zcarnut

Save your fingers and just take everything you want cleaned up to the machine shop. All the automotive shops I’ve dealt with have a flat rate for cleaning and will not charge you any extra for additional items like the oil pan or crank. I always take my stuff to them on a Friday so they can soak the entire weekend. Just try to get the items as soon as they are removed from the hot tank. Surface rust can develop in just a few hours of exposure to the air. Even aluminum alloy parts such as the front cover and valve cover can also be cleaned at the machine shop. They use a different tank as the standard hot tank chemicals will damage the softer aluminum materials.

I have noticed this as well. Nissan uses a 10mm diameter throttle shaft. All of the other similar sized throttle bodies (from other manufacturers) I have inspected have a 8mm diameter shaft. On a 55mm diameter Nissan throttle body the throttle body the shaft takes up over 23% of the available throat area! Even on the 60mm diameter 240SX throttle body the number is still over 20%. I plan to “section” my shaft by removing haft of the shaft where the throttle blade goes through it. The head of the blade securing screws now make contact only with the blade. The other half of the shaft (where the screw threads are) I will leave alone. I will also replace the throttle blade screws with “button head” screws which have a lower and more aerodynamic shaped head. Since I am reducing the effective width of the throttle shaft from 10mm to 6mm, this will reduce the area taken up by the throttle shaft to under 15%.

No. The fuel pressure regulator should increase the rail pressure as the throttle is opened. The FSM has a spec of 30psi at idle and 37psi at open throttle.

Junkyard. Off a Maxima diesel. $10 for both (of course I had to remove them myself).

Yes, Kaaz and Cusco sell R180 LSD carriers for the R180 used in the Subaru Impreza WRX Sti but they are expensive (almost as much as the Quaife unit) and axle shaft compatibility with the Nissan Z car axles is a mystery.

IMHO the 115mm diameter is the preferred one to have. You have a better chance of finding used 3.70, 3.90 or 4.11 ratio gears (the 110mm R180 only has the 3.36 or 3.54 ratio, unless you can afford new gears), and the 115mm LSD accepts the CV axles without modifications

What about a 115mm gear R180 LSD from Nissan Motorsports (NISMO)? I just priced one of these last week after getting the same story you did from Power Brute Differentials.

Nissan L-series engine starters do not suffer from what is commonly referred to as "heat soak" because the exhaust header is on the opposite side of the engine block from the starter.

Live and learn...Basically most reman starters (and alternators) from AutoZone, Advance, Pep Boys, etc. are junk. A “Lifetime Warranty” does not mean you are getting a quality unit. The only reman starter I would even consider would be a Nissan factory one. I got one on eBay for $75, well worth it. I’d suggest getting the gear reduction starter that Nissan used on the 280ZX’s. More torque and less battery current. Your 11.5 to 1 compression ratio is not helping either. Also, if you have too much initial ignition timing advance this will place additional strain on the starter. This is more noticeable with a hot engine. I worked on one “hard starting” Z car where I had to increase the centrifugal advance (by elongating the slots in the distributor advance mechanism) so I could reduce the initial advance. Yes, your Webers (I assume DCOE’s as you said you had triples) do not have chokes but they do have a “starting unit” on them. It’s basically a mini-carb on back of each DCOE. It’s controlled by a cable operated lever. You should be able to use your old choke cable to activate the starting units. My final suggestion is to wire the electric fuel pump so it runs when the ignition key is in the ON position. This will allow you to prime the Webers before attempting to start the engine and will reduce the wear and tear on your starter.

Here's a pic from a 280ZX FSM: Notice that the the only difference between the axles is the diff side flange. Since this flange is secured by the inboard U-joint, it is considered part of the axle. The diff output flange (used on the R200) that slides into the diff is not shown in the pic as it is considered part of the differential.

Give Roger an email: http://www.zbarn.com/

I sold a 3.90 ratio 12mm R200 NOS gear set on eBay back in August and all I got for it was $75.

Jon; The 260Z axles were the U-joint style that use a single bolt to secure them to the diff. Nissan continued to use this method of attachment to the diff on all the later R180 differentials (ZX and 810's only as all the 280Z’s had a R200). The 240Z R180 axles were also U-joint but as JFryer pointed, they have a flange on both ends. However, this is the same axle that all the later R200 used, as you mentioned the length (and even the Nissan part number) is the same . Unfortunately, most people refer to the different axles as the “R180 axle” and the “R200" axle. But this is not exactly correct. Clear as mud?

Do not use the casting number to determine if the Toyota calipers will fit the solid rotor or the vented rotor. Go by the application or measure the actual rotor slot opening in the caliper. The 1986-88 4x4 calipers are also marked “S12-8" but they are designed to fit the wider, vented rotor. I know this because I have installed at least a dozen sets of these in Z cars. The concept that only the calipers with a “W” will fit a vented rotor is a myth.

On the later L6's (ZX and Maxima) Nissan used a heater bypass hose from the rear head outlet (a special dual outlet fitting which still fed the heater core) to a T-fitting on the heater return line hose. Nissan used 5/8 inch hose for the bypass but the key to making it work is to use the Nissan T-fitting which has a pressure relief valve on the bypass line. When the thermostat is closed the water pressure in the head is higher than normal and the relief valve opens allowing water circulation through the bypass hose during engine warmup. This circulation prevents “hot spots” from developing in the cylinder block and head. As the thermostat opens the water pressure drops and the relief valve closes, otherwise you would be bypassing the radiator with the heated water. So, if you elect to use this set up on an early L series engine (I am contemplating this on the engine in my 260Z) just be sure to use the Nissan T-fitting. It’s still available new from the dealer.

I would like to add two more: For RB and SR engine parts from a USA located company: http://www.jspec.com/stocksrparts.html One of the 240SX forums has a sub forum called “Engine Swaps”. Some useful info. Good FAQ. http://www.club240.com/forums/ I joined the RB25 swap forum group at http://www.rb25det.org/ and although they are mainly concerned with RB swaps into 240SX’s, they have a few generic posts worth reading. Very little traffic so it’s easy to keep up.

Not much anymore. It seems like now everyone is selling their Z stuff on eBay. Most vendors are geared towards the British sports car, although the number of people selling Saab and Volvo parts is surprising. We have been going for the past six or seven years. Several of us club members leave Knoxville at midnight on Friday night and get there just as the gates are opening on Sat morning. I like most foreign car makes so I go mainly to check out the car corrals. Definitely the most Datsun Roadsters you will find together out side of California. There’s a lot of interesting kit cars and kit car vendors as well. But every now and then you will come across a unique old Datsun part or memorabilia. It partly why I go back each year (as well as to stock up on Yuengling beer).

You should have stayed for Bob's last run that day. He turned a 10.84 ET at 128.62mph! He smoked all the V8 zcars even that one with a supercharger whose best time was in the low 11's. Amazing for a NA L6. It was a GTU prepared engine with triple Mikuni's and open exhaust. I asked him what cam and compression he was running and he just grinned and avoided answering.

I presently have a open R180 CV (i.e., the one that accepts the CV axles) diff and the ZX/Maxima R180 CV axles. These axles do not have a “left” or “right” side so the left axle is a tight fit (too long). To help this I rebuilt my left side CV axle using the center shaft from an non turbo Z31 CV axle (one from the left side). This shaft is about 1/4" shorter. I do not know if the R180 CV axles from the 200SX would be a better fit (i.e., if they are shorter than the ZX/Maxima CV axles) for this conversion. Hopefully they are. To join the R180 CV axle to the wheel stub axle just requires using the ZX (or even the Maxima) CV axle companion flange (R180 or R200, they are the same). Of course, you can only use the 240Z stub axles. BTW, the only difference between a R200 CV axle and a R180 CV axle is the flange piece which fits into the differential and the length of the center shaft. Wheel flange, tripod bearings and boots are all the same.

Some guy humor... http://www.nothingcoolhere.com/stuff/Pics/HOWMENSCREWUPROMANCE.mpg

The pistons from a four piston Mazda caliper that I have measure only 36mm in diameter. By comparison, the Toyota 4x4 calipers have two pistons measuring 42.7mm and two that are 34mm.