74_5.0L_Z

I run 275/35-15 Hoosier or Avon 23x10.5-15 on all four corners. That size works pretty well and is the limit that I can run with struts and the SubtleZ body kit. If I had the SLA suspension, I would use wider wheels limited only by the body work and tire availability. I feel like 10 inch wide front wheels are perfect for these cars, but the rear could use a little more.

I still have struts on all four corners. Because of this, I am limited to how much backspace I can accommodate with my wheels. All four of my wheels are 15x10 with 5.25" backspace. I run 3/8" spacers up front and none in the rear. So, a 15x10 is actually 11" wide, and a 5.25" backspace is equivalent to a -.25" offset. If you look at the steering geometry of the strut suspension, I have a fairly significant scrub radius. Having a large scrub radius causes a couple of problems. First, the tire sweeps forward and backward as it goes though the range of steering motion. This can cause the tire to contact the fender / air dam. Second, if you have sufficient caster, the tire will rise and fall significantly causing weight jacking effects. If I had the sla front suspension, I would try to adjust to fit the wheel with the most positive offset that I could get. This would minimize scrub radius and maximize control arm length. You will get less weight jacking as you turn the steering wheel, and the wheel will rotate about a point closer to the center of the contact patch.

A few pictures from the last time the engine was out

The front plate mid plate set-up was way easier than regular motor mounts. I originally used stock mounts, but switched to the motor plates when I decided to make it purely a track car. The front plate is 1/4" aluminum and sandwiches between the water pump and timing cover. The rear plate is .090" steel and sandwiches between the block and bell housing. The front plate on mine attached to tabs welded to tubes at the front strut towers. The mid plate is attached to two tabs welded to the frame. I use a regular rubber transmission mount. You can buy front and mid plates for the SBF that have the water pump and bell housing bolt patterns already machined. The plates come with a lot of extra material that allow you to trim to fit about anything.

I love my front plate/mid plate mounts. It opens up lots of room under the engine and stiffens the front structure. The downside is that you hear and feel everything from the drive line.

Thanks for the reply. The backspacing on those wheels isn't compatible with my bodywork. I would need a zero offset (or close to it) to work. I'd never heard of Atara Racing wheels before. They look interesting. I'd be interested to know the specifications they adhere to for there manufacturing.

It looks like the radiator in your picture has the lower outlet in the wrong side. I use a Griffin 24x19 P/N 56202-XS with the driver's side lower outlet. I had them make it with the inlet angled straight out of the core rather than angled. The radiator snugly fits into an aluminum frame that is bolted to the frame rails, and is retained by the hood when it is closed.

Is that a 6 groove or 8 groove serpentine? I wish I could find a forward rotation pump the works with the SN95 Timing Chain cover. That would simplify the belt routing. I would love to lose the upper pulley/tensioner on my set-up. I'm always happy to simplify and lose weight. I'll reach out to the FlowKooler folks and see if they can provide a forward rotation pump for the SN95 timing chain cover.

Do you have a forward rotation water pump? Most are reverse rotation with serpentine belt. If you try to run a reverse rotation pump forward, you won't be circulating water through the engine. Also, I would start fresh with the wiring. Don't try to reuse the original fuse block or any of the under dash wiring.

I don't have experience with the EPS. I am interested. I do autocross with wide tire 275/35-15 on 15x10 wheels on all four corners. While moving, the effort to turn the steering wheel isn't terrible. I try not to turn the wheel while the car isn't moving because I feel that I might over stress the steering rack. The 280Z has a slower rack than the 240Z. For autocross, I would swap to am240Z rack. I measured the difference between the racks in a thread several years ago. Going from memory, the 280Z rack moves 1.59 inches per revolution of the steering wheel, and the 240Z rack moves 1.81 inches per revolution of the steering wheel. The faster rack would benefit more from the power steering, but is usable without as long as the vehicle is moving.

Congratulations. These old cars are a lot of work, but worth the effort.

When I installed my cam, I had the engine on a stand with heads off, and used a dial indicator to find top dead center as accurately as I could. Once I found TDC on the #1 cylinder, I made marks between the rear flange of the crankshaft and the back of the block. Later, when I went to install the harmonic damper, I verified that #1 was at TDC, and that the timing marks were properly aligned with the timing indicator. They aligned perfectly. I'm using a Romac Balancer on a Ford 5.0L Stroker. The factory balancers have a rubber ring between the hub and the outer ring where the timing marks are located. The rubber fails and then the outer ring slips relative to the center hub. After that the timing marks are arbitrarily located and no longer consistent. Long story short: Find and verify TDC, and make sure the balancer marks can't slip.

You're probably going to wish that you had put some beads on your intercooler pipes. You will likely have the rubber/silicone couplings blowing off under boost.

I'm looking for a set of good undamaged wheels to mount a second set of tires for my car. I'm hoping for some 15x10 through 15x11 with at least 5 inch back space. My current wheels have the 4x114.3 PCD. I would also entertain 16 or 17 inch wheels. I would also entertain wheels that can be made to fit using spacers/adapters. Let me know what you have and how much you want. Thanks.