
JeffGarcia77
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Everything posted by JeffGarcia77
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97GSTAT: Z2000 stated that he was going to keep plans/measurements of the mounts that he built for this swap. I am leaning towards this swap myself, but using a 2.2 liter version of that S2000 engine.
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Z2000, any new progress to report? It was looking great in the last pics you posted. Jeff
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I know you said your '76 has a lot of sentimental value for you, and I can fully appreciate that, but do you think it will be for sale when you're finished converting it? Jeff
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That's all the rust you can SEE anyway, right? This thread scares me, not only about what's going on inside my beloved '77 Z (it's been in the family since 1985), but also how much time and money a search-and-destroy rust-hunt is going to take. As far as visible rust is concerned, my car is not bad. I already had the "doglegs" ahead of the rear wheels repaired. Not only was the outer skin rusted through, but the 3 layers inside needed cutting out and replacing. There's more rust lurking in the body, just have to find it. Rust Never Sleeps
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How did your room mate get ahold of your ZX keys anyway? Sounds like he darn near ruined your car and your year, instead of just your day.
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Gusseting the strut tube...
JeffGarcia77 replied to JMortensen's topic in Brakes, Wheels, Suspension and Chassis
I don't think that little bit of weight is going to be detrimental to the handling. Jon will undoubtedly provide us with some subjective and/or objective results after he re-installs the gusseted struts. -
The Moto-Delta website says "less than half the weight of a glass windshield".
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Great find, Bert! I think I'll buy one of those in a few months. It should be a great help in my big plan to lower my car's center of gravity. Reduce weight up high on the car first (hatch, windshield, hood, battery, etc.). Carbon fiber doors and front fenders would be great, too! Anyone heard from those two guys in Prescott who were asking for ideas/suggestions concerning carbon fiber parts? Jeff
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You're thinking of all possible engine swaps, and that's a good thing. I mentally explored the possibility of a Porsche "water cooler" I-4 swap too. 1. The engine and transaxle (it's considered a transaxle, not a transmission, because it integrates the transmission and rear axle into one unit) are joined by what's called a torque tube. This is a complex assembly with a rigid outer tube and a driveshaft turning inside of it. VERY expensive to rebuild. 2. The Porsche engine is very expensive to buy in the first place (initial investment), then they need frequent maintenance such as timing belts and balance shaft belts about every 30,000 miles, if I remember right. Throw in water pump replacement, cam seal and crank seal replacement, clutch jobs, etc., etc. 3. I seems you COULD get someone to help you design an adapter to make "some other" transmission bolt to the back of the Porsche I-4 (maybe Advance Adapters out in California), then run a driveshaft back to your Datsun diff. I think it's doable, but it would sort of turn a reliable, low maintenance, easy-to-live-with sports car into something of a mainteance nightmare. On the other hand, it would run like a scalded cat when you got it all put together!
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Johnny: Thanks for the links. Very educational. Unfortunately, I don't have the machinist equipment necessary. But it is good to understand what makes a steam engine tick. I plan on looking into installing one of those 37.7 c.i. radial Cyclones into my '96 Chevy Z71 pickup first, then maybe into a Z. I don't want to do the conversion on my current 280Z, because it has too much collector and sentimental value to change THAT radically. I WOULD like to put a Rebello large-displacement L-series in it, though (sleeper).
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Yes JohnnyC, I would like to see those plans. Actually, I started out thinking about converting my L28 to use steam as the working fluid, but then I found that Cyclone engine (fully self contained). But if a gasoline engine can be converted, hhmmmm.... Jeff
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Exhaust stinks when throttle closed
JeffGarcia77 replied to JeffGarcia77's topic in Trouble Shooting / General Engine
Thanks for the ideas D1CNAR and ktm (Bo). D1CNAR: My '77 has a manual transmission and stock fuel injection. Bo, my car still has it's ORIGINAL exhaust system, as amazing as that sounds. So yes, the tailpipe terminates under the bumper. I need to do something about that. Also, there are a couple of holes in the bottom side of the muffler (where water tends to collect on short trips), and there is black soot accumualted around these holes. There is also a gap between the juncture of the muffler and the rear tailpipe, where it has rusted out. The gap goes for about 150 deg. of the circumference of the tailpipe, and is about 1/16th" wide, so it is a significant leak. FYI, I found a factory style rear exhaust replacement (from after the pre-muffler to the end) for $98. It includes the tail pipe, the muffler, and the rear tail pipe. It's made by Bosal and is sold by various retailers. Sure beats $221 for just an original muffler from Motorsport. I have not checked my tail light gaskets yet, but I have resealed this area on other Zs, with great results. I also need to do the old "petroleum jelly" test on the hatch gasket. What I do is apply a layer of Vasaline to the top of the gasket (the surface which touches the hatch), close the hatch normally, then open the hatch and check to see if there is Vasaline on the entire hatch contact surface. If not, there's a leak. Then it's either adjust the hatch catch and recheck, or buy a new gasket. Mine is the original gasket, by the way. Actually, the reason I presented the original question was because I not only don't want to smell this weird odor, I am wondering what causes it and how to get rid of it, at the source. It seems D1CNAR was thinking along the right lines when he suggested that something besides gasoline was getting into the fuel system. That's what I was thinking too, when I asked about valve seals (something I can replace fairly cheaply). BTW, I did a compression test a couple of days ago (dry), and it showed 1. 118 2. 115 3. 115 4. 116 5. 115 6. 115 p.s.i. I should try testing it wet, for information's sake. What seems to work pretty well is keeping the windows closed and the fan pulling in fresh air. This seems to pressurize the cabin, keeping the nasty stuff out. But when the weather is hot, that's the hard way to go. Jeff -
With all the talk lately about alternative energy and alternative transportation, I got to thinking about steam engines again. Upon doing a search I found cyclonepower.com They produce, among others, a 6 cylinder, 37.7 cubic inch displacement, radial engine which is powered by steam. It is capable of producing 700 lbs./ft. torque right off idle, so there's no need for a transmission. It requires no external cooling system (radiator), can run on a wide variety of fuels, and weighs 326 lbs. It is supposed to be more compact than a conventional gasoline of diesel engine, and is a very low emissions power plant because the fuel is not burned fast or at high pressure. Check out cyclonepower.com, or just Google cyclone steam engine Jeff
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Interesting moveable wing...
JeffGarcia77 replied to JMortensen's topic in Windtunnel Test Results and Analysis
So just slap the jumbo whale tale on it and be done with it? Sounds good to me. -
I had to remove my Z's diff cover and have a big nut welded to the stuck fill plug. The heat of the welding is what really broke it loose, but being able to put a six-point socket on the nut helped too. BTW, there's another way to fill a Z diff, in a pinch: remove one of the axle shafts (including the stub shaft that goes inside the diff) and presto, there's an easy-to-reach hole to fill through. Jeff
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Exhaust stinks when throttle closed
JeffGarcia77 posted a topic in Trouble Shooting / General Engine
Hey everyone, Every Z car (L-series engine) I've ever owned (and I've had a few, none with a new/rebuilt engine), has produced a bad stench from the tailpipe under the following conditions: 1. Throttle shut 2. Trans in gear 3. Moving down the road And of course, as we all know, the Z will draw in exhaust through an open window. So under the above conditions, I can really tell a huge difference in the smell when the door windows are open. Makes me want to ralph! My question is: WHAT'S causing this? Is it valve seals in most cases? My current '77 burns almost no oil (about 1 quart in 3000 mi.), considering the engine has 208,000+ miles on it. As far as I know, it's the original engine, and has not been rebuilt (no major engine work ever). The car has been in our family since 1985, so I know what's been done since then. If it's valve seals, I can buy the spring compressor tool and replace the Datsun valve seals with the Ford part number listed here on Hybridz somewhere. Let me know if you've experienced the same exhaust phenomenon, and what you have found the cure to be. Jeff -
Cool how the shifter came up through the stock opening, AND the engine sits nice and close to the firewall. It's great when things work out that way, isn't it. A word of encouragement: the S2000 shifter action and feel are probably the best in the world! But you already know that, I'm sure.
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So, I'll try moving my engine back about 3-3.5 inches, but I also want to change over to a 240SX 5-speed, which is about 2 inches longer than my Z trans. The 240SX shifter might end up quite a ways back from the stock location (meaning console modification work), but it would be welcome, because I tend to sit pretty far back from the shifter anyway. Anyone (Prieth?) have any pics of a moderate L-series setback? Jeff
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Yup, I saw some of MONZTER'S posts, his engine is set back 3/4". I REALLY like his transmission mount.
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Wow! That's taking it to the limit! I guess the engine itself takes the place of the heater. (I know, a dedicated, single purpose race car). So how did it handle? Jeff
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Thanks Jon! That's great info. I never thought to search on "setback". Happy 4th. Jeff
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Has anyone here re-mounted an L-24 -26 -28 further back in the chassis? It looks like there is an extra 2" or more between the firewall and the cam cover/bell housing. You might need to modify or remove the hood catch bracket, and possibly reposition the brake lines which run across the firewall near the rear of the head. "Why bother?" you may ask. It would move the mass of the engine and transmission closer to the center of the car, and make more space available up front for fans, etc. Would also make it easier to work on the front of the engine. Of course, one might want to change to a short-nose differential, to maintain a sufficiently long driveshaft to keep the u-joint angles happy. If you've done this, or seen it, please tell us what you know about the details, with pics if available.
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Too heavy for a Z car, IMO, even with a Hesco aluminum head. You can sort of get away with putting a heavy V8 in a Z because the V8's center of mass winds up being further back in the chassis, but a heavier inline-6 (like the Jeep) puts more weight over the front axle line. But it is a sweet I-6, I've had 2 Wranglers ('97 Sahara and '04 Rubicon) with this engine, and I loved the smoothness, low rpm torque, and throttle response.
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Yes, fenders. Definitely fenders. That's a great place to start. You'll sell as many as you can make.
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You're exactly right, Armand! Replicate the big, heavy, steel parts with CF first. RedFive, I believe we need hatches which attach to the stock hinges and close with the stock lock/latch. The CF hatches I've seen are pin-on. Jeff