toolman

Exposed, I have several Woodward Fabrication Tools-Manual Tubing Bender, Tubing Notcher, Shrinker/Stretcher, Hand Shear, Dimple Die set and assorted small tools. Their tools have better quality than Harbor Freight and are good for home craftsman. Practiced on some Aluminum with the Dimple Die Set. I hope to use the set on my Z maybe in the engine compartment or interior. Toolman

5 star raising, The best way to solve your problem is to post pics of your hood -pics of hood rear gap, left and right hood side gap, hood front edge compared to both L and R headlight covers and hood height (frnt ,sides and back). Leave the hood catch off till you fix hood alignment first. Always do one correction at a time then analysis the results. Take the pics, it will make it easier to solve your problem. Toolman

The Global Supply problems delayed delivery of my parts for modifying of my Bead Roller so I will go to LEATHER SEAT COVER REPLACEMENT- I ordered Two Leather Seat Covers from Interior Innovations for my car. Cost was about $700 including freight. Be aware- Once you ordered from this company and received your Order Confirmation, do not expect to hear from them until you received your seat covers. I tried to contact them by email and phone-no replies and no tracking number. But I received the covers after about one months time. On the upside, the Leather Seat Covers looked Good and Well Made but their Customer Service Suck! When I left off, the seats were without seat covers, the webbing was repaired and frame/seat back painted. a Hog Ring Pliers and some Hog Rings Clips. Before starting, you have to decide if you want to save the original Steel Wire located in the Rolled over Edges of both seat and back covers. I feel that the Steel Wire provides additional strength when stretching the seat covers on. The Replacement Covers have a small nylon rope instead. Using a razor to remove to remove wire from covers. Wire out of cover Tying Nylon String to the Steel Wire Initially you push the wire inward as you pull on the string with the other hand. If you encounter difficulty in pulling the wire through, attached the nylon string to a stationery object(like a vise) and slowly pull the wire through while keeping the seam straight as possible to prevents kinks. With the seat cover and foam facing the ground, insert 3 Nylon Ties into the Seat Flap. Tape both ends together temporarily. make the Ties wrap around the Steel Wire in the Flap. Place Foam Cushion over the cover. Then "Fish Out" the Ties out. As you found out, fishing the ties out was much easier because they were taped together. Place the Lower Seat Frame on the Cushion. Remove tape and tighten the Ties until the Flap contacts the Steel Wire. Use the Hog Ring Plier inside the cushion opening to install 3 Hog Rings to hold both the Flap Wire and Frame Steel Wire. Ties can cut off at this point. If necessary, additional foam can be added the top of the Bottom cushion. Place the Lower Seat Cover over the Cushion Foam. Work the foam under the cover be make fit properly. With a Cushion facing downward, the cover now needs to stretched over the seat frame. You start at the Center of the Front of the Bottom seat first then work equally down both sides to the Back. Cut a small slit in the Doubled UP Edge of the cover. Stretch the over the Pointed Tabs (making sure the tabs are grabbing the steel wire). A Wide Nose pliers or Vise Grip will make stretching easier. Do not bend the tabs completely over yet. If you having difficulty stretching the cover over the pointed tabs, a small screwdriver can be used as a pry bar to stretch the cover over the pointed tabs to secure it. Continue installing until you get to the bottom. Then, you pull up the Back Flap and fasten it down. Check the Top Side for any Low or High Spots. You may have to stick your hand under the seat cover and move the foam around. If you have vinyl Seat Covers, a Hot Air Gun might help removing wrinkles.. When the Seat Cover seems tight enough, you can now tap down all of the Pointed Tabs to add the Final Tightness. Seat Back Cover_ The same installation procedure is used on the Seat Back Cover. Replace the Steel Wire in the Top Flap and around the Bottom of the cover before you start. To Start, Turn the Back Cover "inside out" until the Top Flap is exposed. The top of the cover should resemble a cone shape. Install 3 Plastic Ties in the Top Flap of the cover. Place the cone portion of the cover cover over the top of the seat back. Slowly push and pull the cover down the seat. Add foam before sliding the cover that area. Stretch the cover over the Pointed Tabs till the right tightness is obtained. After the Front Side of the cover is good then pull and stretch the Back side of the cover down. After it is tight, then you can tap down the Pointed Tabs on the Bottom and call it Good. When installing the Seat Brackets, make sure to replace the Cleat Plastic Seat Cover Protectors. They will protect the covers from unnecessary wear. I replaced some them with copies made from 1/8" Rubber Sheets.. The pics of my Finished Leather Seats- I hope this post was not too long but tried to give helpful information. Next- Bead Roller Motorized Modifications

Cooling System- A lot of time was spent looking a radiator for my LS 240z. The biggest problem was the 28" space between the Front Core Support. Most available LS radiators were about 30" wide. But I found 67-69 V8 Camaro had narrow width of 27". So I called Champion Radiator for Pricing and Availablity. He said because of the Pandemic affecting the supply channels, none was available and would not be for couple of months. But fortunately, he asked me what kind of radiator that I was looking for. I told him 71 Datsun 240Z with LS swap. Then he said they have Datsun Z radiator for Chevy V8 swaps in stock. The Radiator have 3 cores and can handle 500 HP. Its dimensions are 27.25" with brackets and core was 2.75 thick, 1.5" drivers side inlet and 1.5" passenger side outlet. The Radiator cost with two 11" Spal electric fans and shroud was $389. Shipping by US POSTALwas $130. Totaling out at $519. The Champion Radiator arrived less than a week later. it was a Bolt On fit and even came with a 13lb radiator cap. The Test Fit showed the Radiator Cap cleared the Hood Bulge by !" clearance. The Upper Radiator Tank was built with Forward Downward Angle which aided in the clearance. Looking at the Grill Area, I decided to improve the Air Flow to the Radiator. This would be accomplished by blocking off the area between the Core Support and the Front Air Dam. Using Three Pieces of .025 Aluminum Sheet Metal to create the Blocking Section. First thing to do was to remove the White Paint on the Aluminum Sheet. This was done by sanding with an Orbital Sander with 80 grit sand paper. A Paper Template were made to create the Three Blocking Sections. The Round Holes were cut into the Two Outer Plates for the Grill Lower Mounting Brackets. Test fitting of the Blocking Sections. The Right Section was attached to the Core Support using Metric Nutserts. The Paper Template of the Center Section. The Front Slot provided clearance for the Grill Bracket. The Front View of the Grill and Blocking Sections under the the Bumper. Test Fitting of the Champion Radiuator. Napa Radiator Hose #8330-Upper and #708 -Lower had to shortened to properly fit. At this point, I decided to attempt to construct the Front Engine Pan out Aluminum Sheet. A Polished Aluminum Engine Pan would look Sharp in the engine compartment. The Original Front Metal Engine Pan Making Paper Template of Engine Pan. C Clamps were used the hold the sections from moving when polishing. After Sanding, the Guide Lines for the Bead Roller were drawn. using the Woodward Fab Bead Roller, the Reinforcing Beads were made to stiffen the pan. After making a few beads, I discovered how difficult the beading process was to do by ones self. Trying to hold the metal straight and stretching over to turn the crank was next to impossible!! So decided to look into Motorizing the Bead roller. These On-Line motor conversion run about $400 to $800. I going to see if it is possible to do it for under $100. Wish me Luck!!

calZ, In my case. There is no room to install a muffler on the Right Rear of the car. See pics below- Looking for Right Wheel Housing toward rear. Looking Forward from Right Tail Light. I mounted a Holley Electric Fuel Pump in the a Custom Fuel Tank Sump. Installed two 3/8 Nickel Copper Fuel Line and In-Line Fuel Filters running through the Trans Tunnel.

Mufflers and more Exhaust Work- I picked Thrush Turbo Muffler which consists of a Aluminiuzed Coated Steel Metal Body because of its small size and light weight. But after Trial Fitting, it was little too long. The original 240Z muffler space was made for only one muffler not two. Returned those mufflers and order Thrush Welded Turbo version which were 1" narrower and 1" shorter. This installation was go down to a matter of inches of clearance. The only disadvantage of these mufflers was there were constructed of 16 gauge metal so they were heavy. They were Duct Taped together(to stimulate being welded together) and Test Fitted in. It was a Tight Fit. Had to cut about 1" of the Lower Bottom Edge of Quarter Panel to gain Side Clearance. Supporting the Mufflers was another problem because of the tight space. So I decided to construct a Single Hanging Muffler brackets. So the mufflers were going to be welded together and supported by 1" steel rods located on centerline of both mufflers. Also, because of the heavy weight of the mufflers , Two Rubber Mounts (or a total of four mounts) would be used. Mufflers were welded together with 1/4" piece of steel to provide a mount for the 1/2'" steel rod hangers. Steel Hangers welded on. The Rear Muffler 1/2" Rod Hanger was welded to the bottom of the Rear Bumper Mounting Bracket. Note- There are two Rubber Mounts on the rod. This would be the Stationary Mount. So when installing the Mufflers, you just insert the Upper Muffler 1/2" rod into the Rubber Mounts and push the Mufflers 0n. Then the Wheel Housing Mount can be installed. This Wheel Housing Mount is attached to Two 5/16" Bolts welded to a strip of 1/8" plate on the Hatch Floor. Closeup pic of Wheel Housing Mount with Hatch Floor mount. Mufflers installed. The Outer Muffler Inlet Pipe still had to be modified to gain Tire Clearance. The Inlet Pipe had to shortened as much as possible. Inlet Pipe shortened. Mufflers with Connecting Exhaust Pipes installed. Note-V-Band Clamps. Side View of Mufflers Mufflers were painted with HighTemperature Black Paint before installation. Side View of Mufflers Rear View of Mufflers

More Exhaust Work- Pie Cutting- First, Creating a Paper Template for Reference Points o the exhaust pipe. This Diagram is for a 2 1/4" Exhaust pipe( just substitute your pipe size). First, use your pipe size times Pie=3.14. The result is the Pipe Circumference. In this case, the result is about 7.06 inches. So cut your Template out Thin Cardboard or HD Paper to resemble a ruler. Divide the Circumference by 2 to get the Half Way Point which is about 3..53 inches. Wrap the Template about the pipe and the ends should meet together. Now , Draw a Straight Line down your pipe with Marker Pen. Mark this Line #1. Use a Right Angle Protractor if necessary. Wrap the Template around the pipe and transfer the Half Way Point to the pipe. Draw a Straight Line Down the length of the pipe. Mark this Line #2. Put your pipe into the Band Saw with Line #1 facing Straight up. Adjust the Band saw to Desired Angle (usually 7 1/2, 15 or 30 Degrees). Make the Cut. Remember this First Cut will have a Straight Edge on One Side. Now, Rotate the Pipe to Line#2 (about 180 Degrees). Push the pipe inward which will determine the tightness of the Radius. This will be the Thinnest section of your Pie Cut( so keep it al least 1/4 inch wide or bigger). Do not forget to bevel both edges and sand the edges for the welding. Also paint the inside of the area to be welded with Solar Flux with an acid brush. Tig Welding is Super expensive here. My 20 -Argon Tank refill cost me $325. If that is not Outrageous, I don 't what is!!! $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ My X-Pipe cost about $40 from Amazon. A Jack Stand was used to support the x-Pipe while setting up. X-Pipe Welded Up V-Band Clamps were utilized to allow easy maintenance later(trans removal, driveshaft,differential, etc) Male/Female Style V-Clamps Close Up View These V-0Clamps have Male and Female Connecting Edges which creates better alignment and sealing. Exhaust Pipe Hangers Amazon provided the Rubber Exhaust Hangers for $9 a pair. These mounts were used because of their small size and strengthen. The Hangers themselves were constructed with 1/2" Mild Steel Round Rods. The Rubber Mounts normally use 7/16" Rods but since my mufflers were going to be Heavy so the 1/2" Thicker Rods were used. !/2" Rods being bend with a Torch. Making the Pipe Hanger mounting plates These Upper Plates attach to the Differential Strap bolt holes. The Exhaust Pipe of the Pipe Hangers were fabricated from 2 1/4" Stainless Exhaust Clamp Bands(from Amazon for $18. These Clamps allow easy removal and installation. Also, they can slide down the pipe to relocate the hanger if necessary. Rear View of Exhaust Hangers attached to Pipe Clamps(look just below Differential Cover) Bottom View of Exhaust Clamps attached to Pipe Clamps. Right Side View Left Side Rocker Panel View-I tried to locate Exhaust Pipes high off the ground as possible. Right Side Rocker Panel View Next-Mufflers and More Exhaust Work

My Post will be delayed because my Residence on the Eastern Portion of the Island is experiencing a Local Emergency-A 24 inch Water Main Break. It has been Two Days since we have had running water!! I have a go out Three Times a day to pickup 3 Galloins of Water from a Water Tanker. This Water is not for Drinking but just for Flushing the Toilets!! Tthe Water Company said the Water Main should be fixed Today but we since Don't Have Water Pressure yet. The only shower that I take is Wiping myself with Water from a bottle of water onto a Wash Cloth!!!. Ughhh.

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Exhaust Pipe Construction I started off with Super Fast Racing 2 1/4" Stainless Steel DIY Custom Exhaust Pipe Kit from Amazon. It was about $149. The kit consists of Two 45 degree, Two 45 degree, Two 90 degree bends and Two 48" straight sections of T304 Stainless Pipe. I used a Electric Band Saw that can cut up to 4 3/4" .but you can use a !4" Chop Saw, a Sawzalll or even a 4 1/2 Right Angle Grinder with !/32" cutting disc. A Band Saw does make the job easier. A Craftsman 2/3 HP Belt Sander was utilized to straighten cut pipe edges. A 4' x 36" x 36 grit Ceramic Belt provided fast sanding. A Astro Pneumatic Small Air Belt Sander with 80 girt belt was useful in sanding tight areas, Since this project using a Tig Welder, there was going to be a Very Steep Learning Cruve involved. So I practiced, practiced and practiced. Welding Thin Wall Stainless was like being thrown in the Deep Side of the Pool while learning how to swim! But I managed to get a hang of it but my Tig Welds were not anything to brag about. Practicing Butt Joint Welding When Tig Welding, Clearness is vital. So you wipe down the area to be welded with Acetone to remove any contaminates ( from even brand new parts). Then, you should bevel both edges of your Butt Joints and sand the weld area. At the same time get the Butt Joints as Tight as Possible. Here is a Welding Tip: Instead of Purging with Argon Gas the inside of the pipe, use Solar Flux type B. It comes in a Pint can and cost about $49 on Amazon. It is a dry powder that you mix with Alcohol to create a mud like paste. You brush it on the inside of the pipe under the area to be welded. When it dries, the paste will prevent "sugaring" which is oxygen contamination of bottom side of the weld. Sugaring will create a tiny facture which can crack later especially something subject to constant vibration. Another benefit is Argon Purging is very Expensive so wasting it is foolish. Solar Flux, however, can not be used upside of a turbo because its residue might get suck in and damage the turbo blades. I also constructed a Tig Welding Jig to hold round exhaust pipe when welding. The round pipe can be easily rotated when tig welding the butt joints. To cut the U-Bends, I created a cutting board to mark the pipe for cutting. Using the string and a marker pen to mark off angles. Zip Ties on the pipe helps making lines around the pipes. After Cutting the U Bend, you will notice that pipe sections are not perfectly round( more "egg shape". This is because these so called Mandrel Bends are not True Mandrel Bends. Just Cheap Versions. However, True Mandrel Bends are available but cost a lot more. .Passenger side Front Pipe Driver Side Front Pipe Two Flex Pipe Sections were used to absorb engine vibration to exhaust pipes. Using 3M Masking tape to hold sections whenf test fitting. Creating "S"Bend pipe Cutting with a 4 1/2 Right Angle Grinder. Use the Thinner 1/32" cutoff wheel makes cutting easier. Removing the sharp edges after cutting eliminate potential stress points. Making Pie Cuts Next-More Exhaust Work

New Exhaust System- After installing the Holley Flow Tech LS exhaust manifolds on my car, I discovered there was a Clearance Problem. The Driver Side -No Problems Steering Shaft Firewall Frame Rail However, the Passenger side Exhaust Manifold was too close to the Frame Rail. The Passenger Side was touching the Frame Rail so I tried to cut off about 3/8" off the bottom manifold ourside edge. But ,it was still too close. I considered shifting the motor to the left but that side didn't have the extra space. So the only alternative was to "Notch" the Frame Rail. This is one the possible Notch design. This model was made using the same Frame Rail material. But no matter what, Notching would require the motor and transmission removal again! This would be the Sixth Time the Motor/Trans had to be removed. Nobody said engine swaps were Easy, right? Out Again This is the my Drawing of the Frame Notch modification. Here is a pic of the Tools necessary for this job. The Passenger Frame "Marked Out" in preparation of the modification. A 4 1/2 Right Angle Grinder with Cut Off Wheel was used to slice the Top Edge of the Frame Rail. Then a Oxygen Acetylene Torch heated the Notch area "Cherry Red". Then a 5 pound Sledge Hammer pounded the area. to create a "Rounded Spot" The Upper Frame Rail were cut to match the cruve of the Notch. Then 3/16" gap was then welded with a Mig Welder with Two Welding Passes. The Notch and Weld was grinded and covered with EverCoat Polyurethane Seam Sealer. The area was then painted with Polyurethane White Paint. Note-those holes were previously drilled there for future rustproofing access. The rust proofing plugs will then be installed, Top View of Notch Closeup View The Brake Line was moved away from the Manifold at this time. The Vapor Line was also moved. Next- Exhaust Pipe Construction

DonH, Thanks for feedback on the Leather Seat Covers. Good to know that Company makes Good Covers. Dash Board Installation- After receiving the SEM Textured Black Dash Board Paint, I repainted the Dash Board. But while installing the dashboard, I discovered that the my Aluminum Replacement Glove compartment had to be modified to fit. The Compartment Top had to be Notched to clear Dash board Ducts Hoses. Used the Brake to create the Notch for Glove Compartment. Cleco Pins were used to test fit the Notch on the Glove Compartment Box. The Notch installed on the Box. Interior of Box was painted with SEM Textured Black Paint. Pic of Finished Dash Board Installed. Giove Compartment Box completed. For those of you who missed the Dash Board Restoration- Go back to Feb 4, 2019. The Dash Board was in Eight Pieces after it fell off my work bench. Exhaust System Build- I decided to build my Exhaust System starting with Holley Flow Tech LS Cast Iron Exhaust Manifolds. They have 2 1/4" outlets and are Ceramic Coated. Cast manifolds will eliminate some of the Heat and Sound in the engine compartment. Ebay sells them for about $260. The Rest of the Exhaust System would be fabricated from this Universal 2 1/4" Stainless Steel DIY Kit from Ebay. It costs about $150. LS Exhaust Manifold Gasket Kit runs about $20 on Amazon Building an Exhaust System for a 240z without a Exhaust Tubing Bender and a Vehicle Hoist will not be easy. Especially making it out of Stainless Steel Tubing and the fact that I never Tig Welded before. Please be Patience with me!!

Sorry for the delay in posting but couple of unforeseen problems came up. I was planning to go over the installation of my Reconditioned Dash Board but could not find the SEM Products Textured Dash Board Spray Paint on the island. Since Federal Express and UPS won't ship Pressurized Containers, my Spray Paint would have to come by Boat. That trip would two to three weeks so I went to another item to restore. Front Bucket Seats Restore Both Left and Right Seats had lot of wear so probably would go Restoring them in Leather. First Step was to Disassembly to check the internal condition of the seats. Removing the seat coats just requires removal of the Hog Rings that hold the covers on. Sand Blasting Seat Frame and Back They put a Thin Clear Plastic Sheeting over the Seat Foam to make it easier to "slip" the new Seat Cover over the Foam. It can be replaced with any real Thin Plastic Sheeting(like the kind from Dry Cleaning Shops). Both Seats had Broken Seat Support Straps( located under the foam seat cushion). If you plan to repair the seats, you need to save the Metal Support Wires that hold the seat covers to the frame as they might not come with new seat covers. I used Webbed Belts from Ratcheting Cargo Straps to replace the Broken Straps. Loop the Cargo Straps around the Old Factory Strap Connectors . Hot Glue is used between the Folds to provide additional strength. A 1/4 Air Riveter is used to install the 1/4 rivet to secure the webbing tightly too. Solid Aluminum Rivets can be utilized. Close Up View of Repaired Strap Both Seat Frames were sandblasted and painted with Black Urethane Paint. Seat Cushion Straps installed. Seat Cushions installed awaiting Seat Covers. Pricing both Vinyl and Leather Seat Covers on Amazon and Ebay came out to $400+ for Vinyl and about $700 for Leather Seat Covers. I decided to wait and possibly look for Junk Yard or Craigslist for a Pair of fBucket Seats. Next-Exhaust System This should be interesting as It will be the First Time that I will Tig Weld and Weld Stainless Steel Exhaust. Wish me Luck!

Heater Box and AC Evaporator Unit Repair pic of A.R.A. Evaporator Unit apart A company called A.R.A. provided their AC Conversion Kits for the local Nissan Dealers 240Zs which did not come with OEM AC until later models. The kits were bolt-in operation with Condenser, Evaporator Unit, York Compressor & Engine Mounting Bracket, Dryer, and Hoses. Installation time was about 4-5 hours. In those days, only R12 Freon was utilized . Major Crack found in Evaporator Case. This interior area of the plastic Housing will also be repaired with Fiberglass and reinforced with a Steel Metal Plate on the exterior. Reinforcement Plate .After Repair and Painting Found the Evaporator Outlet cracked Making Paper Template for Reinforcement Section for Outlet Paper Template Cutting 16 gauge Metal for Reinforcement Section with Shears Reinforcement Finished r Test fitting of Reinforcement Section in Housing Reinforcement was later fiberglass laminated to the interior in housing. Exterior was also laminated to repair broken sections, l New Firewall Mount finished. The Heater Box is normally attached to the Cowl Inlet Vent with Four Small Screws. I decided to mount the Heater Box by a different method. Instead of the screws, I made a Right Angle Bracket that would support the Heater Box from the Top of the Cowl Cold Air Inlet. Two Threaded 10-32 Rods would be suspended from that bracket. The rods would go through another bracket attached to the Heater Box Housing. Two nuts on the rods were be tigntened till they supported the Heater Box to the Cowl Inlet. This similar hanging mount was utilized on 64 to 70 Ford Mustangs Heater Boxes. Top View of the Heater Box Mounts. Normally, the Cold Inlet Vent is covered by a Sheet Metal Cover. Note- To tighten the two Mounting Rod Nuts, the Duct Door made be in "Open" Position to access the nuts. Both Heater and Evaporator Cores were cleaned with AC Condensor and Evaporator cleaner. Cleaning removes grim and mildew from the Aluminum Fins. The Foaming Action cleans the cores. All Cleaned. The Heat Box Completely Disassembled. Heater Fan Unit and Evaporator Unit attached together. Both Heater Box and AC Evaporator attached to Firewall and Cowl Vent. AC Control (mounted on left side of Console Panel Was Touched up with a Brush and Chrome Silver Paint. Finished off with Clear Spray Next-Dashboard Installation

Twisted46, Go to my Post-Heavy Duty Frame Rails Feb 13.2021 to see what I did to modify the Diorty Dingo Mounts. I wanted to set back mm LS3 close to the Firewall too. JTR Mounts puts the LS mounts more forward than Dirty Dingo too if you don't want to fabricate a new motor plate. Check the related photos to see if the clearance is sufficient for your purpose. One disadvantage of the forward mount position is you can not locate an AC compressor on lower front side of the motor. You probably will have to mount the compressor high on the Right motor side(near valve cover). The other option is reinforce the frame rail and locate the LS motor mounts directly on the LS block mounts. That position would allow for the lower AC Compressor mounting but might interfere if you are running full length headers. Engine Swapping is a "Give and Take" Proposition. Tool Man

Fuel Venting Hoses- One of the problems of the 240z is the Gas Smell in the interior of the vehicle. Leaking Hatch Weather Stripping,Leaking Tail Light Housing Gaskets, and Leaking Fuel Vapor Hoses. There are Three Different Fuel Vapor Hoses used in the Fuel Tank area. The usual sizes (inside Diameter) are 5/16", 5/16" and 3/4" Neoprene Fuel Hose. Instead for searching for various sizes of Rubber Hose Sealing Grommets, I decided to fabricate my own. These were four for $4. The Local Hardware Store had 1" or 1 1/8" Wooden Chair Leg Tips. First, I drilled a 1/8" Pilot Hole in the Chair Tip and drilled it with a Blair 5/8" Hole Saw. Then Drilled it with a Blair 5/8" Hole Saw. Chair tip fitted on Hose Test Fit Note-Tight Sealing Tip For the Fuel Vapor Hoses going through Sheet Metal Holes, the Tips Tapered Exterior Body was utilized. The Chair Tip was "Notched" at appropriate diameter with a File and Hack Saw Blade. The Notch became a Locking Edge to hold the Chair Tip in place. Check Upper Left Corner to see the Locking Notch Chair Tip installed on a 5/16" Fuel Vapor Line. Bottom View of Fuel Output, Fuel Return and Fuel Tank Vent Hoses on tank. Bottom View of Upper Fuel Tank 5/16" Vent Hose next to Fuel Filter. Bottom View of Fuel Outlet and Fuel Return Hoses above Differential. Rear Interior View of Fuel Vapor Hoses in Rear Tail light Panel. Passenger Side Interior View of Fuel Vapor Tank and Connecting Hoses Next-Heater Box and AC Evaporator Repair

Z DEPOT did refund me for the brake parts that did not fit properly on my car. It took about a month of communicating by email as they don't want to talk on the phone. Hopefully they will return to using the telephone as the Pandemic comes to a end. Toolman

Transmission Cross Member- As always, the first thing to do is to create a card board template of the Transmission Cross Member. Then, the Trial Fitting of the Template. As you can see, there are plenty improvements to do the card board board template. The Transmission Crossmember will have to built with a much "tighter fit" to accommodate the big exhaust pipes (2 1/4" to 3") with sufficient ground clearance too. A 14" Chop Saw was used to cut the 1/4" steel plate. I bought 1/4" x4" x 20 foot steel plate for $67 to save time in cutting the long lengths. That left me more time to work on just cutting 4" width cuts. By cutting only half away through through the plate made it easier to bend since I did not a Heavy Metal Press Brake. If you cut it right, you can still bend it by hand but it will be strong enough to test fit it on the car. . The Klein Angle Finder was utilized to check the plate angles. The Stock Transmission Mounts was trimmed to gain additional clearance. Stock Mount Before Mount After Trimming Four Corners This trimming allowed the Plate to be closer to the Mount. The Cross Member was first tack welded then test fitted then fully welded. The Cross Member was tack welded to another 1/4" steel plate to prevent warping / Note-There is a change in the shape of the Trans Crossmember. These changes created maximum space for the exhaust pipes. Cross Member Powder Coated Black. Because of the Extreme Motor/Trans setback, the Reverse Lock Out Solenoid was touching the trans tunnel. I could have eliminated the Solenoid or Modify the Trans Tunnel. I decided to do the Later. I fabricated a small Sheetmetal Hump to provide Solenoid clearance. Interior View of Tunnel Modification I also added Four 1/4" Steel Plates to reinforce by "sandwiching" the interior floor panel between the Transmission Cross Member. Remember, that they are Two !"X 3" x !/8" Rectangular Steel Tubing Frame Connectors under the floor pan, too. These are the Two 1/4" Reinforcing Floor Plates being fabricated. Trial fitting of Reinforcing Plates and Crossmember bolted together. Cross Member Powder Coated Black Passenger Side Interior Reinforcing Plate Bottom View of Cross Member Back View-Note Tight Fit compared to First Version Bottom view-Cross Member Cross Member, Upper and Lower Reinforcing Plates held together with 3/8" Yellow Zinc Bolts Outer Reinforcing Bottom Plate( one on each side-Left and Right Interior Upper Reinforcing Plate( one on each side-Left and Right Left Side Interior Upper Reinforcing Plate( Note-Frame Connector passes under this plate Close Up View of Trans Mount Next-Finalizing Fuel Tank Venting Hoses

Drive Line Angles Now that I have my Motor Mounts made and LS motor installed, the construction of the Transmission Cross Member could to be done. But first, the measurement of the Drive Line Angles is necessary. This because the Transmission Cross Member will determine the Motor and Transmission Drivetrain Angle #1. If the Crossmember was constructed before checking Drive Line Angles and I needed to adjust Angle #1, it might require making a new Crossmember to change the angle. So checking the Drive Line Angles now and establishing Cross Member height before makes sense. Angle #1 is the Motor/Trans Angle Angle#2 is the Drive Shaft Slope. The Last one is Angle #3 -Pinion Shaft Angle. The measurements (if possible) should be with the Vehicle Level and at normal Ride Height. How To Measure Drive Shaft Angles – Tom Wood's Custom Drive Shafts (4xshaft.com) This article gives a good overall view of the measurement procedure. I downloaded the Tremic App from the App Store to my IPhone. I used the Klein Digital Angle Finder from Home Depot-$39. It has a strong magnet and very easy to use. The digital readings are big and with the black background readable even outdoors. All measurements were made in the Center Line of the Drive Train. Angle# 1 Motor/Trans Angle measured at Front Driveshaft Yoke Angle# 2 Measured at Driveshaft Center-Driveshaft Angle Angle# 3 Measured at Rear Driveshaft Yoke-Pinion Angle I transferred these measurements in the Tremec App. The Results-Everthing in the Green-PASS If there was a measurement in Red, there would be a problem with that Angle or Angles and should be corrected. Shimming or other methods can be employed to adjust the angle. For those without Iphone or Digital Angle Finder can get a similar results with a manual Protractors and a Straight Edge. The Formula is: Motor/Trans Angle-2.3 Degrees minus Drive Shaft Angle-2.0 Degrees =0.3 Degrees Pinion Angle-3.9 Degrees minus Drive Shaft Angle-2.0 Degrees = 1.9 Degrees Using my measurements in this case Next-Transmission Crossmember

After couple of days of emails, I am happy to say that ZCAR DEPOT finally realized that there was a fitment problem with their booster. They are working on a solution. If they improve the customer service, I think everyone will be happy. ZCAR DEPOT will also get increased sales.

Has anybody have problems dealing with ZCAR DEPOT? Previously, I have purchased mostly small items and stuff. But recently had a fitment problem with a brake master cylinder from them. I tried to call them at 844-8652473, you get a answering machine which is full so you can not leave a message. The only alternative coarse of action is to email them at sales@zcardepot.com and hope they answer you. Their products are better than others but to me, their customer service is really terrible. If you had problems with them, please comment here so others will know too. Maybe they will improve their customer service.

Prelubing the LS3 Motor- I borrowed a Oil Pressurized Tank to prelube my LS3 motor as LS motors can not be easily prelubed like the older 350 motors. The operation is simple-Motor Oil is pressurized in the tank to about 50PSI and fed though the oil gallery plug. On the LS motor, it is located on the Front Left Lower Side. After starting to pressurizing the oil gallery, I rotated the motor about 1/4 turn to allow the oil enter all of the passages. Keep rotating the motora 1/4 turn while checking the amount of oil in the tank to prevent creating air pockets in the oil passages. Continue until the oil reaches the rocker arms and springs or the recommended oil amount( 5 1/2 quarts in this case). Motor rotated with a 1/2 breaker bar. Clutch Slave to Clutch Fingers Clearance- The Holley T56 Shim Kit ($39 from Amazon) arrived. The kit consists of 3 Thickness of Aluminum Round Shims 0.059, 0.125 and 0.185. The shims are installed to obtain the recommended clearance of 0.125" to o.200" between the measurements between the Throw Bearing(fully compressed) and transmission case face subtracted from the measurement between Clutch Fingers and Bell Housing Face. See pic below. Holley Shim Kit Bell Housing to Clutch Fingers Measurement Using Straightedge and Machinist Ruler s Clutch Slave(with Spring Removed) to Transmission Case edge Measurement Do not forget to remove Clutch Slave Spring while measuring. In my case, only the 0.185 Shim was required to obtain the Proper Clearance. Clutch Master Cylinder- I used Wilwood 3/4" Clutch Master Cylinder( $49 on Amazon). Also, used Russel 45 degree Banjo Fitting with Copper Sealing Washers for it. Bench Bleed the Wilwood Clutch Master before Installation. Wilwood Clutch Master installed with 36" Braided Stainless Steel 3AN Hose Testing the Clutch Master and Slave before installing Motor and Trans into the Car Most people probably would bother to test the Clutch System before putting it into the car but I rather be ":Safe" than "Sorry" and having to remove the motor and trans for a leak. I picked up a 3AN Union fitting to extend the clutch line to about 6 feet to do the system testing. Before the Clutch Testing, Clutch Pedal Endplay and Pedal Stop adjustments were done. To physically test clutch operation, Put the transmission in gear. The output shaft should not able to turned by hand. Now, pushing in the clutch pedal should release the output shaft and allow it to be turned by hand. This test verifies that the clutch is functioning properly. Also, a Visual Inspection was done utilizing my Borescope. No leaks at Bleeder Screw or Clutch Line Inlet. Video of Throw Out Bearing operation MELS8541.MP4

This is Toolman, I just removed my T56 transmission from a crate LS3 motor last week from under the 240z on jack stands. Jag that Run has their motors mounts. very forward on the LS motors like my mounts( check out my recent posts). I put a floor jack under the rear of the LS oil pan to prevent the motor from smashing the brake lines on the firewall. This engine setback lets very little room for trans removal though. I used long 3/8 extensions with 12mm or 14 mm swivel sockets to loosen trans bolts. I removed the LS intake manifold because the plastic PCV valve was real close to the firewall. Also. there is only ten 8mm bolts holding the intake manifold. Installing the T56 transmission from under the car will be tricky. I borrowed a old floor transmission jack and will use two aligning studs to make the job easier too. Since the transmission is out, I am going to test the hydraulic clutch by adding additional 36" of 3AN line to test everything is working under pressure before reinstalling motor and trans into the car. I will use the borescope to see if the clutch is working OK. Some people will think it is a waste of time but I rather not take the chance of the clutch slave leaking.

Sorry about the delay in posting but I ran across an unforeseen problem: my used T56 transmission that I picked up about 15 years ago would not bolt up to my crate LS3. After a lot of research, I found out to correct this problem there were basically Two Methods to convert my LT1 T56 to a LS1 T56 transmission. First and cheapest was shipping the Front Midsection Plate to a Mainland Machine Shop to machine it to accept a LS1 input shaft. The cost would be about $100 plus shipping( To and Back). Also, beside that I would still need a LS input shaft( used about$120) and LS Bell Housing( used about$150) The Machine Shops are in Washington State and Texas. I didn't want to ship the Front Cover to them and have something happen. So the other option was to purchase a new or used Front Cover Plate, LS1 Input Shaft, and a LS Bell Housing. So I purchased a new LS1 Input Shaft and LS1 Front Cover from AMP Distributing in Texas( for $210 and $240). Shipping was $60 First Class Mail. The GM Bell Housing was about $280 from Amazon. Total= $510 including freight. Fortunately, I only paid $1000 for a low mileage Iroc Camaro T56 trans back then. Engine Side View of LTI T56 LS1 T56 Difference mainly around Input Shaft Area and Casting Holes for LS Hydraulic Slave and Bleeder Difference between LT1 LS1 Transmission Side View Relatively No Difference Input Shafts Differences LT1 LS1 much longer Bell Housing Differences LT1- Top LS1- Bottom required Bigger Flywheel Input Shaft Replacement- First, Remove Front Cover while pushing the Input Shaft inward to prevent Blocker Ring from falling out(can use a small screwdriver to hold it in position). LT1 Input Shaft Removed by rotating it and "wiggling" shaft. At the same tie, Keep pressure on Input Shaft to prevent Blocker Ring from falling out. Take your Time. Remove bolt Input and Counter Shaft Bearing by placing Eight Fingers on the inside of the races pulling outward while Rotating the Bearing Race at the same time. The Races should come out easily. Once out, remove shim under races and measure their thickness. Input and Countershaft have different diameters shims. I used a Felt Pen and write their thickness next to their bores. I ordered a Tremec T56 Shim Kit ($50 from Ebay). Then, after cleaning I replaced the Input Shaft Race with the New One and original shim. Then. put Counter Shaft Race with original shim inside. Setup Dial Indicator to check end play of both Input and counter shafts. I followed the Tremec factory manual to obtain Endplay and PreLoad for Input and Counter Shaft. Even made their Special Tool(consisted of a Metric Threded Steel Rod) to insert in Counter Shaft. But I found the readings were too erratic. So I searched the Internet to find another method. A Transmission Rebuilder came up with this method. This method was basicially over shimming the bearing under till the shaft "Binded" then remove .002 shim. Retorque it and test it again. The Test consists "Feeling by Hand" . DO NOT LAUGH!! I have seen racers adjust Rear Differentials by Hand and come out with Perfect Tooth Pattern. Note- The Tremec Shim Kit has 8 various thickness shims so you have to "play" (add and subtract ) shims to obtain .002 removed shim. Dial Indicators don't lie- .002 Endplay and Preload If you need to check Pressure Plate to Clutch Throwout Bearing Clearance- Using Straight Edges-One across the Bearing, measure distance to transmission face. Place Straight Edge against Bell Housing Face and measure the distance to Clutch Fingers. To get Clutch Fingers to Throw Bearing Clearance, just subtract the Two Measurements for Clearance. Engine Stopper- I fabricated my Engine Stopper out of 1/8'" steel to hold motor from turning when tightening flywheel and pressure plate bolts. Installed on Block Next-PreLubing the LS3 motor

I used 1/4" Steel Plate. Toolman