sstallings

If you can get away with a .010" grind an polish you can use easy toi find oversize bearings and probably not have to re-balance. That should be cheaper than a new crank. But... if you want to upgrade to a forged crank, lighter rods, new pistons, or a 383 stroker kit, this would be the time to do it, and re-balance it all togther as a rotating assembly. Depends on how fast you want to spend (to steel a quote from another member). Steve

The waranty question is a good one. I hadn't considered that. I guess I'll have to make one more call to Sanderson tomorrow. I ordered my headers from JTR this morning, but their currently on back order from Sanderson anyway, so I'll be able to work this out in time. Thanks for the great question. Maybe I can work out a deal between JTR and Sanderson for this option with warranty. Steve P.S. I'm starting to go through the bottom end of the 98k miles 5.7L TPI this weekend to refresh the bearings, rings, oil pump, timing chain, seals and gaskets in preparation for the conversion. It shouldn't be too many more months before it is sitting in the Z engine bay. The only unknown potential issue will be bores once I remove the heads - I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I won't be going to the machine shop as well.

Guys, Regarding the flaring tools & fittings, there is only one concern regarding getting a good seal: Double flaring (like on brake lines, as was already mentioned) is usually for high pressure in steel lines at a 45 degre flare angle. Single flaring is used on stainless steel lines brake lines and aluminum or steel fuel lines with -AN fittings at a 37 degree flare angle. I'm not sure which angle those propare/natural gas fittings are, but make sure they are the same as your flaring tool to get a good seal. Also, they are designed/intended for lower pressure than brake lines, so I would never use them in that application, but they should be okay for EFI or carberated fuel lines. Steve

Guys, I just spoke to Sanderson and JTR about headers. Sanderson sells their CC5 headers to JTR and they are 5 degrees tighter to the block than the CC90s. According to JTR, they also clear the temperature sensor as far as they know. I'm buying mine plain, then adding the EGR tubes. After they're finished, I can get them ceramic coated by JTR, Sanderson, or another local vendor here in SoCal. Sanderson can add the EGR tubes for a price of about $100, but they won't carry an EO number for CA smog, so I'm going to do my own and see what happens with the emissions referee station. I'll keep you posted on this site. Thanks for the feedback. Steve

Okay guys, it's pretty lean pickings when I'm the only guy to reply to my own post in 4 days, but... I spoke to Sanderson today and they recommend their CC90 block hugger headers for 280 Z conversions. Does anyone have any experience with these? Do they fit well? I did find out that they are available with, or without EGR tubes, and from plain steel to painted, plated, or ceramic coated. Help me out so I can buy the right stuff the first time. Thanks, Steve

Guys, I recently picked up a '90 Pontiac Firebird Formula 5.7L TPI & C5 that has full length headers with dual cats and EGR tubes. The car passed CA smog inspection that way in December. These headers don't look like Edelbrock or SLP, and I can't find anything on the Web that looks quite like them. The owner thought they might be by Rewarder, but their site doesn't have anything similar either. They probably won't fit in the Z chassis anyway, so I'm looking for other options: 1) A set of block huggers with EGR tubes that will fit the Z? 2) A set of block huggers that I can weld these EGR tubes onto? Will that pass CA smog? 3) Any other ideas I haven't considered? 4) Last resort, a set of stock iron exhaust manifolds with EGR tubes? Does anybody have a set available? Whatever I end up this will get ceramic coated when finished, so let's hear from you guys that have already been down this path. Thanks, Steve

Quick answer to your last question (the difference between priming and just cranking the engine) is that with the first methods discussed, only the oil pump is spinning until you get some pressure and flow through the engine. If you rely on cranking, the pistons, rods, cam, lifters, rockers, and valves are also moving through their full motion without oil flow. Even if you used a good moly-based assembly lube, you don't want everything to run dry before you get some pressure and adequate flow to the top end of the engine. Priming the pump is good, cheap insurance.

Leave it to the Cadillac division to come up with the innovative stuff. They had a V12 in the works in 1968 based on the 472-500 cid V8s that was shelved/killed by CAFE and EPA rules at that time. It was going to be a 12 liter 600 HP low RPM torque monster, but the only one I know of still in existence is in the Cadillac museum near Detroit (and it's gold plated, no less). Steve

I'll add my favorite to this list: GM LS1-LS6 at 431 lb. (four pounds more than a stock 240Z - ya' gotta' love it!) Steve

I looked for weeks for a running '95 LT1 & T56 in So. Calif. and finally found one for $3000 in Austin, TX in a salvage title Camaro, and one in the SF bay area for $3200 in a running, but totalled Camaro. I ended up going in another direction and just buying a running '90 Firebird Formula TPI 350 and WC T5 for 2-grand. I don't know where you found 2-grand LT1s, but if you know where I can score a good deal on an LSx & T56, let me know.

Hey guys, I'm not the expert here on radiators, but I just finished reading a three part series on cooling systems over the last few months in Street Rodder Magazine (probably not a big source for Z owners). However, I can end the copper/brass vs. aluminum debate. The good news is: YOU'RE BOTH RIGHT! Copper/brass is much more efficient than alluminum, BUT, aluminum radiators exchange more heat than copper/brass ones. Why, you ask? Because the lead in the solder in copper/brass radiators lowers the efficiency of the base metals to less than that of aluminum, which has no lead solder joints. Aluminum cores are welded aluminum to aluminum, so there is no loss over the base metal. Also, modern aluminum cores are more efficient at heat transfer because they flow more air per square inch with less restriction than multi-core copper/brass radiators. There is also an expensive alternative called the "heat sponge" copper radiator that is supposed to be four times more efficient than a traditional design. The guy that makes them will build any size, shape, tank configuration you want, but he ain't cheap. I've seen them advertised for big blocks in '30s street rods because those radiators are physically smaller than needed to cool that much engine. I'd agree with the writer who suggested that this problem might not be your radiator at all. The only way to find out would be an additional water temp sensor or two at the inlet and /or outlet to be sure. I really want you to solve this problem before I run into it. Good luck. Steve

No, I wouldn't mind. I'm happy to be able to give something back to the forum. Thanks, Steve

You've got a lot to learn, but there's a lot of help if you approach it right. Take your time and get information from as many sources as possible. Figure out what power level you're after, carberated or EFI, auto trans or manual, and set a realistic budget. Then make sure you have other transportation while the Z is down for the swap for a few months. Next step after determining what you want, is to try to find that whole combination in a running vehicle, and buy it, drive it, and make sure it's solid before swapping it into the Z. Then if you have some problems downstream, you know there's light at the end of the tunnel, rather than chasing an unknown set of problems indefinitely. Also, with more power comes other considerations like upgraded brakes, springs, sway bars, maybe a rollbar and better belts/harness, wheels, tires, and the list goes on... The good news is you're not alone. I only found this forum a few months ago, and I have found many useful threads and a lot of people willing to help. I've been building Chevy powered muscle cars and street rods for years, and I'm now starting my first 280Z V8 conversion with my son. This one is for him, and to move us up the learning curve, so I can tackle an LS1 T56 conversion on my 240Z later. I did my research, bought the donor vehicle (a '90 Firebird 350 TPI and WC T5 5-speed in my case) now I'm reading everything I can about the electrical requirements from this forum, JTR, the GM Helm manual, and the Diamond Pubs Z manual before I turn the first wrench. When I know what I'm doing, I'll pull the engine/trans/wiring, and start the prep on them before I touch the Z. Only then will I take the Z out of service and prep it for the swap. I'm also hitting the salvage yards and parts stores for the bits and pieces recommended by the JTR books so I'll have everything ready at once. I've found solid answers to very obscure questions on this site, but it takes a bit of patience and a lot of reading to get there. I hope that helps you get started Steve.

You might also try Borgeson Universal at www.borgeson.com to see if they make this size. I use their stuff on streetrods, but I'm still new to the Z forum. Steve

Guys, Attached .jpg is a picture of the bracket I made out of 2" x 2" aluminum 90 degree angle stock. It holds a GM TPS, with a simple linkage attached to my Enderle Birdcatcher throttle shaft that is modified to work as an EFI throttle body on my 540 cid tall deck big block (this engine is in my street rod, and not in a Z, but the principle is the same. The action is very smooth, and the throttle stops on the birdcatcher allow full motion of the TPS without allowing it to be over extended. I hopw this gives you another option for consideration. Stev(sstallings)

Guys, Are any of these Alpha One bodies still available? I fell in love with this body kit when I first saw in in Huntington Beach, CA at their facilities in the late '70s. I still have copies of the old car mags where it was featured - always wanted to do that to one of my Zs. Thanks, Steve

David K. We should get together spme time and compare notes. I'm about a mile south of you in Cerritos. Steve

I typically get around 150k miles between rebuilds on first generation Chevy small blocks as long as oil and coolant are changed at regular intervals (and that's hard use in much heavier cars with carbs). Most SBCs can be overbored twice if they are well maintained, so the blocks are good for 450k miles with rings and bearings. On the other hand, both of my L28 280Z engines are at about 200k miles with no measurable bore wear. As was stated in an earlier message, Datsun used iron with a high nickel and silicon alloy content to get very strong and long wearing blocks. Cadillac and Rolls Royce used to do the same. But all three of these (including the Z L28 engine) are more expensive to rebuild than a SBC when you do need to do it. The fourth gen LSx series GM engines are designed to last 200K between rebuilds and Chey has FINALLY gone back to high silicon alloy sleeves in the LS1v aluminum engine and the LQx cast iron engine blocks, so they should not wear like a first gen SBC. The other factor that contributes to cylinder bore wear is unburned gasoline washing off the oil in the bores due to overly rich mixtures, which was much more of a problem with carbs than with EFI. EFI engines should last 25-50% longer than the exact same carb'd engine for that reason alone.

This thread has covered everything I would have recommended and more, except for one small point. Before I start, you should know that I am not yet a Z V8 expert, I'm a novice just getting started, but I've used, modified and maintained V8s in all of my other hotrods for 30+ years. The only point in this thread not yet covered is your timing curve. Since you're running a carb, and I assune, a conventional distributor, your centrifigal advance springs may be too strong, bringing your total timing in late. That would be easy to miss if it idles well on initial timing and vacuum advance, and runs well under load and at WOT with total timing, but only gets hot at part throttle. Lighter springs and earlier timing advance might buy you some reduction in temps. That being said, as someone else already pointed out, 210-220 is not really hot under the conditions you described. At 235-240 I'd start worrying more about a major fix, but with a 20 lb. cap and a sound system, you can safely run higher temps. 180-190 is old school and not very effivient anymore. Steve

Has anyone found a block hugger type header that has the EGR tubes and a Calif. CARB OE number that would be street leagal in CA? My donor Firebird has full length headers, dual cats and dual exhaust and recently passed smog that way, but the headers won't fit into my 280Z. Has anyone found a workable solution short of welding those tubes to another header and trying to find a lienient referee? Thanks, Steve (sstallings)

This is a great thread... My first test drive was in a brand new 1970 240Z when I was 17 in high school (okay, I'm an old fart). I loved it, but couldn't afford the payments or insurance so I settled for a Datsun 510 (poor man's Z) and drove the snot out of it. When I broke the trans, it got a Z five speed, the struts were lowered, BRE screw on fender flares, wide tires, and eventually side draft webers (even had spray gun BRE red/blue racing stripes. I used to go to Riverside Raceway every chance I got to see the sportscar classes when the Zs owned the track. I sold it to buy my first Camaro, and I've had mostly Chevy V8s ever since, always with some hotrod project in the works. I'd driven other people's 280ZX and 300Zs years later, but none of them compared to the original 240Z. They were more comfortable, more powerful, but they weren't the same. My sons are afflicted with my hotrod disease (it's incurable an hereditary) and my second one couldn't decide whether to go the tuner route, or a muscle car like his older brother, so I introduced him to the 280Z. He's now addicted as well. We've had his '77 280 (and it's replacement after totalling it) for 6 years. So two years ago I had the opportunity to pick up a cherry '72 240Z for myself, and we are now dropping a TPI 350/T5 in my son's 280Z with plans to put an LS1/T56 in mine later. Steve

The guys at Kugel Komponents in CA did it (200 mph) with a SBC at 700+HP with a 2.73:1 rear gear and about 25-26 inch tires a few years ago at Bonneville, then went back again to try for 300 mph. I haven't talked to them recently, so I don't know what their current combination is. They ran a very low third gen Firebird body with no excess weight & tube frame/cage - probably lighter than a stock Zcar. That isn't exact data, but it should put you in the ball park for what it takes to go fast in a straight line.

Or if you really want to get creative (and spend a few more bucks), you can scrounge old Hilborn mechanical injector manifolds, Enderle Bugcatchers, etc. and have Craig Railsback at BDS (Blower Drive Service) in Whittier, CA build you a custom EFI throttle body and GM TPS. My 540cid BB '34 Chevy streetrod runs a modified Enderle Birdcatcher (odd name for a bigger bug catcher), TPS, and integral MAP sensor for a 1000 CFM throttle body. I'm running a VW Jetta K&N air filter and Enderle intercooler below the Birdcatcher into a high rise TrickFlow manifold with 48 lb/hr injectors welded onto it. I'd put it in my Z, but I don't think it would fit (the '34 Chevy has a very tall engine compartment). Steve

If you really want to go 5.3L and replace the truck parts, look for an '05 or newer Impala SS to scavenge parts from. The SS runs the 5.3L without the complications of taller manifold, pan, etc. and it would be legal in case you need to deal with the smog police like we do in CA.

$2600 for my first '77 280Z six years ago - 132K miles clean, rebuilt eng. which my sone totalled (we salvaged the engine trans seats, and new dash). $1100 for my second '77 280Z three years ago - high miles, cracked paint, bad seats (donor car for the parts from the original Z - now getting a V8) $1800 at an estate sale for my fully restored '72 240Z 2 years ago with 97k documented miles.