randy 77zt

Yosemite on a weekday-if you want to see Yosemite thats your best bet.We actually got about %60 of normal snow fall in the Sierra's so you will actually see some water falling.The last few years its been kind of hit & miss.I have been trying to get the Mrs to take a weekday off but she is not an outdoors person.If its warm the is a place called Rainbow Pools thats about 5 or 6 miles north of the hwy120 park entrance-awesome swimming hole.

I live about 80 miles east of there.Traffic there is a nightmare.Best bet to get around town-use Uber or Lyft.Dont rent a car until you leave SF and dont rent it at the airport.the airport commision adds fees to cars rented at the airport.All of the major car rentals have offices in town away from the airport,Example-you go out to dinner and spend 30 minutes looking for a place to park-then have to pay $15-$30 to park.The bart train doesnt come close to running into all of the neighborhoods in town.There is a website called THRILLIST that has a lot of info on newly opened bars and restaurants in town.Stay away from chain/theme restaurants like Hooters and other sucker places for newb tourist.Even the catering trucks make awesome food there.The bars are currently into a classic whiskey drink-pre prohibiton thing but they take great pride in ther skills and product.The town is currently full of 25-35 year olds getting paid too much money to write code for phone apps and other software stuff.Alot of the bars sport WIFI and some of the code writers work from the bar.If you will be in SF over a weekend the hotels in the financial district can be cheaper+ more room for a good price-they get dead(no kiddies playing football in the hallway) on the weekends.I like it around Union Square-a nice central location.About Yosemite+ Santa cruz-pick one or the other.Its 4 hours from SF to Yosemite.dont not go there on a weekend-you will only see taillights.I would either go south down hwy 1 thru Santa cruz to LA.Or go to Yosemite and go over hwy 120 to hwy 395 and south into the back side of the LA area called the inland empire.Both great drives.Try to stay out of the central valley if possable-its where I live and its flat-dusty-smelly.Its where I live.After you cross it to get to Yosemite you will find out what I am talking about.California is very spread out -like Texas.If you are in the city its traffic jams.If you are in the sierra mountians its curvy roads with 1000+' drops-where you wish you were driving your z.If you want PM me for my cell# and I can meet you for lunch or dinner if you cross the valley to Yosemite.A good old fashioned road map is best when not navigating in an urban area.

RIP John.Sorry to say I never met him in person, I did get to exchange some highly technical PM'S relating to road race/track cars though.I started working on cars at the age of 6 (50 years ago) and I would openly admit that John knew more than I ever will.I would log into Hybrid Z just to check out his remarks when he sent some newbs post to the basement.Will some body be able to step up and explain why an import car doesnt need -10 degrees of camber in the back wheels like John did ?

I hope its running when I get there!!!!!!

Try Rock Auto-In alot of apps you can get AC-Delco parts cheap.I am putting an ls motor into a c4 vette for a customer.I needed to convert a truck 5.3 to a corvette belt drive because the crank pulley rides behind the rack&pinion.I got a c5 vette crank pulley/balencer for $50-off brand though.That late model camaro pump is about the same as summit-$155.

Drive it with a fuel pressure gauge and make sure the pressure follows the boost.If you are running in the stock efi system you will soon find out why people switch to aftermarket efi.I bought a pressure gauge 0-100 psi from a local industrial supply and put my own fittings on it.The fuel pressure regulator should add fuel pressure under boost.The oem zxt regulator was one of the few old parts I never had any problem with.

$20 for an ad for a high dollar part is just part of doing business.A local Hybrid Z member got the parts for free.The $20 is a donation for supporting this site.I had no intention of going around the $20 fee.I have been out of Z cars for awhile and the parts were taking up space in my very small shop.If any Z owners need any technical advise pm me for the address for my shop + bring beer.

Does your block use a roller lifter cam?Most of the 5.0 mustang blocks used rolller lifters with a sheet metal plate that kept them inline.There will be a row of 3 or 4 small bolt holes in the exact center of the lifter valley if it is a roller block.My 1996 e150 van with 351 is a roller block.You can use 5.0 mustang cams-easy to get.The reason fords where historically down on power vs chevy is the cylinder head ports suck.The aftermarket has solved that .There were some 5.0 explorers with better than average head flow for a ford.Disassemble the engine and take the major parts to have them hot tanked and measured for wear.A good machinist will tell you what will make the grade and what wont.I have been doing alot of business with Rock Auto and except for the wait find the prices very cheap along with a good selection of brand names.I just rebuilt an engine for a customer and ended up having my machinist hot tank parts.He ground the valve seats and valves and installed the valve stem seals from my gasket set+ minor cut 008"on the gasket surface.The block only needed a deglaze honing and I assembled it with stock sized rings and bearings. A nice engine for under $1K.

I just finished an ls6 harness from a vette.The lt1swap.com had some of what I needed but I ended up going on www.alldata.com and getting the oem diagrams .The website lets you see or print the pages that you need.All wire colors/pin positions were %100 accurate.Cost is $24/year.Have you tried another maf?Or cleaned the maf?Sometimes if you put too much oil on a k&n filter you will get codes.I dont ground any sensor wires-there is usually a sensor ground return wire on the ecm.I never depend on a body/chassis/engine ground connection.

I have a set of 280zxt cv axles + a plastic tote box of miscellaneous z bolts-bearings-trans parts.Free-but you must pick up.Will not ship.Located in Salida California.Send pm if interested.

A good spot or maybe a new forum?

If you want to bring it out to Modesto I can do it.I own a small shop-just me.The problem with custom work is that there is no flat rate time standards for custom work.They will bid the job high or keep hitting you up for more money.My shop rate is $50/hr.

I have some 82zxt axles if you can use them.

I used to be a Ford dealer tech.The Ford ohc 2.3 had roller rocker arms on the later versions.Never got an arm to try.Just a suggestion.

The problem with towing is that you dont want to drive a heavy pick up based vehicle for daily use.But any vehecle that claims it can tow 5klbs probably wont tow at max capacity for very long with out burning up a transmission or eating brakes.Going anywhere in California requires climbing passes like the grapevine and the temps can be 100f+ while climbing a hill.I have a 1996 ford e150 van.It works real good but its got a 5.8l engine and the same trans ford used in motorhomes.But it eats gas-like 12 mpg loaded.How many track days are you really going to make in 1 year?If you are only going to make 2 or 3 a year it might be better to rent something and leave the ownership headaches to somebody else.And you live in an urban area where space is tight and there is no place to park extra vehicles.I built a set of ramps for a guy that converted an old bread van with a diesel into a small race car hauler.It was a slow pig but got ok mileage.He had the same problem -no parking at home.He kept it at an rv storage.Try to find a light trailer with 4 wheel brakes.Make sure the brakes work.Electric brakes with an adjustable controller work the best.Basically you need a 1/2 ton truck for an open trailer-3/4 ton truck or more for an enclosed trailer.My stepson had a 1/2ton chevy 4x2 with a 5.3 and I really liked that truck.It had good power and would get reasonable milage empty.Toyota Tundras are known to be powerful-but eat gas.I have friends that report 12mpg in town.Post back when you figure out what you end up with.I like my van because I sleep in it-no motel rooms needed.