RebekahsZ

Cut your tank in half and clean it really well, make mods, then weld it back together. You can't get it clean without splitting it open. Have 2 fuel pickups even if you cap one of them-you never know when you will want to add a wet nitrous system with an independent fuel pump. Look at my build thread and you will find pictures of my modified tank. There are also pictures of a 280z tank with the sump in the middle of it.

I'm building adjustable droop limiters this weekend. How much droop should I allow as a starting point to improve my launch? My 60' is 1.6 with a 2500 2-step and 1.5 with a 3500 2-step. Any advice? jnj-please keep us posted as to whether the drag radials are harder on your axles than the bias plies were.

Finally getting around to designing and building the exhaust for my LS2/240z. I have never had an exhaust with flex sections-my old L24 exhaust was bad about breaking hangars and slapping the differential, so I'd like to do better this time, even if it costs me more money-20 years later, I thankfully have more! I'm putting together my parts list to take to an exhaust shop for assembly (no mandrel benders in this area). I see flex sections of different lengths: 2 inches of flex to 6 inches of flex. My engine is mounted with poly mounts. I will be using high-temp silicone grommets where support to the chassis is needed. Clearance between the 2.5" exhaust and the JCI tranny mount will be very close, as will the clearance under the differential. Running front to back, I plan to have 2.5" head pipes from the header to a Burns Stainless merge-collector-y-pipe to a 3" single pipe passing under the diff then routed to a 3" Borla XR-1 oval muffler in the stock location. I will be using v-bands at the header, then another after the y-pipe (so that I can drop the forward section of the exhaust for servicing the engine and tranny, or drop the rear section to service the diff or rear suspension), then another v-band to attach the muffler. I'm planning to put a flex section on each headpipe before passing under the trans mount, so that things can be pretty solid as I pass under the tranny mount with its tight clearances. Questions: 1. Are short flex sections adequate for absorbing typical vibrations-or should I use longer flex sections? 2. Do flex sections "sag" - I mean, if I have an unsupported solid section between two flex sections, is the solid section likely to droop noticeably?

I just got a new backdrop for my computer desktop!

Do you have a friend who could drive your car and reproduce the sound while you ride lying on the floor, feet in the air, and head under the dash?

I have stock front system and Maxima rear disc conversion. Running R4S all 4 corners and am happy with how it stops-no squeeling. I have drilled out the stock proportion valve and installed a Wilwood adjustable prop valve. Even with the prop valve all the way open, I cannot get the rears to lock in either wet or dry. I have tried Ceramic pads and R4 pads on my drifting handbrake caliper in the back (another Maxima caliper). I can't get it to lock with either pad material unless I am already in a turn. I wasn't happy with the R4, so I tried the ceramic hoping for improved cold performance, but they are worse than the R4. I think that the dust on the rotor is important, so the mixed pad type may actually be compounding the problem. It is on my list to go back to 100% porterfield. They are dusty as heck, but I'm happy with how the car is stopping, even though I need more rear bias. The Porterfields do improve with heating. The slow-down portion of all my local tracks is really short, so I'm standing on the brakes from 126mph and am having no trouble. Hoping for similar performance going around cones in the parking lots this spring. I haven't found anybody yet who could lock their Maxima, 240sx, or 280zx rear calipers.

Tore Z31 diff carrier down again. Started by measuring all the discs and plates with my new Harbor Freight micrometer. Savage42 clutch discs: 4 were 0.0623", 2 were 0.0633". Stock clutch discs: varied between 0.0685 and 0.0691" (I have 4 stock discs, 2 from this diff and 2 from my other one). Stock clutch plates: varied between 0.0666 and 0.0695" (there are 4 clutch plates in the stock diff) Stock spring plates: varied from 0.0688 and 0.0690" (there are 4 spring plates in the stock diff) Stock spacer: 0.1275 and 0.1280" (there are two). I inspected the clutch discs from Savage42. Three of the 4 had some burs that looked like weld splatter on the "gear teeth." I had previously judged these to be in a position that made the burs inconsequential. That is true, unless the burred discs is placed directly on the "center section." I cleanned all the burs off with a dremel tool. Put it all together with all 6 new clutches and no shims. Dipped each clutch part in diff oil. Wet test in the vice was 45# with both a breaking-style torque wrench and a wand-style torque wrench. Breakaway was 45 both with and without the ring gear on and torqued. Slapped it into the case, added 2 tubes of Trans-X and a quart of synthetic 75W-140 oil. Put an Energy Suspension insulator on the front awaiting a new RT mount. Diff cover is tapped for an NPT 3/8" fitting for external venting to a puke tank. I think the problem was a combination of using too many stock discs to the point that there was more added total clutch thickness than the thickness removed by removing the spacers, and possibly burs on the clutch discs. Thanks everybody, especially for encouraging me to not give up. Mission Accomplished.

I've had computer trouble so I just got to watch those videos with sound-wow, sounds like you are still spinning a lot! I need your driver mod to teach me how to shift...

Looking good!

OK-cool. Honestly, I am at the mercy of my ECU programmer 'cause I don't have a clue of what goes on inside that "magic box." I think you can only call your solution "simple" because you are a good fabricator - to a "parts swapper," like me, it looks pretty amazing. I have a MGW after-market shifter and getting into reverse is definitely the hardest part of shifting this car - it is like the shifter's forward throw needs to be a little longer going into reverse. Your part looks great and could probably have a great market for the folks going LS with a carburetor kit. I wonder how much it would cost you to get some patent protection?

I haven't yet had trouble with accidentally going into reverse. I kind of thought my programmer had kept my reverse lockout working....if the stock system works and is wired up, is this really necessary? Teach me-I'm new to these trannies.

Less is more with bondo. You are gonna be sanding forever!

I would think that a stock clutch would be fine with the power level you are describing. Maybe use a 2+2 pressure plate? The fancier clutch you run, the more hassle you will have putting it together.

Send him a PM. He is a good corespondent. Use johnc.

I'm just sharing an opinion. You should do exactly what you want to do. I would make a big heat shield under your carbs. That will make your exhaust manifold almost invisible so what kind of exhaust you have won't matter much visually.

SUNNYZ-somebody has played a trick on me! I didn't put that on there. Maybe one of the admins is teasing me for the trouble I'm having getting the CLSD set up correctly for the diff you sold me. I guess in that context I'm banging your old rearend? And leaking from my tail shaft housing. This is going from bad to worse.

The stock z motor makes 1hp per cubic inch. That means that the intake and exhaust are pretty well maximized right out of the box. Honestly, you will be doing well to make your new carbs function AS WELL as the stock SUs. I would base my exhaust decisions on what you feel is "coolest", not any performance concepts. Since the intake and exhaust share the same gasket, you will have some need to trim the flange on either the intake, exhaust (or both) and you may need some custom washers if the flanges are different thicknesses. I think the "Clifford" header is the best aftermarket header if you can find one. Hooker made a clone. If you are a 6-into one the MSA header is your only option. The pacesetter is ok as a 3-2-1 header but it hangs low and makes your feet hot because it gets close to the floor pan. The Nissan Motorsport header is probably the best with actual science behind it but it is a true race header and is super super thin metal to keep it light. Get ceramic because it looks best. Go 2-1/2 on the tail pipe.

They were about $350 per pair if I remember correctly. Try calling johnc before you believe the website.

Cross checked this thread and the clutch thread along with some photos from duragg. Comparing pictures, it looks like duragg has a power brute just like bjhines. The spring plates in the power brute look to be wavey looking at the wear pattern in the pictures. Apples and oranges again.

If you go to DP camber plates from betamotorsports.com, you will replace your stock insulator and lower the car about an inch and a half. You could open up your travel a little. DP camber plates bolt right in. I have them and love them.

Just went thru the whole clutches thread. These last two questions have already been handled in the thread. Sorry guys. I need a Valium.

There is a harbor freight nearby where I'm visiting for the holidays so the plan is to get one tomorrow. Kaito I was tempted to do that, but it has kind of sucked driving with an intermittent spool with the diff currently in my car. I just got an email from duragg (this forum and its members are great). His clutch stack is quite a bit different. It looks from his pictures that he put a clutch between his spring plates. Is it ok to put a clutch between or even directly against the two spring plates? Also, is there no problem having the inside driven clutch riding directly on the center section (dissimilar metals)? Duragg appears to have three driven clutches, and only three plates with tabs on the outside (can't tell if they atre spring plates or friction plates). I have 3 clutches, 2 grooved plates with tabs on the outside and 2 springs plates with tabs on the outside.

Ok, Jon, I'm gonna spend some more money and time on this. I got spme good sleep last night, so im re-motivated. Can you send a photo to my email pkeiththompson@yahoo.com of the best style gauge for measuring the clutches and plates and ill go buy one and take some measurements. Maybe ill have some thousandths milled off the inside of the carrier lid then shim back up. Let me get one thing straight on the clutch stack up: a driven clutch goes directly against the center section, then friction plate-clutch-plate-clutch-friction plate-spring plate-spring plate-shims(if needed) then the lid. Mirror stack up on the other side. I don't like the idea of having a driven clutch right up against the center section, but if that is correct, I'm game. That is how I've been stacking them up. That is the way I'm reading the instructions in the early posts. Maybe there is something I'm just stacking wrong?

You can get banjo fittings that have an inlet and an outlet. That let's you basically make a fuel log with the carbs plumbed in series. Remember the needle valves just sip from your fuel supply line as needed to keep the float bowls full so the configuration of the fuel supply system is not critical. I ran both with and without return lines-it doesn't matter. Dead-heading the fuel lines didn't seem to hurt my fuel pump. Crap in the fuel tank will ruin your life. Be sure to run a fuel filter that you can see into ( I like the stock plastic one but some are made of clearer plastic than others). I also recommend t-ing in a gauge to help with trouble shooting in the future. The stock fuel pump makes just the right fuel pressure and volume so you don't need a regulator if you are trying to keep it simple, you can save a fuel clamps and bucks there. Your leaks if you have any, will come from flooded carbs, fuel standoff, wet backfires out the float bowl vents and maybe the accelerator pumps. I was thinking about somehow venting the floats to a little puke bottle just to keep the engine bay clean but I never got to it.

The only bad thing that can happen is to put your hand in the fan or your tongue on the distributor. Keep a fire extinguisher handy and don't run air filters till it is right.