A. G. Olphart

I beleive that's professorese for "This is an engineering exercise; We ain't gonna build no steenkeeng parts".

New Holleys should no longer have the power valve problem; the factory now installs a valve to keep backfiring from blowing them out. Front float bowl is secondaries, right? Ordinarily no Power valve on the secondary side. If nothing is leaking at the primaries, you only have one bowl to pull. Sounds like a float is either stuck, sunk, or you have a piece of crud between the needle valve and seat (preventing its' closing--- this is my personal favorite). With the needle valve held open the gas just keeps coming in, eventually flowing out of the carb at the lowest hole (May be the nozzle in the middle of the venturis). I don't think loose bowl screws would act like this, should just leak, but you might make sure before you pull it. Man I'm slow composing these things--oh, well. Those are just vent tubes that you blew into; you pressrized the float bowls (forcing gas out the center of the venturis, right?).

Welcome, and happy 'Z'ing. If your car's in bad shape you will gain at least one skill workng on it: welding!

Neat idea, and put forth clearly enough to follow. Please post your experiences using these... I'm wondering about the fog/smoke generation needed to actually see the laser beams.

Logically, it would seem to require a specially built machine, somewhat akin to a loom, in which a shuttle could be tossed back and forth whilst indexing the head for thread width. This could be done around rings at each end of the part; through the inside one direction, and back the other direction on the outside. Could one pass in each direction be done between two fixed rings, then put under tension to act as a spool on which to wind your +45 and - 45 layers? Personally I wouldn't think so, as any tension on your supply for the +45 and - 45 layers would tend to pull the tube smaller and smaller as the part winds. So, were the shuttle method to be instituted, it looks like it would require a spool/core/pipe as a form around which to wind. Could you wind around a core of thermoplastic, which would then be incorporated into the part in a hot mold, or is this a thermosetting only deal? Alternatively, you are left with winding the 0 layers on the outside with a magically fast carriage feed and a myriad of magic fingers to hold the ends of the passes in place (at the ends of your boom/tube) until the next 45 or 90 layer takes over that job... In short, I don't see this a practical solution. Can you gain sufficient strength longitudinally by just laying your 45's out flatter and avoid the 0 layers? Fun to contemplate, but all is conjecture.

I ran across a 1985 Mikuni catalog & PHH service manual from 1979. Here's an old address: Mikuni American Corp., 8910 Mikuni Ave, Northridge Ca 91324. Phone was (213)893-2101. Odds are they've moved, but you never know. One of our carbs has a jet block that shakes loose on a semi-regular basis; at that point the engine will run on 2 fewer cylinders except at close to WOT. Obvious solution (once discovered) is to pull the cover & screw it back in place. Jet assembly from the top is 1) Main air jet 2) bleed pipe (aka emulsion tube) below the main jet and inside 3) Jet block with 4) main fuel jet screwed into the bottom of the block. Luck...

Sounds like fun to me... Other than Projection vs. 650DP it's pretty close to the engine I'll be running. If you decide to run it through the 1/4 mile, I'd be curious about the times. Good luck with the wiring.

Switching time is brand dependent... I tried some "put it in your standard helmet" battery powered inserts at a welding show, and they popped me every time. I told the salesman they were crap and went online. I bought a big screen (Jackson Nextgen) battery powered with a solar assist helmet, and it is the nicest tool I've bought since my MIG. It has UV and infrared protection even before darkening. The only thing that could be better is the clear phase, which is a little dark unless the area is well lit. If you weld and don't have one of these things, give yourself a present. (You'll love yourself for it).

Was your question rhetorical? You got honest answers, albeit in humorous forms. At the power levels you are proposing, the Z will handle whatever the tube frame structure and spec built differential unit you provide are designed to handle. Like any funny car, the body will just be along for the ride. There is a lot of tech info here, but at those levels, it is up to you and your engineering staff. I, personally, am hoping for about 400Hp in an uncut 240Z with a few braces; I hope it will last if I don't race it a lot. (I'll watch the rear roof pillars for signs of cracking).

You are absolutely correct- it is real life. That makes this a real issue: Whether or not our membership chooses to drop to the lowest common denominator of language usage, or tries to maintain a somewhat higher level. I too did my time in the military (courtesy of my local draft board), but have not let that period define my life, attitudes, or language. I'm not a complete goody two shoes, nor am I Holier than anyone. I simply choose to play nicely.

Well, being an Olphart, I'll predictably come down on the side of courtesy and civilized behavior: Rough language detracts from the interchange of ideas. Some feel they need the freedom to talk trash--- Why? Every third grader is proud to show he knows the words, but they lend to an awfully boring conversation. You have all heard people cursed by a vocabulary of four letter words (and shorter); they deliver their opinions at the top of their lungs. As if (volume + liberal profanity) = (knowledge + logic). I enjoy my beer (Sierra Nevada Harvest Ale) as much as the next guy, and I choose my watering holes as carefully as my beer. I don't need a place with fights and broken bottles. I cherish HybridZ as a place where everyone who drops in can relax, feel at ease, share ideas, and not be put off by a dirty rest room.

Please do post Pics... Gotta see, as a spoiler is in my Z's future.

OK Tim, give me a Clue... My perception of pollution credits has always been that they are a boodoggle set up for industry whereby a corporation can buy an old car (which would be off the road soon due to mechanical failure) to earn "pollution credits" which allow them to pour extra crap into the environment forever. Tradable. Attractive words tied to dirty deeds = Good politics Rant, Fume, snort..

I will be running Comp Cams roller tipped rockers. I chose them not for any possible horsepower gain, but to limit the side loads applied to the tip of the valve stems. (The higher the lift, the more important this becomes). On a street engine roller tips should help the valve stems and guides live longer. I'm avoiding aluminum rockers due to the fatigue factor: aluminum has a definite life span when stressed. (That's why they are always available used-- racers know of the fatigue problem and change them out as preventive maintenance). Per David Vizard's How to Build Max Performance Chevy Small Blocks on a Budget (page 100) " ... remember that aluminum fatigues and is only good for about 2 to 4 million cycles (4 to 8 hours) under race conditions before breaks can start occurring. If used with springs typical of street engines, they can last as long as 75000 miles". The key there is "as long as". I have a friend who ran aluminum rockers on his 427 Vette and broke them. He went back to steel. Given an unlimited budget, I'd run full roller stainless... but that wasn't your question.

Try a compression test... When adjacent cylinders die it may be the head gasket is blown between the two.

I'll assume that you have made sure the sensor wire is connected and the coolant system is actually full... So, this is what I'd do (try at your own risk): 1) Disconnect the sensor wire at the sensor and let it hang loose, then turn on the ignition and see if the guage shows any movement. 2) Now short it to ground, then turn the ignition on and see what the guage does. Hopefully one of the above will be zero, and the other full hot. If this is the case, replace the sensor, hook up the wire, and be on your way .

Guess I should salute you and wish you luck... No amount of pay could entice me into donning a target and going out to hassle speeders and break up drunken family fights. Gotta remember that California is trying its' best to be sure only gang bangers are armed, and they like to shoot. There is currently a "You can't chase'em" law in the legislative works. (No pursuits except in very limited cases). Perhaps something will change in the next year If not, many more officers will be laid off than hired.

Since they are selling it, it should. Looks just like what I found at Kragens for my old Toyota pickup. (I've seen two different tanks that look almost exactly the same... the one that I prefer has a screw on lid, and the other lid snaps on). The kit I bought came with a new radiator cap of the proper pressure rating. Some vehicles have oddly shaped tanks due to lack of room under the hood. If a tank fits, it works (naturally a great big engine/cooling system needs a larger overflow tank than a tiny engine).

Cars did run without overflow tanks for years, but they are a good thing to have, especially if the cooling system was designed to use one. Without a puke tank the first time an engine comes up to temperature (with a full cooling system) some coolant will be dumped on the ground. This is due to thermal expansion- stuff gets bigger/takes up more space when hot. When the engine cools off, air will be drawn back into the system. Thus, by the time the engine is cold, the radiator will no longer be full. That is the way they ran in the old days: If a person took the cap off the radiator (only done with the system cool to avoid scalding/burns) the coolant level would be down an inch or so. . An overflow tank allows coolant rather than air to be drawn back into the system; this helps minimize coolant system corrosion, and became even more important with the advent of side flow radiators. (A side flow without an overflow tank can have the top few tubes emptied/filled with air due to normal heat cycling). Enjoy your project!

If you are starting with flat tops, it can only be an improvement!! (Will OZ laws allow the swap)? The original 240 carbs were just SU copies, so having the real thing shouldn't hurt... if your mechanic guarantees his results, what's to worry about? From what I've read, HS6's are 1 3/4 bore carb. If that matches the Datsun intake manifold (haven't had mine off) I'd go for it.

And Another One Hits the Road!!

Sorry- You guys have better eyes or bigger monitors than I've got, because when I look at the picture in the link I see only 4 steam holes, not 6. If the two by the head bolt holes next to the end cylinders are there, I sure can't see them. Maybe someone on Canfield's assembly line is using stealth drill bits, or they made a design change, or my sight is rapidly failing. Since my memory is going as well, there are normally 2 steam holes at each siamesed pair of cylinders, right guys???? Guys!

You are wise to get it right to begin with- a tranny can be ruined in one hard run when they are wrong. Edelbrock should have the pieces and instructions available for their FI setup. The cable attachment at the throttle shaft is critical as to distance from the shaft, and also for angularity. Bowtie overdrives sells a kit (for carburetors)... their site might give you a bit more info. http://www.tvmadeez.com/

You need to talk to a few SCCA racers & ask for their opinions & experiences. Not sure how much power they save over a good windage tray & crank scraper setup as you have to spin the scavenger pumps. They are $$Pricey$$ and kind of a plumbers nightmare, with special pan, lots of hoses & the separate tank. Nice thing about them is that you don't need to worry about exposing the oil pump pickup at high RPM in a corner (I'd rather use an Accusump for the same peace of mind).

There is a fair chance that your first guess is right- stuck thermostat. If the temp sensor is on the cold side of the thermostat, it isn't going to read. Grumpy had a post suggesting that a small hole be drilled in the thermostats, I forget all the advantages (note my screen name). My take on the size of the explosion is related to the age of your hoses. New hose=strong, takes a lot of pressure to rupture. More pressure=bigger bang. The entire system is pressurized- the weakiest point will pop, even if it is a soft plug or the radiator itself. Steam will go somehwere.