strotter

If you're thinking about doing this, remember that every j/y in the country has dozens of those fan motors, and you'll pay about $10.00 for one. Took me about 1/2 hour with a drill and a pair of pliers to adapt mine. BTW, they aren't really hurricane power. They're an improvement, certainly, and well worth the time, but insufficient for the "draw-through" kind of a/c condenser you see around in the old Z's.

On that same theme: do the large-journal 327 cranks match a 350? Would it be possible to put a large-journal 327 crankshaft into a 350 block? Heck, how about a four-bolt main 350 block? That said, my swap originally used a 327 small-journal, in which I managed to spin a bearing last summer. Bought a crate motor from the local GM dealer, pulled the heads, cam, and valvetrain off the '7, installed 'em in the 350. Yes, there was some loss in C.R., but everything else the same. I have to say, after a year of living with a 350, I'm looking to rebuild and reinstall the 327. Why? Not about horsepower, it's about "feel". The smaller motor had a willingness to play that the larger motor simply does not. It was zippy. It zipped. It zipped me around. The point of a sports car is that it's fun, and the 327 was more fun. Less power, true, but more fun.

"Don't live there because it's dangerous" doesn't really make sense. By that logic, nobody should live: On the western seaboard (tectonic activity), In the midwest (tornado activity), In the northeast (extreme cold weather), On the eastern seaboard (hurricane activity), Downstream of a dam (they burst), Near any river (they flood), In a desert (it gets hot and power fails), In a poor neighborhood (people shoot each other). I can't think of anywhere that's immune to disaster of some kind. No matter where you live, eventually something predictable and bad will happen to you and somewhere else there'll be some idiot watching his TV, scratching his belly and saying "Well, they should've know it'd happen..."

Though I don't know what ECU/PCM you're using, I'm surprised that you aren't also seeing an undervolt error as well. It may be possible to modify the parameters of your eeprom to reduce its' sensitivity to voltage drop - those parameters are adjustable like any other. It doesn't sound like the cpu is crashing, only dropping into limp-home. "We'll fix it in software!" I have a similar, though not so extreme, problem with my '72. I'm only running a 120a alternator. The startup draw is immense, causing a significant drop in RPM, though I have never actually had the engine stall or the ecu (an older '7747) throw a code. After a few moments, the IAC catches up and all is well. I have tried setting the thing to run on "low", which is generally OK but not *quite* enough for a really hot day in stop-and-go. The startup load is significantly less in that mode, but there have been a *lot* of hot days lately. Perhaps someone with some electronic experience can tell me if I could somehow set it up using a pair of relays and some kind of timer to start the fan on low, wait 5-10 seconds, and then switch to high? I'm using a Bosch 70a relay now, and have a couple more in their box - purchased with this in mind, though I don't know enough about electronic timers to work out the details. Maybe something like that can work for you?

When I got into the V8 Z thing, I was determined to use fuel injection, even though I had no experience with it. What really interested me was the computer control - I'm a computer guy from 'way back. As I got into it, I learned about the PROM "tuning cycle" - you drive around and data-log from your ALDL port into a laptop to get data about your motor's behavior under various conditions, then you go home and analyze what you're seeing, then you make modifications to the PROM, document the changes, and back to the beginning with drive around and data-log. What struck me after a while is that, first, everything is (or could be) done on a laptop; and second, that most of the changes you make when tuning, at least in the beginning stages, are trivial and rather repetitive. Did I say "rather"? Sorry, I meant "incredibly". Naturally, being a basically lazy guy, and with some experience in programming, it struck me that a lot of that early "change it and check it" stuff could be offloaded to the computer itself. There have been some limited attempts at "computerizing" the tuning process (in particular smoothing BLM curves with spreadsheets), but I have been thinking more along the lines of a "tuning wizard". Something that you'd run on a laptop hooked up to the ALDL port, as well as to a "Prominator", "Romulator" or some other similar device that would (at least temporarily) replace the ECUs EEPROM with an "on-the-fly-modifiable" device. In practice, tuning on a dyno is great, but The Road, She Is Different. Once you hook into the ALDL port, you have access to enough information to simulate a dyno, but at very little cost per hour. Much of the same information can be monitored directly (AFM, knock, acceleration curves, time-to-speed, a whole bunch of stuff you can infer from the data such as hp/torque, t/c slip, so on). The program might even give the user instructions for things to do to address different aspects of the tune. For instance, "Start the motor and idle", or "Drive at highway speeds on a level surface", or "Accelerate at 100% throttle", so on and so on. All the while, the computer would be adjusting various values and testing them to within certain tolerances - while at the same time recording what changes were made to each value, in response to what input. (I have learned over time that keeping good notes is the #1 most important step in tuning (Thanks to Grumpy for that)). Needless to say, there are *many* subtleties which would be beyond the capabilities of any such program: you'd eventually have to get in there and get dirty. It would also have to include some error diagnostics, particularly in terms of mechanical problems with the motor - false knock comes to mind immediately, but there are many other potential problems it would have to know about. The particular algorithms would need to be, um, complex. The big problem for me is that I'm a Mac guy with a Windows laptop, and I know *squat* about programming I/O on a PC. I'm going to be buying a MacLaptop Pretty Soon Now, so I might actually sit down and do some programming just to see if it's do-able.

"Has anyone found a type of radiator interchange that works well in these 240 conversions? I would rather shop my local junkyards and not pay out $300.00 or so dollars for the new ones offered for these swaps." JTR manual, Ch. 12 "Cooling" including pgs 12-4, 12-6. "Also, are there any stock chevy manifolds that will work instead of going to the block hugger headers?" JTR manual, Ch. 14 "Exhaust" including pgs 14-1, 14-4, 14-7. "I am mounting my motor directly above the factory Z perches, which I believe is the more rearward mounting point for these conversions." JTR manual, Ch. 2 "Brackets and Motor Mounts", all. Dude, we recommend people get the JTR manual to make *their* lives easier, not ours.

Although beefing up any part of the Z suspension and frame is a good idea, none is really necessary with a mild buildup like you're describing. Once you get up into the 425+ hp range, then it's time to think of subframe reinforcement as pretty much necessary, though a lot of guys don't bother. Why? Because the chassis can handle the horsepower in a straight line just fine; however, it's a noticeably flexible car as soon as you turn the wheel, v8 or no. Also, it's an old car, so any help it can get is desirable. The weak spot, for higher-horsepower buildups, is the differential and/or half-shafts. There are a number of simple, easy-to-implement fixes possible (do a search here for "R200" and "half shaft"), and there are limited-slip units fairly easily installed. Also CV-type half-shafts. Again, not something you need to worry about with your setup, but not a bad project either. It sounds to me like you haven't read the "JTR" book. Get it, read it, know it, love it. It will almost certainly answer most of your questions. http://www.jagsthatrun.com/Pages/Datsun_Z_V-8.html Also, you are *not* going to want to use a T350. Ratios are wrong for what rearends are available. Consider one of the newer OD autos, or a T-5 or T56 if you like manuals.

There are inexpensive (albeit annoyingly noisy) little "impeller" pumps available at cheapo tool stores - around here (central Cali) we have "Harbor Freight" stores. Sometimes a useful place to pick up something you'll only use once or twice. Anyway, these pumps hook up to your compressor which spins an impeller which in turn pumps down your system. Create a good vacuum, too. Cheap. Here's one for '134, http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=92475 and there's another one for R-12, but it's not coming up on the search. I'm sure you have similar stores in your area. Really all you'll do is seal up your system, pump it down for half an hour (to boil out all the water vapor), pull off the gear and let it sit overnight w/o pressure loss (checking for leaks), then in the morning (if all went well) go about charging it up. While charging, of course, you make use of your pressure gauges per your cars shop manual - which you'll need, because you need to know how much refrigerant, what pressures to look for under what conditions, so on. There are a number of sites on the 'web which detail the procedure in general terms.

So, what would Jesus do?

I did a power-steering and smog pump delete in my Z swap, using the factory cast-aluminum mounts. I "deleted" (with a jig saw) the lower part of the mounts then cleaned them up for a nicer look. What I have left is an alternator on the upper driver's side and the a/c compressor on the upper passenger side (both per the factory). This is similar to a mod in the JTR "TPI/TBI engine swapping" book (pg.2-11 in the 2001 edition). The belt # is Goodyear 4060805, and they're available in many lengths. Soooo, if you can bet your p/s pump in the upper passenger-side position, where my a/c pump is, you can make it work easily (if I'm understanding you correctly).

I think I know the one you're talking about - if it's the one I'm thinking of, it aired briefly last year, or maybe two years ago. Cool if they brought it back, they're nice-looking examples.

You could also put together a GM-based system. The big advantage of that approach is that many ecm's have been completely hacked - you can find entire binaries, notated and annotated, at places like http://www.diy-efi.org and other places. Also, the components are cheap, easy to find, reliable, and easily modifiable to virtually any platform. You could likely go to any j/y in the country and find a '7747 or '7730 computer for $25, get the sensors you need at Kragen or Autozone for another $100, get the hardware you need to modify the 'bins for another $150 or so, and go to town. Downside is there's a fairly steep learning curve, but if you're going to jump into efi you'll be climbing that hill anyway.

Perhaps the Mitata because it started (or was an early adopter of) the "retro" thing. Hate the retro thing, love the Miata.

Well done Austin! Beautiful job, and a very nice color choice. I've done a couple of paint jobs now, and can relate to how much work you've done - it's amazing to me that paint shops can charge as little as they do! Like Skipzoomie said, you're a natural! BTW, nice digs. And I like the redhead's attitude!

Road trip to BC!

Grumpy!!! A CA ... A CA ... A CARB? Man, you're the one that inspired me to get into mpfi! Your word at thirdgen diy-prom is scripture! Heck, it is here, too! Room spinning - world turned upside down - must - hold - on...

Bad, I'm using 134 - it ended up that it was available everywhere, all the documentation nowadays talks about it, just generally the "done" thing. I went out to the local Pep-dudes store and got one of those Chiltons "How to fix your heating & a/c systems" books. Probably should have done that before I started this whole thing, eh? I mean, the factory shop manual goes into extreme detail about every aspect of a GM system, and I also have a 260z shop manual, but, man, in both you have to understand all the other chapters before you can understand one. The Chiltons is kind of an "Idiots Guide to Cool Air", right up my alley. It has a really good troubleshooting section, broken down by "The high side reads this; the low side reads that; if this pipe is cold and this one is warm, check the so-and-so..." Yes! So it looks like I'll be reading for a couple of days, and taking some notes.

OK now, wait a minute, there may be something to this... seriously. Do Z32s have lock-up torque converters? If so, I'm thinking that if he's seeing lower TPS and MAP at any given RPM, his converter might be locking up at lower speeds thereby giving him lower RPM at those speeds. Or, of course, he's 'tarded.

I hate it when a plan falls apart. Today was the first warm day in a while, 96 deg, so I was enthusiastic to take the newly a/c'd Z out for errands and be seen afield with windows closed. Driving to nearby Stockton at highway speeds, all was pretty good: cool (but not icy) temps coming out of the vents, enough volume to keep the cockpit quite comfortable. Good and good. One thing: at low RPMs but above idle, it made quite a bit of noise - sort of a "growling" noise that interacts with the exhaust note. Nothing too obnoxious, but maybe I'll look into one of the a/c mufflers mentioned in the JTR book. Undeterred, I continued into town, parked the car for an hour or so, took care of some business at work, eventually returned to the car which, for want of a better term, was basically a kiln. Not to worry, though: I had the power of thermodynamics on my side! Flick the fan to "High", push the A/C button, and in only moments there'd be cool air on my fevered brow - only moments, coming pretty soon - moments from now there'll be - um, pretty soon the hot air will stop coming out of the vents, and cool my, uh. Man, it's hot in here... Damn. So, something has gone wrong somewhere, or was never right in the first place. Things on the list of things to check or change: 1. It is over-full or has leaked down. I'll throw the gauges on it tomorrow morning. 2. There's moisture or other contamination in the system. I have no idea how to check for this, other than to drain it down, vacuum, refill w/ a new dryer. 3. Air may be getting around the condenser. It's from a 280, and there's a good 3/4" gap all the way around it between the fins and the firewall. I'm thinking an air-dam of some kind around the edges (which I notice is present on both my girls' Civic, and our Dodge. So the saga continues. Any suggestions of nuggets of wisdom would be greatly appreciated.

I was just looking through a 260 shop manual I've had laying around: Front springs, 106 lb/in, free length 14.9 in, installed 8.7 in @ 661 lbs. Rear springs, 106 lb/in, free length 15.4 in, installed 8.7 in @ 706 lbs. I assume the 240s were similar?

Randy, I *did* ditch the original-type compressor, used one from a later-model GM (a Harrison). I've checked the a/c system with one of those fluorescent lamps w/ glasses, and it's not leaking. So far so good. There are a couple of problems, though. First, I seem to have wired it incorrectly - when the radiator fan comes on, it engages the compressor clutch. So I'll be going over my wiring diagrams again. Second, the vent outlet temperatures have never reached as low as they did the first day - going down the road temps are in the mid-50s F range (on the first day, I was getting mid-40s). Barring leaks, then, maybe there's not enough 134, or maybe too much, or maybe there's water contamination, or maybe particulate contamination or maybe... Also, I need more fan. The CRX fan I installed - which was a big improvement over the original - still isn't enough. I don't want to take as drastic a step as installing an LTD fan (which would be great deal of work to do right), but I will dig around Pick 'n Pull to find something that might be a bit more aggressive. I'm also thinking there may be an "old wire" voltage issue in all this, something I'll check out soon. All in all, I'd say this project is like every other part of a hybrid swap - the basics are fairly simple, but getting things to work *properly* takes a lot of time and effort.

I *did* note in his writeup that the MR-2 was "the Japanese car that helped start the import trend". Hmm, I don't seem to remember any mid-engined Toyotas in the early 70's... But then again, he's got a tiger by the tail with that project - it'll be a monster. And, if he can get it to the point of being a real daily driver, well, I'll be *seriously* impressed. Certainly they seem to be doing their homework.

After a year of fighting and futzing, I have finally got a functioning a/c system in my '72! I have managed to marry the compressor spec'd for my donor car (a Harrison from a Firebird), an original aftermarket evaporator (one of those little guys that fits in the passenger footwell), a condenser off a 280, as well as a couple of custom hoses and relays and wires, into a functioning system. At last, my evil plan begins to come together... The original plan was that Dan (the Man, Cover Of A Magazine Guy, walking-talking advertisement for Flat-Top-Haircuts and Fiberglass Fender Flares) Juday, who's an a/c professional, was gonna help me get the thing operating last summer; but my assembly was so sad-a$$ed I had to take it home in shame and redo just about the whole thing. By the time I had it assembled correctly (I think), it was autumn and who needs a/c in the autumn? While I was at it, I installed a CRX fan dug out of the local Pick-n'-Pull. So this year it was Job One: I went out and bought some gauges and lubricant and hoses and a little vacuum pump and whatnot, did some research on this board and elsewhere, and had at. At first the system wouldn't hold vacuum; then it held vacuum better but not perfectly; then there was a problem with the evaporator; and so on and so on. Finally, after replacing the original donor-car compressor, it held vacuum overnight. Huzzah! This morning, I hooked up my hoses, drew vacuum for half-an-hour, popped on a can of '134 and went to town. At first, after feeding in the first can of refrigerant, the compressor didn't cycle on, and I thought I had a new problem: but a little more research confirmed that there was a low-pressure switch that needed a minimum of pressure to engage the compressor, so I reasoned that more refrigerant would allow it to enable the clutch so I pressed on. Sure enough, just as I began introducing the second can of coolant, the compressor began to cycle on and off - too quickly at first, but as the low-side pressure began to come up, the cycling was slower and slower. After the second can was entirely introduced, I checked the outlet temperature: 50 degrees. Not good enough, so I began to introduce the third can ten seconds at a time, recheck the temperature, introduce more, check the temp, so on. After a few iterations the temp had dropped to 44.2 degrees and held constant through another dose of refrigerant. Time to stop. The ultimate test will be this afternoon: 91 degrees and clear. Not high for this area, but warm enough to see if we have enough BTU's to do the job with the windows closed in stop-and-go traffic. Go Scott, you the man! Go Scott, you the man! Hurray Me!

My deepest sympathy.

First: How often do we have to listen to some conservative snivel about how bad some aspect of the culture is, how ignorant liberals are, or how soon we are surely to perish? Jeesh, if it's that bad, they should move back to Russia or something. Second: The reason Mr. Evers and Clopton found different types of items in the indexes is because "Contemporary Math" and "Algebra 1" are different. That's why they have different names. Either they're confused about what mathematical names mean, or they're purposefully obfuscating the facts. Either way, they shouldn't be paid attention to. Ms. Ravitch needs to check the facts a little more closely. Third: "Contemporary Math" is a low-level class that the retarded and children in Red states will study - assuming they're more intelligent than their parents. "Algebra 1" is the study of a number of mathematical concepts including: Factoring (ax^2 + bx + c, differences of two squares, by grouping, monomials, polynomials, solving by, trinomials, trinomial squares), Factorization, Factors, Factor theorem, Field axioms, FOIL method, Formulas (evaluating, solving), Fractional equations (see Rational equations), Fractional notation, Fractional radicands, Fraction bar, Fractions, Functional notation, Function operations, Functions (domains of, evaluation, graphing, identifying, linear, quadratic, ranges of), and Function values. (From "Prentice Hall Algebra 1", copyright 2001)