GAZRNR

I have the fiberglass MSA bumpers on my 78. I had to make brackets for the front & rear. Since there is no protective value I was not concerned with overly strong brackets. The side mount on the right side was a bit of a challenge on the rear.

I ordered a bracket set from Summit that fit a 1978 malibu V8 and made sure I got the alt spacer from the bone yard. It give me a very nice clean fit and wiring was a snap because it was in a very similar location to stock.

Thanks for the input. Has anyone found a bigger master cylinder that will work with the datsun brake booster? May an 1 1/16 bore?

Yes, I am running disc brakes on all 4 corners and have a firm pedal. 15/16 master cylinder, 8 inch power booster (stock 1978Z), wilwood NDL 1.75 calipers front and 240sx single piston calipers rear, wilwood proprotiong valve in rear line to balance system. My issue is brake performance, my Integra and Taraus out brake the Z. I swapped out the wilwood Q compound street pads for hawk hp pads and finally had a much harder bite I was looking for, but the squeal was so bad I replaced them with hawk hps pads to get rid of the squeal , now the car stops only slightly better that with the wilwood Q compound pads. In short if I tried to slam on the brakes and lock the wheels it will not happen. This is what I am needing to fix before I need to make a hard stop in a short distance that ends badly. I contacted hawk and was told there was no quiet pad for the street. I contacted wilwood tech and was told that with an 8 in power booster and 15/16 master cylinder I should be using 1.38 piston calipers. I am not generating enough clamping force with the 1.75 pistons. To use the 1.75's I would need a 1 1/4 master cylinder with a 8 in power booster or 1 1/16 master with non assisted brakes. I plan on ordering the NDL 1.38 piston calipers and will report back after I make the change. Rusty

After you verify there are no vacume leaks you may want to bump the timing to 10-12 and 6 PSI fuel pressure. That's what I am running on a similar setup.

After reading the posts I didn't see if you had checked your fuel pressure and set the float level on both bowls. Next check your timing and set it 12-14 make, then make sure the firing order is correct. If you get it to idle check the vacume and your may need to see what's in there for a power valve. The engine will run with a 750 DP and I noticed a number of other carb recomendations. For what it's worth on my 350 I tried a 600 Edelbrock, Holley 650 DP and spent time tuning each carb for my application after all was said & done I ended up with a 750 CFM stage 2 Jet Quadrajet on my 350. Many will say the Quadrajet is the best carberated way to mix your fuel & air for the street...to beat the Quad you need to step up to EFI. I not trying to get into a whats the best...argument, look into it and make your decision. Rusty

Thanks for all the input. The wilwood NDL calipers have 2 bleeders on each side top & bottom so there are no issues getting the air out and way it is made it doesn't matter what side they go on. The wilwood Q compound pad is supposed to be their recommedned pad for the street. I followed the MFG bedding process and the brakes have been like I described since I installed them. I get no screech or dust, it's like they are not wearing at all. No hard bite and long stops. I am looking into the Hawk HPS (F) compound PN: HB237F-.625 which is their street pad for the caliper I am using. Has anyone tried this pad series and had the results they expected? Could there be an issue with the vacume brake booster? How can you tell if it is worn out or dead?

I have a concern with the brake system I put together on my 78Z. If I am driving normally on the street and have to brake hard for some reason the initial brake "grab" is not that hard bite your get in any average street car, in fact I cannot lock the wheels no matter how hard I hit them, once I get some heat into the brakes they seem to be more to what they should be but no lock up. After driving and using the brakes hard a few times I am surpirsed that they are only warm to the touch, the same test with my integra almost burned the skin off my fingers. Slower controled stops are straight & predictible but longer than they should be. On the street you need that hard bite sometimes to avoid whatever comes up. I am using an 81 master cylinder, Wilwood 4 piston calipers with wilwood street pads, wilwood 1.25 curved vane rotors up front, in the rear I have Modern's rear 240sx brake kit. I am using a wilwood proporting valve for adjusting the rear brake balance and SS lines on all 4 corners. I have blead the system a number of times and I do not have a spongy pedel, the foot pressure is consistent. I did this upgrade expecting an agressive brake system that would not fade out. Any thoughts? Bad vacum brake booster? Need a more agressive pad up front? Thanks, Rusty

You should have a steady 6 PSI at the carb inlet. Do you have an inline fuel pressure gauge & adjustible fuel pressure regulator? Have you done a plug check yet to verify the lean condition? Have you changed out any other parts or is this a new problem? I am running a 1406 performer carb and could have run it right out of the box after adjusting the choke. I wanted to tinker with it some to get it where the motor responed a little better. My understanding is your carb is easier to adjust on. After you set the fuel pressure and check the fuel filter, I would look to vacume leaks, electrical problems, crossed spark plug wires and proper timing before I would start tuning on the carb. Also, verify that you are getting a full squirt from the accelerator pump. Then write down everything you do and track your changes.

I got the Cell Phone & AAA - Thanks The Datsun space saver rim will not clear the calipers. I am looking for someone who knows what other brand on space saver would match up on the lug patten with a rim that is large enough to clear the caliper. Thanks, Rusty

I need to come up with a spare tire solution as I am taking my Z on a long road trip in July. I am using the standard 4 lug Datsun Z bolt pattern but have a big brake kit on the front and disc conversion in the rear. I am using 17 in wheels now and might be able to get away with a 16 in wheel on the front as a spare. Any thoughts on a space saving spare? Thanks, Rusty

One thing to consider in your T56 swap. I cut the spring to ease the shifting into reverse, trust me it will be a challenge if you leave it as is. After I finished I thought that I could wire the solenoid into the brake light switch and keep the spring as is.

Thanks Guys, I would have tried it with the seal on the car and wondered why I couldn't get it done. Rusty

I need some advice on if I should use any sealant on the new rubber front and rear window seal. The glass is out of the car and the window channels are clean & freshly painted. The rubber seal has a slot in it where the seal slides into the tongue end around the window opening around the opening. When I removed the old seal it appeared not to have any sealant in the "grove" with possibly just a very little in the corners & center sections where it met the body of the car. This appeared to be more of a "hold it in place" use of sealant vs a weather sealing situation. Any thoughts?? Also, once I get the rubber seals in place I need to install the glass. When I removed the glass there did not appear to be any sealant in that area either. My plan was to clean the glass, then use some light weight oil in the grove to help work it into place. Is the the correct way to get a leak free windshield & rear window installation? Thanks, Rusty

Thanks guys I'll get those windows out! Hey Dudeboy, I remember you...how's your Z?