rejracer

I have in the past removed rusted bolts with muriatic acid, and now more recently i have found a product called evap-o-rust. both work great on rust, just allow the stuff to work over a couple of days and you have no more rust. I can 2nd Paul's method is the best, for getting things out quickly.

The radiator fluid on a VW is under the 710 cap. Knowing that, its doable.

My car is a 72 240 with: 86 Camaro radiator (JTR) 79 280zx Distributor 280z mustache bar. 80 280zx R200 diff 79 280zx transmission (swap in progress for an 83 280zx trans) 84 maxima rear caliper brackets 82 280zx rear calipers 74 260z parking brake actuator cable 78 280z tachometer ?? toyota front calipers (now removed) 84 300zx front rotors (now removed) 80's jeep radiator overflow reservoir. 92 honda fan blower motor. 76 280z long block 79 280zx brake master cylinder Z specialities alternator (think it's off an 80's maxima) 1973 240z engine bay harness, under dash harness , and guages (wee bit of an electrical fire caused those parts) ?? Chrysler door pin bushings (used on shifter) 2004 SRT-4 seats Up and coming 81 turbo head (P90) 240z cam N42 block (using my old worn out 76 motor as a core) 84 maxima diesel crank. 73 240z rods (9mm) 83 turbo trans, driveshaft, rear end, & axles.

Other thoughts. Did you recently switch from conventional to synthetic? Synthetic oil molecules are smaller. It's not uncommon for engines to start leaking after making the switch. How many miles on the short block? Oil pressure above 3k seems a bit high. You can actually cause accelerated wear with excessive pressure, as well as reduce power. Read up on bearing "wash out" I don't think it's a factor to your issue though, nor do i think you are to the point of wash out.

I'd agree some of what's said above is shed worthy. If you have a blow by problem, it's not coming from your valves. Anything leaking past the seals is negligible as far as being a contributor to the problem to which you describe. Combustion gasses of any relevant volume are being blown by your pistons, not your valves. Intake and exhaust port pressures are not high enough to blow a significant volume through a valve guide with proper clearances/seals to dirty an engine compartment. It sounds to me you have one of the following: 1. Broken pistons 2. Scored cylinder walls 3. Worn rings 4. Stuck rings A leak down test will tell you if it's 1 through 4. Remedy as necessary. For your sake hope it's only stuck rings. Sounds like you know the condition of the upper end is, do you know what shape the lower end is in? I don't know what kind of trouble shooting you have done, and your statement "It appears the source is the filter breather" needs to be confirmed. Also pay attention to your front main seal. I had one leaking on my Z car and the oil ended up everywhere! If your running the stock fan inspect it. On drop of oil flung at high speed does cover a surprisingly large area. I'd start with a through engine bay cleaning. Then I'd go for a short drive and inspect the common leak areas, front main, oilpan, pump, valve cover. A little bit of blow by is going to be normal. Make sure that the external filter is not a scape goat for something very simple. Me personally... Id put a hose on your valve cover leave the hood attached with just the safety latch and run the tube up under your wipers or secured to the cowl. If that is your source, it will be obvious in short order. Also note: Coolant with excess water evaporated looks an awful lot like oil, especially with dirt mixed in. Don't forget the basics, and assume something is broken when it's not. Happy wrenching.

Tolulene, Xylene and acetone are all great fuel system cleaners. Google "Homebrew octane booster" my favorite mix is even parts gasoline, toluene and xylene. It's not suggested to run that much cleaner through for a long period of time, but for a 3 to 5 gallon mix which will be used in a matter of days, it will be fine. The finial mix is 107 octane if you start with CA 91 fuel. I ran my 83 turbo on it, as well as my 83 NA car on it and both ran great with it in there. ohh and I love this site.... http://www.easyperformance.com/Tech_Info/Octane_Booster_Wizard_Content.html Before you put that in there it's important to drain the tank if it has been sitting a long time. it's a good idea to change your fuel filter as well, before and after. If the fuel system is in good shape already (tank, lines and filter are all clean) I would say you could get by without changing the filter.

I have a miller 180, and the spool gun. Welding aluminum is difficult at best with the spool gun. It's nice to not have to change over a spool, just cylinders, flip a switch, a quick purge and go. But... the spool gun still jams on occasion. My welding skills on aluminum are pretty poor. I have gone through a lot of tips, and honestly get frustrated while welding. Another downside of a spool gun is all the bulk is right at the gun. If you have to weld in tight areas the spool can get in the way. I have already welded up a PCM bracket for a toyota engine swap, and it looks horrible.

I have h4's and have done an overkill relay/wiring job, and the 55/100w halogen bulbs. The difference is amazing! I had to up the alternator too as these things pull down 15amps on high. I did a Z specialties 120 amp alternator, which has since failed. Specifics on the wiring: I used the ceramic sockets: http://www.rallylights.com/detail.aspx?ID=1420 Wired them with 10 ga wire. Low beams share 1 10 ga wire/relay and high beams have individual 10ga wires to 2 relays, and then on to the bulbs. If I had to do it again, I would have used 12 ga SXL wire. I wanted the best of the best and went for the 10ga, but the mistake was I used the silver coated uber low resistance wire from either summit or jegs. That wire is impossible to work with. It's very stiff and will not bend, the insulation is sensitive to heat, and it's heavy. All of these upgrades are well worth it imo. The newer H4's are now DOT approved too.

I would try Edge, Yank and Precision. Edge is the cheapest. Get a 9.5" converter for best response. Also be aware that stall speed is not the only factor to consider with a converter. STR (Stall Torque Ratio) is very important in how it feels and performs. I personally would do some research on those terms. You did not mention your tire size in your post, so it's hard to suggest ratio's based off of that. 29's and 4.10's would be fine. 33's and up and you will want more gear. Tip: Adjust the highway cruising speed with the gears. A higher stall and higher STR will just rev too much on the highway for my taste without a lockup converter. If this thing is being 4 wheeled set the rock crawling speed with the transfer case, not the diff's. Set the highway cruising speed with the diffs, not the trans/torque converter. Set the around town acceleration and cruise rpm's with the converter setup. Other notes: I would not use a high stall / STR converter in front of a transfer case as when the thing hits (assuming you put your foot into it in low range (not smart)) you will run more risk of breaking drivelines/axles. Real world stall speed is also dependent on the power of the engine. Brad pointed that out as well. High STR converters are very fun, but generate more heat, and throw's effeciency out the door up top. For your setup (this is hard as I'm basing this off of V8 experience) I would go with a 2600 to 2800 stall with about a 2.2 STR. I am assuming you are running 29" tires and don't need gears! So beware! Best thing to do is get advice from a converter builder, noting the application.

Factory shifter bushings can be found on ebay. I strongly suggest upgrading to brass bushings, those can be found at autozone, or any place with the HELP! line. Search "brass shifter bushing" http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=122484&highlight=brass+shifter+bushing I have the brass shifter bushings and I like them, they are very solid and do not have the longevity issues that the stock ones do. Hope that helps

Wurth makes a nice water based spray on undercoating. Wurth SKS stoneguard is what it's called. It's paintable too. I used it on the underside of my impala ss, and was very pleased with the finish. I did not paint mine either.

I have a few questions concerning mounting a pressure plate to an aluminum flywheel: I am planning on buying ARP studs and nuts to mount the pressure plate to the flywheel. The reason for this is to accomplish the following: A. get maximum thread engagement B. protect the aluminum threads during installation C. eliminate any possibility of bolts bottoming out. My questions: 1. Is there any reason a stud/nut combination will not work in this application? 2. What type of nut should I use, standard nut with washer or a flanged nut? 3. Should a lockwasher be used? I am planning on using a stud with a flanged nut unless someone can provide good reasons not to.

The BHJ unit has thrust bearings in it, so it's going to require less force to install and wont booger up the mounting surfaces. It is expensive though. I would not use a bolt by itself to install a damper. I would feel comfortable using a long section of threads to screw it all the way into the snout, and then use a nut to snug it down. It's done this way to prevent damage to the threads of the snout.

Alright all, I was able to weld up the exhaust pipe, and welded on a tip as well. I was welding on very thin metal. You know, take one pass and it cracks above where you just welded. One of my welds ended up being 2" wide. Not pretty that's for sure. I'm not sure if it's going to hold, but it works for now. The alternator from ckelly78z works great. It's very much appreciated. As far as the clutch, I donated my old clutch setup as I just invested in a new setup for my Z. I also parted with other items to get this machine up on the road. After cleaning every electrical connection in the engine bay, new distributor, new plugs and wires, running fuel injector cleaner through it, new battery, battery hold down an battery cable ends it runs great! No hesitation, no stumble, just a good running Z car. Car is down now for the clutch install. We are in the market for a NA driveshaft. I have contacted all I could find that have a driveshaft listed in parts for sale section. So if you have a low mileage/good condition driveshaft for a NA 5spd car, I'd like to hear about it! Dad still needs a cat though. New neighbors have a pretty cool persian. I however will not be involved in any unauthorized feline redistribution.

BHJ sells one. I bought it, and it's a very well made tool. It has thread adapters for just about everything you would ever want to install a damper on. when you order it you must tell them you need the adapter and they will make one up for you. http://www.bhjdynamics.com/ http://www.bhjdynamics.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=28_29&products_id=140 -Robert

Tony, I think it would work, but then the material that you hang it from becomes very important. The device that Hugh is talking about, I believe would be less important on the material used for the wire. With a single wire/rope in the middle it's all about the diameter / strength of the material used, and it's also subject to fatigue and tempature, so getting accurate readings on the same item would be more difficult. Obviously I have no experience in this, but I as I understand it, those are the principles of the device. With the three wire setup the winding motion with the wires further apart provides greater vertical movement, which increases the radial "spring" or rotational force. The three primary factors of this device that determine the amount of rotational force are the length of the wires, the distance they are mounted from the center point, and the total mass of the object(s) hung from them. My plan for making this thing is to create a center mark and then draw a series if of concentric circles on the plywood to eyeball the object being measured to center. It's not perfect, but It will get us close. Although....If the material used in the center wire setup were not stretched/twisted beyond it's yield (or is it tensile?) strength then I suppose it would be accurate over multiple tests, neglecting temperature of course. The scientific way of doing this is to have a known and calculable rotational force. This device eliminates the importance of the materials used in the wire, and temperature as variables in the calculation. Hugh, I was thinking about making this thing out of guitar wire. Reason being is that both of us would have the same materials readily available to us. For example we could use the high E string of Ernie Ball electric guitar strings. That pretty much narrows it down to a tightly controlled diameter/composition of wire to eliminate that as a variable for mass. ...and once again, I've never seen one of these things operate, so if i've stated something that's not accurate, let me know. All my comments above are just my understanding of the real world. I won't guarantee my understanding is accurate.

Hugh, That's exactly what I was thinking only I was envisioning attaching the wires to the flywheel itself using a bolt with a washer welded on and inserted into the pressure plate bolt holes. The good idea for making this out of plywood and making it large enough for wheels. I have an extra sheet of 1/4 plywood in the garage that would work perfect for this. I think make the attachment points 13" from center as most of our Z tires come in at about 24" depending on the combo. I could not imagine using a combo 25" or larger. If we are going to be sharing numbers it's best if we have the mass of the device as close as possible, so it's construction is important imo for moi. -Robert.

Hugh, if you test it, let me know how you built it. I'll be getting my flywheel (Fidanza 10.5lb aluminum) and would be willing to measure it. From what I understand, we would have to measure this with the same diameter and length wire/string. We would also need to mount it using the same distance from centerline of the flywheel. Thanks, Robert

Per the Fidanza application guide their steel flywheels weigh as much as the stock units. I spoke with no limits and they indicated the steel flywheel was only 10.5 lbs, I believe they had their numbers mixed up. I called up Taylor Race, and for the application they did not suggest a 5.5 or 7.25" dual disk setup.. I learned a lot though. They were not comfortable estimating miles as this is very subjetive to the use. Also the initial cost was around 1300.00 depending on the configuration, and the fidanza/act setup I have decided on is around 800. As far as why Tony's lightened stocker... I agree that it's where the mass is removed from. I don't think it's a valid comparision to compare flywheels of the same (or different) weight that are of different design and materials. I understand how a heavier flywheel could have less MOI. Until we measure the MOI, it's just so much subjective (and relative) opinion. If we wanted to be objective abou this we would need to measure the moi on the same test for each flywheel. There's no "well I think" mine's better with a scientific test. While speaking with Doug at Tayor Race, he mentioned that the 7.25" clutch has a MOI of 75lbs. While a 5.5" clutch has a MOI of 35lbs. I asked "It's possible to MEASURE MOI?" "Yes" was his response. Thinking about this some more it would be possible to rig up a fixture to rotate the flywheel on. Then with a low power motor, spin the flywheel and time how long it takes to get to terminal velocity. Another similar test is to spin it up to a known RPM and then put a known load on it and time how long it takes to stop. I assume the longer it takes the higher the MOI. I've read a number of threads on the aluminum flywheels and the only concerns I have are around proper fitment. I believe I should have considered it a bit more before mentally writing them off. I am going to go this route for the time being. I just bought one off of Ebay. The fidanza Aluminum unit appears to be the best bang for the buck, and is servicable. I still suspect the Kameari or the Jun units are more responsive units, but the serviceability is what has my eye now, knowing that the act disk I have is aggressive.

Yes you are correct that is what Tony was driving at. The physics behind this dictates the most important aspect is where the mass of the flywheel ISN'T, regardless of the material it's constructed from. quote from http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=115812&highlight=clutch "How the flywheel is constructed is as important as what it's made of, or how much it weighs. I have a cut down stocker that weighs 15# that has a MUCH more radical throttle response characteristic than the current 13# aluminim flywheels from Midway/Centerforce. It feels more like an 11# tilton." And later in the same thread: "you want your weight behind the clutch frictional area (ideally the 225mm, but I won't open that can of worms), and you want the inertia ring gone. As long as the weight of the flywheel at the frictional surface equals the weight of the dampener at it's outer diameter, you will have perfectly balanced torsionals on each end of the crankshaft." I think the above is accurate, with that said, I'm not against an aluminum unit, so long as they are reliable. If they are reliable, they do sound like a good option as they are servicable. I know the outer perimeter bolts issue can be fixed. What about the hub mounting bolts? I'm going to have to do some more searching, and find the thread where the guy reported that problem. Perhaps I misunderstand the issue. The requirements for this little project have not changed from the original post: -reliability/service life -smoothness -maintenance free -rev-happy-ness from my previous reading I had dismissed an aluminum unit because of the reliability (bolts stripping) and maintenance (having to inspect the flywheel to crank bolts). If with proper installation these are not issues, I may have to reconsider an Aluminum unit. Also Tony D was referring to 13lb midway or center force flywheel, not a 10.5lb aluminum unit from Fidanza. How many aggresive street driven miles can an aluminum unit go without inspection? How long can I expect an aluminum unit to last in the same conditions? How real is the ring gear issue on the aluminum units? Thank you, Robert

Tim, I don't know the weigh of the pressure plate. I know it's more than 15lbs from picking it up. Jon, Concerning aluminum versus steel, I don't have any first hand experience, so my impressions are based on threads i have read here and on z car forums, as well as the photo's that are available of the unit's online. In general the lighter the flywheel the less rotational inertia. For a given weight of flywheel, where the weight in relation to crank centerline is what matters. it appears the aluminum units have the weight towards the outside of the unit, and the hub area appears that it would be lighter. On the Kameari unit it appears that the majority of the weight is closer to centerline, especially on their race version. It's this design feature that is drawing me towards it. I do also recall TonyD making a comment that he feels the 10.5 lb aluminum flywheels feel more like other 15lb stock flywheel when machined down correctly. One other design feature I have not thought of before is how long will the friction surface of a kameari or AZC flywheel last up against the different clutch disk materials. For example I bought the act 6 puck sprung disk, after inspecting it, it's obvious that it's going to wear the flywheel and pressure plate much faster than the street disk. I did not consider this when I purchased the disk/pressure plate combo. If I were to decide to keep these parts, that would make an aluminum unit look much more attractive as a replaceable friction surface is more serviceable. So the question is, how reliable are the aluminium units, and I am primarily concerned with where they mount to the crank. Jeffer, I was aware that the Outside diameter of the flywheel is the same between the two. It's not the diameter as to where the weight is. So I believe it's not the total weight of the flywheel, nor is it the total diameter of it either, but rather where the weight (mass) of the flywheel is in relation to the crank centerline that determines it's MOI. Yes I am referring to an ACT pressure plate. Thanks for the part number. I did not know one was available, I am shooting myself in the foot by not doing enough research before I started buying parts! Lots of good info in this thread through.

I will add that I have read from other users that the Kameari unit's are more responsive than other manufacturers flywheels of the same weight due to the way the flywheel is constructed. Looking at the aluminum flywheels, it's clear there is a lot of mass on the outer ring of the flywheel, it's this area that is the most critical for eliminating MOI. Reducing MOI is one factor that provides better throttle response. Ryan, I believe the issue you are referring to are the bolts that are used to fasten the pressure plate to the flywheel. I am aware of the issue there, as well as the fix, I believe in other threads the part numbers for new bolts are listed from McMaster Carr. The issue I am referring to are where the flywheel mounts to the crankshaft. I recall that some have indicated that the bolts are digging into the aluminum after x miles of use and this reduces the clamping force holding the flywheel to the crank. To cope with this I recall spacers being used, which then required machining the bolt heads to prevent contact with the clutch disk. Based on those 2 issues, (and the fact that it's aluminum) I was thinking that steel is a better match for what I am looking for. Do I understand this correctly? FYI the extreme pressure plate is available on the 225mm unit and not the 240. With a 6 puck sprung disk it's good for 426 ft lbs of torque. The 225mm unit sounded like a more flexible arrangement over the 240mm unit. I like options! If there is no advantage in reduced MOI for running a 225mm unit versus the 240mm unit i may end up selling my current setup and going for a 240mm unit. Which is why I wanted feedback on the flywheel and clutch combo. At this point I am really open to any combo, but from what I understand the kameari unit's look to be the best, no-hassle-reliable unit. Thanks!

I wanted to stay away from aluminum because of the longevity issue with the ring gears as well as problems with the mounting surface where the center bolts touch the flywheel surface. I have read of folks having problems in these areas. Reading what I have read, it would always be on my mind, and for peace of mind wanted to go steel. I am staying with 225mm for less inertia, also recall I am limiting the power on this build so the extra surface area is not needed.

Based on the 4.3 swap that i am in progress on for my toyota truck, I would say no. The distance from the motor mount to the bellhousing is different between the 350 and 4.3. The motor mounts will bolt to the motor, but there are several different styles of mounts based on the chassis it is being fitted into.