z-ya

Since we are doing some vintage races next year we need an FIA cell. We are using an ATL SP115: http://atlinc.com/2010_Race_Catalog/page11.html It fits well and doesn't protrude below the body panels. Also will clear the period correct exhaust we will be running. The outer case is fairly old as you can see. It will get powder coated before final install. The bladder is new, as well as all the other gaskets and the check valve. We will box in the cell with 1" box steel. We are also going to recess the battery box into the floor to lower the CG more. This is the cover we ran with the old fuel cell. It fits good over the ATL cell. This is the old custom built cell we have been running for 5 or so years now. No fuel starvaton whatsoever. Built like a tank, but not FIA certified.

Ummm, duh (sorry). A crank trigger is against the rules in the class I plan on racing the car in. I have a compete crank trigger setup, and I would love to use it!

Nothing happens to that harness. Keep it if you want lights etc (oh, and power to the coil too..). The Megasquirt should be wired completely separate than the stock harness. For factory EFI cars, you need to remove the engine harness and stock ecu. For early Zs with carbs, there is no engine harness to remove (note engine harness, not engine room harness). Pete

This is what the Datsun competition manifold looks like:

It's not a Datsun Competition manifold as those only have one vacuum port (cylinder 6). Yours appears to have an additional vacuum log that connects the middle 4 cylinders. No vacuum can be used from cylinder 1.

The point isn't that this approach is better than a crank trigger. But it is better than using a welded distributor with a magnetic pickup.

Pretty cool. Is it going to be a diesel?

It's more than to just protect the engine, it is really for cutting fuel in case of a crash. I don't plan on loosing oil pressure as I'm using a Nissan comp pan with external pickup. I may also have an accusump in there as well.

You've got the same ashtray pocket as every other 240Z I've seen: Wiring the switches there is definitely more work, but having them there is convenient, and easy to get to. I'm also adding a low oil pressure switch to kill the fuel pump and ignition in case of oil pressure loss or crash. Pete

Look great Jon! Are you though about a top to the dash? I'm in the process or figuring out a dash for the Bad Dog, and I'm planning on a having a top that has the same krinkle finish. The main reason is glare. I've been in race cars with minimalistic dashes where the reflection off the windshield from everything behind the instrument panel is distracting. A solid black, low glare panel fixes that. The actual instrument panel will be satin black so that P-Touch labels will stick. Are you putting the switches on a panel covering the ash tray cup? I'm putting the start, fuel pump, and ignition switches there. Pete

I've been experimenting with different distributors to trigger an MSD 6AL2 programmable (6530): The nice thing about this unit is that you can control the timing curve when you lock the advance mechanism in your distributor. It also has boost retard and a rev limiter. Since I'm using it for an NA road race application, it's got everything I need. So for about $150 more than a standard MSD 6AL, I get complete control over the timing curve. So which distributor to use? I first took apart a 280Z distributor and welded both the mechanical and vacuum advance mechanisms. It triggered the MSD fine using the magnetic pickup input wires. Realizing I have a 280ZXT distributor, I figured why not use that? Might be a bit more precise than the mag pickup. Also, since it puts out a +12v signal, it should be effected less by electrical noise than a low voltage signal from a magnetic pickup. Below is how you connect the 82-83 280ZXT distributor to an MSD 6AL2. Pretty easy, and it works great. Remember to shield the +12v and signal wires from the distributor to the MSD. Here are the settings (in red) that you need to change to use the 280ZT distributor with the 6AL2: Her is a simple curve I used to test: It is what they call a "run retard" curve. So you need to time the distributor to the max advance you think you might need. I would suggest 38-40 deg BTC. Then you can retard the timing at whatever RPM point you want. The MSD interpolates between points to smooth the timing curve BTW. I plan on using this setup on my road race build. stay tuned as I will post dyno results in the spring.

I totally agree with your plan. Use what you have, and make the most of it. That is my plan for the build I am doing. Reliability is most important to me as I don't have a lot of money to throw around either. And I think that the moderators should create an "Engine" area under "Members Projects" for these kinds of threads. This thread is starting to get get clogged up with meaningless posts. I don't know about you, but I like to get to the point. Not spend a lot of time sifting through meaningless crap. If you don't have anything useful to add to the thread, don't bother posting. Rant completed.... Pete

I'm rewiring the race car this winter and removing the stock dash board. Here is a schematic I cam up with using the Cranston diagram link I posted earlier. club-car-schematic.pdf

Looking good!

The car needs to be back together by May. It also looks like it has a diesel water pump as it will not fit in another timing cover I have without the impeller hitting the timing cover.

duplicate

I'm listening Tony! I did that mod on the other engine. I guess plugging the hole in the block might be easier. The other thing I noticed last night is that there was no thermostat in the housing, and the outlet from the thermostat cover has an aluminum washer welded to it as a flow restriction: Also, if you look closely at this photo you can see that the -8AN welded to the water pump inlet: goes to a coolant tank: Also note about the -3AN line goingfrom the same coolant tank to the other side of the engine and to the thermostat housing: The other side of the -3AN Tee goes to the top passenger side of the radiator:

Maybe that is what Porterfield sent us this year. They were close, but they didn't fit right without a lot of hacking. Porterfield sent a replacement set with the correct backing plates. I'll give a set another try. Thanks, Pete

Yes, the vented make a big difference. I'm running the typical vented/4x4 V6 caliper on my 180WHP track car, and I never have any issues with overheating (stock drums in rear). Car is very fast in the turns though. The problem with the setup is a lack of pad options. There are many pad options out there for the 240Z calipers. Not so many for the 4x4 V6 calipers (if you've got some sources, please let me know). What I use is Porterfield R4 compound, but they are made to order for those calipers. They are not cheap. Many ITS racers have to use the stock brakes, so it is possible to find the right fluid and pad (lots of options) combination to turn fast lap times. You may need to flush the fluid after each session, but if you are not doing a lot of track days, it's not really a big deal. For autox, the brakes never get hot enough to matter. So it really depends on how serious you are about doing track days. For street and autocross, the stock brakes are great. The only upgrade I recommend is upgrading the booster on early 240Zs to the larger 280Z style. It requires drilling, but is worth it INO. Pete

More photos: Headers: Modified Nismo oil pan for external pickup: Nismo oil pump cover: Modified timing cover with crank trigger: Water passage blocked (any ideas why?): Nismo sprocket: Thermostat housing. Not sure where te -3AN lines would go. Ideas?

Chris, The entire car is freakin' beautiful. Rims, everything. We got plenty more coming up for powder coat.

They did run crank triggers back then, but in the GTU class. This is a C production car: This is GTU: I'd get my butt handed to me in the GTU class.

Hey Tony, My concern is ignition stability over that RPM and CR. From what I've read, anything over 7000RPM for a significant periods of time requires a crank trigger. L series distributors are not stable much over 7000RPM. I've got the crank trigger setup (see left most damper), but the two vintage organizations I want to run with require triggering from distributor. It basically has to be C production legal (or I'll be running with GTU cars). Again, I will do the things I've learned hear and by reading the books that are out there to build it to support 8000RPM. I'm not hung up on the vintage damper at this point. I may run a modern one, or one of these. I think it will come down to budget. So if I have to limit RPM, that is what I'll do. As far as the cam I've talked to a couple people an they suggested this grind. It's the same as the old Datsun competition cam. It's got decent midrange torque (which is good for some of the short tracks I run), and is much easier on the valvetrain than 590+ lift grinds. Anyway, I'm still open to suggestions. Thanks, Pete

I was thinking about using the Isky Z-196 cam: http://www.iskycams.com/pdfcatalog/2004-05/page176.pdf

Hi Josh, They are old, and they are dampers. And yes, they have rubber rings. I haven't given either of them a good inspection yet. I don't want to turn this thread into a damper discussion, so let's keep the discussions focused on the build as a whole. Thanks, Pete