pearly whites

Where should I take my Z for this service? Should I take it to the dealer or is there somewhere else that i can trust to do a quality job for this? About how much should I expect to pay for all this?

Thanks

CaptainZ

I just had mine done at the dealer. It was $499. Good or bad price, I am not sure?

emo236

Captain, that was without the timing belt change right? The dealer will be VERY expensive. I'd look for a shop that specializes in Z's around your area or find another Z enthusiast who's done it before and DIY with their help.

pearly whites

is there a listing of z shops somehwere? im in maryland, the baltimore area, and dont know of any shops that specialize in z cars.

topless93

CaptianZ, If the dealer did all that is required on a Z32 engine @ 120K, for that price you got one hell of a deal. At the Nissan dealer where I live the 60K timing belt change and auto/tensioner pully was $500 only. The 120K is a little more intense, it requires the above with the other two idler pullys and this could add another $250 to the mix, not to mention the coolant system hoses, bad vacuum hoses, drive belts, oil & filter change, air filter. The factory list goes on a little more.

CaptainZ

The $500 did not include the timing belt, and I paid an extra $100 to do the drive belts.

CanyonCarver

fyi........... a diy kit from courtesy nissan is $354. it does include water pump and thermostat which probably aren't needed. So it'd be $250 in parts and you should still buy all new hoses. you could probably get all of these parts elsewhere for $150.

This is what I'll be doing.

91zxtt

When doing auto repairs I always think of Murphy's Law. If the waterpump and t-stat are working fine now, then they won't be as soon as you put it all back together. Since you've already got it taken apart, it's best to go ahead and replace them. The parts are fairly inexpensive and it is duplicate labor. You can pay a little more now, or a lot more later; which is frequently the case with these cars.

emo236

VERY true 91, but this is a good learner DIY job. It can be tricky with the timing belt, and it all takes A LOT of time, but you could do it. I would try to find someone who's done a timing belt change before and have them help you with that part of it.

CanyonCarver

91, don't forget I'm cheap. With a properly maintained cooling system the water pump should last way longer than 60k miles. Closer to 200k miles nowadays. And you know what kills water pumps the fastest? Especially older ones? Putting a new belt on and tightening it too tight.

91zxtt

Sorry, forgot about that little fact.