Scottie-GNZ

Pete, thanks for the reference. Just got off the phone with him and he is a real nice guy and very insightful. Based on what the shaft looked like when I pulled it out, he said it broke just before the splines, exactly where the stub axles usualy break. I was expecting to see jagged edges and he said that is exactly how they break. As much as he would like to help me, he cannot. There is no demand for ZXT CVs and so it would have to be a one-off, read EXPENSIVE and he is too swamped with the money-makers (my words), Hondas and Cobras. It would be a while before he could get to it and was not prepared to price it now. I joked about stocking up on used axles and he agreed. He thought it unusual that the drivers side went asit is usually the pass side that goes. I happen to have 2 spare pass CVs . One other thing the stressed. Wheel hop will kill axles. The Hondas and Cobras drag racing with their 45 and less profile tires are going to make him a rich man. ChrisT, what drivetrain are you using? ------------------ Scottie 71 240GN-Z Scottie's GNZ

Feel your pain. Stock-sized driveshaft u-joints are out of the question and I firmly believe that an R-200 with CVs and 280Z stub axle is as good as it gets (Nissan IRS, i.e.) until the R-230 becomes a practical swap. Unfortunately, the available ratios rule this out as an option for me unless someone knows of an R-230 with a ratio of 3.36 or lower (numerically). My broken CV was also a drivers side inner. Is this a coincidence or does someone have an explanation why we always seem to break the rear driveshaft u-joint and the drivers side inner axle joint? I was about to order a "rebuilt" CV and got some nasty feedback from a friend who worked as a Nissan wrench. Seems the main problem with the CVs are the bearing cages go bad and the rebuilds use cages from Taiwan/Mexico, et al, that are made of inferior metals. This was confirmed in confidence from a racer who works at one of the local CV shops. Seems the shops are not concerned because they feel it will hold up in stock applications and they do not warrantee their work if the car is raced. Bottom line is, if you race, it's a toss up between a "rebuilt" and a used factory original. I stuck another used factory original in until I can decide what the next move will be. I decided to try and understand what happened to mine, so I cut the clamp and two pieces were being held together by the boot and clamp . As I pulled off the inner joint, I expected to see a broken shaft with jagged edges but it did not look that way. Anyone know enough about CVs to explain that? The inner joint was full of lube and I did not feel like cleaning it out to see better. A halfshaft with good solid joints is a strong unit. A CV is stronger still, but what about us nuts that appear to be pushing those parts way beyond their limits? And, just what is the limit? I went to prestage.com and used their formulas to determine my torque. I used 400RWHP @ 4250RPM and it said approx 495lb/ft . With a t-brake and sticky tires, is that too much for the stock IRS? Wonder if my breakage was just a fluke or is this a pattern I should expect? How much are NISMO axles? Anyone had custom "strong" axles made from scatch? How much? I just cannot get myself to spring for $1000s for a rear-end or even lots of $100s for NISMO or custom axles yet the most fun I have is launching this puppy. Damn, I rambled again. ------------------ Scottie 71 240GN-Z Scottie's GNZ [This message has been edited by Scottie-GNZ (edited April 23, 2001).]

The 200R does have better ratios but with the torque you should have, the tall tires and only a 3.08 diff, I am not sure the trans gear ratios will make that big a difference. The 700R is reputed to be stronger but there are lots of GNs out there with 500+lb/ft of torque running them hard with t-brakes. If I had to make your choice, I would go with the 200R. BTW, if you are drag racing, I assume the 26" tall tires are slicks are at least DRs. ------------------ Scottie 71 240GN-Z Scottie's GNZ

Sense of Humor? Terry, that is nervous laughter you are hearing. James, how dare you put POS and GM in the same sentence. You are getting me so ticked off I am thinking about coming up there to the Panhandle and ripping that damn I/C out of your car I guess all those 3700lb hi-10 sec GNs running the POS ECM must have a good tail wind. No need to worry, technology-boy, old Gramps here is going to have his breakthrough soon and what I told you a while back still holds true. "Come with a 10.90 or come prepare for an ass-whuppin" and if you can run quicker than that and beat me, my hat is off to you, after I slit your tires . Beating up on 13-sec Moosestangs dont mean diddly-squat. Only thing that counts is that little sliver of paper that says "10.90" or in your case "11.90". What is taking you so long to put that puppy on the track? I have been through a driveshaft, a CV and a pair of DRs (wait, there is still life in those stickies) waiting for you. Lemme guess, you are waiting for Desktop Dyno to register 500RWHP. I am CALLING YOU OUT to come shut me up. Oh wait, you're the one doing all the woofing The GNZ was, is and will always be a low-budget project (I hear you snickering), but if you continue to tick me I just might have to put a BFH to one of ceramic piggies and spring for a set of heads and a real turbo. Let the WOOFING begin. Yes dear, coming dear. Gotta go folks, time to cut the grass. ------------------ Scottie 71 240GN-Z Scottie's GNZ [This message has been edited by Scottie-GNZ (edited April 21, 2001).]

KS, as much as it sounds like you like your SUs, if a turbo setup is a consideration, I would strongly advise you and Zspeed to drop any notion of using the SUs. You omitted a key question. Which has the higher HP/torque potential? You must have a decent budget if you are considering building a 3.1L. IMO, outside of a b*lls-out Rebello-type N/A 3.1L, a 3.1L HP potential can be easily matched by a mild turbo setup that would not need expensive internals and it would also have gobs more torque. I know I sound like a broken record, but an L28T with the correct bolt-ons and proper tuning can easily make 300RWHP without putting undue stress on the stock internals. Of course, a turbo engine wheezes compared to a screaming 3.1L n/a and you must be prepared to learn about and manage a turbo setup. ------------------ Scottie 71 240GN-Z Scottie's GNZ

While crawling around under the car tonight, I noticed that where the DP bolts up to the exhaust is touching the bellhousing. Started looking closer and also noticed marks in the framerail next to where the crossover pipe bolts up to the pass side header. Looks like there is enough clearance but if there are marks, it must be rubbing under extreme torque. So, what does all of this mean? False knock! All that metal to metal vibration is probably being picked up by the knock sensor and the chip is retarding the timing to protect the engine. Coincidentally the knock sensor is in the back of the block, about 1.5" from the bellhousing! Seems like the most reasonable explanation for the chip retarding timing when the mixture is rich......Hmmmmm. I could leave it alone and disconnect the sensor to validate my theory......NAH, I am not that brave. Where's my grinder? ------------------ Scottie 71 240GN-Z Scottie's GNZ

Might be able to get it for $1700. That would leave a trans and converter. http://www.turbobuick.com/bb/Forum7/HTML/006402.html ------------------ Scottie 71 240GN-Z Scottie's GNZ

2000hp! You been sniffing too many diapers lately That should not change the drawing I sent you except that the water ports are now both on the same side. What I might want you to do is send mine after you presure test it so I can take my car apart and see how it will really fit. Would that be a problem for you? Scottie ------------------ Scottie 71 240GN-Z Scottie's GNZ

The gauge is made by Westberg, an aircraft gauge manufacturer, under the Westach brand. It is a 3" 0-30 boost/400-1800* EGT. The face of the boost was modded for me to have a yelloow warning band between 22-24psi. With a clamp K thermocouple, mounting cup/bracket and light kit, it cost me about $140. As for the shift light, you obviously have to have an RPM trigger and I am sure some electronics wizard on the forum could tap into the tach wiring and come up with that. I know the folks who just bought SDS should already have the RPM trigger built in unless it is an option (I forgot). www.westach.com - there is not a lot of automotive gauges on the site so request their catalog and keep in mind that they can custom build any kind of analog guage you require. I love their 4", 4-gauge combo or using a single gauge with a 4-pos switch to monitor say water, oil, trans & diff temps. ------------------ Scottie 71 240GN-Z Scottie's GNZ

If you are serious, you have to check the Buick forum classifieds everyday. No, make that 3 times a day. http://www.turbobuick.com/bb/Forum7/HTML/006358.html ------------------ Scottie 71 240GN-Z Scottie's GNZ

When BLKMGK was in Orlando he saw a local tricked-out Impala SS that was punched out to 396ci. At the track last Wed the car was announced as the world's quickest n/a Impala SS (no power adders) having a best of 12.08 @ 114+. I do not know what that battelship weighs but I am guessing way over 4000lbs w/driver which puts it around 490RWHP. This is a daily driver. ------------------ Scottie 71 240GN-Z Scottie's GNZ

Kevin, I can only guess at why they would do that and it is certainly not something that I would or want to do. I am guessing that if during race mode the O2 reading is lean, the ECM will retard the timing and I can tell you about that . By disconnecting the O2, they are forcing the ECM into open loop mode, and by not using the temp sensor, they are trying to fool the ECM into thinking the engine temp is cooler and force it to richen up the fuel. If they say that works, then good for them but being N/A they have more of a safety margin than a turbo/s-charger. BLKMGK has an Impala SS and knows some of the tricks they deploy and maybe can have some input here. ------------------ Scottie 71 240GN-Z Scottie's GNZ

Dan, congrats. Hopefully folks are smart enough to know not to compare your numbers to what others have seen on another dyno or calculated from actual 1/4-mile or G-Techs. Your numbers compare extremely well with the modified Z31 and Z32 N/As. ------------------ Scottie 71 240GN-Z Scottie's GNZ

My chip maker added a feature that now allows me to use a shift light and the RPM is adjustable without needing those pricey pills. So does a HybridZ call up Summit and order a shift-lite and pill for $90? No, we take a leftover miniature bulb from one of our gauges and hide it in the boost gauge bracket. The boost/egt gauge has a green skin on the bulbs and the "shift-lite" has a red skin and when it comes on, you know. The little red dot to the left of the gauge is the shift light and note the target on the boost gauge . I have yet to tickle that yellow band but soooon. ------------------ Scottie 71 240GN-Z Scottie's GNZ

I went with the B&M Pro-Ratchet and it is sweet. Considering how quickly my car gets up to 3rd, it is perfect for my use. ------------------ Scottie 71 240GN-Z Scottie's GNZ

I am sure I have mentioned my homebrew diff strap in the past, but in case anyone missed it, here is a pic. It is simply a length of 1/8 steel strap hammered to shape over the top of the diff and holes drilled to match the big bolts. My diff x-member already had 2 threaded holes but they were not aligned with the holes on top of the diff, so where the strap meets the x-member, I cut and welded the strap appropriately. The strap was $3 and the welder felt guilty charging me so I bought him a 12-pack, after he was done . The original rubber mount is still in place so any harshness is absorbed and if I have not broken it yet..... ------------------ Scottie 71 240GN-Z Scottie's GNZ [This message has been edited by Scottie-GNZ (edited April 16, 2001).]

Jim, turn off the CAPS. IMO, if you want a lot of HP and want to go fast with a V-6, I suggest you start with a forced-induction engine. ------------------ Scottie 71 240GN-Z Scottie's GNZ

The owner of that car is a friend and will be happy to give any information on the swap and how the car performs. Drop him a line: gnx7@hotmail.com The absolute forst time I ran my car it had a 3.90 and 245/50-15 tires. I left the shifter in 4th and it shifted into 4 right at the 1/8-mile! I now have 3.54 with 275/50-15 and still have to shift into 4th, so imagine what that RX-7 is going through with 4.10s. Still running the 26" BFGs and they are as bald as Michael Jordan's head but still hooking. I would love to buy those 3.15s that someone had for sale on the forum but just cannot do it now as I am in the process of spending money on a air-water I/C. ------------------ Scottie 71 240GN-Z Scottie's GNZ

Owen, A booster upgrade is IMO, a good thing but the one you use depends on your cars model and trans. The booster is going to allow more brake pressure for a given pedal pressure. The one I am using is the biggest diameter and requires mods to the hole and bolt pattern to fit it. I can use that one because I use an automatic and got rid of the throttle linkage bracket. From memory, here is the swap scenario. -240 & early 260, 5-spd can use the 280 5-spd booster -Late 260 and 280 5-spd can use the 280ZX booster -Automatics with cable linkage can use the 280ZX 2+2 booster. Hopefully someone else can verify that. ------------------ Scottie 71 240GN-Z Scottie's GNZ

Here is the datalog from my best run last Wednesday night. As a refresher, the car went 1.687, 7.18 @ 97.58, 11.22 @ 120.24. Despite a 1.68 60', the launch felt soft, the car hesitated most of the way down the track and you will see the cause in the data log. 0-60 in 2.83 gets boring after you see it a couple of times so this time the point in time is 100mph which you can see came up in 7.25 secs at 679' and that is right in line with the 1/8-mile time. Now the spoolup "problem". First, take note of the SPEED box and see where the car starts moving. Now focus on RPM and TPS and you will see where I went about half throttle and the RPMs immediately came up but the boost did not, so I floored it and held it (TPS now wide open) and even with it floored, notice the RPMs barely changed and at the point that I released the transbrake, I only had 5# boost. During spoolup, the chip senses TPS open and no speed and is supposed to lean out the fuel but the O2s are about 800 at that point, which is too rich and why it felt soft. Once the car got rolling and hit full boost, note the sharp rise in the RPMs and the 1-2 happens so quick you almost do not feel it. Now for the other "problem". The chip retarded the timing at the top of every gear and mysteriously after the 2-3. There is sometimes maybe 1* of retard on each shift but I had too much retard too many times. The big retard on the 1-2 is understandable because there was a drop in the O2s. The drop was previously a major spike so he did hit on the problem but still does not have it right yet. At 100mph, the O2s are 816 and still too rich. It was dropping as the load increased in 3rd but you can see it was richer at mid-track and that is what makes the retard unexplainable, at least to me . If he can get rid of that dip in the O2s and all that retard, I should see a nice gain, then I have more boost and about 40mV to play with. Enjoy! ------------------ Scottie 71 240GN-Z Scottie's GNZ

Peter, My setup is 82-83 F calipers, 300ZX F rotors, early 280ZX m/c and 2+2 booster. I had (have) the same problem. Car stops fine but the pedal feels soft on top. What did help improve mine was a proper bleeding of the m/c. The next step is to pull the m/c and experiment with adjusting the rod. It is not high on my priority list because I know the car stops fine especially since upgrading to KVR pads all around. Now it is just a matter of brake feel. BTW, my rear setup is all 82-83 w/Maxima bracket. ------------------ Scottie 71 240GN-Z Scottie's GNZ

I am sure there are more out there that do not get on the net. If you do not have a harness, then the Casper's unit is a pricey but excellent choice. Given your budget, $500+ should not be a problem. If you have to get a turbo, DO NOT get a stock one. I would recommend a TE-44 and Bluetop injectors. The turbo is about $675 new and you can get the injs used for $200. Chips are available for $20 and at that price you can experiment with a pocketful of them. A low-buck ported wastegate elbow, 3" DP and exhaust and that is all you need for the engine. With some race gas and the boost turned up, you will leave Porsche turbos in your wake on the straights, and I am a Porsche guy . Keep us apprised of your project and anyway we can help. You and Zman must get together and share project ideas. ------------------ Scottie 71 240GN-Z Scottie's GNZ

Mat, I have a gazillion pics and as soon as I get Front Page on my new laptop, I will see about adding a lot more. How far along are you? What are your goals? This engine and the ingenuity of the Buick Turbo community never ceases to amaze me. There was a request to the chip maker to add an adjustable shift light parameter into the chip. He did and now I have a shift light that cost me $0 that is now going to make driving a little easier. My routine at the top of 3rd is to look at the gauge on the pillar to see the boost and EGT then refocus on the tach for the 3-4 shift. Even with driving glasses, these old eyes need a moment to refocus. Now my shift light is a bright miniature gauge bulb with a red skin hidden in the gauge bracket. Now I just have to stare at the guage which has green lighting and that red shift light jumps out at you. ------------------ Scottie 71 240GN-Z Scottie's GNZ

http://zhome.com/ZCMnL/tech/GearRatios.html ------------------ Scottie 71 240GN-Z Scottie's GNZ

This one belongs to a buddy. What a sleeper. One drawback is that the RX-7 has a 4.10 diff which is not good for a GN. http://members.tripod.com/~grannys/markcorbett.html ------------------ Scottie 71 240GN-Z Scottie's GNZ