pparaska

I was out plowing the garden today, and a white S30 slowed to turn off of Talbot Run Rd onto Peddicord Rd. Definitely a V8 under the hood - I heard the thunder, even at idle and I was a good 500 feet from the intersection.

Thanks for asking and getting info. If only there was a "Block User" so that your posts were invisible to them.

Mike - I'm not sure if I took this advice from you or not - that was a long time ago. I used 2 stranded 12 gage wires twisted together and did as you said - they hang down to firewall on the driver's side. They use the bracket for the gas pedal linkage on the firewall as a "pulley" to change the direction of the force from vertical to horizontal. Blue insulation on the wires means they are hardly noticeable.

I'm absolutely sick about this. Tears and everything. John was the most kind, level-headed, thoughtful, smart guy I ever knew. His Z and car posts, his FB posts were always top notch and human. If I could only be the man he was. My condolences to his family and friends.

That sucks. Glad it wasn't worse. I know how bad it can get. Decades ago, my z was up on two fork lifts (no kidding, 1 from the front, 1 from the back). We were in a door warehouse - on the wood door side of it. I know, young and stupid. We were underneath and my buddy, who still works at the same door warehouse, was underneath the car with me, as we were welding in some floorboards. The interior wasn't completely stripped out, and we had the dash and all the glass and door mechanisms, weatherstripping still in the car. The ratty stock seats were not there. Interior started on fire. We scrambled to put the forklifts down evenly (we did). All of the chemical fire extinguishers in the warehouse, except the farthest one from where we were working, were empty. The one I brought was not fully charged. We did get the fire out, and the interior was full of that dry chem powder. Every nook and cranny were filled - to include up into the areas around the edge of the roof. Dash and windshield destroyed. A Z buddy had a parts car that I got all I needed out of (had fun getting the tan interior parts from it dyed black). It took a lot of work to fix all that. Sounds like your fire and mess weren't as bad! Glad to hear it!

Thanks, nops - I ended up buying a new LMA-3

I've decided that since I have their LC-1 already, I want to add this to be able to log it, RPM, MAP, etc. to try to tune my Holley 830HP (has Weber plates) Anyone have an AuxBox (LMA-3) they aren't using any more? If so, please PM me. Thanks

I hope to see this thing really fully sorted, Mike. Most of all, I'd love to see you enjoying the beast on the track. One of my favorite things you've done lately is the Ford 8.8 swap - After going through not having my Z on the road last summer because of a snapped 280Z stub axle and waiting for the vendor to get the correct billet replacements shipped (took the morons at the manufacturing company THREE tries to get 4, not 5 stud holes drilled to the diameter I wanted!!!) I know how silly it is to keep dealing with the expensive Nissan parts in the rear of the car, especially the differential. The Ford 8.8 is such a better way to go, with beefy parts in the rest of the driveline from there to the wheels. I've learned a lot about what stuff to use and not use as you went through this project. Let's just say if I were to put it all together again, none of the driveline parts or brakes would be the same.

I'm anxious to hear about this beast getting on the track soon! But I believe Mike is going to get it sorted to some reliable degree, and then it will be sold to a lucky individual, probably someone he knows. And probably before he gets it to its full potential, as I see him as jaded about this car. Reading his writings makes me think he can't wait to see it go. Mike has stated several times that he wants another Porsche for track days, and I fully understand his reasons. After all, the caliber of P-car he will get will be one designed to BE on the track and he will have a basis for a reliable and respectfully performing track car. Any unsorted Z build would take considerable R&D to get to the level of car he is moving towards with his next P-car choice. No one should take offense at that statement. I love the S30 platform and the potential it has. But no one has the $$$ for the R&D needed to make it competitive and reliable to the point that the upper-echelon track-oriented models of P-car that Mike is going toward. Will he miss the Z? Probably somewhat. But I believe him when he says he will move away from Z's. The LS swap definitely added a year plus to getting the car back on the track. Oh well. Personally, I would only let a very few, very well known firms build an engine for me. I'd much rather build my own and make my own mistakes, knowing what parts are in the engine and what the tolerances are that I measured as I blueprinted the engine. I've made mistakes on some of my builds, and rebuilt them better. (The current 406 SBC Bullet has been reliable on the street, but there have been problems uncovered on the track (oil leak issue). That get's fixed this weekend with a solid roller lifter swap (going to the bushed Isky Red Zone solids) and I'll seal the intake to the engine to fix the leak. But it's a reliable.) This story has been and will be interesting to watch unfold!

Who's doing the assembly of the LS?

Mike, I am looking forward to seeing you get happy about your dedicated track car, once you get back with your true track love - a dedicated track Porsche! I doubt very much that you'll miss the Z once you are behind another P-car steering wheel! The S30 is a cool platform to mod and build. But it's nothing like starting with a good Porsche platform that was meant to be tracked when it was first being designed. The S30s seem to be going up in price, even the modified ones. The idea of selling mine and buying Sasha Grey (not the porn star) and having a dedicated built-for-the-track S30 is enticing, but I'd need to come up with too much coin to make it happen. Just wait until Porcshe figures out what is causing the 2014 911 to spontaneously combust!: http://blog.axisofoversteer.com/2014/02/991-gt3s-are-so-hot-they-are-catching.html

Awesome news, Mike! Don't worry about the people who are downers or doubters. They're probably not doing just sitting. I agree - a stock block should be fine for 600HP. Are you doing the teardown/assembly yourself? That's my favorite part of this "hobby"

Going with a Flathead drivetrain instead? RB26? L28ET?

Agreed. No sense just pulling from a catalog unless there's a cam that's worked in a very similar engine combo and that package would work well in your car and at the speeds and gearing you want it to. If you go custom on the cam just make sure you get someone who really knows what they are doing to design it and make sure similar cams provide the power and torque curves you want. Mike - what is your rpm range to be able to get the speed you need and with the gearing you have will you be able to have enough torque at that rpm to sustain acceleration?

Yeah, if you have to replace all of that stuff to get the power you need, A totally new engine, designed and built with the power and rpm levels needed is the best option! So you might as well start with something lighter and easier to route the exhaust with, all else being the same, if so. I wasn't aware of the "requirements creep" and that changes things considerably - only (some) of the shortblock would be useful at this point.

Mike, I'm not here to argue about this, I just disagree with your assessment that a SBC can't meet your needs. Personally, I think with the right set of OE and/or aftermarket parts, an LS or SBC could meet your needs reliably. A SBC can make more power and more rpm than your 383 is now. But if you want an LS, then that's cool too! Like I said offline, call up Mast or someone else reputable and tell them what you want to do and get a full bullet built for your needs. This goes for the SBC route as well, by the way. And do likewise for the subsystems that support the engine, whichever you choose. I'm not married to the old school SBC, not by a long shot. My next V8 will be something different. Maybe an LS. It doesn't matter that I haven't driven a Z at the speeds you have on track - there are just too many examples of the SBC making huge power and rpm reliably in high end racing environments at sustained corning, rpm and power levels. For DECADES. It sounds like you want more power and rpm now - that's a new requirement I hadn't heard before. You could do it with a SBC, or an LS engine. None of them will be OE. Which engine has more circle track or road racing hours at elevated horsepower levels? I'm going to have to say the SBC. But the LS is getting there. It is probably true that at really elevated power levels an LS may have an advantage due to the inherent breathing capabilities of the cylinder heads. But you could go SB2 as well...I digress. Not trying to argue - because it's your car and money and time. If you want to go LS, I'm all for it! I just can't agree that a SBC couldn't do it reliably even at cornering, braking, power, speed, and rpm levels above where you are. It's been done many, many times before. I really look forward to watching the LS build/install and then watching the track videos of you hauling ass around the track, without having any more problems!!!!!

Mike, that last opinion is TOTALLY illogical. It's a freaking IC engine. If its built correctly and it's installed with the correct subsystems, it will undoubtably "mix" with the car just fine. Again - a different design (LS vs SBC) will gain you nothing but less money in your pocket and an increased amount of time until you are back trouble shooting the subsystems that are giving you problems now. A different engine with the same subsystems (i.e., breather setup) might have the same exact problems. Sorry to be a hard ass but you're making an emotional judgement about the engine and the car. Just because you have a pile of LS parts sitting there ready for much time and money to be spent on them doesn't mean that you SBC, if built correctly and having the correct subsystems connected to it won't do the job wonderfully with a minimum of time and money invested.

If the idea is that a crate LS1 with standard harness would fix most of the reliability issues, then it follows that a WELL BUILT gen I SBC (or ANY race-prepped engine used reliably in racing over the past decades) and a standard harness would also provide an equal boost in overall reliability for this Z. People have been reliably racing old Corvettes, Camaros, etc. for decades with well prepared Gen I SBCs. Will a Z (or any car not designed from the original manufacturer or pro tuner to truly handle the rigors of track use) have the reliability of a car like the Porsches you've had? Probably not.but obviously people have built all manner of track cars starting with manufacturer's cars other than Porsche. If you are truly done with the SBC, then you've laid out the options well. Someone will get a nicely built Z with or without an LS1, or several will get nice parts. I'm seeing a pro-built, fully-sorted trackcar or racecar in your future though, as I have a feeling you are done with it this time and ready to go to the next level and buy a car ready to reliably take to the track - now.

Mike, as much as I don't want to see you throw in the towel, if it meant getting Mark's car and selling yours, it'd be a hell of a nice replacement for yours, seeing as its so nicely sorted out.

Really sorry to hear that. Electrical gremlins ugh. Double down on the wiring. Was that a new pump a new piece?

Great news, Mike! How long were you at high load and high rpm? Enough to simulate the on-track environment that brought out the leak? Also, any idea if cornering loads would be important (like a right hander to make it come out of a left hand side dipstick tube)?

Mike, the problem of ventilation and oil breathers in circle track and road racing even with normal blow-by (assuming your ring and valveguide seal is decent) and breather design has been around for a long time, and several methods have been worked out. Mopar, Ford, SBC, BBC, LSx, others, doesn't matter - the methods are going to be the same and the good ones are out there. I'd be looking at what winning teams have used over the decades, and hit the racer websites. Here's one thread that's interesting (I was looking for Smokey's ball-bearing in a tube system and found this): http://speedtalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=29440 The answer is out there. If your engine is in decent shape (ring/valveguide seal) then I'd be working on the breather system - take an all-out redesign approach if need be. Those breathers you have are originaly a Mopar design, IIRC, and have internal baffling. You may want to do something like this: http://www.racersspeedshop.com/default/910-17141.html Maybe relocating the separators up higher would help, as well as baffling the valvecovers. I know that with stud girdles on my valvetrain there is little room for baffling in the tall valvecovers.

BTW, how did you break it in? Newer honing techniques, and ring designs sometimes require rapid break-in methods. On my last several builds, I've used Total Seal's Quickseat dry film powder on the cylinder walls at final assembly, and after initial start and checking for no leaks or problems, immediately get the car out on the street and hammer the pedal under load. The idea is to rapidly wear in the rings by applying max combustion pressure to the back side of the rings with this method. It seems to work for me. My oil comsumption is low.