zredbaron

Haha, we both are guilty of boring the other readers. Whoops. Sorry about that, guys!

Hah! It never ceases to amaze me how often HybridZ members cross paths in unexpected ways. I was in Pensacola at NAS Whiting Field for flight school at the time. Bell's Jet Ranger was a hell of a little tweety bird to learn rotary flight on... the autocrossing was my escape from the books. And by that, of course, I mean GO NAVY, BEAT ARMY!

Haha! I used to race at Wiregrass too! [2007 video] These two regions are where I had my first autocross season, so when I watch these videos all I see are mistakes, poor hand positions and a lack of maturity! Lol. Wiregrass / Hunter's Field gripped like no other, but it ate the crap out of our tires... I often end up with my foot in my mouth. Assisted steering is starting to sound like one of them....

Ha! No doubt, you're absolutely right, Jon. [Very nice thread, by the way! I'm learning a lot...] I honestly don't "belong" in XP, so I doubt I will ever be competitive against a true XP car. As you may or may not recall and/or be aware, I refuse to cut my fenders (beyond my subtle fender cuts). I'll be lucky to get away with 245/255 tires. My NA L6, no matter how in the weeds I get, will rarely be able to compete with the big V8s at minimum class weight, even if I did have the 50% more tire my competitors possess. The winded version: A few years ago, frustrated with not being competitive, I wrestled with my attachment to my "show car" appearance. I envied the miata owners (etc) simply because they had someone to compete against, so I upgraded my suspension and lightened my car. I promptly got my rear-end handed to me at the northeast SCCA Region Championship [race video]... but I received high compliments about my car's sound standing out against the other XP cars. Then the Evolution Performance Driving School came to town [lessons learned video] and more than one instructor provided unsolicited comments on the priceless nature of my Z's fun-factor. Then the car won a local people's choice car show. Through others' compliments, I released my attachment to being competitive and I fell in love with the S30 again with new eyes. I wanted to honor it and continue to build my dream car and not worry about maximizing my class' allowances. The short version: I want to struggle to tame the beast more than I want to win. I'm very much a fan of your build, Jon. I can't wait to chase your XP creation with mine one day... (gauntlet thrown on ground!) Besides... I doubt I will ever see an autocross course as tight as I did back in Alabama / Gulf Coast Region [race video that makes your point for you], so I figure if I could "manage" manual steering on that course with a streetable setup I figure can "manage" normal courses with a full race setup, sans tire width. Or so I tell myself anyway....

Very nice... I'll try and call them soon! (Unless anyone has already gone down this road?) This is definitely uncharted territory for this guy....

I received a reply from Techno Toy Tuning: RebekahsZ, I assume you ordered the inner tie rods? Did they correct the error and send you acceptable replacements? Can anyone confirm the inner tie rods from Rare Parts are acceptable / good replacements?

Oh, and I sent a request to Techno Toy Tuning for an aftermarket solution... [EDIT -- removed TTT's email address out of respect for their inbox getting spammed by web bots.]

Great feedback, very much appreciated! It's definitely strange that after all these years there still isn't an aftermarket solution for this... For now, I'll likely stick with what I've got until I come across a better solution...

Well now, it's waaayyyy past time to put my motor back in my Z and push my u-joints to the limit! As best I can discern, the issue with the motor was more or less owner ignorance. I didn't know anything about storing a race motor for six months, and incorrectly assumed I could just fire it up and drive off. It fired up and drove angrily... for about 500 ft before I turned around only for it to stall / seize once out of 1st gear and coasting to park and investigate. Oops. The symptoms: oil pressure reading zero. That was the only clue I had, and it sounded like a healthy and happy racecar for about 45 seconds. I thought it was the gauge / wiring, but no, it was telling the truth. Upon disassembly, the oil pump was noted as failed/seized. The seizure points were 2 of the cam towers, which thankfully sacrificed themselves on behalf of my unobtanium sunbelt cam. One intake and one exhaust valve also paid the price with slight deformation against the valve-relieved pistons. I also replaced the main crank bearings. [My engine builder noted that the coated bearings really held up better than he would have thought given the engine build.] (Rebello-sourced coated crank bearings.) While I was at it (a damn-stupid $/hp ratio): Rocker arms. I ended up with machined rocker arms from ZCCJDM, which offer about a 25% weight reduction with increased strength and less variance. The images on the site are, as best I could tell, not representative of his final design. I approved nonetheless. I'll pop the cam cover off and snap some pics whenever I unwrap my motor from its cellophane cocoon. Kameari Cam Tensioner. I also ordered this through ZCCJDM. Initially, I ordered it through MSA, but they claimed the red anodized version was the only version available, after a 6 week wait. Frustrated and determined to bead-blast the red off of it, I ordered it. Then, while emailing Brian at ZCCJDM (what an awful business name!), he claimed he could order the billet alluminum version and seemed to offer a shorter delivery time (4 weeks). Tired of my money not being green, I ordered the billet one too and it arrived first. I still have the red, PM me if you want to buy it under retail price. JDCCM is my recommendation for ordering Kameari products via an American entity. EDIT -- I forgot to mention that I bought the Kameari timing chain, too. They claim the improved chain is 4x as resistant to wear, resistant to stretching and lower friction. Seemed an obvious pairing to the twin idler pulley investment. Kameari oil pump. Same same! This is the culprit, after all... and until I find a graceful (in my eyes/mind) dry sump bolt-on solution, I'll go with a robust OEM replacement. So, this was all rebuilt by spring '14. I literally drove my block from OH to VA to rebuild it. I didn't trust the locals (way too V8 happy in a rural way) [no judgment! I love rural communities], I trusted my last builder that much, and I like to control my experiments as a scientist (less variables). After another long road trip to also see family/friends, I returned to OH just in time to voluntarily lose/give up my career and move yet again. At least the road trips utilized a very nice job perk with a company car before I gave it up. My car, block and vision are all now in the Ozark mountains at my Dad's place. I'm still recovering personally, but it's time for my Z therapy to begin...

Long time no post! After 3 hours of searching HybridZ and google, I'm very surprised I didn't find what I was looking for. Said another way, I half-expect a reprimand for such a simple post! I'm the damn-the-cost bolt-in type: the type that doesn't mind (ok, painfully prefers) waiting to save up for the cost but avoids reinventing the wheel and/or refurbishing his competition-use parts as an automotive learning experience... I'm having a hard time finding a performance and/or tested solution. I've reviewed articles on refurbishment and hybridiZing non-S30 racks, but dagnabbit, I'm a quasi-purist and I want the S30 feel. I also choose to chase cars I have no business competing against (autocross... "run-whatcha-brung" XP). So, in short, what are the race-proven, tight, manual-as-it-came, boltable options? I've narrowed my online vendor searching to these two options, which seem identical save the repaint detail: http://www.carsteering.com/partview/Nissan/240Z/Manual_Steering_Rack/80~70090_R.html http://datsunpartsllc.com/cart/index.php?p=product&id=230&parent=11 Any other vendors? Any race shops I should send my core to? If self-refurbishment is my best bet, what is the competition-recommended rebuild thread/URL for me to print out for my trusted fabricators/mechanics? Anything I haven't thought of to ask? Thank you all! More and more as the years begin to noticeably tick by... Humbly, Mark

1miata, I purchased them from JohnC while Beat Motorsports was still up. I don't know the details, sorry. m1ghtymaxXx, the camber plates in the first post were Ground Control. Two reasons for the switch: 1) stronger and more range of camber adjustment and 2) the spherical bearing doesn't bear the weight in the Techno Toy Tuning's version. Maybe GC has evolved, this was years ago, but at the time they were different designs.

Hello friends... Sorry about the delay! Holy crap life has been a whirlwind! The short version: I gave up a very profitable career for love... love didn't work out but was very, very worth it and I highly recommend the ride! I honestly intended to provide a detailed update, but I... I'm all sappy!? What the hell!? Sometimes you can't help but stop and smell the roses. Family is often there to remind us of life's certainties... and well... so too has HLS30-11518 has been there since about 30 days prior to my departure from the nest at age 18. I'm surprised to confess how grateful I am for the S30 and its American following. In the present moment, it seems improper to do anything other than express gratitude for a beautiful, perfect car that patiently has waited for me to finish honoring my promise to her. Cheers, 11518. Thanks for waiting for me these 16 years. Actually, no-- thanks for knowing I'll always be back. I love you forever, you beautiful bitch.... Love, Mark (Okay, short update: my rebuilt block is ready, but rests on the ground alongside my awaiting-changes chassis in Arkansas. More details soon.)

Thanks for the input. Full report on the motor: The pump failed to deliver oil, but the oil did its job and saved the motor (Royal Purple plus Lucas synthetic stabilizer). The #1 cam tower is the point that seized, and the cam and everything made of ubobtanium are ok! In the end I'll be replacing the crank bearings, a set of valves that were dinged, and of course a set of cam towers. An unfortunate rookie mistake as far as I can tell, but I'm grateful the damage was minimal. I ordered the twin idler gear upgrade and will order the bearings next week.

Found several threads on the tensioner and nothing but positive comments and theoretical banter. I'm definitely adding it to my upgrade list for this go-around. Still looking for an oil system. I didn't find much while trying to search for lightweight rocker arms within HybridZ. I found two online, varying between 56-65g per rocker arm (stock is evidently about 75g). Both are pretty much the same absurd price. (My valve spring retainers are already very lightweight, so I figure I might as well take a look.) I don't really ever read any posts about this being a particularly relevant upgrade, but figured I'd ask if anyone has any comments? You know, while I'm at it...

Well, it's that time of the decade again... time to bring my race motor back to life. At this point in time, the bottom end spins freely and the camshaft is not yet turning. The head itself appears just fine, valvetrain and camshaft TBD. It's clear the oil pump failed. I know the pump was new, but I can't confirm if I bought the turbo pump or not. Time for some design considerations. I don't wan't an oil system failure to ever cause an engine rebuild again. Shame on me for not priming the system first, but still, I feel an all-out NA motor should have a more robust oil system than OEM. Any recommendations out there for a nice and tidy dry-sump conversion? Also, I'm looking at the Kameari twin idler gear upgrade. Ok, JDM bling, blah blah... this looks like a really nice timing chain design update, and I'm all for minimizing valvetrain friction. ...Thoughts? Any experience with this product out there? http://kameariusa.com/L6_Twin_Idler_Gear.php

I'll have to look into that, thanks.

I'm still quite convinced the setup to have is Extrudabody ITBs with Electromotive ignition... You get what you pay for. (I'm not made of money either, which is why this is on my wish list and not on my car. That said, when I finally move on from my DCOEs, I'm going to be moving UP!)

I have the 40-151s as well for my LD28 race motor (36mm venturis). Falls on its face if I don't roll the pedal on properly, wideband picks it up for me, too. I'd love to see a dyno comparison of my car before/after a proper progression circuit correction. Guess I'll have to settle for the carb to ITB comparison, but that won't be fair. Especially since I'm under-carbureted as it is.

Correct, O2 sensors do not like leaded fuel. I do not recommend using AvGas... the flame front propagation is deliberately engineered to be slow; it is designed for constant RPM conditions with very cold air *at altitude.* Even if running the car in the Rockies, I do not recommend it. If you were to replace that 100 octane fuel with any other 100 octane fuel, your results would be *much* better in terms of throttle response, power output and fuel economy.

Who knows. Oil pump was brand new. Sat too long, which led to "something" that won't be discovered until I pull the motor (completely). Sometimes stuff just breaks! I'm going to have a machine shop (TBD) do a full analysis of all parts and advise me as to what needs replacing. Engine internals are beyond my experience and knowledge levels. I find myself wondering if I'll go to ITBs while I'm at it. I was really looking forward to dynoing the motor with the carbs and then seeing the jump to ITBs graphically. I might stubbornly wait just 'cause... The takeaway at the moment is to not ever, ever start a new race motor up unless I'm physically around to start it every other weekend at a minimum. Hell, flying home every other weekend is cheaper! Sigh...

I agree with Leon that this has to be tested. Here's 2 more cents, too. In my experience the main circuit "takes over" around 2000 (2500 at the highest), which I experimentally defined as "the rpm beyond which putting in a crappy idle jet has no effect." I've never tried it with no e-tubes, I'm curious to perform that test. Air correction circuit "kicks in" around 4500 in my experience. To test this, I put in the worst idle jet I had, and compared the feel of the car to the behavior experienced with the best idle jet I had. Where the car begins to feel the same is the point that the idle circuit is no longer being utilized. Six one way, half dozen the other? Perhaps. Experimentally determining where a circuit "kicks in" is difficult, because by design the circuits either transition from one to the other (idle->main) or overlap (main+air).

Thanks for the sentiments, guys. My master mechanic buddy said he was surprised it lasted 45 seconds. In his words, with tolerances as tight as they were, the moment there isn't cool oil (or no oil at all?), the piston rings turn into files in the side of the block. He expects pretty much everything to be toast, even the valvetrain. In my uneducated mind, I might get lucky on the head side; I had single springs with 25% less seat pressure luckily. Perhaps some of the valvetrain will make it. Also, my crank bearings were low friction coated, the crank was high speed balanced. It stalled under idle, which has got to be less destructive than under load. It was also full of 20W-50 Royal Purple with Synthetic LucasOil Stabilizer. Who knows, I might get lucky and just need a new block and new bearings/pistons/rings? Fingers crossed. (Haha only? That's still a lot!) That said, I've accepted the loss as a full loss to be mentally prepared for any scenario. Really the only thing that isn't fully replaceable is the head, which in theory should be just fine. The rest is just money, and well, money doesn't make me happy... but a nasty L6 does. A kick in the nuts, to be sure, but recoverable. Thanks Scott. It will be awhile before I can investigate, but I'll keep your block in mind...

Seized my new race motor today. Never even got to dyno it or race it. Came back to it after about 8 weeks of storage. Fresh fuel, checked all the fluids, all is well. Turn it over, fires right up, zero oil pressure. I suspected the sender (literally 0, as if the gauge never turned on), and let it idle for about 20-30 seconds. Blipped the throttle to 3k. Just fine, sounded like a champ. Cut the engine off, rechecked everything. Removed oil cap, couldn't tell if it looked normal or not. Seemed normal. I hand-loosened the oil pressure sender (to pull it and see if oil spurted out) and restarted the motor. As I walked around to the sender, it started to have a hard time idling, then stalled. Turns out it seized instead, turns out the sender was working just fine. God, it sucks to have no automotive background and the only learning that takes place is learning what NOT to do... I never dreamed I would have only had about 45 seconds. I would have thought I'd have more warning than that! I won't be able to pull the motor and investigate for several more months, but I'm dying to know: What are my best and worse scenarios? (ie what parts will likely have to be tossed? will any of my block/head internals be salvageable?) God, what a loss....

[As a single man] Of all the vices in life, none have made me more happy [consistently, vice pinnacly] than money spent on engine (and suspension) performance of my S30. It may be "only 13 years" thus far, but it remains emphatically true. For what it's worth...