cygnusx1

OK Update. I installed the new R200 3:54 diff, installed my homemade CV adapters, and popped in the ZX Turbo drivers side CV shaft. I released the LCA inner bushings to allow the arm to swing out for room to insert the CV shaft. I bolted it all up and with the LCA fully extended, the CV shaft is at an extreme offset angle and "lumps over" as I turn the hub by hand. When I jack up the control arm about 2" from fully extended, the CV shaft smooths out and seems fine all the rest of the way up. Is it normal for the CV shaft to "lump over" with the control arm at max. extension? I am wondering if I am binding the CV shaft (compressed too much in length to fit). My spacer is 1.25" thick and I cant see it being much thinner due to the bumped out center cone on the outboard end of the CV shaft. As far as the swaybar clearance... With the LCA fully extended I have about 1/4" clearance from bar to boot. With the LCA in normal ride height, there is about 3/4" of clearance from bar to boot. (280Z with rear swaybar forward of the diff.)

Here is the true purpose of a Z ashtray.

Big Block Mini Cooper. The plates could say "OXYMORON" get it? BIG/MINI Doh!

I hate to start a brake advice post like this but.... 1) Have a beer or more. 2) Relax, don't go Pyro on us all! 3) When you bleed the rear brakes does anything come out? 4) Try getting a vacuum bleeder. Breast pumps are cheaper if you dont mind the embarrasment at Baby's 'R' Us. 5) Do you have the master cylinder with the front and rear lines reversed. It's different from year to year Z. 6)....anyone else got ideas.

http://www.ratsun.com

I grew up in the Bronx so I know for a fact that NOTHING will keep "them" from stealing a car...not even a locked garage. My old, beat to crap, maxima diesel wagon was stolen from me. It was rusty, had broken glass, it was crooked and patched in all different colors. There was NOTHING inside of it that would attract attention. They either needed to transport something, or needed a diesel crank for their Z!

Hmm, my original donor car had 110K miles on it. The turbo was probably original and I felt no play when I was doing the swap. I ran it in the 76Z for about two months at 10psi and it started whining when it was warming up. It got worse and worse to the point that it would not come up to speed anymore. I had to replace it so I upgraded and intercooled. Funny thing is, when I pulled it out, it had a Sh*t load of play in the shaft! But it was not leaking oil into the intake or exhaust. Prior to pulling the bad turbo, I removed the oil drain line from the turbo and started the car to make sure I was getting oil through. I was getting plenty of oil.

With all the intercooler tubing, intake tubing, and AFM in the way, it makes it next to impossible to reach the charge port on the factory A/C compressor. I would like possible suggestions for relocating the charge port for easier access. I was thinking possibly a charge hose permanently attached to the stock charge fitting on the compressor about 18" long. The other end would have the same type of quick connect that is on the compressor and be mounted to the inner fender in an accesible spot? What kind of fittings are on the Z compressor? Are they standard? Any Ideas...? 76Z with 83 L28ET engine. Factory 76 A/C system converted to R134 and working but needs charge. Thanks

I bet it works but it probably won't have the longevity of a stock one piece head. Rather than the PTFE gaskets in between the sections, why not "o-ring" all the passageways with teflon or viton rings. Another critical area will be the head land between the pistons where the "splits" are. I would also "o-ring" the head gasket for good measure. I agree that the cam bushes should be OK as long as they are line-bored after the head and block are bolted and torqued together. Talk about thinking outside the box!! KUDOS~

Yeah well we were talking at the drag strip from pure acceleration and rear wheel torque. HEAVY cornering loads mixed with accel loads will change the equation much more. Nice photo!

Got photos? Would love to see what you did to the frame!

In any rear wheel drive, regardless of suspension design, the resultant torque during acceleration acts from the rear axle to raise the nose. Resultant torque is the sum of all the different torques that are present in all of the links from flywheel to rear tires. No matter WHAT all those torques are and how many links they go through, and in whatever direction they are, the RESULTANT torque is at the rear axle and acts to lift the nose. "Z squat" is a by-product of the way all the internal torques act on the Z control arms AND from the CG of the car pushing back and down on the rear suspension. IF the CG of the Z is low enough (close to the height of the rear axle), it will not contribute much to front wheel lift force. By squatting, the CG of the car gets even lower and may even have the reverse effect, pushing the front wheels down.

With time, you can spread out expenses. Set long term goals and approach them incrementally. If you plan ahead, you will get there with minimal waste of money. For example, I needed new tires, so I sold my wheels because I knew that I would be going with bigger brakes in the future and would need larger wheels. I stretched the bald tires as far as I could, safely, while I saved up for wheels and tires. Meanwhile I held out for the best sale price for my existing wheels. If you are in a rush and the "Z passion" is not a priority than it makes sense to jump into another car that is already "finished". So far it's been about 15 years for me and it's still not "finished". But THAT is the beauty of it all. "Finished" cars are boring to me no matter how fast. Do you just like speed or do you like making speed? I prefer the project of making speed and the pride that comes with it; more than the actual speed itself. I've also had a long lasting love affair with the Datsun Z ever since I saw one as a child. Yes, we are biased!

I bought the intercooler piping kit from them and was very happy. I had all the piping for the I/C installed in a mock up in about an hour with just a hacksaw and their 2.5" general kit!

Did you get the microtech through Alex and which microtech did you use? Let me know how you like it and how easy it is to work with. I plan on going that route for next winters project. Nice job on the car! Drift carefully.

This may be a little extreme but Z is to Ferrari as Sentra is to Taurus SHO. Sure the Sentra can be fast but....it's no Z car. It's not the "hype" that makes a car right or fun. I drove a new M3 for an hour or so and beat it up pretty hard. I jumped back into my Z and there is no comparison. Adrenaline levels rise soooo much faster in the Z. The same held true when the owner of the M3 took my Z for a flogging.

Yeah I was in the NJZCC for a while but I got tired of battling traffic coming to events. I am about an hour North of NYC in Putnam County and I will be making the five hour drive to Syracuse for the convention this year. Wife and I plan on heading up on Sunday....I think....damn memory needs an upgrade.

Check out this pretty rare Alfa Romeo. I had a 72 Alfa with the 2 Liter all aluminum motor and it was sweet. Those motors sound and run very nicely when tuned properly. They had hemispherical chambers, sodium filled valves, dual overhead cams and crossflow heads waaaaay back into the 50's! This one was unvieled at the worlds fair in NYC in the early 70's. I have seen a few of these up close. Alfa engineers took their 2.0 Engine and basically turned it into a V8 for this car. They had two distributors and two fuel injection systems; one for each bank. The injection was belt driven mechanical...I have dissected the Alfa Spica Injection system and it was very advanced for it's time. This is not my car, I just though some of you Hybridz would be interested. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=4537907041&category=5356

What about leaving it in reverse? In most situations, parking it in gear should suffice. The line-lock would be used in conjuction with reverse for short term use. If I miss the e-brake enough, I'll rig something up later.

I will be using a 15/16" bore master cylinder from a ZX as recommended by Dave at AZ. The install so far has been completely bolt-on. The ZX master cylinder is also a direct bolt-on to replace the stock 280Z one. The only drilling I may have to do is to run the rear brake line through the passengers compartment for mounting the adjustable proportioning valve and the line-lock. The stock Z proportioning valve is to remain functionally in place as is. I always explore ALL possibilities before drilling into the chassis so if I find a way in and out, I wont even have to drill.

Yeeehaw! I couldnt get the air hammer today so I added weights to my slide hammer and it didn't work so I thought again. I had an old, 5-foot, rusty, steel pinchbar laying around for digging rocks out. I put a socket over the axle nut and threaded the axle nut onto the stub about 1 inch. Since the diff is out of the car, I duct taped one end of the pinch par to the socket and the other end of the bar sticks out of the opposite wheel well. Now you have a REAL GOOD swing at it with a hammer and after four or five shots it started to move. A few more and boink, it's out! Just another trick for the books. Thanks for all your encouragement.

Additionally, shocks can only effect dynamic performance. That is, while the car is settling, diving, pitching, or hitting bumps. Personally, I would start with a matched set of shocks. Not saying that it's the right way but it is the easiest way to base chassis changes from there on in.

I actually tried hammering it out from the inside. I screwed the nut back onto the threads untill the end of the shaft was flush with the nut. Then I found a socket that would fit over the shoulder of the nut without damaging the bend-area of the nut. I taped the socket to the nut and hit it with a large aluminum head hammer. I even tried a steel hammer but the swing room under there is not enough. I am thinking about running a long bar all the way across the car and hitting it from the opposite side of the car with a sledge. It will require two people though. (EDIT: the differential is out of the car making this possible) Battle number three, tonight!

I am going to eat a good lunch today and take vitamins. When I get home tonight, I will prepare mentally and go back at it. I took off the nut, washer and companion flanges. My slide hammer must be too light. I will see if I can find a heavier chunk of steel to make a new slide weight today. Yes, I am using a crossbar bolted to two of the studs diagonally so that the hammer pulls from the center of the STUBborn axle. I really appreciate all the feedback. You have given me new hope and that's 90% of what I needed.