Mike C

I did a Pertronix ignitor, 8mm wires, and the coil simultaneously. The performance improvement was amazing, but how much attributable just to the coil I can't say. I do have 3 of the Blasters and am quite happy with them.

Just don't buy a new B&M with the fixed handle. If location isn't right, you have the option of unbolting the handle and modifying it to fit your driving position with the Pro-50, Hurst Billet, Hurst Comp plus, or some of the others. The early Ripper shifters were a bolt on stick. I wound up with a Hurst Comp Plus for an 83-86 Mustang for my Nissan T5. You didn't say if it was the Nissan, Ford, or GM trans. Obviosuly Ford and Nissan use the same one, but the GM shifter is different and not interchangeable.

I like the MSD Blaster II coil available from Summit at $30. It just BARELY fits in the stock coil bracket however.

The trans has to completely come apart to replace synchros. Get a factory service manual and decide it it is a project you can handle. The oil should not have affected it, just age most likely. I've never heard of anything being damaged from too LITTLE friction...(It's the 1-2 synchro on my ZX 5 speed) IMO, a rebuild and overhaul are the same thing. I guess the difference might be replacing what HAS to be replaced (like the first time you had your trans worked on) vs. replacing ALL of the wear parts: synchros, bearings, bushings, seals, etc.

The N42 is also a square port so you could use your existing header. The E31 is too much compression on a flat top motor. The E88 (That's what the other head should be, not E33) is perfect for the flat top short block. It has smaller valves than the N42 head, but with a stock or mild cam should make near equal power. If you run the ZX 5 speed, you will definitely want the 3.90 axle. If you just want to go fast, ie drag racing, I would run the 4 speed and 3.90 diff for maximum acceleration. So cheapest thing for you, F54, E88, 4 speed, 3.90 diff.

Rover bought the motor from GM in the mid 60's and a version still shows up in the Range Rover! Someone, or several, guys in Australia have done the Rover V8 swap.

The RPM is at least 1 1/2" taller than stock. 1.6 ratio put more stress on the rocker and they tend to side load the valve more than the 1.5. They have a longer sweep across the valve stem as well which may or may not be an issue. The smaller the cam, the better solution they are. If you need 1.6 rockes, you need a bigger cam IMO.

I was curious about that as well. The 63-82 Corvettes use the tapered roller bearings on the drive spindles. They use a special tool to setup bearing pre-load. They are also failure prone and the reason most manufacturers use caged ball bearings like the OEM Nissan setup (same as my wife's 325is also.)

The shafts are actually the same size where they ride on the bearings, but the 280Z has more splines so it is larger diameter in that area.

My recommendaion is the Performer RPM, non-airgap, and pony up the $ for a 67-69 Z/28 air cleaner base and a 3" K&N filter. This assembly is only about 1 1/2" above the carb air cleaner flange depending on your lid. I have the same cam in my 355 with 1.5 rockers and ported GM 492s with ProFlow valves. I run a Victor Jr., but you should be fine with the RPM. I think you will be quite pleased with that cam in your 383. I would guesstimate 450 hp and 500 lb ft at the flywheel. I "guesstimate" my hp to be about 430 and torque around 450. I don't recommend 1.6 rockers as I think they are a crutch, also valve spring longevity will be increased significantly which is important for street use. The valvetrain durability/reliability seems best with 1.5 IMO. If you need more lift, run a bigger cam. If you haven't bought the parts yet, I would spend the extra $ on forged pistons as I am not a hyeper fan. I have over 100k on the TRWs in my Jimmy's 331 and I don' notice any sort of slap on startup. Exhaust is going to be your big trouble as this combo likes 1 3/4" header. The single biggest improvement I made to the handling of my camaro was dumping the slush box for a row-your-own transmission. I am not a T56 fan per-se. Who needs 6 speeds with 500 lb ft? 3.54 gears with the Tremec 3.27 first and .68 OD is perfect combo for street/strip. (My car has a 2.62 first 4 gear and 4.11 rear, OD is the single thing keeping my car not really driveable for distance as it turns 3200 rpm at 60 mph with 26" tire.)You didn't specify carb other than CFM, but I like the Holley Classic all-mtal 750 double pumper and I would think about the electric choke conversion for drivability.

4th gear is direct drive, the input shaft is locked to the mainshaft with a slider/synchronizer assembly. No power is routed through the cluster gear but load is still on input shaft bearing and tailshaft bearing and bushing.

Doesn't it also require a cam with a longer dowel?

The cluster is in constant mesh with the mainshaft gears. When the bearings wear/fail, the clearance increases, this causes it to whine. If this IS the problem, eventually it fails because there is insufficient contact between teeth to carry the load. Since it is quiet in 4th, seems more likelly a cluster gear problem rather than a mainshaft bearing problem. Either way, if it is a 4 speed, I would just get another one.

Except for the 1985 305 TPI cars, all of the TPI cars are one piece rear main. They are all "externally" balnced in the sense thay use a flywheel that is NOT zero balance. This is true of all of the one piece rear seal motors. The 305 flywheel will work on the 350 however. As noted you must use the 153 tooth flywheel since the 168 will not fit in the T5 bellhousing.

The Fluidampner street dampener is NOT SFI approve, like I said before, do yourself a favor and get an SFI approved balancer regardless of who makes it.

I would get and SFI approved balancer regardless of elastomer,"rattler" or viscous. Just another area where they will not fail your car at an NHRA/IHRA sanctioned dragstrip as well. I am inherently cheap, so would consider the elastomer CAT for about $100. I am not familiar with CATs viscous dampener. What's the price? If this is a high dollar motor, it deserves a high dollar balancer and I would run a Fluidamper.

Pics? The LS1 swap should really take off in the near future IMO with the availability of the motors from trucks since their are so many and the price should be sifnificantly less than the F-body/'vette assembly. The 5.4 (5.3 I see it listed as both) runs sweet in the 5000# truck, should be a peachy Z motor. I have seen quite a few of John's Cars Jag conversion kits. The parts are very nice and the kits quite complete and what I thought were well engineered. I think that his parts for the Z may be nice as well, but I like the JTR for the simple fact it is designed for the do it yourselfer who can fabricate all/most of the components and do it on the cheap! (Well, relatively anyhow...)

Or the countershaft bearings are going out.It's fine in 4th because it is effectively direct drive, you aren't sending any power through the cluster gear set. If it's a 4 speed I'd just find another one. Should be cheap.

I'm not sure if you will have to pound or not. The JTR manual says maybe slightly. You will have to remove the Datsun crossmember mounts, however.

The T56 IS a double overdrive, no extra attachments required. As noted, you need low speed torque and throttle response in order to use the overdrive(s). We are now back to FI as the solution to a broad powerband. FI is not more fuel efficient than a properly tuned carburetor in a narrow rpm band, it is reduced engine speed where gains can be made. But in order to get proper flow at low speeds with a carb, you must have small ports, runners, and camshaft. With FI you can have much more highperformance engine and maintain the smooth lowspeed performance.

I think he is referring to the E-tech heads. They are available in 170 and 200cc intake runner sizes. They DO use the same intake as the Vortec, however. If you are going to buy aftermarket aluminum heads, I would do something more traditional than the E tecs. Otherwise, just run the Vortecs, IMO. Edelbrock claims the 170's outflow the Vortecs on the exhaust by 20% and that the 200s outflow the GM fast burn heads overall by 10%. I would buy the Performer RPM for a mild 350" motor or the Victor Jr heads if you turn 7000 rpm or are 380+ ci, that is if you stay Edelbrock. Plenty of other good heads out there as well. My buddies 427 small block dynoed 540 hp 560 lb ft with box stock Victor Jr.s, Edelbrock claims 550 hp support out of the box, and it's darn close.

The best set of headers I ever had was a set of Blackjack AK5000 aluminum coated headers. The flanges came separated as you describe. It costs a little more and requires a more complicated jig. These headers were large tube, equal length, quite nice. Sold them on a car I never should have sold (69 Camaro Z10 RS hardtop with pace car accents. 1~100 DOH!) I regret parting with both... I bought another set of Blackjack AK5000 not a month later, and they were smaller tube, single flange, and not even CLOSE to equal length. This was circa 1985.Only good thing about that was in 1996, Dynomax had bought blackjack and they swapped me a set of coated headers to replace the rusty Blackjacks (honoring BJ lifetime warranty) FWIW, the coating looks like $h!t now, and part of the deal is they would not replace them since they were a replacement to begin with.

Yea, but even good headers will never be quiet like the manifolds. About 5 years ago there was a 79 Corvette in Hot Rod Mag that ran 9's with a Q-jet and ported (maybe extrude honed) 2 1/2" rams horns. I replaced the 1 5/8 Heddmans on my Jimmy with 2 1/2" rams horns. At the same time I went from 2 1/4" exhasut to 2 1/2" with Dynomax Hemi Turbos. I ran the headers for 10 years, until the collector flanges rusted out. I had no troubles with flange gaskets, but I used long header bolts with the small OD split washers. This is the solution to 90 % of header leaks IMO. My butt-o-meter says no loss in top end power and a BIG increase in torque below 3000 rpm. (I do have a little cam, 210/210 @ .050 and .440 lift, max rpm about 4500), but the big difference is noise. Underhood noise decreased dramatically. The loudest thing there is the alternator bearing now! I will do the ported (probably myself) 2 1/2's on my 'vette with the 425 hp 355 currently in my Camaro. The Camaro will keep its headers, but I have plans for 500+ hp for its next motor and above 400, even the ported manifolds will hurt output. I wish the manifolds would fit the Camaro and Chevelle chassis! I hate giving up power, but even cooler do be fast and QUIET!

You then have to "sync" the throttle position sensorst just like you do with the dual carbs or only run one but you need to have the throttle body linkage precisely synchronized. The single throttle body is a better way to go IMO. Anytime you can minimize the number of parts you maximize reliability.

You can gas weld if you use some sort of heat barrier. It would be tolerable for floorpan work as it puts a lot of heat into the metal, but MIG welding is much better suited to sheet metal work. If you are an exceptionally experienced gas welder it should be no problem. It is how bodywork was done more than 30 years 25 years ago. FWIW, I cut up a ZX hood for the flush mount vents and saved scrap as repair pieces. I am patching a hole someone made for a switch in my dash of my '68 camaro convertible, and the ZX hood metal is THINNER than the dashboard material of the camaro...