2eighTZ4me

You get the prize for saying the most in the least amount of words. That is exactly what I'm saying. Good on you!

I am getting ready to put together MS on my Z. Looking for a 240SX TPS. I see both automatic and manual transmission models are offered. Which one do I need? My car is a 5 speed, but didn't know if there is a specific difference, or one is preferred over another. Thanks!

I used the pins that I got with the pistons. They are sized (at least with Bryan's kit) to be press fit in the rods, but the piston bore for the pin is just a hair larger, making the piston a floater. The pistons came with the circlips, but we opted not to use them and just press fit the pin into the rod. It fit.... The pin is centered on the rod through the piston, so it (the piston) can still "float" a little bit either way, it is held rigid by the pin being pressed in to the small end of the rod - meaning, it's got a little play either way when the piston is mounted, but the pin is rigid in the rod. Does this explain it correctly? Not sure how to convey it, other than the pin does not float in the rod, but the piston floats a bit on the pin when mounted on the rod. Had the small end of the rod been bored out and bushed, I would have had to use the circlips, but since the pin is a press fit, when you grab the piston and move it left and right on axis, the pin does not (and cannot) stick outside the pin bore of the piston. Somebody help me explain this better - I know what I mean to say, but not how to say it!

I'm using press fit with the ITM's I bought from Bryan, as recommended by my machinist. Not sure of the advantages one way or another to either configuration. Hoping someone will chime in and enlighten me/us!

It's in the "How to Modify" book by Frank Honsowetz - I just read that section the other day. But - who the hell knows! As long as you say - the piston is sticking up above the block - most folks (hopefully) can get the picture. So Bryan, are you saying on my stroker with an MN47 head, that I should have used a 1mm HG instead of a 2mm? How much performance could I potentially lose? Damn gasket cost a freakin' bundle....AND my motor is together already. Shux.....

Wow Paul - that is ONE UGLY MULE!!

yeah - it's just a large O-ring - about 2" dia. that sits on the tank, and then the sending unit clamps down on top of that. Sending unit has a groove in the bottom side to contain the ring. You should be just fine.

Welcome (for the 3rd time)! Some folks (in racing applications) run that hose off the block to a catch can that is vented. Some folks run the top valve cover hose to another catch can as well. It is best to have the PCV valve hooked up to the hose on the block to create a scavenging vacuum on the hydrocarbon gases in the block, however, as stated before, just a breather is fine. Especially since the triples don't have a PCV valve.

Most certainly should. That's what was there from the factory.....

That's the pressure sender - not temperature. Already got the pressure fitting taken care of and plumbed. I figured it out though. I was indeed measuring wrong. I needed to measure at the crown of the threads, not in between. Pegasus was correct, for an AutoMeter TEMP sending gauge, the size is 5/8 x 18.

And good luck finding the flattops. I searched and searched and searched to no avail. Even my machinist didn't have a listing for them. I ended up going with the dished piston that I got from 1 fast Z. He sells them in sets of 6 so you don't have to buy 2 sets. And BTW - according to the "How to Modify" book, negative deck height is when the piston sticks out of the bore above the block. 1 fast Z would argue that point too - there was a rather "spirited" thread about this a good while back. I dunno - I'm just a parrot, right? !!

I have AutoMeter Ultra Light gauges. The sending unit I have for both water temp and oil temp measures .567" (roughly) diameter at 1 3/4" long. I am trying to order an inline oil temp gauge adapter from Pegasus Racing, such that I can just screw the sensor in and get readings from the line. The water unit actually screws into the t-stat housing fine. It is the same size as the oil sending unit. (Sensors look identical). I have been researching on Summit's website and only can seem to find 3/8" and 1/2" adapters. Can someone confirm the size I need to get, as .567" comes out to roughly 9/16" and I don't see that listed anywhere. Pegasus racing recommends that if I'm using AutoMeter gauges, that I will need a 5/8 - 18 adapter, yet 5/8" comes out to .625". Am I measuring wrong? I measured the threaded part OD in between the threads.

Just curious... Bought a piece from him 2 weeks ago and paid via PayPal. Have tried to contact him via 3 PM's and 1 e-mail to no avail. I've seen him posting and I know he's on the board, but he won't respond to me. I'm just trying to find out if he's still on the planet. Looks like his last visit was 2 days ago. If anyone sees him - tell him to be a nice fella and return my message(s). I don't want to have to dispute this item with PayPal and start a whole train of jackassery...

HA!! Dave - I resemble that remark......I can completely relate! Beautiful car. Now...on to fixing that hole in the house....

So Derek, am I to understand that you hook the vacuum (which is outside the car) to the hole in the cardboard in the window that you cut out, and attempt to pull smoke through the cabin from the suspect area? Having someone blow it near the rear of the car and create a vacuum inside the cabin to pull through anything that can get through? When you say smoke machine - do you mean like a fog machine that they use at concerts and nightclubs? Hope so - my band has one of those that I can borrow....

You mention "plug off the relief valve in the block" - I got one of the TransDapt Ford style spin-on remote filter adapters. Do I still need to block it off? The Oberg does not have a bypass (not that I can tell) So I'd extract that "ball on a spring" thingy in the oil filter mount area, and just plug it off with an NPT plug? What would be the repercussions of not doing so? Just want to get this right the first time.

John, I got the thermostat yesterday from Pegasus. It has 2 ins and 2 outs. Am I to understand correctly that I must use all 4 ins/outs, such that I run from the engine (to filter) to the thermostat (onto the cooler), and then coming back from the cooler - run it through the other in/out of the thermostat - on its' way back to the motor? Looks like the thermostat is setup to bypass internally, and just route the oil back to the motor if it isn't hot enough - hence the 4 connections. Cold oil will just make a U turn at the thermostat (through the thermostat) to the bottom connection and go straight back to the motor? That's how I'm interpreting the instructions at least. Is this correct?

Glad I didn't buy the other header the guy had that sold it to you.....sorry to hear about the fitment problems - I know that's a bummer after you dropped $800 on the header. Crap-ola!

I'd buy that for a dollar. I experience the exact same symptoms you do Dave, and have rendered a similar conclusion. I got a small tailpipe extension such that the pipe sticks out about 2" past the rear bumper. Looks stupid, but alleviated a good bit of the fume-age. John Williams uses a 90 degree turn down elbow on his 240, and states that it keeps fumes down to a bare minimum. Whatever your fix, I don't think there's a 100% fail proof way to eliminate the fumes - save for a 10 foot tailpipe that stays WAY away from the vortex of the rear panel.

Look at the bottom picture. You see those 3 bolts on the tailshaft housing in front of the shifter? Those bolts hold on a steel plate. The 5 speeds do not have that steel plate.

It looks like a 4speed from what little I could tell by the pictures. They have a plate that bolts over the top of the tailshaft housing forward of the shifter, whereas all the 5 speeds I've seen don't have that plate. I could be wrong (as proven many times on this site) but I think that's a 4 speed.

Here ya go - try this link. http://www.geocities.com/inlinestroker/ You'll see about halfway down the page where he describes piston choice. Based on his calculations (I myself have not made any, as I'm lazy) even with a 2mm HG, you're still looking at over 10:1, which is quite a bit too high for a turbo application. I was torn between doing that as well, and just ended up going with a NA stroker. I'm going to turbo the white daily driver in the near future. You'd have to get a custom cut piston with a reduced pin height, such that the piston doesn't protrude out the top of the block, in order to achieve the compression figure you're shooting after. Then you lose efficiencies of combustion quench, as it is more favorable to have the piston very close to the combustion chamber at time of ignition. I see that Top End Performance still "advertises" they have a 2mm head gasket, and I've heard other forum members using the Cometic gaskets, so hopefully, you won't get bogged down there. I have read other forum members having a tough time getting one, so be prepared to shell out for one. They aren't cheap.

A few assumptions.... if you're building a 3.1L, that must mean you're using a Maxima diesel crank and 240Z (hopefully 9mm) rods. This setup by default gives you .6mm negative deck height (meaning the piston sticks out of the bore .6mm). If you're using a 1mm head gasket, compression is going to be pretty high, and you'd have to almost go with a custom dished piston to get below the 9:1 mark - meaning a really deep dish. (Also dependent on which head/chamber you use) You're also going to lose quench with a deeper dished piston, which will rob some performance. Most (if not all) 3.1L builds I have read about are using a 2mm head gasket to compensate for the deck height and to preserve quench. Stroker turbo can be done, but with carbs, you're pressing your luck, as you don't have near the control over fuel/timing as you do with an EFI MsNs. BTW - I have an SK blow-through surge box for triple Mikuni/Weber's that I probably am not going to use.....

I'm crossing the $18,000 mark and it still is a ways off from running. Granted, I bought a good number of spares and extra stuff, but it all costs. I've got probably $12K+ in my daily driver, and it still needs paint.....oh the joys....

I retract my prior statements about MM. They've obviously got a lot on their plate, and they WERE very attentive once I sent them money! I also happened to catch them on holiday, so that was ignorance on my behalf. Got my new flanges today. Will be converting my 280 daily driver over in the next couple weeks, so I'll be able to post then, as the 240 has still got a looooong while before it sees the first drop of gas. I HAVE read that the end caps need to be removed, and I believe I caught it in a passing mention in MM's advertising. I have yet to run on this setup, so I cannot attest. Can anyone else chime in? I'll obviously have to do some more research and interpolation.