Jesse OBrien

I have one, but I'm uncomfortable with the idea of selling it to someone with 0 posts outside of the classified section.

This weekend will be the beginning of Week 5, which is my halfway point to getting this thing to move around on the road legally. A few things have happened, other things are making good progress, and a handful of things aren't happening. I'm going to start with transmission-related progress, because that's all that's holding me up from getting the engine into the bay. The flywheels I have are rustier than I'd like, and the clutch is pretty badly worn, so I ordered a cheap 240sx XTD clutch/flywheel combo, along with a set of ARP Ford Mod v8 pressure plate bolts (I have flywheel bolts, and couldn't find pressure plate specific replacements, so I just ordered the same pitch/thread/length ... which happened to be Ford v8). The flywheel says it's an 11lb, and the whole thing was only $220, and what's the worst that could happen? ... I guess it could come loose and cut off my legs. That's probably the worst-case scenario. Oh well, I accept it. The clutch master I have is from an s130, which means the holes are in all the wrong places. I might just end up ordering the right one rather than drilling more holes through an already-flimsy firewall. I've been down this road before, and have multiple ways I could solve the problem. I'm not worried about it. The slave cylinder is something I haven't seen before. The 11/16 rod is about 2" longer and is threaded, so it's adjustable. That slave cylinder is completely seized, and I couldn't get it to wriggle loose, but that threaded/adjustable plunger is interesting. The problem I can see with this is that I'm not sure the newer 3/4 slave cylinder is long enough to actuate the throwout bearing. Is there a longer throwout bearing I should be looking for? I swapped in my automatic transmission crossmember for the manual transmission crossmember, but I wasn't sure if the mounting plate is supposed to lean toward the front of the transmission or the rear. I'll find out this weekend, when I try mocking it up to ensure that the driveshaft is the correct length. I also received my new shift knob, which was surprisingly inexpensive ... and came with a freebie keychain that has kind of made my week: Back on the engine, I think I mentioned that I picked up some round-top SU's from John at Bad Dog. I've decided not to tear them down completely since I don't have any replacement jets/needles/gaskets in case I break/strip/shear anything, but I pulled the tops off and cleaned the slides. After the car is running I hope to give them a more thorough rebuild/cleaning, but they're in good shape for now. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like the 3-hole airbox I have will fit these 4-hole carbs, unless I'm missing something. I imagine I could tap some new holes, but I don't know where all the air/fuel channels run in these. I'm also missing a chunk of throttle linkage on my firewall, so I may need to convert to a throttle cable. Lastly, I ordered the wrong manifold gasket (I bought a round-port instead of a square-port). Oops! Speaking of throttle linkage, I have the other end of the throttle assembly in now. Thanks again to John at Bad Dog for setting me up with the right pedal set for an s30. The e88 head is all disassembled and packed up until I have time, money, and the need to send it out to a head builder. It seems like there are quite a few reputable, experienced head builders, and it's going to be difficult deciding who to throw my money at when the time comes. The n42 head (which is on top of the n42 block, which is going in the car in the immediate future) has nicely tapped manifold holes, and because I ordered an l28e bolt/stud kit before buying the proper l24/l26 stud-only kit, I ended up with a bunch of spare studs. I decided to break all the rules and replace the brittle old thermostat housing bolts with new stainless studs, and I'll keep a close eye on them to see if/when they fall apart. It's really nice to have all these studs go in by hand cleanly and snugly, now that the threads are thoroughly cleaned. In other news, I went out and picked up a second piston oiler, these things are amazing. I've talked about how much money you save by buying wd-40 in bulk before, but these oilers just work a lot better than aerosol cans, and i can really get the oil right where I want it. I picked up the second one for PB Blaster specifically, so now the taller one is full of WD-40 and the shorter one is PB Blaster. If you're considering going this route, I highly recommend getting one with the thumb-plunger over the trigger-plunger. I believe I picked up the trigger-plunger one at Lowe's very inexpensively (it's not very well put together, and leaks a lot) and the thumb-plunger one at Advance Auto. Neither was more than $10. I also just restocked on safety gear, received my ultrasonic cleaner (my results have been lackluster thus far, but more on that later), and picked up some drill bits to replace the ones that were missing. These all get rolled into the budget for this car, even though I'm sure they'll see lots and lots of use other than that. I'm making good progress, and I think I'm still on schedule to finish all of this within the proposed 10-week timeframe. I am not going to stay under $2500, though. I'm not willing to sacrifice the quality/safety of the build that much. I'm still fighting the urge to replace all the bushings ... because that's a fast road down the 'while im in there' path, and I just want to keep my head down and get it done. I'll be happy to see it running/driving, then I can start working toward the next phase of making it fun.

I just finished making the molds and the first batch of roller derby carbon fiber plates (the best competition is heavy billet aluminum ... imagine swinging having that pendulum swinging around on the bottom of your foot), and have another roll of fiber and another gallon of epoxy/hardener sitting in the corner staring at me. I've been considering taking a mold of my uncracked 240z dash and seeing if I can bypass having to use the steel reinforcement altogether. I'm not trying to step on your toes ... quite the opposite. It's something I've considered a few times, especially with the scarcity of dashes right these days. It's tough to turn a profit on small runs of composite parts though (speaking from experience). Most of the work is directly related to mold-making, not the actual manufacturing. The primary manufacturing expense is related to sourcing good tools (vacuum infusion is much more consistent than wet-forming, and allows for tighter tolerances, less extra weight, and slightly more rigidity), but hiring a manufacturing company is always an option. The mold would still need to be made first, though. Also, it's much more economical to start with fiberglass prototypes (I would expect to go through 3 or 4 prototypes before I had a good working mold) than to start with carbon, since the manufacturing process is nearly identical but the materials are roughly 1/3 the cost. Another option is to use Aramid (Kevlar), or a carbon/kevlar hybrid.

Keep up the good work, man! You've definitely got it easier than I do, that's for sure. Let me know if you need a hand the next time you're up, and I may need a hand installing the l28 if you come up next weekend.

Still no photos. I'm a little concerned that my phone may be gone forever now. Last night I realized that I had ordered the stud/bolt kit for an EFI n42 (bolt for the intake and studs for the exhaust) rather than for a CARB n42 (studs for the intake AND exhaust). I found that out halfway through installation of the studs, then found that the other (rearward) half of the studs were seized. I had ordered a drill from Harbor Freight but it won't be here 'till mid-week, so I headed down to Lowe's to get a propane torch. After an hour of heating the seized studs, spraying with PB Blaster, tapping with a hammer, and twisting with vise grips, I finally got them all out. I decided that I didn't want to go through that again, and chased all the external threads in the head with a tap. After that, I started eyeing the e88 head that was slumped in the corner, and went through the same process with it. I suppose my plan is to build the e88 head a bit more seriously while I'm driving around on the n42 head. When that's finished, I'll take a weekend to refresh the n42 block (new rings, hone, and probably bearings) or source a second l28 block and pop the 'built' e88 head on that. Coming up today: Replace the carb boots on my Yamaha xs650 (there's a vac leak somewhere, and they look pretty crusty anyway) Install the new pedal set Install the transmission on the l28? - Where can I source pressure plate bolts? Are they shared with any other more-common vehicles? I'm considering ordering an Exedy clutch with a Fidanza flywheel, although that would definitely put me over budget. I'd much rather not have to worry about the well-worn clutch falling apart or tearing off any small bits and having them foul the input shaft of the transmission.

3 weeks in, and things are moving along smoothly. I just got back from meeting up with John from Bad Dog, and picked up a few pieces from him to complete the build. Engine The l28c is coming along pretty well. I just picked up a rack of carbs with a manifold and the crossover tube, along with some misc. little bits I had been missing, like a water pump gasket. I ordered a pile of stainless bolts and studs to replace the crusty old ones that had held the manifolds and water pump on, so I'm waiting on those for final assembly. Still needs: Exhaust manifold - The stock l28e manifold weighs about 2 tons and I'm not excited about re-using it. This can wait 'till the engine is installed in the car. Oil filter - I know it's an inconsequential cost and job, but every little holdup counts in a 10-week build. Carb tune - The carb manifold says 'e88' so I can only assume it came off an e88 head. I'm not sure if these carbs even came with the manifold, but I'm guessing they'll need a coarse tune then fine tuning to get everything running properly. Throttle linkage missing pieces - I'm going to have to hunt around a little to figure out what I'm even missing, but this should be easy. Misc nuts and bolts - Already ordered, but I'll still have to make sure they're the right parts. I don't appear to have water pump pulley nuts, so if anyone knows the part number right off the top of your head, I'd appreciate it. Alternator and Water Pump belt - I don't have one, it just needs to be ordered. Fuel lines - I'll probably just use new rubber lines. They'll last through the season, without any major complaints. Fuel pump - Will a mechanical l24 pump fit on an n42 head? Transmission The 4speed I have is in reasonably good shape, but I've noticed that the slave cylinder that's on it is not what I'm used to seeing. I'll get some photos this week to illustrate what I'm talking about, but it appears to be an adjustable-type slave cylinder. I have two 'standard' 240z slave cylinders, which should be just fine on it, but I'll have to make sure they work with the throwout bearing. It looks like the trans crossmembers are completely different between the auto and manual transmissions, so i'll have to do a bit more reading on that. I'll also have to measure out the driveshaft to see if it's different, I haven't found a definitive answer on it yet. As for the clutch, I'm looking for first-hand feedback. On a semi-stock l28 (let's be very optimistic and say 150-200chp) and a stock flywheel, what's the going recommendation? Body I was lucky enough to score a fiberglass 280z air dam, which will end up on the car as soon as it's ready for assembly. It wasn't exactly something I was planning to pick up, but I'm certainly not going to complain about it. Again, photos to come soon. I also got the correct pedal set from John, so I'll be able to get those in and start reassembly of the interior. I still haven't made a final decision on seats, but I'm leaning toward a Kirkey drag seat for now, then move that to the passenger side when I decide on a final driver's seat (probably just a Kirkey road race or similar). I don't have a brake booster or working master cylinder, so I'll have to start that parts-hunt soon as well. After that, I get to run all the necessary lines to all 4 corners. I've also just discovered that a good friend of mine is a welder at a local fabrication company, and lives right down the street. It looks like she'll be happy to help me out with the body welding, roll cage, control arm relocation, and whatever else I need. All I have to do is help her find a first motorbike and to give her a hand if it breaks down on her. More updates to come this week. I just sold my camera and haven't received the new one yet, and I don't know where I left my phone last (it's not a very important item in my life, overall). As soon as I have a photo capture device again, expect an update with visuals!

Thanks, that's right in line with what I was looking for. Running at 4k rpm @70mph is pushing some kind of limit. If I could stretch that down to 3k I'd be happy. I'm going to have to do some math to lay out what my gearing currently is, and what I really need to make a 4speed feasible. If I go with 5speed, it'd probably be out of a 240sx, since they're really plentiful around here, and I already know they're 'strong enough' but I wanted to explore the 4speed option first. Since my car isn't even running yet, I'm really just worried about highway speeds and 1:1. As I said, the only solutions I can see for that are final drive ratio or a wider differential, but I'm not convinced I'm increasing power enough to still have a driveable/raceable car. As far as racing goes, I suppose you could take that term with a grain of salt. Relatively low power and short runs (a typical hillclimb run around here is less than 2 minutes long) mean that there won't be excessive load or heat, but I'd rather not have to replace a transmission more than once each season.

I honestly doubt a typical inspection center would even notice that you're missing a bumper, unless you have the late-model s30 bumper shocks sticking out there really isn't a good way to identify that there was a bumper there to begin with. Also, the 240z bumper didn't really do anything (other than get mangled) in a crash. It's more of an accessory than a safety feature.

It seems like everyone treats the 4speed like a red-headed step-child because it doesn't have overdrive, but I'm trying to figure out if there's more to it. Are the 4speeds especially weak, or do they have especially epic failures? I'm just finishing up an l28e to carb conversion with a LIGHT refresh (it doesn't count for much, honestly ... I hope to end up with ~150hp if I'm lucky), and am looking at transmission options. The goal is to daily drive the car and participate in hillclimb races, and I can source 4speeds very cheaply (or free). If they're reasonably robust (I don't have any plans for big power adders, if things go VERY well I'll end up at 175hp and ~175ft/lbs). I can sort of compensate for the lack of overdrive with a wider differential/final (I prefer the wider differential, since it keeps the stock transmission isolated and eases quick swaps). I could also go to a taller tire to get a little more gearing, but I have reservations so I'm asking for some feedback from you fine folks. With this low-output engine, it won't be a blistering-fast car off the line, but I'd like to keep it responsive and fun to drive. I don't want to have to downshift to 3rd to pass someone on the highway, and don't want to wait 5 minutes to get out of 1st/2nd. The way I'm looking at it is that my friends who race Porsche 911's re-gear their 4speeds rather than replacing them outright. They're making a bit more power (200-250hp) but I'm not sure that's a vast enough difference to make a re-geared Datsun un-driveable. I'm just looking for feedback and others' experience. Is the 4speed worth working with, and if so, WHICH 4speeds are worth working with? At what power level do they become unstable hand-grenades? Are they really only worthwhile in vintage racing classes or other applications where the rules dictate that people need to deal with them?

I say just toss the bumper. Why keep it in the first place?

Either way, why spend the money machining an l24 block when I could just hone an l28 block instead? I see no reason to hang on to this lump of iron. I'll get the $25 or so that i can for scrapping it all.

Today could've gone better. I decided enough is enough, and after a bottle of mystery oil, 4 cans of PB blaster, a bunch of WD-40, and a big old bottle of propane from the torch, the time had come to remove the rods from the l24. After I got the crank off, the first three pistons came out without complaint. The fourth needed some massaging. The fifth was downright difficult. The sixth ... was ... well ... it went badly. These were only going to be spares anyway, so it's not too big of a deal, but it would have been nice to have a spare set of l24 rods. The block hadn't fared very well, either. The cylinder walls are pretty close to what I'd consider "beyond repair" and on an l24, they're certainly beyond "worth repair". I also realized that I don't have a pulley for the water pump, but it looks like the l24 water pump snout sticks out too far for the l28e crank pulley. Sorry I don't have any pictures, but does anyone have any thoughts regarding that? I ordered a few gaskets and bolts for the l28 as well, and with any luck I'll be able to finish assembling that this weekend, and get it (and the transmission) installed.

No photos today, but I did get the l24 distributor on the n42 block without any issues, and it rotates when I rotate the crank. I also cleaned up the valves, using an ingenious combination of toothbrushes, nylon picks, and magnets (there's enough ferrous metal that magnets still work). I had to implement a lot of gravity and a lot of engine-shaking too, but I'm fairly confident that it's 'clean enough' now. The l24 water pump also fits, but I'm going to need a new gasket and all new bolts (for pretty much everything, really). I'll still need a new gasket, which I haven't been able to find without a pump attached. The alternator doesn't rotate. I have the l24 alternator, but haven't tested it, and still have that SBC alternator, which looks like it could be as easy as a pulley swap (maybe) to get it mounted up. I think the most likely solution is going to be a new alternator, but that bumps my budget up a fair amount. The coolant inlet (on the manifold-side of the engine) is completely hosed. The bolts were all frozen, and even with copious heat as well as PB Blaster, they weren't going anywhere without breaking. So they broke. I have the 240z housing, but there's a metal inlet (or outlet) on the rear side of it (it's around 2/3" in diameter) that's totally bent out of shape. I haven't had any luck bending it back into shape or removing it, but still haven't tried heat. I think the best bet now is to just buy one (or five?) off someone who's parting an engine out and call it done. They're small and light, which makes them easy to ship. Right now, I'm going to assume the oil pump works, because I don't have a test procedure in my FSM. I also noticed that the mechanical fuel pump slot exists, but I'm looking for some experience as to whether or not I can just put an l24/l26 fuel pump on the n42 and not need to worry about a low-pressure electronic system. This weekend, I'd like to reorganize the garage a bit. With 3 engines in various states of disassembly, a complete interior that isn't stored compactly inside the car, and both toolboxes in a small area, I don't have a choice but to clean up. I should have a 4spd transmission to mock up as well, and I hope to contact John from Bad Dog tomorrow. If all goes well, I can get some carbs, an exhaust manifold, and maybe some of the other little extras I need from him (but my budget will be the determining factor).