Leon

You can download a free FSM at xenons30.com or xenons130.com if it's a ZX tranny.

Search around here for posts on internal combustion engine design, porting, flow, velocity, ad nauseum. If you are truly interested in the way things work, don't listen to the internet. Some articles may be true, and others false, but both sides will be convinced that they're correct. I highly recommend reading Heywood's "Internal Combustion Engine Fundamentals". I can't go into a dissertation on engine flow, but I'll leave you with these points: Velocity IS Volumetric flow over a cross-sectional area, i.e. V = Q / A. Find Q (flow) by taking into account cylinder displacement and RPM and assuming a volumetric efficiency for your engine. The air/fuel mixture within the intake has mass, and therefore has kinetic energy when moving. Kinetic energy increases with the square of velocity and increasing mass. Frictional losses increase with the square of velocity and with decreasing diameter. Draw your own conclusions!

Nice job on the troubleshooting! Tony, both you and the OP are partially correct. I referenced page BE-9 of the '78 FSM: Battery -> Fusible Links -> Light Switch -> Fuses (one for each headlight) -> Headlights -> Dimmer (high-beam) Switch -> Ground The high-beam switch switches grounds between low- and high-beams.

Oh don't get me wrong, it's definitely a cool car! Just don't swoon over the car until you've thoroughly inspected every crevice. It's easy to blur out the things that may be wrong with the car in order to justify the purchase. If it's truly in very good shape, and you don't mind replacing a new-ish car with all of its conveniences for an almost 40-year-old tin can (not saying that this is necessarily a bad thing) then do it. Just know that there are "plenty of other fish in the sea". Personally, I wouldn't mind having something like a 914 (almost got a 944 myself before getting my first 240Z), although I think I'm a little big for them and the engine is definitely not overpowering to say the least. Not sure how I'd handle one as a daily, but I do have a long commute. I like the widebody on that red one, though.

Is it this 914? A couple of bits of advice for you, gathered from my experience: (1) Do not buy wheels at the start of your project. Your taste will change, and the direction of your build will evolve as you go. Don't spend a bunch of money on something that you can't use now or in the near future. (2) Be careful of getting another cool car that you will also work on (the 914). Your attention may divert elsewhere and the Z will be left to sit until you "have time to work on it" or "have some extra money to put in". At least that's what happened to me when I bought my 260Z mid-way through the 240Z project. If the 914 is completely refreshed and doesn't need attention right away then it may be okay. You'll have to resist thoughts of modifying it though! Maintenance can add up quickly, so make sure that every bit of that Porsche is up to snuff if you intend to trade your 30-year younger Mini for it. It seems like the guy took care of a lot of cosmetic details, but be sure to check the engine and suspension thoroughly for signs of heavy wear. Careful with new paint jobs as they can hide rust. Don't let the flash of a nice paint job or interior blind you as to the overall condition of the car. Good luck!

You'll find what you're looking for at your state's DMV.

I assume you haven't even checked valve lash yet, which is supposed to be done before any carb tuning. Set your valves first, or else you're just chasing your tail.

No new cam necessary, clean up the one you have. I bet it will come out shiny and unpitted.

Those are definitely some important components of overall rate and ride comfort (especially compression damping), but the spring rate itself is the biggest contributor. As John mentions, the first thing you (turbeau) need to do is drop the spring rates. Spring rate is tied to your suspensions natural frequency; as the rate increases, natural frequency (fn) increases. You've chosen an fn that is too high for the intended use of your car, thus the pitching, rattling and unsettling ride. Your dampers are also a big part of comfort, so if you were dead set on keeping those springs then you should match them with proper damping. However, as spring rate goes up, so does the cost of the accompanying shock! Therefore, it makes more sense to drop the rate and match it with good, but less cost-prohibitive dampers.

Wait, do you guys really think there will be a 2 psi pressure drop in 2 or 3 feet of 2.5 inch piping?

Thank you, I was going to say the same thing.

Did you find the ratio?

I really like the philosophy they took when designing this car. I'm very interested in seeing how these cars will actually turn out when they're released to the public. The pre-release stuff does sound promising. EDIT: In case my "philosophy" hyperlink isn't clear, here is what I was talking about: http://www.tune86.com/ft-86-news/16526-toyota-86-philosophy-interview-tetsuya-tada Here's a tid bit to whet your appetites :

The ratio is stamped into the ring gear. i.e. 39:11 for a 3.54 (39/11). EDIT: Jon beat me to it!

RB25=RB(26-1)

It doesn't matter. The dyno records engine speed and roller speed, therefore all intermediate ratios are accounted for. I assume they just input tire size to account for roller-to-wheel speed differences.

Exactly! I was happy today to finally have some time to work on the Z. The stock brackets bolt on to the "Nismo" seats with minimal effort! All I had to do was remove the stock brackets (not as easy as it could be) and press out the seat-to-bracket bolts in my bench vice. Then, the stock brackets needed a new hole drilled in them to match the hole spacing on the new seats. Unfortunately, the seats do sit me a bit higher up than stock. I had to remove my roll-bar in order to fit comfortably. I do fit, but a helmet makes things very uncomfortable. I'll finish installing the seats and see if I like them. If not, then I can always switch back. I'll try to upload the pics tomorrow.

The weld itself is strong, but a welded joint is a stress riser. If failure occurs, it will be at the weld, not the weld itself, as Stepan already mentioned.

FWIW, If you can't get the Pertronix, just toss the points back in so that the car is drivable while you wait for your parts. Good luck!

Check forum classifieds, they pop up a lot around here. It depends on your location, I bought my 3.9 off of Craigslist for next to nothing. Junk yards are a good idea as well.

Get some purdy new ones: http://www.mmsacc-stainless.com/html/Datsun.htm

Nice job, Bill!

What's the difference between installing coilovers, and dropping the car 1, 2, or even 4 inches? Installation is the same. Your decision on strut tube sectioning should be based on how much you plan to lower the car. As detailed in the archives, the struts should be sectioned if you plan to lower the car more than 1.5-2 inches. Otherwise, just get a Ground Control kit, shave the perches, and go. I don't understand your reasoning behind getting inserts with a "2in shorter extended length"? I recommend re-reading some of those threads until you have a solid grasp of what's involved, and the reasons behind performing certain tasks.

Correct. The slave mounts to the transmission, with its rod pushing against the shift fork.

It's not a problem, especially if the lines are small. Place the log where you see fit, as long as it's in the proximity of the intake, you'll be fine.