Our $100,000 Nissan 350Z Has a Problem 

This makes me feel better about all the problems I have with my cars.

"This is the last thing it needs, right?" Everyone who has ever had a project car felt that.

I know you guys have a ton of projects going on, but we definitely will be needing a new hi/low here again soon. Watched the Tacoma series at least 3 times over and NEED MORE HI/LOW!!!

zach is definetly my favorite host, with jeremiah on a close second! love all the crazy sh*t donut does. keep on killing it!

I love how the cheap junkyard Ls is 100 times better than the crate motor 😂

There's a chance that the water pump is over-pumping. Typically the effective range is about 5000rpm, but if you're exceeding that, the water won't have enough time to cool before re-entering the engine. You can either change the pulley size or goto an electronic waterpump.

11:31 "I don't wanna say I'm disappointed, but, I'm not quite appointed either." Zack "Motha Fuk'n" Jobe

I think it just goes to show you can spend as much money as you want on a car but it really matters on the parts because some cheap parts are just as good if not better than some expensive and how well it's put together

I don't know if Adam is more comfortable on camera now or just that in love with these cars, but he was great this episode, so nice to see these things ripping, I think we all love these Zs more than we probably should

I don’t really work on cars so bleeding the brakes gave me flashbacks to my dad yelling at me and wrenches flying when I was a kid😂

I love how you went from working out of your home garage to having a legit shop and even a lift for parking struggles because you have so many projects. Bring back Bart’s Science Garage!!! You do some, but his quirky way was great!!

I GOT CHILLS when you guys got the shot! Man it was cool to see James and Nolan just bro it up on the sidelines and commentate!

man the editing on these videos are really taking a step up. good comedic timing, great angles and cuts. keep it up boys!

ECU not being street legal: It's only illegal if some cop somehow plugs in some sort of "goober" that says, "Hey, this MacGuffin is illegal."

I love you guys for not giving up on these things.. I'm just sorry that y'all don't have the greatest luck with company projects 😢

Loving all of the content with Zach getting his hands dirty!

So for the crank position sensor issue, I've heard that newer sensors are having an issue where there is too much gap between the tone ring and the sensor. Also car wizard just did a video about how alot of new parts he's gotten for customer cars are bad right out of the box.

You guys need to try vacuum filling the cooling system. Seems like you're having trouble bleeding all of the air out. Vacuum filling will make sure there is no air in there to begin with. The tools to do it are cheap and very much worth it

Possible overheating issues: Try filling your system with glycol or straight water. Using traditional antifreeze raises the freezing temperature but lowers the boiling point of the water it's mixed with. In your climate, there's no need to worry about freezing temperatures. You have a small grill on that car. That will restrict air flow. Since you aren't pushing wind at highway speeds, you'll have to draw in more air. Try releasing more air toward the firewall (directly ahead of the door hinges or further back on the hood toward the windshield). That and having a more aggressive fan.

Watching car RU-vidrs you start to think your car quirks and issues are unqiue to you. Then you see legitimate car guys like Donut have issues whilst buying the best of the best and get a sigh of relief. It ain't me. ❤😂

Love these troubleshooting and fixing videos btw, keep them coming Donut crew!!

I've never understood why people don't vac-fill cooling systems on performance cars. You do it in a maintenance/repair setting, but not in a performance setting when you need consistency.

4 piston calipers are great for track use but if u wanna lock up the rear u need less pistons cuz u exert less force to make all pistons fully extend and lockkk.

I feel like a proud (poor) dad whenever watching the bois succeed. I love you too.

100% can not say how happy I am to see you swap over to the LINK ecu. I myself am a LINK customer (04 Subaru Forester XT pushing 425/400). Very happy with their customer service, how easy their software is to use, and just the overall ease of the product to install. As to the "not street legal" thing, that is ONLY for CA. No other state has problems with aftermarket ECU's. I've had no issues at all with mine, and in fact am converting another car up from the OEM ECU to a LINK (2006 legacy GT wagon) Last, the overheat problem: Ive had the same issue with a LS swap before. you may need to go to a 3 core radiator with a push fan setup (fans in front rather than behind it), and swap out the thermostat for a restrictor plate (smooth plate drilled with many holes to flow more, but still hold back enough to allow water pressure to be optimal). Going to a plate means having to retune some for your cold start, and having to sit 5-10 minutes with it idling to warm up. Add 5 min if on E85/e98

I'm not sure where to post this so I'll just post it here. Every time I watch a Donut video I always feel like I want more, like a longer cut. I think there's something to be said about these relatively short cuts; they definitely keep the energy high and keep the viewer engaged for the entire duration. The editing itself is great, the material is presented in a cohesive beginning-middle-end kind of way. But, it would be great to have an option for people who want a more extended cut that goes into more detail, especially on the troubleshooting parts. Another example I can think of right now is the video a few weeks ago about the drive in the off-road camper that broke. That obviously took days to shoot but we only got to see like 15 minutes of the entire excursion, including the follow-up to rescue it from where it broke down. It was entertaining but there must have been a lot of content left out that I think a lot of people would be interested in seeing. I don't know, maybe get on Nebula and put the longer format stuff there if you're worried about the impact longer videos will have on what the YT algorithm does with the channel.

"I'm just waiting for something bad to happen, cus ya'know, donut" OOF I felt that James.

I'm not even into cars personally, I don't know ANYTHING about them but loving these videos from Donut (and a few other channels) so much lately, it's just a whole bunch of friends having fun with cars and enjoying their time. I just wish when they make build videos theyd give a retail price for things, so if somebody wanted to do any of the mods or mechanic visits themselves theyd have a rough estimate of what it might cost, which could be cool.

Guys, this video was awesome. The editing was ON POINT.

I’ll take the JW kit seeing u don’t need it anymore... I’ve had my ‘04 350z since ‘06 when I was in college… long story but I bought it in memory of my dad, been doing what I can to make it true to the Z line but it’s just a dog compared to newer cars… anyways this whole series has really hit home for me. It told the story of: what I have wanted to do to mine, but could never have afforded to do… it has meant a lot and I appreciate it all immensely

Problems with Standalone ECUs: -Money -California

imagine if after all this work, you guys crashed it

the problem is that it's $100,000

God damn that final shot was worth every second up to it.

james needs a pit bike for the track hes always on that bicycle

Should probably wrap the exhaust and the turbo and then even cut some holes in the engine tub that leads to the inside of the fenders that'll help with some air flow

Those Wilwood rear callipers were under servo'd, the capacity just wasn't there. It's a mistake many make when upgrading brakes, they go too big for the working range of other components.

Day 395 of asking James to do and Up to Speed on his Dad

3 broken cars and counting rn. feel this.

While my LS is supercharged, I have 11 oem heat exchangers on it. 2 radiators and 1 oil cooler for the motor. The supercharger have 4. I’d start there but I’ll watch the rest of the video now.

We need another season of Hi-Low! Do something with American Muscle! :,D

You gotta make the aftermarket two step thingy level 3 not 2. not enough na boost.

A donut media build car is having problems?? 😱 😂 i would have never guessed...

you'll get more cooling efficiency in a car that never sees cold weather (like a track car in southern california) if you run distilled water with water wetter instead of antifreeze/coolant, which might help with the heat issues, but heat is pretty much always going to be a concern in a drift car also suede steering wheels are for driving with suede grip gloves, if you drive them with bare hands they get chewed up like the one in hi car is

In normal states, a stand-alone ecu isn’t even checked for and as long as it has a vin can be licensed

8:59 but you can try using one for a submersible... but I've heard that when it goes bad... it can be a crushing blow, makes you want to implode if I'm honest

You must run the car with no hood foe over heating problem. Adding the biggest badest most fans you can fit on the radiator. It may even require holes in the bumper for more radiator air flow. That big V8 makes double the heat in that tiny engine bay I have seen these problems pulled my hair out then removed the hood. Love yall for real thanks for the content.

Shouldve built then properly broken in a FA20 brz/86 or a WRX

In regards to the seal, what can happen is the garter spring that applies pressure to the lip of the seal can be dislodged when installing the shaft causing a leak.

Here's something I would try, if I was there and was allowed to. I would cut that hood up just a bit and around the front wheels and force in air from the wheel area & hood. I would stick a water to air heat exchanger (intercooler) in the hood and force it to suck in air from the rear with some heat shielding around the intake manifold. Its sucking in so much hot air from that radiator and the engine bay I don't think its doing anything other than forcing a negative feedback loop. That, and, I would split the radiator into a front and rear with some air scoops, a few holes, and some tubes that are insulated with another pump inside to help it. Just got to let it breathe out the back. If its the heat from the radiator being sucked in, a basic way to test that is simply force it to be covered by a heat shield and a hole in the front to suck in cold air coming in. If it isn't then you are looking at a need to port it (yourself) for the air coming in to work better with the new ecu and better air flow and fuel. Since that camshaft is something I'm sure you probably don't want to change too much, you are looking for more low and med rpm gains that is an easy enough way of doing it for cheap. Granted, all that takes time and while each of the things I suggested would help regardless (depending on them being pre-ported and polished) they can ruin aesthetics, require new tuning, and make it so you have to track test again to see if it solved the overheating and (possibly) not thermally cool enough air coming in. Still, there is the balance of how much you can make by making the videos of that, to whether it gets in the way of other projects, and if the money is there or not. Anyways hope it helps :)

I have been running a Nisstune chip in my 180SX since they first came out. It's an easy mod and can give me all I need as it's a street car but for sure if it was track I would go Haltech or a Link ECU.

And here I thought this whole time that the extra caliper for a dedicated handbrake was a separate system from the regular brakes. Learn something new everyday.

Lol the 11min mark "im waitin for something to break 🤷‍♂️ donut "

Adam: "For you it was the greatest drift of your life for me, it was Tuesday."

The Stick welding an ecu graphic was funny af

You guys should take hi/ low literally. Use a model like the lancer evo or an audi quattro or a ford escort. Something popular in the rally/ offroad scene build one with a lift kit, some mudders, a snorkle. All.the off-road jazz(hi car). Then build the other one into a pavement princess. Drop it down low with some stance. Do all the supporting mods and what not. Afterwards you can compare and contrast the different build routes. The highs and lows of each style and why one might want to persue either build route.

I am 100% sure that where I live in my state a stand-alone ECU wouldn't change the legality status of the car. Absolutely zero inspection necessary

I am pretty sure you can have a standalone ecu. Most drag and drive cars run holley ecu's and they have plates so there r is a way to get your car on the street with an aftermarket standalone ecu. Or cyvex with twin turbo lambos.

That tandem drift got me goosebumps

Not sure why an aftermarket ecu can't be street legal because not passing smog tests etc. Its fully programable so you can make it do whatever you want. On my own car i have 3 maps that i can change on the go with some hidden buttons. 1 map for myself, 1 slower mapping if i lend the car out and a legal map for yearly check up

"A little bed time story" 😂😴

Watching crank/cam position sensors on an oscilloscope can be a lot more informative than a simple ohmmeter test. The scope can tell you if there is a clean signal or a noisy signal - which ECUs (stock or aftermarket) can't interpret.

I miss the detailed videos even if they were longer or in more parts. I felt like I really learned more.

And this is why diagnosis is one of the most expensive things you can have a shop do

Fix the hot air intake anything over 140* Temps timing gets pulled . Also check steam lines routing . Bad steam lines you get air in coolant

Maybe buy a vacum bleader for the coolant it sucks all the air out so you´re sure its filled correctly. A hole set is not that expensive, so you can be sure its the system itself not the air in it.

Yall will figure it out and fix it for sure we all have problems in our rides now and then need an alternator and belts battery for the old e46 to run been redoing the lights on my 370z changing to leds .

Next up, all the drift cars tandem together

In many states your car can still be street legal with a standalone ECU. In California, where these guys are, not so much. I know some stand-alone ECU’s support emissions controls, but I’m not sure if emissions testing facilities software would interface with those.

Holyshit Joby Got his Locks Cut!!!! Shit lookin like a 👑

Do hi-low drag cars, with corvettes or old civics

Get a better radiator, more capacity for coolant and fins for the air to pass through and cool the engine down

Vroom squeak is usually a bad and scary noise, but today it was an awesome noise. Hope you can figure out those overheating problems, awesome car.

Overheating ♨.....dont know if the rad fans were replaced or wiring changed but make sure they are spinning the right way!!

need to take the spoiler off for training like in tkyo drift

The best part of this video is Jobe saying “Maybe we screwed up the rear main seal on install” while it split screens to a flash back of them definitely screwing up the rear main seal on install lol.🤣😭

Bleeding brakes does suck. Instead of words I tell who's helping just say ok. Especially in noisy environments . Helps us at least

At around 15:09, make that a poster and sell it! Would look nice next to my Ken Block Gymkhana 3 where he's drifting vertical in that autodrome and I can't believe I'm unable to find an image example of that in Google. Might have to take a picture of it myself so that it lives on.

I’m shocked at the fact stand-alone ecus are illegal in the U.S can have em here in Nz had a link g4 storm in my sti coupe and I had one in my old wrx and my current 13b hilux but ive got a haltec elite 1500 for it all road legal cars too hilux not so much cuz it’s still in pieces and I’m waiting on custom motor mounts to be made and a custom bellhousing adapter to be made for a w58 box to 13b so got a long ways to go 😂

OK, I know this might be stupid, but it's worth bringing up: I'm not sure when in the build you did the engine swap vs. the radiator swap, but it could be that the cooling system was perfect for the v6 350z engine, but not for a beefy V8. Either way, if everything is working right, maybe something just isn't up to snuff.

The current crew is the dream team of this channel. Everything is perfect, don’t change the recipe.

I had no idea that aftermarket ECU isn't street legal, and after doing some googling I still have no idea *WHY* it isn't.

The Stocky Smoochies kiss options got me saving my pocket money

Awesome. My only problem is no cool close-up drone footage?? Next time...

Very few things beats watching people bonding over fixing up cars

Vacuum coolant filler throw that funnel crap in the garbage, it takes well over 30 minutes under vacuum to fill a 991 Porsche gt3. It’s the best way to completely fill a system, when vacuum is released the pressure replaces the air with coolant effortlessly.

For the handbrake… just check your mechanical advantage. You need big piston to little position for max speed and little piston to big position for max torque. (You want speed) (don’t forget too add the piston up to “equal” one pistols)

When they get warm they cut timing. Also, koyo hyper v rad, with Oem fans, and open thermostat. I have a LS z and can help y’all lol

Looking at those rear tyres, that would take a loooot of braking to stop them from rotatin...

Standalone ECUs are not illegal everywhere. Matter of fact they are legal in most states.

2:53 beardless jobe can't hurt you he doesn't exi...

Not a certified mechanic but I’m a professional you tube commenter. I feel that high cars cooling system isn’t big enough for the application and the demand from the motor. Bigger radiator and more air flow. Maybe vent the hood to get rid of excess heat as well. Drifting puts such a higher stresses on the motor. Cheers.

Zach is by far keeping me on donut! Real hands on and knowledge just makes him amazing haha not the idiotic acting the other guy does

Puts in LS, is dissapointed, is confused... is not shocked

Lol even when you change the vq out the crank position sensor curse still follows you

In the state of Washington they have no emissions regulations, they don’t even have DEQs over there

Maybe high car is breathing hot air in the engine bay? Better venting may be where to look for overheating issues.

Tbh, ls engines have some issues, they only make torque at higher rpms, and yes, they make a bunch of power, but if you pull a chevy 350 out of basically any gm product from the 80s to 70s you will have to do some tlc but then it will have the right amount of power every time you put the pedal to the floor

“I’m just waiting for something bad to happen. Because… y’a know…. Donut.” -James Pumphrey

you guys should do a high/low hyundai veloster. take the non n-series, base model veloster and see how far they can do.