scuba steve

search the sections on engine swaps...there are tons of posts which should answer most, if not all of your questions! Start here http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=97516 Good luck, and welcome!

Those are the boots I meant. I haven't been running the car empty much. Since the pump ran dry, I was going to replace it anyway (@ 80,000 miles, a new pump is cheap insurance). I can't drive without that belt, it's the only one on the car. I found a rebuild kit, is there any reason why a mechanically inclined person shouldn't try to fix it? A rebuilt (reman) rack for this car is $300 +.

first, I apologize for a non-z question, but of all the forums that I have perused, HybridZ has the most and most knowledgeable car guys... I have an '03 Ford Focus SVT. The rack and pinion boot is leaking ALOT of fluidwhile I turn the wheel. So much so, that I can fill the reservoir, and in fifteen minutes of drive time, it is empty. There is some sort of balance tube between the two boots, so I assume (I know what that does) that there is supposed to be some fluid in there. While the fluid is full, the steering works like new, so I wonder if the amount of fluid escaping through the boot is really a problem (other than the obvious hole in the boot), or if there is an o-ring or something that has crapped out. Thanks to anyone who takes time away from our Z's to lend some advice. Scuba Steve:confused:

Anyhoo, at this point I know I need to just rotate the oil pump gear, but if anyone knows why these two dizzy's are off from one another, I'm really curious. Has this happened to anyone else?

Oh, and Careless, I visited your "Datsunville". Where's the hilly 4 lane blacktop with sick "S" curves and a loooong straitaway?

I spent several years using Pro-Engineer to model and machine CNC parts. I just wanted to comment on the great detail and beautiful end-result of this design. It makes me wish I still worked as a machinist, because I would've loved to produce some of these bad-boys! Great job! I'm almost considering FI.

I just verified that the cam timing is correct. I used a dial indicator to find the absolute TDC on the #1 piston on the compression stroke, and my cam sprocket notch lines up perfectly with the indicator mark on the tower. If I read the Haynes manual correctly, this mark should be just left (right lookin at the front of the motor) of that mark!? Would it be morth my effort to switch the sprocket to the #2 locating pin? Also, I verified that the damper was not rotating, but the rubber IS deteriorating...so anyone got a good damper for a N42? I'll probably post a WTB for one too.

I wish I had that kind of "budget". Good luck to you on your goals.

I don't know much about his products, but I met J.W. when I got stranded in my Z. He walked up to me and said "nice Z...." etc. When I told him I was having problems, he gave me his card and told me that he had some parts cars and other sources. He spent several hours trying to find a shunt for my 260Z, offered me a ride back to Phoenix, AZ (which was like 80 miles away),and he called me a week later to see that I made it to my final destinatio! I can only surmise that, regardless of parts quality, Mr. Washington is a stand-up buisinessman.

I noticed that the base plates had a slightly different slot relationship. I can't remember now which one I installed, but I used the one that was closer to where I needed the slots. http://www2.snapfish.com/slideshow/AlbumID=209645371/PictureID=4656481614/a=48753263_48753263/t_=48753263 The first three photos (in the car) are the ZX dizzy. Notice the 5 hp clamp holding the mounting plate in place (as the slot placement wouldn't allow me to put the screw in). The two photos over my tool box are, of course the 260Z dizzy.

Sure can...they'll be there late tonight or tomorrow morning. What are you looking for to be different?

I put an L28 into my 260Z a while back, and had it running well. I used all the 260Z accessories at the time...since then, I switched to the zx dizzy ( with 12-80 ic). It ran a little sloppy, so I checked the timing closely. It turns out there are two timing marks on my crank pully. I double checked TDC with a dial indicator in the #1 spark plug hole, and the cam lobes pointed up. The cam sprocket mark lined up with the cam tower mark. I found that the spark timing was off ALOT. I did not have enough adjustment in the dizzy mount to bring it in. I pulled the hold-down screw and kept turning the dizzy until the timing mark on the damper was 10 deg BDC (vacuum advance disabled), and the mounting plate was way off. I know I can rotate the oil pump gear to bring this in, but I wondered, why would the timing be so far off from one dizzy to another (the oil pump gear was not rotated when I switched dizzys)? I plan to re-check TDC tomorrow to verify that my cam timing is good, but this has been really bothering me, since I was rather meticulous when I set the whole thing up. Could this be a sign of the damper rotating? A little bit more info: I had to reuse the 260Z dizzy mount on the L28; I tried both the 260Z dizzy mounting plate and the 280ZX dizzy mounting plate, and could not use the adjusting screw to lock down the dizzy with either one.

I know the l26 rebuild has been scrapped, but the part you found in the oil pan is the end piece of the cam oiler (or rocker-oiler). My l26's oiler looked to be brazed together, not welded. I found a replacement oiler at a random jy for 10 bucks...then the oil pump went out 300 miles into a 1200 mile drive, and i spun all the main bearings. If you still have the l26 all together, could you post a pic of the carbs/balance tube and how everything is routed? I just set up SU's on my L28 with a L26 intake/balance tube, and I am having some issues with tuning everything. Also, I'm the guy who will pobably pick up that clock you had...I have my Atlanta trip scheduled for April 3-6. It's my honeymoon, but the wife probably won't mind a few hours of Z talk!

Hey, bud...this is also fom recent experience. I have owned my 260Z for 5 years, and I just recently got to start the restore. I had to wait for my fiance to start college ( I was paying all my Z money to ASU), then I had to pay for a wedding, then I bouhgt a condo, then I had a baby, then I moved half way across the country, then I found the job market in the new place unbearable, then I joined the Air Force, then I moved the rest of the way across the country...Sorry for the rediculous run-on sentance, but the point is, through it all, I just kept the Z running and dreamed about what it was that I needed to do to it. My wife pressured me to sell the car several times, and my response was, "If I sell my $2000 sports car now, I'll have to buy a Corvette later!" Problem solved. Keep the car, refine your plan for it while you can't physically work on it, and keep coming to HybridZ, or we'll miss you!

getting the car to idle right with it hooked up either direction...I took it off and plugged the port. Is this a big bad no no? It seems to idle better without the da*# thing.

Can someone check this image and tell me if I have the flame trap installed correctly? The car just got converted to SU's from dual Weber downdrafts. I have the flame trap hooked up backwards from how it was berfore, but only because in the Haynes manual, it showed a pic with the small vacuum port toward the front of the car (previously, it faced the rear). It seems that the hose connected to the balance tube collapsed when I fire her up. You guys are awesome! http://www2.snapfish.com/slideshow/AlbumID=209645371/PictureID=4583078801/a=48753263_48753263/t_=48753263

My best Macguyver momont was in a 1988 Jeep Cherokee. My buddy and I left early Fri afternoon on a camping trip from Phoenix AZ to northern AZ. 30 miles into our 100 mile trip, my coolant overflow reservoir blew up. I had my canoe on top of the truck, so I could only open the hood about 6 inches, so I had to squeeze in there. Now, on the Jeep Cherokee, the coolant system is only serviceable through the reservoir, and the reservoir is a pressurized part of the system, not just a drip can, so this was a BIG deal. On the side of the road in 105+ dgree heat, I dug through my truck for fixin' stuff. I ended up gutting a mini-mag light, and used it to splice the in-flow and out-flow hoses of the res together. It took about 30 minutes to fill the system through the hose with a dixie cup (the gallon jug wouldn't fit under the hood), and we were on our way! I had to drive 10 minutes with the heater on full blast, then pull over for a half hour to cool the truck down. Did this the rest of the 50 miles to the last small town between us and our camping area. I bought a gallon of anti-freeze and five gallons of water, and we continued. We got 5 miles out of that small town, and an accident had backed up traffic for 15 miles, so we tailgated in the road with everyone else stuck there. We left Phoenix at 2:30 in the afternoon, and ended up at our campsite 100 miles away at 1:30 in the morning. At least we had a cool story and good fishing! :mparty::mparty:

I'm sure my dad can beat up your dad. Really, all this conjecture is worthless without some real, scientific evidence.

I got the SU's today, they seem to be in real good shape (clean, free movement, etc.). I've searched all over the forum for a good up-close pic of an SU setup on a N36 intake, and can only find really small pics or ones that the air cleaner hides half of the setup. If anyone has a good pic or two, or has more luck searching, could you please post a pic or send a link? I will be ordering the How to Rebuild SU's...book soon, and maybe the Ztherapy video, but I wanted to get a head start on planning this project out! Thanks in advance!

I'm not really having any issues with exhaust smells, I had just read that little tid bit in the forums a couple of times (I tried to re-find them, but couldn't). I'm not too worried about it, just was curious and knew I could count on you readers to know more than I do!

Yeah, I figured I would go the K&N route. Oh, and I had heard that the little filter on the valve cover leads to even MORE exhaust smell in the passenger compartment, is this not true, or not really noticeable? Also, I have seen people put breathers on the crankcase vent line...I would've thought that needed vacuum to clean out the gunk. Maybe I'm getting too serious here?

now that I re-read the original message from the seller, I realize that he means the front inlet on the air cleaner, right? Doh! Now I feel stupid. Just to double-check, those SU's will work on N36 intakes with the stock linkage and everything, correct?

I think you're right about going with the SU's, is there any way to fix the problem correctly? I'm not neccessarily opposed to the hacksaw fix, but I sure hate doing anything that can't be undone. My mechanical skills are better than average, so I'm not afraid of tackling a tricky job. I guess I'l buy that "How to rebuild and tune Su carbs" book (or whatever the actual title is). Thanks for the quick response, I knew HybridZ would come through.:mparty:

I found an inexpensive set of used SU's and the seller told me "The snorkel for the air cleaner is bent a little, so the summer/winter flap does not fully work, it goes to about 3/4 winter and binds. The carbs themselves are in excellent shape, all functions are smooth but not sloppy". I am not familiar with the mechanicals of these carbs, but if this snorkel problem is not such a big deal to fix, I will buy the SU book and get after it. I assume (nevermind the assumtion, I've learned what that does ). Also, there is a gentleman selling triple Dell Orto's in the classified section...are these too much carb for a basically stock L28? (6 into 1 Header, 2.5 in exhaust, MSD 6a coming soon) Thanks in advance for any help...this forum rules!

My goodness...what I wouldn't do to still have a machine shop at my disposal. How much do you estimate the swap to cost overall? By the way, gorgeous job, and excellent blueprints.