pparaska

Definitely an issue if you are racing with that kind of "typical" hp. A different perspective is that I throw away 10-30 hp up top to get better drivability, when parts shopping for a V8 using Desktop Dyno 2000. Of course, it's 460 peak hp vs 490, etc. Sorry, I guess my sense of perspective is a bit skewed

I guess with a strict set of racing rules, that's important, but I think all this attention and fretting for 10 hp is kind of silly. Thank goodness I can go from old Chevy heads to new Vortec heads and gain 30-40 hp OUT OF THE BOX. Just trying to get a perspective.

(I really, really, really need to hook up with someone that could take a tape out of my Sony digital recorder and make an MPG or sound file from it.) At much over 2500 rpm, my V8, with block huggers, 2.5" duals, X-Pipe and two Dynomax Hemi Super Turbo mufflers sounds downright "european" as several people have pointed out. The X-pipe, along with the mufflers sitting next to each other at the rear REALLY evens out the exhaust pulses. Maybe not Ferarri like, but definitely not a typical V8 sound.

I learn something every day! Thanks, Mike!

Yeah, the evil V8 guys lurk around here too Just for a summary, JUST HOW MUCH of a difference in torque and power will the two highly modified heads have? 10, 20, 30 hp?

Grumpyvette, I knew I was handing him a loaded gun . After he gets a ride in each, he'll realize one is a nice sports car and the other is a low buck Super Car. (P.S. Ever get a chance to run that engine simulation I emailed you about? Just wondering if it scrolled past you in the inbox - I know how that is!)

Cool school project! There have GOT to be some V8Z's near you. Join the local Z club and hit some meetings and ask questions. Get some rides . I can line up a ride in a buddies stock L6 240Z (he bought it new!) and give you a ride in mine so you can compare. Want to take a trip down to MD?

In a few months, I'll have some 327 small journal stuff to sell. I have a std/std forged (all of the small journal ones were forged) crank with some scrathes that will probably clean up with a .010/.010 grind. Not sure what shape the block is in, it's .030 over but the wash down from the rich/leaking carbs have maybe scored the cylinder walls. The crank in the engine now is a std/std one that was beatiful when I put it in 4000 miles ago. I'm getting ready to commission a 406 and the 327 shortblock in the car will be in my way after that goes in. Personally, if you just want to spin to 7000, I'd think about a 327 over a 302. The 327 will have a bit more low end torque than the 302 and the pistons will be cheaper, although if you did a 6" rod 302, you could use the standard 327 compression height piston (1.678) and you'd be there. 6 inch rods will allow for lighter pistons in either engine and you'd have a 1.85 rod/stroke ratio with the 327 and a 2.0 in the 302. A turbo 302 or 327 would be nice!

Goa ahead and buck up for the Nissan seal instead of the aftermarket. The price difference is not large and the Nissan seal is known to fit well. Not always so with the aftermarket ones.

I agree with everything Terry said.

I am in awe! I LOVE the 280YZ body kit and the stuff you are doing with the frame and suspension is just light years ahead of the stock Z! Incredible!

J., the bearings press off and on the carrier. I'd think you could take it to a shop to have that done cheap if you don't have a press. You could probably use a gear puller to pull them off yourself and just have the shop press new ones on.

Man, tough crowd tonight . Hmm. steaks, good cauterization, and a good MIG weld all have the same sound?

The L6 is known to have reliability problems over 7K or so, if held very long. It's a long cranks and gets into all kinds of neat harmonics. One cylinder between each main is good, but crank length and stiffness/strength are also an issue.

John, while reading your post, I was wondering - does the pressurization of the intake charge aid in fuel/air mixing? Anybody remember Smokey Yunick's Hot Air Engine? I typically believed most of what he wrote, but I always felt his power gains were really from the small boost he was making, not the "homogenization" of the intake charge, as he claimed. Woah, pretty far afield. Sorry

I put my holes just where they were stock ;D. Sorry, I'll measure soon and get back to you. That 19 7/8" from the firewall number sure seems familiar though.

O.k. They call me Relay-Pete in some parts. Sorry, I'd not want the back-emf or sneak circuit currents to burn out a diode and leave me fixing it on the side of the road, etc. I wired a relay to solve this little problem. Relay contacts may arc, but I keep a spare VF40 relay (all I use) around just incase one goes bad. Maybe I'm paranoid, but smoking diodes aren't fun.

Jim, I agree on a power efficiency basis, 220V is better. But don't most 110V welders do better with thin sheetmetal because the amperage can be turned down lower than the larger 220V models?

My thoughts exactly. ALOT of cash for the same power, and you have to rev it a good bit higher to get the torque.

Bulter - Summer of 2003 I'm doing a 6" Eagle SIR I beam rod, 11:1 with Hyper pistons. I've been a forged piston fan for years, but I've been swayed that I'll be fine with Hyper. I'm going budge here. I have a quote from a good builder friend in Arkansas who will start with HIS 400 std 2 bolt block, add a SCAT 9000 crank, the Eagle rods, King bearings, cast iron rings, and KB pistons. $1300 BALANCED, blueprinted with file-fit rings. Most likely that will be internally balanced, for that price, if three slugs of mallory metal are enough, or I pay for extra slugs. I expect shipping to eat up a few hundred bucks. The cam will be first the same Comp Cams 12-677-4 I have in the 327 with a 63 deg ABDC intake closing. With 11:1, the cranking pressure is still 180psi or less, a dynamic compression ratio of 8.3 or so. That should be fine for pump gas. I am going with .040" quench height to help with detonation resistance. Ultimately, I'll probably go with a Crane 118451 mechanical roller cam with similar opening and closing points, (crane 118541) but more lift and area under the curve. If driving with the Comp 12-677-4 in the 406 is really mild at low rpm, I'll do the 118551 roller instead. Someday, I'll move away from my ported 461 heads to a Canfield 200cc mostlikely. Cubes with compression and a slightly agressive cam. Grumpy has convinced me this is the way to go! I try to be a good student .

I'm no master mechanic and I thought dis-assembling and assembling the LSD was dirt simple. I have some rebuild documents from Nissan in PDF (thanks Ross!) that can guid you through it. The parts (clutch parts) are not cheap though. The nice thing is that you don't have to mess with the pinion depth or gear lash - just put the shims back where they came from when you pulled the LSD out of the case.

That sounds right. I did something very similar on my 2.5"x2.5" frame rails: http://mywebpages.comcast.net/pparaska/structuralmods.htm I also remember that the holes were right in line with the side of the tube and stock frame rail side.

Mike, it took me 2 weeks to feel myself again. Back at work in 4 days, but I overdid it walking around too much the first day or so. The anesthetic will give you all kinds of false info on how well you're doing. Just ASSUME that your in really bad shape down there for the first 3 days, only get up to go to the bathroom, etc. ICE is a great idea. Best voluntary operation I can imagine having done, even better results than Lasic (sp?) surgery, I'd think. Once you've made the decision to NEVER have (anymore) kids. Very responsible, IMO. Of course, there are some religions that might think it's not acceptable - none I subscribe to though. No worries, mate.

Incredible! What kind of rear camber do you run? Any idea what it is during launch/squat?

John, you suck (J/K!) Damn! My wife would NEVER go for that. But you live in Southern CA, so it's never very cold or snowy there .