pparaska

Michael and Ron Jones have Big Block Chevy's in their Z's - they should be able to help. But I don't think the swap is quite as straight forward as the block is longer. I built all my exhaust from the headers back. Alot of work, but not that hard to do if you have a MIG. I bought J-bends of 2.5" steel mandrel bent pipe (Summit, Jegs, Hooker, etc.) and straight lengths from the local parts house. Measure, measure, cut long, trial fit, trim, tack weld, seam weld, repeat process. See my site and click on "Exhaust" to see the results. It's alot easier to just right a check and take it to the exhaust shop! ------------------ Pete Paraska - 73 540Z - Marathon Z Project pparaska@home.com Pete's V8 Datsun 240Z Pages

Yep, the Wilwood Spot mechanical calipers. I had a machinist buddy make a pair of brackets to hold them and bolt to the bottom of the AZ Zcar caliper mounting plates. The funky design of the caliper requires skinny little fingers to hold the caliper, as it's a sliding setup. Tough to do well without a mill, which I don't have . I used the stock 240Z E-brake cable bracket modified to mount on the lower AZ Zcar caliper bolt. The stock 240Z E-brake cable works fine. I need to post some pics on my page, I guess. If I were to do this over and didn't have the AZ Zcar parts so cheap, I'd go for a good, light caliper with E-brake capability. I guess it's hard to find a light caliper with E-brake capability, as the racers don't need this and the OE's tend to go with iron calipers most of the time. BTW, I know, I know, E-brakes probably aren't that important to most people that build Hi-po street cars, but I want this thing totally street legal, and safe as well. In other words, I know most people here probably think I'm nuts to spend time and money adding separate calipers just for E-brake capability. I'm never under the impression that I'm NOT a little nuts. Maybe more than just a little . ------------------ Pete Paraska - 73 540Z - Marathon Z Project pparaska@home.com Pete's V8 Datsun 240Z Pages

Duh, you're right. Less offset would be needed if you had thinner drums at the hat. Thanks for catching that! At least I had it right on my web page! ------------------ Pete Paraska - 73 540Z - Marathon Z Project pparaska@home.com Pete's V8 Datsun 240Z Pages

Evan, I love the look of your car! Just the way I like it best - close to stock body, but improved! The color is nice! What is that? ------------------ Pete Paraska - 73 540Z - Marathon Z Project pparaska@home.com Pete's V8 Datsun 240Z Pages

Some lowering springs?

Sounds Great! I need to come down sometime and check out your operating room

I wimped out on those. I sent my shafts to Mardi at http://Raxles.com ------------------ Pete Paraska - 73 540Z - Marathon Z Project pparaska@home.com Pete's V8 Datsun 240Z Pages

Yes, MSD makes one. MSD-8728. Summit Racing lists it for $94.95. This is the link to their page on it. You might want to get extra modules to tune the limiter. It comes with 6000, 7000, and 8000 modules, but finer steps are in the optional packs. ------------------ Pete Paraska - 73 540Z - Marathon Z Project pparaska@home.com Pete's V8 Datsun 240Z Pages

If they're using thermocouples, I'd think coming up with a "temperature differential" circuit to compare the too voltage outputs of the thermocouples would be pretty simple.

(Dualing posts, what can I say? Speedracer posted same time I did) There are five or six Philips head screws at the front edge of the cowl panel, just below the back edge of the hood. You have to remove the nuts on the wiper arm pivots, remove (pull off) the wiper arms, and the screws I mention above to get the panel off. After those things are out of the way, lift the front edge of the panel, then pull forward. There aer 4 or five little "fingers" that go into holes with plastic inserts just below the windshield. You guys need to get a manual for the Z! [This message has been edited by pparaska (edited December 20, 2000).]

For the details on how I have 17x9 inch wheels and 255/45/17 tires on a stock fendered Z with coilovers, go to my site at: http://members.home.net/pparaska/wheelstires.htm With this setup, the wheel is so close to the coilover tube that it's the limiting factor on BS. Then again, the tire is close too. ------------------ Pete Paraska - 73 540Z - Marathon Z Project pparaska@home.com Pete's V8 Datsun 240Z Pages

SCCA, I like E-brakes (on street cars), too. I have the Arizona Z brakes, but added some mechanical spot calipers with custom (flat AL plate) brackets. BTW, doesn't this (Maxima) bracket do the same thing as the one that some guy named Eric of Z-quip used to sell? I mean, isn't it for using the same calipers and rotors? That one kind of scared me because of all the thin pieces at right angles welded together. Anyone though of using a piece of 1/4" steel or aluminum (with lightening holes) bent to shape, instead of all that mill work? Heck, even a welded up one. That's a good bit of machine work to mill all that stuff out. But then again, if it's CNC'd, who cares, the machine doesn't get tired . ------------------ Pete Paraska - 73 540Z - Marathon Z Project pparaska@home.com Pete's V8 Datsun 240Z Pages [This message has been edited by pparaska (edited December 20, 2000).]

FYI, Mike just has a link to the original pic that's really on my site. The modded one, where I added material I thought was needed and you say is actually on the Maxima bracket (which I've never seen) is at: http://members.home.net/pparaska/image/brakemods/MaximaBracket_mod.jpg Funny how I added material (the red stuff) I thought it should have and it's actually on the Nissan part! I must have been listening in engineering school that day ------------------ Pete Paraska - 73 540Z - Marathon Z Project pparaska@home.com Pete's V8 Datsun 240Z Pages [This message has been edited by pparaska (edited December 20, 2000).]

Lone, you're right, that's a 392(?) old style Hemi.

Drax, you've described my car, just about. PLUS the hiding rust in the inner rockers, the holes in the tool box area of the floor, swiss cheese in alot of places. ALOT of fabrication, cutting, welding, grinding. Wished I'd spent those years of my life doing something else! P.S. See my "Stupid Moves" page on my site. ------------------ Pete Paraska - 73 540Z - Marathon Z Project pparaska@home.com Pete's V8 Datsun 240Z Pages

Jim, I have urethane in the Mustache bar, and I cut about 0.3 inches from the top bushing height (and about the same length off of the inner tube/sleeve) as well as left out the big thick washer in the kit. This raised the back of the diff by almost 1/2", which makes a good bit of difference over the approximate 18" of distance between the M-bar bushings and the front mount, an angle change of about 1.6 degrees, which helps the driveshaft u-joint problem by that much. (Check my site under "Driveline Mods" for more info on that) JTR suggests taking out the entire stock upper washer. That would raise it a tad more. I'd go with the cut down urethane, as if you do as JTR suggests, you have metal to metal connection = noise. ------------------ Pete Paraska - 73 540Z - Marathon Z Project pparaska@home.com Pete's V8 Datsun 240Z Pages

Hey, that's really coming along! When is the break-in drive?

Maybe the seal is collapsed?

What Drax said - definitely go with the R200. Of course it'd be best to go with a Limited Slip Differential (LSD), which came out of the 87.5-88 300ZX Turbo. Hard to find and pricey though, compared to an open R200. ------------------ Pete Paraska - 73 540Z - Marathon Z Project pparaska@home.com Pete's V8 Datsun 240Z Pages

Jim (BLKMGK) makes some good points. There are definitely reasons to consider the 240 and 260Z for emissions reasons. And if you are going to add a cage anyway, the 240 is lighter to begin with. The side protection in the 280 door is little better than the stuff in the 73 240Z and 74 260Z. The cage with door bar is FAR safer in a side collision. So why not start with a lighter chassis to begin with, if you are adding the stiffening of a cage? The other thing that makes the 260Z nicer is that it has a decent A/C system from the factory, if that' in your plans. ------------------ Pete Paraska - 73 540Z - Marathon Z Project pparaska@home.com Pete's V8 Datsun 240Z Pages

Not sure this is without errors or not , but the author is a pretty thorough cat: http://www.zhome.com/ZCMnL/tech/GearRatios.html ------------------ Pete Paraska - 73 540Z - Marathon Z Project pparaska@home.com Pete's V8 Datsun 240Z Pages

Like Terry said, it's better to measure the shiny part that inserts into the diff. These are visibly different in length if you lay them side by side. ------------------ Pete Paraska - 73 540Z - Marathon Z Project pparaska@home.com Pete's V8 Datsun 240Z Pages

Nope, never heard of that. How was the ride? Pete

The post above said any year 75-83. I'm pretty sure that's right. If it has an R200 in it and it's a 280Z or ZX, it ought to work. Just make sure you get the short one for the left side and a long one for the right side. Sounds like you have the longer right shaft in the left hole. Or you didn't bottom it and go past the C-clip yet? When you pull it out, measure the distance in that the C-clip is and compare it to the distance from the seal area/flange on the halfshaft and the C-clip groove. But this really isn't necessary if you have a short and a long halfshaft and put the short one in the left side. Good luck! ------------------ Pete Paraska - 73 540Z - Marathon Z Project pparaska@home.com Pete's V8 Datsun 240Z Pages

Get the right shaft in that thing or you'll probably have a leak in no time.