But at the moment, I'm such a relieved idiot, I don't mind telling you guys my story.

Over the weekend, we had a mod meet at my place. I was a lazy sod and didn't do anything, even to my own car, except start it up and rev it a little to impress/annoy the boys and my neighbours.

So imagine my surprise on Monday morning when I went to start my car and there's this gawd-awful grinding/rattling/scraping noise!! It lasted for 3-5 seconds, then the car ran quietly. I shut it off, started it again, no noise.

So I frantically search "rattle on startup" and read horror stories of oil consumption, spun bearings, oil full of shavings and replaced engine. FML. Dropped the oil, searched for shavings, it's clean. Try to drop the pan but that MFer will not budge. I PM Gord and Dustin asking what should I do? What do you think this noise is? Where can I get a replacement engine cheap? I even look up short block prices at Forged Performance and send Sharif a note: how fast can you get one here?!? (Answer: has one ready to ship immediately!)

I made an appointment last night with Hyatt Infiniti to have it looked at this morning. When I went to leave for the dealership, I opened my hood and got Mrs. Swivel to start the car. Horrific noise again for 5 seconds...BUT...I also noticed that the noise stopped when the fan stopped. Hmm, maybe it's NOT a spun bearing or a pooched timing chain tensioner or several of the other expensive problems I dreamed about all last night. I shut it off, start it again, and the fan doesn't spin, so no noise. Hmm. Maybe just the fan clutch gave up the ghost. At this point, I really should have looked more closely, but I was due at Hyatt in 15 mins.

So I drove up there, hung out for a while, Ken Day the service manager gave me a tour of the new digs and then we took Eric the Tech out to start the car and listen to the noise. I popped the hood and was describing to Eric the noise, when it happens, the fan bit, etc. when I noticed the edges of the fan looked kinda scuffed.

Rewind to Sunday. I was kinda bored so I took the 350z cover I bought from Sasha (350Z T) and bolted it up. Looked pretty nice, so I shut the hood and thought no more of it.

Well, you've guessed by now that this was the problem -- the front of the Z cover sticks down farther than the G cover and interferes with the fan. The second I saw the fan scuffs, Eric and I said at the same time "It's hitting the fan." (literally and sort of figuratively, LOL) And sure enough it was, so Eric took it off, we saw where it was hitting and we all had a good laugh at my expense.

We talked about my mods for a few minutes, then Ken and Eric sent me on my way -- no charge of course. For all that we bash dealerships, they treat me pretty well over there.

Here are the pics of my failitude...

Zinged up cover:



All nice and trimmed, on a 19" diameter, bet you can't guess what I used to mark it, LOL!



Back on the car -- All Quiet on the Western Front



Bonus mockup of soon-to-be-finished-polishing Project SwivelHips by Sylvan Lake V35:



Okay, this idiot is going back to work now. But I have to say, that built short block from Forged sure looked like a nice piece...

 

LOL! Good story. At least it wasn't serious.

 

WOW! First thing that surprised me with this story is that Hyatt didn't charge you not only for the call to their shop, but the tour as well. Figured that'd probably be worth a C note.

I'm also somewhat relieved that someone who even knows what a timing chain tensioner is could make a little mistake like that... So I would expect that I too would be allowed to make such mistakes (ie: dropped coolant reservoire cap into engine area somewhere- still to be found).

I shouldn't rag on hyatt so much- the last time I was there they were nice enough but I'm still chaffing from the first time I wanted to get someone to listen to the wind noise on the passenger side and see if the seal along the edge of the door frame was on properly (it was eschew)- and they wanted to charge me for 3 hours labour. I get the impression from your email that because you're a "la-dee-dah" sedan owner that they would have disassembled your entire car and put it back together again for free. Rrrrrr.

Kidding.

Anyways, by the way- not to hijack this thread at all but it's my fricken 35TH birthday and I command RESPECT and well wishes. I ask only for spacers that will randomly fit perfectly for the look I desire, to get my bumper and sides put on, and a G meet that I can actually attend.

 

hahaha.... glad to hear your story and that it was something simple.

...of course I never do things like that myself.

 

From one Eno to another, congrats & best wishes on your BD.

 

Happy Birthday, Eno! I have some sawed off pieces of engine cover you can have.

My lesson: don't make it more complicated than it is!

 

Wow! You had me scared there! As I started reading I was thinking... man replacing my dead battery wasn't that big of a deal. I'm glad to see that everything worked out.

And Happy Birthday Eno!

 

Glad it was a simple fix! Btw, the engine cover+plenum looks awsome.

 

The grief you give me about things that happen when I am working on engine internals I am glad it was simple and not a TC tentioner i have not found that extra tentioner I have around although i did look for it for you this morning.

 

Thx Kevco, ping me if you can get together this weekend.

Gord, that's why I *try* not to say much because eventually the shoe will be on the other foot...

 

WOW... just wow. The poodle door is the least of your problems.

 

Actually, this weekend might work! I have a less-than-awsome, HK-esque (I use that term loosely)rear section I'm installing tonight. ONLY reason I picked it up was because it was so damn cheap so I figured what the hell, I'll give it a go.

 

Great story. I too have plenty of those kind of tales to tell......... or shamefully hide.

 

Hit me with a PM then.

Enough outta you.

RBull, I could have swept this one under the table but WTH, I give a lot of ribbing, I can take a little, too.

 

Swiveltrips
Okay, So I'm an Idiot...

yeah but what does that have to do with your fan?