pparaska

I was reading on Chevytalk.com in the performance forum (where he hangs out REGULARLY) and he posted that he just got back from his sons wedding/etc. He's around!

Davy, I looked you up (David Smith, Fremont California) and they must have a new picture of you there too. I didn't know you had grown a beard and I would have never guessed you had all that body hair either.

Rick, not a problem on the clarification. A diagram would really help. Thanks for the assist

Dave, not sure about the Taurus fan modes, but on the Mustang, Low is used when the coolant temp switch goes high, and High is used whenever the A/C Compressor is engaged. I also wonder about using high speed all the time. I had to use two ampmeters in series (a 30 and a 15, I think) to be able to measure the current. The Mustang has a 60 amp fuse on the fan, so that's the way I went. Probably one of the reasons for such a large fuse is that the startup current spikes a good bit over the 35amps, more like 50. A slow blow 30 amp fuse may not have a problem with that, but I'd keep a few spares in the glove box!

Most modern fans have shaped crossection blades and only are efficient in the designed rotation direction. This is done for several reasons. One is a high efficiency (air moved vs rotational speed and torque), another is lower noise. I'd advise against using one of these fans in reverse direction, as I don't think it will be very useful. I used to do some work in the submarine propeller field, and boy, some of the higher tech fans I see look quite familiar in concept .

Yeah, I wish the responses over there had been more tactful. But calling us "those hybridz bastards" just because no one had an answer for him was pretty ridiculous. Not worth the flame war that ensued though! Dave, anytome you want a job moderating, you have my vote too!

Yeah, I have one of those Lakewood Ford Trans to Chevy Engine adapter roller bearing pilots in my Z. Problem is it goes the wrong way (Chevy engine, Ford Tranny) for Mark, as he has a Ford Engine and Chevy Trans. Yesterday I was having a fit trying to get the tranny (110 lbs!) back into the bellhousing under the car. Well, I finally pulled it down for the third time. Thought maybe I had moved the clutch disc out of alignment so I took a look in there. The freaking pilot bearing had fallen out of the crank! The Lakewood piece is simply a standard sealed roller bearing with a knurled AL bushing pressed onto the outer diameter. Well, it's a very slight press fit in both 327 cranks I have. I should have glued it in to begin with. I took a screwdriver and put some very heavy duty RTV on the outer circumference of the bearing/bushing, lifted it into place and used a bent tip screwdriver to tap the outer race into place. All through the tiny 1-1/16" opening in the clutch disc! The heck if I was pulling the bellhousing and clutch if I didn't have to! After that the tranny slid right in! Freaking aftermarket parts! They need modification to work right at least 50% of the time. Anybody remember the Editor of some car mag saying that in his opening column and then saying later that the aftermarket companies hammering him? Anyway, I'm not sure how this will work, but you may have to mave a custom piece made. IIRC, the Chevy pilot diameter is smaller than the Ford, so you'd need a bushing with a thicker wall. Maybe Lakewood or McLeod has an app for that as well, but I haven't seen it.

Terry, how about weigh in over on the 240Z.org thread? Thanks for the backup. The problem over there is that a racer has weighed in and basically said I'm wrong, the wheel mounting surface, not the center of the tire patch is what matters. I of course rebutted, but the racer didn't like the way I did it.

That definitely sounds like a beating phenomenon. Basically, two things are vibrating at frequencies that are very close to each other. This is one of those things that the OE's deal with and design out of their cars. I'd try to change the stiffness of the mounts for the tranny or the diff to see what happens. Oh, even if the u-joint angles are the same, the driveshaft still speeds up and slows down a bit ast it rotates at a constant input speed. Matching the u-joint angles just lessens the effect. Check out my driveline mods page and the spreadsheet there to study that phenomenon.

Jim, I've used that method too. One thing to watch for is leaks around the threads of the bleeder valve. This will let air back into the system when the pedal goes up. Sometimes int helps to put some pipe sealant (paste type) on the threads of the bleeder valve to help seal the valve threads. I'm getting ready to bleed my hydraulic clutch TO bearing tonight, and I'm going to try using the power flush system. Fill the reswvoir to the top. Take a bike inner tube and cut the area around the valve out so that you can seal it around the resevoir (with the lid off) using a hose clamp. Apply 15 psi of air. Crack the bleed screw and let it out until the air comes out (watch that you don't run all the fluid out of the resevoir).

Charles, WTG! That's awesome for such a low cost setup! Who says the 305 TPI doesn't move the little Z! Scottie, All, How about the Nitto 555R's instead of the DR's? I hear the 555R's also handle really well - even to the point some people use them on track days.

Guys, help. I don't seem to be having any sway in this conversation - people don't want to listen to physics. http://www.240z.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=14862#post14862 Please weigh in!

98 GT Mustang (4.6L) Probably other years around that.

Yes. The wheelie bars are active. And I've heard some tracks don't allow them. Talk about a track-only way to be quick! Kind of like what Rube Goldberg would do if he had to work with a FWD car to make a drag car. No, he'd probably figure it would be easier to make the engine turn the other way and just drive it backwards!

(Len-esque) X-pipe - Just Do It! (I LOVE what that thing did to the sound of my exhaust!)

Randy, all the stuff I've read about total timing always references initial plus mechanical advance as total timing at 3000 rpm or so. Vacuum is always on top of that.

Terry, why bother with an OE diff mount above the Diff? Use the GM Tranny Urethane replacement in the Ron Tyler design - it's interlocking and won't break under acceleration or decelleration (I've been testing both lately - coming down off of 5 grand in 3rd makes alot of nice noise - out of the pipes that is. ) The Ron Tyler design isn't solid - it uses a tranny mount to isolate the vibrations.

Dave, thanks for doing that test, instrumenting and giving us the results! I'd heard that the Mustang GT and Lincoln Mark VIII fans pulled more air through the radiator than a Black Magic fan, and now you've given us another data point. Just be careful - My Mustang GT fan pulls 35amps on HIGH. You need some good sized wiring for that. I'm actually running 2 VF40 automotive relays in parallel to handle the loads. I'd imagine the Taurus fan is the same way.

Man, I feel for ya, but no sympathy from me (just kidding). I'm R&Ring my tranny for the second time in a month chasing a leak in the front (bearing retainer to case). I have some super duper RTV on the parts and bolts now - I hope that does it. But I know what you mean - My Tremec is nearly as heavy as the T56, and it's a bear to R&R with just a floor jack. Have you tried adjusting the bumpstop at the top of the pedal travel? How much free play do you have? Have you adjusted as much as possible out to see if you can get enough travel? Are you sure it's bleed well? Just some thoughts for ya. Good luck,

I don't think the sensors or bungs come with it. That's another $200 a sensor, if you want their calibrated sensor. Still OUCH for me.

Cool. You bum! Connections are nice, huh ?

I dunno. I guess a vacuum bleeder might do it.

Track days are a blast, huh! Glad you had a good time and the car worked so well (until the ignition). Sounds like you have a really tight package!

Actually, I have a few ideas that might be interesting to Joe, but I agree - let's leave the politics off HybridZ. There's always Slashdot, etc. "Double Pumpers RULE"!!!

Guys, There's a Big cars show in Laurel MD on Sept 7. The Northern Va Z Club always has a show within that show, with ZCCA judging of the Z's. Lots of Z's. I'm going to be there with my car. Here's a link to their site: http://www.ZCarClubNoVa.org How about you Western PA guys shoot down to Laurel MD? It's a pretty short trip from Pittsburg.