Buying an MA09

Snikty

Snikty

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Ok I guess I should start with my intention. Basically I want a second engine for if anything should happen to mine. I mainly want it for a second set of spares and so that I can easily get custom things sorted out without ripping mine apart all the time (Ie. gaskets, manifold, head work, internals and a few other...experiments lol).

So my question is this, if I had a choice between an engine that was just the engine, and another which was a fair bit more $$ but with all the wiring harness, ecu and the bulk of the induction bits stil in tact am I better off paying the extra just so I have a second set of electrics etc or am i better off just getting the engine on its own...taking into account I will no doubt have an aftermarket ecu on the car at some point.

Thanks
 
have you looked into prices already? there is some guy floating around that had a MA09 in a mini front cut, i'd love to buy that cut off him, unfortunately it came up for sale at the exact same time as my car so i didn't have the extra coin to get it (or transport from melbourne) the forum crashed so i lost his PM's! damn it

i see them on import monster quite often but their charges are just rediculous, we need a japanese seller happy to do international freight!
 
Yeah man I've got prices worked out. I really wanted to try and get my hands on a ST or R half cut, and have a few importers keeping an eye out for me, but I really don't see it happening.

The mini half cut would be interesting but would only want to pay for what the engine was worth, unless it was all st gearbox, dash etc. but likely modified anyway.

You know I was saying to a friend the other day that I need to find myself a Japanese girlfriend who still has family in japan and will send me parts...I still think that's my best option. I'll let ya know how that works out lol
 
thats true mate, we just gotta look after them while we can, but with so few spares, they aren't gonna last all that long, especially daily driven

that pains me some days cause its such an awesome little car but if it blows or someone smashes it, its all over for the little ST! at least they aren't ridiculously expensive to begin with
 
smidge said:
have you looked into prices already? there is some guy floating around that had a MA09 in a mini front cut, i'd love to buy that cut off him, unfortunately it came up for sale at the exact same time as my car so i didn't have the extra coin to get it (or transport from melbourne) the forum crashed so i lost his PM's! damn it

i see them on import monster quite often but their charges are just rediculous, we need a japanese seller happy to do international freight!
Click to expand...
Hi Smidge,

I got that front cut so don't despair over not having the guys email

Dave
 
I wouldn't worry that much for parts. I have had an ST since 2000 and never got that stuck :)
 
Yeah I think you're right, Ed. Getting something like a half cut would be too excessive for my needs.

However in the interest of learning I think I will still pick up a second engine as I have people to teach me and I've always wanted to do an engine rebuild. And I may as well learn on something I can later use. Should be a fun project.
 
Sure just consider however that some parts for a rebuild don't exist any more (piston rings for example)
 
Ed said:
Sure just consider however that some parts for a rebuild don't exist any more (piston rings for example)
Click to expand...

What happens in that case Ed?Is it possible to modify Ma10 rings?I've seen this done where the rings gave been filed down to within tolerances
 
I guess that may be possible but would not be something I would personally consider. This is what sent me down the route of custom pistons/rods.
 
Ed,

a couple of quessies from Drunken Sammo:

1. Interesting about the lack of availabillity for rings etc...is this just for the MA09 or is this becomming the case for the MA10 & MA12 series too, do you know?

2. I'll understand if you prefer not to answer....but: (& slightly off the topic)
Are you using the original crank / crank-geometry? or have you an altered forged crank included in the mix?

Sammo-out
 
no not yet!
the engine is dangling in space in the engine bay.
I look at it a lot but there is rather a lot to do given that lack of bits and pieces.
I might be a bit more inspired if I actually new it would run!

Dave
 
I would be looking at doing a custom rebuild anyway. So in theory I'd have a second set of rods, pistons, rings etc for the engine I'm using now (for if anything should go wrong) and then eventually can drop the rebuilt one in. Assuming the new engine is in good condition.

dcinoz, keep us updated on what you do with that engine
 
Auction just closed in Japan and I was the successful bidder.

Should have my second engine within the next 3 months. :D
 
crazyep82 said:
Link?!
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Cant link coz its closed but i know you watch the auctions so have attached the photo on the auction.




One of the ones without ecu and harness was also sold, I saw. Anyone know if someone here picked it up?? The one that went was definitely the pick of those two.

SammoHung said:
how much did you pick this up for (If you dont mind me asking)?
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In aussie dollars its estimated at $1600 by the time it gets here (approx 760 quid). That's with ecu and wiring harness. Although he hasn't supplied the engine # yet.

Not cheap but I'm getting impatient and if it went I'd probably be waiting ages to find another.
 
Snikty said:
Cant link coz its closed but i know you watch the auctions so have attached the photo on the auction.




One of the ones without ecu and harness was also sold, I saw. Anyone know if someone here picked it up?? The one that went was definitely the pick of those two.



In aussie dollars its estimated at $1600 by the time it gets here (approx 760 quid). That's with ecu and wiring harness. Although he hasn't supplied the engine # yet.

Not cheap but I'm getting impatient and if it went I'd probably be waiting ages to find another.
Click to expand...

I tryed to buy exact engine months back but my agent could'nt ship i for me.
You obviously had a agent yes?
 
Yeah, I did have an agent.

They charge ridiculous amounts of commission but at least they could find out the info I wanted before buying and were able to stipulate that I wasn't paying unless it had an intact engine number. Since you can't legally get em into the country without one.
 
+1 rediculous amounts of commission but i guess thats the price you pay for not owning a camry
 
Hooray for small victories!!

The owner shipped it for free, so am getting it for around $1400 now. It's at the Japanese warehouse now and will be shipped when they have a full container ready to go. I have all the engine # details so it shouldn't have any probs with customs.

smidge said:
+1 rediculous amounts of commission but i guess thats the price you pay for not owning a camry
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Yeah exactly, but if you took a camry on a cruise or something you wouldn't get the amount of interest you get with one of these cars. One night I was out with a friend and we stopped at a chicken shop to get a burger and one of the guys working there was having a smoke out the front. When I pulled up he walked straight over to the car and started quizzing me about it. When I told him all about it he asked if he could look under the bonnet, so i went and popped it and turned around and he was gone. From inside I hear "Come check out this little twin charged beast out front". Next thing I know there is about 10 guys from inside the shop all standing around admiring my ride...no camry would get that sort of reaction lol
 
Snikty said:
Hooray for small victories!!

The owner shipped it for free, so am getting it for around $1400 now. It's at the Japanese warehouse now and will be shipped when they have a full container ready to go. I have all the engine # details so it shouldn't have any probs with customs.



Yeah exactly, but if you took a camry on a cruise or something you wouldn't get the amount of interest you get with one of these cars. One night I was out with a friend and we stopped at a chicken shop to get a burger and one of the guys working there was having a smoke out the front. When I pulled up he walked straight over to the car and started quizzing me about it. When I told him all about it he asked if he could look under the bonnet, so i went and popped it and turned around and he was gone. From inside I hear "Come check out this little twin charged beast out front". Next thing I know there is about 10 guys from inside the shop all standing around admiring my ride...no camry would get that sort of reaction lol
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:grinning:Cool story dude,always the way with these cars, I had a guy offer me €500 for the car in a shopping centre once I was like WHAT?DO YOU EVEN NO WHAT IT IS? he thought it was an ordinary old ep71 starlet with a bodykit. He was shocked when I showed him round the car!Funny though
 
Haha that's such a double edged question. Obviously he likes the car, so wants to buy it. But you cant help but be offended by his offer.
 
Found out today that the engine is in the country and is in transit between Melbourne and here!! They over estimated the shipping on it coz they expected it to be heavier so I've saved another $400 on shipping charges! I'm hoping I'll have it within a week.

Happy days!
 
Will do!

I was thinking I might do something like a bit of a blog of stripping it down and rebuilding etc. Not that it'll be anything overly interesting for the first few months...just cleaning lol. But I'll need a bit of direction from you guys with a few bits with it and am going to look at getting custom bits done as I go, so hopefully be able to get multiples of things made for others who might want em also. eg. gaskets, maf, rings
 
I'm not entirely ready yet...there was a few things I needed to get but car costs blew out unexpectedly due to the fuel tank rotting. Only things I really need to get myself now are a small hoist (have one priced and should have it soon), rest is just small bits like a decent pry bar, some plastic containers for putting bits in once they're cleaned up...some rubber mats...then just clear some space in the garage and on the work bench. Otherwise I'm pretty much good to go :D

Since this is my first attempt at such a thing any tips on things that might be useful or make the job easier would be greatly appreciated. Cheers
 
i got a mad crane for about $200, engine stands are on special every now and then at supercheap or similar. Top quality socket and spanners so you don't round out bolts and of course a torque wrench!
 
Cool. I priced the crane for around $250 (2 Tonne) and a friend told me to avoid supercheap for most of that that stuff. Said he has been burned before with bad quality from them. Yeah I have a decent set of sidchrome spanners and sockets but am thinking of getting a new torque wrench also...one I have is very old now...was my grandads lol
 
Engine just arrived!!

It showed up on a truck with some overweight out of shape dude that could barely lift his lunch and had NO equiip to get it off the truck and he never called before dropping it off...so I was at work and my dad who is in his 60's was there to collect it...luckily I have a friend who owns a wreckers who was able to come collect it for me... pretty slack, but my friend informed me that he's had delivery guys show up throw a couple of tyres on the ground and then just dump the engine off the back of the truck onto the tyres...so maybe I should be grateful that he was willing to drive to my friends place.

Anyway, can't wait to get stuck into it this weekend :D
 
Snikty said:
Engine just arrived!!

It showed up on a truck with some overweight out of shape dude that could barely lift his lunch and had NO equiip to get it off the truck and he never called before dropping it off...so I was at work and my dad who is in his 60's was there to collect it...luckily I have a friend who owns a wreckers who was able to come collect it for me... pretty slack, but my friend informed me that he's had delivery guys show up throw a couple of tyres on the ground and then just dump the engine off the back of the truck onto the tyres...so maybe I should be grateful that he was willing to drive to my friends place.

Anyway, can't wait to get stuck into it this weekend :D
Click to expand...

Good stuff man, pictures!
 
OK so my mate dropped the engine over today. We've got it sitting on a trolley for now but I'll get it on a stand tomorrow and start to propery dimantle and clean it. Overall for my purposes I'm really happy with it...it needs some love though, has obviously been sitting around for a long time and has a heap of surface rust. But it was bought as a hobby so I dont mind having to put in a bit extra to get it gleaming again :) Everything electrical and induction related seems to be there and fairly clean and well kept with all plastics in good condition, so I have no doubt it can be rebuilt to perfect working order.

Anyway, here's some pics.



And the first in what I'm sure will be many moment of me cursing my own stupidity. I moved my lamp stand around the other side and the base fell off it and straight down on where my harness plugs were sitting :doh:

 
Day 1

Well when I got up this morning I sat down and thought out what I was going to need. Once I worked out my list of bits I set out. Ended up taking a lot longer to acquire what I needed and had to go to several stores to get everything. I went out and got myself a cheap engine stand, chain block, bolts etc, more degreaser and rust breaker. So that took up a large chunk of the day.

When I got home I set about taking off the clutch.To my surprise the clutch is actually in really good shape, aside from some small spots of rust on the outer edge (no doubt from just sitting around in a snowy country) the inside of the pressure plate looks like new and the grooves really do look completely untouched. Clutch plate looks fine too, bit of rust on the springs but still in tact. I'm now in the process of cleaning up the flywheel. pics attached.



Ok now I need my first bit of assistance. As you can see in the pic below I've got my first three mounting points sorted...but for the forth should I be using the one down the bottom? I only ask because unlike the others it isnt threaded. So should I just get myself a longer bolt and put a nut on the end or should I just mount it with three?

 
Thaks for posting the pics!! ACE


LOL at teh impression of teh clutch on teh flywheel..HAHAH

Your question: Im only a stok K10'er so not much use I'm affraid...but on a K10 I dont recall any UNTHREADDED mountings there...I could be wrong....hopefully somone with ST transmission experience will step in here...
 
I got the maf off today and it seems there was a leak....the cause of which is pretty obvious... Can anyone point me in the right direction for fixing it? I assume welding in a new bolt is the way to go?? Cheers

 
Snikty said:
I got the maf off today and it seems there was a leak....the cause of which is pretty obvious... Can anyone point me in the right direction for fixing it? I assume welding in a new bolt is the way to go?? Cheers

Click to expand...

Get two nuts lock then against each other on the stud and get a 13mm spanner on the nut closest to the head and turn anti clockwise to pull the stud out off the head.happens sometimes I had to replace two on the exhaust ports.
I you cant get a stud from nissan I can post you one no problem(Y)
 
crazyep82 said:
Get two nuts lock then against each other on the stud and get a 13mm spanner on the nut closest to the head and turn anti clockwise to pull the stud out off the head.happens sometimes I had to replace two on the exhaust ports.
I you cant get a stud from nissan I can post you one no problem(Y)
Click to expand...

Awesome, thanks man. I'll get on to nissan...actually it wouldnt be a particularly hard thing to get studs made up would it? I might just do that and get a bunch made up.
 
Snikty said:
Awesome, thanks man. I'll get on to nissan...actually it wouldnt be a particularly hard thing to get studs made up would it? I might just do that and get a bunch made up.
Click to expand...

I would'nt say it would be hard to get them, could use a length of threaded bar and cut to size but If it was me I'd rather have the proper studs
 
All the studs should be taken out on that head and the ports re-faced. The gasket surface looks to be in a very poor condition.
 
crazyep82 said:
I would'nt say it would be hard to get them, could use a length of threaded bar and cut to size but If it was me I'd rather have the proper studs
Click to expand...

Cool. Are the studs the same as ma10/ma12 studs?

Ed said:
All the studs should be taken out on that head and the ports re-faced. The gasket surface looks to be in a very poor condition.
Click to expand...

Yeah that gasket is pretty bad, the other hadnt been leaking so was a little better. Intake wasnt all that impressive either. Everything will be getting cleaned up and restored as best as possible as a set of original spares, for my current engine. The entire engine will be completely altered when it is rebuilt.
 

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