kamikaZeS30

It's hard to get a sense of scale/size from those pics, but it looks like it's either what they call a "Nippo" style or a standard GM high performance gear-reduction. A lot of aftermarket performance starters will be made to fit both types of flywheels (because the tooth size/spacing is analagous between the two) and have both bolt-patterns, so if you're not sure make sure it lists both 153 and 168. The biggest thing is getting it shimmed properly when you install it. Generally speaking: the 168-tooth starters will have "staggered" mounting bolt-pattern, while the 153-tooth ones are parallel.

So, as my car comes further along I get to smaller and smaller items. I have not had any issues with over-heating or the engine running on the warm side (even in Southern California traffic), but I do have a coolant leak. It doesn't appear to leak while the engine is running, rather it happens almost exactly 24 hours after it has been run and the engine is stone cold. I know where the leak is, it's in the water-outlet/thermostat housing on the intake manifold. Last night, I went and picked up one of the Fel-Pro performance rubber-silicone gaskets with the steel inserts. This probably would've worked wonders, but apparently it's not made for my water neck thing, the one I have is the supposedly "new-style" O-ring. So, this disappointed me and I just slapped some RTV on the O-ring to help it seal, then put everything back together (with lock washers this time, sorry, long story...). Drove it from where I did the work to back home, engine was able to reach operational temperature and remain there for a few minutes. Went to check on it today and, lo and behold, it's still leaking out of that damned O-ring. I *think* my intake manifold side is good (it could be uneven, this wasn't a very expensive aluminum manifold, probably Chinese made), I cleaned it before I put everything back together. I am looking for advice from folks that have more experience with the SBC than I, would it be alright if I took it apart again and just slathered a nice thick ring of RTV on it and squished it down to torque and then waiting a few hours before putting more coolant in? Is there someplace that still sells the flat-gasket type water neck housings? I used these Fel-Pro gaskets on all my external oil seals and they seem to be completely dry and leak-free. It's bothering me because I hate that burning coolant smell when I'm driving.

Long awaited update, hope I don't get hammered for thread necromancy but this is a legitimate update. I finally got a free weekend to work on my motor mounts and installing the new headers w/ wrap. I got two rolls of the DEI "Titanium" 2"x50' exhaust wrap. The manufacturer claims it will withstand temperatures up to 2200 degrees F. The headers are stainless steel 1 5/8" Primaries, 2 1/2" collector with 5/16" flanges, I got them from KMJ Performance on eBay. The headers seemed well-made: good welds, nicely machined and finished flanges and the interior welds were ground and polished and it came with good quality stainless hardware. The motor mounts I'm using are the ones from MSA, the car is lowered so I didn't want the lower JTR mounting position for fear of damage to the oil-pan or exhaust. With the mounts now properly installed (welded to the K-member) the headers and wrap clear the steering shaft nicely. They were also a breeze to install, the only thing I had to remove was some of my intake plumbing, but I know a lot of people here are not running a dual-filter cold-air intake. As far as the performance/heat issue: other than the new headers smoking for a little while after they were installed (I used chemical cleaners and was doing other maintenance + dirty fingers, so a little smoke was expected) it's quieted the car down a lot (it definitely has the "sleeper" effect I wanted) and drastically reduced engine bay heat and thereby reducing cabin heat, too. I wrapped to just above the weld for the collector flange, so we'll see how long these last with the wrap on them. They look really nice, too, because I went for the metallic/carbon fiber looking wrap. Much better than the "bent turd" headers I had before.

I don't feel qualified to speak for "most people," but I will say that the electric choke is pretty much the "easiest" way to go: set it and forget it. It's also very easy to wire-in, just need a 12v+ lead and then ground it to the body of the intake or carb and you're done.

I used to have the choke cable you need laying around somewhere. Are you running an automatic transmission? I don't see how you could run a manual and still use the original center-console (unless you cut it to pieces). I know, I just completed the swap on a rear-hatch-vents 1971. Why not just use an electric choke? I love mine, tap the gas pedal once and let it rip.

Huh? There's some huge logic leap there that doesn't compute. One reason I can see doing the early Z vice a later Z is that it gives one more options. If one were wanting a v8 swap you have a choice of '70+ Gen I small blocks or the newer LT/LS blocks, as well as a variety of '70+ Ford/Mopar options. The likelihood that one will be stopped for a roadside smog or written a ref ticket are also greatly reduced (But, it does happen!). It's also easier to BAR a swap from a newer platform into an older one (assuming one is buying a dressed swap or an entire donor vehicle). As long as the engine is from the same model year or newer and one retains the required emissions equipment for the new power-train. Ultimately it boils down to the factors that determine most engine swaps: price, availability, ease of completion/maintenance and aesthetic sensibilities. I decided to do the v8 swap after I already had the car and had been driving it for awhile. I like the look (and feel) of the early Zs, I wanted to make it faster and it was cheaper than dumping ridiculous amounts of money on modding the L6 (more than it already had been).

Sounds like you've been down a long road, Michael. But, I think you can at least take pride in the fact that you've, for the most part, finished what you started. Which, sad to say, is a lot more than what most people who set out to complete an ambitious project can say. And, I can't imagine that a big-block Z is really "disenchanting," then again, I'm 27, not 37. I have both a 1991 Mazda Flamboyant Hairdresser's car--eerrr, I mean, Miata and a 1971 240Z w/ a 383 V8 swap. I really like both cars for different reasons. I just spent over $7000 on my Z over the past year for the v8 swap and related drive-train/suspension items. I spent about $800 on the Miata, for some basic maintenance stuff, some new stereo components, aftermarket shocks and springs. I don't know which I can say that I get more "smiles-per-gallon" from, probably because it's difficult to flex those muscles under the kind of acceleration G-forces I experience in the Z. The one thing the Miata does have over the Z is that I don't have to explain to potential passengers why they smell gas when they roll down the window.

leopard_125: I believe he's pointing out a discrepancy between what is published in the book and what is listed on their website. So, before you jump all over him for copyright infringement, it might be a good idea to read his posts. NCchris: IIRC driver's side should be 2 1/4" and then passenger side should be 1 1/16", but that's from measuring my own mounts, not the JTR manual or website. :/

I agree with Michael on this one. I would make sure you have a solid bottom end (short block/rotating assembly), all the other performance stuff can be done easily once the car is running and without having to remove the engine. Also, to me, the advantage of putting the v8 in a light car like the 240/260/280Z is the torque, not necessarily top-end power. It makes for a more fun car, IMO.

I finally got the conversion running. So, I took it out to a volunteer event they were having at Madison High School for the auto-shop students there. Man, do they have a nice auto-shop, it's more well equipped than most dealerships/motor pools I've seen! 12 bays, all equipped with heavy hydraulic lifts, 2 laser alignment racks, tons and tons of diagnostic equipment and a HUGE tool room. I was in luck as they had a crew of professional photographers to cover the event. I'm the guy in the brown striped polo.

Did you rebuild the motor before install? If you've got oil smoke (in the exhaust I assume?) it's either rings or valves. Either way it's going to require major disassembly.

This was my approach to air delivery and clearance issues. Also helps me retain the aesthetic of my more "traditional" "tuner" roots. Sorry about the lighting, it was taken on a friend's cell-phone. But, you get the idea.

Nice work. I guess 2340. Edit: oh wait, 280z... Change my guess to 2650.

Length/gauge of the wire would change resistance values, I believe.

Depending on what ratios are already in the back of that car, you'd probably be just fine with what's already in it. Like rsicard, I also run a stock Nissan R200 behind my built 383, it seems to do the trick. You're working with a shortnose 4 pinion in that car, already, IIRC. So, really it comes down to what rear end ratios you want. I run 3.55s with a '87 Camaro T-5. Excellent pull in 1-4 and a smooth ride at 1750 on the freeway between 65-70mph. The Z32 is considerably heavier than the S30, though, so you'd probably want 3.73 or numerically higher if you're looking for acceleration. The T56 with a 3.73 or 3.90 would be a good match, considering it is a double-overdrive 6th transmission.

There are wing-nuts on the back of the gauge housings holding the gauges in the dash. What I did when I put my SpeedHut gauges in was unscrew those wingnuts, and then the gauges literally just "pop" out of the front of the dash. It helps if you remove the steering wheel, but I didn't (I have an aftermarket steering wheel, so I think I have a tad more clearance). Be careful, you might want to disconnect as much of the gauge as possible before popping it out, the wire harness doesn't have a whole lot of extra wire. If you're going with the 5" autometers, they fit snugly within the insets of the dash. The 4" SpeedHut gauges will fit inside of the stock metal housings, but you might want to remove some material from the back so that the wiring can go through more easily. SpeedHuts are, in my opinion, the "best" option. They're easy as hell to wire-in, have built-in indicators (brights and turns) and do not clash with the rest of the 1970's interior. You could probably source the Autometer ultra-lites for a little bit cheaper but they don't look as nice IMO, plus they're really noticeable outside the car. You can get the GPS revolution speedo w/turns and the matching 8K tach for less than $500.

The wrap and headers are supposed to be here, tomorrow. I probably won't install them for a while, yet. It's finals week and I'm still working on some other issues with the car, also it'd be nice to wrap them before they're on the car to make things easier. I need to do something about my exhaust mounting in the rear of the car, the mufflers are able to move around so they keep slapping the inside of my fender and the noise makes driving the car intolerable. I have no idea how to solve this issue, I don't think I have any unused brackets or mounting points left.

I would recommend finding ones that lock. Last thing you need is another weak-point as far as vehicle security.

Their speedometer has turn signals, not their tachometer. Unless they started offering that as an option on their tachometer since I ordered mine back in January.

bigbore468: Am I reading your post correctly when you say you have long-tube headers for your Z? Where did you get them/have them made? As far as the wrap, I think I am going to do to from the manifold flange to just a few inches past the collector. I want the rest of the exhaust to be able to bleed off heat. I guess the next step is getting some heat shielding for the underside of the floor boards, lol.

Wait, what else do you need to do to the Z31 Turbo axles besides flip the outer bearing cages? I have been driving mine around for a couple weeks, now, with the adapters, new stub axles and everything. This might be that weird feeling I get in the rear, if they're binding... I hadn't considered that.

So, using basic geometry: Small cap radius = 2" Large cap radius = 2 5/8" GM HEI distributors range anywhere from 5" to 7" So you're looking at radii from 2 1/2" to 3 1/2" There's a thread (I think it was when bjhines was looking for a dizzy) where a member used an MSD p/n 8570 and that's one of the smallet GM dizzies I know of, it has a 3 1/4" total diameter and total height of 6 1/4". That one, however, is mechanical advance, not vacuum.

Yeah, I always use anti-seize. It's a habit I got into working on my launchers (which were always exposed to weather) while I was in the Navy. I already have ARP exhaust bolts. I've never had a problem with my exhaust bolts loosening themselves. It's usually the opposite problem, they won't come loose when you need them to.

I got paid, so I ordered some DEI "titanium" wrap about 100 ft. of it, so maybe I'll have some extra to do some other things with it and a set of those KMJ SS headers. Looking into those phenolic spacers and spark plug boots. I appreciate everyone's feedback. Ultimately, I decided against the jet-hot/swain option just because I'm going to end up getting new headers, wrap and heat shielding for everything else for the price of the cost of just the coating. If I melt or blow a weld on these headers I might look into getting a set of stock manifolds, polishing and radiusing them myself and send them off to get some kind of heat treating. Although, with cast-iron I imagine it'd be less of an issue to begin with. :/

He will also need to do something about the turn signal indicators if he's going with a SpeedHut tach. I probably would've used a GM HEI if I had the room, but I pushed my motor so far back a standard magnetic pick-up type barely fits. If I were you, I'd look at a magnetic pick-up distributor (either mechanical or vacuum advance)a la MSD, Accel, or hell, you could probably get away with the $60 Procomp unit, that's what I'm using and it works fine (it's an exact copy of the MSD magnetic pick-up unit). Then run an external coil and a CDI box. Crane, Mallory, MSD, Procomp, whatever, they're all made in the same factory in China, now anyway. The basic 6A/6AL units, at least. $200 tops on eBay. I like magnetic pick-ups because you never have to worry about them, they're less finicky than optical units and worlds better than points. Another option is one of the aftermarket units that's basically a Ford Duraspark inside (I think most companies call them like "ready 2 run" or standalone units). That way the only thing external to the distributor is the coil and you can run the tach off of the coil negative (or is the stock tach loop through, I don't remember) Either way, depending on how your motor is mounted (as in my case) you'll probably have to remove the hood latch temporarily to install. The HEI unit is nice, but it's basically just a way of integrating all three components (trigger, control unit and coil), which to me just makes trouble-shooting and maintenance a pain.