pparaska

The non-turbo 280ZX halfshafts are just like the 240-280Z ones - they have U-joints. The 82-83 280ZX Turbo halfshafts are the only 280ZX halfshafts that have CV joints, and look very different. If you saw CV shafts in a non-turbo car, I guess the PO swapped them in along with the 280ZXT companion flanges. ------------------ Pete Paraska - 73 540Z - Marathon Z Project - pparaska@home.com">pparaska@home.com -

They are 3/16" lines. Be careful of the fittings on some of the replacement stuff from the auto parts store. Some of them have an unthreaded nose on the fitting that only allows a few threads to engage the female fitting.

SHARKMAN, no idea how to do this. Even when I had 225/60-14s on the car with bad bumpsteer, it wasn't that big of a deal to drive. A little weight lifting goes a long way . No seriously, I've never though it was needed and would be concerned that I'd give up some of that "connected-ness" that the Z imparts to the driver. Regards, Pete

Mikelly wrote: quote Woah, so you decided to tie the knot! Congratulations to both of you!

Ah, but, there is someone (Dr. Pete) on this site that posted to the Chevy V8 Tech forum a thread entitled 350ZX 1988 Conversion ------------------ Pete Paraska - 73 540Z - Marathon Z Project - pparaska@home.com">pparaska@home.com -

I'm not sure if anyone here has seen this but I just happened upon a pretty good write up of a F body T5 to T56 swap. Check out: http://www.drivetrain.com/gmt56inst.html They say that BW made that tranny adapter plate. Sam, do you have any good info on the tranny to bellhousing bolt pattern dimensions from that manual and the location of the input shaft center in relation to that bolt pattern? I'm thinking of making up an adapter plate of my own for a straight up blowproof bellhousing. It doesn't look very complicated. Someday, I'll probably be bitching about the Tremec's shifting quality and will have to retro fit a T56. The only other big issue is the rear mount will have to be moved back a few inches ------------------ Pete Paraska - 73 540Z - Marathon Z Project - pparaska@home.com">pparaska@home.com -

WOW, Jim, thanks for that incredible write up! For what it's worth, Jim Biondo has told me several times that his room mate is the guy who programmed the old and new Accel? system, and then moved to Felpro to improve it. Supposedly, the Felpro rocks. Not sure about the datalogging capabilities. This guy can do lots of neat stuff to a GM ECU also. Jeesh, why didn't I follow my instincts take the automotive engineering route instead of mechanical engineering and move to Detroit! (I HATE cold weather) There is some incredible hotrod talent up there - they get to play with the stuff at work, guys, and know the inner workings of the OE stuff! Of course, being engineers and hotrodders, they know how they'd like to change stuff to make it more hi-po and go home and do it! Can you tell I'm jealous? I'll just trudge along with my Holley 750 vac sec until I see the clear choice and find an extra $3K to drop on THE EFI system... ------------------ Pete Paraska - 73 540Z - Marathon Z Project - pparaska@home.com">pparaska@home.com -

Likewise, just drop in a Small Block Chevy. All the engineering has already been done by JTR (and members of this site) and you can get more power than you can use. Lots of options, if you don't want to be snobbish about having a certain make engine in the car! [This message has been edited by pparaska (edited August 10, 2000).]

Woah there. If you can't turn the stub axle when it gets to 110 ftlb, then something's amiss. Are you sure that the spacer tube that goes between the bearings is the correct one for the strut housing? There are three possibilities for the length of the tube and the width of the strut housing. The strut housing (cast portion) and the spacer tube are marked with an A, B, or C. Most of them are B, but the A and C are for out-of-mid-tolerance spec. In other words, as the strut housing is made, a slight variation in the width between where the inner and outher bearings rest can occur. The three spacer tubes are made to handle that tolerance. Did the spacers come out of the strut housings you are using? If the spacer was too long or short for the housing it could have this effect. I can't think of another reason that the stub axle would start to bind when tightening the nut, other than the area where the bearing outer races rest isn't clean or it has a burr, or the spacer tube is the wrong one for the strut housing. Good luck ------------------ Pete Paraska - 73 540Z - Marathon Z Project - pparaska@home.com">pparaska@home.com -

Michael, about the Datsun drum: I don't have any available, but I recall them looking like they were between 1/8" and 3/16" in thickness at the bolting flange.

Michael, I think you've got that backwards on the rear coilover issue. That is a way of getting a wider tire and wheel (not much tough) on the Z, as you can move the inboard part of the tire and wheel more inboard than with the stock spring perch in the way. Check out my site and the Wheels and Tires link to see the particulars of this setup. P.S. So you have the SUPER SETBACK Rat motor Z on the road!? Tell us more! ------------------ Pete Paraska - 73 540Z - Marathon Z Project - pparaska@home.com">pparaska@home.com -

The August ? CHevy High Performance had a T-56 swap article that said the LS1 was difficult to swap to other SBC's

The bellhousing for the LS1 won't fit the other SB Chevies

Hmm. I understand that the initilal setup adjustment is not difficult, but you have to do the same thing (threaded thing on the trans end of the bearing assembly) with the Mcleod. But what I took for "self-adjusting" was the ability of the TO bearing assembly to make adjustments in the gap between the clutch pressure plate fingers and the bearing front surface. I'm not sure how the McLeod unit does this. I do know that the instructions said to leave room for the brake fluid to move into in the master cylinder reservoir to take up fluid from the TO bearing as the clutch wears (and the clutch fingers move toward the trans). My guess is that the way the unit fits on the bearing retainer with O-rings is how it kind of sticks in place.

Not sure if the Tilton is self adjusting. Kind of strange that somebody would make one that isn't!

I got mine at Darkhorse Performance http:// http://www.darkhorseperformance.com/chevrolet.htm[/url] But you should be able to find it at any performance shop/business. I hear the Tilton one is nice because it replaces the front bearing retainer and is a very clean install. ------------------ Pete Paraska - 73 540Z - Marathon Z Project - pparaska@home.com">pparaska@home.com -

Scroll down to "350ZX 1988 Conversion". They are starting the only known (to this board) V8 conversion on a 300ZX (Z31)

If you have the vibration with the car sitting still with it out of gear, I'd go for the flywheel and/or harmonic balancer. I had a girlfriend in highschool that had a SBC from a junkyard put in their 68 327 Camaro once. Had a vibration all the time. Turns out the old redneck mechanic had gotten a 400 and didn't put a 400 flywheel on it and used the one from the 327. Of course, he wouldn't believe me (the mechanic) when I showed him books that pointed out that the engine had a 400 harmonic balancer on it. I was just some dumb highschool kid, so what could I know. Yes, I ended up getting a new 400 flywheel for it and installing it. Vibration was gone.

How about a 90-98 Eclipse/Talon/Laser (not all years for the last two models) turbo 4cyl. A few are pulling 3000+ lb AWD cars into the mid 9s. Check out www.extrememotorsports.com This guy's shop is a few miles away from me. Pretty impressive. Must be over 500hp. The Mitsu 4cylinder 4G3? is pretty nice. Change those balance shaft and timing belts often though! Not sure what you'd do for an tranny, but Dave Buschur put a power glide behind one when he built a RWD Eclipse. Yeah, I have a 92 Eclipse GSX (AWD Turbo). Fun, but mostly stock. Nice commuter car. ------------------ Pete Paraska - 73 540Z - Marathon Z Project - pparaska@home.com">pparaska@home.com -

John's Cars Z conversion- STAY AWAY! Why pay all that money for a non-setback conversion that won't handle correctly?! Get the JTR book, read it decide if you want to buy or make the mounts, and buy parts from JTR (Stealth conversions) or Motorsport Auto (speedo cable, etc.) ------------------ Pete Paraska - 73 540Z - Marathon Z Project - pparaska@home.com">pparaska@home.com -

zedskid, let me try to clarify this. Hit the links on the tech article page to see pictures of the companion flanges to help see what's going on. The 280Z (and 240Z) companion flanges are the short ones that bolt to the u-joint half shafts. The 280ZX Turbo companion flange is much longer. If you have but 300 hp, I'd think the 240 stub axles and 280ZX Turbo companion flanges would be fine. Then you don't need an adapter, but need to modify the 280ZX Turbo companion flanges (dust seal swap as noted on my tech article) and machine the outer rubber off of two R200 pinion seals to use as inner stub axles seals. Hope this helps, ------------------ Pete Paraska - 73 540Z - Marathon Z Project - pparaska@tidalwave.net">pparaska@tidalwave.net -

Yuichi, I haven't installed them yet. Based on the pics on my site, you can see there is some machining to be done to the mirror brackets, and some fabbing to get them mounted to the forward corner of the window area. When I get there, I'll document it. Think Wintertime ------------------ Pete Paraska - 73 540Z - Marathon Z Project - pparaska@tidalwave.net">pparaska@tidalwave.net -

I don't have camber plates, and I'm using the stock upper spring perch with a piece of tubing welded in to center the 2.5" springs. I'm running 10" in the front, 8" in the rear presently. All the details on the springs and backspacing are under the "wheels and tires" on my site (URL below in sig. Those rates seem high for a street car, but probably good for autocross. I have 300#/in in the rear, but that was to try to stay away from coil bind. I may try 275s if they are too stiff (street). In front I'm planning on using 225#/in. I usually see Z's set up with a bit more spring in the rear. ------------------ Pete Paraska - 73 540Z - Marathon Z Project - pparaska@tidalwave.net">pparaska@tidalwave.net -

I'm using their coilover kit and springs. They seem to be well made.

The following is from my web site http://www.tidalwave.net/~pparaska/TremecInfo.htm . I started with a 7/8" cylinder, but went to a 3/4" to get a less stiff pedal. The 7/8" gave me too firm a pedal, the 3/4" gave a good pedal pressure, but the throw is kind of long. I have a Chevy diaphram clutch PP from the 1LE Camaro, for a point of reference on clutch hat stiffness. That Corvette 13/16" MC sounds like it would be a great partner to the Mcleod TO bearing. The thing to note on deciding clutch master cylinder sizes is the pedal ratio. Alot of American cars have a pedal ratio (ratio of length from pedal pivot to foot pad, and pedal pivot to MC pushrod connection) of 4:1. The Z is about 6.2:1 So when deciding on what MC to use given advice based on American car applications like the Camaro, you need to realize that the throw of the master cylinder pushrod will be 2/3 that for an American car, for the same pedal throw. Also, the stiffness of the pedal will be 1.5 times that of the American car. BTW, this is supposedly (according to JTR) the problem that some people have with using the Datsun 5/8" bore MC and OE slave cylinder with a some stock length clutch forks. Although, I've seen a few posts recently that say this ain't so! quote: [From my web site: Clutch Hydaulics: I used a Mcleod hydraulic throw-out bearing for a GM T-5. It's a pretty nice piece, and costs (ouch!) $259. I calculated that for the clutch pedal height to be the same as the brake, and the resulting short clutch master cylinder movement, I'd need a 7/8" diam. master cylinder. Another $200 for an AP Racing short version from TrueChoice Motorsports. Ouch! I tried this part (and sold it) part number CP2623-194. The clutch pedal was quite stiff and the total throw of the pedal is 4 inches. Since then, I've installed a Girling remote 3/4" diameter master cylinder and remote reservoir mounted to it with AN fittings. This give more throw than I'd like (from brake pedal height to the floor to get the full 0.030" clearance Mcleod recommends for a diaphram clutch) but the pedal is just a bit stiffer than any manual trans car from the factory.] [This message has been edited by pparaska (edited July 25, 2000).]