Twisted46

There are literally two threads about this right below yours.. Also google.. http://zhome.com/ZCMnL/tech/240SX5spd/transmission.htm Anything can be done for a price but unless you have the skills of TunnelArmr you are looking at spending at least $1000 on a custom plate or bell-housing from a shop. You also did not mention if it is a ZXT T5 that would change things slightly but either way you are better off finding a Camaro WC T5 if you are looking to save money or not planning to launch the car and do burnouts all the time. I would put money on a ZXT T5 being worth close to T56 money these days. If you have an FS5W I would question it's ability to handle the torque of a mild 350, even WC T5s tip toe that line if driven sensibly.

I have some lap data to sift through but the car (and me) were much faster, around 10 seconds without getting 100% clean laps since the track was really busy. I didn't get much seat time because it rained all morning but I have 3 more weekends lined up. Most importantly the car feels GREAT now. I wish I could explain better how the car felt before but images driving around on 2" wide tires. Now it feels like a car should again with amazing predictability in the corners and improved grip in the front. The additional reinforcement is very noticeable and turn in is awesome with the NCRCAs. The fronts are wearing evenly now which is probably where 90% of the change that I feel. It also tucks the nose in really nice mid corner if I ease off throttle a bit. Anyone that has seat time at the track understands just how important confidence is to lap times and I feel comfortable in the 260 now. As for the engine and brake upgrades.. hoboy does she fly now, actually slightly terrifying going 136 down the back straight with no ABS to rely on . But seriously there were very few cars on track that pulled harder in the straights. The HT-10s are amazing and will lock up the tires pretty easy at higher speeds so I buy in to the guys who say that you only need better pads in most cases, If I was running longer that 20 minutes I would looks for upgrades to manage heat but that is a non-issues for the time being. I may look at getting some spacers for the rear this season but am largely happy with improving my times in the car as-is this season. The next big project is coilovers to reduce roll and rear end replacement. I will get some video next time and post it.

That looks like the R200 case in my car. The problem with project cars is you never know what you will find and people do some pretty hair brained stuff. On top of that I have learned that Datsun did a lot running changes in those years (my 74 is a mixed bag of what "should" be on there and it was all original when I bought it save for some fuel and brake lines. If you want to be extra sure and not have to reorder parts then pull the diff and measure the ring gear.

The answer as usual is it depends. If we are talking a few degrees then mostly just alignment(camber). If you start going crazy you will start changing the way forces are loaded in the suspension and chassis which may or may not become a problem. I would say there are better options out there.

Does anyone use the DS series (formerly DR series) from BC? Every post I can find only references the BR series which it seems are not suited for long term track use. The DS series is race specific but I can find little information related to the S30 platform. I am trying to decide between the DS series, Feal, and AZC.

Rotate the front tires to the rear, that is an easy check. If you replaced the rack then I am guessing you replaced the rod ends? The Z steering linkage isn't too complicated, if you follow the route from the wheels back to steering wheel there are only a few things that can cause a shimmy or shake. If you let go of the steering wheel can you feel a shake in the seat/floor?

My only guess is that the manufacturer is sharing tooling between similar brakes and disregarding the OE sealing method. I even measured the piston diameter to confirm they were the correct calipers. Who knows, but they work great now just something others should watch out for is buying aftermarket I suppose.

Well I ended up getting the NCRCAs and T3 front triangulated bar installed. Two new tie rods and a fresh alignment (2mm toe out) in the front, I did find that the rear has a pretty big toe in issue. Nothing I can do about that at the moment but the tires don't seem to upset so I will just run with it. I did some more cage work in the mid and rear including a welded STB and connecting the main hoop to the roof rails. I still want to tie the front of the rockers to the frame rails and up to the strut towers but can't find time. The car feels extremely tight and planted now even a lower speed. The Hawk HT-10s should help in the braking department and give me more confidence. The biggest change though was an unexpected engine rebuild. I started to loose a rod bearing so why not just rebuild the whole thing and give it more power. I followed COMPs XE274 cammed vortec build and holy S does this thing scream now. I can tell I will easily be 30 mph faster down the back straight just based on how fast 4th gear is over. I plan to do some logging this weekend but I am estimating that 40-90mph in 4th takes less than 6 seconds which is roughly my hairpin exit speed. I haven't tested 5th gear out yet since I am only running up and down the highway and try to keep things safe and reasonable but if it pulls anything like 4th I will easily be over 130mph before I need to get on the brakes. Only two weeks left until proving day.

A set of 240SX lines and banjo bolts did the trick. 🤔

Absolutely awesome work. That is certainly the crux of the gm v8 swaps. I spent more on my t5 setup than my engine rebuild and I know it is temporary while I keep adding to my T56 fund, waiting for the t5 to blow up. Interested to see the final results.

I agree with the others, I would never discourage someone from doing the swap but I think many, like me, fall for the illusion that getting the engine in to the bay is the hard part. That is the easy part, there are so many random bolts and fittings that cause delays I bet I have 3 boxes of swap parts that "should have been correct". Also rent/buy a 3 ton engine hoist, the small ones will make you want to rip your hair out.

Coming off of a fresh SBC swap that started two years ago and finished the first time last year and second time last week the best advice in the manual is to buy a running/driving car that has the engine and transmission combo you are going to use. I spend $800 on a "rebuilt" engine that lasted 3 races and the oil was full of bearing material, I spent all winter pulling it, rebuilding it, and replacing it. A manual behind an SBC is $$$$ so prepare for that now, I probably spent $1500 on driveline alone. In general just make sure you have at least double what you think you need budget wise. Prepare for the car to be off the road for several weeks if you are doing the work at home. This is your primary vehicle?

Going over the axle is going to be all but impossible with 3" pipe without some crazy welded V or something and or cutting material from the braces. Side exit is always an option but you will really be limited on muffler placement. Also to your concern, side pipes are usually much louder in cabin for various reasons. Unless you are REALLY low you should be fine running it along the stock path. Several local Zs including me are lowered with 3in exhausts and don't have issues. I also don't drive my on bad roads FWIW.

Miles, yes there is a crush washer installed on both sides. although maybe they need replaced after my attempts to re-seat the hoses. I am going to order a set of 240sx hoses per ZCD suggestion and report back.

Any idea what they were actually for? I got mine from Summit and cross checked at NAPA. I trust those two the most.

Here is the best picture I have on hand. I should have the car up this weekend to get a better one. I talked to ZCD and they suggested that I use Maxima or 240SX lines. Miles, Been there done that, they are all for Maxima calipers not the 280ZX. Both Modern Motorsport and ZCD spec there kits with maxima calipers and lines. I am using custom brackets $$$ with late 280ZX calipers to get the larger pistons. To me it looks like maxima lines will work so I'm not too worried about that. My point is that a new set of 280ZX calipers is threaded for a banjo bolt when that is not the OE connection. The piston was the right size and 280ZX pads fit perfectly. I can make it work no problem, i just want to know what part is wrong because typically if you buy brake calipers and lines for the same model car they work with each other. I didn't mean to drag this out but I hope the answer can help others down the road.

Thanks Miles, don't disagree with you at all. Here is the issue, I bought calipers for an 83ZX that appear to be banjo bolt connections but all the vendors sell 280ZX lines and M10 threaded at both ends. The sealant was just to see if the threads were cut poorly in one component and clearly not the issue. If you check any of the vendors Z specific or otherwise they sell M10 threaded lines for the 280ZX. This tells me: 1 - All the vendors don't know the 280ZX had banjo rear brakes (even a Nissan diagram shows an M10 line so I don't think this is the case.) 2 - New 280ZX calipers are not being made to OE specification on the inlet. I am trying to figure out what lines to buy, that is all.

Much appreciated, thank you

Is the rear outer brake hose the thread at both ends style or does the caliper end have a banjo bolt connection? asking for a friend.. But really I did the 280zx rear swap on my 260z and purchased zx outer brake hoses and the male and female ends are both threaded. They thread nicely in to the calipers but I have been fighting with them leaking at the threads the entire time. I can get them to stop with some thread sealant but that is not the permanent solution. After looking at various vendors I have seen mixed information some sell a banjo bolt style (less common) and the rest sell a regular threaded hose.

Ditto in the oval tubing once you get to the rear axle

Plenty more threads here to answer this question. I run the 280Z MC on my 1" Willwood and it feels good. Consider how soft you want the pedal.

Like NewZed said make sure your bleeders are facing up. I had my own brackets made so it wasn't an issue but you can take the caliper off and bleed it with a 2x4 in place of the pads. What does the pedal feel like? I went through 8 bottles of fluid just about every method of bleeding you can imagine and 2 MCs before realizing I fell victim to the reaction disk. Fronts work okay? How are you balancing F/R flow.

I have been searching on this forum for over a year for ideas on strengthening the S30 and have found plenty of useful information that I then implemented but the post with the imgur link has been the single most useful thing in my search. Sadly because of the thread title and location it took me a long time to find it. Is there anyway we can get then link added to the BWSC FAQ? https://imgur.com/a/R27sh. I think A lot of us understand the basics of a cage and chassis rigidity bu some of the more interesting connections you guys come up with are a little hard to visualize while trying to save weight, what a fantastic link! In fact I think I will print all those images and put them in my safe should the interwebs ever take a dump, Z building will carry on lol.

That is a good point, I bought my own steel for connectors. I also have bars that connect the front of the rocker/footwell area back to the main hoop. I figure the mid section of the +2s are probably more bendy due to the extra length.

My question is pretty basic, due to the body differences between the 2 and 2+2 S30 would you approach reinforcement any different for a track prep application? Let's assume we are following the basic John C guidelines: 1. Seam Weld (every sheet metal seam overlap.) 2. Bad Dog Subframe Connectors 3. Weld-In Roll Bar. 4. Welded In Rear STB. 5. Triangulated Front STB. 6. Radiator Core Support Reinforcement. 7. Transverse Link Bracing Reinforcement. 8. RT Diff Mount. 9. Tubular Seat Mounts. 10. Box Upper Frame Horns to Firewall/Cowl. 11. Reinforce Pedal Box/Brake MC Mount. 12. Reinforce Front ARB Mount. 13. Reinforce Front Strut Tower to Frame Rail Junction.