Mike C

The center carrier bearing support can be modified like this: Using a hole saw of 4-5" diameter depending on your pipe size as you want at least 1/2" clearance all around, drill holes on either side of the support. Then get two pieces of 1/4" wall pipe of same diameter as your hole saw. Cut them into 1" deep pieces, then weld into the holes you cut. Now route your pipe through here. Your structural integrity will be maintained, and the pipes can shoot straight through. A TH400 uses an electric kickdown solenoid on the throttle linkage. Very easy to adapt. What do you mean front trans mount? Except for the 55-57 cars and the 60's-72 trucks with manual trans that mounted the bellhousing to "ears", you should have the same style mount as newer GM cars. Please clarify. If you mean engine crossmember, I would get a 71-72 engine crossmember and mount the V8 using the 6 cylinder mounts which will move the motor close to the firewall and allow using either shorty headers or straight dump rams horns manifolds. I have the 2 1/2" ones on my Jimmy. The 71-72 trucks are front disc brakes, but 5 lug pattern. You could use the rear from the newer truck and have 5 lug all around. Also, check out http://www.67-72chevytrucks.com as they have a board for all the different years of trucks. I know several people have posted pics of the modified carrier bearing crossmember.

I'll help if I can as well. Put them here IMO as the answers may be informative to others.

No and No. The V8 GM T5 with its 2.95 first gear is significantly stronger than the Nissan T5 with its 3.5 first gear. When Ford went to the world class designation, they went from the 3.25 first gear to the 2.95 in addition to speed gear bearings and paper cone synchronizers.

A better choice might be a C3 corvette diff for adapting to the Z suspension. It has significantly less of the mounting involved with the cover. Check out Tom's differentials for some pics and other misc info. The "truck" 4 speed is for all intents and purposes a Vega trans. It should have a 3.5 first gear. They flip the 3-4 shift arm so when you think you are putting it in 3rd, it really goes direct, then when you shift into "4th" it goes back through the cluster to a OD gear setup. The Saginaw is reasonably strong in terms of continuous torque rating, just don't dump the clutch! I have a friend running a Ford version of this. A toploader 4 speed with effectively a 1:1 3rd gear and an OD 4th. He is running it behind a build 262 6 cylinder in a 55 Ford customline. The 3 speeds with BorgWarner electric OD couldn't take the torque of the big six even though they were regularly installed behind the 292 and 312 Y blocks. Check out Dutchman motorsports as they sell an IRS based on a 9" center, you might be able to buy just the center or modify a housing and have short axles fabbed. The Dutchman uses inboard brakes like the jag. But it does give you the freedom to run virtually any gear ratio, and a spool is an ideal traction device in a Bonneville car. Is their a penaly for running a solid axle? Does it bump you classes?

Don't forget, the Jag and Vette IRS use the half shaft as a locator on the suspension. If the half shaft breaks, you could lose control over the car. That is why the NHRA bans the vette and jag rear in cars that run faster than 11.00, but the Nissan and Supra type setups are legal. The half shaft only transfers power and doesn't locate the wheel.

2.41 and 2.56 are common in 8.5" 10 bolts, but as far as IRS setups, the 84-92 Corvette is commonly fitted with 2.73 gears when automatic trans equipped, and the late 70's through mid 80's Jaguar IRS usually have gears in the mid 2's. You might be able to buy 2.15 for a Ford 9 inch. The only thing that would use a gear like that is a Bonneville type car. FWIW, the Jag and 'vette IRS are NOT NHRA legal because of safety concerns since the half shaft is a locator for the suspension and not just a power transfer device. Tom's differentials has an NHRA legal safety device for the 63-82 'vette setup that adds a redundant locator from the wheel to the diff in case the half shaft breaks.

Measured the shims. OD is 3" and ID is 2 3/16. I think these would work OK, but I would find out what diff shims would cost from Nissan. This OEM shim set cost $80 and came with about 25 different thicknesses for setting backlash as well as preload. If you want to know a range of thicknesses, I can mic 'em for you, but I got lazy...

Good advice from all, BUT... with that re-man sticker on it, you best find out what you have before spending any more $ on it. Could be a .060 over rebuild with a .030/.030 crank. Pistons should be stamped on top with oversize and the crank SHOULD have oversize bearing requirements stamped on it as well.

Got home late tonight Mat, but I'll measure the shims for you tomorrow and post OD, ID, and thickness range. I think the "bigger" shims are used to get the diff in the general range for a particular gearset, then a little shim is used to get correct preload. Most likelly you will just reinstall the shims that came out in the same spot. I have done gearsets in 10 bolts and re-used the GM cast iron shims with no apparent ill effects... I have found that there is significant variance in the OD and ID of aftermarket shim sets, but thickness is the only real issue.

Great news! Nice to see that hard work still pays off! Good luck with the new job.

If you have the Z31 gear box, I think I would look for a Z32 TT box. My only experience with the T5 is the ones for behind the inline motor. The Nissan trans does not have a removeable bellhousing, and the yoke is different. I wish I had more info for you on the newer trans.

The early 12 bolts, 64-67, use thin "washer" style shims like the Nissan diff. The later 12 bolts, 68 and up, use the stack of shims as mentioned above, and yes, the interlocking "super shims" are easier to use. But they won't work on the Nissan diff. Mat, if you will measure the "washer" that came out of your r200, I will measure the OEM 12 bolt shims I have for OD, ID, and thickness range. You will be fine on setting up your LSD if you get the backlash into the middle of the recommended range as specified in the Nissan service manual. I installed a set of used 3.42 in a '74 Trans Am last week. When I pulled the gears from an '87 Blazer, I marked the pinion depth but not backlash. I set backlash to the tight side of the range (I couldn't get it in the middle no matter how much I switched and shifted shims!) and it was smooth and quiet.

If a max output motor is your goal, the LT1 is the way to go. If you want a fast V8 Z with fuel injection, the TPI motor will be fine. In order to get big power from the TPI, you need a new base, and new runners, and possbily even a new plenum. Add a bigger throttle body and injectors, and the LT1 would have easily have been paid for. A Caprice LT1 can be had for around $800 from a wrecking yard. At a later date you can add AFR heads or the LT4 kit from GM. There are some advantages to the older TPI setup in your choices of ignition systems, aftermarket heads, etc. The TPI motor can run an engine driven fan (so can the LT1, but the HD engine driven cooling fan is EXTREMELY hard to find.) It all boils down to your preference IMO as they can each make big power if you throw big bucks at it.

The only 350 that has smaller valves than a 305 would be from a heavy duty truck. One that uses thicker valve stems in order to better shed heat into the guides. Most "late model" small blocks have 1.95/1.50 valves. And that is all that will fit on a 305s smaller bore. The 305 heads will have 58cc chambers which is worth about 2/3 a point of compression on a 350. As noted, the 305 uses smaller injectors than the 350. The ECM should be the same, but the eprom will be different.

Great info! Please do post manufacturer and part number of the yoke. Thanks!

Here are some places to start: http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/41798/ http://www.advanceadapters.com/acrobat/gtrans.pdf Post a pic of the trans as well for more help. The info you supplied so far doesn't.

Awesome! Congrats. Pics?

I bought a 3.54 diff from an engine fired 85 turbo. It had the 12mm ring gear. For $100 I figured it was a fair option to spacers. Noone is quite sure on when it switched from 10-12mm, but sometime between 83-85. 84 seems the logical conclusion with the model change, but you can't always apply logic to car manufacturers...

Precision gear markets an LSD. Tokigi Fuji who made the OEM and NISMO units. $550 from Reider Racing. Be forearned it may take a LONG time to get from the manufacturer. 10 months in the case of my car. The Quaife is the way to go regardless of $ if you road race. For a street strip car, the clutch diff is fine.

Mat, You only need to know the backlash on the 3.70 if you plan on using them again. If you are going to use the LSD in your 3.54 geared diff, check the backlash on the 3.54. Then when installing the new carrier, you want to get the backlash back to the same point. Check out http://www.mscdirect.com for a magnetic base and dial indicator for around $25. LSD oil and non LSD oil is the same for domestic diffs. The difference comes with the friction modifier spec'ed by manufacturers to eliminate chatter. If your 3.54 open diff carrier bearings are in good shape, you can pull and use them. I bought a Precision Gear LSD for my 3.54s. I'm not sure when I'll have time to swap them, but will pic document the swap when I do. I'm not sure yet, but it looks like an OEM shim setup from a 62-66 12 bolt Chevy might work in place of the Nissan shims. They use two small steel shims per side unlike the later GM diffs that use two large cast iron shims per side. The advantage to this is instead of buying shims one at a time, a complete set can be had for around $75. I have not pulled a Nissan LSD apart, so I can't answer that!

I don't like them, but a shifter knob is a personal thing. Kinda' like wheels. You have to go with not only what you like, but in the case of the Nissan's metric threads, what will fit. This is the one I like...

I am partial to the Hurst round ball. They make a universal one where you can change shift patterns under a clear lid and has one of 4 different thread patterns that go inside. That is what I am running in my car now on the ZX 5 speed. For my T5 with the Hurst shifter I bought the engraved 5 speed pattern black ball.

72 and up can be swapped easily. The 70-71 cars have a different diff placement and will require a few more parts including a new driveshaft. I can't remember if you can just flip flop the mount and use the existing diff crossmember or if it has to be replaced.

Why not? With no choke horn, a fully polished venturi and thinned throttle blades with profiled shafts? Works out to about a 35% flow improvment. Possible no doubt. I didn't flow mine, but that was what Barry Grant claimed. Regardless of the real numbers, it runs great on my car and I don't feel like I was taken advantage of so it was a good transaction.

That intake seems kinda' high... Is that the Holley intake? Not the best way to go IMO. Better off to buy the Z therapy SU's. I think Offenhauser makes a 4bbl Z intake at half that price. Check with PAW. Z headers for the most part will have a standard flange thickness because it has to be the same as the intake because of how some of the bolts are done.