Tony D

1 5/16"? What that in real measurements, and not graduations of The King's anatomy? 33.3?mm?

An example: Bought two 1980 280ZX's at lein for $100 each. Both runners. After a month of hard driving to free up everything one was 145 across the board, one was 150 across the board. 225K and 195K respectively. I took the 195K engine to a kid who saw the mileage, and despite my warnings to the contrary re-ringed it with a flex hone because it used about 750ml in a 1,000 miles. The 225K engine was similar, I put it in my Fairlady. Now, years later, I am STILL using about 750ml of oil in between 1,000 to 3,000 miles (autoX vs driving interstate 80 at 85-110mph...) that was close to 80,000 miles ago. Compression has yet to change. His engine, well... Oil consumption was "up due to break in"... Compression was initially 175 (wet) and 165 (dry)... That went away within a year.he was to 120psi and a solid quart every 500 miles by the time he pulled the engine back out. Sadly he sold the car and bought a 91 IROC. Teenagers...what can you do, eh? That engine sits back in my shed. I'll hone it right one day and put it in something. But all the time he spent on parts...wasted! As with you...I got a Vair that supposedly was "hot motor"... When I pulled the cover to find lightened rods and forged TRW Slugs I actually shouted into the house to my then-wife "hey! Bring me the camera, that guy told me THE TRUTH about this engine!" LOL Sometimes you get a pig in a poke. My good fortune offset your engine separated by 20 years!

No no no, I understand what you're saying. I'm just reinforcing your logic...as you stated it went from 150 to 110 in 5K miles no reason to go further. Likely it was a bore ring finish mismatch. This is very common in rebuilds... One of the reasons I tell most to leave it alone. They have 135 across all ix, no excessive oil consumption, no big leak/blowby issue.... If they rebuild on the cheap, they end up with a scenario like you describe: 150, dropping quickly to 100 in less than 10K miles. You don't KNOW how many "rebuilt" L-Engines I've seen that have low compression at <10K miles (lower than the rings they pulled out with 250K+!!!). It's the basis for my "chances are you will be worse off in a year than if you just left it alone" comment of times! If you rebuild, and rebuild RIGHT, it's not a "cheap" process. I suspect your engine got an "economy rebuild" and unfortunately you paid the price having to do it over. My bet is, with the rings going away that fast, it was a ring-bore mismatch during a comparatively recent "overhaul"--they just don't go away like that, not even on 13.75:1 engines! I agree with the process you used...I should have been clearer on that point.

More like Steptoe & Son...actually! Always go with the original whenever possible!

Propane or mapp gas torch, heat until ground electrode glows red and orange flame off plug stops, stick flame to POOF!" The cylinders clear (no puddled fuel in the manifold, right?) and stuff them in while still hot and fire it off. Disconnect any cold start valve through clamping line shut and removing electrical plug.

I would never have rebuilt an engine with 150psi compression. Run it for 10K miles and see where it goes. Leak down on rings likely means they weren't seated yet. It's not uncommon for BMW engines to show decreasing ring leak don every check to 30,000 miles and slightly beyond! Once you reach that point, you then start charting. A single compression and leak down check IS NOT criteria for a rebuild...ESPECIALLY with 150# across the boards. The subsequent check (5K miles later?) showed something amiss. Equally dropping like that (same gauge used for testing is my assumption) seems to indicate ring/bore finish mismatch. I refer to my prior statement regarding unnecessary overhauls, as most would have just gone on the leak down alone and disregarded the compression. Always observe the trend in 1/3/5/10K miles and see what happens. People get so itchy to tear into an engine it overpowers the sound diagnostic process. Good to see you followed up...and didn't just jump to it. What did you find on the rings? Another engine rebuilt that dumped in <10K miles due to something or other done in the overhaul process. "Keep it together and run it!" LOL

Trumped by the Hoardemaster....

Any autobox just won't have the tip-in issues that a standard shift car will. The Expedition / Explorer example I gave obviously has a slush box as well, it's the perceived response that the larger body gives. On a heavier car with an automatic, a larger TB will make the car "feel" more responsive...or less like a dog off the line.

All spark originates at the battery, and all must return there. That means the 12 v steps up in your coil to 30,000 volts...but if its not got a path to the battery...or earth... Ultimately, you won't get a spark. If you have it out the coil, and not at your plugs WHILE THEIR BODIES ARE GROUNDED AGAINST BARE METAL AT THE MOTOR, then your coil wire or distributor rotor is bad. If you get nothing when holding them away from their referenced ground, that is normal. Your Video 1 shows a good coil wire, you don't need the plug to test that. It shows good spark. You are now down to, in order of test: Distributor Cap Carbon Button Distributor Rotor Individual Plug Wires (if they exceed 1000 ohm/foot, they're bad, throw em out. If they are even close, chuck em!) Plugs wet fouled from excessive cranking. I would dry out your plugs and burn off fuel in the cylinders before trying again. Once they wet foul from excessive cold start cranking attempts, they will NOT dry out for days! The "glow plug" procedure is elsewhere, I won't repeat it again. That should do it. Good Luck.

There is one in Holland... And THE wing from THAT car in SoCal... Dutchman continually pestering me to sell to him to "complete" his replica!

I forgot the second set of quotes, my sarcasm was entirely lost. Let me try that again: Remember, all the "experts" tell you to "start at three on that performance rebuild!" Make more sense now? It does jibe exactly with what you're saying. I'm now off to help Uncle jack off a horse.

Sound like some mismatches exist in your setup. In higher horsepower cars an intentionall plenum over sizing can mitigate jumpiness basing in favor of design compromises higher in the rpm range. I think the root of your lack of perceived tip-in issue roots in running a slush box with a high-stall converter...effectively masking any throttle input at low speed short of half. Throttle to get the converter to flash and start the car moving. Your setup is for drag racing by the looks of it, not really a finesse driving through the cones sorta car where tip-in would be more critical. Stop and go driving can be tedious with a clutch and jumpy throttle response. I'm having an issue now with what exactly your point in the thread is now--are you looking to fix something, understand what mismatches exist in your setup that make it unresponsive, or are just being a smart arse for no particular reason to than you have idle time. Please clarify...

"I''m curious about the turbo supra 440's people are talking about, can i put those in (with Pallnet's 11mm o-ring rail) just like that, no other changes? or does anything else need to be adjusted to work? wil the higher cc throw the mix off? I think those supra injectors are also low impedance. Is that all fine and dandy or, what exactly do I have to do to complete the mod?" No. Yes. Yes. Yes. No. Search.

This is because, like most "rebuilds"... They likely aren't required! My stuff pulled in the 80's and stuck on the shelf flat/straight/unmolested is by alchemy turning from Al to Au! Muehehehehe!

Hitting the wheel and being impaled on it are VERY DIFFERENT things. My example of the pre-67 vehicles is apt. You could be strapped into the seat with a 7 point harness and shoulder straps, and most pre-67 columns will DISPLACE REARWARD INTO THE PASSENGER's COMPARTMENT! The 67 FMVSS mandated this not occur, and manufacturers responded with "telescopic" lower sections instead of a hardened steel shaft six feel long... Earlier vehicles would break the die cast steering surround free from the dashboard and "reach out and touch someone"! In our S30's case, I have seen cars where people were cut out of the car, and the DASH displaced rearward, with the steering column still attached, and he wheel collapsed. In a pre-67 column, it would have broken out of the bearings, impaled the driver's ribcage, then acted like a rib spreader when it moved inward toward the center of the car as the structure deformed. You see this a few times, and it kinda sticks in your head. When GM started the separate steering gear at Plant 1 & 2 in Saginaw, it was a great day for drivers. There's a reason those two plants made M-1 Carbines during WW2: the ability to turn a 1" hardened steel rod 30" in length or longer!

Not wearing your seat belt, the Z has had a collapsible steering column in ALL markets since day ONE! Absolutely NO steering wheel kissage during my excursion. And not in the white car I posted, either (35-50mph frontal offset crash, in fact!) his hands did slip off the wheel and punch his gauge cluster out, breaking some metacarpals... But nothing like if it was a 66 Vair! Or 66 anything, for that matter! 67 FMVSS mandated the collapsible steering column!

That time of year again!

" At cruise bay temps were usually within 20 deg of ambient before. " That kind of says you could use exit air from the bay to cool your oil, without sacrificing flow to the radiator, and give yourself some underhood air relief at the same time.

" I then marked a new timing mark on the balancer as the stock one was nowhere to be seen" Oh no, my good son, this is not how it is to be done! Dial indicator, or TDC stop will get you to a "Mark your balancer point"--mere eyes will only get you...ah..."about 2" from where it should be"! Getting your timing to a KNOWN value will enhance all the above suggestions from Miles, et al...

You're on stock width rims? 5.5Jj? 195's WILL rub on the front valence or rear of the wheel well in full lock if you don't have rims exactly as stock in terms of width and offset. With a sagging front end, I gotta ditto John C on this.

A stretched chain retards timing by moving the dot as indicated it restores proper valve timing. Exactly as I stated. Remember all the experts tell you to "start at three on that performance rebuild!" Chain TENSION is not addressed in this manner...which was kinda my point from the Get-Go! It's so wrong, adding to the wrongness is part of the fun... It's summertime.

There was a thread on this recently with many photos...

I would, as a shop, state you had to strip everything out in regards to flammable s on the interior. I don't see any shop saying engine/transmission....and only moving the fuel rails as necessary. The way it's written, and clarified, who the hell knows!

My trailer hitch was done using an HF Wire Feed. The thing was great for tacking the layout...but dismal for final welds, thermal overload city. The feed mechanism wasn't trouble free, either. I spent as much time adjusting or reloading wire as I did welding. But the welds were proper, and full strength. If you set it up properly, weld integrity should not be an issue. But getting the setup right is the hard part!

I owned a set or two...the sealant Nissan used is dismal, water WILL get in there. Then condense. The rally cars drilled drain holes to keep "sloshing" water from building up... The G-Nosed car I saw in Holland actually had a loop of copper tubing with coolant circulating in it to "defog/deice" the covers. Nice touch. With the way the bucket seals to the fender, and the way the headlight seals to the fender, splash will put something in there and the gasket will keep it in there! I think the gaskets really only function is to keep the parts from physically touching the paint so a vibration scenario doesn't dig into the finish! As a water exclusion method, as stated, they're dismal! The mods are obviously interested...and watching... What say we remove all the previous bumps and "update yet" filler posts from this one...eh?