MrFancypants

Funny you should mention this... I was JUST reading up on it. Definitely the way to go. - Greg -

In retrospect I realized that the thicker smooth portion of the spindle pin is what takes all the shear load, not the dinky threaded tips where the nuts attach. Going with a 1/2 bolt (hardened or not) probably wouldnt be wise Maybe a long hardened bolt would do the trick. Ive been considering doing the mortensen toe adjuster modification to my control arms down the road anyway. Thanks for humoring me guys - Greg -

Thats exactly what it is. I just tore out a POS Frigiking aftermarket AC system and it had lines through similar holes. Just plug up the holes. Might also check under the glovebox to make sure the AC has been removed. Without lines it isnt doing anything but adding weight. Aha... that solves a problem for me. The downward facing small nipple on the air cleaner must be connected to this. I smelled the open line on the passenger side of my car and it smells like fresh gas fumes. Must be an EVAP line. Thanks Jon! - Greg -

I managed to get my spindle pins out without a puller -- the brute force approach with lots of heat and PB blaster got them free. Im sure the fact the car is virtually rust free is the main reason I was so lucky. But then I wasnt so lucky. On one side the spindle pin stripped when I pulled one of the nuts off. On the other side, some dumbass decided to weld one of the nuts onto the spindle pin and I had to lop it off at the wrist. So now I have two spindle pins that are fine other than one end of each is totally boogered. This got me thinking about why the spindle pins are the way they are to begin with. Would it be a crazy idea to have a machine shop cut both spindle pins so they are the same length as the hub section and drill/tap the ends to fit some hardened 1/2" bolts? The bolts would not ride on the ES sleeves due to the compression fit, so I cant see why I would need to worry about the bolt being threaded through the sleeve. I could then reinstall the cut spindle pins and never worry about having to remove them again! Sound good? - Greg -

Anyone have a spare R180 diff cover lying around? My fill plug is completely seized. I suspect the same jackass that welded one of the spindle nuts used JB weld on the diff fill plug Next step is to drill the bastard out... but I was hoping someone had an easier solution (replacement) for me. - Greg -

Im also interested in group buy pricing on this kit. More than likely it would be the 4 lug hat/dogbone kit, not the all inclusive one. - Greg -

May not be your problem, but I just spent a lot of time trying to get my Z running again and the main symptom was backfiring through the carbs. Turns out I jacked up my ignition by wiring the cylinders incorrectly Replace all the plugs, wires, dist cap and rotor ($50 total from AutoZone). When you wire in the plugs, 9 o'clock position on the distributor goes to cylinder #1 (closest to radiator). Then counterclockwise around the distributor, wire the remaining cylinders in with the proper firing order (1-5-3-6-2-4). My FSM described the firing order and ccw rotation, but mentioned nothing about starting at 9 o'clock. Thanks to whoever posted that in the archives -- worth a sticky!! Good luck! - Greg -

5000 lb (Class III) is fine for a Z and a Uhaul trailer. I just did it a month ago. Their trailers are built to withstand an atomic blast, but they drive nice and stable. Dont use a dolly. The full trailer is worth the extra money. - Greg -

GVWR is usually around 500 lb higher than curb weight for a car. If you were crazy enough to install a tow hitch on your Z, you'd car about that number - Greg -

Ok so I finally brought my 260Z home and started cleaning/rebuilding the intake side of things. All the plugs were totally fouled so things are way out of whack. I had no experience with carburators before this, so it was quite the learning experience. Most of it makes sense after a little online research and getting your feet wet taking it all apart. First, the good news. Whoever had this car before installed a header and the intake off an earlier 240Z. Round tops baby, yeah! I cleaned and rebuilt the carbs, cut new gaskets, checked for damage and made sure everything moves smoothly and without binding. Ztherapy.com was down all last week so I had to wing most of it. Thankfully it's up now and it looks like everything I guessed on was correct. Things went well and nothing broke Here are my questions: 1. I had to use some new 3/16" fuel hose between the float bowls and the bodies. Ztherapy says this is a no-no. Anyone think otherwise? At $8 per hose it seems a little steep. They also say the stock hoses contain silicone, but I thought silicone hoses werent suitable for fuel. 2. The pistons move smooth and easy up and down before I add oil and install the dampers. After adding oil, one piston takes significantly more pressure to lift than the other. Is that a problem? They both move smoothly and with more pressure than no oil/damper and lower at the same speed, but the rear carb is easier to push up. 3. Do I really need a Unisyn to match these things or can I get it "close enough"? 4. I read on here somewhere that the starting point is -1.5 turns on the jets, but Ztherapy says -2.5 turns. Who's right? 5. There is a lock nut that seems to hold down the jet adjuster. Do I just tighten it down after adjusting the jet and all is good? 6. Im fuzzy on how a sight glass works on the float bowls... or if it's really necessary. Anyone care to explain? 7. Is it worth removing the carbs again so I can remove the balance tube for cleaning? Does it get gummed up inside? I dont have a VCR, so dont suggest getting the Ztherapy video, please - Greg -

IIRC the Cobra MAF most people use is a 93. It's good for about 350 whp before it leans out. I dont have mine handy to measure but I believe it is a 4" inlet and a 3" outlet. - Greg -

Yep.. always seems like a great deal when you get a "free printer", only to find out the cartridge is 90% of the cost of the printer and it lasts 6 months if youre lucky. TANSTAAFL! - Greg -

After serious frustration with an inkjet, I finally went laser about 4-5 months ago and have been happy ever since. If you dont use your inkjet frequently, the cartridges clog and seem to be impossible to clean right. At $40/pack it's total B.S. With a laser printer, you get 3,000+ pages per toner cartridge and they dont dry out. Go Laser Our laser printer is so big, it's called Hercules on the LAN - Greg -

Be wary of claimed power numbers. 5 hp, 6 hp, whatever, is all meaningless on 120 V, which can produce a max continuous power of about 2 hp. They quote peak horsepower at startup which means nothing when youre after continuous "sucking power". Manufacturers did the same crap with air compressors and got nailed for it in a class action lawsuit. If you really want shop vac power you have to go 220+ V. Now thats a lot of vacuuming. Now I see why you break a lot of shop vacs Probably true, though I think youre definitely in the several hundred dollar range if you are looking for something industrial. Anyway, mainly wanted to chime in on the power rating so you dont get deceived. - Greg -

Hmm.. the one I have has two rotating locks, one on each side. Yeah they are plastic, but they seem to hold the bucket on fine. I actually have problems taking the damn thing apart to empty it because it holds together so firmly. Granted, it doesnt have wheels though so it's not the best for floor use -- I just hang it on the wall and use the 20' hose. - Greg -

I have this one: http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?cat=Wet-Dry+Vacs&pid=00917925000&vertical=TOOL&subcat=Tank+Style&BV_UseBVCookie=Yes So good so far (2 years), and not too expensive. - Greg -

The other thing you can do is get a deep hole saw and cut the bushing out from both sides and it will pop out. I tried the whole "burning bushing" thing, and though it's kind of fun it makes a hell of a mess!! After you have cut it out, you can burn off the small amount of residue. - Greg -

There's really no point... whenever you compress air you condense moisture out of it. That settles on the base of the inside of the tank, and over time will rust it. It will never be "dry" -- the only thing you can do is drain it frequently. There are also plastic tubing kits for this that are easier to set up and seal. Not sure if you have a Granberry supply near you, but they sell the tubing and fittings. You should have two gauges on the compressor. One shows the pressure in the tank, the other shows the set pressure you want to drain off at. The second gauge has the adjustment knob, and can never show more pressure than the first gauge. In "Auto" mode, as you bleed off pressure to power your air tools, the first gauge will drop until the compressor's set point is reached (typically around 100 psi). Then the compressor will fire up and increase the pressure in the tank (first gauge) until the maximum (normally 130-150 psi). Once it reaches its max, it will automatically shut off. In "Off" mode, the pressure will continually bleed off until it reaches the preset pressure on the second gauge, then both gauges will continue dropping until you reach zero. So, if you have your compressor dialed into 90 psi (for impacts, die grinders, etc.) in Auto mode, it will cycle on and off automatically to maintain 90 psi. Your compressor has a certain amount of CFM that it can produce while running. If your air tool draws more CFM than the compressor can produce, the pressure will continue to drop even though the compressor is running. In that situation you will have to stop working while the compressor recharges. I would hope you shouldnt run into that using a quality impact wrench (~5 CFM), but this will probably rear its head if you ever try grinding or sanding (> 10 CFM). - Greg -

poortecher - How much did the sandblasting set you back? - Greg -

http://www.swaintech.com/store.asp?pid=10968 Not cheap, but great stuff. - Greg -

Right before Billy Bob did a face plant and burst into flames, his only thought was "Gee I hope they put this one on MTV". Ignorance is Bliss.

On the subject of porting tools, I have used Eastwood's stuff: http://www.eastwoodco.com/jump.jsp?itemID=15223&itemType=PRODUCT I'd be very cautious using a burr on soft aluminum. On slip could ruin your day. 80 grit sanding drums/tapers are much safer. Also dont forget to get the grinders grease. Coupled with a $5 Harbor Freight die grinder, and youre all set. - Greg -

I suppose I could also add this: http://www.campbellhausfeld.net/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10001&storeId=10051&productId=60827&langId=-1&parent_category_rn=10537 That's the one I purchased. 220V, >10 CFM, 26 gallon. - Greg -

I've seen a few threads recently on this, so I thought I'd post up the best FAQ I've found on this subject. It helped me a lot when shopping for my air compressor 3 years ago. http://mgaguru.com/mgtech/universal/ut1.htm The Cliff's notes version is: CFM is king. - Greg -

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=41487