Zetsaz

Excited to see your progress! Even though the KA24DE is a bit dated, I honestly think they remain heavily underrated. So many people moved away from them to the SR20, but the KA is (at least in my opinion) much more stout, and it's hard to turn down so much extra displacement. It would be my choice of affordable swap if I was in a 510 wagon which I've always wanted. Even the sohc version in my D21 has proven pretty great, though it's now relegated to farm truck in mexico with my parents. It's interesting that you didn't like the CD009, with how popular it is. Though I know most people have to swap shifters which affects how it feels a lot. I really liked the later JK in my G37s when I had that. Synchros were great, and the stock shifter felt "short enough" to not want to change anything. I hate short shifters and the notchiness, however. On my 71c trans I'm switching to the stock shifter housing and a nismo solid shifter. Throw will be a bit longer, but I want a slightly closer to stock feel and to not feel like I'm screwing up my synchros from a too-short and notchy shifter. Also, surprised you got such terrible mileage on the 2JZ. What was your rear end ratio? My L28ET gets me 22-23 highway mpg when I've done roadtrips and it's not even really particularly well tuned for it. I've been tempted to switch from my current 3.9 rear to a 3.7 - the 3.54 seems a bit too long for my taste, but I think just swapping to the 3.7 might get me to an easy 25mpg with better tuning.

Is your "new" fusible link from before or after replacing the alternator and having the headlights left on? Fusible links aren't particularly reliable, and there's a reason they are no longer used. Continuity by itself isn't enough to know if it's passing enough amps to do anything. Did you bypass the old external regulator properly? It has been a very long time since I switched to the later internally regulated alternator on my car, so I'm not sure the wiring you're describing in point #2 is related to the bypass. Most of your checks are reasonable and detailed, so that's the only two I can think of off the top of my head. I'm sure someone with an early 240 instead of my early 280 will chime in at some point who would know more.

Love the new overflow tank location. Receiver will be ready to wire, and I'm happy I got to drive a bit while the weather was good and streets were clear.

Last day in Utah Only managed a couple more things. -New reproduction door seals from S30 World went in. They are MUCH softer and more compliant than what I've used before and fit much better, though I kinda wish I had bought the later style from Resurrected Classics. I think they released just after, but the RC ones are a single piece like later seals instead of separate rubber and harder C channel -New coolant overflow finally arrived. Love how it fits and looks MUCH better than the old one. Will upload pics this afternoon. -Bought a Kenwood Media player and mounted it to the console. Still haven't done wiring. Did a test with just some spade connectors and cut the original plug off. Wasn't working, but I think it might just be the glass fuse being out. Full wiring might have to wait until summer, but I'll use the new Deutsch connectors I have for all my wiring from here forward. -C clip and wave washer to get my Nismo shifter on won't arrive in time, but I'll swap to it over summer. -Oil pan seems to be dripping around the starter area, but I'm mostly certain it was just that a few of the bolts weren't snug. A ton of people were recommending the MSA reproduction of the Nissan Competition gasket. I think I'm gonna order that for summer and swap that in next time I do an oil change if the drip continues. Some said it was the best they'd ever used and should be reusable and much less messy than the RTV solution

Well, it took FAR longer than I hoped but the car is running again. Things that got finished -Rear seals done. -Oil pan got the OEM seal I forgot I had. Straightened the flange braces a lot. If it leaks again I'll go full RT -Replaced oil drain plug -Cleaned up some glazing on the flywheel and pressure plate. Clutch seems to be working well -Replaced throw out bearing while I was at it -Removed transmission dust cover on the back that made removing the driveshaft difficult. -Wiped down all oily surfaces including the exhaust, engine/trans plate, oil pan, trans crossmember, diff crossmember... -Engine oil got Valvoline VR1 20w/50 for upcoming summer weather next time I drive -Transmission fluid replaced with Ford Motorcraft XT-M5-QS manual trans fluid aka "unicorn tears" and very well liked in the Miata crowd. Supposed to be better than the redline MT90 I had before) In progress or needing extra work -Retorqued front crank bolt for now, but I think I'll have to replace that seal as well but it's only available online. I'll replace if necessary when I wire and properly do the electric fans -New coolant overflow tank hasn't arrived but will install as soon as it arrives to get things tidier -Waiting on a big C clip and wave washer so I can use the Nismo solid shifter. ISR shifter went back on with very light rtv for now. I plan on on somehow adapting the stock 240sx lower shift boot to the stock S40 lower shift boot bezel. Might require more printing or at least cutting from a sheet of aluminum or steel. -Driver window either got misaligned or off the track when I was rolling it up today 😢 doesn't seem to go down without way too much force. Little or no progress -Haven't installed the AC bulkhead plate, but I think I'll have enough time to at least do the interior lines and install the plate. Will cover the openings for now. -Still no radio/digital media receiver. We'll see if I can get something at least fitted to the console before I leave

Additional thought now that I've gotten some sleep: It literally would have been easier and faster to just pull the engine block at this point. I really need to help my folks clear out their space and organize. They've been empty nesters for a while, and now that they're both fully retired they spend more time on the ranch in Mexico than in the US. I probably use the garage and shed way more than they do, but whole batches of wheels and crusty tires are just taking up all the space haha

Managed to get the pan off tonight. Was way more work than expected since I'm running my intercooler piping underneath right now in the space between the sump and the engine crossmember, but once I had that and the turbo drain hose out it came out fairly easy. A few things: -One of the rear seals looks bone dry, but the other side looks like it was maybe leaking. Still need to remove the clutch and flywheel tomorrow to check the rear main. -The oil pan looks relatively straight, but I don't think too much oil was leaking around it actually. At least not enough to warrant the amount of oil and grime on the underside of the pan. -The front of the engine was probably even more grimy than the pan. I thought a while ago when I went to the Kameari oil pump that it was the oil pump gasket (and it at least partially was then), but now I'm suspecting that the front seal is bad, or is leaking under boost. The front cover is completely coated, but there doesn't really seem to be any leaks from the front cover gasket or the head gasket. All that said, I think some of these partially failed due to poor PCV when I first got this thing running. I think when I finish I'm going to temporarily run the system identical to how it was in a stock configuration and monitor very closely for leaks before any longer drives.

I have OEM side seals ready to go as well. I asked on the Church of L Series facebook page about the oil pan gasket and it seems most people recommended using RTV only like Ultra Black and no gasket unless you're using the MSA Nissan Comp reproduction or your pan is super straight, which I doubt mine is. The FSM says to apply sealant to the side seals and the corners of the rear bearing cap. What did you use for sealant? Same RTV as I'm planning for the oil pan? Edit for addition - I'm planning on cleaning it up a much as possible. Like yours was, mine is super grimy. The leak must have gotten worse while on my trip to Washington this summer. The entire bottom of the transmission and exhaust were just caked in grime that got caught by the hot oil slowly making its way front to back while driving for so long.

Got the spindle and hug swapped on the side that burned out. Was a bit stressed at first thinking the spacer ring and the stock rotor didn't work but it turns out the new hubs just have much tighter tolerances. Some antiseize on the inside and we were good to go. The only downside to the replacement spindle from T3 to thread right into my BCs is it seems the threaded portion is maybe an inch shorter. Not a big deal but I was worried about minimum thread engagement. I had about 80mm before and I measured roughly 65mm now. I'll consider it safe it's more than the thread diameter by about 10mm, but I think BC recommends 80 meaning I'm basically at max ride height right now. Since I'm waiting on some things to ship due to Christmas I figured I'd pull the transmission to inspect the rear main. Honestly... I'm not sure I know what I'm looking for haha. There was oil on the lower inside of the transmission bellhousing, but the back of the flywheel looked dry. The dust cover also looked dry and seemed to have a clear line where it was dry where it meets the block, and very oily below it. It's a good thing I pulled though. It looks like my throwout bearing is already worn, and i don't know how bad the wear on the pressure plate fingers is. Tomorrow I'll buy the new throwout bearing, then pull the clutch and flywheel to see if the rear main is actually the culprit. If it isn't, then it looks like most of my oil leak comes from the oil pan gasket which I have ready to go.

EZ clip do seem slightly more space efficient, but it would be a waste to just not use the lines I already bought years ago. I think for sure I'll do some hardlines to route roughly where the original ones were and then not stress too much about the rest. I guess if the crimped lines ever give me trouble or for some reason need to be replaced I'll replace with the EZ clip lines for serviceability.

Yeah, Mishimoto. He had a similar shroud already made for the Wizard cooling radiators which are a bit different. They actually have a dedicated 280z one which is taller than the early ones just like OEM. Waved design costs for me since I fronted the cost of the radiator for design which he's returning to refund me. I think all in this actually cost me the same as a cheap shroud like from zcardepot or others, but was custom designed and had the fans at same price I could get them from Summit.

The new shroud Fran at Galgo designed and made for me is done and shipped yesterday. Might not get it by Christmas but it'll hopefully arrive by next weekend at the latest. Since the brakes likely won't ship while I'm home for my break, I'm gonna focus on wiring this up and maybe finally fixing the rear main seal leak. I have new trans fluid ready to go and meant to inspect the throw out bearing among other things, so it may be time. If I'm diligent in the planning I might be able to get it done in a single day. Other than that I'm still hung up on how much I want to use hard lines for the AC. I think at a minimum I want one for a tight bend off the condenser. The original had lines coming off both sides, the new one only has them on one side. I don't want to route a thick hose across the entire length of the radiator core support - just seems like unnecessary bulk.

Get the plate. You don't want anything that's spinning like that exposed to the elements. They're cheap even new. Stainless same cost as new OEM https://zcardepot.com/products/transmission-to-engine-plate-new-stainless-240z-260z-280z?variant=48797059187000

Good update! This right here ^ is why I committed to keeping mine fully a street car and I'm glad I did, but part of me also wishes I could go race occasionally without being scared I'll ruin it haha

I appreciate it! Might take you up on it depending on how I do the lines. I have a crimper for the ends to the soft lines that I bought years ago but I'm debating how much of it I really want to do with hardlines. Vintage air has a kind of pricey kit that has lines you can cut and some fittings that don't need to be crimped, but there's also the option of the "u bend em" lines you can buy individually prebuilt. For about $100 I could probably have all the hardlines I need premade and just bend to shape. Just need to measure what sizes to buy when I'm home this weekend. I'll probably route the lines identically to the factory ones I have. The original stuff probably could have been saved - occasionally I wish I'd just replaced the compressor and and hoses to connect to the rest of the system and just kept the original condenser, drier, and core, but this then I would have also had to keep most of the original vacuum stuff and actuators in the engine bay. This will be nicer long term, but definitely has been more of a headache.

Working on a replacement bulkhead plate for the AC. I've been procrastinating the AC lines because I hate basically every solution most people have come up with for running the lines through the firewall. I didn't want to cut for a 4 way bulkhead, and some people just run the fully hoses through cheap gromets in the original holes on the 280z. Even the guide Godzilla raceworks has on youtube for their kit feels kind of hacked together when it comes to the hose routing. Earlier cars didn't have factory AC, so this would be exclusive to the 280z. I took dimensions of the original plate and the original holes in the firewall where the rubber grommet goes through and started modeling a plate that would keep the dimensions of the original, but adapt some fittings I have from Vintage Air. The plate that came with the fittings is too narrow to use on its ownc as you can see from the image where I learned how to overlay and correctly calibrate an image in Fusion Checked with a model of a random fitting with the correct thread from mcmaster carr to help visualize as well. (The hex piece on this fitting is not the same as the recessed section on the plate for the Vintage Air part that helps retain it and prevent it from spinning, disregard the fact that it doesn't seem to fit). Not shown here is the back half which has larger indents, or whatever they're correctly called, that help align it with the firewall so it doesn't move. They're the same diameter and spacing as the original holes the rubber grommet aligned with. They go past the rear face about .040" or the ga of the firewall sheet metal. I'm debating doubling that, and making a shallow recess in the other plate that I also designed hat goes on the cabin side to retain this this one. The fittings and their jam nuts will hold the plates to sandwich the firewall just like they would on the Vintage Air piece. Actually, as I'm thinking about this I think I need to double it regardless to account for the thickness of the Lizard Skin ceramic coating that was sprayed on the interior. Will for sure 3D print soon and see how well it will work

I think eventually I'll work with a friend to design a bracket for them that will also add a wilwood MC4 like the ZCG kit has, but for now the kit will be plenty good. As far as thermal mass/braking power - my biggest concerns are surprisingly not race or spirited driving. On my long drives in the summer like when I cruised up to Washington the high 90s to triple digit heat just added up after so long. When I was crossing the bridge into Washington I had to pump the brakes a couple times to get much stopping power. When you're driving that far in hot weather the heat just starts to accumulate a lot since you're never stopping into shade, and the stock front rotors aren't even vented to help a bit. The brake heat shield from skillard with some gold tape and now the turbo blanket and downpipe wrap certainly help but at some point the old brakes just can't keep up. Stopping was there, it wasn't like brake fade when you're really pushing it, but you could tell my stopping distances were just much much longer than you'd expect from what's supposed to be a sports car (i'd compare them to the stopping distances with my dad's loaded long bed GMC on the way down to Mexico) We'll see how much weight I lose/gain in each corner with these, especially coupled with the new T3 hubs up front. The back might gain a few pounds because the stock aluminum drums are just so light but we'll see when I'm done.

I ended up going with the micro bbk. After reading through a lot of forums for what the Miata guys are doing I realized the micro kit is similar or slightly larger rotors than most of the upgrades those guys go with and the calipers will be better than what a lot of them run. Considering the ZCG kit was just miata calipers on custom brackets, I think doing something similar to what those guys are doing is fine. The 280 isn't quite as small and light as the NA miata, but I think for a street car it's the right choice, and the micro kit's dust booted pistons give me just slightly more peace of mind since I do longer trips in the car when I'm around. Also had Galgo Performance start making me a custom shroud for the mishimoto radiator and some SPAL fans. Excited for the winter upgrades.

Silvermine has a similar kit if this is what you're looking for. https://www.silverminemotors.com/products/datsun-240z-260z-280z-rear-dual-caliper-wilwood-brake-upgrade-with-dedicated-cable-handbrake-caliper Personally I'm not a fan silvermine, but it looks like a nearly identical kit. They don't design anything though. I think their bracket is made by someone else.

I'll measure the hubs with a caliper when I'm home in about a month and confirm! Should be identical though (but you never know with some stuff so I'll double check) Does the regular kit really fit under the RKRs?? That's what I'm running now 15x8 -0 offset. If I ever changed wheels it would be to something bigger. I'll check those other options you messaged me about, but might be tempted to run their regular BBK if it for sure fits under the RKRs. How did you like the pedal feel? Did you upgrade the master cylinder? I'm already on the bigger booster since I'm in a 280z, but I have the stock master cylinder which is 7/8". I don't care too much about a super stiff pedal, I prefer a bit of control as long as it's not mushy.

Thinking of brakes once again. There are really only a few "big" things left for me to do and past that it just becomes upgrades or redoing old things to clean them up more. -T3 micro big brake kit is 20% off, which is huge actually. Their micro kit is about the same size as the ZCG kit and has the rear parking brake retained. Tempted to get them. I don't think their normal bbk will fit under my 15" wheels and I don't want to upgrade to bigger wheels. Not sure if I want to get these or the Milkfab upgrade and take the savings towards the Nexus R3. Happy to have some feedback from @lowrider -Need to upgrade to electric fans and reroute my intercooler piping. Looking into a custom shroud with Spal fans. -Complete hoses for AC. Friend is working on 3D designing the bulkhead to match the existing holes from the factory AC. -Install and wire the head unit so the console/dash area doesn't look like its missing something. Beyond those things everything is "done." I want to eventually upgrade to the new Haltech Nexus R3 units. Having so many things built right in including power control to the fuel pump, fans, and built in wideband controller is a major upgrade from my MS3X, but again is one of those things that I technically don't need. We'll see what the future holds.

How did you end up mounting it?

Where did you get the android unit? I've been tempted to find something like that that doesn't cut up my console which is already not in the greatest condition

The transmission is honestly the more brain melting part of some swaps. There are lots of options, all with their own pros and cons. I think for a long time most people were using the Z32 transmissions. They were the same as the ones used behind rwd Skylines, and the TT and NA versions of the transmission were the same iirc. These days most people will opt for that or the CD009/CD00A. There's more support, it's 6 speed, it's stronger, and likely cheaper, but mounting it is slightly more difficult and less space. Do you already have the engine? Getting one with a manual raises the cost considerably compared to just getting the engine, which is why a lot of people just opted for the Z32 trans in the states (until the later CDxxx transmissions became more widely available). My understanding of the R34 rwd trans, based on some info from australian forums is you'll likely have to switch the clutch type by drilling and tapping into the R34 bellhousing, or just swapping it with an R33 bellhousing. I'm honestly not sure it's worth the trouble of getting a brand new R34 trans and dealing with adapting it and mounting it when there's so much more support for the later 6 speeds, and still decent support for the Z32 trans, both of which will hold whatever power you want to throw at them, likely at a lower cost.

Some of the best builds are running his head already. This guy Z Car Garage worked with used to be running an OS Giken head which is more rare and more expensive "California Hako" is also running it but doesn't post much https://www.instagram.com/california_hako?igsh=MXZzODc4ZmoyNzNlYg== Those are two major ones on high quality builds I can remember off the top of my head The sorts of people who can do this properly and not just let things sit on a shelf for for years aren't posting on the Internet much, and they don't do it for clout like a lot of YouTubers. The reason you don't see many of them is the same reason you don't see the OS Giken heads unless you were really involved or buying print magazines, and even then it's the same handful popping up all the time despite being around for decades longer.