wheelman

Katman, I've already got a set of ROHS 16X8 rims and plan to run 225/45-16 size tires. I'm running 205/45-16 Yokohama Avid H4s now. I'm going with the Kumhos for a couple seasons so I can remain in the novice class. Hoosiers force me into E-Mod where I'll have to run because of the engine swap. I've already done the poly bushings upgrade and the sway bars are close to the sizes you stated, 1" front and 7/8" rear I believe. Jon, I don't plan on going "all out" with this car. I'm just getting started in Auto-X and just want to have some fun while I learn to drive better. The main reasons for going coilovers is to get the ride height back up and get rid of the progressive springs I have on the front of the car (Tokicos). When I start thinking about making changes my competitive nature comes out and I want some adjustability for when I am forced into E-Mod. It may very well happen this coming season, if I win 1 event as a novice I'm booted out of that class. I'm just exploring ideas and considering what to do so I really appreciate the input from you guys. Wheelman

I'm going to be converting from Tokico springs to coilovers for use in Auto-X and was wondering what the difference was between the 2 setups. Currently my car rides too low and I can't adjust caster or camber (no plates) so I figured I'd gather as much info as possible before deciding which coilover/camber plate setup to buy. I like the strut setup John sells but would like to get a kit to convert my struts rather than buy the whole package. Haven't asked John about it yet so maybe he'll jump in and tell us if he is willing to sell just those parts and for how much. I also run fairly large ARBs front and rear (bought the pair MSA sells) which consequently makes the tail a bit happy. Before I blame it on the bars I have to say the tires I'm running are pretty hard so breaking them loose with the throttle is very easy and the car is a bit nose heavy. I plan on switching to Kumho tires next season and have ordered a Power Brute LSD. I want to combine these changes with coilovers to get the ride height back up and camber plates to add a bit of adjustability. Switching to coilovers means I can choose the spring rates I want which is what really prompted the question. The car will be driven some on the street, mostly to Auto-X events, so I don't want rattle the teeth springs if I can avoid it and my struts are stock Tokico blues which I'm sure can't handle very stiff springs. I'm thinking the west coast setup will work better for me as Auto-X courses tend to be very tight and I don't see myself attending HPDE events any time soon (to far to travel). Any thoughts or suggestions? Wheelman

Thanks John, I was hoping you'd be one of the guys to respond to my question. I'm a bit surprised at the spring rates though, most times you see springs discussed on here the 200-250 range is what most guys use. Wheelman

In a thread discussing the merits of a clutch type LSD vs a Quaiffe or Torsion LSD a reference was made to setting up the susension of a Z as West Coast style and East Coast style. The difference in performance was referred to as west coast being fast into a corner, slight over steer, and slower out where the east coast setup was slower into the corner, slight understeer, and fast out. Unfortunately the actual differences in setup were not described, at last not that I remember, the actual topic of the thread was not suspension setup but LSD types. So my request is, would one of the suspension gurus please describe the two setups and the theory behind them. I'm looking for things such as spring rates (ratios front to back), sway bar configurations, camber, castor, ride height, etc.. Thanks Wheelman

Clive, I've had the tank in for a while. The tank was in when these pictures were shot although you can't see it. I was going to put up a thread that chronicled the process but I always forget to take pictures while I'm in the middle of a project. I'm planning on an LSD install this winter so I'll take some pictures of the tank and the hose/wire connections then (I hope). The tank arrived on good shape with all the connecting hoses and wires just like you said it would. I used the quick connect ends from the stock fuel lines with some high pressure hose I already had so the fuel line connections were very easy. I also connected the stock Datsun pump wires to the connectors in the tank and replaced the internal fuel level sender unit with the one from the Datsun tank (thanks Bartman for that idea). The one part of the install I'm not happy with is the filler neck. I shortend the stock metal filler end and the rubber hose. I then cut the upper end off the Datsun filler hose and used it to clamp the metal filler neck to the stock Datsun location (sort of like Bartman did) and had to put a 90* angle section of pipe into the rubber section of the filler hose to connect the top metal part to the tank. I can fill the tank all the way and the fuel gauge works so I'm happy with the swap. Wheelman

Yasin, Those holes are actually welded up already. There was a bump strip there that was mounted with rivets. I removed it, ground off the paint and welded up the holes. The paint I removed makes the holes look much larger than they actually were, they are also discolored a bit from grinding them smooth after welding. I got those ROHS ZS wheels and the tires on them for $200.00. I really like the way they look. Wheelman

Here are some live shots of my Z at the last Auto-X I attended. Wheelman

Have your mechanic balance the entire rotating assembly using a standard flywheel/flexplate and damper meant for a later SBC that had a 1 piece rear main seal. This eliminates the whole problem and is a better setup than external balancing anyway. Edit: Besides, the LT1 uses wieghts on the flexplate/flywheel for balancing not the damper. Wheelman

The injectors do not require a relay but you want to put a fuse on the power feed ciruit to protect the PCM in case of a short. The ONLY circuits you will need relays on are the fuel pump and fan(s) assuming you use the PCM to control them. This is why I suggested you get the underhood fuse box or a new harness from a Caprice that includes it. All the fuses and relays are there with the correct connections. Wheelman

Thanks John. My Z weighs in at 2540 so it might be considered one of the heavier cars. Wheelman

Thanks for the feedback guys. I'm not to concerned about wet traction at this point as I don't plan to run Auto-X in the rain and South Eastern WA gets very little anyway. I'm currently running Yokohama Avid H4s and they are way to hard. I also want to get the widest tires that will fit on my rims as I'm traction limited pretty bad right now. I have to say that it's pretty tough to beat the Kumhos on price ($68.00 each from Tire Rack) but I really was hoping someone would have some experience with them. The ratings on Tire Rack's website look really good so I guess I'll give them a try. I only plan to use them for a couple seasons so not a big deal if I don't like them. Wheelman

BillZ260 is correct, there have been several guys post on here that swapped in a gen 1 or 2 SBC but none for LS1s so far. There are no kits available yet for anything so you'll have to fabricate everything. This being the case if you're game and don't have a problem with the electronics involved do the LS1 install. The LSx series engines are great platforms, lighter than the older iron block engines and can make some serious HP with few mods. Other options would be a Ford small block, Lexus 4.0 V8 (1UZFE), Buick GN V6, 4.3L V6, RB engines or even an SR20DET. Be creative and if the customer is willing to pay then go for it. Wheelman

I'm looking for new tires that will fit a 16X8" rim. I want some sticky street tires that I can use for a couple Auto-X seasons. I drive the car to and from events so they need to be hard enough for street/highway and allow me to remain in the novice class. I only expect to use these for 2 seasons so a long tread wear isn't that big a deal. I'm looking very hard at the Kumho ECSTA MX tires in the 225/50-16 size. These will fit my rims and clear the fender openings, although it will be tight at the spring perch. Has anyone run these tires? If so what do you think of them? Any other reccommendations of tires to look at? I don't want to spend a huge amount as I only plan to use them for a couple years, then I'll move to the E-MOD class and start running slicks. Thanks Wheelman

The reason you can't find a write up on that is you'd be the first to do it. At least I've not seen anyone post here about this swap. Normally nobody flames here, especially if you do a search first and legitimately can't find what you're looking for. If you do the swap, take alot of pictures and document it so yo can help the next guy avoid the problems you encountered. BTW: Welcome to HybridZ, the best Z website you'll find anywhere. Good luck Wheelman

As Bart and Danno have stated it's possible to use the harness you already have, I made the statement about buying a new complete harness based on your repeated statement about only connecting 5 wires and everything works. With your harness as hacked up as you make it sound this is not going to happen. It should be possible to use the Datsun fuel pump relay, you just need to figure out which PCM connector controls that relay, if you want the PCM to energize the pump before the engine fires, and connect it up, you'll also want to use an oil pressure switch that also closes the same relay to keep the motor running once the PCM opens it's circuit. The PCM will only run the pump for a couple seconds when the ignition is first turned on, this primes the fuel system before cranking. Edit: I suppose you could also just have the ignition switch close the fuel pump relay and the pump run while the switch is on. The one drawback to this is if a fuel line is cut and the engine dies the pump will continue to run dumping fuel everywhere causing a major fire hazard. An oil pressure switch prevents this by opening the relay when the oil pressure drops shutting off the pump. Hope this helps. Wheelman

I've got GMCs version of the Astro, the Safari with that engine tranny package in it. I really like it, has enough torque to propel the van down the road at 70-75 while pulling a full-size 14' pop-up tent trailer and still get decent milage. It now has 160,000 miles on it but runs and drives great. In fact the body of the van is showing the miles much more so than the drivetrain. I think you'll have a nice Z once the transplant is done. Keep us informed and post lots of pictures. Wheelman

Well you are talking early 80s technology.

Danno, If his engine and harness (or whats left of it) came from a Caprice it won't have those connectors you mentioned, it will have an underhood fusebox that replaces those circuits. I agree with you, he should buy either a complete aftermarket or stock harness and then go from there. Wheelman

Sounds to me like you are going to have to rebuild a lot more of your harness than you planned on. If you had that under fuse box and didn't remove any of the circuits then it would be as simple as connecting +12, +12 switched and ground to the appropriate connectors and you'd be good to go. obviously you'd also need to connect the starter and alternator but those are separate. Based on what you've posted you are going to need to build curcuits that provide power and fuses for the sensors, injectors, fuel pump and fan(s) and relays for the fuel pump and fan(s). There are no relays for the injectors. I don't remember how the ignition connected to the PCM but you might have to rebuild part of that as well. Seeing as you are missing a large portion of the harness that I had available I really can't answer your question completely. Sorry man. Would you be able to get a complete engine bay harness and PCM from a local JY? This would make your life much easier. Am I remembering correctly when I think you don't have a PCM yet? What tranny are you going to use? Are you removing the emissions equipment? What about the power steering and AC? Wheelman

Mario, Thats my car in the first picture you see as you scroll down. The top coils are fully compressed and I have about 2" before the spring is totally compressed. This was with all the front body work removed so it got worse when I put things together. This is why I plan to convert to coil-overs in the future. The ride height is to low and there is not enough travel before bottoming out. I'm going to cut the stops but haven't made the effort yet as I'll have to pull the springs to do it. Keep in mind I'm running a V8 so there is more weight on the front, and believe me there is. I had the car weighed at the last Auto-X. It was 2540 total (Me not in it and 3/4 tank of gas), 1350 front and 1190 rear for a 53/47 distribution. I'm not sure the way we measured it was right but the numbers add up correctly. We used a full car scale, weighed the front, then total, then rear. The scale was surrounded by a small concrete pad, when only the front or rear tires were on the scale they were very close to the edge of the scale in order to keep the other end on the pad and the car level. So much for the idea the set back position makes for 50/50 distribution. I have an R200 which is a little heavier than the stock R180 and a 2001 Camaro fuel tank which is lighter then the stocker so it probably is a wash. I removed the tire well and welded in 18 gauge sheet to fill the hole, lost a little there but probably gained most of it back from the 1"x2" 18 gauge tubing I used for the the tank mounts. All that to say that I'm not happy with the Tokico springs and will replace them. I like the spring rates, 165 front, 180 rear but the progressive fronts suck and they definitely lowered the car more than the advertised 1.5" Wheelman

Sounds like most, if not all the wires you're thinking go to the firewall really terminated at the underhood fuse box. I don't remember seeing 2 pink wires going to each of the O2 sensors, do you really mean there is 1 pink going to each? The pink (with no stripes) wires in my harness were all power wires for the sensors and injectors. There is also an orange wire(s) that connects to the oil pressure sender/switch, PCM and fuel pump relay that provides power to the fuel pump. It also terminates at the underhood fuse box. This may sound confusing but one pink wire goes from the fuse box to all the injectors. The other wire from each injector goes to the PCM. The PCM uses this wire to provide a connection to ground so current can flow from the battery through the pink wire to the ground through the PCM. As far as I know the only real difference between the cop cars and the civillian cars were the green silicon cooling hoses, extra engine oil and tranny coolers and double fans. The cops cars had the 140Amp alternator as mentioned before but the civillian cars might have also had it. Hope this helps. wheelman

Isn't a 9 second 0-60 about what those did in stock form when brand new. It is a 2+2 auto after all. Wheelman

Yeah, turning them over will not make any difference to whether they bottom out or not. I guarantee the Tokico springs I bought were progressive front and linear rear, even discussed it with aTokico support tech. He was sympathetic to my situation when I wanted to return them but I had to return them to the distributor who was not so sympathetic, so I still have them. I'll eventually convert to coil-overs. Wheelman

Do you have the underhood fuse box? If you don't you should try to get one from a wrecking yard, it will make the harness integration much easier. The O2 sensor wires should not go into the firewall, neither should any of the other sensors. They all connect directly to the PCM along with several ground and power connections. The PCM will need +12, +12 switched and ground connections. The +12 connections should have fuses inline so if there is a short the PCM won't be fried. The fuel pump, fan(s) and injector power feeds also have fuses. I know this isn't enough information but you really need to get the circuit diagrams for the engine bay circuits. I got mine from the field service manuals at my public library. Photo copied all the pages I needed for about $2.00. Wheelman

My wife and I have been through the "help kids buy a car" game twice so far. The deal I made with them was I'd match them dollar for dollar until I had put in $1000.00, anything above that was their responsibility. So to maximize my contribution they had to at least come up with $1000.00 of their own. I also had some input into the car they purchased but I left it up to them to make the final decision. My son who is now 20 opted to buy an 81 Caprice wagon for $600.00 which we have since rebuilt the engine in and will soon need a new tranny. He's currently stationed in DC and has purchased a 96 or 97 GrandAM that is giving him problems and the wagon is sitting next to my house with a suspension that is partially converted to air bags. He thinks he wants to drop a 383 into it but can't control his spending so it won't happen soon. My daughter who is 17 opted to max me out and spend $2000.00 on an 89 4-banger Mustang. I wouldn't have let her get one with a 5.0, she is happy with her car but has already had to replace the transmission. Her brother, the one in DC, was driving it when the tranny blew-up and I told her to let him use it so I helped a some with the repair bill. Other than the initial contribution I haven't paid for any of the expenses of either car and the kids don't ask me to, they knew the deal, we checked out the cars as well as we could, I gave my input and they made thier decisions and have stuck by them with very little whining. It's tough as a parent to tell your kids NO or sit by when they make obviously bad decisions. I guess I've been very fortunate that my kids don't expect me to pay their bills or fix their problems. It must be that my wife and I never treated them that way so they don't expect it. My son whines about things every so often but I remind him it was his decision and he stops. Edit: I just read Denny411's post and have to add that we have the same deal with insurance. As long as there are no tickets and they are in school we'll cover it. First ticket or quit/finish school and it's their responsibility. My son has 3 speeding tickets and is realizing why I got upset when he received them as he is paying close to $300.00 per month for liability only. My daughter hasn't received any tickets yet but the deal is the same for her. Wheelman