yellowoctupus

Yeah, it's weird that the link above didn't work. Brian's site's still there, and so are his prints! http://www.lainefamily.com/240Z_V8_Conversion-files/240Z_Conversion_Prints.htm http://www.lainefamily.com/240Z_V8_Conversion-files/240Z_Conversion_Prints.htm For some reason when I insert the link as a hyperlink on the forum, it redirects to some bogus site, when it's just pasted in as text, it recognizes it's a hyperlink and takes you to the right place.....

FYI to me: Wilwood PN's for the o-rings. If replacements are purchased from McMaster Carr etc, they should be EPDM. (Glycol, DOT brake fluid compatible). 210-1330 small: SAE dash number = 210-1328 large: SAE dash number = After years of rebuilding my old ( and definitely worn out) slave cylinder, I finally broke down and paid $80 for a new unit. Two weeks later, all the fluid's gone again. I'm hoping it just had old seals and they went bad. Wilwood sent me another set of o-rings, but I'm still not real pleased about this.

Ha ha, YES! I'm glad I'm not the only one this happened to. I don't think I had my louvers on yet, but I have a set on now. (No noticeable difference.) An interesting thing I found out last year is that if you keep your hatch open about 6" you will get air from the back of the car to flow forwards and out the front windows. I thought it it was a low pressure zone above/behind the hatch that it would draw air from the front windows, and flow out the back, but apparently there's still MORE low pressure by the front windows (coming off the windshield/front of the car). I don't have fume issues but it was weird to drive on the highway, have the windows and rear hatch open and have no perceptible air movement inside the car. The flow is low, but enough to create a high pressure pocket inside the car. You can put your hand 2-3" past the windows before you feel any turbulence again.

Why do you want the motor centered? I have mine about 1" offset to the passenger side and it's still REALLY tight getting the oil filter out.

I don't see why not. I didn't have a tubular xmember, but that would have saved some weight for sure.

I'm totally digging the intake build man! I'm planning on building an intake for my Mustang sometime soon, and love to see the ideas come together on serious homemade stuff like this. Thanks for posting pictures!

Neat. Where did you get your tubing from?

I know there's lots of info out on the net about making your own driveshaft so I thought I'd organize my go to links here. Depending on what you've got for parts and what tools you've got available a DIY driveshaft might be a good option. This should be your freakin' BIBLE when doing any driveline work: Dana Spicer Installation Manual Here's some links below that give some torque ratings and dimensions of different joints and just interesting reading: http://www.fourwheeler.com/how-to/1006or-universal-joint-cv-joint-transferring-torgue/ http://www.driveshaftspecialist.com/HTML%20measure/UJ%20ID%20Guide.html http://mad4wd.com/blog/?p=18 http://www.wallaceracing.com/driveshaftspeed.htm http://www.rockcharger.com/tech/partnumbers.html http://www.pssupply.com/ratingsp.html http://www.drive-lines.com/dana/tranny_applications.php?model=Ford http://www.therangerstation.com/Magazine/summer2008/ujoints.htm And one of the most concise DIY builds: http://www.fordmuscleforums.com/transmission-articles/493751-how-shorten-your-driveshaft.html#post1556196 Everybody seems to do steel, but if you have a tig welder, well, why not do an aluminum one? They're on Trucks, Explorers, Aerostars etc. http://forums.vintage-mustang.com/4361425-post57.html And, if you have yoke problems, remember you can always take material off, but it's a bi*ch to put back on!

Yup, I can agree with that. Brought up lots of times. http://forums.hybridz.org/topic/61000-ford-v8-conversion-writeup/ It's the first post pinned to the top of this forum. Read it. Read Brian Laines website too. I have a 4.6 in mine with a dual fan (Escort) with a stock 280z radiator, it always keeps the temp right around 200. Cold, hot whatever.

Keep them pictures coming! I love seeing other hardcore fab guys making stuff. Gets the ol' noggin going.

I have an older Craftsman Professional 1/4" Die Grinder that I got when my grandfather passed away, it's stronger than my air die grinder I'd say. Not sure it has the same top end RPM though... It might be something you could find reasonably priced on evilbay?

Yeah, I'm kinda wondering how Wilwood would know the stroke you have on an old Z car at the pedal vs. what you need at the clutch arm. If I can find them, I'll put up a picture of the excel sheet I used to figure out the right master cylinder / slave cylinder arrangement. (EDIT, Found it. ) I think you'll run out of travel at your master cylinder early based on my measurements on this post: http://forums.hybridz.org/topic/97812-460zgt-project-build/?p=983253 Master Cylinder "Determiner" Inputs 0.750 Pull piston diameter 1.400 Pull piston travel 0.750 Master cyl piston diam Outputs Master Cyl Travel 1.400 0.619 Volume (in3) Master Cylinder "Determiner" Inputs 0.750 Pull piston diameter 1.400 Pull piston travel 0.875 Master cyl piston diam Outputs Master Cyl Travel 1.029 0.619 Volume (in3) Master Cylinder "Determiner" Inputs 0.750 Pull piston diameter 1.400 Pull piston travel 1.000 Master cyl piston diam Outputs Master Cyl Travel 0.788 0.619 Volume (in3) SORRY about the crap format. Apparently this forum style doesn't like direct copy paste from Microsoft programs.... I just used the stock fuel lines. Literally, I don't think I even changed the fuel line length! I used the stock Z fuel filter and mounted it near where the battery tray is. I don't think I have a recent picture of that setup and how I mounted my MAF/ airfilter either. Why are you running a surge tank? To put a higher volume pump in? I'm not sure what the stock pump is rated for (gph at 36psi) but I seem to remember looking into it and realizing I would be fine.

Most excellent work so far. I'm guessing this is your write-up: http://community.ratsun.net/topic/54796-1974-260z-46dohc/ Couple of things to note, the Mark 8 headers are nice because you can 'work' (cut/weld) them for better exit angles to get around frame rails, steering and what not. Wish I had that option when I dealt with exhaust and my stupid cast manifolds. Make sure you have the master cylinder you need for that stroke. I know the wilwood slave only comes in one size; I had to run a 1" master cylinder to get the full stroke out of the slave after I put in a new clutch. A 3/4" MC would probably work with a worn clutch though, so be careful (especially if you can still return the 3/4" one...).

Cool another convert! Where are you on your swap? You realize that now YOU have to start putting up pics too The gauges took me too long to put in because I'm kinda anal. I trimmed down a bit of the speedo/tach pod to get things right, and they work pretty good now. I think I could have used two speedo pods and then the back lights would have been easier to work with, but I didn't want to chop up too many sets of gauges. Seeing how little they cost me, it really wouldn't matter, but oh well. They do work pretty well.

I'd guess about 600#. If I'm doing something that requires a truck, I'll grab my truck.

Great progress Ray. Are you planning on making some sort of jig to keep things square when you go to tack it together? I wouldn't imagine lining it up spot weld to spot weld would be good enough, and you'd need a really flat floor to get it to be a trusted line up datum. Any ideas? I like how your lift has a big label that says "LIFT" on it. Just in case you couldn't figure it out on your own.

http://forums.hybridz.org/topic/106433-trailer-hitches/ I added additional bracing to the last pictures on this thread (from 2012) because I could flex the 'big bumper' quite a bit by standing on the trailer ball. The new bracing went from the bottom of the receiver weldment to the trunk, between the rear valence and the spare tire well. It did wonders for stiffening it all up. I've towed a 6x8 trailer with it, but I normally use it for my receiver mount bike rack. I also slid a thin sheet of nylon reinforced rubber between the bumper and the hitch so it wouldn't rust from the two pieces of metal touching and beating up the chrome. So far so good.

You'll need more than just that one skinny guy pushing that Z around. I mean, downhill might be ok, but you'll totally get stuck trying to get into parking lots and stuff.

Minor update, been driving the car between 140-80mi/day depending on my mood, and I'm getting 24+mpg. Might have to find some bigger tires/different rear end gears to get some better mileage. Not bad for a V8, but I think it can be a bit better ~27? So, this is my radio control; it has an input (on top) output (going to the black wire, then right to the amp) and now a volume knob, so you don't have to fish around for the Mp3 player, walkman whatever that's the input to adjust the volume. The switch is the power switch to the amp so it's not just ON when you don't want to be jammin' :

Glad to see some action over here in tall tire land! I'm turning 2500rpm at 75mph, which is a little bit high for my likes for 140mi a day. I think the stock '96 Mustang GT (what my engine/trans came out of ) would be turning 2100 - 2200rpm at the same speed. I'm only getting 24mpg currently and want to see if I can squeeze something in the high 20's out. I rarely use 1st gear now anyways, except for starting on a hill, so I'm not seeing it being terribly detrimental from a performance standpoint. I like the tires on your purple turd, Zfan1. They really fill the wheel wells well. (sounds Iike I've got a speech impediment when I say that sentence aloud. ) I had a purple 65 Econoline van. What a great car color.

Just finished up the ultimate brake upgrade-- hydroboost! http://forums.hybridz.org/topic/111776-hydrobooster-application/

I pronounce this project a SUCCESS! I finished up the hoses, got a new belt (Napa 060604 13/16" 6 rib serpentine belt, 60 7/8" circumference) and topped it off with some ATF and after I pumped the brakes a dozen times while refilling the reservoir, (to fill all the lines, and the booster itself) a test drive almost put me through the windshield. Ha, no not quite, but they're probably the best brakes I've driven a car with. Super bite with very little driver pressure. I think the project total came to just under a $100, as the booster/master cylinder with three hydraulic lines came up to $65, and the new belt ran me almost $30, and it took almost a quart of ATF. That's cheaper than a rebuilt master cylinder!!! And, it had WAY more power. Since it was going to take about a week for the stock 96 Mustang hi pressure line to come in, I just made a braided one out of some random 3/8 line I had in the garage and some -6 JIC fittings. I'm pretty sure the stock Mustang line would have also worked, had the jerk who removed it not broken the end off. Admittedly though, it is really hard to get that high pressure line off the bottom of the pump. I heated up and bent a wrench to turn the fitting. Wish I had done that before going junkyarding. I think it took me 20mins to take off one fitting there. If you braize up your own fittings like I did, put the other end into a tin can full of water, it keeps it nice and cool, so it won't cook the o-ring that's in the Ford swivel. Ford power steering hoses have a peculiar sealing method which uses a 1 time use teflon washer to seal the fitting to the port. Since NO-ONE in town had them in stock, the guy at Napa found some really thin copper crush washers which actually worked perfectly. And they're $ 0.75 apiece, not $4. I was skeptical, but they're so tight on the fittings that they're difficult to 'thread' on. Napa P/N 1246. Not a drop out of any of the connections (qty 4 in my assembly).

Since I haven't had power brakes in this car for almost 5 yrs, I'm going to have to be super careful once this is all installed. Even driving my buddy's 240z with vacuum power brakes I slammed myself into the seatbelts just going down his driveway! I'm a little surprised I couldn't find anybody else on Hybridz that had done this yet; plenty of guys over at the factory five forums have however, which is where I got some of those diagrams posted earlier.

So, after about two dozen times taking the odometer drive all apart, and back together etc I finally got it working. Took three tachs at the junkyard before I found one with good gears. Guess this isn't such a rare failure, eh? One of the gears I got looks like it's already been replaced too. Beats the heck out of me paying for repops! The cheapest I could find was $43 for the set. Neither one is bigger than a nickle. Crazy. I also took about a day to spruce my gauges up, fixing the 'gaps' left at the bottom, and getting the turn signal lights working with the stock Datsun arrows and getting a check engine and hi beam light on. They look really good in the car, down in the pods you can't even tell there's seams from things being pieced together. This picture is with flash so you can see what I did to get things 'right': I had my haz lights on to get this one. Should have turned on the hi beams and ignition for the other two, but that's ok. T Bird Gauge Cluster, Mark VIII should also work. Make sure to pick one that has the odometer and trip on the same gauge face. Mustangs have them split and they run together on a long rod IIRC. Kinda weird, and not good for splitting into separate pods. Backside shots. I liked the way the gauge pod worked out using the deeper pod, and cutting the hole in the back, but the light bulb placement seems to be better on the speedometer. (brighter at night) maybe some higher output bulbs would help too. These light mounts were a pain, but as mentioned before, they were positioned better for the Ford gauges. Maybe just moving the bulbs around on the other pod would help too. They work nice and smooth, better than most aftermarket gauges I've dealt with. Not as 'quick responding' but also not jumpy. VDO inner mechanisms/ electronics.

I emailed hydratech in regards to something on their FAQ page: Q: Can I install this kit if my car does not have power steering? A: You must have power steering installed and operational in your vehicle in order for this system to operate. I expected a quick answer from them, but I got a big ol reply back the next day. Very on top of things, that's for sure and pretty helpful! START EMAIL: That is an interesting build you are running – can’t say I’ve heard of one before! Yes – you are correct in your notion that these types of systems can run stand alone (without actual power steering). I wish it was as simple as plugging the high pressure output port that goes out to the steering gear, but this would have the same basic overall effect as plugging the high pressure output port on the PS pump (which would deadhead the pump and fry it in less than a minute’s time). Since the PS pump output cannot be deadheaded and these brake units are designed to be flow through devices, the high pressure output must be allowed to flow back to the power steering pump. In a standard scenario with a steering gear involved, the high pressure output would flow through the steering gear and then return back to the reservoir. FYI - When eliminating the steering gear from the loop, there is no way for the plumbing downstream of the brake unit to pressurize, as there will never be a load placed against it. Spoken the other way around, the only line that could ever pressurize up in a scenario where the steering gear box has been eliminated is the HP line between the PS pump and the brake assist unit’s HP inlet port – it will pressure rise in response to how hard you apply the brakes as a function of basic hydraulic actions, but no other line will build pressures (just flow). Ok, if I haven’t lost you yet, the line that would normally connect to the steering gear HP inlet port will now instead be redirected to connect to the PS reservoir’s low pressure return. If running a full size Saginaw P for instance, you would take the fluid flow out of the HP port on the brake unit that you were thinking about plugging off (that would normally connect to the steering gear HP inlet port) and simply connect it to the low pressure return nipple on the PS pump housing. This would make you think that you should still be able to T the LP return line from the brake unit’s brass nipple together with the other line, but we have found it gets crabby. The workaround here is to install a second low pressure return line nipple into the PS pump housing to accommodate the LP return hose from the brake assist unit… If you are doing such on a mini pump running a remote reservoir, this item makes this a breeze to plumb: Reservoir without hose kit: http://www.pscmotorsports.com/gen-iv-6-hydroboost-reservoir-w-filter.html Fancy polished version: http://www.pscmotorsports.com/pro-touring-p-s-remote-reservoir-w-filter-for-hydro-boost-brakes.html With hose kit: http://www.pscmotorsports.com/gen-iv-8-25-hydroboost-resvoir-hose-kit.html (AN-10 pump feed nipple / AN-6 return nipples) * Run the high pressure braided line that would normally go to the steering gear to the silver AN6 nipple in the middle on the bottom of the tank, run the low pressure return line from the brake unit to the gold colored AN6 nipple on the bottom right side of the tank = presto! All set J Attached to this e-mail is a drawing / picture that might help picture on a Fed / Sag P + here is a link illustrating a mini pump arrangement (imagine eliminating the rack in this drawing): http://www.hydratechbraking.com/tech.html The installation of one of our systems into a standalone scenario (without actually running power steering) requires that an additional dedicated AN-6 nipple be installed into the PS pump reservoir. The second high pressure line (that would normally plumb to the steering box or rack) will now be returned back to the PS pump reservoir unused instead of connecting to a steering gear. It is suggested that this additional hose nipple be installed approximately 1/3 the way up the reservoir - 1/2 way up the reservoir is considered the max suggested height. In your case, since you already have a factory "hydroboost spec" pump with twin return line nipples, you could obtain a AN-6 steel nipple and braze it onto one of your existing push on type hose nipples. The reason that this needs to be a secure AN type line connection to the reservoir is because of potential pressure / flow variances that will occur when the braking is actuated and released - push on / clamped connections for this line CAN work, though is not recommended per possible hose blow off while in use. Unlike OEM assist units, our assist units are specially prepared (proprietary mods) to run well either with or without power steering without worry of unregulated pump flow characteristics. If you are performing a DIY installation using an OEM based assist unit, your results may vary... You would plumb the system as follows: * High pressure line from the PS pump to the assist unit inlet port as usual * High pressure line from the assist unit high pressure outlet port to the dedicated AN-6 nipple installed into the PS reservoir * Low pressure return line from the assist unit to the PS reservoir as usual (may use a simple push on hose and clamp connection) If you should decide to run power steering at a later date, you would then re-route the high pressure line from the brake assist unit down to the steering gear, then run the low pressure return line from the steering gear back to the AN-6 hose nipple already installed prior = quick, fast and easy change if desired down the road. Also, you cannot simply plug the second high pressure port, as this will dead head the PS pump and burn it up almost immediately. These systems are designed to be plumbed in series, and they therefore must be plumbed as flow through devices... Let me know what further questions may come to mind – feel free to call to discuss. Jim Petty Retail Sales Manager jim@hydratechbraking.com