blueovalz

If I were to undertake this venture, I would weld ears of the appropriate design and strength to each of the four points, and then bolt the X member onto these ears. Construct the X member, bolt the ears to this piece, and then position this "assembly" where it should go, and then weld the ears in place. Of course the ears will take some work, but you WILL want to make this removeable in the future. I have never regretted a removeable piece vs a permanent piece since I've messed with cars. "B" is the way I see as the best.

Pete, I'm having the same problem posting new topics. Anyway, You may be correct about the voltage sensing wire. I may be wrong on my terminalogy. If indeed the field is excited by the bulb wire, then a low resistance sounds good. I've measured three different idiot light resistances. they ranged from 13 ohms to over 70 ohms. I will start with the highest and work down. Thanks for all the replies, guys.

Something I should mention here is this is "new" wiring. The original wiring was gutting for the track, and I have only added an altenator just recently due to the conversion to street duty. So, with that said I have one 10 ga wire to charge the battery, and a 2nd smaller ga wire to excite the field from the battery also. This 3rd wire is the topic of my question.

I've only got a 302 (story of my life), but the entire drivetrain is solidly mounted from the engine back. With no rubber mounts to cushion the "impact" other than the cluth disc springs, I still find this transmission to hold together fine. Good shifting is a key part here. And the T-5 has (IMHO) the best "feel" as far as the shifting mechanism is concerned.

Blake, I don't have that book, and yes, I did run a jumper from the field excitation lug to the charge lug, but this idiot light wire has me wigged out. Every manufacturer uses a different type of blub depending too, on the year is was made (led vs filament). So unless I get any more input, I'll go for the "194" bulb, or its equivalent resistance and watch the alternator real close. I'll get some pics of this thing out in a couple of weeks. You guys will enjoy (wonder about my state of mind) the set-up (what with my hood fitting up against the front of the motor).

Thanks for clearing that up Ross.

I've been unable to post a new topic for several days (takes the completed form but never posts it up on the forums board) so I'm riding the coat tail of this one. My problem: the gentleman that rebuilt a GM 3 wire alternator for me insists that the idiot light wire MUST be hooked up to a light. If I just go to ground with it, he says the regulator will burn up, and if I leave it open (no light), he says it will not charge. My questions: what size (wattage) bulb is required. If I go too large it may look like a ground, and if I go too small, it make look like an open to the regulator? Has anybody just used a resistor? And lastly, is his information correct?. Oh yes, I did check out the "Olds FAQ" reference, but it did not address this problem. I hope this reply will work.

testing

Thanks for the prompt answers. Terry

I saw this from Courtesy Nissan for $45. Has anybody used this, and if so, is it a good representation of the original manuals? My paper version was lost in a move, and the supplier of the factory manual says that the new "paper" versions are photocopies of the originals, and run $75 in a binder.

I've never had or seen this problem. I don't care that much for the red Harwood, but it will sooner be replaced with an aluminum shroud. In the mean time, this tank has lasted 8 years strong.

The flare fittings are 10mm with a 1.0 mm pitch. Terry

Dang Pete, I feel your pain. That's why I limit the out-work to the very very minimum, which at times is more agravation to do it myself, but in the end I know it's done right.

I guess I don't understand the towers only cage system. To me the vertical movement of the suspension would be transfered to the unibody (frame rails, etc) by the verical tension/compression strength of the towers themselves, and very ineffeciently through horizontal bars. but if inertia in a corner is trying to force the mass of the car outward, than the tower tops are going to follow suit (assuming the tires and hence the lower control arm picup points maintain grip), or all the towers if they are all tied together without any bracing to the bases of the towers (or control arm pickup points). It appears to me to be a parallelogram (spelling?)flexing rather than a parallelogram with a travers brace (tying the towers to the lower points on the unibody thru a cage). I've never seen this set-up of towers only before, and I may be missing something on this.

Mine is just about at the limit of angle for the horizontal alignment. With such a short driveshaft, a couple of inches off centerline will make a big difference. Still, I don't feel an abnormal amount of vibration. It's too bad that "the driveshaft" has not progress along with other automotive technology and seen the development of a CV jointed driveshaft. Hmmm, maybe I have stumbled on to my next project. Currently, I have just tonight assembled my driveshaft with a pulley on it so that I can drive my alternator from the driveshaft. It was a racing idea only for longer races, but now that the car is getting street duty, and I had to find a charger for the battery, and my hood would not allow such extravagance mounted to the motor.

I guess if racers are using this tower-tie method sucessfully, then what can I say. The first thing that comes to my mind is if all the towers are tied together, but not rigidly to the control arm attachment points (or choice points on the unibody), then this still allows a movement relative to each other (towers to control arm pickup points), which defeats the handling bennefits of the cage anyway? And points refer to the number of locations (points) that the cage is attached to the car.

This has also always been the case for my Z also (skinny, wide, and even with soft slicks, always very close to same length on both patterns).

This was where I got all my tubing used for my cars. Auto-Jet is the name of the company. http://www.auto-jet.com/mandrel_tube_bending_data.htm Terry

I use a 3/4" Girling M/C with my McLeod hydraulic throw-out bearing, BUT, it's on a long style Ram clutch (Ford). I don't know if a diapham type clutch would require less pressure (which may allow you to use a larger diameter M/C if that is so).

Is there a set screw only visible from under the knob being the dash slopes back at that part? Turn the knob until visible (I think)

Yeah, after my 4th U-joint broke, thats when I started looking and found out the CV joints would work. I used cheap ones first, then Spicers, then found some original OLD OEM stock Nissan joints (was told these were the better than the new joints that Nissan was selling), and no luck. After beating the hell out of my floor and the lower control arm, I said enough is enough. I've never broke another drivetrain part since the CV jointed swap.

I'll throw one out to you. My only concern would be making sure you prepped (some kind of coating) the surface so that paint would stick to it. The normal primers, etc, I don't believe will adhere very well. Other than that, and the cost, that's the only experience with SS that I have.

I've also found it quite a bit easier if you use two screwdrivers to symetrically pry the shafts out (screwdriver blades on opposite sides of the shaft and then tapped in together allowing the blade ramps to force, or "cam" the shaft out. Terry

I've replaced the boots on these shafts (cv jointed ones that is) and the ends of the grooves that the sperical bearings ride in are as tough as the sides of the grooves. The only concern with yanking on them would be the shaft coming loose at the point where it is peened at the splines, and even then it was a tight fit even for a press to push out.

Am I wrong here in thinking than anything mechanical (valve train, firing order, etc) is going to make the engine run bad regardless of the operating temp, unless of course you are running little to no lash with solid lifters). This still sounds like an A/F mixture problem. Be sure to check (or replace) the power valve. A broke diaphram on this $10 part will dump gas into the carb with little evidence of this happening.