Pop N Wood

If you are at all worried about smog, then might want to check into you local laws (BTW I use to live in Bremerton). LS1's are OBDII. There have been members who sold there LS1 Z's because the referee said the car needed ABS sensors.

I was going to say. Any kind of mechanical slop could cause what you are seeing. Worn distributor gear, bad bushings, slop in your timing chain, stuck vacuum advance. Might have a broken or missing screw on the dist hold down plate.

So there you have it, a call for open-mindedness followed by a bashing. I share some of your thoughts on conservation, but which side of the fence are you on here? When you read something you disagreed with, you lashed out the same way others condemned your opinion. No difference whatsoever. If everyone played by the rules in your 1st paragraph we'd be more in the spirit of Hybrid Z, rather than the alternative. Well, you know, I tried quoting Wordsworth and it went unnoticed, so I had to turn to the sound bite. And I don't think that last part is bashing. Probably could have worded it in a less inflammatory manner, but I was trying to point out a genre of people who are incapable or unwilling to see any perspective outside their own. Couple that with politicians the like of Hillary “don’t worry I know what is best for you whether you know it or not†Clinton and it is not hard to imagine why people get defensive when their whole way of life is attacked. I honestly don’t care who agrees with my opinion, but at least support your arguments with some sound analytical conclusions. And one more thing. People are complaining about the needless suffering of the animals and talk about giving then a humane death, and at the same time deriding the hunters for using high power, high tech, “scoped†rifles to gain an unfair advantage. Well guess what: the bigger and more accurate the rifle the greater the chance of making a clean kill. And one last thing, we are not the only “animal†that kills for some reason other than food. Dianne Fossy chronicled a tribe (pack? Clan?) of Chimpanzees that actually went to war with another group, killing off all the males using weapons and stole the females. Ever seen that video of the killer whale tossing a seal about in the surf? Lions will routinely attack hyenas, partly to gain territory but also out of spite. Male lions will kill their own young if they are males. A house cat will kill a mouse not out of hunger, but simply because that is the way God made them. Even generations of domestication cannot breed that instinct out of them. We as humans can strive for more, but who are we to think we are above millions of years of evolution?

We might want to tone down the rhetoric or this thread will be gone. Maybe I got a little too metaphysical before. The non-hunters in this thread are not doing a very good job of listening. That is why they can't see why anyone would condone hunting. You try and project all types of reasons why someone would hunt and don't listen to why they actually do, then make all kinds of emotional arguments against it without facing many of the essential facts of the matter. Sort of reminds me of the hybrid vs purist thread..... Are you people really that wrapped up in your own little worlds that you can't see there might be other perspectives? Are you truly so arrogant as to believe that man is some "majestic being" and not just another part of the natural cycle of life and death? Can't you see the natural part hunters play in the balance of nature? You guys complain about duck hunters, yet the if it wasn't for hunter groups like Ducks Unlimited there would not be anywhere near the habitat for ducks today. Did you know there are more deer in the US today than when Columbus landed? Have you read about the number of people who have been eaten by mountain lions in California since they banned hunting a few years ago? Do you honestly think it is better for game animals to die of starvation and disease due to overpopulation then to have their population controlled by hunting? How is it somehow more acceptable to have game wardens and park rangers culling the animal populations? Do you honestly think that is why they became game wardens and park rangers? Who are the freaks of nature? The people who recognize the cycle and rhythm of nature, or arm chaired, overly analytical, pony tailed Hillary wannabes who don't like hunting because it is icky? Perhaps it is the guy who thinks it all boils down to penis envy. Wanna talk about issues? One last thing. To any of you guys who think that was a "easy" shot I defy you to attempt the same. You are really marginalizing something that is very, very difficult. I know you won't believe that. But just because you don't understand that doesn't make it any less true.

I like that quote too.

Boy, I tell you. There are few misunderstandings as great as non-hunters perception of hunters. Two quick quotes. The first from Wordsworth “One impulse of the vernal woods Will teach you more of man, Of moral evil and of good Than all the sages can†The second is paraphrased from a Jacques Cousteau special where he warned people to not inject put too much human emotion into interpreting nature phenomenon. He said in nature things are never cruel, “they simply areâ€. We have allowed ourselves to become pretty detached from our primal roots. That is why so many people have such a difficult time with the whole concept of the hunt. But that is exactly what most experienced hunters are seeking when they go into the woods and attempt to live and think like the animals there. As Wordsworth said, put down the books, turn off Dr Phil and get out and be a part of nature. But on this particular episode itself…. Couldn't agree more. These guys were a bunch of bozo’s. Funny how everyone picks up on the scope as some type of unfair advantage. I was thinking they would have been much better defended with iron sites and say a 375 H&H firing solid bullets. But still, I think many people don’t realize how difficult it would be to hold a steady shot with a pissed off, wounded male lion charging directly at you. These guys obviously failed the grade since they failed to drop the animal before it hit one of them. So do you condemn all hunters because these guys were ill prepared for their hunt? As far as fair. Some years ago there was an NBA guy they got out of Africa. The announcers were all amazed that as part of a tribal tradition, he had killed a lion with a spear. All the announcers made a big deal out of this, when finally one asked him if he really stared down a lion with a spear. The player laughed at him and told him you don’t face the lion when he is awake. You wait until they are asleep, sneak up on them and stab them in the side. That would take bigger balls then I have. But I suppose there are quite a few who would dismiss it as cowardly.

Word of warning, 4 wheel drive cars spin just as readily as 2 wd.

Man, you guys don't know what you are talking about. A lion is a tough animal to kill. Pretty well illustrated by this video. Takes some pretty big cojones to remain calm in the face of a charging lion. Those guys were a bunch of yahoo though. Lucky they didn't shoot each other in that conflaguration. Looks like they brought underpowered weapons too. Funny remark about the supermarket. Guess if you don't see the animal killed that somehow sanitizes the whole affair.

That is always my problem with the "All Nissan" argument. What makes engines different than strut cartridges? I think it is the automotive equivalent of penis envy. They don't want to admit their power plants might be inferior or lack sufficient thrust. So they have to resort to the "what woman would enjoy something that big anyway" argument. To use an American engine would somehow be an admission that Nissan didn't get it right. But the same could be said for an RB engine....

I have often thought about adding some removable tow bar mounts on my Z. Figure I could fabricate some square tubing to attach to the engine rails and extend through the radiator opening to the front. The tow bar would then be the next size smaller square tubing held in place with pins (like a Reese hitch). Could then insert some plastic end caps for normal driving. Have seen similar set ups behind RV's where the car mount is two metal tabs. This kind of thing scares me because I would sure hate to use a trial and error method to learn my tow bar needed tubing one size stronger. Search a few RV web sites and see what commercial stuff is available for towing a car behind an RV.

Electric fans are kind of a reoccuring theme with me so I know I sound like a broken record. You are absolutely right, if you can run with your electric fan off then you are putting less drag on the engine. Hence my "doing the same amount of work" caveat. But keep in mind that is what the clutch assembly on a mechanical fan is suppose to do so the difference is not as great as some people expect. But my point is power is power. It doesn't matter whether it is electrical or mechanical, it all has to come from burning gasoline in the engine. ("Energy can be neither created or destroyed...") The only way an electric pump or fan saves you energy is if it is not pumping the same amount of water or air. So the only reason a mechanical pump/fan would be inefficient is if it is pumping more than you need. The same savings could be realized with smaller mechanical device, but then you are giving up cooling capacity. Hence my personal aversion to electric fans on street cars: you are generally trading cooling capacity. But, as pointed out to me by many different members, a good electric fan with a proper sized radiator AND the alternator capacity to run it is more than adequate for a V8Z, so why worry about it? Comes down to personal prefference at that point. Now for drag racing you can put in an alternator cut out switch and just run everything off the battery. This uses energy stored in the battery thus freeing up some HP for the rear wheels. But that is not really a fuel savings because the engine will just have to work that much harder to charge the battery back up once the alternator is cut back in.

It is called "painting the scene" ....

Distributors are yesterday's technology. Hopefully they will soon go the way of mechanical points. Don't know what the unit above will cost, but a crank trigger and coil packs are the way to go.

I'll bet you a dollar you won't see a measurable change in fuel mileage from the lower friction of roller rockers. You will probably spend more money to upgrade the rockers then you will ever see in fuel savings. And yes, the idea that electric fans/water pumps save gas is BS provided they are doing the same work as there mechanical counterparts. Think about it. If alternators didn't put load on the engine, why not hook up 10 of those bad boys and power your house for free? Unfortunately most changes you make to conserve gas comes at the expense of HP. David Vizard wrote a book about building for economy and power. Might be worth a look.

Good article on Boyd Coddington on MSNBC http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5122361/ Be sure to check out the slide show of his top 10 cars. The link is at the end of the article

Well if you didn't have head gasket problems before, you probably do now. Sounds like you just ran out of water. Temp gages measure water temp and typically don't work if there is no coolant flowing over them. Once the engine starts to cook then they can register from the surrounding metal getting so hot. But if you overheated, then there is a very real possiblity of warping a head. Ask me how I know these things. Check to see if any coolant is in the oil. If the oil is brown/looks like a milkshake, then something in head may have failed dumping coolant into the crank case. If the oil is OK, find and fix the coolant leak. Do a compression check on the engine to look for a blown/leaking head gasket. If one or more cylinders have low compression OR you have water in your oil OR oil in the coolant, then pull the heads and have them checked for being warped/cracked. Running an engine with an empty radiator can also cook bearings so if the heads need work might as well do a rebuild. I have known several people who have destroyed engines by overheating. Good luck.

I would restore mine, but I can't afford it. Aftermarket stuff and a functional paint job is cheaper. When I first got my Z I joined a car club in CA. I went to the meetings and listened to people roll off laundry lists of the aftermarket parts they had on their Z's. One guy in particular wanted 300 HP out of his engine, but was worried about how streetable it would be. I told him just go with a V8. The table fell dead quiet. I had 10 people staring at me with this deer in the headlights look, when finally the guy wanting 300 HP said "No, I want to keep it all Nissan." Needless to say, I was confused. I asked the guy when was the last time he bolted a stock Nissan part on his Z. He couldn't answer me. He simply didn't know. I liked Pete's comments about the Z being a modifiers car. I am sorry, but IMO a dead stock 240 is not much to drive. There is too much rubber in the front end, the aerodynamics are not right, the floorpans too flexible and you will be at a very serious disadvantage if you stick with the something like 7 inch stock rims with bias ply tires. At a minimum putting it to European standards (front spoiler, stiffer springs, recurved distributor and 5 speed transmission) will keep it "all Nissan" but still illustrates what compromises Nissan made brining the car into the US. And none of that compares to the garbage side moldings and decals US dealers slapped on the cars to jack up dealer profit. The early Z's are a masterpiece of value engineering. And maybe they are Picassos, but IMO they are unfinished ones.

I agree with you, Nic. But unfortunately doesn't matter how well you tune, if you don't have the EGR, cats, air pump, heat riser tubes etc etc you will fail the visual. That is all a cop harrassing you on the side of the road will look for. And if you get too agressive with the cam, then no amount of tuning in the world will make you pass the tail pipe. Several years back I took my 1970 in for smog with a siezed air pump. The air pumps on those old ones are hard to come by, hence expensive. I figured no problem, it will be more than $50 to fix so I will get an exemption. Wrong. Turns out the belt driving the air pump is a required piece of smog equipment. I called the California DMV and told them I my problem. They told me the belt had to be in place for the test. They didn't care how much noise it was making or if it threw the belt a half mile down the road, as long as the belt was in place during the test. I just bit the bullet and bought a new pump. BTW, fart sniffers measure the percentage of of emissions per liter of air. I have always though if I plumb enough air pumps into the exhaust, that I could get those percentages down to nothing. As a chemical engineer working in a nuclear power plant once told me, the solution to pollution is dillution.

Keep me in mind when you are ready to sell. Price sounds resonable.

From what I have read, the Pirus is really no different than the Honda. Neither car can be run on the electric motor alone. They both use the gas motor to drive the vehicle and the electric for regenerative braking and to supplement the gas motor. The idea of a "series hybrid" sounds more like what they should be building. But I am not aware of any cars actually doing that. But I did just notice the Ford Escape will offer the same gas engine in a vehicle without the electric. I guess they do change the valve timing in the electric hybrid version, but it will answer my question about what type of mileage the car without the electronics will get. And unlike the Toyota or the Honda, it can run on the electric motor alone. IMO, the current round of Hybrids are a gimick to satisfy the environmentalist. They are not really needed if all we wanted to do is save gas. Honda use to make a CRX that got 54 mpg. As far as fuel cells and dependence on forgien oil, I really don't think they will do much to help the problem. You still need an energy source to run the power plants. Coal comes with it's own issues, not the least of which is cost. Nuclear in the US is dead. I also don't think most people realize how much of our electricity comes from crude oil and natural gas. And there are quite a few people who feel that powering cars off the electric grid only shifts the problem some where else so that idea gets no support from the Seirra clubs of the world. Gasoline cars will be around for the next 100 years. But I believe the days of the average American teenager getting his first beater at 16 may be numbered. My kids almost certainly will, but I don't know about my great grandkids.

Man, you guys are maniacs. No way you could replace floor boards in a day. Read through some old posts. There is ALWAYS more rust than you think. I think it would take a full day of cutting just to determine how much you really need to remove. You will need to move fuel lines, brake lines, carpet, undercoat, seats, seat belts, etc. And remember you will be doing all of this flat on your back while scraping rust chips out of your eyes. Don't just speculate. Find one person who has done it in a day (or even weekend). Highly doubtful.

Regenerative braking is the only way the hybrid regains anything positive. The electric motor can't be used continuously, since it would quickly run the battery down. And guess where the energy comes from to charge the battery? There is something to be said for having the 30 extra HP for brief spurts of acceleration. But the Birkenstock crowd isn't really worried about passing people anyway, and no one on this board will be impressed with the combined 130 HP so what is the point? I can't believe regenerative braking buys much. Hence the example of driving an Ohio freeway. Naw, they got the hybirds backwards. Make an electric car that has a constant RPM gas engine running a generator. You could then tune the snot out of the engine to run efficiently at that one speed, or turn the gas engine off half way home and plug the car in at night to recharge with minimal pollution. As for hydrogen fuel cells being a battery, that is exactly the case. Just another storage medium that has the double advantage of being extremely efficient and non-polluting. The problem is where do you get the energy to recharge the pig? You are back where you started. The only thing fuel cells are an answer to is pollution. And I don't think fuel cells will do anything to cut down on our electrical transmission infrastructure since they are geared toward different markets. Fuel cells will impact the gasoline distribution network, but private homes and factories will still need a massive electrical grid. In the 70's there was a huge shift away from gas and oil power plants. This was due to the high price of oil and gas relative to coal and even nuclear. In the 80's gas got cheap again, coal got more expensive because of enviromental regulations and nuclear got regulated out of existence. Now we are back where we started with a significant percentage of our electricity being generated by oil and gas. The difference this time around is all of our nuclear plants are approaching the end of their lives since we haven't started a new one since the 70's.

People keep trying to manipulate and mandate the energy markets and it simply does not work. Has been proven time and again. Supply and demand always gets them in the end. Mark my words: we are about to relive the 70's. Has been coming for some time now. We are too dependent upon oil again and we are simply due for another correction. People want to encourage alternate energy sources, but as long as gas is a cheap as it is they will never make it. Think about it. We live in a nation that pays more for bottled water than gasoline. Solar power, wind power, fuel cells. All nice and dandy. But the fact remains they are considerably more expensive than fossil fuels. Technology and economy of scale may bring the price down some. But the only thing that will make them viable is when fossil fuels get too expensive making the alternate "cheaper" in comparison. And how does anyone think fuel cells will reduce our dependence on anything? Where do you think the energy comes to charge the fuel cell? How do you make hydrogen? Taxes and government subsidies do not make energy cheaper. They simply shift the expense to someone else. The only thing they can hope to do is encourage people to conserve, and supply and demand will take care of that with time. Biodeisel and gasohol may have it's place. But like someome posted here some time ago, look at the numbers. Convert the entire corn crop into alcohol and you will supply the US with gasoline for something like a day. It will barely make a dent. The price of gas will fluctuate over time, but let's face it. Short of some break through in fusion, the only way sure way we can avoid rising gasoline prices is to reduce our consumption. And like it or not, supply and demand will make that happen. One last thing. The current incarnation of hybrids make no sense to me. They still derive all of their energy from the gasoline motor. The great mileage and low emissions is because they built a truely efficient gas engine. The electric part is just a gimmic to make people feel good. I have often wondered what kind of mileage a Toyota Prius would get if you ripped off the 110 pound battery and associated electronics and just ran it on the gas motor. Think about it. Put on the cruise control and drive through Ohio and all the "hybrid" part is contributing is excess weight.