wheelman

Fastzcar, I've seen both of those in my searches for information and mine is hooked up exactly like the GM Parts warehouse diagram shows. Wheelman

80LT1, I've seen several articles about these alternators each saying something different. I had the F and S circuits hooked up and the large output lead just as you have and when I measured the voltage at the battery it was always at 15volts or more. I was concerned about over charging the battery so decided to hook it up the way I described above. The input voltage to the battery dropped to 14.5 and has remained stable. Some of the voltage drop may have come from the re-wiring of the fan(s) to draw directly from the battery/alternator rather than through the Datsun harness. Technically the fan wasn't pulling directly from the harness as the underhood fuse box is connected to the battery but all charging current was going through the Datsun harness which had a problem keeping up with the drain from the fan. Now with the alternator connected to the fusebox and the Datsun harness everything seems to be working fine. I changed several things at once so saying this or that solved the problem is impossible. I think the alternator would work correctly either with the F or the L line connected appropriately but it definitely wants the S line otherwise I only get 13 volts out of it. Wheelman

b__sosick, Sounds to me like you're in for a rude awakening. I was paying a litte over $100.00 per month for my son who was 17 at the time with good grades and a clean record to get liability only on a 1981 Caprice station wagon. A 16 year old male, turbo sports car and full coverage is going to cost more per year than the car is even worth. Be realistic about the insurance, try to get a group discount by having it insured through your parents and put you on the most inocuous car in the family, otherwise you're just lining the pockets of the insurance company. Speeder2000, It depends on how old you are and your driving record but it does sound a bit high for just liability. Do some shopping but be honest about the state of the car if the agent asks. My agent didn't ask about any modifications I've made so my rates on the Z are very low ($35.00 per month). I have liability only, am 40 and married, have a clean driving record of more than 20 years and multiple car discount. Wheelman

I don't know that I'd rely on someone else's project car to be a daily driver either. As Mike stated, chances are you're just buying someone else's problems which you then have to find and fix. I'd stick with what you have and look at MSnS as Jon suggested. Keep that Sentra and eventually turn it into your next project. Wheelman

I agree with Phantom, God loves you, but it isn't Satan's little guys either. They have much more effective ways to screw-up your life than a fuel pump. Stop trying to jury rig it and trace out the circuit to find the real problem. Then you can fix it and not have to worry about that one anymore. Besides selling it to get a 280 will just buy another different set of problems to be discovered and solved. You know the saying "Better the devil you know than the one you don't". Wheelman

Damn!!!!!

Bart, I had the feed from my alternator running through the amp guage like you do, at least it sounds exactly like mine used to behave. I rewired it so the alternator feeds the Datsun harness as well as connects directly to the battery and feeds the underhood fuse box. This way the underhood fuse box gets current from the alternator and when it needs more than the alt is putting out it draws from the battery. Mine never does this though as I have the original 140amp alternator from the Caprice cop car. My amp guage rarely moves off the center line now because the fan current is not running through the Datsun harness. I used 3 relays to wire the PCM controls for the fan so the high and low speeds will never be energized at the same time. Before I figured out why the PCM was running the fans all the time I burned up 1 of my high speed fan relays which caused power to be supplied to the PCM even when the key was off, killing the engine required me to let out the clutch while in gear with the brakes locked. Not sure this helped but it might be part of Matt's problem also, check your relays to make sure they are still good. Wheelman

Wagz, I've really thought hard about doing that. My son has a 1981 Caprice wagon that he wants me to build a 383 for and he's got a 305 in it now with a 200-4R behind it. I'm tempted to tell him I'll do the 383 in exchange for his 305 and auto tranny. He would still have to buy all the parts for the 383 but I'd take the 305 in exchange for my labor. Don't think that's really very fair though as he just spent about $1000.00 on it last summer to get it running decent. We tore it down and found the exhaust lobe for cylinder 2 was totally gone. Talk about reversion. I've got an old Holley Pro-Jection unit that I thought about using the throttle body from with Mega-Squirt on the 305. That would make it much more interesting. Not sure what I want to do yet though, I kinda wanted to go real low budget on this and just get some JY turbo parts to play with. I've also thought about just getting it running, then sell it to help finance the Z. Decisions, Decisions!!! It's in such good shape I really hate to let it go. I looked closer at the little bit of rust and did find a small hole right behind the left rear tire in the wheel well. It's a tiny thing compared to what I've dealt with on the Z, hardly worth mentioning. Maybe I'll do all of them. Get the turbo parts and run it till it blows up then swap in an SBC with a 700-R4 and a posi rear-end or maybe an LS1. Hey I know where there's a Jag V12 I might be able to get, AAAHHHHHH!!! I better get rid of it now before things get out of hand, who wants it!!!!! JK. Wheelman

Gotcha!! It's a 240 but not a Z. A good friend had a 1985 Volvo 245 DL (the station wagon) with 300k+ miles that lost the timing belt about a year ago. She tried to sell it but got no takers, even myself. Last week she had an incident in her apartment complex and a downstairs neighbor retaliated against her by breaking the rear hatch window. This was the last straw and she decided to give it to me. So now I'm the proud (I think) owner of a Volvo wagon with no dents or dings, good paint, 2 small rust spots at the bottom of each rear quarter panel and almost perfect interior. I'm planning on installing a new timing belt and tensioner to get it running and then see what my options are. The PO is the type of person that will get any little problem fixed as soon as it's discovered and I got a huge wad of receipts to go through which show that. Any suggestions on what to do with it? It currently has an NA B230F engine and a 5 speed tranny with the electric OD. According to the PO everything works including the AC, cruise control and the OD. I'm thinking it might be fun to scrounge up a turbo setup from another Volvo to play with and make this my daily driver instead of my truck. Wheelman

One other real important factor is finding one that is as rust free as possible. I would consider all S30 models (240, 260 or 280) and concentrate on getting a rust free one. If weight is the biggest issue then you really want an early 240 (70 - 71). For me the weight is not the issue because it's always possible to make more HP and even with "only" ~300HP mine's a real monster. The later ones (ZXs from 79 up) have smaller engine bays and inferior rear suspensions. Wheelman

What engine are you running? What car do you have? Do you have the "Jags That Run (jagsthatrun.com)" V8 swap manual? If not get it first, read it, search this site, then ask questions. Wheelman

OK, I guess I'm done with this discussion also, sorry for hi-jacking the thread. Wheelman

jcb3, Have you used both LT1-Edit and TunerCat? Which do you prefer? I have TunerCat and find the number of tables you can edit to be a little overwhelming, does LT1-Edit hide some of this from you? I haven't used DataMaster a lot, does it have the ability to clear codes? I was using FreeScan to do that but found it annoying because it's a resource hog and the computer becomes sluggish when logging is turned on. Wheelman

Jack, I have to disagree a little concerning the descreening of the MAF. The airflow restriction caused by the screen isn't the whole story, the MAF calibration gets messed up when you remove it. I know there is a controversy about this and I don't have hard data but like 80LT1 I've heard lots of stories about descreened MAFs causing strange behavior. It's possible to recalibrate after descreening but it takes alot of work to get the frequency curve built and doesn't seem worth it to me unless you're making tons of HP. In that case you probably aren't running the stock PCM anyway as it can't handle high RPMs. I also don't think you get smooth laminar airflow in any intake no matter how smooth it is, but this is just my viewpoint and I'm not an expert. As for running a 3.5" MAF with an iron head LT1 not requirng programming, thats not true either. This is exactly what I'm doing and when I first installed the larger MAF and left the calibration alone the engine ran pretty rough because it thought it was getting more air than it was, ran rich in other words. Once I took the MAF calibration from a Camaro file I have and added it to my setup it ran just fine. This is only my personal experience but it makes sense and my opinion about descreening is based on this. I do however recommend upgrading to a stock 3.5" MAF as it really lets the engine breath better at higher RPMs, just remember to reprogram the PCM to account for it. Wheelman

Bart, I got a cable from AKM Electronics and use TunerCat to edit the PCM and TTS DataMaster for logging. DataMaster is very comprehensive but takes a little getting used to, TunerCat is very straight forward but there are so many tables that can be tuned in an LT1 it can be overwhelming. Tim probably already took care of most things you'll want to change so download the PCM first then start slow making small changes. Do you have an ALDL connector? I have one from the donor car but hooked up a DB9 connector instead and have a short harness with another DB9 and ALDL for use with regular scanners. I did this because I bought an unassembled cable to save some money. Looking back I should have gotten a cable with the ALDL connector so I could use it with my other cars. Oh well I can always get one of those later and build another small harness. I believe I have the fan set up to turn on slow at 97C and high at 101C. Once I install my 160 degree thermostat I'll set them at 87C and 96C respectively. Then I'm going to start playing with the timing and fuel maps to get rid of my rich condition. Here are the links: AKM Electroincs http://www.akmcables.com/ TunerCat http://www.tunercat.com TTS DataMaster http://www.ttspowersystems.com/DM_Software.htm Wheelman

I've wired my Taurus fan to be controlled by the LT1 PCM using 3 relays so that the low and high speed circuits will not be energized at the same time. I've had this working for months but every time I started the car after 30 seconds or so the fan would come on at low speed then switch to high speed and run continuously. No matter what I set the temp thresholds at I would see this behavior and it has really been bugging me. When I used a scanner on the PCM I always had 1 diagnostic trouble code (DTC), #11, bad SES light, showing caused by the missing SES light (I hadn't wired it up yet). Come to find out if the PCM is setting any DTCs it will turn both fans on and leave them on. With the help of several members here and on other boards I was able to determine this was the problem and eliminate it. Thanks guys and I hope this helps others avoid this problem. Wheelman

The engine and tranny are offset to the right in order to clear the steering shaft not to maintain the angles on the driveline. There are several threads here that discuss driveline angles and why they are important, reading through those will help you understand why the engine offset isn't a factor. Do a search and you'll get lots of info. Alsil's mount for the Ford small block centers the engine left to right and allows you to place it as far back or forward as you like, depending on other factors. The only issues I've heard of with it is that the engine sits a little high if you're using the stock Ford EFI manifold and depending on the headers used the steering shaft must be cut. Wheelman

What alternator are you running? Is your fusebox also fed by the battery? If not then I think your alternator is not providing enough amps to handle the startup surge of the high speed fan circuit. Try connecting the positive terminal from the battery to the fusebox feed. Use at least 10g wire and larger if you have it. This should give the fan enough juice to handle the surge without robbing the rest of the circuit. If that doesn't work then you may need to isolate the fan from the rest of the circuit to prevent the brownout condition. Wheelman

The newer tuning programs can all handle OBDII but they cost more. As far as I've been able to gather the primary difference in OBDII is that it's much more picky about all the systems being operational, but I've never dealt with it so take that with a grain of salt. As for the LSx series truck motors. I believe they can be swapped but it will mean replacing the oil pan and intake with those from an LS1. The truck blocks are iron instead of aluminum so no real weight advantage but you do get aluminum heads and the newer technology. Hood clearance is the problem though and thats what forces the LS1 intake swap and you still get to deal with the OBDII computer and LSx series electronics. To pass CA smog you'll need to have all the systems there and operational including the catalytic converters and the rear O2 sensors. At least your dealing with a 280Z that had a CAT to start with so thats doable. I've only heard of one Z with an LSx series truck motor swap and the last picture I saw it didn't have a hood. My suggestion mirrors Jack's. Sit down with Dad and negoiate. I'm closer to your Dad's age so I know how he feels, he wants you to concentrate on school, have a mild car so you don't kill yourself but that is still cool enough to boost your ego a bit. Maybe understanding his position will help with the decision making. Who is financing this project? Who is financing your school? In the end the guy with the money makes the decision!!! If thats you, consider the trade offs you make when spending money on a car vs. other things and how it can affect your future. Doing the less expensive swap now and then upgrading in the future after school is completed is not a bad way to go. Wheelman

My only suggestion is stay away from the Dell Inspiron series, we had 10 where I work and all failed with either bad keyboards or fried serial ports. Wheelman

Jack46, Don't be to hard on him man, it sounds like he's a young guy with things to learn. I've read the thread and even though he may still have some mis-conceptions about the L99 there is a lot of good info you posted. You haven't wasted your time. Remember back when you first got started and how all the buzz words and gimick things caught your eye. I'm sure you bought into some of that just like all the rest of us did and then learned that most of what you see in magazines and online ads is a bunch of BS. He'll learn, it'll just take some time and if he doesn't then the rest of us got to watch and learn something along the way. tfreer85, Take a hard look at your plans and make sure you want to put the time and money into the L99. What Jack is trying to say is that the combo your presenting may not be the direction you want to go. Do some research into the differences between the generation 2 L99/LT1 and the generation 1 small block. You'll find that the number of available go fast parts is smaller because alot of things made for a gen 1 engine won't work on a gen 2. Example: Intake manifolds, timing chain sets, cams, heads, cranks, valve springs, water pump, accessory mounts, etc.. Some of these things can be made to work but that adds more expense. Example: The L99/LT1 uses an externally balanced rotating assembly with a 1 piece rear-main seal. A gen 1 SBC is internally balanced and most use a 2 piece rear-main seal, exceptions are 400 and late 80s 305s. The 400 is externally balanced and the later 305s used a 1 piece rear-main seal. Another example: L99/LT1 is setup to flow coolant through the heads first then the block while gen 1 engines are the opposite. This is why L99/LT1 intakes don't work on a gen 1 engine and gen 1 heads don't work on an LT1. Can they be made to work? Yes. Is it worth the cost? NO!!. All this to say do your research before you make a final decision. BTW: I'd still like to get the rotating assembly (crank and rods) if you decide to move forward with the L99. Wheelman

305240, Thanks for the reply. I've wired it up a little different and the amp gauge reads normal now. I had all the current going into the Datsun harness and then back to the underhood fuse box I took from the donor car. Yesterday I changed it so that there is now a direct connection from the alt to the underhood box and the positive terminal on the battery as well as the main feed line for the original harness. The current now takes the "path of least resistance" and goes to drive the engine curcuits directly from either the battery or the alt and not through the Datsun harness. I also used a 100ohm 1/2watt resister to simulate the charge light in the L curcuit, disconnected the F circuit and attached the S circuit. I now get a steady 14.5 volts at the battery terminals. Don't know if this will charge the battery or not as I haven't taken it out since the change. Wheelman

Welcome to the board. Yes, the front connection is the reverse light switch. You have 2 options to use the stock speedo. 1. Have the tail section of the tranny converted to use a mechanical speedo drive. This is what a previous owner did to mine so I lucked out. 2. Get a unit that uses the electrical output to drive a cable that will then drive your stock speedo. Here is a link to a place to at least start looking for one of these drive units. http://www.tciauto.com/electronics/index.htm Look close to the bottom of the page, there is one listed there with 2 different cable setups. Wheelman

DavyZ, Just make sure it came from either an f-body (Camaro/Firebird) or a Corvette. The L99 was only used in the b-body cars (Caprice, Roadmaster and Fleetwood) and they have iron heads while the f-body and Corvette LT1 has aluminum. Some of the b-bodies had LT1s with iron heads (Caprice Classic/9C1, Impala SS, some Roadmasters and Fleetwoods), they are the ones that will be hard to distinguish from an L99. Easy way to avoid the problem is buy the whole donor car, that way you get all the electronics and lots of other stuff that comes in very handy during the swap. Wheelman

Google L99 rather than 4.3L LT1. Technically it isn't an LT1 but it uses the same EFI system. They were used in the Caprices, Roadmasters and Fleetwoods. I think they are rated right at 200HP which isn't to bad and as was stated earlier once you get it swapped and running it's a simple swap to the 350 LT1. Tim, If tfreer85 doesn't want that motor how much would you charge me for the crank and rods? Wheelman