NewZed

Howdy pallnet. I have a question about the barbed rails: do you, or can you, use 1/8" pipe thread for the 5/16" barb? If so, the rail could be drilled out later for 14mm o-ring injectors, if desired. The 1/4" pipe thread is too big on the big end and would be a problem to drill out. Asking for future reference.

The exhaust fumes in the cabin problem is written about all over the internet. Still seems like you might have two problems, or more. The exhaust on my stock L28 smells so sweet sometimes I lean down and take a sniff just to know that things are stilled tuned right. I enjoy when a breeze of exhaust blows in through the window. It was only close to horrific quite a while ago when my FPR went bad causing a super-rich condition. My engine is catalytic converter-free so the smell is unprocessed.

I don't know when Nissan changed the mounting point. Could have happened before the 280Z. I think that the interference with the fins is from the transverse link mount, or cross-brace (I can't figure out what Nissan calls it). The curved, stamped steel piece that bends around the back of the diff cover.

That is the normal way for a 280Z. Those look like factory bars and mounts. The rubber even looks in decent shape.

Your local Nissan dealer might be ab;e to get them or Courtesy (the link). Spendy. http://www.carpartsmanual.com/datsuns30/DatsunZIndex/Axle/RearAxleDriveShaft/tabid/1730/Default.aspx http://www.courtesyparts.com/bolt-drive-p-353949.html You should run solid mustache bar mounts (no rubber on the ends) with a solid front mount. Otherwise the solid mount will take all of the load, while the mustache bar wings just float and do not much. People have had the cross member metal fatigue and break with solid front mounts.

Sounds like garden variety exhaust system leaks. Lots of flanges and gaskets to leak from on a turbo engine.

I didn't really read all of your first question, sorry. I thought you were selling or asking in general. Since you'll probably tear it down anyway, I would take some tools out there and take it apart as far as the guy will let you, to see how things look inside. All it takes is one rainy day uncovered out of those 750 to get some water in a cylinder that sits in there and rusts. At least take the oil pan plug out and see if water or oil comes out. Water will condense frm just the air and sink to the bottom. Good luck.

In this new age of information, with so many people spelling out in detail how to get the most power out of these engines, it's amazing how many new people end up with the same plan, from the same sources, that will provide no real increase in performance, maybe even a decrease, spending money on things that probably don't even need doing. Maybe the shrinking of the technology interface to phone size has counteracted the increase in knowledge available, leaving most people at the very same place they would be in the 1980's. Fascinating! rick240, browse through the FAQ's and you'll probably realize that none of what you're planning is really worth spending money on. Seriously, I'm just trying to help. You could get an old 280Z or 280ZX engine complete and spend time tuning it to run right, without even cracking it open and probably be better off and save money. The F54 block was introduced in 1980 for NA and turbo engines. Don't listen to your adamant friend anymore.

You're kind of rambling all over with the driving, and the sitting in the driveway and fumes in the engine bay escaping and fumes coming in through open windows. Creating a vision of a car sitting in a cloud of noxious fumes. To your specific question about a rich mixture overpowering gaskets and metal to "escape" versus a lean mixture - no, all gases behave the same. Although, if you've modified your PCV system, blowby could be escaping in to the engine bay. If you can get all gases to exit via the hole at the end of the exhaust system, you should be bale to keep them out of the cabin by sealing the perimeter of the big vinyl covered panel on the inside of the back hatch. Several people around various forums have described this. Don't worry about all of the small holes on the outside, just focus on sealing the edges of the trim panel on the inside. Stick-on weatherstrip works well. The cloud of fumes while running in the driveway should be handleable by idle tuning (obviously). Idle tune is typically a whole different world from driving tune, both ignition timing and air-fuel ratio.

The wrecking yards in my area give a one month warranty, plus you can buy a year-long warranty if you want, for not a lot. Just saying, they really are the competition, for the discerning shopper. Hook everything up and get it running and you can ask a premium.

How much does the local wrecking yard charge? That's the competition.

Somewhere in one of his other posts he mentions that the car is being built for his 15 year old son. Teen + drift + welded = problems.

Guys from the world of old Chevys are used to removing the axles, and swapping the internals. Example in the attached link. The OP writes like he's thinking that way, like the Z diff swap is difficult. He's working on a car for his 15 year old son, and is also thinking the "T5" is something special. Now you know. http://www.superchevy.com/technical/engines_drivetrain/driveshaft_rearend/sucp_1208_10_bolt_differential_upgrade/

With IRS the differential is not connected to the axle housing like a typical older American car. So a differential swap usually just involves swapping the whole external case and everything with it, not just the guts. Many times the back cover is not even removed. It's not like a Ford or Chevy diff swap. Remove the four nuts holding those axles on to the diff, drop the axles, get a another diff, install it in the car, then bolt the axles back up. After greasing the u-joints on the axles. It's easy. Saw your other post about "reverting" to a 3.54, and your posts on the other forum. This should make your decision much easier.

The 240Z's came with a 3.592 first and 3.36 rears (12.07). The 280Z's were 3.321 with a 3.54 (11.75). The NA ZX's were 3.062 with a 3.9 (11.94). You'll be at 13.65 (3.5 x 3.9). Lowest first gear ever. Swap to the diff you don't want to hear about and you'll be at 12.93, still lower than any factory setup. There's always big tires. Edit - just realized that the 3.54 combo won't be lower than any factory setup. just lower than any factory 240Z or 280Z setup. Using the 3.54 just gets to the factory 1983 Turbo 280ZX gearing, Lower overall, probably to help with the ~500 lb weight increase (Wikipedia weights), from a stop.

I still have rub marks on the inside front of my fenderwell from when I broke a TC rod while parallel parking. Without the TC rod, there's not much keeping the control arm from moving back and forth. Everything is rubber-mounted.

Curious how to quantify "smoke". Is this butt-dyno, real dyno, 1/4 mile times? 11% more displacement, but much more than 11% increase in "power". The OP's engine seems to be basically an enlarged stock ZX-style engine (flat top with P90 head) with a Schneider Stage 2 cam and a 9.9 CR. But the 11% increase in displacement doesn't seem to be giving the 11% increase in power. Just looking for details. Of course, the old dyno vs. dyno variance factor comes in to play also.

You mean these? Switching those would have an effect of some kind.

Did the engine run right before, and this problem came up out of nowhere, on a perfectly right-running engine? Or is this a problem that happened after some recent work?

Looks like it cocked at an angle front-to-back. Have you had the transmission cross-member up under the tailshaft? The mounting holes for the transmission mount will be way off if it is.

An engine that starts at the touch of the key is just one of those simple pleasures.

Well, some do and some don't then. Just offering a consideration, for the OP's own due diligence. Search the web and you'll find many posts about Aeromotive regulators leaking down. Actually, many posts about most of the regulators that look like the Aeromotive style. Probably knockoffs. I think it's just a poor design. A cast aluminum housing, with lots of holes drilled in it for distortion causing fixtures, with a big steel ball in a diaphragm controlling flow. The seat area is left as-cast. Designed for high flow according to Aeromotive's descriptions. Maybe the higher end regulators get more finish work. Mine was the low end model, #13301. I actually sent an e-mail to Aeromotive back in 3/2011 and had an exchange that indicated they were going to address the leak-down in their instructions and in their FAQ section on the web page. It never happened. Copied below, with the name of the tech removed. He was a nice guy, and probably got over-ruled by marketing (I'm a cynic). Just one of those interesting things. Edit - Figured I might as well pile on with a few links. At the bottom. Q: “I recently installed an Aeromotive EFI regulator and when I turn the key to off, and my engine stops running, the fuel pressure immediately falls to zero. With the stock regulator this did not happen, is there something wrong with my new Aeromotive regulator?” A: The stock EFI regulator was engineered with a mandate to hold fuel pressure for 30-minutes after engine shut-down. This is an government regulation with which new car manufacturers must comply. Unfortunately, the mechanism used to hold fuel pressure when the engine is off, has a derogatory affect on a high-flow, adjustable regulator’s ability to create and control fuel pressure when the engine is on. Aeromotive places fuel system performance when the engine is running, particularly running under high load, at the top of the priority board. Anything, such as a checking mechanism in the regulator valve, which compromises fuel flow and pressure control under high-load engine operation, is therefore eliminated. We believe this no-compromise approach to fuel system performance is one of the reasons Aeromotive fuel pressure regulators are universally preferred by enthusiasts and racing professionals alike, around the world. And here is the proposed text for the installation instructions: Note: Aeromotive EFI regulators are fully optimized for ideal fuel flow and pressure control during actual engine operation. Do no be alarmed if your Aeromotive, high-flow, adjustable regulator does not hold fuel pressure when the fuel pump/engine are turned off. This is normal behavior and in fact permits the use of a proper regulator-valve design which delivers superior performance when the engine is running! Just a few.... http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/bolt-tech/431671-opened-up-my-aeromotive-afpr-today.html http://www.rx7club.com/3rd-generation-specific-1993-2002-16/aeromotive-fuel-pressure-regulator-765888/ http://www.supramania.com/forums/showthread.php?175670-Aeromotive-FPR-dropping-pressure http://www.ca.dsm.org/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=379543#Post379543

The OP should take a marketing class before he gets out of college. Or texis300 should. This is a classic violation of product marketing principles. Tease, frustrate, alienate. It's not wrong, and it's not right, it's just how people work. This scenario is typical in bigger business - texis300 is the business manager who wants to show progress, wfritts is the engineeer with the product that's not ready but folds to pressure to release it. The customer complains, the engineer gets a poor review, ends up quitting or gets fired. The idea is panned as "it didn't work". A great idea dies on the vine. Actually, wfritts should take a Masters level marketing class and use this thread as a case study. Probably get an A. Not criticizing, just an impartial observation. Kind of amusing.

Following your thread just for the complication of the problem... Browsing around for other views on COP I came across another (one of billions) Megasquirt page that seems informative. They make an interesting statement about dwell control and "over-dwelling" (my term). The coils discharge to save themselves. Considering your blown fuses and the fact that you have too many sparks, it might be worth consideration. The statement and the link are below. A simple test might be to turn the dwell setting way down to no-spark, then bump it up. You'll either get controllable correct spark or be right back to where you are. I would do this with the new coils anyway, if it turns out you've burned the ones you're using. "Note that some coils have a built-in overdwell protection feature. If given too much dwell the coil will automatically spark. This can give a dangerous advanced spark. Be sure to strobe your timing at high revs to ensure this is not happening." http://www.msextra.com/doc/general/sparkout.html

Whatever you end up getting, take it apart and clean it out before installing. They can be gritty inside, even new.