wheelman

Yes, you can turn the VATS off using TunerCat. As stated above there is no way to leave the A/C in the stock position. Barts setup uses the A/C delete bracket and a gutted PS pump to route the belt. I made a custom bracket that uses 2 idler pullies to replace the A/C and PS pump. Here is a link: http://www.vikingds.com/zcarguy/serpentine1.jpg I used 3/8" plate (I had it laying around) and bought 2 new pullies. Unfortunely I don't have the link to the place I got the pullies from but they're both 3". I have no idea about the stock F-Body shifter but if it were me I'd get an aftermarket one. Wheelman

Phantom, Yeah, I recognized Selah as that hebrew word as well, thought it was kind of cool. I got your PM and will reply to it directly rather than here. Wagz, I'll be running on Sat Sept. 2nd and possibly the 3rd depending on how the car and I hold up. Both days the runs start at baout 9:00 AM and go to 4:00 PM. Yes, it's the Sand and Sage Sports Car Club sponsoring the event. It's one of 2 events taking place this month. This one will be at Dust Devil stadium out by the TRAC in Pasco (Road 68). The next is at Tri-City raceway in West Richland on the 23rd and 24th. You should try and make it out, I'll be the guy driving the Blue, Silver and rust colored Z making all the noise. I checked the other registrants and saw 1 other Z thats bronze. We'll both be running in the novice class so we'll see how I do against him. I'm sure my inexperience will show. Leased a condo on the 5th fairway at Meadow Springs. Must have made a killing on your house in Vancouver. Badger plateau is nice but bit too windy for me, plus Richland wants to annex it (if they haven't already) and I really don't want to live in Richland. Anyway we'll have to get together sometime and have a beer or 2. I hesitate to offer but if you need any help moving into your new place let me know. I'll PM you my phone #. Wheelman

Wagz, I believe you are still correct about the basic demographics of Yakima. I've never lived there but my sister does, or used to now she lives in Selah, and the west side seemed nicer the times I visited. I think the drug problems you experienced in the past have been reduced but Meth is still a huge problem around here. I owned a small apartment building for a short time and it seemed 1 out of every 3 people who applied to rent from us had a problem with it. So you did move back to the Tri-Cities after all. So where did you buy or are you renting? The local Auto-X club is racing this weekend at Dust Devil stadium, you should come out and run with us. Phantom, The thing to look for to avoid would be the hispanic neighborhoods as they will be lower income and have much larger drug problems. If you don't mind a bit of a commute then it would be worth checking the Selah or even Naches areas. They are both small towns located close to Yakima that are a little more upscale, at least Selah is. The Yakima valley has some nice areas also. If you don't mind my asking, what is your background? I work for a small high tech firm that designs and manufactures handheld x-ray analysis equipment and we are looking for a production manager. The company is named Keymaster Technologies and we were just purchased by Bruker AXS. Wheelman

Phantom, I also live in the Tri-Cities. If you lived in Boise then you are familiar with the environment you'll find in Yakima, although I think Boise is a bit warmer in the summer and cooler in the winter. As Larry said if you are into outdoors activities it would be a nice place to live, many lakes close by and Ranier National Park about 1 hour away. Yakima sits in the eastern foothills of the Cascade mountains, Mt. Ranier and Mt. Baker are both visible on clear days, St. Helens used to be but not since 1980. Access to lots of camping, hiking, hunting and fishing is very close. The Columbia River is close as is the Snake which joins the Columbia at the Tri-Cities. If you like wine the Yakima Valley rivals Napa Valley and is getting better every year. One thing you will find is the town seems very disjointed as if there was no planning involved in it's growth. Housing prices are reasonable, particularly when compared to any larger city in the country. I've lived in the Tri-Cities (Kennewick, Pasco and Richland, which is similar to Yakima, although hotter) for 13 years and have found the primary drawback to be the allergies I developed 4 years after moving here. I don't know how Yakima is in this regard but it's a local truism that anyone who has been here at least 4 years will develop them. The one other thing worth mentioning is the cross-mountain rivalry that exists in Washington state. The west-siders (Seattlites) generally view eastern Washington as fly-over country and we are very under-represented in state and national politics. That being said, don't listen to anything a person from the west side says about the east side. All kidding aside, if you liked Boise you'll probably like Yakima. Wheelman

Mopar69, Last time I was at American Auto Wrecking in the Tri-Cities they had a 280Z 2+2 in very good shape, I think it was a 78. Here is the number, (509) 542-9300, give them a call and find out if they still have it. The Tri-Cities is only 2 hours from Spokane so it would be worth the trip down to get the fenders off of it. You might be able to talk them into selling you the entire car, it was in very good shape, I took the hood from it. Edit: Don't wait long to call if you want it, they are crushing a lot of their cars due to the price of steel increasing so it might not last long. Wheelman

One of my co-workers showed me a busniess card from this bike shop. http://www.thecryptcycles.com Anyone here seen these before? Some awesome work has gone into these, very cool!!! Wheelman

Do a search for LT1 pulley assemblies on this site, the subject has been discussed several times with a few different solutions. I built an adapter plate with 2 idler pulleys to replace the PS and A/C and retained the stock tensioner. It's not possible to run just a tensioner and the alternator, at least not with the alternator in the stock location. Deleting the EGR and smog pump shouldn't cause you any problems but you'll need to program them out of the PCM. Your PCM will be an OBDII unit so will also want the second set of O2 sensors located after the CATS in the exhaust system. You could switch to an OBDI PCM, get rid of the second set of O2 sensors and then program out the EGR, SMOG pump, etc.. I also used the JTR radiator and a Taurus fan. Wheelman

Bart, I might be wrong in this so take it with a grain of salt. Looking at how TunerCat is used to set the idle I'd say the IAC is used by the PCM to maintain the requested RPM. The IAC is also used as a throttle follower to keep the RPMs up a bit when the car is moving for emissions purposes. Taking these things into account it shouldn't be necessary to increase the size of those passages to increase your idle. You should be able to use a tuner program to set the desired idle and throttle follower behavior and then let the PCM control the IAC to meet the requested settings. Wheelman

The VSS makes a difference when you are coming to a stop and using the engine to help slow the car. The IAC will open some to keep the revs up just a bit when the car is moving, but if your VSS is not connected the PCM thinks the car is stopped and as soon as you let off the throttle the PCM will close the IAC in an attempt to drop the revs. If the revs are up because the clutch is engaged and the car is moving as soon as you disengage the clutch the engine will die or come close to it. I ran my car for a short time with out the VSS and had this happen to me several times. I tried tuning it out by bumping the idle but that didn't help so I found a VSS that connected inline with my speedometer cable. Problem solved. Wheelman

I did my own harness also, took me much longer than 2 hours but I basically rebuilt the entire thing. I removed the following: EGR, VATS, AC, PS, AIR PUMP, Vapor Canister, oil level sensor and all transmission connections. I used a 280Z tach and wired it into the PCM so the dash looks totally stock. My donor car had an underhood fuse box which I snagged and used to wire up all the needed fuses and relays for the fuel injection, fuel pump and electric fan. I also have a T5 and had to create a Vehicle Speed Sensor (VSS) that worked with it. I'll see if I can track down the part numbers and vendor name for you. Some of the later T5s had a VSS but not all and then you have to figure out how to drive the stock speedo or replace it with an electronic one. Wheelman

a6t8vw, I suppose you want to drill the threads out and put the bolt in from the top instead of from inside the Datsun mount tower, is this correct? If you make sure to use a washer and bolt head that fit inside the hole in the back of the mount and that won't bind up then it would be the same as threading the bolt into the insert. It might actually be easier to mount it as well, although it really isn't that hard to get everything lined up without the modification. You could even use a longer coarse thread bolt and just run it all the way through the insert instead of drilling out the threads. If you decide to go this route you'll have to drill a pocket out of the spacer or the plate depending on how you have them bolted together. I bolted the plate to the block in order to clear my headers. This puts the motor mount on the spacer and in this configuration there is no way to get a wrench on a bolt head thats on the back side of the motor mount. You might want to mount the plates, spacers and headers to make sure everything will clear before drilling out the threads just in case. Wheelman

Brandon, If the washer used is small enough it should fit inside the hole in the back of the mount but it would limit the amount of movement available. Use a large washer and it would be effectively be solid mounted which would run the risk of breaking the bolt. a6t8vw, I wouldn't drill out those threads. The mount is designed to be bolted in using that insert in the rubber. It gives the mount the ability to flex preventing the bolt from breaking and isolating the car from engine vibration a bit. Many guys on here have used those mounts and I have yet to see anyone report a failure. Wheelman

The order of the spacer and setback plate don't matter at all. I put mine in with the plates bolted to the block so they would clear my headers. Wheelman

You'll have to either program the VATS out or put a resistor in the correct circuit of the PCM to fool it into thinking the correct key is in the ignition. I have no idea what the resistor value should be but if you search http://www.ls1tech.com you should be able to find it. It's easier to program it out though. Check out TunerCat (http://www.tunercat.com) and LT1Edit (http://carputing.tripod.com/9495LT1Edit.htm) to program the PCM. You need to get an ALDL cable, they're available from AKM Electronics (http://www.akmcables.com). I use TunerCat and find it easy to use and sort of intuitive, although there are so many variables that can be modified it's a little overwhelming at first. You should also do a search on this site, there are many threads with questions about the LT1 specifically which you will find useful. One thing you might consider is rewiring your fuel pump to run off a relay thats controlled by an oil pressure switch. This will cut the pump off should the engine die due to a cut fuel line or a sudden loss in oil pressure. If you have the JTR manual the wiring is described in there and your LT1 should have the correct pressure switch already. Wheelman

One aspect of this that has just barely been scratched is the financial accountability of the managing director(s), whoever they may be. My feeling, based on some personal experience, is that to do this right and avoid all kinds of potential liabilities for SuperDan (as the "owner" of the hybridz website) and the admins a corporation or LLC should be formed to act as the sponsoring entity. This means a board of directors, financial accounting, tax reporting (even for a non-profit) and reports to all interested parties (share holders) of how all funds were dispersed. Not to be a wet blanket but this could be a lot of work for a group of people that may or may not ever be compensated for it. I'm sure we'll all volunteer the current site admins because of the great job they do with our online home but do they have the time to spare or desire to run a non-profit company for the sole purpose of providing sponsorship. The one idea I feel comfortable with is that as individual members we can choose to contact any of the builders (basically all of us) and offer help of some kind, be it cash, parts or labor. Any other form of sponsorship invites to much contention for the site and/or libility for the site owner(s). Wheelman

I'm not a drift fan, mainly due to the hype, but my first reaction that picture is "Wow that's a very valuable car to use as a drift tool". I'm not sure it's a real Superbird but if it is I'm surprised a person with enough knowledge to own one of them would have the bad judgement to modify it that way. After a closer look at the picture, it's not a real bird, but a tube frame car with a pretty good fake bird body, so go ahead drift the hell out of it if you like. Wheelman

Bart, Thats a fairly agressive cam, it should have a pretty good lope at idle. Based on what you described above it sounds like you have a stumble coming off of idle not while it's idling, is that true? If that's the case I'd also check the TPS connections as well as the MAP and MAF connectors and look for vacuum leaks. Do you notice it runs rough whenever the throttle position is changed? I'm a little skeptical about the O2 sensors being that fragile. Mine rattled around in a box for more than 1 1/2 years while I got the car ready for the engine and they're fine. Not sure how old they are either, they're the original units pulled from the donor along with the engine. Wheelman

Datsun_80, You don't want the transmission from that S10 even if it is a T5, it'll never stand up to a V8. You really want a World Class T5 from a Camaro/Firebird if you can find one. I spent 3 months looking before I found mine. Other options include a T56 or Tremec TKO-II or TKO-600 but they are a bit spendy. BTW: It's possible to do a simple swap in a week but you have to have all the parts on hand and all the planning completed before you get started. The unknowns and "while I'm at its" is what causes most of us to take a long time to complete our projects. Wheelman

Bart, Post your datalog, I've got Datamaster and can look at it, not that I'm any kind of expert but I can at least look for obvious things. Try and log it in open and closed loop. You might have to save a couple logs if you are using the eval version as it will collect only 30 seconds worth of data. How baddly does it stumble? What cam are you running? Do you see the O2 sensor outputs varying between 150 and 900 mV in the Datamaster display? Both left and right should jump around quite a bit at idle, at least mine do, they smooth out when the engine is revved. Have you changed the programming in the PCM and if so how? How does it run when revved? What does the output from Datamaster show when the engine is revved? Wheelman

A T56 will handle 400ft/lbs and 400HP all day long. The T56 is much stronger than a T5 although it's also alot heavier. Look at the Tremec TKO-600 units if you want a real tough 5-speed. They're a bit spendy but even stronger than the T56 and you won't have to cobble together adapter plates like you would with a Mopar 833. Wheelman

Have an old screwdriver also to probe the rusty places for solidity. Obviously you don't want to punch a hole through anything put a slight push to see how solid the metal is can tell you if it's just surface rust of bad cancer. What is the asking price? Be aware also that the TH350 will not make a good highway transmission. At highway cruise speeds you'll be spinning 3000-3500 RPM which gets old and burns a lot of gas. Because of this you might price in the cost of swapping a 700R4 or 2004R overdrive tranny. BTW: Welcome to the site and goodluck with the Z. Wheelman

Learn to program computers and you'll make even more money and generally not have a hard time finding work. I'm not talking web development either, real porgramming. I'm a software engineer and have had less then 3 months of jobless time during the last 20 years, most of it of my own choosing. Wheelman

I think calling Brittany Spears a musician is stretching it a bit. She has great looks, awesome sound processing equipment and marketing going for her but no real talent. Wheelman

The T5 from behind a 2.8 V6 will not hold up to a V8 and besides the bolt pattern is wrong anyway. There is a company that makes a bellhousing that will allow you to bolt a Mustang T5 to an SBC but I can't remember the name, might be McCloud or Lakewood. Do a search on the internet and you should be able to find it. As for finding a GM World Class T5 for sale, good luck. I got mine off ebay 3 years ago after looking for 3 months. I was fortunate and got it from a guy who didn't know it was a WC unit so he sold it cheap. How much are you willing to spend on a tranny? If you can't find a T5 and don't want a T56 then you might consider a Tremec TKO-600 or something similar. BTW: I've already got my Dingo and he loves to go for rides. Actually he's a blue healer, which is what the dog was in Road Warrior anyway. That movie was just on the History channel this last weekend. I love the first 2 Mad Max movies but they went Hollywood with the third. Wheelman

OK, so maybe you do have a leak. I didn't pick that up from all your previous posts. A fan will definitely help but based on your last post probably not solve your problem. My Ford Ranger had a similar problem, no lost coolant though, but it turned out I had to replace the radiator because it was plugged due to corrosion in the system. The truck wouldn't loose coolant, it would just run hot and then overheat. After replacing the radiator the problem disappeared. Wheelman