.


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## Juan! (Jun 24, 2009)

greenbean699 said:


> 160k is not really high to be changing the timing chain but if its making a rattle then you should think about doing it soon. its not a bad job, but it does require a few hours of tearing the whole front side (passenger side) of the engine. it has 2 chains and tensioners
> and guides.
> 
> The IACV is the Idle air control valve and can get clogged up with carbon and can affect the idle. It will be on the intake, on the left side 91-94 and on the right side 95-99.
> ...


I haven't noticed any rattling or anything so I think it should be fine, I'll have a mechanic look at it whenever I have them adjust the timing.

What should I use to clean the IACV? Should something like brake cleaner do the job? That stuff cleans anything haha.

I was right about what the MAF was! :banana: I'll take a look at it and reground it.

Ok, perfect, I knew what it was, just didn't know how tight. Thanks for all the info!


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## Juan! (Jun 24, 2009)

Okay guys, I was sitting in the car with my AC at 3 (this model has the settings 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4). All of a sudden it got quiet and no air was coming out of the vents. I turned it down to 2, then 1, nothing happened. Turned it off for a minute then back on, nothing. Turned it all the way up to 4 and the AC comes out full blast. So do you guys think the blower is screwy or the switch?


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## greenbean699 (Jan 18, 2004)

its the blower resistor i believe.


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## Juan! (Jun 24, 2009)

Is that something that can be replaced or will i need to replace the whole blower motor?


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## greenbean699 (Jan 18, 2004)

its a small piece mounted near the blower motor, it will have like 4-6 wire plug. and should have 2 screws holding it in.


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