Leon

Doesn't sound like he wants an RT mount, as it doesn't hold the fronts of the control arms in place. I have a stock front diff crossmember from a '71 lying around in my parts hoard that I can sell you. Is $40 shipped fair?

I'm a bit confused here. Do you need the actual rubber mount or the crossmember? Sounds like you need the crossmember, but I don't think anyone fabs their own unless something custom is going on. We need some more info...

If you want to make sure, send the flywheel (and clutch setup for that matter) to a shop that does balancing. It's an internally balanced engine, so if the engine is balanced and the flywheel/clutch are balanced, then the entire setup is balanced.

I guess I'm the only one who prefers the 260/280 tails, dash, and hatch!

I am in awe. This project just keeps getting better, that is one clean Z!!!

Nice job! I faced both of those issues during my MJ install as well, it's a common theme. Can't wait to see it running and on the road!

Thanks Glenn, can't wait to put it back on the road!

Just donate $20 to the site and you can post all the FS ads you want!

Cool project, keep up the good work!

If I decide to sell it, I'll let you guys know!

That is sweet, Clive!

Fantastic looking 260! It'll be a nice change of pace to have a nice, quiet, non-stinky Z!

Oh wow, the one with Panasports does look JUST like my Z before I put a front bumper on. Not me, but might as well be!

Party time!!!

Drive-drive, pass.

Same here!

When I picked up the Z, the PO gave me a bunch of paperwork and documents along with it, including old manuals. A 1973 FSM was one of them, and despite its ravaged condition it's nice to have. Then, last week I saw an ad on CL for a 260Z FSM! The owner (REALLY nice guy!) drove up to my place last night and hands me not only the 260Z FSM but also a 280Z FSM. The generosity was much appreciated!

Tractive effort curves represent all RPMs, it's basically the engine's torque curve. Hopefully my PM helps! Setting the ratios to match fuel economy and optimal TE at max RPM is probably not possible unless the engine has a totally flat torque curve. A properly done L-series will have a fairly flat torque curve but optimal ratios for max TE and max mpg will still be different. Maybe not by much, but different. Setting gears for mpg will create wider gear ratios (higher load at lower RPM = good mpg) and a deeper overdrive (again, lower RPM and higher load) than something designed for the track. To clarify, the engine operates more efficiently at higher load, a wider open throttle being the main reason. I'm sure you can sense the difference when driving various cars with manual gearboxes. Economy cars are geared noticeably differently from sports cars. My Accord hates accelerating but gets great mpg because of wide ratios. Sounds like your son has a great head on his shoulders and you did a fantastic job of raising him.

I'll PM it to you. Race Car Vehicle Dynamics (Milliken and Milliken) is the chassis bible and Internal Combustion Engine Fundamentals (Heywood) is the engine bible as far as I'm concerned. Both are fantastic books. I hope your son drives the Z responsibly, you're putting a lot of thought and work into this. I like your design intent! Here's a good example of a tractive effort curve:

Wow, Jim! I really appreciate your long response and for sharing all your work. Looks like you have a great plan for your build! I also have a quite involved spreadsheet with dyno plots, gear ratios and tractive effort curves, letting me get the most out of the engine and gears. All of that is thanks to the previous owner, who was my Vehicle Dynamics prof! The tractive effort curves show me the optimal shift points, based on the force available at the wheels. The "perfect" shift is when your tractive effort matches with the gear you're upshifting to. Luckily enough, these engines are internally balanced and resilient to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd order harmonics. Gotta love straight-sixes! As you've implied, the crank and clutch will be balanced individually, and the pistons and rods will be weighed to make sure they match each other. Looking forward to seeing you work and meeting sometime! Thanks again, Jim.

Jim, thanks for the tips! This is actually my first full engine rebuild, so I'm starting fresh here. Balancing is a great thing to mention and something I forgot to ask about. D'oh! If they can balance the crank, ensure consistent rod and piston weights and balance the clutch/flywheel/PP, we'll be in business! Compression will be CA pump gas friendly, i.e. no more than 10:1. It'll be a flat-top L28 with either the modified E31 (depending on chamber size, haven't cc'd yet) or a cut-down P90. I'm more worried about clean ports and big valves than maximizing compression.

Ah, it was in Martinez! Thanks for the rec! This is great info for Bay Area guys. I did some research yesterday, myself. Made a trip to Gotelli's (local speed shop, love that place!) to pick up some Redline for the S2000's oil change. My baby only gets "the best". I BS'd around with the guys and asked for a local shop recommendation that does OHC engines. They recommended Baca's Auto Machine and "Stevie" specifically. They said Baca's does a bunch of Honda engines and pretty much anything else you can think of. It was just 10 min away in South SF so I drove down to the shop and man, it definitely looks like it's been around for 50+ years (current owner later told me the shop opened in '68)! I spoke with Stevie, he's a cool guy and seems like he knows his way around this stuff. What gave me extra confidence was that he's done L-series work before and there was an L block sitting right by my feet, waiting to be worked on! I was quoted $500 for bottom end machining (that's magnaflux/cleaning, boring, crank turning, rod resizing... some of this may not be needed) and $750 for bottom end machining plus assembly. I'd love to assemble my own block, but time is of the essence here! I'll leave myself plenty of time to put the rest of the engine together and into the Z. Now, the only problem is, the crank is still in SLO! I had to leave quite a few parts behind in SLO that we couldn't fit into the 4Runner, Outback, or the Z. Specifically, another block, couple cranks, couple of air dams, etc. I'll keep you all updated, and hopefully this shop comes through!

Gotcha, I've been keeping my eye out for one. I'm not a fan of Cannon's as their throttle rod supports are almost always not aligned, causing throttle return problems. The TWM has beefy cast-in supports that I assume are line-bored straight, plus they don't have a redundant support which can cause binding. Of course the issue can be fixed on the Cannon by removing the redundant (middle) support and using a stiffer throttle rod...

Just quickly review this thread again, and damn you're getting close! I don't know if you mentioned this, but where did you get the TWM manifold? Looks like a nice piece, I like it more than the Cannon.

Oops! I looked it up and need to correct myself: we did indeed get the Primera, but Nissan marketed it as the Infiniti G20 in the States. It only came in 4-door sedan form though.