ecp48

I had some spacers like you show from the Summit site hanging around the garage. When I went to mount the wheel & tire combo that came with the car it wouldn't fit, wrong offset (prior owner screwed up). I dropped the front tire size from 215 60/15 to 105 60/15 and used the spacers. I ended up using 8 of the old Nismo studs (also hanging around) and riveted two of the .25" spacers together for each side. I needed 1/2 inch for clearance. the spacer centered on the Hub perfectly (universal four lug 1/4" spacer)(Mr. Gasket, I think) and the rivets held the second to the first. Without the riveting there was nothing to center the second 1/4" spacer. It has worked fine for in excess of three years on the street. This car has not been auto-crossed or hot lapped to date. I am still working out support issues. Installation of the Bad Dog frame supports, etc.

Brian, This is one of the cleanest conversions I've seen. I was working at some of the same items, but your solutions are much simpler. I wanted to install the engine without universals on the steering shaft just as you did, but I was thinking of the cradle mounting Corvette isolators with fabricated engine mounts. Much more involved. My engine is a 1992 Police 5.0 from a Mustang with 17,000 miles. Cop tried to do a 180 turn and missed a shift, mustang slid back into a power pole and inserted into the body so far it bent the rear end. This is coupled with a cleaned up Explorer intake (lower half has been ported) and GT-40P heads, cleaned up and slightly ported. I found some of the old Coast Mustang GT-40P shorty headers (remove the collectors for space). I've been doing the heads and prepping the block for reassembly, while waiting to dig into the mounts. Up till now just sketches. Car is a near Rust Free 76 280Z coupe. Also using a T-5 transmission. Your writeup has saved me untold amount of time. Thanks,

Does anyone have any experience with respect to interchange between the initial Bosch Type 2 "Pintle Injector" and the new Type 3 with the disc and four ports. Will the electrical connectors match up? Are the O Ring seats the same? I am building a 5.0 Z and need the 24# injectors to meet my horsepower goal. The Type 3 Injector appears to be a great improvement if it will work. Thanks,

I have a 78 280 which came from Virginia with the same body work. If driven in the winter, you will find rust starting behind the side skirts in the rockers. Also behind the rear skirt and in the back of the wheel wells. This is in addition to the basic standard rust which occurs in your climate with winter driving. Check the rear of the front wheel wells where the seams come together. Rust will open the seams and run into the floor supports. Also look carefully at the kick-up point of the rockers where they merge with the rear wheel wells. Good luck, it looks nice. My 78 is going to stay with the six and be sold, I don't want to stress it. The 76 "garage queen is getting the 5.0 (No rust).

DavyZ, I'm building a 5.0 for my Z, I am using the Exploder gt-40P heads and intake. I will measure the bolt centers for you if that will help. I will also check them against a Holley four barrel carb bolt spacing, I don't have an old carb manifold laying around.

I think you have a problem. It is my understanding that the N42 head will provide 9.8 to 10.5, depending on the head and head gasket (without cutting the head). The P90 needed to be cut .080 to reach 10.5. You may have a very high compression for the street. CC the head and do the math. You also might want to private message Pete Paraska (sp??) on this board. Check the L Series engine calculator as well.

Randy 77zt Thanks for the response, that is what I needed to know.

Be careful on the interchange. The 5.0 Mustang, also 302, is a 50 oz balance.

Does anyone know if the 89-93 wiring and EEC will operate the 94-95 Throttle body, ie: TPS and Air Bypass? I want to use a 94-95 Cobra Upper Manifold and need to know if I have to use the earlier throttle body or the 94-95. Thanks,

Short answer No. The spline and input shaft length are different, besides which the Nissan tranny is not as strong. Best are 90-93 or 94-95 (but need the year specific bell housing on the latter, 5/8" longer input shaft). With regard to swapping the input shaft, Nissan used specific gear ratios as well and you would probably need to change all of the gears. This was the case when I tried to convert a 300ZX T-5 for use in my 280 by changing the input shaft. Lay shaft and gears were different. Good luck

74 5.0L Z What motor mounts/Tranny mounts did you use? Do you have pics? Never Mind, did a search and found some photos posted by shift, showing the tube frame and blockplate. Thanks,

Does anyone know if this (Alsils mount) mounts the engine low enough to use a Cobra or GT 40 Intake? Iwill be using the 97 Explorer pan so the front drop on the 5.0 Pan will not matter. thanks,

With those heads you probably have the Summit reversed D shape Popup pistons. The recess in the piston matches the shape of the combustion area. Porvides excellent squish area and allows a higher compression without detonation. Ports would definitely need to be reworked for horsepower, but they should provide excellent low end torque. The 305/corvette aluminum heads with these pistons was part of an engine package that Summit used to sell.

There is a thread on the IZCC site on rebuilding the 280Z rack. The writer, John Downing, talks about honing the bushing to a snug/interference fit with a brake hone. The idea being the rack wears at the point of contact with the bushing and has created through wear a smaller outer diameter at that point than at the ends (due to lack of point lubrication, no zerk fitting, like the 240 has). It is my understanding that this is the reason, the book says the 260/280 rack must be professionally rebuilt. If you are going to machine the bronze bushings, better check the diameter of the rack at the ends and at the wear area (normally centered and and every .5 inch for several inches each direction probably 4 inches total.

The nearest thing that Pontiac had to the small block, before adopting the GM corporate 350 was the Pontiac 301 (two banks of the Iron Duke four cylinder). In 1972, it should be the "Pontiac" 350, not a chevy/corporate GM.

On the Z you need a 1" spacer and Nismo or Arp RX7/Camaro studs. They fit fine on my 280ZX. Probably would have fit my 280Z as well but I have other wheels for it, also 15 X 7".

Anyone know of a source for alternative bushings to mount the rear cross-member in a 280ZX. Glenn280ZX mentioned using a truck rubber bushing, but couldn't remember the source. I am working on changing the pivot points and slotting the lower arm mounts for adjustment of Toe and Camber (like a 510), but if the crossmember will be flexing on the stock mounts, it seems like it defeats the effort. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Glen, Where is the header hitting the rack? I have the power box in mine and planned to swap in the power rack when I change the head and exhaust. The header I am using (plan to use) is an MSA and I'm adding the port for the O2 Sensor. I haven't gotten close to fit testing, too much time on the road. Also haven't installed your springs yet.

Mark, Is the LS1 going into the Red 240 that you had on the rotisserie fixing the front rail? ecp48/Ed Palmer Athens, GA

innerware, If you are not suffering from time constraints, try ebay. I acquired all of the materials for my connections, fittings, hose, etc. at a reasonable price. The regulator alone was about a 25.00 savings. The only pieces I still need are the hard line to braided hose adapters. Earl's Supply has them, but I haven't quite bit the bullet on buying retail good luck

I put a 1981 N/A 280ZX motor (complete) in my 75 280Z in 1982. It worked fine. Anything I had no connection for was blocked off or plugged. No problem and ran stronger than the original.

Mark, I like those mounts, much easier than trying to buy the Corvette mounts used. Are you going to post the dimensions? Thanks,

The biggest problem, most were crushed/recycled after the 350 came on line. Why build a 327 when you could have a 350 for the same bucks? etc. Good luck. Even the 350 4 bolts main is getting scarce.

The KA doesn't bolt up to the L28. The ones being utilized are a hybrid, front half of a L28 five speed housing mated to the KA five speed. You need to do some machne work to the housing. There is a posting on the Atlantic ZClub site and a thread on this site.