Andrew Bayley

As a side effect, have either of you guys noticed a decrease in the amount of exhaust fumes pulled back in through the hatch? I'm having a lot of problems with exhaust gases seeping back into the cabin. Most of it is due to worn out weather stripping, but I wondering if a small spoiler would help the aerodynamic flow over the hatch any. -Andy

P(v)=nRT Ideal Gas Law Basically, The warmer a gas (in this case, intake air) gets, the less density it will have. Picture this, compare a block of ice next to a plume of steam. Which is more dense? They are both chemically the same, only in different states. I've always hated Chemistry and wondered the same questions myself... why do they (the OEM's) run their engines so hot? Well, it comes down to efficiency. Not the volumetric efficiency that we all hear about, but the thermodynamic efficiency. Basically, it's the ability to burn all the hydrocarbons (gasoline) in the combustion chamber. Has anybody stood behind their car while it was warming up on a particularly cold day? Smelled a little rich, didn't it? Has anybody ever floored their car with the windows down (not that it matters in most Z's out there, just making a point)? Smelled a little rich again, didn't it? What's happening is that many of the hc's being drawn into the combustion chamber are not igniting in the combustion process. All these extra hc's exit the tailpipe as noxious fumes that contribute to the majority of the pollution's the government is trying to control. As we all are WELL aware of, automobile manufacturers are being mandated to comply with strict emissions regulations. A quick and easy way for the OEM to drastically reduce tailpipe emissions is to increase the operating temperature of the engine. With the hotter combustion chamber temperatures, the incoming air charge will be less dense. With a less denser air charge (less oxygen) fewer hydrocarbons are needed to slow the burn rate of the oxygen. This equates to less fuel consumption and fewer noxious tail pipe emissions. This was a popular solution GM used to solve high emission problems on many of their vehicles. The 305 and 350 TPI's both had an operating range in the 200's. Now ask yourself one easy question: did GM do this for horsepower, or emissions? Anything the OEM does is 99% of the time emission or safety related. So how does this affect us, the power hungry do-it-yourselfer's? Easy: Cooler Air = Higher Density Higher Density = More Oxygen More Oxygen = More Gas (to prevent a super-sonic burn rate, or simply called 'detonation') More Gas = More Emissions More Gas = Less Range Of course the following is also true: Cooler Air = Higher Density Higher Density = More Oxygen More Oxygen = Louder BOOM!!! (more power) Judge for yourself. Economy and clean, or power and smog? Knowing this, it's easy to see why people would be coming from both sides of the fence. Personally, I don't drive my Z enough to warrant a few extra miles per gallon as well as the lowered emissions. I live in an area that does not require emission controls on any vehicles, so this is not an issue. Also, in my search of a ten second ticket, I will do ANYTHING that might get me another tenth, or even a hundredths. This is why I run a 160 degree -stat. I hope I didn't bore too many people to death. Heck I warned everyone by putting an equation in the very first line of this post. Everything I've said is based upon a very basic theoretical understanding of thermodynamics. Exceptions ALWAYS exist. If I missed something here, please point it out to me. I value everyone's opinion here. -Andy

Two things I suggest to keep your 700R4 alive: 1) Shift Kit: Some people don't like this idea. Personally, I never liked the idea much myself. However, the less time those clutch bands have to slip, the longer the clutch packs are going to last. Don't worry about breaking internal gears, they are just as strong as those found in any TH-350 out there. 2) TV Cable: This one is simple and free! Keep that TV cable T-I-T-E tight!!! It's a very simple operation taking the slack out of thee cables, but many people unfamiliarized themselves with the procedure resulting in premature failures. The bottom line for the 700R4 is to keep that clutch pack nice and tight. Listen to John Scott when he says that early 80's versions were junk. Up until '87 the valve bodies couldn't keep enough pressure in the critical areas. These early trannies are great for 140hp Z28's, but start losing it quickly when actual horsepower is added. In 1987, most 700R4's came with an "auxiliary" valve body. This was GM's solution to lousy fluid flow and pressures. By 1988 all 700R4's had the aux. V.B. This design was kept until the 700R4's demise when the 4L60 was introduced. I "believe" that GM went back to the single valve body for the 4L60 (which was really dumb). All I can say about the 4L60 is that is does NOT like pushing 4200 lbs with a 150 whiff of laughing gas (another story, don't get me started!). Personal statements: The 700R4 I'm running was out of an '87 Z28 Camaro 350c.i.d. (I think the 305's in this year did NOT have the auxiliary valve body). The transmission consists of a B&M strip shift kit, a B&M throttle valve (won't kick down unless >90%) , and a 3000 stall converter. I run a set of BFG drag radials and launch VERY hard on a 125 shot of N2O. My best 60 footer has been 1.605 (yielding an 11.30 @ 120). I've never once had the transmission slip on me (knock on wood). I need to find stronger half shafts and rear ends before I'll ever worry about the transmission. -Andy

Hmmm... The one time I spun a rod bearing, it too got louder when oil pressure dropped. However, the frequency of the noise (knock) was consistent. It would get loudest whenever I would lift off the gas at +3000 rpm. I was really young when I did this (eighteen), so I foolishly thought a simple new set of rod bearings would fix the problem. No one ever told me new rod bearings wouldn't fix an oblonged rod. Looking back, I probably did actually know this but was too far into denial to admit it (my very first V8). Another knocking problem I've had was loose transmission components. I know a 700R4 has nothing in common with a Nash 5-speed, but any transmission is capable of creating noises that sound A LOT like banging engine components. It never hurts to check the tranny out before the entire engine is ripped apart. Good luck anyway. Keep us informed, it sounds like one hell of a ride! -Andy

Check you mail. I sent you a picture of my gauges. Couldn't figure out how to post the actual pictures themself to the board (for everyone else to enjoy), any pointers? -Andy

If memory serves correctly, I don’t think there are any Ultra Speedometers available in 5 inch. I think the Phantom and Pro Comps were the only styles that had 5 inch matching speedo’s. I’m rather ashamed to admit this, but the one main reason I went with the Phantom gauges was because I could get a 200MPH speedometer. Hey, cut me some slack. It’s the ONLY pseudo-poser / rice boy thing I did to the car. Everything else was (still is) function over form. Another cool thing about the Phantom was that I could get matching OIL PSI / H2O TEMP / FUEL PSI / VACUUM / and CASH FLOW (fuel gauge) that would fit perfectly in the stock triple gauge holes in the Datsun dash. The vacuum gauge is the smaller 2 1/16 and is where the radio used to be and the fuel gauge is waiting until the cell goes in. All in all, the Phantoms have a very “unique†look to them. Even when I leave the hood open, every other person that approaches me asks about the gauges first. This could be a draw back though. It seems that a lot of people think that swapping in white faced gauges adds about 100hp to their engine (i.e. Neon’s, Probes, Cavaliers, Rustanks, Honduh’s, etc…) On the other hand, it makes racing people a little easier. They see the 4 inch exhaust tip and the white gauges and they immediately think: “rice!†Ahhh, what they don’t know

I don't believe you! It can't be "THAT" easy!?! Hmmm... I just might have to try that. Thanks. -(feeling stupid) -Andy

I believe Jim Biondo has (had) a pedastal mount tach in his car. Can't remember if it was an Autometer or not, but it did have the recall function, and it fit nicely inside the stock Z tach opening. As for the bezels, yeah... the Ultra does have a thicker bezel than the Phanton. However, about a year ago the bezel style changed on the Phantoms. I think they switched from the falt bezel to a more rounded look. I was lucky and got one of the last fuel pressure gauges to match my existing flat bezeled Phantoms. Just a little FYI. I do believe that the new Phantoms still have a smaller bezel that the Ultra's. I could be wrong though... Good luck, and sorry for making this decision more difficult. I'd post pictures of my Phantoms but I'm: a) too lame to buy a digital camera... even a cheap one too lame to set up my own web site -Andy

Greetings, I currently have an R200 with the flange fittings for the half shafts. After completing the fabrication of my CV axel adapters (Scottie, this is why I haven't been buggin you about solid U-joints... nothing personal) I need to find a slip fit R200. Is it possible for me to remove the flanges and have a spline opening, or am I just dreaming. I'd REALLY like to not swap another differential (on my third R200) but I might not have a choice. Any advice is appreciated. -Andy

Horrible deal, not worth your time or money. By the way, just out of curiosity, where "exactly" is this car located? -Andy

Hmmm... Phantoms easier to read than Ultra's? That's totally a personal judgement call. I've got an Ultra boost gauge in one car and the same Phantom boost gauge in another (turbo's are fun too). They both look the same at night. However, I used to have a red condom over the Phantom light and that made the needle a little harder to read at night. Green light is noticably easier to read. Never had the red light in the Ultra so I can't say if that would do the same thing. Anyway, good luck. -Andy

Silver T, Here’s some information from my past experiences (two ’77 280’s, early ’74 260 and one ’71 240). I hope it helps. First of all, people seem to get more money for the older 240Z’s. Something about being the original, that makes people believe they are worth $1000 more than a comparable 280Z. The 280Z doesn’t appear to have the “classic†name plate attached… yet! Get ‘em cheap, while you still can Secondly, the 240Z is significantly lighter than is younger brother, the 280Z. I believe the 70 and early 71 models were the lightest. I thought the 72’s and up had side impact bars in the door, but I guess I’m wrong. Maybe that was a 260 thing. Third, the 280Z has more physical room to it. In a 240Z, the transmission tunnel needs to be widened to accept an automatic transmission, where the 280Z tunnel is plenty wide already. Also the frame rails are different on a 240. The wider 240Z frame rails stop somewhere past the floor boards while the 280Z frame rails go all the way back to the rear wheel wells. I noticed the wider frame rails when I pulled a perfect fitting radiator out of a ’77 280Z and realized it was too wide for an early ’74 260Z. Hence the hammer marks on my frame rails. Finally, the biggest thing to consider above all is rust. I hate to say this to some one living on the East Coast, but California is the place to find rust free Z’s. I’ve driven to thirteen states looking for the “legendary†rust-free Z and the only place I’ve ever found it was in SoCal. Even the cars in Arizona had signs of rust on them. Yuck! Swapping big motors is a lot more fun than fixing rust holes (for me). Anyway, that’s been my experience(s) hope it helps.

Morgan, I can attest to Scotties statement of the stock half shafts being more rugged than people think. I’ve run a hand full of 1.6 sixty footers with stock half shafts turning BFG Drag Radials. I did, however, manage to snap one half shaft. But the more I investigate the cause of the failure, the more I think the fender bottomed out on the radial and put an excess torque load on the half shaft. Also, I am running an automatic transmission. I have to believe that a manual transmission would be much less friendlier to those u-joints. As for the U-joints themselves (Scottie, or whoever else might know), who and where is good place to get some solid joints. Every now and then I hear someone say only “Datsun/Nissan†joint should be used. Don’t these U-joints have Zerk fittings? My belief is that anything with a zerk fitting is inferior to a solid design. I could be wrong though. Wouldn’t be the first time. -Andy

...sorry, had to jump in. $300 for an '87 GN is FRICKING amazing!!! I've heard people buying up that stock intercooler for upwards of $200. And as for those GN'ers trying to look stock... yes, they can be VERY clever. Some guys out on my end of town has an 87 GN with a ten inch tire that looks "mildly" modified. Lisence plate reads "BADNEWS". After many-a-butt kickings, my friends and I all agree he's about a 9 second car. Truly a force to be reconed with. Too bad the owner n't very friendly. Oh well, I gotta have goals!!! -Andy

I've seen this swap done once before at the Z car convention back in '97. The only headache I saw was the steering shaft. That turbo sit right smack dab in the way. Needless to say, the steering shaft on the tubo V6 I saw had a pretty fancy steering shaft with A LOT of U-joints. Good luck -Andy

I guess I’ll chine about my opinions of the 1 5/8 huggers vs. the 1 ¾ long tubes. Recently I switched from the block huggers to long tubes. I took the Z out to the track to test both combinations (before and after). Basically, I dropped about 0.25 seconds off my ET (11.55 vs. 11.30), picked up over 3 mph (116.8 vs. 120.3) and actually dropped 0.05 seconds off my 60 footers (1.65 vs. 1.60). To your typical drag racer, these times mean a lot. To your average street guy, these times mean nothing. The seat of the pants feel was no different when I switched to the long tubes. All the articles I have read indicated that shorties are “comparable†to long tubes until about 5000rpm. This is where the short tubes really start falling off and where the long tubes really start to excel. I run my motor up to about 6200-6300 so I was a little concerned about top end power. However, the fact that I went from 1 and 5/8 primaries to 1 and ¾ brought concerns about my long end torque. Well, I never saw that low end torque drop off, so I guess it’s a wash. I guess what I’m trying to say is this: If you really love drag racing, and you REALLY enjoy turning a wrench on your Z… go for the long tubes. Otherwise, save your time and stick with the block huggers. I cannot express (in words) how much of a royal b!tch it was to install those fricking long tube headers. If anyone asks you to install a set of these as a favor to someone, tell them it can’t be done!!! Besides, these people probably know what they’re getting into, therefore they are not your friends. All joking aside, it was a big job (as headers go). Also, I’m not sure if I will be able to pull the motor with the headers attached anymore. This was a big plus with the block huggers. With the block huggers, I could have the engine pulled out of there in under an hour. Now, the situation looks grim. Oh well, it’s the price we all have to pay for going fast. Drive On- Andy

Actually, I found swapping a newer fuel injected motor to be a lot easier than a choked up carburetor setup. With the FI motor, all related engine wires are bundled into a separate and independent wiring harness that goes to the ECU. Once this is removed, the remaining wiring job is a breeze. However, I spent WEEKS re-wiring my early 74 260Z. Stupid Datsun engineers decided to integrate the emission control wiring into the main wiring harness, Very dumb. The entire wiring harness had to be pulled apart. I took pictures, it wasn’t pretty. I’m glad they finally had it figured by 1977, my first V8 conversion. If had to start off on a 74 with all the extra crap, I’d still be working on it. Good luck -Andy

If you go the Auto meter route, you might want to consider getting something that has a matching 5†speedometer. The overall look is quite nice. It makes calculating speedometer gears (for the trans) a little easier. Metric speedo’s use 1024rpm = 60mph. English (Autometer) speedo’s use 1000rpm = 60mph... which is basically the domestic standard on all OEM cable driven speedometers. Going the aftermarket way, a generic speedometer cable can be used. One less thing to worry about making. However, I always thought a stock looking dash made great sleeper appeal. If you need guts from a 280Z tach, I might be able to scare something up. -Andy

Just out of curiosity, What have the “normal†diff and moustache bar sounds been? I finally switched over to the Motorsport solid diff mount (something I should have done long ago) and I picked up a lot of old noises that I USED to contribute to bearing and gear wear. I’m really going to kick myself if it was the old rubber mount the whole time. On the old mount the rubber eventually split apart, and I think the upper metal (diff) part of the mount was rubbing on the cross member. Either that or I’ve just blown through a THIRD R200. Has anyone experienced a “grinding†noise while cruising at higher speeds (+60 mph) with the driveline slacked (not loaded or unloaded). This noise is driving me crazy. It seems to get worse as the car warms up, especially worse after a ¼ mile run. Feel free to shout out any ideas or suggestions. -Andy P.S. Way to improve the stock diff mount Scottie! Now if you could only improve the actual diff itself…

Don't 'cha just love those "custom" exhaust shops some times? I've always believed that are only two types of pipe benders: Really good ones, and really lousy ones. Anyway, thanks for the sobering information regarding CO gas. After all the driving I've already done, I might as well just start smoking now and get it over with. -Andy [This message has been edited by Andrew Bayley (edited July 20, 2000).]

Well, Last night I finally got around to installing my S&S long tube headers. I looked at the block huggers and said that since I could get those suckers out of there in a few minutes, the long tubes shouldn’t take much longer. Man, was I ever wrong. Five hours later, I tightened the last bolt on the header install. The following is a list of what needed to be wrenched in order to shoe horn these things in: removal of motor mounts and adapter plates disconnect steering rod drop starter remove oil filter drop OIL PAN!!! remove all accessories from fender wall (a few relays and a fuel regulator) drop engine/steering-rack/cradle/whatever crossmember remove battery remove spark plugs remove H20 temp sender along with about ½ a gallon of coolant (I just had to go mechanical) After I removed/moved these “few†items I was finally able to muscle these bad boys in. Once I got the motor mounts back on and lowered back onto the cradle, I checked for any clearance problems that some people have said to have. To my delight, everything fit fine. I actually have about ½ an inch more clearance than I did with my old block hugger setup (wasn’t a very good design, the curve coming off the collector could have been tighter). However, the collector dumps right into the floorboard. With a 2 ¼ reducer, the pipe would rub against the floor board. I modified the floor (hammer!) to gain a little extra clearance. I don’t think this will present any problems. I’d like to run dual 2 ½ to a single 4 inch, but I’m probably going to adapt the single 3 inch I’ve got to the long tubes for now…. after I drive it around the block a few times with open headers, of course. I’ll let everyone know how it performs at the track next weekend. We are having an unofficial “Borg Warner Day At The Trackâ€. So far there are only five of us going. The much talked about street car grudge is between myself and a friendly coworker with a twin turbo Mustang. Both of us have run mid to low 11’s, but are expecting high 10’s next weekend. It should be exciting. -Andy

This is going to sound really stupid, But check your parking brake lever assembly. Before I removed mine, the driveshaft would bang up against it and make a HORRIBLE noise under heavy loading (from what sounded like the rear pass side). That driveshaft moves around quite a bit so make sure nothing is in its way. As for a half shaft U-joint, I had no audible indication that mine was ready to go. Just a: SNAAAAP... clink, clink, clink, clink, clink... By then it was too late. Good luck -Andy

The RJS 5-point I installed was the “roll bar†type. The two shoulder straps met at the metal mounting tab. I tried securing it to the strut tower, but the straps were not long enough. I eventually had to weld a bolt to the back of the cross bar behind the seat. Fits fine now. The lap belts mount perfectly using the OEM Datsun lap belt holes. As for the crotch strap… this one is close. RJS didn’t give me much room for error. With the crotch belt located 4 inches from where it goes through the seat (NHRA rules) I am about tapped out for belt material. Also, the shoulder belts have some slack... but nowhere near as much as I expected. But alas, it works and will probably save my butt in a pinch. -Andy

Welcome to the group John, I too have both interests in auto crossing and drag racing (although all my auto-X friends seem to condone my 1320 addiction). I am currently setup with a 700R4 in front of a 3.54 R200 open diff. Because of the nature with Independent rear suspension, I have no problems keeping both tires lit in the water box. Also, during an auto cross, I never really “stab it†out of many corners (gets me in trouble). Bottom line, I don’t think I really need a limited slip. But… (everyone always has a big butt) I am starting to seriously think about swapping in an LSD 3.7 R200 from a 1st gen. 300ZXT. During my last few trips to the drag strip, my friend commented on my launch. He noted that my 30-60 foot time looked as quick as a 10 second car. However, my 0-30 looked about par for a mid 12 second car. Basically, he said I need more converter. I agreed, but (again… another big butt) I can’t find a lock up converter with more stall than 3000rpm… which is what I already got. The next logical item would be to replace the rear gear. With the current 3.54 ratio, I turn about 90mph at 3000rpm with fourth gear locked up. My rear tire is a 245/60/R14. Yeah, it’s too big for the rim, but I need money before I can do anything about it . Anyway, the 3.54 ratio has worked great for me. I’m just getting anal about my launches and I’m trying to muster every little bit out of the old girl as cheap as possible (hence the 3.7 bone yard swap). Check some of the older posts, I’ve written a few messages with some of my 700R4 info (OK, ramblings). I’ve said this before and I will say it again… think about a new converter. These Z cars are too light to efficiently create the stall speeds seen in heavier vehicles. It’s pricey, but the best thing I have ever done for the car. Well, besides putting the squeeze on…  Good luck, -Andy

A buck – 75 for premium... ha! I wish! It hasn’t been under $2.00 a gallon around here (Detroit) for at least two months. Don’t know what ‘cha got until it’s gone. -Andy P.S. I still think you would be MUCH happier with a high(er) stall converter over stock. Also, a mild shift kit will actually increase life of the cluth bands... and will only set you back $20 or so. [This message has been edited by Andrew Bayley (edited July 07, 2000).]