I had an exhaust leak at the passenger side manifold that was causing the car to sound like a go-kart when it accelerated.  I tried to tighten the nuts on the studs and discovered they were broken.  I went ahead and removed the manifold and discovered a total of three broken studs out of six.

One of the studs was broken off above the hole and I was able to grab it with some vice-grips and twist it out.

The other two were broken below the hole and would require drilling to remove.

The angle was horrible and there was very little clearance to get a drill in there (even with a right-angle attachment).

I ordered a special tool that helped assist me in centering the hole and drilling straight.

It has a threaded insert that is the exact same size as the stud.  There is a drill bit right down the center.  Since the stud was broken below the surface, I could use this guide to grab one or two threads and position the drill directly center and at the correct angle.  This made the task so much easier.

After drilling the hole, I used a screw extractor to twist out the remainder of the stud.

One other thing I learned through this process.  Cobalt drill bits cut through steel like butter.  I finally broke down and dropped a bunch of money on a nice drill bit set.  What a difference!  This also made the job significantly easier.

Got the idle set properly and then set the timing to about 15 degrees BTDC.  The car is running well now.  I think the air flow meter occasionally gives out, but its only happened once since I started driving the car again, so I haven’t looked into replacing it yet.

The car hits boost pretty quickly and is noticeably faster.  I’m still running stock boost (6.8psi), and I upgraded to 93 octane to avoid any knocking.  I have  a boost controller, but I figure I’ll run stock for a while before I attempt to adjust it.  I also may need an intercooler in order to increase the boost safely.

The new head is on and torqued down per the Haynes manual (5 step process). I left the exhaust manifold in the car and then slid it on over the studs after attaching the new head. I couldn’t figure out how to get the manifold+turbo out of the engine compartment even with the head removed from the block. The head+manifold+turbo probably would’ve been too heavy for me to install solo anyway.

Waiting on some studs and the cam seal right now.

Only fix is to replace the head.  Remanufactured cylinder heads for this engine are fairly common (it was used in the Maximas through the 90s), so it was easy to find a supplier.

Here’s the quick and dirty (thats what she said).

• I had a son back in November. His name is Jacob John and his pictures can be found here.
• He got sick a couple days before before Christmas and spent the holiday in the hospital.
• I built Luci a toy box that also functions as a window seat.  Pictures are here.
• I replaced the vacuum lines in the Z and removed a leaky EGR valve.  A new valve was around $90, so I just sealed up the holes in the exhaust and intake manifold.  Car is almost ready for summer, just need some new rubber for the rear tires.
• Luci turned two!

This page details the demolition and removal of a vinyl in-ground pool.

Cost of materials: $63

Store bought bookshelf: $84.99

This is the 4th shelving unit I have built, and each time I learn something new.  Each one has evolved slightly from the previous.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but the self-checkout is meant for people that just want to stop in, pick up a few things, and get out quickly.

There is a Kroger behind my work that I visit frequently to pick up random miscellaneous items.  Here is what I see at the self-checkout yesterday.

Station 1: A white trash looking woman with a two carts full of Swanson dinners, taking her time to scan each one while screaming at her kids.

Station 2: A 95 year old woman who has no idea what shes doing.  She only has a few items, but it could be hours before she figures out that touch screen.

Station 3:  A Mexican family that is totally lost.  I don’t even know where to begin describing some of the things they were trying to do.

Station 4: A middle aged man who can’t seem to figure out that the bagging area is weighted and keeps removing items from the bags.  He then waits for assistance from an employee each time. Note: The employee is tied up helping the 95 year old woman and trying to understand the mexican people.

I waited in line for 10 minutes to check out with 1 pack of light bulbs and an energy drink.