A. G. Olphart

Jealousy doesn't even start to cover it ... You have a real hybrid at your first post; I've been here for years and have a hulk in the corner . Guess I've reached the stage where I'm living through my dreams.

I used to read the ads- I don't anymore. Scanning down a forum to see what was available was fun. First recalling a list of parts that I need or could use, then looking for them in their own areas is a pain.

Mat- A couple of recommendations as to parts, based on having read back through all the TurboBuick trans forum posts.... Alto red friction discs and plain (non kolene- ) steels. The wide Alto red band (heavier anchor); kevlar has been dissed. Hardened steel pump rings if you go into the pump; cast ones breaking cause pump failures. I don't know about the current Transgo kits- the old ones are said to have caused problems. Both Bruce at PTS and Chris K market shift kits of their own; I don't think they are any pricier than what you are looking at. There are hard parts that break with big power and big slicks (one guru said when you start breaking them you know it is time to buy the custom replacements). Jimmy's in Illinois has a good rep from what I've seen. Don't let that BRF get away . EDIT re tools- I welded up one device to allow compression of one of the clutch packs; my thumbs weren't strong enough, and I was working alone tearing down a dead tranny to see what was inside it. The other turbobuick forum has a DIY rebuilding post which suggests bending some heavy copper wire to use for a different tool... that did work for me eventually, but I dropped the parts back into the case several times before achieving success. (The commercial tool for that chore would be nice to have). I don't know if dropping stuff back in would do any damage, but it made me uncomfortable.

Good ratios and OD 4th does make it a hard tranny to ignore. Finding a core that hasn't been cooked is not so easy. (Most of these cars in my local 'self serve' yard are there because the trans went away. So much for the drum upon which the 2nd gear band clamps). One of the builders from TurboBuick is getting together a performance rebuild book, and I'm waiting for that book before actually beginning my rebuild. I figure it can't hurt to watch how it is done a few times before I start wrecking real parts, so I'll get the video too. If you haven't picked up a core yet, I recall that the author/builder thinks the Caddy AA trans valve body can be made to shift well. You likely know that the performance oriented valving (and larger 2nd gear servos) came only in the Buick turbo cars, Monte Carlo SS, Turbo TA and Hurst Olds vehicles. I think that I'll buy my Alto red kit here:http://www.bulkpart.com

Two years of transportation (and play)... You must have done something right! I'll get the video-- sometimes a person picks up stuff by watching that isn't well documented in the manual. Hardened steel pump rings are on my list of parts to buy (haven't sourced them yet, know where they are available?)... I don't need a repeat of Adam's exploding pump.

mc: I'm looking at building one of these for my Z (would like to build one that lasts) so I'm looking for success stories and parts lists. What tranny core did you use, what high performance/ add on parts did you install, and how long have you been running it (miles/passes)? The tranny forum on turboBuick.com has got me running scared... they seem to think that there are only a few shops in the nation who do these rebuilds right. To make matters worse, only a small percentage of the 200-4R's came with performance valve bodies out of the factory, and the others don't seem to enjoy being mistreated . How did you like the video... should I consider it a "must"?

Thanks Larry... as usual, things are a bit more complex than I would have assumed. Compliance in a fuel regulator is a concept I'd not heard of previously; I figured that the regulator regulated as set, and if the pump, fuel line, and windows in the carb's needle valves were big enough to feed the carb at WOT, all would be well. Sounds like Tony will still need to vent his tank somehow. I've drilled a gas cap to act as a vent on a low performance pickup... don't now how good an idea that would be on a Z. If the cap is close enough to gas tank fuel level, a hard corner might make the drilled hole spew.

Larry has the right idea, using a regulator with a return port... it will also keep your fuel to the carb a little cooler for slightly better power, and with mechanical pumps it pretty much does away with vapor locking. Larry, please expand upon the function of the vacuum reference line on your regulator. Other than possibly acting as a tank vent (which Tony needs in one form or another) why does the regulator give a hoot about engine vacuum?

Grumpy, since you seem to be in the mood to talk bearings, a question: Why do the powdered rods from my (one piece seal) 350 have such wimpy locating tangs? It looks like they would spin with the least excuse; not knowing the logic, the wider/ more substantial tangs used by Mopar and others look better.

Cheaper to feed than a 406, and what's the point in having a cruiser if you can only cruise on payday

I can think of only one exception to Tim's advice; it applies if you live on a farm with a really big machine shed, or your family owns warehouses. Our favorite hybridizing platforms haven't been in production for a long time... if you run across a rust free example/shell in your price range (almost free?), then consider picking it up and stashing it out of the weather for richer times. This would obviously require parental involvement, which might possibly be forthcoming if you demonstrate an ability to save towards your goal- say 10% or more of your income- on a regular basis. You'll never know unless you communicate. Life runs by more than quickly enough... Hang in there, your situation will change.

John, are you running a roller cam? (If not, the taper on the cam lobes is said to hold the cam in place). Have you minimized the distributor shaft end play? I could see that having a drastic effect on timing. I've also read of distributor weights bottoming out in their slots/bouncing, and causing this problem. (a Really strong spring of proper length on the second weight might minimize that). And finally, how stable are your electronics? I took an old MSD5 out of my wife's Chrysler wagon due to scatter... I think the trigger my have been picking up spurious voltage spikes; we went back to the stock ignition box. Almost forgot to answer your question directly- A little thick grease (maybe even vaseline) will hold your shim in place long enough for assembly.

Other than spark plugs, how does one tune an injected engine with solid state ignition? (I don't know the engine, but Assume injection by build date). As to wires: It is possible that some formula one teams use unobtaineum wires at that price, but I don't see that anyone else should have to spend that kind of money just to get a spark moved from one place to another. Those vendors are disciples of P.T. Barnum, looking for the one a minute folk. High temperature boots make a difference, spiral wound wires make a difference (the inductance tends to kill RF noise), good dialectric makes a diference (8mm vs 7mm helps for any given material, but the ends need to match your distributor). Other than that, I have, in an emergency, run a peice of coat hanger as a coil wire. Congratulations on your engine find: it will make a great HybridZ

Do you know who has the Mercedes (and what kind of oomph they get from that transplant)?

With the approximate 10:1 Chevy/Ford posting ratio on HybridZ, I was amazed at the Ford turn out. Do they just drive more?

Good to hear that you're on the road again. You may have noticed that my mention of the resistor was phrased as a question. No clue as to where it might be (or if it exists) in Z's. My experience with them has been on old American iron, where they were removed from the circuit when starting the car (allowing a really hot spark) but used to keep from burning out the coil in regular driving. (I leave them in place if the system is designed to have one... their failure is easy to diagnose).

Can't answer your questions, but how long had it been since you last checked the oil? If the crankcase ventilation systm/PCV valve plugs, your oil will end up with water in it over time from combustion products/blow by.

Mike- If you haven't got it running right yet, here are a few random thoughts... Is a vacuum hose broken/ is there a carb loose? It seems unlikely that raising the idle would affect the ignition system... the only place I can see that happening is in the distributor: the flexible wire going to the breaker plate/pickup could be the culprit. It gets flexed every time the vacuum advance moves, and I have had them break. Is one of the SU pistons stuck/ prevented from fully dropping? A big power loss sounds more like lack of gasoline, as does running better with the choke pulled. How are your fuel filters and fuel pump? I've had cars that started losing their ability to l climb hills due to dirty filters, but they would always idle. I'd check fuel delivery. Is the ignition resistor taken out of the circuit when the starter is engaged? That can cause a vehicle to run on the starter and then immediately die if the resistor is bad or has a loose connection. Sorry my answers are not more specific to your car--- I've never driven a Z, so can speak only generic terms. Hope you've got it running- let us know.

Bill- If you haven't bought your pistons yet, these list as 9.6 CR with a thin gasket: Keith Black KB193. They have a 12cc 'D' shaped dish (for quench). For less CR KB142 has 18cc dish (9.1); more CR (10.2) KB106 & KB120 have 7cc eyebrow (but most anyone's flat tops will be in this approximate CR range). Take a look here: http://www.beckracing.com/page25.htm

It sounds mightily like you are pressurizing the crankcase, so your new breathers should help. A person can take a prick punch to the block surface where the gasket sits to get more bite... something I've rebuilt had holes in the block surface for tits on the gasket to drop into, and other gaskets have had rails. Drilling holes and a LONG cure time might help with your silicone home made gasket. Have you ever tried the 'right stuff' gasket making goo in a can? comes out like cheese whiz & stuck well for me to make my own pan gasket. (I did have everything absolutely dry and oil free). Does the oil pressure sender sit back in that area? I've had them puke all over everything. HTH

That would ultimately depend on the exact assembly lube used, but as thick as most are, I'd say almost indefinitely. I'd worry more about keeping dust and moisture out. Long term storage of running engines can be enhanced by the use of "fogging oil" (available at boat shops for off season outboard motor storage) sprayed into each cylinder.

Pop, that's been my take on it too... if a guy slotted the mustache bar 3/8" and moved the nose the same distance (but nothing up and down) there would just be a slight amount less (more?) angularity in the driveshaft. I thiink that as long as lines projected through the center of the tranny output shaft and the center of the diff pinion are parallel, a guy would be OK. (Saw a post recently on building laser tools to verify this/set things up). My question mainly went to the amount of travel required; does anyone have the measurement for half shafts from full droop to full compression for a 240? Terry, isn't the engine offset towards the passenger side? This mod would decrease offset by 3/8" if that is the case.

How difficult/is it possible to move the diff 3/8inch towards the passenger side and cure the problem? (That should leave 1/2 inch on each side if I'm lookin at this right). I'd guess that there should be room in the driveshaft tunnel, but is 1/2" travel (from rest, as described) enough?

Not a painting expert (really not any kind of expert), but think you need a quick reply- Humidity can spoil a paint job by fogging the paint. The cooling effect at the nozzle can drop the air below dew point (instant fog in the paint stream/fan) and that water gets incorporated into the paint film. Instead of a nice clear glossy coat you can end up with one that is literally foggy looking.

Since you see this as an interim step... If you've got time, but no money (my situation) wire in the TBI. You can research its' ultimate capabilities as you drive. If you are relatively flush (I know people like that exist) just put the carb and manifold on now and save the wiring hassle. Hey... That was easy