wheelman

Thanks for pointing me at that thread, looks like a good solution. You must be making pretty fast progress if you plan to have it ready for the Winter Heat events, to bad I'm putting my Z away for the season, it would be interesting to see how they compare. My car desperately needs new tires though and I plan to make some other changes while I finish off the body work. I look forward to seeing it in a few weeks!!! Wheelman

Lookin good Mike!!! Are you going to leave the engine mount crossmember bolted in or weld it? I'd go ahead and document the build, it's always better to learn from someone else's experiences rather than figure out the same things over and over again. Have you started looking at the electrical stuff yet? What are you planning to do for the fuel system? A fuel cell or sump the stock tank? I ask because I tried to add a sump to my stock tank to prevent starvation of the EFI pump but ended up creating a big rust problem. The tank started shedding rust really badly so I replaced it with a 2001 Camaro tank that has an in tank pump. I ran it down almost to fumes at one auto-x event and never had a starvation problem. Cody experiences starvation in his turbo 240Z all the time. Just some thoughts and things I ran into running an EFI engine in a car designed for carbs. Wheelman

I want to make sure I understand what you're saying. You put a pull up to 12volts on the low res line and now you get a signal on the scope. If I'm right that means it reads 12v when a slot is not present and drops to zero when a slot is present, correct? So to trigger off the trailing edge of the slot you need to set megasquirt up to trigger on the rising edge of the signal trace, or is the signal inverted in the hall sensor configuration? See, now you got me confused. Wheelman

I've got 8 jack stands, 3 floor jacks, no lifts, no ramps, no grease pits. Wheelman

Along with Hawking's book "A Brief History of Time" a good one to read is "In Search of Schrödinger's Cat: Quantum Physics and Reality" by John Gribbin, it's a layman's view of quantum physics. If you think the relativity stuff gets wierd this book will make you question what drugs were in use when the theories of quantum physics were developed. Here's a thought experiment or question: Ignore the fact that sound needs a medium of transmission and varies it's speed due to the density of the medium. Now ask yourself if the theory of relativity would appear any different if we were to use sound as the tool to measure our world. Here's my take on this. We measure everything in our "world" using light (electromagnetic radiation), it has a finite speed, which produces the strange effects as you approach it. If sound were used to measure our "world" (light is not available, you are blind), as an object approached the speed of sound the same effects would become apparent. Think about it for a while before responding, what does it say about the nature of our Universe, if anything? Wheelman

Moby, Here is a link to an article posted not long ago on the DIYAutoTune web site that describes how to use Megasquirt with an LT1. http://www.diyautotune.com/tech_articles/how_to_megasquirt_your_chevy_lt1_lt4_l99.htm Hope this helps. How fast were you rotating the wheel while trying to watch it on the scope and did you have your scope set to trigger or just show the trace? Wheelman

I just bought myself another 240 today, but this one is a 1992 240SX. Totally stock and in very good condition. There are a few things that are minor such as the power mirror selector switch is stuck to the left and the rocker switch is partly wired backwards but other than that there seem to be no major issues. It's a Super Hicas car with a KA24DE, 5-speed, ABS, LSD, working A/C, cruise control and a pop-up sun-roof. Color is red, the body is in great shape, no dings I could find but the paint on the rear bumper is a little faded. Anyway I've been keeping my eye out for one of these and think I found a good example. I especially like that it's totally stock, I don't have to undo someone else's mess. Future plans are not set, for now I'm just going to drive it as a DD and backup auto-x car in case the Z breaks. Maybe I'll turbo the KA at some point, depends on the economy, or possibly do an SR swap. I'll post some pictures as soon as I have a chance to take some. Wheelman

Matt, I think the only real difference is the low res slots of the optispark are not all the same size so you have to be sure to trigger off the correct edge. I've looked at this a couple times but haven't made the leap to MS my LT1 yet. It's hard to argue with a car that runs as good as it does with the factory PCM and a custom tune, plus I have TunerCat. Wheelman

Moby, According the my wiring diagram pin C (ignition feed from PCM) should get 12 volts, Pin D (Ref low) should be grounded, Pin B is the high res signal and will be 5 volts when a slot is present and Pin A is low res signal and will be 5 volts when a slot is present. This article has some good info but not actual volts at certain pin. http://www.gmhightechperformance.com/tech/0310htp_lt1_ignition_system_understanding_modifying/index.html Not sure you know this but it should be possible to trigger the MS using the rising edges of the low res signal just like a standard optical distributor. If you can't get it to work using 12 volts for power try dropping it to 5. The light sensors produce a standard 5 volt TTL output signal, maybe the circuit wants a 5 volt input. Wheelman

To bad it's a 2+2 and an automatic. Wheelman

What about using a dry sump system? Wheelman

Derek, You should do a search for a thread where Bartman described how he cut the top of his core support out and what he did to reinforce it afterward. He did it in order to tilt the radiator so he could install an LS1 air filter box in front of his engine. If I remember correctly his turned out pretty good. I think he later found that he had cooling problems though due to restricted air flow through the radiator. If you are planning to create a hood like Terry's there should be no problem with cooling. Wheelman

The only issue you might run into with a 93 LT1 is the opti-spark. The early ones have a reputation for collecting moisture which then corrodes the contacts and causes problems with the opitcal sensor. Of course this assumes the engine has been maintained. How much can you tell us about the Z you are looking at? Is it running? If not, how much is left to do to get it running? How is the engine mounted? What transmission is in it? Etc... Wheelman

Wilson_WWSC, Seems to me you have a few choices. 1. Swap the TH350 for a 700r4 2. Search for a GM WC T-5 that'll live behind your engine 3. Get a bell housing that'll mate a Ford WC T-5 to the 327 The simplest option is replacing the TH350 with a 700r4. Other than shortening the driveshaft and possibly moving the transmission mount back it should pretty much be a bolt in. Finding a GM WC T-5 can be difficult, I searched for 3 months before finding mine on ebay, then I had to find a bellhousing, clutch fork and slave cylinder. McCloud makes a modular SFI certified bellhousing that can be used to adapt a Ford T-5 to a GM engine. The part # is 8710-13, here is a link to a page of their website that lists the various applications they support: http://www.mcleodind.com/application_guide_pgs/MODULAR_BELL_HOUSING.html Unfortunately it's a bit spendy (around $450.00-$500.00) but then you can blow up all the Ford T-5s you want. Finding the transmission is only the start though as you'll also need a pedal assembly if your car doesn't already have a clutch pedal, a master cylinder and the plumbing. Wheelman

It's possible to use the LT1 heads and intake on a Gen 1 block but it's not worth the cost. You have to adapt the LT1 reverse flow setup that has no coolant passage between the 2 block halves by adding one. This means you need to build a flow path in the heads that can then mate to a pipe or tube of some sort so coolent can circulate between the 2 sides of the block. Neither the LT1 heads or the intake manifold provide this. A better (cheaper) way to go would be Vortec heads with a mini stealth ram. The vortec heads are essentially LT1 heads without reverse cooling and the stealth ram is very close in flow charateristics to the LT4 manifold. The only thing you'll lose in this setup is the ability to run 10.5:1 compression on crappy pump gas like you can in an LT1. As for the COP setup, have you thought about a 36:1 crank trigger setup driving a Megasquirt and EDIS? It's not really coil on plug but it's a proven setup with good performance for a reasonable price and you can use the Megasquirt to control fuel as well as spark. Just a thought. Wheelman

I think I had about 3/4" or 19mm of adjustment out on each side after getting the front end aligned so yeah you should be able move the inner control arm pivot point to the JTR suggested location. It may not leave much for adjustment depending on how far you move the pivot though. I ended up moving the rack down as much as I could instead of moving the LCA pivot points. The inner tie rod joints are a tiny bit out board of the LCA pivots but as long as the arm and tie rod are parallel I don't think it makes a huge difference. Keep us informed of your progress and post up some pictures so we can see how you did it. Solving the plumbing issues was where I spent most of my time. Fortunately got some much appreciated help from ViperRedLS1Z in this department. Wheelman

I have the heater in my car but no controls to run the fan. Most of the time it's fine but when it's raining the windows fog up to the point I can't see anything. The last time this happened I was in Spokane for an autox event where it rained all night following the first day and was still raining when I got back out to the track for the second day. Fired up the Z for a couple test runs to see how the grip was and after 2 minutes couldn't see anything. Needless to say my day was done, so I loaded the car back on the trailer and went home. If I'd had working fan controls I could have made some runs, turns out the event was canceled after the morning runs anyway. I normally wouldn't drive the car in the rain but I was already there and the car had sat all night at the track in the rain anyway so I gave it a go. Wheelman

Couldn't have said it better myself, but for me it was the 427 Cobra in Gumball Rally that caught my attention. Every generation has at least one movie like this, for my generation it was Gumball Rally, Cannonball Run and Corvette Summer for the generation before it was Bullet and Vanishing Point, for the current generation it's Fast & Furious. Whether you like the Countach or not and whether it's 100% accurate or not you have to admit the guy did a great job!!! Wheelman

Very well said Grumpy. I had the same basic goal as you with my Z and have come real close. It can be a bit of a pain for me to drive on the street right now because I don't have a good set of rims and tires for street duty and it rides a bit rough but it's street legal. With 275hp at the wheels and ~2500lbs of car that makes for ~9.1 lbs/hp. Add to that a very flat torque curve and it makes the car easy to drive on the street with enough punch to out run MOST of the fast cars around town. The best part is I have the reliabilty of a basically stock GM V8 with very high performance and the satisfaction of having built it myself. Wheelman

Derek, Yes, I have a standard JTR type setup in mine but I did modify the set back plates to raise the engine 1/2" to provide better clearance for the power steering. It also produced better drive line angles as a side benefit. I custom made transmission cross member mounts as well. I don't like the way the JTR unit is designed so I used the Datsun cross member and moved it about 4 1/2" back in the tunnel. PM me if you want more details, I know there's a thread on here somewhere with pictures. Wheelman

Derek, To do it right you really want to remove all the body panels from the front. If you don't you'll probably scratch the paint and will have harder access to the area around the front core support. Monkey, I'm curious to see what you do as well. I replaced the frame rails in my 240 last winter and came real close to building a tube frame front end but chickened out. The frame rails weren't all that hard, the rest of it, particularly the strut towers and tying it all into the rest of the car was what made me nervous. At some point I would like to install a cage and do the tube frame front. Ultimately replacing the Mac struts with an SLA front suspension but that is beyond my current capabilities and tools. Wheelman

I develop software/firmware that contols handheld x-ray spectrum analysis instruments. In other words I do embedded software development. The instrument bombards a material with x-rays, the material returns x-rays of different energies determined by the constituent elements. The returned energy spectrum is analyzed to determine which elements are present and their percent weight concentrations. Currently the primary use of our product is metal alloy analysis. I also supervise 2 software engineers and manage all the software development aspects of product development. Wheelman

Wizard, Thanks for the offer but I'd only swap them back if it cost me absolutely nothing. The 4x4 calipers aren't bad but I'd be just as well off if I'd left the stockers on and just replaced the rubber brake lines, plus I'd have an extra $100.00 to spend on some other car parts. Wheelman

There is a long thread where several of us who purchased those springs reported coil bind on the fronts. The coil bind is because the fronts are progressive, the top 4 coils are bound at ride height by design. I think part of my problem was due to the weight of the LT1, but a turbo L28 will probably have the same problem. I think the package could be a viable option depending on what the goals are for the car. If it's a street car where the owner is willing to accept a few compromises for a certain look they are a good option. If you're building a race car then look elsewhere. Based on the OP stating his whole trunk area is a sub enclosure I assumed (maybe incorrectly) the car is a street car not a race car. I have been happy with the Tokico HP shocks. Wheelman

What are your intended uses for the car? If it's just street driving and you want to lower the car a little you should check out the Tokico lowering springs and shock package. You can get the setup with either the HPs or the Illuminas. This was the first setup I went with, the springs lowered my car about 2" in the front and 1 1/2" in the rear if I remember correctly. The ride wasn't real harsh and the car handled pretty good. I ended up replacing the springs with coilovers to gain more adjustability and because the Tokico front springs are progressive and would bottom out in my car. If you plan on racing you should think real hard about either getting rid the the sub enclosure or making it easily removable, you won't want the extra weight. Wheelman