Xnke

I've been looking around here and on the web for strut options. Yeah, we have lots of info for shortened strut tubes and inserts to fit, and for super-hard ITS/SSM/BBQ autocross spring rates, but other than just "I have the eibach spring kit" or "The tokico spring/strut kit has strange front springs" I am not coming up with much for a street Z. I have a set of 200lb/in coil springs that are the correct size for the 240Z. (Moog 6558's) They will have to be cut one or two coils to bring the ride height down a little, but hopefully they will help correct the body roll I'm getting in the back...That, and my rear stock springs are sagging pretty bad. Almost a two inch difference in height front-to-rear. My strut inserts seem to be fine, the car doesn't bounce or "float", but I've been told that stock and stock-replacement struts will not control the spring rates I'm looking at. I don't really feel the need for adjustables, nor can I really justify the price. Currently, I've been looking into the Tokico HP Blues, or the Bilstein P30-0032 with a spacer under the strut insert to take up the slack. I'm not really keen on the Tokico Illuminas, mainly because I'll end up just setting and forgetting...It's a street car. I drive it to work every day, and take it out in the county for some fun out among the bean fields. Currently looking at a 100$ to 140$ per wheel budget, and it's leaning to the Bilstein due to being rebuildable.

Pretty much all the really good headers for the LHD S30 are tight fits. It's part of the charm!

Yes, that's exactly what I said, Pat1. They had a bad batch make it out and they have been taking them back, and replacing/repairing them for free. Anyway, the Innovate and the 14point7 widebands are both pretty good, and inexpensive. I think the AEM uses a different sensor, but you can get the sensors (both types) from the local parts store. The Innovate one is the upstream O2 sensor from a 2004 VW Jetta, (at least that's the one I'm using.)

I don't see how so many people can't read the instructions that come with the Innovate LC-1. It says IN THE INSTRUCTIONS that you MUST ground the sensor ground wire to the same place all the other engine sensors are grounded...OR IT WILL NOT WORK. There are two grounds...one is a sensor ground, the other a power ground. Every LC-1 install that I've fixed, that didn't work (all seven of them, including mine for 8) was a grounding error. Yes, the grounding error can kill the controller. That's what happens when you suck 8 amps of heater current through the .08 amp sensor line. I know, there was a batch of LC-1s that made it out of the factory with a bad component inside the box. Innovate took them all back, and repaired them all for free. Anyway, I've run my LC-1 in my car every day for over a year now, with street use for the last four months. No Issues at all, once the grounding issues were taken care of.

the 240SX rotors that I am using are four-lug.

That is just a casting void. Nothing to worry about; it's not been welded or anything. Have the head pressure checked between the oil and water passages, just in case, because a casting void that size can possibly point to a poor casting. If it pressure tests fine, then I would run it.

Zmanco, the oil galleys flow such that if you block the lifter bores, you'll also starve the cam towers IIRC. I haven't looked at a P90 hydraulic head in a year or so, so if i'm wrong, I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure it's the case.

Right now, I'm fighting a charging issue or I'd have more data ready for this thread. I think i've narrowed it down to a weak battery; so hopefully I'll get more data in here soon.

Had another guy come to me needing a 2" mandrel exhaust for his V6 mustang, so went ahead and ordered some exhaust parts. Found a 2.5 to 2.5 merge collector; it necks down to 2.375 and I'll cone that back up to 2.5 for now. Later I can cut it back to 2.5" and cone up to 3" when I move to that point. Hopefully the tubes all fit where I want them (they measure out to that point right now!) and this will go in the car next weekend(or maybe the weekend after that, we'll see)

Don't screw them in too far or you'll block the oil passage to the cam bearings...don't block the oil holes in the bottom of the lifter bores.

If that's the case, then I can make a y-pipe, not a problem. I have read all over that a y-pipe is what I don't want to use with a header; but in this case I guess it'll work fine.

I'm pretty sure his handle here on HBZ is FP280Z, but he's a member here. Anyway, I'm fitting up the collectors probably next weekend; but am at an impasse. Do I buy a pair of merge collectors that are 1.625" x3 to 2" x1, or use the 1.625" x3 to 2.5" x1 that stahl sent with the header? I am running a 2.5" exhaust already; and don't want to move up to a 3" pipe yet...this one is only a few months old. I can't seem to find any 2 into 1 collectors that go from 2.5" in to 2.5" out, let alone any that are 2.5" to 2.25" that I could cone up to 2.5". I'm leaning toward the dreaded y-pipe...although if I could find the right bends I'd make a 12 or 15 degree merge.

With a stock 8.3 or so compression ratio of an E88 head says you'll need more lift, and not much more duration, and try to keep the overlap mild or you'll end up with a peaky cam that is a ***** to drive around town. I'd go with something about 450 lift, but 250 or 260 advertised duration. This will keep your dynamic compression up better, and not be such a dog around town. Maybe a little longer on the duration if the lobe centers are a little closer than the usual 110-112. I am running Delta Camshaft's 480/280 grind, advertised as a .480 lift and 280* duration, and it's actually a .455" lift, 232*@0.050" lift cam, and I feel like I need more compression ratio, even at 9.7:1. The cam really doesn't wake up till 3300RPM, and lopes like a lame pirate at 800RPM. Good thing is the car loves 87 octane with a full-on timing map. I could push a little more timing with 89 or 93, but I may just pull the head and have the local guys skim a few more thou. Now, that said...if I could get it setup with a little closer lobe centers, for less overlap, It would be better behaved under 3300, and not need the higher compression...but I don't know exactly what would happen between 3300 and 7500...which is EXCELLENT right now. It's neat...tach climbs up from 1000 to 3300...then SLAMS across the dash to the 7500RPM rev limiter in 3rd gear...I can't imagine what a lighter flywheel would do.

Oh, so the Death Metal Datsun is yours? Those are the photos I've been working from.

Josh, the secondary length is just as important. What you don't see is that the primary tubes are about 10" too long...so you can adjust the total length of the primary/secondary to match bank-to-bank.

Yeah, that's why they are out as far as they are now. I'm trying to avoid pulling down the Z any longer than I have to, but this weekend It's getting a new intake/exhaust gasket, and I'm going to get the primaries fitted into the car.

I don't get it...Every S30 propshaft I've worked with I have replaced the U-joints in. I just did it a few days ago. Why does everyone seem to say they are not replaceable???

Nope. Not even close, gotta come in a LOT more at the bottom. From what I have been able to work out, the #5 tube only clears the block by about a half inch. Johnc, do you have a set of these on a car that you can see how far off the block the #5 primary sits?

I tacked the primaries up to the header flange this evening, and then when I got them all aligned tacked the tubes up where they lay alongside each other in six places, on each set of primaries. When the car comes home Thursday I'll pull the intake and exhaust, and start fitting them.

Sure, that's understandable. The only spots I'd be worried about welding distortion are at the head flange, and you're right...the possibility is significant. Welding the primaries into the collector can be done fairly cool, since they are thin. Same thing happens to .093" CroMo tubing when welded too hot into FSAE Baja runners too...only then the whole frame skews and you're NOT going to move it short of cutting and welding again...Been there, done that. Crew even made a T-shirt with the statement "But Joel, I measured six times, and cut twice!" on it. (Joel was the Mechanical Engineering Department Head, and oversaw the FSAE teams.) My initial reaction to your statement about the jig was more to the tune that I'd never be able to get the tubes placed correctly, which is why I responded as to how it only fits one way. Now I've looked at the photos some more and see the worry about the floor pan. I figure it'll clear the steering shaft, as it's not a full 1-3/4" unit and Jere said there was a 1-7/8 tube version available as well, so if there was enough room to make those fit then the 1-5/8 ought to be less fussy to fit. We'll see. I definitely will measure six times and cut twice. I have called Cone Engineering today and spoke to a gentleman about getting a pair of 3-1 and a 2-1 merge collectors, transition cone, and the bullet vanes to match, for a very reasonable sum of money. MUCH better pricing than SPD or Burns, however there is more assembly required. The Cone Engineering collectors are 9* merge units, as opposed to the approx 20* units supplied by Stahl. I'll use them on another project in the future I'm sure.

No, the price was more than 280$. Jere said it'd be 260$, plus shipping...Judy quoted me a much higher price. All told, shipping included, the parts in the photos came out to be 365$. So far, JohnC, I haven't needed a jig. the header tubes are bent such that you CAN NOT assemble the header wrong, it just won't work. The only variable that I will need to jig for is the distance from the flange to the first bend; and that will wait till I get the car back in MY shop instead of my buddy's shop, 45 minutes away. But what I'm saying about it being not possible to put it together wrong...here's what I mean. start with the #4, #5, and #6 tubes, and tie-wire them together where the primaries fit parallel, going into the collector. They have a kick bent into them that will only let them fit one way...don't try to line up the cut tube ends, they don't line up. Lay them out on the table, with the flange, so they are roughly lined up with the holes. Make the minor adjustments to the bends needed to get the head sides of the primaries where they need to be, square to the head. I had to tweak the large radius bend in #6, it was a little tight. #5 was fine. I squashed the tube ends just enough to get them into the flange, and had to cut and turn #4 a few degrees, because it was twisted a little and I don't have the tools to twist that tube without kinking it. Now, all the tubes come together and fit each other properly, and fit into the head flange correctly. I tacked up the three tubes, and tie-wired them together tightly in four spots. Take Note! I have the tubes tacked to the header flange for JIGGING ONLY!!! I am NOT going to be welding the tubes in until I get the flange bolted in the car, and can snake the primaries in and make sure they are tilted correctly to clear the frame...I have a spare block and head laying on the work table right now, to make sure the tubes clear the block. That DOESN'T MEAN the tubes will clear the steering shaft! The #1, #2, and #3 tubes will be a little trickier, but again, they will only fit together ONE WAY. The only angle that you can adjust is the angle that the tubes meet the flange, and that should be square in two axis, so it's not really adjustable. The only distance you can adjust is the distance from the head flange to the first bend, which you can do from trial assembly in the car a few times. It may not be necessary, really...mine looks long the way it's tacked up now, but it's not THAT long...and it'd be really really easy to get to the bolts as-is.

I just got my parts today, I'm going to go take a photo for you. Ok, here are two photos. You really can't mess it up badly, all the tubes are labeled. I might replace the collectors with different or better units...these look a little "rushed".

JohnC, is that 28-32" length just the primary tubes, or would it also include the secondary tubes in a 6-2-1 header? I.E., pipe from the head to the primary collector 28" long, or pipe from the head to the secondary collector 28" total? I'm trying to get a handle on just where to bring the 2.5" collectors together on the new header...it has 30" primary tubes, and the collectors are about 8" long from there...

And good luck getting them. I just called the Smyrna office Friday to see about ordering them and they told me they are NLA in either size, with no estimated return to non NLA status anytime soon.

Yep. I placed my order for 1 5/8" pipes this last tuesday. You're going to be lucky to get it in a month, because they don't have any more 2.25" collectors...I tried to order them and they said they were out, but would have more in the middle of july. So, the packing list includes: L28 Square Port Flange 1 5/8" Primary tubes 2.5" collectors 2.5" collector bend You know, those Stahl headers look awful close to the old Clifford header...the only difference being that the Clifford has 3-bolt flanges on the collectors, where the Stahl has a bend and two parallel pipes. Stahl Header: Clifford Header: