Mike C

My friends '86 Ranger was 5 lug, being different from the Mazda I don't know about. You should still be able to get a stronger axle with 5 lug pattern. The Toyota axle is pretty tough and lives in 4x4's with V8's and big tires in 6 lug. You can get 5 lug in two wheel drive.

The Mazda is the same as a Ranger and I think the Mustang 8.8 is pretty close to being the right width. I narrowed an 8.5" 10 bolt from a '79 Trans Am for my buddies 427 small block powered S-10. I have two friends other than him in the low 10's running 10 bolts that I set up. You can get a one legger for about $100 from the bone yard. I'd look into the Mustang rear since the bolt pattern should be the same. Getting wheels with the proper offset would take care of just about any width differences, but it might look a little funny with an 8" wheel with 6" backspacing if it is as wide as the Camaro housing! (We took 2 1/2" out of either side to be the width of the stock 7.5")

Solid lifters can actually have faster ramp profiles than hydraulic. The lifter can be forced up at a higher rate without taking the chance of compressing the plunger. They also usually have more lift for a given duration. Solid lifters are also lighter in use since the body is not full of oil, another way of minimizing valvetrain weight. GM recommended 10k miles as adjustment intervals on the LT-1 and Z/28 302 motors. I have had no problems running Crane TR rockers on my mechanical roller. I usually check the valves every couple of thousand miles, but they seldom need to be adjusted.

The 240 parts car I just bought has an r200 in it as well, AND the mustache bar is in front of the uprights as well. I had figured they had shortened the driveshaft. Interesting. Wonder if there were 2 different bars? Seems likely, eh? My buddy I bought it from said he never had problems swapping driveshafts, but couldn't remember if he had swapped it in this car or not.

The 302 is basically a 283 crank in a 327 block or a .125 overbored 283. One reason to NOT run the 283 (VERY few can be safely bored .125 and would have to be xrayed) is that the small bore won't let you use the big valve heads. The small bore also shrouds even the small valves. Same reason to stay away from 265, 267, 305 and 307. The 302, 350 and 327 all share the same 4" bore. PAW has a 302 engine kit for anybody interested in a package. Way cheaper to build a 350, however and you can spend some of the extra $ on 6" rods and a lightened flywheel.

When I pulled the 5 speed out of my car the last time, same thing. I removed the existing threads with a drill bit and cut new ones for the closest bolt I could find. Still holding for the time being!

You don't HAVE to change rears, but the '81 5 speed first gear SUCKS! It's like 2.8 vs. the 4 speeds 3.3 3.3*3.54=11.682 and 2.8*3.54=9.912 or nearly 20% reduction of gear ration in first gear. Changing to the 3.90 gear will help, but will reduce the overdrive effect if that's what your goal is. I put a '79 5 speed in my car which has the 3.0 first gear and went to 3.54 from 3.36 reaar gear, but it still lacks the snap it had with the 4 speed. THe solution is the T5 which has a 3.27 first and a better overdrive, but they are harder to find and more $

Excellent. I bought a Powermaster 100 amp alternator for my JImmy. I'll remove the external regulator on it as well. The Z will also receive the GM alternator if I ever run out of used Nissan ones...

'93 will be TBI and not Vortec which showed up on the '96 trucks, but I think you can buy an aftermarket intake for the Vortec heads and your TBI stuff. That's the way I'd go. The Vortecs are about $425 a pair assembled and are an awesome truck/street head. Othwerwise, the Dart SR torkers are a good head for a truck as well. They are all iron I know, but my preference for a truck head.

I also would guess converter. The holes are to increase airflow without increasing fuel flow. It is designed as a crutch for engines with a very large cam. If you need more air, you can adjust the rear throttle blades with a screw that is only accessible with the carb upside down and off the car, but I doubt this is your problem. You can only go so far with the rear throttle blades before they uncover the transition slot and fuel starts to flow through the secondary system. That's when holes are drilled in the throttle blades so they can be closed but still have increased air flow.

Awesome. Don't Jinx yourself on the $ thing! It has a way of biting you... Keep us updated on the progress and how well it works. If you continue to have such high accolades for the system I may get the same one. The price is about the same as DFI, but if it comes with all of the software, It represents a net savings over DFI+calmap etc.

Jegs, S&W Racecars, Strange, Competition Engineering and many others all make universal rear frame rails, and they may have several to choose from one of which might work for your app. I was actually going to recommend Pete's setup as it's awesome!, but he beat me to it...

Here is a link on making the GM alternator a "one wire" externally. The JTR manual has the specifics on converting to internal alternator and removing all extraneous wiring. http://www.roadlessgear.com/html/techarticles/gmalt/ Actually, found this link from Zcar.com http://www.z-car.com/510/regulated_alternator_faq.html It's for a 510, but wiring should be very similar. May want to browse zcar as well.

The SU (Round top) don't have a choke per se. The definitely don't have a butterfly. When you choke an SU, you are just lowering the main jet which allows more fuel to flow by at idle. When you take the choke off, it just pushes the jet back to its zero setting. If your choke is sticking, push the lever off, open the hood and push up on the bottom of the carb. If the tube moves in, it is sticking, if it is firm, it is not.

Hey Mike, I checked out the Commander on Holleys web site then looked through the Summit catalog. I couldn't find as much info as I wanted. I am looking for an aftermarket computer/wiring setup (actual 2, one LT-1 and one TPI) and had decided on DFI. What is the price on the Commander setup, and are you building your own FI setup or unsing GM's? I assume you consider the Commander to be better than the DFI since that's where you put your money... Thanks.

I'd lower the car, attach a very large front air dam, add a 5 speed, keep skinny tires at high psi and concentrate on my driving technique. And slow down, the number one cheapest and easiest way to improve mileage! You have to make a HUGE difference in gas mileage to save any real money compared to what any of the major engine swap mods would cost you, since you are only talking about the difference between what you have and what you want. A TPI 305 and a 5 speed should get 30+ mpg in a Z at 65 mph and still run 13's... My buddies '74 Corvette convertible with a swapped in TPI 305 and TH700R4 went to Houston, ran a 13.97 and averaged 27 mpg on the way down there. Usually the car runs real consistent 14 teens which ain't bad for a 3700# car with a 305... The 3800 V6 swap and a T5 should get you better than 30 mpg as well, but you have to control your right foot and keep the speed down. Donors for the V6 are really cheap compared to the V8 cars.

Rather than re-invent the wheel, check out the Typhoon/Syclone sites. You might be able to get manifolds from someone who went to headers and a turbo from someone who upgraded to ball bearing or hybrid. Other than that, the first upgrade turbos for a Stealth/3000GT should work. I have a pair of TD04L that should be about right for a 4.3, so look for something similar IMO. Corky's book is excellent BTW.

I'm glad the second install went cleanly, but I feel your pain on having to re-do the whole darn thing! Pete, any driveline shop will have the shim kits, just make sure the id is larger than the stub axle and the od is smaller than the carrier bearing race. The interlocking ones are MUCH easier to install since all the shims don't try to come apart. It's very typical that their is an interference fit on the carrier bearings. I have not done an r200, but many 10 and 12 bolt chevys. I have a general "feel" for what is right for preload can't explain it exactly, but they diffs work! A Dana 44/60 gear set uses more preload than the GM housing, but they make a case spreader that opens them up about .015 or so to drop in the assembly. The Dana, unlike the GM, has the shims BEHIND the carrier bearings, so adjustments are a first class PITA! Proform has a universal pinion depth checker that is available from Jeg's for $99. If you could find a source for the numbers (Or just measure a few different r200s) you could do fresh installs. Unlike my T&D tool that uses machined aluminum discs that go in the caps, the Proform tool (As well as the Preciscion Measurement tool)use the machined cap surface. You measure from the surface to the bottom of the bearing bore, then to the top of the pinion gear. Do a little math to calculate where the axle centerline is and their you go!

Mortec shows them to be an '87 up 350 head. Should be ~76cc chambers and probably 145cc runners or so. Anything will make more power should you port them, add larger valves and a 3 angle job, but for my money I'd spend on a set of closed chamber heads which are usually worth about 20hp more than an open chamber head, all else equal. Take a look at the Vortecs as you couldn't hardly R&R yours for the price of the pair.

I agree. I was responding to his post that he wanted big RPM. You just can't do it as well with a 3.75 stroke as a 3.48 but obviously it won't do it as well as the 3" stroke, but the $600+ for 302 forged pistons is absurd. I still think the 350 is the best way to go if you do small blocks, regardless. 6500 is a nice range for a street motor and that's why mine has the little Comp steet roller now (236@.050)instead of the monster mechanical cam. I ran a 331 in the Camaro before the 355, (the 331 lives in my Jimmy now, 100K miles since it last spun the tires in the camaro, with 35" tires and all, but with a Crane 266 cam now, and does an admirable job towing my 3500# boat/trailer combo.) and the 350 revs every bit as well, no, actually better, but then again it has MUCH better cylinder head prep than the 331 did. It's just hard to go wrong with a 350, especially if you are replacing another small block and you don't have to shell out for a balancer and/or flywheel/flexplate.

I understand all that Grumpy, but their just isn't anyway to hold a STREET CAR motor at high rpm for that long and actually be using it for something. Those NASCAR motors also have about $18,000 of that money in the heads which is about power and not RPM durability. The short blocks are really good parts and really good assembly but could be closely replicated for about $5000 using a truck block, forged crank, H-beam rods and lightweight forged pistons. $1000 for solid roller valvetrain and a set of the Pro Action ported cylinder heads for $2300 that flow 300+ CFM and you have the recipe for a 7500 rpm motor that should provide quite a few years of service. A 355 engine can be built that will easily withstand 7500 rpm usage on the street for a long time if quality parts are used. It will rev quickly and be fun to drive. If you want big time rpm with stock parts than the short stroke will be much easier on GM forged connecting rods.

I agree on the max gearing. I have 4.11 in my Camaro with 2.62 first and I think it is near optimum. I think the '93 trans and 3.73 would be perfect or the '94 and up with 4.11. Everyone I know with a modded 6 speed car went with 4.11 anyhow.

I agree with Patsun. If you have the 327 just go that way. Dollar/power/performance it is a LOT cheaper, especially if you want forged pistons since your only options with a 302 are expensive forgins if you want flat tops. You'd be surprised at how fast even a 355 will rev with a good set of heads, narrow lobe centerline and a moderate amount of compression (9.5-10.5:1) My 355 had solid flat tappet cam in it, 265/265@ .050 and .540 lift on 106 lobe centers. From 3500-7500 before you could blink! Didn't do squat below 3500, but man did it rev! Just look at the Nascar 358" engines that turn nearly 9000 rpm! A Nascar truck motor (9.5:1) would be the ULTIMATE max effort street car motor! 358" and ~600 hp!

There is a company that advertises in the back of some of the Hot Rod type magazines that has a steel cowl induction scoop that could be welded in to the ZX hood for a custom Steel cowl hood.

You might be able to, but I won't be using the opti-spark so something has to be done about timing signal. Also, my motor is modified AND I don't have a MAF. All in all I think the DFI is the way to go.