ericbauer

May 21, 2015

A similar engine build was used on my 1970 hakosuka - although this specific one is not rated for 400hp

Seat of the pants would guesstimate mid 200s. Anyways, I thought I'd throw up a couple detailed pics to add to this thread

The build was done by RHFactory in Nagoya - they were pretty well known for L6 builds but the financial meltdown of 2008 did them in - they are now out of business

The PO of the car had all this done - I'm the first US owner of the car & have had it 3 years now. Very quickly early on I had to tear it down and refresh it with new rings / bearings - it's been faultless since.

3096cc

N42 head & block

89mm bore

1.2mm thick headgasket with a 90.5mm bore

V07 diesel crank

L24 lightened rods

Flat top cast pistons 2.7cc valve relief and 33.5mm pin height

N42 cyl head heavily re-worked to 37cc with giant 42mm IN ports & match ported to intake manifold

I had Rebello flow test it and he confirmed that in his opinion it was garbage until you got to really high revs - then it sang

I never got a full print out / report from him

Aftermarket cam

I had the cam measured by Isky - I'll have to get you those specs at a later date as I don't remember them by heart.

Power comes on after 4k rpm and runs strong up to 7500 - 7750rpm

Mikuni 44PHH S5 triple carbs with unknown jet bodies, and 230 main air / 210 main jet / 62.5 pilots / and some hand ported venturis that were 34mm when new

(Excessive, right? lol...)

Ignition is an MSD7AL2 with an 8500rpm rev cut pill

(Funny how the Japanese want US parts, and the rest of the world wants Japanese parts ... )

12:1 CR by my math

Mystery jet bodies

42mm IN ports

OS Giken TS2- twin plate clutch

Unknown mfg 6-2 stainless. The OD of each pipe at the bottom flange is 50mm.

Exhaust is twin 50mm pipes running all the way back

I removed PO header wrap and had it JetHot coated instead

Kameari makes big port (41mm) IN/EX gaskets for this application

The lightened L24 rods

Work of art!

Cast (Nissan bowtie) piston - looks A LOT like the Kameari street unit ... not sure if it is or not

Everything balanced

Anyways, hope that helps anyone looking to duplicate something similar ...

It makes all the right noises - you can hear it sing here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LWWS4SsgaE

https://vimeo.com/41685762

May 19, 2015

That's too easy ... ok thx John

-e

May 19, 2015

Hi all

Can someone post up a pic or a p/n of the right kind of plier I need for the stock S30 half shaft rubber boot metal straps?

I'm not sure what they would look like or be called - thank you for your help

-e

May 12, 2015

Thank you much!

May 12, 2015

Hi all

Can someone confirm for me if the 8 bolts along the perimeter of the R180 diff cover case are M12 x 1.5 x 20mm long ?

Or are they M12 x 1.25 ?

Thanks in advance

-e

May 12, 2015

Hi ac240z - I don't need a whole new R180

Hi zguy240 - I just bought one from 88dangerdan, thank you though, sounds like you would have been very near to me ...

-e

May 11, 2015

Hi

I am looking for an R180 diff cover.

Do you have one for sale?

Please email me - thank you

-e

March 24, 2014

Hi all

What's the latest on the status of these headlight lenses?

I broke one of my Nissan original ones yesterday ... &%$# ...

Not happy about that...

-e

EDIT: Found a replacement set of lenses - so I'm good for now...

October 3, 2013

I've got spark !

Well at the coil at least... I had forgotten you could test an MSD unit for spark the way it's described in the instructions Matt sent above

Unplugged distributor, shorted green and purple wires together, touched the coil lead to ground = big meaty spark !

So it is the distributor after all, as I initially thought...

bummer...

getting a '80 ZX with the E12-80 module now.

-e

October 1, 2013

So here's where I am at:

Original ignition that came with the car (and had been running prior to engine rebuild) is:

Nissan p/n 22100-p8003 (80s R30 Skyline L20 Turbo) distributor that had been modded by prior owner with an optical trigger (three wires: switched power & two signal wires hooked up to green & purple signal wires on MSD7AL2)

(It uses the same cap and rotor as 280ZX Turbo)

MSD7AL2 - recently tested and cleared by MSD as fully functional

HVC Pro Power coil specifically for MSD 7 boxes - I bought this new about a year ago

I have constant 12V at the MSD box

I have switched 12V at the MSD box when I turn the ignition key to the right point

I have continuity between the MSD box and the coil + and coil - wires

I have some voltage coming out of the blue and green wire connections at the MSD box (7.xV and 9.xV)

I have switched 12V at the corresponding wire coming off the distributor

the ground wires at the block (one on front cover below distributor, one on head by cyl 1 sparkplug) are nice and tight

the neg wire off the battery is securely grounded to the sheetmetal

The plugs are new

The plug wires check out just fine

When starting the car the engine turns freely, there is gas, but no spark

When starting the car there is no voltage at the coil

When I swap everything out to the alternate ignition from my track car (kameari distributor, new MSD coil, same plugs, same plug wires) - it fires

I've tried swapping coils and it did not make a difference on the original ignition, still no spark.

I'm guessing it has to be the distributor on the original ignition?

Do you concur?

September 27, 2013

I should add that mechanically I am certain that distributor driveshaft is right at cyl #1 on compression stroke

absolutely positive about that...

Let me also ask a different question if you don't mind...

I'm thinking about just swapping in the ignition from my other Datsun onto this car.

The ignition on the other car is aftermarket, it has its own distributor and ignition control module, it works with any coil.

There's a simple plug from the distributor to the ignition control module, and there's two wires from the ignition control module that go to the coil (+ and -)

If I just swap all those over, do I need any other stock wiring going to the coil for the car to work?

I know I would need a wire coming off of coil neg to act as a signal for the tach, but i can drive without a tach if i have to

is there anything else required to just get the engine running?

September 27, 2013

Hi guys

I got everything back together on the car.

Mechanically everything checks out and I'm real happy with it.

However I must admit that I am electrically challenged.

Can someone please help me with a step - by - step of how and what to check?

It's probably something hopelessly obvious but like I said I've never been good with engine electrical...

Car has a MSD7AL2

Car was running before engine rebuild

Out of curiosity I sent the MSD7AL2 to MSD while the engine was in pieces and they said it was A-Ok - nothing wrong with it

Before engine rebuild car had a MSD Pro Power Coil that had a loose connection

I replaced it before the engine rebuild with a Pro Power HVC Coil - car ran great with new coil

Distributor is an electronic Nissan distributor from an 80s model car - no points

MSD7AL2 connections are relatively simple

+12V to the battery - I've checked there is battery voltage at the MSD7AL2

ground - checked that too

an orange wire that goes to coil positive

a black wire that goes to coil negative

a wire that goes to switched ignition

green and blue wires that go to distributor

The wiring connections / colors are printed on the MSD7AL2 box so all these wires are in the right place

Battery has voltage

Starter spins the engine

No spark

I've pulled plugs, put one plug in the longest spark plug wire, balanced it on the shock tower bolt, no visible spark as I am cranking the engine

Before I start pulling out this ignition and put in the one from the other car, what can i check?

Thanks for your help guys!

-e

August 8, 2013

I believe TonyD was referring to the actual honing finish pattern on the cyliner walls, as in how they are sanded / in what overlapping directions - the FSM is pretty specific, so are ring manufacturers.

August 7, 2013

haha ok cool - got it! Thanks TonyD !

-e

August 7, 2013

Hi TonyD

Maybe I wasn't clear, so I'll restate:
When I bought the car it showed 150 across all six

It seemed a low number at the time, and a leak down test was performed which showed rings were leaking

Car came with no history so it was impossible to know how long or how recently the 12:1 high comp stroker had been built

I enjoyed the car thoroughly until end of July last year, that's when it started to feel like it was losing power - redid comp test and found all six in the 95 - 110 psi

that's when i decided to tear it apart...

anyways yeah...

moot point now! lol...

August 6, 2013

Stock ring gear steel teeth vs (softer) billet alloy teeth it is then! - thanks Jon...

-e

August 6, 2013

Hey Miles

Thanks for the reply... On the face of it, I agree there has to be a spacing issue, but I can't however be the only one with two different brand aftermarket flywheels that are both having issues with two different gear reduction starters - can I?

-e

August 6, 2013

Hi TonyD

Hi Leon

When I first bought the car it was showing 150psi across all six, a leak down test done at the time showed the rings were on their way out.

No prior history came with that car, and neither I nor the seller knew exactly what was inside... I just had a really good feeling about it... glad I snapped up that car when I did.

Five months later, when I decided it was time for a rebuild, my comp had dropped to 95-110psi across all 6.

On the head / block numbers, I wouldn't mind if someone confirmed that oil pan to crank centerline is indeed 57.9mm.

I measured both my blocks and that's what I came up with, but I never found an official dimension for this somewhere on the net.

August 6, 2013

Hi all,

I'm using a pair of gear reduction starters I bought new, on two different cars.

One car had a billet lightweight flywheel from Japan that I bought off eBay a while back, the other has an OS Giken flywheel.

I've measured both aftermarket flywheels' teeth & have found them to be narrower than stock, and in both cases I've seen the gear reduction starter take a bite out of them...

The billet one got so bad there was a section of about 10teeth ground almost completely off.

I had the local machine shop mill off the teeth entirely and bolt on a stock steel ring gear - it worked well.

I've since sold that flywheel to Todd at WCR and he's had no complaints about it.

I've since replaced that one with a NOS Tilton/Nissan Comp unit that I recently came across.

I'm using normal ZX 5 speed trannies on both cars.

And I'm using the normal dust plate between the block and the bellhousing - so starter pinion to flywheel teeth spacing should be stock...

I've checked the pinion gear on both gear reduction starters and they don't LOOK damaged...

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the gear reduction starter spins slower than the stock unit but makes more torque, right?

Maybe I should switch back to a stock non-gear reduction if its extra torque is what's damaging my flywheels??

Is there anything I'm missing to ensure this doesn't keep happening?

Thanks for your help!

-e

August 6, 2013

Measured both my blocks now that everything's back from the machine shop...

N42 3.1L stroker from Japan

265.52mm OAH from HG surface to OilPan Surface - 57.9mm from OilPan Surface to MainBlock Surface (ie crank centerline) = 207.62

In 35+ years it's been shaved just 0.28mm (0.011")

The machine shop just removed 0.010" to make it flat again - so this was probably the first time it got shaved...

Matching N42 head from the same Japanese stroker

105.7mm from HG surface to ValveCover surface... It's been shaved 2.2mm (0.086") ! ...

Combustion chambers have been re-worked heavily and measure only 36cc

PO didn't have cam shims under cam towers... odd no?

I drove that car for about 5 months before I thought it was time for a rebuild (low cyl comp due to worn rings)

Meanwhile my F54 2949cc Made In California block:

207.7mm

So it's only been shaved 0.2mm (0.008") in its 30+ years

Machine shop said he just removed 0.008" so it too was the first time it got shaved

That makes sense because I pulled the F54 out of the junkyard myself - guess PO of that ZX never rebuilt his block.

Matching E88 head P&P'ed by Rebello

106.9mm - so it's only been shaved 1mm (0.04")

August 5, 2013

Thanks Xnke!

August 2, 2013

Hi all,

I've been looking all over the web this morning for stock unshaven block/head heights.

I'm just looking for a quick confirmation that these numbers are in fact accurate?

All L24 L26 L28 heads = 4.248" / 107.9mm

without a head next to me (I'm at work) I assume this is measured valve cover to headgasket surface

All non-diesel L28 blocks 207.9mm

measured from from crank centerline (ie main cap flat surface) to headgasket surface

Just got both my L28 blocks back and they needed 8 thousandths and 10 thousandths removed to be flat again.

PO didn't have any cam tower shims and yet I'm pretty sure the head is shaved too, on account of how close the NISSAN JAPAN on the side of the head is to the headgasket surface...

Thanks for your help,

-e

August 1, 2013

Thanks guys!

August 1, 2013

seattlejester: for the usual reasons namely to stiffen up the whole car & for added safety if i get hit or roll the car

johnc: i understand what you mean about smacking your head on the cage in a side impact - but it's a risk i'm willing to take.

I wouldn't have the cage unpadded anywhere near my head. Then again I rarely drive it on the street - almost always on track only so i've got a helmet on.

i recently replaced the floor pans / frame rails in the car, and when i did so i did not put stock seat mounts back in.

i am also not using seat sliders. my recaro spg is on the floor - can't go any lower with it. I've dropped the steering column a bit as well.

duragg: can please I get a couple pics of the welding of the main hoop touchdowns?

thanks for your help guys,

-e

August 1, 2013

Hi all,

I'm looking to put a 6-8pt cage in my Z.

This is for track days & the car is rarely if ever driven on the street - it is not for sanctioned competition.

I'm on the tall side of things (6'3"), so I need a b-pillar hoop that is as close to the roof as possible.

I looked at a couple different cages, but because I have a 73, I have the extra pockets in the floor sheetmetal for the stock retracting seatbelt mechanism that earlier S30s don't have.

The Japanese Cusco / Safety21 cage for example lands right on top of this 73+ sheetmetal difference - not ideal... You'd have to through bolt through the seatbelt pocket to get to the underside sheetmetal...

The Autopower 6pt bolt-in attaches to the rear wheel well instead of the floor behind the seat & that works better for my car.

However I've sat in a friend's 70 240Z and head-room wise it feels tight - especially with a helmet and roll bar padding.

Does anyone have any objections against me making some spacers to fit between the Autopower bolt-in and the floor / wheel well to space it UP as close as possible to the roof.

I get that it's not ideal for CG - but again this is not for competition. I figure I might be able to get about 1" out of that - every little bit helps.

The only reason I'd want a bolt-in over a weld-in is for the flexibility of potentially one day pulling the dash out if I needed to.

I guess I could always hack up my dash so that it can be removed with a weld-in... Another option...

If I do end up going for weld-in, is there a consensus for always opting for a custom made one rather than using a pre-fabricated one size-fits-all?

Thanks for your time,

-e

Sign In

Profiles

Forums

Blogs

Events

Gallery

Downloads

Store

Posts posted by ericbauer