Kevin Shasteen

I agree w/Dewzenol. Whenever I pull in an old car for scavenging-I always pull as much of the old wiring harness I can & obtain all the wiring & their connectors for later usuage....of course this means you'll need to splice them in to your project harness; but, if you buy the correct crimpers you can make as good as a connection as the factory if you also use heatshrink. Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

I have a relative who aparently owns a rather strange bird....83 Nissan Sentra "Diesel" and is looking for a Nissan Service Manual. The engine is the 4cyl 103cu.in. I'ld prefer an actual Nissan manual as the Haynes & Chilton $15.99 manuals are not always as complete as one would like & I can find those-but its the actual [NISSAN] service manual I'm looking for. I've checked all the websites for such an animal and they only carry 87 & up Sentra Manuals. I figured if anyone knew where one could be found it would be the fine Datsun/Nissan oriented folks at the HybridZ site....this is your mission-good luck & GodSpeed. Any help would be appreciative as this car seems to have some rather well hidden but chopped up wiring from previous owners...and as usual-you dont find the gremlins till after they've surfaced. Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

First Questoin(!)...welcome to the site Altar. I'm not an expert on the inline (even tho I'm still an Inliner); however, from all Chevy, Ford, Mopar books I've read on their V8's, they claim the Cylinder Head Gasket is good for absorbing up to .027" of an inch. The real question would be, "Do you know the past history of your cylinder head/has it been milled before?" If it has, this would beg the question, "How Much?" The best thing for you to do is to find a local Nissan Dealer (they should know-or know someone in their neighborhood that does know) what the actual thickness of your cylinder head would be if never milled. Once you know what the actual thickness of the cylinder head is and where to take your measurments then you can take your own measurements & deduct that from the original thickness. Possibly someone else might jump in here who has dabbled in the Inliner Cylinder Head world. Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

Give us more detials: 1) Did you go out one morning & start the car up only to find it acting up? 2) Did the car begin acting funny upon a cold start, after the car is warmed up, after the car has been turned off & then restarted? 3) Does it only act up when at idle, while cruising? ect, ect! If you dont have one now-you need to get one...specifically a Factory Nissan Service Manual. The factory service manual will indicate the trouble shooting procedure for all problems: air, fuel or ignition. I'm not too familiar w/the ZX either-however the factory service manual should walk you through it w/relative ease (yea, easy for me to say) If I had to guess tho-I would guess unmetered air, restriction in the airflow or a binding linkage...but that is just a guess.

Alternator/voltage regulator, Starter & Battery problems usually occur w/in close proximity of each other: one will usually take out the other (put such a load on the other compotnents that the load mechanically/electronically takes that component out). If you can jumpstart your car-check to see if your amp gauge indicates your alternator is charging. Also, if a jumpstart starts your car-and your amp gauge indicates your alternator is charging then: ****Always check your ground connections firts/formost prior to replacing or diagnosing*** 1) Your alternator is charging but the voltage regulator is defective in that it (the voltage regulator) is allowing the battery to drain its charge after the ignition key is switched off. 2) Your battery is not taking a charge & your battery is defective or The jumpstart is not sucessful, then: 1) The battery is dead so much so that it wont take a charge...simply borrow a friends battery & swap it in your car for a quick test-if the car starts then everything else is probably fine-buy a new battery & replace your old battery (dont buy a new battery unless you need one!) 2) Your battery is defective because the voltage regulator drained your battery so much so that your old battery wont take a charge-then if this is the case you'll need a new battery & a voltage regulator....some voltage regulators are located inside the alternator & some volt.reg's are external of the alternator. 3) Your battery/alternator-volt.reg are fine & your starter is defective. If you think your starter is defective, then: 1) Remove your starter & take it to a local auto parts store for testing-most auto parts stores have a bench tester for alternators & starters & they can ever test your battery for your too. CAUTION: When reinstalling your starter be careful not to over tighten the two bolts-the inline 6's starter mount is soft & will strip easily. If all components are tested okay-then you have a wireing short or a relay swhich has gone bad-this is where the diagnosis gets fun...good luck. Hope this was helpful. Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

Interesting History indeed; I especially liked the paint job on the #73 car! Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

Hey, you cant rain on my Parade; keep in mind that 'Destiny' has me forever an Inliner...therefore, "Everyday is a [Rainy Parade Day] for me! I dont remember when the last time I purchased a new catalogue as I havent started a new project in years. Its nice to know they (at least AFR) is putting that info into their catalogues: it's about time somebody started offering that info. I need a new project/I need a V8 Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

All Right! New formula for theoretical HP; Thanks Grumpy. Also; anyone swapping CFM #'s for cylinder heads needs to find out what pressure drop those readings were taken at. Most cfm's are taken at either 5, 12, 25 or 28". If one cfm reading was taken at a particular pressure drop & you want it at another, simply do the math: New Pressure Drop = ((SQRT)NPD/OPD))...then multiply your answer by each cfm measurement given at .100" incriments for your particular cfm printout. NPD = New Pressure Drop OPD = Old Pressure Drop Such as, lets say the previous spoken 310cfm was taken at 28" & you want it to be 25": EX: 25"/28" = .892 SQRT of .892 = .945 Now take your CFM (310) & multiply it by .945 310cfm X .945 = 292.95cfm @ 25" pressure drop Dont forget one reading in California wont be the same as Colorado: make sure you know what your pressure drop readings are when swapping cfm readings when calculating theoretical HP. Still love the math thing regarding airflow of an engine & yes-I'm still only an Inliner Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

Yea, those were good. Until reading that list I didnt even know that rear disk/caliper simulators existed(?) . I liked the one where "You might be a Ricer if" you're watching a Shriner parade & see a car just like yours being driven by clowns! Too too funny. Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

A couple weeks ago I also spotted a newer Infinity midsize SUV w/the V8 that also had a V w/the self impossed 8 on it and they were encircled whose diameter is close to the exact size of the Datsun Hood Ornament. Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

I havent been able to frequent here as often as I have in the past so I hope I'm not passing on old info. Anyway, I saw a V8 emblem on one of the new Ford Blazers. It was almost exactly like the old 30's V8 emblems when Ford came out w/their Flathead V8's; it was the same as in the 8 is self empossed over the V. I thought it was pretty nice; I'm sure it is only a sticker type badge & not a badge w/pegs. However-it would make a perfect replacement for the Datsun hood emblem or a compliment to the Toyota's Hybrid Emblem for the fender or rear deck. At least it would make a good emblem for those of you who have done the V8 swap...as for me-you all know I'm still only an Inliner. Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

I always replace my fuses first-they're so cheap & can fool you in more ways than one. As you now know-they look good but can be bad; then you (I/me/we) go off half cocked looking for electrical gremlins elsewhere when the whole time the problem was a fuse. Glad you solved the problem. I HATE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

Here's the lo-down as I understand it: 1)Spend some money & twice as much time a)Oh, while I'm here-might as well update that component b)Attempt to sell old/outdated component & lose money on the selling of said component 2)Spend more money & even more time a)You know, while I'm here-might as well update b)Attempt to sell the inferior component & lose money again once that item sells 3)Spend more money a)You know, might as well update to a superior compent while I'm here b)Again sell the inferior component & lose money once that item is sold. Winter comes...project put on hold. (You can also replace the word [winter] with Got Married, Wife had a kid, Personal Car broke down & Personal Car now demands the mad money from the Z Car Budget or just Life in General. Spring time approaches. 4)Spend more money & expend more time/update parts & lose money as you try to resale the old component on to another car guy stuck in the same game just at a lower level of the feeding cycle. If you do it like Pete P. then add a decade...and spend more money & even more time (Nice car is the end result of extreme patience). The ability to finish your car depends on what mod's you make & to what extent you "Amplify" its ability to perform. Sorry for the sarcasm...couldnt refuse. Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

A friend of mine once swapped a 350th from a buick into an Olds. He had the same problem-trans fluid would come out of the filler tube ater a little hwy driving...turned out the dipstick put in the trans was not the correct dipstick for that trans & he was over filling it-the trans would merely equalize inner pressures by expelling the extra fluid. Your starter problem might not only be a starter problem but could be from excessively worn flywheel teeth which has now excessively worn your starter bendix...or vice-versa. If your flywheel is a used unit & the teeth are worn beyond their ability to perform...no amount of "new" starters will solve your problem...you're gonna have to replace the flywheel along w/a new starter bendix; and as stated earlier/maybe the correct starter nose-housing. Also, if you purchased a "Rebuilt" starter-some rebuilders will not completely rebuild that starter; so, what you get is a starter that appears new but is actually a cleaned up version of an old starter w/a few new parts..but not completely new. I once had to buy three starters before I got a good one. One starter's bendix would not engage half the time, the second starter bendix would engage but not disengage and the third starter worked just fine. Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

The Pontiac engine will require a transmission w/a B-O-P bellhousing (B-O-P = Buick/Olds/Pont). Now-a-days GM just calls the trans/eng assembly's "GM Powertrains" as they are all mfg'd from the same plant-however, however, prior to GM merging all eng/trans into the same plant there were different bellhousings after the late 60's to 70's onward; 1) Chevy Bellhousings 2) B-O-P Bellhousings. The T-56's were merely a Borg Warner Transmission and used in multiple cars other than GM. The bellhousing depends on what doner car you get it out of; 1) Viper, 3000GT, Corvette, Camaro, Firebird. The doner car you want should be chosen based on the final power output of your hybrid engine as well as trans sensors wanted or not wanted: AKA: Not All T-56's Are Created Equal. Some year trans will handle more torque than others. Since you've chosen a Pontiac engine and are considering the T-56...you will have to do some Salvage Yard "Fact Finding Missions". You'll need to find a Pontiac Bellhousing that fits your engine; then you'll have to fabricate an adapter plate to hook the bellhousing & trans together....unless of course some aftermarker company has already done this-then all you have to do is weigh the cost of the package deal -vs- your ability/time to fabricate. One of the members here has fabricated his I6 to a T-56 & put it in a 510...if I remember correctly he did the facrication on his own. You may want to go to the Transmission Forum & ask what issues are required to fabricate a trans bellhousing & adapter to your engine (any engine)...you'll probably get more responses this way. Good Luck. Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

The smaller gauge wire is most likely the culprit...but, (insert BIG BUTT Smilie Icon Here), if a larger gauge wire doesnt do the trick dont forget that a ground strap going from the back of the cylinder head to the firewall will sometimes cure the 'voltage drop w/ignition to starter' problems. Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

If I did it remotely close/correct your engine w/the new cam should be in the 470-503HP range in the 5500rpm to 7000rpm range and maximum torque entering the picture at 5500rpms at 450ft.lbs. This is/was w/your new choice of camshaft-not the old cam and using Dyno 2000. I didnt use the airflow file as I dont have those numbers but in the Cyl.Head selection I chose "Wedge/Fully Ported Large Valves & the size of the valves were In:2.02 Ex:1.65. I also chose Small Tube Headers....didnt know what your exhaust system was/so that should get you in the ballpark. Kevin (Yea,Still an Inliner)

I agree that you should pull the pan for inspection. May even want to pull a main cap or two for inspection if everything else looks good. Have you tried replacing your oil pressure sending unit, inspected the wiring from the sending unit to & from the gauge: maybe the stock gauge is going out on you(?). Either way; I'ld want to pull the pan for inspection just as a "sleep better at night" precautionary measure. I'ld even think about replacing the oil pump so I'ld sleep even better. I hate oil pressure loss problems-Blah! Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

My high school buddy & I had the same problem: different car-but same problem on two separate occasions. 1st Time: Solution: The battery cables-even tho he swore he tightened them-they were not tight & were loose causing the voltage drop....tightened the cables at the battery & the car started up immediately. 2nd Time: Solution: after pulling his & my hair out we decided to attach a ground stap from the back of the engine to the firewall (even tho this car DID NOT originally have one) and the car started up immediately. The only thing we could think was that somewhere in our R&R of the engine we altered the grounding of the wiring somehow-the ground strap from the firewall to the back of the cylinder head was the cure. You can buy these groundstaps brand new at any auto parts store: Look for the Red "Help" Card isle items. Questions: 1)Are you running only one battery from the back to the front 2)Or are you running two 620-650Amp batteries from the back to the front. IMO: if you're only running one 650 battery from the back to the front on a Hi/Perf.Engine...you're CCA's on the battery may be two small for that much "footage" of cable. On any Hi.Perf.Engine I ever had; I always liked "Overkill" such as a 1000CCA from Champion. May not have needed it but I've never personally had a cranking prob on any of my own cars: granted-the battery was always in the stock location-up front under the hood. Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

Dont forget the problem a couple of our members had, I think it was Blckmgc & Mike, when they purchased a salvage yard T-56 or two from wrecked cars. Their trans was jammed in one gear as the trans broke in the gear it was in at the time the doner car had its accident; so when Blckmgc/Mike tried to shift into gear for the initial test drive-their trans were jammed....(trans that are in two different gears will stall the engine-as they can only be in one gear at a time) so what I'm saying is, if you choose to buy a T-56 from a salvage yard from a car that has been wrecked, make sure you get a gaurantee from the salvage yard bossman that if/when you discover your trans is locked in gear/defective that he will replace it free of charge! And dont forget to ask if that gaurantee is only good for the usual thirty days. Hope all that made sence & wasnt confusing the issue. Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

Ahhhh, Camshafts-Camshafts-Camshafts(?) I remember reading a Hotrod issue where they stated that everytime they do comprehensive write up on "Camshafts" that that specific month becomes the most purchased mag of the year. I agree w/Pete & Grumpy on their suggestion in educating yourself on camshafts. At a time I found myself purchasing every mag, book/source I could find on camshafts in an attempt to learn how they work & exactly what it is they do. The best purchase I feel I made (I made a lot of them-some not so good) was: The Best of Hot Rod's "High Performance Camshafts" Volume 11, by Car Craft What I liked about that book is that they gave dyno runs on each cam install. They alsy did cam comparisons on the same engine & w/the dyno runs they would tell you "With this larger cam-you now need better flowing heads." You could see the difference yourself & think about the very info you were reading till it made sence. I probably read that book a couple dozen times before the lights began flickering on (& staying on). It was a struggle to learn but a delight once I figured them out...still learning but now I have a firm grasp on the subject. Believe me, & the others that have stated so-the learning process wont occur over night; you have to make a sincere commitment to learn cams-I must have fallen asleep countless times w/that book on my head only to awaken w/a pool of drool on my cheek (ugly image I know) & to find out it was three in the morning & I had to get up shortly...but I persisted; and now I understand cams. One thing I would caution; you mentioned you're tired of building eng's that dont finish a race...keep in mind that if the "Nastiest Street Engine" is what you're after then your, choice of .600 lift or mid .600 lift camshaft profile will be lifting your valves quite a bit. W/that profile you are definatly in/at the "Dedicated Dragster" territory. The more [max'd] out an engine...the quicker things will wear out & possible break. If this is going to be a street engine-be sure to factor in durability/endurance & be realistic....seeing how your wallet is at stake here. Remember-even tho your engine builder knows engines...its not his money you'll be using when something breaks (PS: it's your money you'll be using to make a repair when something breaks). What I'm saying is this: just because something will work (per your engine builder) doesnt mean it will be long lasting(?) especially if you plan on getting on it hard...more often than not! Good luck w/your engine & let us know how everthing turns out. Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

Madness...did somebody say Madness(?) Just do what I do when I start a project car; put the car up on jackstands...then just plant daisy's at each corner of the car. This way if/when you cant afford the time/money to work on it-at least you can work "around" the car....everytime you water the flowers! it should give you some kind of a sence of accomplishment! Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

Dangerboy, The first thing you need to do is locate (via internet or thru the next major parts/swap-n-shop Car Show) a factory Datsun Service Manual for for the specific year for your car....you can get the manual on CD from your local Nissan Dealer but they can get expensive. The reason you want the factory service manual is that it gives "SPECIFIC" instructions for testing a 1) Wont Crank/Wont Start 2) Cranks But Wont Start 3) Cranks & Starts But Wont Stay Running type scenarios. Even if you dont understand the process...familiarize yourself w/it & when you have questions ask them here or find you a local auto shop where one or more of their mechanics are willing to help you w/an occasional question; listen to their answer & thank them afterward (not only for their answer..but for their time!). Dont go replacing parts until you know the part is bad...you'll know the part is bad because you've properly tested it. Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

I believe SuperDan was in the "investigation" stage of building a TT setup for his Z...SuperDan/are you listening: what's the current status on your TT R&D? Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

In my college days I had a 73Z...my parents found for me while I was carless at college. Prior to that I had a 73 Intn'l 4x4 TANK and wanted a sports car. I had never even seen a Z prior to that (always a muscle car guy up to that point). But, when I first saw the car (Agreed to allow parents to buy the car sight unseen) I liked it. If I had known of a V8 swap kit back then....I'ld have done it in a heartbeat!! I know the purist will hate me for this...but I would only second guess myself on a V8/Z swap if the car was a 70 model; 71, 72 & 73 240z's are IMO fair game. Its your car & you paid for it/slap your V8 in it, install A/C & you'll will truely become the master of your domain (block). There's something about a really nice/original old sports car w/power to boot at your disposal; I truely long for the day where I can make my swap. I currently have a 78 2+2 which I bought from the original owner...very nice interior, high mileage-but the A/C still works & the engine gets 24mpg; Its a nice car...but once I get the chance to swap to a V8...there will be no hesitation! FWIW: if you do ever decide to sell the car...just keep the original drivetrain wrapped up in storage so if a future owner were to put the car back to original...they can do so w/relative ease. Kevin (Yea,Still an Inliner)