Modern Motorsports Ltd

Yup, that's not such a hot idea IMO either. With a VG in them they're quite nose heavy and handling suffers. The only L6 ones I've seen were quite modified for reasonable balance. If it's for straight lining mainly and he's not so concerned about weight distribution then it's alright if he never gets carried away in a higher speed curve.

FWIW, the LS1 auto trans mount is a common fbody upgrade for their Lt1 mount that they snap regularly once tweaked for track. The non-GM mounts they found quite harsh and transmitting lots of vibes into the car. I haven't used it personally but local friends including 1320 racers swear by it.

"Standing on the wheel and tire gives you great leverage for taking off the stubborn gland strut nuts." Just be careful you don't bend or twist your strut tube if you're having to apply that much force. I found two pipe wrenches on the nut and tube with the strut laying flat works fine. Keeping the wrenches close to each other and on a flat will minize any chance of twisting/bending. 280Z tubes are thicker wall and more forgiving. If it's really tight just position one wrench so you can just ease your full weight/foot onto it a couple inches above the ground....I had one once that took some forceful foot stomping but it still broke free. good luck

Good points Trevor, I've also found great variances in fender lip height relative to 'fixed' frame points etc. Michael, have you measured it up with your wheels etc all bolted up and car sitting on the ground and rolled (ie. not just set down after being on jackstands)? You mention it's up on stands at present and typically struts don't hang down equally and can be quite different in full unloaded droop due to various binding in related joints/restrictions etc. The camber etc as Trevor comments must be done/measured loaded and 'rolled' to have a degree of accuracy for comment/curiousity etc. good luck

"anyone know the person?" Topic: Rear control arm/strut pin pullers Not too far back in buy/sell forum as per above title/link. Hope that helps.

Labrat: -why no thermostat? (not even a 160?) -yes not having a t-stat (or restrictor) inhibits cooling bigtime as your coolant never stays in the heat shedding radiator long enough to reduce your temp enough -if you have a high flow waterpump and are concerned with allowing enough flow at idle/startup etc then I'd recommend a high flow Robert Shaw Tstat or drill two 1/8" holes in the flat area outside the bimetal valve on a cheaper Tstat -my setup requires no fan over ~25/30 mph for cruising (found that out when fan wiring kabitzed a few times with inferior fuse blocks/connections previously) and I forget what speed your fan is a non-issue but I'd suspect a Tstat may easily solve your issues (I run a 180 and would only go to a 160 if I had issues). hope that helps and glad you got it running:)

Lone Star, your diff (Dave's old one) has the rare OEM 3.36 10mm gears from a late 70's Z and a brute force (or power brute? can't recall exact name) clutch posi centresection. I can't say for sure what your slower 60' was due to, whether gears played a part or not. The two times I ran the 1320 I cut 2.0's with my A032R's, and a 1200 stall OEM type TC, and some wheelspin, I likely had 100 less rwhp and tq at the time than yourself so I doubt it's gears alone as I'd expect a lot more line grunt from your setup (and all the way thru, not just at the line). Perhaps you were holding back a bit on the throttle? It was actually an LS1 friend with an auto I was lined up against and we were dead even the whole way, it was a blast even though it was a casual run:) My power was down with only 30 degrees total timing due to some funky dizzy weights/springs I was modifying. We tripped it at 14.0 right around a 100 AIR. My 3.7 rear has me doing 3000 at 80mph AIR and cruising higher speeds the rpm's don't bother me at all, a smooth engine in overdrive shouldn't be too annoying. Running for a few stretches at 4500-5000+ rpm down thru southern Oregon to Willows it was very sweet near 120mph. When you're at higher rpm's and right in power band such that every twitch of your toe puts a power shake thru the car that is annoying. With my setup I haven't found that to occur. If I put it in 3rd though to see what higher rpm's sound like etc I do find the twitchiness annoying if left their at all. The TC certainly takes some 'twitch' out of it which is nice in that scenario IMO. (mine's still unlocked...haven't gotten to locking it ) What's 'nice' about 2200? Is it the mpg or smoothness or quiet of the exhaust. Depending which it is the alternatives vary....My planning used to be more focused on minimum rpm's etc (hence the 3.15's and 3.36's I have stored away) but my experiences and one diehard chevy small and big block enthusiastfriend with a few oldschool muscle cars who rarely runs overdrive trans and sticks to steep rear gears running high rpm's on highway who enjoys power non-stop and isn't grenading motors has changed my viewpoint. His mpg isn't that bad and that's without any overdrive. He properly builds his own motors so they're smooth and he enjoys pointing out cost benefit for overdrive vs. non in tranny cost and even if one does go with an overdrive the time it takes to recoup mpg savings at the pump if you go with lesser gears instead of the optimal for best performance with your setup. (he's a little set in his viewpoint, I enjoy 'em all) I'm babbling now I guess......nite.

Running a 4L60E without it's usual Lt1 etc is VERY pricey IMO. Over a grand US as I recall in adaptor parts alone from TCI. Their computer, electronic signal interpreter and a 3rd piece I don't recall. For the TCI bits alone you can have a fine 700R4 built. I may have posted PN's/prices in an older post here. Congrats on the Lt1 'Kinked chrome', it's a sweet motor as is and easily hopped up cheaply for extra hp if desired. Your best 4l60E resale might be to a 4th gen fbody owner. One locally just chewed up his oe trans and initiated a 'power' rebuild. good luck

"I don't think we're really talking all that different a language" Me neither, just fielding good opinions which I enjoy so much on this board. I love how we don't get into a my dad's bigger than yours debate "my name is Ross and I'm a torque addict....thanks for letting me join in your TAA meeting.....so what's my first step.... " I'm sure yours has fine torque as do all V8 setups. Our perception of 'fine' varies amongst us and even though mine will spin my 245 Rcompounds from idle thru 1st and into 2nd I'd like to know and experience it doing that in 3rd 4th etc or come closer anyhow (was same with 327 or roller 350 and Victor Jr etc). I don't have any flat spots in my setup from idle to 6k but would always appreciate more kick and now that 1st and 2nd are adequate I'm going to see what I can stir up in 3rd and 4th. I want your 'huge' world of torque in 3rd and 4th etc. It'd be cheaper if I could accept differently but that's why I'm in Torqua Addicts Anonymous...oops public now;^) I don't think lower rpm's for better mpg is surprising if the engine is under only light load at those lesser rpm's, just seems natural but I actually experienced no loss in mpg in my 280ZX from 3.36's to 3.9's even though my highway cruising rpm's at higher speeds on 900 mile trips went up to 3600 etc. And in going to California I saw similar results in my V8 setup (ie. no loss in mpg at higher travel speeds, was still around 20mpg). Surprised me but what I experienced anyhow.

"I doubt you'd want a 4.11 with a T56. IMHO even with the 3.54, the 1st gear in a T56 is pretty short" OK, this is my point exactly. To build your gear ratio around 1st when an OEM LT1 with a T56 in a Z can start out fine in 2nd all day long (driven one) with a 3.7 ratio seems a little off IMO. You just gave up power in 4 OR 5 gears for the 1st one which is still a 'short' gear no matter how you gear it IMO. I generally sidestep out of 1st in my 700R4 and then floor it in 2nd unless it's the 1 in a 100 starts that I really want to shred thru the intersection or am concerned for my frontline rights. I guess I enjoy 1st and 2nd like everyone but really strive for the roadracing 3rd/4th/5th etc to be more maxed than enabling a little more function out of my 1st gear that still leaves a bit to be desired. I can see 1/4 mile planning as totally different but if the posters were dedicated quartermilers I think they'd have said as much. Not saying 4.11's is everyone's solution but I'd sure hesitate to drop to 3.54's in anything but a very strong build, just free power/acceleration IMO. The 10 or 11% from a 3.54 to a 3.9 is a noticeable torque difference. I recall the chang in my ZX when I went from OEM 3.36's to 3.9's and it was night and day. Same effect can be had with a V8 setup once you're accustomed to the new power level and are still wishing for more out of the bottom of the go pedal. Having driven various V8 rides from slower/moderate/ to quick I still believe the moderate to tame builds could very much benefit from higher numerical gears (again, as long as their highway manners are tolerable). Most T56 owners may not want 4.11's but as I've seen 1st being a sidebar already I think it'd be fun to try. Diff's aren't that hard to change so no decision is too final to not be altered. I'm not involved in any late night/early morning or 1320 competitions at all and usual street fare is relatively tame so I'm not cruising with drag radials (although I did some 'hunting' each summer with the A032R's which was fun ). Event highway trips and roadracing events (lapping days) is usually where I really get to let it out besides my daily commutes and stoplight brigades.

The largest numerical diff you can run that yields highway rpm's that you can tolerate is prefferred if 3rd/4th/5th gear power is important. Anything less just gives up all the other gears so 1 or 2 requires less driver input to control the traction. I do lots of highway so stopped at 3.7's with my .7 4th or I'd have gone 4.11's if I had a T56........having 3rd/4th/5th etc feel like 1st is kind'of a dream of mine I can't see buying all the parts and building a mod'd car if power is part of the equation and then giving up 5 or 10% acceleration/torque by simply putting in a smaller than tolerable numerical gear. Both my V8 and L6 haven't sucked back fuel at a high rate during constant higher rpm times. Diff ratios are the easiest power/acceleration gain bang/buck for most cars on average. Comparing Scotties wicked inferno is a little off target IMO when his rwhp is 2-2.5x's that of those inquiring. As well compare torque curves b/t setups, peak numbers rarely tell much of the story especially when comparing engines of differing design/CI's etc. Just my .02c CD and worth the .001c US you paid for it Typically I've locally seen 4.11's used them in setups from 300-400+hp when the buyer could find them. When highway was important and no or limited overdrive then 3.7's and 3.54's typically in that order. If 95% is around town and your highway cruising is moderate then I'd plan around that. Good luck.

One trick is to take a properly torqued/used crush sleeve to your machinist and have him make a duplicate (in essence it's not longer a crushable item but serves the correct purpose)....I forget the exact details but some hardcore GM racers do that. Perhaps someone here understanding that system futher can elaborate.

Sean, yup you've got the drift of it. Here's some more info: old hybridz thread wiring diagram (keeper) With this setup you don't have to worry about what wire you cut.....just find an ignition live and starter live source and MAIN power and enjoy:) Hope that helps.

The R160 would bolt in fine as it's a bolt in replacement for an R180. It's stronger than an R180 as has been proven by some dimers and some simple internal design differences (I don't recall specifics, but enough to know it IS stronger, the ring gear size is NOT the limiting factor with that diff). I have NO idea how it would tolerate higher power levels beyond the mod'd VG30 setups it tolerates fine in the 510's.

Biohzrd, were you looking for those parts yourself? (wheel adaptors/CV adaptors etc?). I've already spent the XXX hours designing/drafting (outsourced, not a favourite of mine!)/prototyping above items for production. Anyone willing to spend the time it requires to repeatedly measure a part for production (one off's are totally different generally), design it KEEPING IN MIND ease of machining/production etc drop me a line. I've done this and it's a time vaccuum. Feel free to check out my offerings on my web or email me for any custom quotes. Scottie already offered up the CV adaptors via his machinist friend and lost $ in the end. I now offer them at his intended revised pricing. It's surprising the material removal required overall and attention to detail to nail down our particular bolt patterns with accuracy necessary for their applications/proper fitment and this adds up quick (ask me how I know). Machinists will always make anything with proper production drawings and $ in hand. Some with their $$$,$$$ machines are far more qualified to knock of some higher precision pieces than others. No knock intended on your open offering to the forum which is very gracious and to be applauded. I've received 'completed plans' myself before and they were rarely ever complete for their intended purpose and as such if you jump in as middleman bewarned their are many issues that can arise which at a minimum ONLY take time and at the max vaccuum $ and potential relations. Having said that I greatly enjoy and appreciate custom Z parts and have been learning TONS about the A to Z process and just wanted to impart a little.

Great stuff John and looking sweet to boot!

Sean, just noticed your thread. Please don't run full current to your starter via your dash. While you're changing wiring look up the ford solenoid bypass wiring setup. Essentially you ONLY have one wire going to your starter with power which is sourced from the ford fender/firewall mount (ie. not starter mounted) F*rd starter solenoid. The solenoid is $10 tops for a heavy duty one (ask for one for the largest Ford truck engine etc) and makes an excellent relay. You wire a HEAVY (ie. mine is direct batter cable) wire to the solenoid and then an ignition/start wire to the correct terminal on the solenoid to trigger power to your starter. Works great and acts as a fine distribution block to send power elsewhere without going thru your dash. As I recall the solenoid was pretty self explanatory with two small termainals being I & S for which one was 'start' and I for ignition and other two as main source and main outlet. Takes care of heat soak chevy starter issues as well (did for me, I put in a starter blanket initially and it didn't take care of it alone). Good luck & glad you got your crank fixed.

Surprised you haven't received more replies 400 ci. 4/87-12/89 300ZXT's have a clutch LSD except for the ivory white SE models which have a viscous LSD. The clutch type is the easily installed version. An alternative R200 posi setup is a gear style quaiffe centre section (long standing European proven design) which is very sensitive to biasing power to the wheel with the greatest traction (more so than an R200 clutch style). More info on the quaiffe can be read on my website. The only change required on an 87/89 clutch posi for install is swapping the front driveshaft yoke to one that matches your driveshaft (if you already have an R200 just swap that one on....just takes a couple minutes). Hope that helps.

"Ross C, the CV's are the 300ZX Turbo's that came with my $45 " I haven't confirmed it myself but someone has told me that the Z31 CV shafts are longer than the 280ZXT CV's and thus any spacer enabling you to use the Z31 shafts unaltered would either be really thin or one would have to shorten the shafts. Drop me a line personally to compare CV shaft lengths if you want. mailto:rossc@shaw.ca

4th is 1:1 (ie. 1.0) so use the gear/tranny calculator on this site or others with your tire size and it should nail it down for you...I always like to compare two data point (ie. 3000rpm in 4th is X mph) to be certain.

Gorgeous Tony I luv the silver you've got as well! I'm looking fwd to hearing your 'driver feedback' once you have that beast unleashed!

"I got the CV halfshafts with my LSD R200 " Mark, do you mean 300ZXT CV's or 280ZXT CV's? The 280ZXT CV's can be bolt in thru use of a CNC adaptor Scottie pioneered and I now offer. They tolerated Scotties power and I think we're all curious to see how they do at potentially higher levels (although I honestly didn't think we'd be seeing so many Z's with projected higher hp levels! ).

Sure Nate, you just use your OEM spring perch bead welds to support the collars. The easiest install involves leaving OEM perches as they are and putting collars etc above them. You don't have room to lower it to it's max but it's certainly workable and I've seen it done. A few minutes with a bench grinder or cut off tool ($13 at harbour freight) and you can remove most of the lower perch to gain the lower 1.5" or so of adjustment if needed. Any more q's feel free.

Larkja, you gained some braking force with your setup but minimal gain in fade resistance if pads are similar to previous compound. Those are toyota 4x4 calipers and sounds like you put them on OEM solid rotors. The OEM front solid rotors are relatively light and being unvented they'll absorb and retain heat generated from braking friction quite readily. This heat heads from the brake pad/rotor interface into your caliper and brake fluid, particularly once rotor gets quite hot as the heat will then reach out to any cooler objects (ie. caliper/fluid etc). Your pads will heat up beyond their functional level and your brake fluid will start to boil and thus both reactions (of which you may have only had boiling fluid) result in loss of braking. For further gains put some ducts on your backing plates or duct direct to your caliper if you want to stay with solid rotors. As Terry says it typically takes a higher level brake system to take the punishment you threw at it. Routine pad bedding varies among manufacturers. Typical routine for KVR's is 40mph to a stop (gradual braking) 5 or 6 times, then park it for at least an hour and then all's well after that:)