MrStabby

You didn't mean clean with brake fluid you mean brake cleaner. Brake fluid, oil etc, ruins pads. Throw the pads if they're contaminated.

For stuff this important, you pretty much have to use a torque wrench.

Agreed. Fan does nothing on the highway.

I like to find out im wrong - let me know if you can come up with an explanation as to how this could be. Until then i'm going with GTSBoy's placebo explanation

Its probably worth mentioning that rear strut braces OFFER NO BENEFIT AT ALL on Skylines. The upper and lower control arms connect to the rear subframe, not the body of the car. The arms provide all the lateral control. The upper mount of the shock doesn't have any lateral force on it, and a strut bar only provides resistance to lateral force. Front suspension is different because the mount for the upper arm is connected to the body of the car. Not right at the shock tower, but close. So it reduces the flex of the body and therefore of the upper arm mount.

FYI last time i checked motul is around $25 for 500ml and is rated at 310 deg C. Nulon Xtreme performance is $10 for 500ml and rated to 280 deg C. For me the Nulon is good enough, and available everywhere.

Personally i would hate a car that stiffly sprung, and on anything but a perfectly flat track it would have hopeless roadholding. Putting heavier springs in the rear than in the front is odd. The spring rate difference should somewhat match the weight difference, and GTRs are front heavy. You then control roll, and the under/over steer balance with sway bars (mainly) and alignment. +1 to GTSboy. Put 8kg in the front. Even then, that's a track friendly rate. If you're street only, and care about comfort, softer both ends would be better. Please speak to a proper suspension place like Heasmans!

2 comments; - Out of gear and park brake on is sufficient for using the phone. Stopping the engine is needless. - Where is the public education blitz?

The fluid could be stuffed, but the billowing smoke is definitely overheated pads. 500 deg C is a pretty low temp rating, they're not even "sports" pads IMO.

The rotors will be lighter than stockers, but will offer SFA difference in stopping power. Dont know anything about your pads, but you could try some A1RMs which are fine for me track work (on the G4 330mm kit) so should be more than enough for spirited street driving. I prefer not to use them for regular street driving, but many do. Is the factory brake ducting in place?

A1RMs are a good pad, but will probably be tougher on rotors when used for regular street driving, and they have less bite at street temps. I swap in A1RMs for track days then swap the steet pads back in after.

Did reducing the gap have any noticeable effect? Has there been any change in fuel economy? Any more or less black smoke out the exhaust? Any evidence of arcing on the top of the hole the plug sits in?

The poncams are going to give you very little for a lot of expense - they're really a waste. Also, you shouldn't need to modify a cat... If you dont get ~320 on 20-22 psi, then you have some troubleshooting to do. Eg, drop exhaust to check if its restrictive, compression check, etc.

What type of use will this be for, and what tyres do you run?

The add doesnt mention -9s - that's something you've read into it. You appear to have assumed the HKS statements are in comparison to -9s, which is not correct.

No reason to think they fibbing, they are aftermarket turbos after all. Wouldn't be too popular if they had the same specs as stockers.

If you have consult cable and software, check if the temperature reported to the ECU looks sensible.

NEO has the same strong rods as the RB26. Crank is never a problem, so the only diff in bottom end strength is pistons, but i dont know how they compare. NEO also has solid cams, so while 26s are a decent step up from early 25s, you cant say the same with NEO vs 26.

+1 OP - what are you trying to achieve? NEO motor is a good piece of kit. RB26 might not be the best way to spend your time and money.

What makes you think your mate is wrong?

Is the old skool straight edge + feeler gauges check worthwhile doing first, rather than going straight to getting it skimmed?

There's a thread on here about a flap that can get stuck. Search and you should find it.

Its probably just the gasket.

Not familiar with the brembos, but if they have two bleed nipples at the top and a connecting pipe at the bottom, then yes, otherwise no, because the bleed nipple would be facing down. EDIT: just had a look at your photos - doesnt look like it.

Its the breather for the gearbox. Its usually held in place by one of the bolts that holds the gearbox on. Just tie it down to secure it. Next time you do the clutch it can be reconnected. When i had clunks like you it was castor aka radius rod bushes.