socorob

My attempt at electric power steering. http://forums.hybridz.org/topic/127807-saturn-electric-power-steering-in-a-datsun-280z/?p=1194818

The column tubes need to be cut. Before removing the column from the car, trace the bolts that go through the U shaped clamps up into the dash, so you can mount the column while fitting everything into the exact same spot. You will notice that the Datsun steering wheel was installed crooked from the factory. If you try to straighten the wheel so its perpendicular to the center line of the car, you may not be able to get the plastic clamshell back around it without doing some trimming. While everything is apart, it's a good time to clean and grease the bearing and bushing. The Z tube is cut about 11 1/2" from the top down, and the Saturn is cut about 2 1/2" from the bottom up. The tubes slide into one another. I wrapped some tape around the Z tube to make it a tight centered fit. When it was ready to tack weld, I had it mounted on the motor with the steering shaft in place to help keep everything centered and straight. Nothing gets tacked until all the pieces are fitted together into the car and adjusted for perfect fit. The Z steering shaft needs to be cut about 11-11 1/4" (lost my measurement) from the top down. The Saturn splined coupler needs to be cut off to use as a sleeve, 2" long. I got a drill bit that was just slightly smaller (1/32 or 1/64) smaller than the bottom of the Z shaft. I put the Z shaft in the freezer and heated up the Saturn coupler with a heat gun. Press the 2 pieces together, may require a rubber hammer, block of wood, etc. Make sure you figured out and mark the depth of how much the Z shaft has to go into the Saturn coupler, because once they are together, that's it, they are jammed and no getting them apart. If you have it correct, weld the pieces together. I used a 5 mm bolt (not pictured, I removed the allen head in the picture and used a regular bolt to drill through the Saturn coupler and tapped the hole, to use to keep the shaft from siding in and out The allen head was too tall and I wanted a little more clearance inside the tube). Now put it all together in the car and clock, line everything up, get the motor where it needs to be, and put some tacks onto everything. It helps to have blocks of wood, etc to prop everything in place and at the right angles a depths. Make sure everything is absolutely perfect, then tack it up, remove from the car and weld. I had to get a new 5/8" outer snap ring from Ace hardware to use on the top of the column to hold the bushing in because the original one just bent out when I removed it and wouldn't snap back. When you're finished, it should look something like this. Reinstall into car. Put switches back on column before installing, you can't get to some of the screws once the column is in place. I used a piece of flat bar to make a bracket going from one of the bolts that hold the motor in place up to the steering support column for more bracing. You can also remove the bolts from the motor and spin it 180 degrees to get the power wires in a better place, if needed. REMEMBER, THIS IS IN A 1978 WITH VINTAGE AIR AND JCI LS SWAP, NOT SURE IF THERE ARE ANY DIFFERENCES IN THE STOCK SETUP. IF YOU RELOCATE THE FLASHER AND BRACKET, YOU MAY NEED TO ADD A LITTLE LENGTH TO THE DD AND REMOVE SOME FROM THE SHAFT AND TUBE. ALWAYS TEST FIT THE PIECES BEFORE WELDING.

Next I cut a piece of DD rod 17 5/8" long. 2 notches need to be made for the set screws on the woodward ujoint and 1 notch for the bolt on the other end for the saturn ujoint. The Saturn lower collapsible shaft has a small punch on it the keeps the 2 parts from separating. Bend that up slightly to separate the 2 parts. You will re punch it when you're finished. Pull them apart to pass through the firewall. You have to take the Z plate and cut the pipe out that passes through it to eventually weld on a ROL 548510 from O'Reillys. Inside that will be 2 R18Z bearings tacked at each end of the pipe. Tack the bearings with the Saturn shaft in place to make sure things stay straight. I drilled 3 small holes around each edge and did small tack with a wet rag to cool it quickly. A Dorman 614.001 boot that's cut to fit with just a narrow hose clamp on the big side and no clamp on the small side so the shaft can spin freely will help keep out water, dirt and hot air.

After having and moving all the parts around my garage multiple times for about a year, I finally got some of that motivation to try to see if I could get the Saturn electric power steering into my Z. Mine is an LS swap with vintage air so not sure if the under dash or under hood part will work with a stock engine or not. Also so far this weekend I only got the fab part complete and only turned the wheel back and forth in place, I haven't driven it yet, or wired it. My goal was to get all the parts in without cutting any parts of the structure of the car and have no welded parts on the torque side of the motor. It can only fit in 1 spot, with absolutely no play in any direction, clocked around 10:00. If you were to relocate the flasher that's behind the AC vent and remove the bracket holding it, it would give you another 1/4" space fore and aft and probably let you clock it to about 11:00. Hopefully once it's completed, it will drive well. I will start at the steering rack and work up from there. Parts used: Woodward UA113109 Datsun U joint DD shaft Dorman 614-001 uni-fit cv joint boot (autozone)...2 if you want to put one on the inside of the firewall also to dress it up Hose clamp ROL exhaust tubing 548510 (O'Reillys) 2 R18Z bearings (Ebay) Saturn Vue steering column with metal control box (not plastic one) 2002-2007 Bruno controller (Ebay) http://www.ebay.com/itm/Saturn-Vue-Chevy-Equinox-electric-power-steering-controller-EPAS-/122354361512?hash=item1c7ce364a8:g:I7AAAOSw0cdZfi49&vxp=mtr Hardened bolt for set screw 5/8 outer snap ring (Ace Hardware) Miscellaneous parts: primer, paint, bolts, welding wire, flat bar, etc. I got the woodward UA113109 universal joint to connect to the Datsun rack and convert it to DD steering rod.

Also you can get carpet with mass backing to help even more. I think the place was called auto interiors? that sells it. They are in Alabama. They have a sound deadener built on the back of the carpet.

I did the whole bottom side of the car on the outside, and the whole inside of the car. It quieted it up a lot too. Make sure you apply them in the correct order. I used fatmat on my last car, some peel and stick crap. That was a huge PITA to install, you can't put it on the outside, and it's hard to cover weird shapes without overlapping, plus if like the factory stuff, if it gets an air bubble in it and moisture gets in, it will never come out and rust the car from under the mat.

They make a flextex for texture, but the problem is the dash is going to crack in new places after a while. Mine is holding up great where I repaired it, but is cracking in places where there is still old plastic.

I used the lizard skin sound and heat, blocks a ton of heat, and is very light. You also get 100% coverage because you spray it on. Did my whole car inside and out 2 coats. After taping and foiling it up takes about 15- 20 min to do a coat.

Call markmonitor up and tell them their analytics sucks and to whitelist your ads. It must have been a certain word combination you used that triggered this.

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It must not be that hard, I was in VA about a month ago, and the 2 supercars I saw there had Montana plates too. http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2013/02/exotic-cars-and-montana-plates/

At least its the same size threads. You can just gets 2 of the same tie rods. Does the input spline appear to be the same, and are there any markings showing who manufactures them and where?

What if you leave it registered in La? Change your address to a family members at the DMV so they can get the sticker for the plates for you, as you can do all the renewal stuff online. I know there's a Pagani, 2 Ferarri's, and a McLaren around here, and they are all registered in Montana so the owners can avoid taxes here. If they can do it, there must be some kind of loophole.

Good luck. If I ever do another swap on anything, its going to be the cheap and easy route. You get to start enjoying it so much sooner.

I'm interested to know too, mine is fine right now, but these things don't last forever.

Look under the carpet, especially on the passenger side footwell.

Good move. Them saying that kit is made for a Datsun is like saying a window unit is made for a Datsun. I'm sure a window unit would fit in the hatch of the Z, but doesn't mean you should attempt to do something like that. They could at least send you the autozone carpet curtain they put in the picture of their ad to cover that monstrosity up. That one is really meant for a Jeep or hot rod with a really tall flat firewall, not something as small as a Z car.Where you have to hole saw a 3" hole through the firewall, at least on a 78 using the defrost option, you then have to trim the battery tray to be able to connect the fittings. Pure garbage. Then you have to drill a 1.25" drain hole for the drain pipe, and 3 holes through the firewall to mount it. I don't think I had to drill one hole to mount my vintage air compac, and it's totally hidden, no autozone carpet curtain required. This picture is from their ad.

Do not get that ebay kit. Working on one now, vintage air was easier to install and better.

I scoured the internet for months looking for that one. I ended up settling for a POS MSA one that's garbage. If you do find it, please let me know.

The later Zs have a small hole in front of the frame horn, and the air goes through that into the vents under the dash that have the push/pull knobs to open and close. Someone told me if you leave those open, they help keep fumes coming into the car from the back, not sure if that's true though.

I had to remove mine to install the vintage air compac in my 78. It will probably be much much easier to remove the dash than to try to install it with the dash in place.

Is that the one where you have to drill a 3 inch hole through the firewall by the battery holder?

I used an air chisel and dry ice after trying a few other things. Definitely worked way better than any of the other ways. I got it at the grocery store in blocks.

That was 3 or 4 people worth of clamps. I would have used more, but that was all I could scrounge up on such short notice.

I drilled my slam panel off and there were just a couple pinholes underneath I spotted with the welder. Since the slam panel isn't really a structural piece, I used bodypanel glue with a spot weld at each end. I can push my car with it and it doesn't budge.