Kevin Shasteen

For starters-the insert [iS NOT] suppose to spin in the hug; the bearing spins in the insert while the insert remains stationary & turns w/the hub (press fit/interference fit)-thus the need to "Press" the insert in the hub...BTW-w/a little patience you can knock out the insert & tap the new ones in...that way you dont have to worry about "A Shop" screwing you out of your hard erned/bought hardware. If the old insert was not spinning in the hub then the shop scored the wheel hub bore when pressing in the new one-it is their mistake and even if they wont admit it you should bring it to their attention & politely request they replace your hub...dont say anything else other than, "What are you going to do to fix your mistake"?...& then hush/be quiet-dont ask any other questions-dont offer any other advise other than it wasnt like that when you first dropped it off for them to work on it. I had a Toyoto Corrolla whose hub was so worn (high mileage/all high rpm-high speed mileage) & the bearing insert would spin in the bore; you either have to repack it every 5k miles or replace the hub! Even if you decide to repack them often-the insert spinning w/the bearing will wear the hub even worse & cause a grinding sound when you come to a stop as the insert's metal is pinching itself against the hub bore; metal against metal-metal filings in your grease-metal filings in your grease getting in your bearings....not a good thing! Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner) [ July 03, 2001: Message edited by: Kevin Shasteen ]

Need more details! If its percalating from the rear-that's probably not from the ambient temp's but possibly from a defective pump or maybe a hole in the line causing you to lose pressure (who knows). Usually a fuel line will atomize because its fuel is heated from the temp of the engine combined w/the ambient temps...but you mentioned its coming from the rear?? If you're using a holley bule pump-that should create plenty of pressure to the the engine-check for fuel blockages or fuel leaks or a defective fuel pump. Confirm what the actual problem is-then go from there; any other suggestions from us or anyone is merely a shot in the dark w/out actually knowing what the problem is. Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

I happened upon that article also Pete, while at the book store, thumbing thru it; I also had the same thought, "Wow, all this aero stuff being nailed down in the early 1900's?" I havent read your ref.sight yet but will look it over; aerodynamics also intrigues me. A book I found rather informing was "Competition Car Downforce" by Simon McBeath. The author was a competitor in the UK and is a writer for car mag's & owns/operates his own business designing and mfg'g composite wings for racing cars. The book is a hardbound book w/lots of pictures, even more theory than pictures & well explained for the aerodynamic impaired-such as I. How I understand the aerodynamics is that the chin splitters & front air dams ect, ect, push the front end down and keep the air rushing underneath the car to a minimum-this causes the air on top of the car to create a "Higher Pressure".....lower pressure underneath/higher pressure above-tada [Negative Lift]. Now if you did nothing more than that then the rear end would be unstable from air trying to get underneath from the side of the car-this would cause the rear of the car to lift & this is where we get our unstable rear end feeling; so the body effect kits solve that; while the rear wings help create drag-to not only push the rear end down but also to slow down the air on top of the car so that it merges w/the lower pressure of the underneath air....in other words-a little drag is good while too much drag robs too much power from the car's engine. I'm still learning myself-but from what I've read thus far; the aerodynamics is a balancing act-we want negative lift (drag) but not so much we are loosing excessive power from the engine & are wearing tires prematurely! Definately interesting stuff! BTW: the book I mentioned above-is about 210 pages & has a glossary of about 100 aerodynamic terms. The book is also chock full of formulas for the beginner/established auto enthusiest that is contemplating the aerodynamic approach. Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

Sorry Zack-no idea about the copper gasket thing; you might try talking to a local performance engine builder...they'ld probably be better experienced in that arena. Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

I agree about the deep groove pulleys-they might help but you do need to make sure you're getting the same size diameter & width pulley. Also, make sure all your securing bolts that your accessory brackets connect to have not come loose nor brokent; sometimes a bolt will snap in the block & it will look like it's tight-but under a heavy load will allow the pulley to shift...& pop goes the weasel/I mean belt! One other thing-after you'be installed the belt for the umpteenth time; start the engine & look at the pulley...all of them (from the side) while the engine is ruuning to make sure the pulleys are not out of alignment. Its possible a pulley may have been hit by road debris & now its out of alignment-or there's a chip in the edge of the pulley-heck, anything's possible-look over your pulley w/a fine tooth comb; run your fingers over its edge for possible imperfections; sometimes the fingers will pick up things the eye cant see! Hope you find the problem-nothing more frustrating than having to reinstall a belt on a nice car...constantly; been there-dont that! Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

Davy, Cant really say about the "Stock" set up; what is stock(?), two eyebrow valve reliefs or 4 eyebrow reliefs & how many cc's are the eyebrows adding to the cyl.head's comb.chanmbers? My calculations were made on his "Flat Top Pistons" statement and his "Iron Eagle 72cc Cyl.Head" statement. Unless he knows for sure which pistons he has-then its mostly just a crapshoot. I agree about detonation-if you're using stock pistons & smog heads! Airflow Velocity, the Mass of that airflow & the temperature of the air w/in that airflow are the basic juggling variables of any build-and the combinations of those three items either work together in a performance engine or they resist each other & hurt your output. Attempting to use a high perf. cam in a stock engine w/stock pistons & cyl.heads will only work up to a reasonable point; once you go past that point things cant get out of hand rather quickly. Quench is always a factor; the stock 350 SBC at TDC has .022" from the piston deck to the block deck (this is where a longer rod comes into play as it lessens that .022" distance) and as combustion occurs the piston (already down in the hole .022") is making it's move down the cylinder as this combustion occurs...so you're almost immediately losing cylinder pressure as your flame front is burning across the tops of the pistons. If you use a longer rods, mild pop-up pistons or deck your block close to a "0" block deck-then cylinder pressure (Quench) will actually give you a double positive wammy of extra cylinder pressure-thus the probability of detonation decreases! Isnt it fun looking at & trying to "See" what the engine is doing at a microscopic level! Ahhh, so many possibilities & so little time. Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

My 280z is bone stock & unfortunately for me, (fortuanately for you) it has the stock 4spd. I average 23-25mpg. So I dont think you have any worries-other than getting your 5th gear working....welcome to my 4spd Club-it sucks, but hey-the union dues are minimal! Kevin, (Yea,Still a 4spd Inliner)

I'm w/Pete; funny how the Porsche crowd feals threatened by a "Z" inliner (hey, I'm an Inliner!)...where's a Porsche-let me at'em, rip/snort & roar! If Nissan would have put as much into the Z as Porsche has in its past racing history-there's no telling where the little Z would have ended up. As Scottie said earlier (and IMHO) the Porsche & Z owners are usually worlds apart; especially now that our Z's have V8's & turbo powered V6's...all you can do when you see one coming in your rear view mirror-is get out of the way! I also agree w/another previous response-if the comment is being made-then it needs to be put in context; otherwise its a useless statement! The builder makes a comment on a crank problem Nissan had in the first year of the 240z(?) and the Porsche builder has to slam the Z as a result...that's fear! Yes fear, possibly jealousy, at work; definately insecurity. Why insecure-I've always respected the power of the porsche. I've never owned one but did drive a 911 once; a friend had one & I incredibly enjoyed shifting into "2nd" gear at 40-50mph! Anyways-that's my .02c's worth. Kevin, (Yea,Still a "Porsche Threatening" Inliner)

Dan, Everyone's advise thus far has been proper & insightful. Do not, and I repeat "DO NOT" get in a hurry when making your swap. Before you purchase one component; you need to purchase the JTR manual as previously advised, and read it till you have it memorized! As Scott illuded to earlier; if you are not mechanically inclined-please take your time & if there is anyone you can petition for help (a buddy or relative) for assistance-then do so. As much fun as a perf.build can be-it can also be quite dangerous (safety first) as there are so many ways for something bad to happen that it sometimes boggles the mind. Just today I was jacking all 4 corners up on an Uncle's car (visiting from Kansas) & the rear jack stands began leaning forward as I was jacking up the front end-you have to be watching for simple things like this, OR THE CAR COULD FALL ON YOU WHILE YOU'RE UNDER IT! There are too many ways to lose a limb, finger or toe for the first timer; the process is not complicated-just dangerous if certain precaustions are ignored or unknown. Everyone here, with any kind of experience, has some war stories to tell, nontheless-everyone hear also had to cross the bridge of their "First Time" to pull/rebuild an engine or restify a car. If you dont have a friend or relative who can offer assistance-then please take your time & ask boo'coo's of questions...remember to take you time & always put "SAFETY FIRST". As for suggestions: What are you desires-to go racing or to driver the car on the street as your daily driver? This will determine what your requirements will be. BTW: 350hp from a SBC is peanuts now days & would make a decent street engine in the Z! Hope this helps...remember-buy the JTR manual & memorize it/then ask all the questions you can think of. Kevin, (Yes,Still an Inliner)

Z8Freak, I couldnt remember who it was in here that was doing the Mopar swap-I'm glad you posted again. I dont know about the engine you're looking at-but if he's done any porting, balancing/blueprinting at all-that price add's up quickly to the $3500 price. Also, I dont know how well read you are in the SBM's but the W2 cylinder heads are made for performance. They out flow any factory cylinder head ever made for mass produced vehicles....w/one exception-that being the Boss 302 cylinder head. For some great info & edumacating-you can go to your nearest Barnes & Nobles & look for/purchase or order from them these books: 1) The Best of HotRod/Vol12, "High Performance Chrysler Engines" Published by Cartech...has about 25pages of hard hitting SBM info. 2) "How to Build Dodge/Plymouth Performance" Published by SA Design. This is an all inclusive book for small blocks & big blocks-has a good history on both the small blocks & big blocks & has some good info on the history of the W2 Cyl.Heads for the SBM. 3) "How to Hot Rod Small Block Mopars Engines" & published by HPBooks. This was my favorite for the SBM. I was surprised when reading about the SBM's; their Quench (volume of air between piston deck & comb.chambers in cyl.heads at TDC on the Combustion Stroke) is massive on a stock low performance engine-this means if one were so inclined, could utilize pop-up pistons w/out milling the deck or worring too much about hitting the valves! The third book was the best book IMO as it gives "Recipes" on how to build your SBM from a phase 1 all the way up to a phase 5 performance engine! All three books had good info, but the 3rd book is one you definately want...or should have if you're going to build the SBM. Hope this helped/good luck on your swap! Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner) [ July 01, 2001: Message edited by: Kevin Shasteen ]

Tom, If your engine is bone stock & hasnt been bored or the block decked-then your 72cc Combustion Chamber heads w/flat top pistons would yield you @ 9.4:1; now, if your engine has been bored .030 then your comp.ratio should be @ 9.3:1 w/flat tops...yes your previous cam is a limiting factor to your max perf. race! Remember, your 600cfm carb can handle the extra perf. of your cam & heads-it will give your engine a "crispiness" in the throttling of your engine-however, you may have to tune it to the new perf. of the new cam. The duration of the cam will also determine how much air is being "compressed" on the compressions stroke as the duration determines when the intake valve closes in relation to the piston's location in the cylinder-on its upward motion within the compressions stroke; "Duration" with the cfm your intake ports in the cylinder head what cfm your heads flow at valve lift increments will determine what perf. gains are to be had. We know your cyl.heads should flow nicely; your cam, for the street, & based on the alledged 9.3:1 or 9.4:1 comp.ratio, for the street, needs to close the Intake Valve @ 46*ABDC (this needs to be the advertised "Seat to Seat" measurment-taken at .0044")! You could actually close the Intake Valve a little later-but then you'ld be hurting dinamic compression & would need a lesser "cc" combustion chamber. Let us know how your new cam works out! Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

SSS510, Keep us posted on the phases your project undertakes...& obtain as many pictures w/as many different angles as possible! Kevin, (Yea,Still an "Unhappy 4spd" Inliner)

Remember this formula when contemplating the purchase of a carburetor: Displacement x RPM's/3456....multiplied by VE% VE = Volumetric Efficiency. RPM's = the max rpm's you think you'll be running Just because an engine comes from the factory w/a smaller CFM carb doesnt mean you cant use a larger CFM carb. I believe the last time this subject came up-the thread was a pretty good one. The premise of that thread was, "Why do some set up's use a CFM carb larger than needed?" We hashed it out & came up w/the answer that a larger CFM carb (tuned to your needs) can be used as it aleviates the atmospheric restrictions a smaller CFM carb would & therefore max airflow, at peak power rpm's, would allow your engine to run better; however-like anything there is always a give & take. If you choose a larger carb you're engine will be (may be/might be) sluggish at lower rpm's up to the pont your engine hits peak power! Check the archives for "700cfm or 750cfm"; I think that was the name of the thread; and it was somewhere from 6 months to a year ago. Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

Mike, I remember reading about it on another Z-club/z-site about a year ago when I was looking for my current Z; unfortunately I dont remember which site it was as I didnt write it down. I want to say a site based out of Florida-but that would be just a guess as I dont really remember. Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

I'ld say you mileage is a little on the low side; something's not right. Start learning to read spark plugs. On the weekend after your engine has cooled off-pull one at a time & check it out; you might want to buy a little magnifying glass w/a light that reflects the light onto the item being viewed-go to your nearest novelty shop/hardware shop; they should have one-check out your nearest Harbor Freight also! Spark Plugs will usually tell you the if you're running extremely rich. On the weekends swap out the old set & put in a new set/then the next weekend put in another set just to make sure you are running an controlled experiment. If your spark plugs are clean/you may have a fuel leak & found it in time: prior to your car catching on fire! Serious-if your loosing that much fuel & this is not an ordinary fuel consumption...it may be a fuel leak-dont leave anything to chance....(been there-done that/its not fun to watch your car go up in smoke). My 240a Besure had the fuel line in the rear break: this line goes from the vapor tank (rear cargo passenger side) behind the trim panel. This fuel line runs inside the car-from that tank around the quarter panel & just under tail lights to the drivers side tail light, (still behind the trim panel) & straight down-thru the body & comes thru near the tank. I dont know if the fuel injected Z's still used this same line or not. Prior to knowing about the leak I filled up with gas & drove away, only to watch the fuel gauge drop. Everyone kept honking at me as they drove by-finally figured out I had a fuel leak; a mojor fuel leak...very lucky nothing caught fire! Nissan Dealer sold me a new one-its a pressure fuel line w/factory bends in it to fit the turns. Check everything-till you can rule out fuel leaks!. Can you smell any fuel leaks or fuel vapor? Has your car been missing/spitting or sputtering on acceleration? Have you noticed an black, white or bluish smoke out your tail pipes when accelerating? You may have a dead fuel injector-or a cracked wire to one of your fuel injectors? Check it out-who knows. My 240z I had years ago-would average about 28 on the HWY (long hauls from College to Home & back) & about 22-24 if/when I could keep my foot out of it. My first month I bought my 240z I averaged 8 mpg...guess I wasnt too good at keeping my foot out of it! My current z, a stock 78 280Z, averages 25mpg-mostly hwy mileage & I'm pretty good about keeping my foot out of it. I'm not trying to scare ya-just think we all know how combustible gas can be. I hope some this has helped or given you some ideas. Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner) [ June 22, 2001: Message edited by: Kevin Shasteen ]

Have you checked into Jacobs Electronics. Dont they sell a 100% silicone wire. Also, if memory serves me correctly-he also sells the same wire for R.V.'s where the boots are "Porcelin" for those that keep burning boots...I believe thse porcelin wires ares suppose to be lifetime warranty? I bought a set of his wires about 10 years ago (just the regular 100% silicone wires) for an Olds Cutlass I used to own, & their boots were vulcanized. I've since bought & sold three different Cutlasses. Each time I sell an Olds Cutlass-I keep those wires & save them for the next Olds V8: I thought they were real quality wires-so the wires w/the porcelin boots should be eqaul quality..unless someon else knows otherwise(?). Something to check into anways. Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

I'm soooo jealous-so is my Z. Afterall, that's exactly what my 280z wants to be when it grows up...a V8Z that is! Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

UncleEd, I dont want to talk you into nor out of anything-but let me clearify something. My 78z's A/C is ice cold-at the vent, & cools the car down sufficiently; my main beef mostly is that the Blower Motor is incredibly WEAK! Combined w/the weak motor & the stock vinyl seats; the front of me is always cool while the back of me always sweats! If I had a stronger blower motor & cloth seats/or seats that allowed my back side to breathe better-then things might be different. Before doing anything, I'ld deffinately give the a/c shop in San Antonio Tx (forgot their name-someone mentioned them earlier) a call-ask about their retro fit for the Z; as mentioned earlier-they're suppose to have a unit that fits the Z. Ask if their system is a total package or if it's suppose to [compliment] the already existing package. I'ld do this before making any decisions. Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner) [ June 19, 2001: Message edited by: Kevin Shasteen ]

Scottie, Have you tested voltage w/out the datalogger? Or are the readings the same? 14.2 seems to be a decent average-my Z's gauge reads close to 16...all the time; since there are no increments on the stock Z gague from 12 thru 16volts...I assume I'm pushing or pegging 15volts. In Christopher Jacob's book "Performance Ignitions" he has suggestions for wiring your ignition is such a manner that your ignition circuit sees maximum voltage at Wide Open Throttle; once you've let up on the gas pedal-your charging system drops back down to normal. He goes on to say that most dragsters dont see WOT for more than 8 to 20 seconds at a time; and that your components wont burn up or burn out within that time/after you let up-the system cools off & everything is fine. He claims you can get up to 1000rpms from the extra voltage boost. He says that Off Road racers have used the 12volt to 24volt system under Wide Open Throttle for years. Most drivers are usually at partial throttle; very little time is actually spent at WOT. Jacob's Electronics sells a few different relays for redirecting the voltage or can instruct how to run two batteries w/the relays for a full 24volt charge under full WOT only; (Hmmm?). That extra juice might be just enough to get you into the 9's or 10's/which ever it is you're closing in on(?). Something to think about? Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner) [ June 20, 2001: Message edited by: Kevin Shasteen ]

For starters-dont buy into the Ford -vs- Chevy Crapola! Just because someone likes a particular Mfg's displacement doesnt mean its any better than another Mfg's desplacement. For anyone to say that; is running their mouth purely on "Feelings". Ford can match Chevy & Chevy can match Ford. If you're asking your question in regards to which engine you should use in a Z-that is a personal one; but the answer has some merit. Obviously the Chevy engine swap is much more documented-therefore/any problem you run into will result in an answer much quicker; whereas a Ford swap is less documented & some of their problems require a little more thougth-but has been done often-therefore not impossible either. Its your choice/Unless it's Mr.Ford telling you why their engine is better than a Chevy or unless its Mr.General telling you why their engines are better than Ford's...its merely someone expressing their passion for that Mfg's engine....and as a rodder-there's nothing wrong w/that: that's what's its all about. Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

I can only speak from past (I mean Past-Past) experience...back in College I had a 1973 240Z w/ac. It was okay...as long as the sun didnt come out. Might have been better if I had known about the blower motor swapping some guys are currently making now. I currently drive a 78 280Z & the A/C in that car by far deliver's better quality A/C than I remember my 240Z delivering. I'm using the stock blower motor & to me it still is rather bleak on the output of the BTU's (whatever that figure is for a car). If you're gonna "Re-do" your a/c system...should definately upgrade w/a retrofit from another blower motor-then your output should be nice/confortable. Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

Jim, If its any cancellation for all your troubles; I can honestly say I've learned from your trials & tribulations w/the bracket problem....now your situation is memorialized on this thread for others to read & learn/thanks for posting! And/aint it pretty neat when there's about a dozen guys out there that've "Been there-Done That" to talk us thru when we find ourselves in a jam? Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner) [ June 18, 2001: Message edited by: Kevin Shasteen ]

Hey Corey (fellow Texanite!) Have you tried calling either Bankston Nissan or Courtesy Nissan's parts Dept & ask if they knew of a specialty shop that was familiar w/alignment for altered Z's. Remember-these two dealers were the two Factory Sponsored Nissan dealers for selling Nissan's restored 240's. Surely if anyone has an idea they would. There's a few guys at the Courtesy Nissan's parts counter that are Z officianodo's-they should be able to point you in the right direction. Remember-Bankston is in Irving Tx while Courtesy is in Plano Tx: no ph#'s sorry/just call info or look in your yellow pages. Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

Isnt the Distributor basically powered by the coil which is energized by the starter relay after the key ignition is energized? Run a wire w/an inline fuse from the correct starter relay post to the coil & make sure the correct coil wires are connected to the appropriate distributor terminal(?). I may be crazy-but that's my two cents worth: Electrical is not my strong suit-I can usually trip my way thru if I'm looking at the car. With the wires you have (that are still loose) have you tried hooking up a battery, turning the key & checking each terminal w/a circuit tester; or are you not to the battery hook up point yet? If you are able to hook the battery up for the first time-I dont think I have to remind you (but I'll do it anyway) to remember to listen for "Sparks" & smell around for any possibly cross wired wires! (accidently done of course!). Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner) [ June 17, 2001: Message edited by: Kevin Shasteen ]

Cant help: I get lost when it comes to NOS, Turbo's or Supercharging. Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)