Drax240z

So... what changed?

Skimming the gasket with copper RTV (very thin) doesn't hurt anything. You don't need much.

Without going into all the details: - Don't pull the head yet - Don't worry about fuel pump/filter - Do pull #1 and #2 injectors. Check for blockage. Check that they click when they see 12v - If you can replicate the issue, pull the #1/#2 spark plugs and make sure they are sparking With all that said I'm willing to bet it's something to do with your MS/wiring or your injectors. Check, check and re-check!

DAMN! Look way better on your car than they did in my shop. Really glad to see them used.

I can only assume you have a turbo engine swap in the 77 in your signature, and that is the car you are talking about. How about a rough description of the car first?

Samurai syndrome? Swerve a few times with a high CoG...

News flash... rental cars still have BC plates in BC. Do I stop on onramps? More like STOMP!!! And if you think Vancouver is bad, you should try the geriatric convention where I live.

Jon, the catch is that 90% of the population of Whistler are tourists.

Had a buddy of mine that is 6'5" 350+ drive my car and couldn't believe how much space he had...

I think you nailed it on the head with the cam timing. Any plans for a cam with a bit more overlap in your future?

Even 98 RON shouldn't pose an issue, that's roughly 93 octane (R+M)/2... 8.8:1 CR should be fine on that with everything else in line.

Except he's having detonation problems at 8.3:1... 10:1 isn't going to solve those issues. Cam specs? Is it installed "straight up" or advanced/retarded slightly?

Had a poor experience with them as well... ordered a metal headgasket. The response was that the item was: We could be receiving the 2.00MM metal head gasket tomorrow, 6 months from now or Nissan Competition could decide never to offer the 2.0MM metal head gasket again... We will not charge you for the 2.00MM metal head gasket until it is ready to ship... If the 2.0MM metal head gasket arrives in our inventory it will be processed and sent out through Fed Ex ground at no additional shipping cost. My issue is that they don't know when it would come in, but as soon as it did they would bill me for it and ship it, even if it was 12months later. Hardly useful to someone trying to put an engine together. A simple notice that it was again in stock would make more sense to me.

I'm surprised to hear you are having issues then, though I realize it's pretty darn hot there in the summer. It might be the speed in which your advance is coming in, rather than just the total amount of advance. Dropping it to 36° total advance might give you the little space you need. A few other questions: 1) What sparkplugs are you running? 2) Is your cooling system in good shape? 3) What is your coolant mix? The setup you are moving to has been done successfully numerous times without detonation on lower octane fuel than you are running.

What octane fuel do you have available to you?

Pull the fuel line at the filter, aim it into a can and have a friend turn it over and make sure you have fuel flow. The pinched fuel line theory is a good one.

You should be able to manage that modest compression ratio increase by running higher octane fuel.

Sounds like a float valve not closing to me. I'd double and triple check that first for all the trouble it is. Brass float or plastic float? Is the float itself filling up with fuel? (ie: hole in the float)

Put fuel in it, even if the gauge doesn't say it's empty. I'd also get a new fuel filter ($4) and replace that. Take a look in the old one and make sure it's not full of rust. Post back once you try those things.

IMHO, stage 1 should be brakes and suspension. 280zx stock system isn't as lacking as the 240-280z though. Some good pads are a nice starting point. Great bang for the buck, if you don't do a lot of highway miles is change your diff ratio. Going form a 3.90 to a 4.11:1 will transform your car for just a few hundred bucks.

As a father for 9 months or so now, all I can say is that every day it gets better. Congrats!

There is a lot of untapped HP potential out of any OEM tune, remember they are always conservatively tuning with the balance of fuel economy, emissions and performance in mind. If you are willing to forgo one or two... well... If my memory serves me, we saw 20rwhp/20ft-lbs out of a similar spec BMW engine with a (VERY good) chip on the dyno... and a chip is just another type of generic tune. More gains to be made over and above a chip by a stand alone.

I'd ask $2000-$2500 in the Vancouver area for the whole engine. You'd likely get more by parting it out, but it will take more time.

Do you have a website for your shop? Would be nice to see what type of clients you are tailoring to, what cars you see out there, etc.

I'm more than happy with my quaife (R200, 3.54:1) with my turbo engine. Lifetime warranty no matter what you do with it...