Nigel

I too used a putty knife to assemble mine the first time. Then, someone advised me to grind (or file) the strut in such a way as to 'channel' the strut between the bushings. This works very well. With the strut and a-arm bolted to the car, I just have to hold the a-arm up and push the strut into place in the a-arm. I hope I've described this properly. You don't need to remove much material from the strut. Just enough to create an angle so that the bushings doesn't hang up on the strut. One problem I found using the putty knife approach is that while you may get the bushing started ok, the hole in the center of the bushing gets caught on the strut and it may fold the bushing back. I didn't see this happening when I assembled it. It wasn't until I had to take it apart again that I noticed that the bushing was deformed around the hole. Nigel '73 240ZT

jkube: The 1/8 NPT Dale (no idea why they're called that) sensors were supplied with the unit, and the ECU is configured specifically for them before the ECU ships. The engine runs fine. It just concerns me that if the display is going to show engine temperature, it should be accurate. Nigel '73 240ZT

Ok, I've got the instructions for accessing the Air Temp Map, and I've personally tried it out. Before I give you the instructions, PLEASE NOTE: Ross disabled the Air Temp Map access for a reason. People were messing with it and screwing everything up. So, you should only play with the Air Temp maps if you are experienced with the SDS system and you've gone as far as you can adjusting all the other parameters. I don't want Ross cursing my name because I gave out this information and now everybody is contacting him because they've made a mess of their Air Temp maps and their engine won't run right! Also, the instructions I am going to give involve jumpering two pins on an ECU connector. You do this AT YOUR OWN RISK! If you screw it up and fry the ECU (unlikely), it's your own fault! Finally, these instructions are titled EM -3 Setup Mode. I don't know if the same instructions are relevant for the EM -4. Here we go... EM -3 Setup Mode AIR TEMP ACCESS Unplug hall sensor plug from ECU. Power up the ECU with the programmer plugged in. Momentarily (1/2 second) short out pins 6 & 7 on the hall plug port on the ECU using a wire or setup tool (provided by SDS). You will see SETUP TEMPSENSOR in the programmer window. Push the > 4 times until you see SETUP AIRTEMP. Push the +1 button once to get AIR TEMP ACCESS Push +10 to exit setup mode. That's it. The Hall Plug Port is the DB 9 female connector in between the DB 9 male programmer connector and the DB 25 harness plug. The location of my ECU makes the connector difficult to jumper, so I pluged a serial cable (male to female - and make sure it's not a crossover cable) into the Hall Plug Port and used a paper clip to short pins 6 & 7 on the female connector at the other end of the cable. Once you exit setup mode, you're back to the regular program screen. The Air Temp Map is now there just like all the other maps for RPM Fuel, ManPress, etc. Just scroll through the screens until you get the Air Temp Map. So we have it on record, here's the default Air Temp Map (perhaps someone could verify this)... -50C 130 -40C 112 -33C 100 -26C 96 -19C 92 -15C 88 -10C 86 -8C 84 -4C 82 -2C 81 2C 80 4C 79 6C 77 8C 76 11C 74 13C 73 15C 72 17C 71 19C 71 21C 70 22C 70 24C 70 26C 69 28C 69 29C 69 31C 69 33C 68 34C 68 35C 68 37C 68 39C 67 41C 67 42C 67 45C 67 46C 66 48C 66 50C 66 52C 65 53C 65 56C 64 58C 64 60C 63 62C 63 64C 62 66C 62 68C 62 70C 62 73C 61 76C 61 78C 61 81C 60 85C 60 88C 60 91C 59 95C 59 100C 58 105C 58 110C 57 118C 56 125C 55 135C 53 148C 50 170C 48 190C 46 Nigel '73 240ZT

Ok guys, I'll try to post it sometime today (I don't have it handy at the moment). Nigel '73 240ZT

I just tested the thermostat in a pot of water on the stove. I monitored the water temp with a digital cooking thermometer, and the thermostat opens around 85C. I continued to heat it up to ~100C and then let it cool down to see the closing temp and it closed at 80C. So, the thermostat operates as one would expect. Based on this, I would expect that my ET reading would be 80C minimum, not maximum. This leads me to believe that the ET reading is is not accurate. However, when the engine is cold, the ET reading is pretty close to atmospheric temp, and it matches the air temp. Perhaps the sensor is somehow being cooled? The SDS Dale temp sensor is just a thermistor glued inside a 1/8 NPT plug with a hole drilled partway through it. Hmmmm..... Nigel '73 240ZT

Drax240Z... I recently discovered that you can change the air temp map! Ross faxed me the instructions. It involves jumpering two pins on one of the connectors on the ECU. I'm going to try accessing the map sometime this week. However, the Z is off the road for the winter, so it's going to be a while before I can see if it actually helps. I'm also going to do some additional heat shielding to see if I can cool down the fuel rail. 1SickZ... I'm just seeing your post now. Which sensor are you talking about? Nigel '73 240ZT

Thanks guys... I have the sensor in the lower thermostat housing. I'm using the 1/8 NPT Dale sensors, not the GM ones. The rad is a recored 280ZXT unit, with a 50/50 mix of coolant and water. I have a 280ZX fan and fan clutch. I also have an RX-7 thermostaticaly controlled oil cooler. No oil temp gauge in the car yet though (winter project). I guess it could just be that the readings on the SDS display are not all that accurate. I guess they don't really have to be. But to be out by 20C or 40F seems excessive. Today, I'm going to put the thermostat in a pot of water on the stove and measure the opening temperature with a digital cooking thermometer. Nigel '73 240ZT

I searched the archives, and found lots of posts on overheating, but not much with regards to "under" heating. I have 240Z with an L28 Turbo engine and SDS EM3-6F system. Watching the engine temperature on the display, I see the following: 62C (143F) - highway cruising in the fall 70C (158F) - highway cruising in summer 75C (167F) - idling in traffic 80C (176F) - after hot restart (never seen hotter and it quickly goes back to 75C) Those temperatures seem to be on the cool side, and from what I picked up from the posts I read in the archives, hotter is better. I wondered if perhaps I had installed a 72C (160F) thermostat way back when, and not a 82C (180F) thermostat like I thought. Now that my Z is off the road for the winter, I pulled the thermostat out, and I do have a 82C thermostat in there (genuine Nissan, if that means anything). Now I'm confused. I thought that the temp rating on a thermostat is it's opening temp, so 180F would be the lowest temp I would expect see, not the highest right? So, why is the engine apparently running so cool (20C cooler than thermostat rating)? And the thermostat is not stuck open. For the SDS users reading this, what are the typical ET's you see on the display, and what thermostat are you using? Thanks! Nigel '73 240ZT

You have to set the display options to show posts from more than just the last day. Nigel '73 240ZT

Is that for real? What genius decided to staple the ribbons on? Nigel '73 240ZT

Hey Spork, thanks for the reply! I'm glad to hear you're not having any problems. The funny thing is that I think I've changed my mind as far as my intercooler configuration is concerned. So I may not even need an electric fan now. But, it's going in anyway. Thanks again! Nigel

I'm sorry if this has come up before, but the search feature isn't working. I have a 240Z Turbo with an SDS EM3-6F system. In preparation for my future intercooler install, I decided to switch to an electric rad fan so I'd have room in front of the engine for intercooler piping. I ordered the highest output 16" electric fan I could find, a 2500 CFM unit from Flex-a-lite. And then I started wondering if my alternator is going to be able to handle the additional 17 amp load when the fan is on. I have a new 60A 280ZX alternator that I installed just last year. It's kind of hard to figure out exactly what the maximum electrical load is going to be since not everything is going to be running at it's peak current draw all the time. Does anybody have a similar setup? Any Problems? Short of replacing the alternator, is there an inexpensive way to boost the output? Rewinding? Smaller pulley? I've already replaced much of the factory wiring harness with much heavier gauge wire to minimize loss. I hope I didn't just solve one problem only to create another! Nigel '73 240ZT

3rd reply... With all due respect, I would have to disagree that it's not dangerous. There may only be a drop in fuel pressure, not a complete shut off. This can result in serious detonation, if you're under boost when it happens. A friend of mine blew his head gasket at the drag strip when he accidentaly ran the fuel tank too low. Nigel 2nd reply... Hmm... this forum software is buggy. My initial reply keeps showing up like it's the last posting, and I can't post a new reply. It tells me I can only make one posting every 30 sec, but it's been hours since my last post. So, I'm editing my intial reply instead of making a new post. Anyway, I don't know how low you will be able to run your stock tank before you start having problems. I would say a 1/2 tank max. You need to make sure there is enough fuel in the tank to keep the pick-up submerged at all times, under cornering and acceleration. Have you run the car with stock tank at all yet? If so, what did you do about the return line. This is another issue. If the 260Z line is anything that in the 240, then it's way too small. It should be at least 5/16" from the engine, right into the tank. I've looked inside my 240 tank and my 280 tank, and like I said, the only difference in baffling is a coke-can sized shroud around the pick-up. I can't comment on its effectiveness for N/A fuel injected applications. All I know is that with my high flow pump, any kind of hard left turn results in fuel starvation when the tank level drops below half. Dielectric grease is non-conductive (hence the name) and its purpose is to insulate around the physical connection where the pin and socket touch, preventing corrosion. If you don't have a good mechanical contact between the pin and socket, then it could potentially make things worse. But if the connection is that bad, then you have other problems to worry about. I just squeeze the grease into the sockets and then plug everything in. The grease will be scraped out of the way where the pin and socket mate, so you don't need to worry about using too much. Since the ECU is in the cockpit, I wouldn't worry too much about the contacts getting corroded. However, others may have had experience to the contrary. Nigel 1st reply... The only extra baffling in the '75 - '76 280Z tank is a coke can sized shroud around the pickup. I have a '75 tank in my 240 and at anything below a 1/2 tank, my Walbro 255lph pump sucks air on hard left turns. I'd recommend having a sump welded to the bottom of your stock tank instead and run new pick-up and return lines. You can get the sump from summitracing.com for ~$60. As for fuel octane, I personally run a minimum of 91 octane in my Subaru Legacy Turbo... 94 for the Turbo Z Nigel

I have a '75 tank in my 240Z and in my opinion, it wasn't worth it. First of all, the 240 straps are too short so you need the 280Z straps (or lengthen the 240 straps). The 240 filler neck is too small to fit over the neck on the 280 tank. The vent lines are different sizes (not an issue for you). Finally, the sending units are different (not a problem if you have a tank with the sending unit). Even after resolving all those issues, I still have problems with fuel starvation on hard left turns after the tank gets to half full. The only extra baffling is a coke can sized shroud around the pick-up. If I were doing it again, I'd just have a sump welded to the bottom of the original tank, or do what I'm doing now and add a surge tank. Nigel '73 240ZT

Thanks... I already have those pn's though. I was hoping to get the actual pn off the seal itself. That way I can just run into a local bearing shop and pick it up. Chances are that seal will be a special order item if I go through the dealer. But I appreciate your efforts! Nigel

I'm still looking for the PN. I'm going to be working on the Z this weekend, and I'd really like to be able to do the seal. Someone out there must have a housing they can yank the seal out of? Anyone? Nigel

Hmm... Well, highest exhaust gas temps occur at stoiciometric (14.7 to 1). So, it depends what side you start off on. If the engine is running lean, say at 16 to 1 and you make the mixture richer, EGT's will go up. If the engine is running rich at say 12 to 1 and you make the mixture leaner, again, EGT's will go up. So the trick is to know which side you're on. If it was puffing black on acceleration, then I think it would be pretty safe to say you're on the rich side. However, I'm thinking that a lot of unburnt gas (really rich or timing issue?) may light off in the turbo causing it to glow like Pyro stated. Nigel

Does anyone have a disassembled speedometer gear housing that they can pull the oil seal out of and post the part number off it? I pulled one out of a spare housing I have at my fathers place this past weekend, but I forgot it there (250 miles away). Mine is leaking and I need a replacement. I know that it's an NOK seal Thanks! Nigel '73 240ZT

I drove the car to work today, and at lunch I pulled the j-pipe, drilled a hole in it, stuck a rubber grommet in the hole and screwed the temp sensor into the grommet. So, now my temp sensor should be getting a more accurate read on the air temperatures. I did notice significantly different behaviour in the air temps. The response is faster. For example, the temperature drops faster now when going from stationary to moving. Plus, I'm now seeing temperatures of 34 - 37C cruising on the highway instead of 39 to 42C at 19C ambient. And yes, I have a big heat shield under the intake manifold with a layer of that Thermotec heat blanket stuff. To elaberate more on what's got me thinking about all of this, is I finally got my Techedge wideband meter installed, so I can now see what's really going on. I'm seeing changes in AFRs that I believe are due to air temp changes, because all else is remaining the same. For example, when idling, I can see the AFR's go from 12.5/1 to 14/1 as the intake temps climb. Yesterday, after driving on the highway for about 2 hours, I stopped for a quick break. When I started the car up again, the air temp showed 70C and AFR's were showing ~18 to 1! SDS used to allow you to adjust air temp compensation, but they eliminated it because too many people were screwing that part up. I'm beginning to wish the left it in, because now with the WB, I can see just how much it affects AFR's, all else being equal. Hence, my quest to give the sensor the best reading on the air temps possible. Nigel

Hi all... I haven't posted in ages, so just as a reminder, I have a 240Z Turbo with an SDS EM3-6F system (yesterday I did a 13.9 1/4 mile, and placed 2nd in the eliminations on my second try at drag racing!). Anyway, my question is this, and I think it's pretty simple... When intake temperature goes up, the SDS systems leans out the mixture, correct? I figure that hotter air being less dense will therefore need less fuel to maintain the same air/fuel ratio, at the same pressure. The reason this is on my mind is that I have my temp sensor (the optional 1/8 NPT Dale sensor) screwed into the intake manifold right between runners 3 and 4 (where the stock fuel pressure regulator vacuum line fitting used to be), and at idle my intake temps are soaring to 60+ deg C and the engine starts running very lean! Plus, when I'm on the highway, I'm seeing intake temps of ~39C when the ambient temperature is ~19C , for example. So I obviously need to move the sensor... I guess to the J pipe... but how do I mount it so the sensor is thermally isolated? Nigel

I just had a 3" mandrel bent exhaust installed on my '73 240Z Turbo, with a 3"in/3"out 5x8x14 universal fit, stainless steel Magniflow muffler (pn 14219). It's very quiet compared with the 2 1/2" system I had with a cherry bomb on the end. Even my mechanic was surprised by how quite it is. Mind you, I also had a cat installed. Anyway, I'm happy with the Magnaflow, and it fit just fine in the space available. Keep in mind that how a muffler sounds has a lot to do with the kind of engine it's attached to. You don't say what you have in your post. Turbo, N/A, V8? If you have a Turbo, a "Turbo" muffler doesn't necessarily mean that it's meant for a turbo engine. "Turbo" mufflers are a baffled mufflers and have been around for ever - old technology. Nigel '73 240ZT

A '75/'76 280Z tank is NOT a direct bolt in if you have a 240Z. The 240 tank straps are too short, the fuel neck is too small as are some of the vent hoses, and the sending unit doesn't have the necessary travel for the larger tank. I know because I have a 280 tank in my '73 Z. And after all the effort to get it in, it still sucks air on hard corners when the tank level gets near a 1/4 tank. The only extra baffling in the tank is a cylinder about the size of a pop can around the pickup. If I were doing it again, I'd have gone with a sump. Nigel '73 240ZT

According to Motec (doesn't say how they determined this), the NTK accuracy is about 1.5% better than the Bosch LSU. http://www.motec.com/products/plm/sensors.htm So, you're looking at roughly +/-0.2 on the ratio. I would say that's not that big a deal. If you're really intent on getting that extra 1.5%, you can use an NTK sensor with the latest rev of the TechEdge kit (it's jumper configurable). I'm not sure if it requires the upcomming software update though (probably). Nigel '73 240ZT

Hi Guys! My TechEdge 2.0, display and cable kits arrived a couple of days ago. Total cost was just under $300CDN (not including the sensor, which I haven't picked up yet). Everything was nicely packaged, and they're very comprehensive kits. Instructions are all available on-line, including schematics. I just finished building the display (took a few hours). Pretty straight forward, although some experience with electronics assembly helps. The TechEdge can datalog 7 inputs: 3 Thermocouple 3 0-5V (map sensor, etc) 1 RPM (coil or ECU source) As Peyman88zxt indicated, it has on-board logging so you don't have to have a notebook with you all the time. But you can still log with a PC if you want. All in all, if you don't mind doing your own assembly, I think the TechEdge can't be beat. The Innovate Motorsports and AEM both start at over $300US. The AEM doesn't even give you a display or the ability to datalog and you have to buy a $100 cable if you want to datalog RPM on the Innovate Motorsport unit. If you own a PalmPilot, you can save yourself $70AUS by using the Palm for a display with the TechEdge. Nigel '73 240ZT