2eighTZ4me

I have my Racer Brown out, as well as a Schneider stage 3. I'll see if I can't get some pics / measurements up here in a day or so to compare and contrast.

Yeah - I hear ya. But the one thing that ticks me off is they tout this as a "bolt in" conversion, and I've seen nothing but folks having problems with it and having to modify this or that to get it to fit. Bothers me even more that they won't reply to a simple question (e-mail) that should have been answered BEFORE they started marketing this product. Gnosez - so, you're saying that with the OEM shafts - the correct driver and pass. side ones - you've not encountered any further issues? I still don't have a motor in mine yet, so I'm curious if you - or anyone - has run this setup (now that you have OEM shafts) and encountered any long-term problems. How many miles have you put on the new setup with the OEM shafts? Like I said, my pass. side shaft was a bear to get in there - had to compress the suspension to get it in, and I'm worried about the lack of play at full compression and worried that it might damage my diff.

OK - I found a set of OEM units on an 87 Turbo. They are indeed the stock shafts. I pulled them both myself and labeled them. Measured up to the reman shafts I have and they're the same. I got the driver side in no problem. I took the advice of an earlier post and jacked up the passenger side rear suspension. The shaft did finally drop in place. I did not jack it up to put the full weight of the car on it, just enough to get the shaft in place, so I DO have a little more upward travel in the rear susp. that will occur with the car on the ground and on its' own weight. I too, am a little concerned about the lack of free play in the side to side motion of the shaft. I sent e-mail to Modern Motorsports asking what the trick was to get the pass. shaft it. NO reply after 4 days. I said "surely you didn't have fitment problems when you did this conversion yourselves and started manufacturing the companion flanges?" Nobody can seem to get this one right! Has anyone spoken with anybody at MM about this issue? Sure - they tell you how to flip the cages, but they don't say anything about the shaft install. Curious if anyone's gotten advice directly from them about this. After all - it IS their conversion that they sell.

There's a guy in Co. selling one for ridiculously cheap (compared to building one yourself). Had I not been almost done with mine, I would have snatched this up in a heartbeat (assuming everything that the owner claimed was in there was actually in there). It's in the classifieds now under parts for sale. Trust me - it will save you a load of headache and preparation and countless machine shop costs. If the economy wasn't in the tank, I'd sell some stock and buy it myself just to have a spare.

That looks like a nice unit. Earl's makes good stuff. Where did you mount it? I am going through the same dilemma - I got a B&M unit 70273, and I'm hoping it will be adequate enough to keep the temps down. I plan on mounting it in front of the radiator standing up, so as to get the best airflow, but am worried a bit that that mounting location might take away from the cooling of the radiator. Any thoughts?

Which cooler did you end up going with? That Sertrab is mighty pricey. BUT - I guess if you have a ton of money tied up in your motor, it's cheap in comparison.

A little bit of offense taken. If you read my post carefully, you will see the word "almost" in there. I didn't state 100% that I was positive. When at John's shop, he was doing a set of 280 struts, and I didn't get a chance to try the nut in the tube. It "looked" like it might be the right one. I stand corrected. This thread, if worded correctly, should have taken no more than 4 posts to get the point across. MANY other members were in the same boat - not sure what was what. Now, I've had to dig through 300+ posts on this topic just to finally find what I needed to order. I was summing up my experience with the install. I'm not an idiot. I have a college degree and I write technical documentation for a multi-billion dollar healthcare software organization. I know good documentation. This is not an example. This thread is way too long and FULL of "guessing" and second guessing. I had to read it several times to infer (at best) the parts needed. I was just trying to help out with details of my recent experience. Why you decided to bash me is beyond me. There are many others that have contributed information to this thread that is not factual (or even relevant for that matter)

I too am undergoing the same dilemma. I have a pn of 6083 for the driver side shaft and 6084 for the pass. side shaft. The 6083 fits great in both sides. Locks in and all. The 6084 fits on neither side. Just about 1/8" too long. Not sure, and I need to physically measure, but I could swear both sides on my 73 are the same length from diff to MM companion flange. In reading this post however, BOTH my shafts have the same input shaft size. They both look like the "long" 3.875" shafts. Could be the place I got them from gave me two of the same side shafts. I don't believe they go to the detail that we do to measure cores and know what side is which. My shafts ARE two different lengths with the cages flipped. The 6084 is about 1/4" longer. I will have to measure the input shaft length tonight. Anyone have any more solutions? I'm trying to find some OEM shafts (the CV rebuilder I got mine from swears they're reman OEM parts and not the Chinese units) and am having no luck. They say I got their last pair.

I just performed the install a couple weeks ago. Thought I'd share my experience. Front strut tube length was 15", rear 16.5". Went to Home Depot and purchased a couple 1 1/4" pieces of galvanized pipe. Fits perfectly in the 240 tubes. With my purchase, I special ordered the B629-A1's after reading this thread. The B629-Q1's came with the struts, as did the female threaded gland nuts for the 79-84 VW Rabbit or Scirocco. I'm almost 100% convinced the B629-Q1's would work on a 280 strut. Same thread pitch, just a little larger than the A1's. Worked with John Williams at his shop doing the install. We measured the struts and tubes and cut sections of the galvanized tubing to size. We did NOT cut down the gland nut. Instead, we sized the galvanized tube just a little shy of the top so the gland nut would cinch down on the strut. In doing so, we also used every single thread on the inside of the strut tube. There was still about 3-4 threads showing out of the strut on the gland nut, but we bottomed the gland nut out on the end of the threads of the tube - in hopes (as others have mentioned in this post) that the gland nut wouldn't work its' way loose. BTW - the B30 on the gland nut, and the P30 in the strut part # coincide to the shaft diameter size of 30mm. Haven't put her on the ground yet, but hopefully soon. Thought I'd just add my humble $0.02 worth...

Thank you Mr. Mortensen!

Hey Pyro - thanks - it's tidbits like that (driveability vs. performance) that I"m looking at. As stated in the original post, it's a stroker (83mm) and 89mm bore. Maxima N47 head with Rusch Motorsports full race port job. Standard stroker deck height of +.6mm. The head is at my machine shop now having new seats cut in, and he's yet to cc the chamblers and give me a number. That's why I'm "best guessing" at this point. I DO have dished pistons and a 2mm HG, so that might drop things a wee bit. I dunno - just a W.A.G. at this point, based on other combinations I've seen others post.

It will be somewhere between 10:1 and 10.5:1 - it'd be great to have the luxury of being able to try both cams, but that's a load of work to change out a cam. I'd have to do rockers, lash pads, springs, retainers - I'd basically be doing a top end rebuild with the head on the car. I'll go with the Racer Brown. That's what I bought it for. Thanks for the replies guys!

I have the choice between using a MSA Stage 3 cam for my stroker setup (89mm bore w ported/polished MN47 head + 2mm head gasket) OR a Racer Brown cam that I just got in a head off E-bay. The Racer Brown cam (grind 341-R) has .500" lift both intake and exhaust, 1.5 Rocker arm Ratio .050" duration Intake and Exhaust = 242 .025" duration Intake and Exhaust = 266 Lobe Centerline (Intake) 105 Lobe Centerline (Exhaust) 111 Lobe separation 108.0 Advanced 3.0 Valve timing @ .050" lift (Intake open 16.0 BTC, close 46.0 ABC) Valve timing @ .050" lift (Exhaust open 52.0 BBC close 10.0 ATC) The MSA Stage 3 cam has less lift, but I don't know how they're calculating lobe separation, as it looks though Racer Brown does it at both .050" and .025" with different specs at each. I'm not an expert on any of this, so I'm hoping someone can make suggestions as to what would be best for my setup. I'll be running Mikuni 44's for induction. Car will be mostly AutoX and Track Days car with occasional street use.

In repacking the front wheel bearings, I noticed the outer race is not seated firmly into the hub. I can move it around with my fingers. My knowledge is that they are supposed to be non-movable. Is my hub wasted? I doubt it can be good to ride on it that way. I have new bearings and races on the way, but I fear the PO rode on it this way for a while and wallowed out the hub, making new bearings/races worthless without a new hub. Thoughts?

Got any pictures? Sure would like to see how that is setup. Thx!

Daeron - good points. (and Good Lord - it IS almost 40 years!!!) I was just trying to point out that this setup would be good for a torquey motor that's going to be limited on top end. Yes - it all depends on runner length, choke size, jet size, cam etc., but if he has a stock motor that he wants quickness out of, 34mm isn't a bad choice. The point I was trying to make is that the port size on the head itself is roughly 34.5mm, and yes - you want all the velocity you can handle for the effectiveness of the air /fuel charge. The stroker I'm building has the Canon intake that came with my Weber 40's. I have port matched the intake to the head such that there are no "lips" anywhere on any of my intake runners to obstruct the already moving air/fuel charge on its' way to the valves. Intake valves on these motors range from 42-44mm, so it's not the valve size I was referring to, but rather the overall size of the intake port on the head as the restrictive factor. You want the air/fuel charge moving as quickly as possible into the combustion chamber, and the less obstructions you have going into the intake port is going to yield higher velocity and greater intake charge. Being that the intake port size is roughly 34.5mm, a 34mm carb (without chokes) might not be a bad setup. I'm really curious to see how well it does on this setup. I just got a set of Mikuni 44's choked down to a 37mm (built by Rebello). That - in conjunction with my port matching work - I'm hoping is going to yield something a stroker can use around 4500-7000 rpm. It's probably not going to do well much over 7500rpm, but my goal is a track car that is torquey, such that I can get out of the corners quicker. Tony D states that a Z with more than 350hp is basically useless, as it's hard to keep it under control with that kind of power. I wanted something that can get up to revs quick and scoot past folks in the turns - relying on the handling characteristics of the car, rather than brute force power. The more I think about it, the less I'm leaning towards a turbo car. I think I'd end up more ticked off waiting for the boost to come on (in hopes of passing someone on the straights) than I would be if I could take position out of the corner and maintain down the straights. I'll use gearing to change top end characteristics. I'm a wuss with Z motors. I don't think I've ever revved past 6500 on a stock motor anyways - even though it can probably take it. I'd like my power band just a little below that and use gearing for top speed, rather than eat my motor winding it out trying to catch the guy in front of me. Meh - just babbling at this point, hope my post made some sort of sense. I'm just "stirring the pudding" on this topic - showing (what little) I know and hoping to glean more knowledge by throwing my thoughts out there.

Yes - but keep in mind the port openings at the head are roughly 34-35mm. So, theoretically, that would be a straight shot with no taper in the bore of the intake to the head. Secondly, you never run Webers wide open at 44 or 48mm. They have chokes that take them down in sizes ranging from 28-38mm. You can only stuff so much air in a 34mm hole, and also depending on what other mods have been done to the motor will affect jetting and choke size selection, as well as overall performance. He "could" have a pretty hot setup - never know until the dyno...

That'd be a really tight fit with the cam in. Secondly - if the head is off the car (and you've ever tried to remove keepers from a valve train with any kind of significant mileage) you'll know that the valve will just push right down out of the head when you push on the spring and try to compress it to get the keepers out. Need some way to support the valve and keep it on the valve seat (I've used styrofoam before). Cool tool though. Someone needs to buy one and check it out!

Bump... Lots of new updates and pictures on the thread. All rear suspension in, tongue-in-cheek humor, pics of port work etc...enjoy! Ran til' the money ran out.... Until next week....

John dislikes turbos. He's completely old-school. He can make a set of carbs run like the dickens, but he doesn't touch turbo stuff pretty much at all. I am going to be working with him to get my Mikuni 44's dialed in for this car, but when I asked him about the turbo motor I intend to put in later down the road, he said he wanted no part of it! His daily driver 240 with SU's puts down 190rwhp, so perhaps he could get you to your figure in NA mode. PM me if you need his contact info.

I have been told by John Williams that they are custom Chip Foose wheels. Ron Zappendorf has the exact same wheels on his car. Don't know if he trolls these forums, but he'd probably know. My car is basically the sister car to his Discovery Parts car - very similar setup - except his runs!

HA!! this car is putting me SERIOUSLY into debt! Although I do believe I have almost everything I need scattered about my spare bedroom to get her going. BUT - then again - there's "always" something....

No - Eric never got around to the rails. I "need" to do that. Do you have any pics of what you've done? Maybe some measurements or tips on what you did? John Williams suggested I do the same as you did, so I'd love to see your setup and know how you did it. Course, I told John - Eric drove the pizz out of that car with outrageous amounts of power and extreme braking capability, and never broke it. What harm could "I" possibly do to it? He agreed. BUT - I'd still like to take it to the next level as you did. OR - if you have a set you could fab up - I'd pay ya for them. Many thanks!

Rather than eat up precious HybridZ bandwidth, I have begun documenting the rebuilding of a 73 240 track car at my own hosting site. Updated almost daily as progress (and pictures) unfold. Mark it and check it often. I'm trying to make it "light" reading while I endure the nonstop financial, emotional, (and often) physical pain. Comments / suggestions welcomed! Enjoy! http://www.hangoverture.com/73240.htm

Have just switched from Carrera struts to Bilstein. The Bilsteins have a larger threaded portion (where the top nut goes on). I need the shim that goes over the shaft on the bottom side of the monoball. I have no idea what this part is called. It's a spacer between the monoball and the top spring perch. They are both 30mm in length. The one on the left has too small an inside diameter. The one on the right is the correct one that I need. The one on the left measures 11.90mm ID and the proper one that I need on the right is 14.2mm ID. I went to Port City Racing and they have something similar but still not a large enough ID. Any ideas where I might scare up 3 more of these? Thanks!