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pffft....$75000.....and its only got a 671 blower.

I've heard never to break in motors on Synthetic...."The rings won't seat" they say. Then I remembered the oil caps on Corvettes and vipers. "Mobile 1 factory fill" If big bad expensive Corvettes and Vipers are broken in at the factory using Mobil One, then its good enough for me.

up to 20% on a cold engine is considered OK. 20-30%, the motor was getting tired, over 30%...its time to rebuild it. The ring gap will close up substantially on a hot engine and your leakdown readings will drop. You've got to understand that it takes cylinder pressure to seal the rings against the cylinder. With most leakdown testers, you are only putting about 50psi or so into the cylinders, so the rings aren't going to seal very good. When the engine is running at WOT, cylinder pressure is ... well, a lot. I'm sure it could be calculated, but its a big number. Unless you've got 25% or more, I wouldn't worry about it.

I've got a similar one....the 110V upright 2 stage, 2.5hp 35 gallon. It is very slow to recover. Its nice to have the extra pressure, but unless you are running impacts or air ratchets intermittenly, it sucks. Cutters and grinders work great for about 60 seconds, then you get to sit down and drink a beer while it takes 10 minutes to fill back up. Personaly, I don't quite mind drinking a 12 pack per every 15 minutes or so of grinding, but if something actually must be accomplished in a set time frame, it can get frustrating. I would look at something with at least 5 horsepower and a 60 gallon tank....or get electric grinders. Air tools are nice, but electric stuff doesn't need a big, huge, noisy, expensive compressor to operate for hours on end. Get that craftsman compressor for your impacts and air ratches and plug your bodywork tools into the wall.

Look at the pics in the signature of username Speeder He's got the mustang cobra rims, and they look pretty damn good IMO. I'm not trying to be a dick...but what exactly isn't right about this? This is a very similar method to convert the rear to 5 lug that AZC uses on his rear Wilwood kit. The rotor hat is about an inch thick, and bolts to the 4 lug hub, but leaves you with 5 lugs to mount the wheel. Aside from the fact that this is a 2 piece adapter, its the same concept. Just wondering what downsides you see to this method. And yes, it is kind of a budget/cost issue. I bought this car with the impression (left on me by the seller) that the engine and trans had 500 miles on them, and all that would be necessary to get it running was to go through it, clean everything, maybe new rings and bearings, slap a big cam in it, clean up the heads, and I'd have a solid motor. I was anticipating spending about $1000 on the motor, if that, and the rest was budgeted toward brakes, suspension, and cage. After tearing the engine and trans apart...and finding absolutely nothing salvagable inside, my budget changed a little. I've got about $8000 into the motor, trans, and diff right now, and not much left for the rest if I want to make it in time for the first race in 3 months. I've got to start getting creative.

I am going to need spacers anyway, and this incorporates a spacer into the 5 lug adaptor. I think that the stock (or 280) 4 lug rear stub axle is as strong or stronger than the 5 lug welded and redrilled rear stub, plus from the looks of the part on MMs website, it may pose a balance issue at high speed....maybe not, I dunno. The only option I feel comfortable with from MM is their cromolly rear stubs, but those are a little expensive for me right now. I will definately get the 300ZX front hubs. But I think this is the cheapest alternative for rear, considering I'll need to buy a set of 1.5" spacers anyway. Then I can buy a full set of spacers to make the front wheels fit, and I'll have a spare set of rear adapters and front spacers to sell if someone else wants to do the same conversion....if it works on my car. I'll change out all studs, in the stub axle and the adapter, to ARPs, because reliability is key in my case.

I sent the guy an email and they are available for a 4x114.3 pattern. I ordered a set. I'll probably only use the rears, since I'd like to use the 300ZX hub in the front (since its a bolt on simple swap) with a wheel spacer and put the rotor behind the spacer to gain caliper/wheel clearance for my StopTech calipers. I'll try to use the Cobra 13" rotors on the front and make a custom caliper bracket. I should have the spacers within a week, so I'll post pictures when they arrive.

I've got a Ford T-5 for sale out of a 90-93 mustang if anyone needs one.

Thats the info I was looking for. Thanks.

I was trying to avoid coughing up that much money, but it looks like that's the only way. Hard to beleive that out of all the other parts nissan made swappable, the rear hubs from something else won't work.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/4-to-5-LUG-ADAPTERS-KIT-4x100mm-or-4x4-25-TO-5x4-5_W0QQitemZ280040154626QQihZ018QQcategoryZ34209QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem Beats the hell out of scrounging the junk yard, welding, redrilling, coughing up a bunch of money to MM, only to require 1.75 inch spacers anyway. I have a set of mustang cobra 17x10.5s for the rear and 17x9s for the front. This car will be used for road racing. Would you trust these spacers?

Centerforce dual friction. Jeg's sells the whole kit for under $300. I had one in my Nova with a 468 and I broke transmissions before the clutch slipped. Your clutch will probably be fine once it cools, provided you didn't cook it at every light until you're lunch break was over.

Yes, I searched. I have a 73 240 that I'm swapping a R200 into out of some 280..dunno which year. I put a OBX diff in the R200 (experiment). I'd also like to do the 5 lug swap, but since this is going to be a road race car, I'd kinda like to not drill and weld on the 4 bolt rear hubs. I found a 88 300ZX N/A that I can get for $400. Would the 5 lug rear hubs from this work with a set of 280Z companion flanges? Could I use the diff stub axles, CV axles, companion flanges and hubs in my 240? I'd really like to avoid paying for the Modern Motorsport billet rear hubs and companion flanges, but I will if thats the only alternative to welding/drilling a set of 280 rear hubs. I found the parts car while looking for a set of 5 lug front hubs, but if thats all I can use, than its really not worth it.

Another thing about the lycoming...it would make tons of torque, but aren't those things only made for about 3500RPMs? That would kinda suck with out a 2.0:1 rear end.

Check out www.littlemachineshop.com They have everything you will ever need for your new lathe. I have a 7x12 mini-lathe, as well as the mini-mill. Your lathe is much heavier duty than mine, so it should be much easier to work with....mine is kinda flimsey for what I do with it. www.mini-lathe.com is also a great site, and will get you up to speed with basic procedures. Start saving up for the 4x6 bandsaw and the mini mill....in only a few short weeks of playing with the lathe, you will no longer be able to go through life without the mill and bandsaw. I've made everything on my little lathe, from spherical bearing conversions to camber plates. Last night I made the spacers to use a 12mm R200 diff with a 10mm R200 ring gear, and I machined down the OD of the front bearing retainer on my T-5 transmission to fit inside my new steel bellhousing. Hell, I've even used it to polish door knobs.

I took the diff apart again last night, and I was able to assemble it with the washers ))(( ))(( . I made a pin on the lathe to drop through and keep the washers centered properly during assembly and it seemed to work. I didn't put a torque wrench on it but I seem to have about 40ft/lbs of preload. I am still using the original washers. I'll try it like this and change out the washers if I have a problem.

Well, I just broke down and bought an OBX and it showed up today. There are 12 holes that appear to be for bolts to hold it together. One of those holes look like they forgot to counterbore it and put the bolt in, but its actually for a dowel pin. My diff had 8 of the correct bolts, 12.9 strength, and 3 incorrect bolts, about 10mm too short and only 8.8 strength. I took it apart and it looks OK on the inside. I tried to reorganize the bellville washers like NZeder showed ))(())((, but it won't work. Even with the diff fully reassembled, the outer washers are not contained by the collar and fall out of position. At least the 2 outer washers must be assembled (), and probably the outer 2 on each side. The only thing you can do to get more preload out of them is to possibly add a spacer between them in their exsiting positions. I'll update as soon as I take it apart again.

Absolutely beautiful....and mean. Very nice work.

If you are testing it bone dry, the syncros definately will not work. They use the viscosity of the oil to create friction. I know that in my old VW gearboxes, you could tell if there was a problem because 5th would start to grind. 5th was positioned at a point in the gearbox that would run dry first if oil level was low. Try some good quality GL-4 oil. GL-4 isn't as slipperly, and while bearings may not last quite as long as GL-5 oil, they generally shift much better with GL-4, like Redline MT-90.

Yeah, the only thing nice about L.A. is that everything is here within a 40 mile radius....it just takes you 4 hours to get across town cuz of the damn traffic. As I was making my gearbox choice, I called up all the V8 boys that I race with in Mexico and discussed it with them. One runs a 425hp crate motor in a 3200lb camaro with an M21 transimission and some kind of hipo clutch, and breaks them constantly. One runs a 3rd Gen RX-7 that weighs about 2600 lbs, with a T5 out of a 5.0 camaro and a stock clutch, and hasn't broken anything in 4 years. I figure my car will come in at less than 2400lb, because I'm cutting out everything that doesnt' need to there. The same engine in a lighter car will put far less stress on the driveline than it will on a heavy car. I remember breaking M21s in my old big block nova that weighed 3200 something lbs, but in my T-bucket, with a blown small block in it, I never head issues with an M20. I guess we won't know until we try it. A Jerico is not in the budget right now.

thats awesome. I assume that you guys are using a Scarab type conversion with the engine a bit more forward? Now.....to come up with $500 for yet another set of headers.

No, I had it X-rayed. My machinist builds mostly race engines and he sends all blocks out for X-ray...at least all of them that plan on making horsepower. Magnafluxing will only show cracks on the surfaces that you can see. Anyway, its coming along rather well. I went to see the guy I bought the car from today, and talked him into giving me a R200 diff since he screwed me on the motor. I also ordered an OBX center for it, I'll try my luck and post some pictures once I receive it. I ordered the M22 gearset in hopes that it may make my gearbox live. I have most of it sorted out. My only concern now is what wheel/tire package I want to get. I was thinking about getting some Nascar wheels because they're dirt cheap, but I can't fit very big brakes under 15" wheels, and aside from Nascar tires, they're isn't much out there in terms of wide race rubber for a 15" wheel. 17" seems to have the most tire possibities. I found a set of Mustang wheels, 17x10.5s in the back and 17x9s in the front, brand new, for under $400, with only about a 1 inch offset. I plan on converting to 5 lug anyway, so these may be the ticket. I imagine I'll have to do some more flare work and turn up some wheel spacers, but it might work. 5 lugs also opens up my brake options considerably. I've started gutting and plan on beginning the cage next weekend.

Damn, I had a much better post written up, but the interweb ate it. Weight distribution is like drinking....moderation is key. When you get to the extremes with it, bad things can happen. Up to only a bit more than 60/40, in one direction or the other, is generally managable. I (was drunk one night and ordered a very expensive set of scales online) will put the car on the scales when I get the engine back together and in. This motor has aluminum heads, a single plane aluminum intake, aluminum water pump, and the rest is iron. I can weigh the complete engine before it goes in too. Does anyone know the weight of a fully dressed stock 240 motor?

M&M are absolutely right.....but what good does turn in do you when the back end of your car just passed you? There is a happy spot, which changes depending on the degree of acceleration or deceleration that the car is experiencing....which makes said spot and even finer happy spot.

OK, I think I have the motor situation sorted out....I found a 4 bolt 350 up in the pallet rack at work....asked around and nobody claimed it, so I did. I had it x-rayed and it looks like a good block. Its at the machine shop right now getting prepped. I'm running .030 over 12.5:1 with about a .650 lift roller cam and a set of Brodix -11 heads I picked up. It should be good for at least 550hp. Damn this is getting expensive. In the morning I'm heading back down to the shop from whom I bought the car to show them the old motor and try to either get some money back from them or get some more parts....like a R200 diff and some spare axles and hubs or ????. Is there anyway to ID a R200 from a R180 without taking the cover off? About the diff, I may try my luck with a $350 OBX helical diff from ebay or go with the Powerbrute...not sure which yet. I'm making progress though.