Kevin Shasteen

They certainly look a little more updated/space age than the original stocks; and a lot stronger. Enjoyed the stroll thru your picture board-watching your car go thru its metamorphasis! Have fun at the show. Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

283z, I'ld echo Davy's sentiments & ask "WHY" a 283? As far as 283's nomenclature-I havent any. I wish I could help you regarding compression for a 283. All my books I buy deal w/69 vintage and later. That was the Corvette's engine in the early 60's; so beefing it up shouldnt be a problem. If its any help; I believe all the early SBC's used the 5.7 connecting rods; what this means to you is the difference in compression from one small block to another will be in the "compression height" of the piston-this is measured from the top of the piston down to the middle of the piston pin center. Knowing the "Compression Height" of your piston will allow you to know your block deck to piston top clearences-this is the first step into knowing your compression ratio. For instance; your 283 has a stroke of 3.000. My problem is I dont have any #'s for deck height for a 283 so I'll ASSuME its the same as a current SBC amounting to 9.025; deck height is measured from the center of the crank to the top of the cyl. bore deck surface. Block Deck/Piston Top Clearence = Stroke/2 + Rod Length + Piston Comp.Height Now lets take the 283 stroke & work w/the other numbers to find alledged deck clearence. 3.000/2 + 5.703 + "x" = Deck/Piston Top Clearance This leaves you upto 1.825" for a Comp.Height on your pistons: if you wanted a higher comp.ratio you could use a piston w/a dome but then you'ld subtract dome in cc's & things tend to get a little more confusing regarding comp.ratio's. Talk to an engine builder & let them know what your plans are. My only quesition is why a 283; is it a matter of convienence-you could find a 350 for peanuts if you only took a Saturday of scrounging the bone yards(?). If its a small stroke you want then look for a 262 Cu.In. engine; they were only produced for one year '1976' and found in the "X Bodies" or better known as the Nova, Omega, Ventura & Apollo. Slap the 3.1 crank into a 350 w/a 4" bore & you'll get a 311cu.in that will rev like there's no tomorrow(?). Rethink the 283 thing..not that you cant do it...but 350's are so plentiful & "CHEAP"! Have fun & remember that Hot Rodding is like eating at McDonalds, "You can have it Your Way!". Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner) [ April 27, 2001: Message edited by: Kevin Shasteen ]

Welcome indeed. Thinking about the swap is fun; but in order to know exactly what is involved you will definately need to purchase the JTR manual. By reading the manual you'll have a better feel of what's involved & can determine how much/many of the mod's you can/cant do yourself...then adjust your budget accordingly. I'm still adjusting my budget as everyone elso knows...I'm still an inliner Kevin, (Yes,Still an Inliner)

As far as I know-the control arms are the same; when I bought my Suspension Kit from Courtesy Nissan/they told me the kit is the same for a 2+2 as it is for a coupe; the only break from bushing sizes were from year to year and not from body style to body style w/in the same year. The quickest easiest way to determine a 2+2 from a coupe, at a distance, is to look at the rear 1/4 glass window; if the back of the 1/4glass is angled toward the front of the car then it is a 2+2. If the rear of the 1/4 glass is angled toward the rear of the car then you have a Coupe. Also on a 2+2 the rear 1/4 glass is hinged allowing it to open for venting while I believe the coupe is fix'd and cant be opened (dont exactly remember about the coupe's 1/4 glass being fixed as its been about 14 years since I owned a coupe). Also; the next best way to confirm a coupe from a 2+2 is the VIN#; for a coupe the VIN# should read S30 while the 2+2 reads GS30 at the beginning of the VIN#. About the handling difference; I personally think it would be like the difference between a GM Blazer & a GM Suburban; in other words the coupe's ride may be a little bouncier while the longer wheelbase is slightly smoother...only on a much smaller scale than the Blazer/Suburban comparison. I feel the 2+2 will probably have a slight smoother ride due to its slightly longer wheelbase, @ 8.5" longer. Remember tho; the approximate 8.5" extra length translates into an additional 200lbs. My personal thoughts are that the extra weight of the 2+2 will better accept the pounding of a SBC/SBF prior to needing a roll cage as the 2+2 is has a slightlier stiffer body. However, if you're planning on pounding the heck out of a Z by installing a V8-then you'ld be much better off installing that roll cage-reagardless of having a 2+2 or a coupe. Kevin, (Yea,Still a 2+2 Inliner) [ April 27, 2001: Message edited by: Kevin Shasteen ]

I dont know what the stock Datsun/Nissan fuel pumps ratings are but in a book I was reading about fuel injectors they made mention that not all injectors are eqaul-I'm not just talking about their flow rates either. In addition to selecting the correct injector size one must also make sure a new injector is electronically compatible to the computer that drives it. Futher, the book claims there are only two types of injectors: 1)Saturated = High Impedence or Voltage Mode Types 2)Peak-and-Hold = Low Impedence/or current mode types The book stated if you wished to confirm which type your injectors are you would merely measure its resistance w/an ohmmeter; Saturated injectors resistance falls into the 22-16ohms while the Peak-and Hold injectors only put out about 2-5ohms. Most US passenber cars usa a 12volt saturated injector that uses 12volts to open/close it. These are high resistance injectors that maintain low current flow in the injectors and drivers to keep them cool for longer life. Saturated circuits usually have slower response time which limits their operating range. Book also said not to go beyond the .80/85% duty cycle for too long. Oh well; hoped you enjoyed the book report. Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

Weight is also something to consider; the coupes are usually what-in the 2700 to 2800 range while the 2+2's are in the 3000lbs range. If you want all out performance you'ld probably be better going w/the coupe-but I like the extra room of the 2+2 after the rear seat is folded down. It is a personal matter; so check out the difference in the two & make a choice. There isnt one Z owner that wont admire your car-regardless of body design you choose. Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

I personally chose a 78z as my approach was simply-if there were any design flaws in the 280 Datsun would have corrected it by then (78 being the last year for the 280z) & the Z is structurally a little more sound than the 240's. I also chose a 2+2 for the addt'l structural integrity. I dont plan on building a monster Z so thrashing it at every stop light isnt in the works; just a nice 600hp...oops sorry; just a nice 350hp engine w/a T-56 is what I'll go with. Something w/a little gidy-up & go & still rides nice. Not to mention the 2+2 has seats for my two Hp hungry Nephews. But, as you all know-at this time I'm still only an inliner Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

I personally like Edelbrock stuff too; I've never used their carb's but have heard only good things about them; that's what stumped me when it was said that their Tech Line had nothing to suggest in the way of a solution. Glad to hear the provlem was solved & they took care of you-that's what a customer oriented company is suppose to do, "Take the Customer out of the Middle!" Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

quote: Originally posted by Ross C: [QB]Kevin, are you sure on these formulae? I checked their site and only found the 14" diam. chart. I assumed various units and didn't get their 3" height/350/6000rpm (came close to 2.5" with 350 input as 5.7). The portion quoted above is likely in error as if it was ++ it may as well be just +3.89. ] Ross, I'm not sure how you worked the formula; but I came up w/5.65" tall of a filter requred for your 350 @ 6000rpms. I didnt get the formula from their site. I found it in a book tilted "1000 Performance Tips" in the auto section at Barnes & Nobles-they quoted the formula & gave credit to Ram Air Box company as their source. Your 350 @ 6000rpms should look like this when working the formula: Displacement x RPM/25,5000 350 x 6000/25,000 = 2,100,000/25,000 = 84 Now to the next formula: H = Height of filter A = Minimum Effective Filtering Area Required D = Required Diameter of filter H = (A/(D+3.14)) + .75 (84/14"+3.14) + .75 = 84/17.14 + .75 = 4.9 + .75 = 5.65" tall filter required to run your 350 @ 6000rpms w/a 14" diameter filter. If you wish to estimate height w/a different diameter filter-simply swap 14" for your desired diameter filter & work the formula as the example above. Sorry if I made it confusing in my first post. BTW: I saw a pretty interesting box for a carb in another book of mine-it was about Ford small blocks & was discussing the use of Blowers. The box was metal & made by Vortech; it housed a Holley-the box would also insulate the carb from some engine heat/dont know how well it work w/the engine being Normally Aspirated-but the lid had the snout that obviously could have hosing routed to it & the lid looked as if the lid snout could be sealed w/the snout facing the passenger side or the drivers side(?). And then a K&N pipe & filter kit to match it! Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner) [ April 25, 2001: Message edited by: Kevin Shasteen ]

I loved the 60's/70's RAM Air systems. I liked Dodge/Plymoth's ram air "Grabbers" withe the little Bee looking at you when the grabber was opened! I also liked the Olds W-45 hood...especially since my Olds has that factory hood on it. Wasnt it also the AMC Rebel that had a red arrow painted on the hood in a helpfully instructive manner-telling the air how to enter the ram-air scoop (talk about 60/70's attitude). I liked the Fords hood scopps also & dont understand why Ford doesnt make their Cobra scoops functional(?). You'ld think they'ld get tired of being beat by the Firehawks & Vettes. For anyone thinking about what size box they need around their carb...The Ram Air Box company uses these formulas for figuring "Height & Filtering Area" requirements. A = Effective Filtering Area A = Displacement x RPM/25,000 Total Height Needed = D = estimated Diameter that fits unobstructed in the vehicle H = Required Height of the filter H = (A/D+3.14) + .75 Hope this helps. Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

Zman, I had entertained the 377; I know because the Z's are light that one doesnt need a lot of torque, but I was "thinking" (only thinking) about the 377 because of its ability to rev-up to some pretty high rpm's. What was your experience w/your 377; give us details....and congrats on your GN purchase. I've also given a GNz consideration due to its weight savings. Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

quote: Originally posted by jeromio: ...it'll always take way longer.... And always take way more $$ to boot; once the bug bites you its hard to stay focus'd when dealing w/a budget build. If 3-4k is what you're looking at-then expect 80% if the project to be done by yourself....w/exception to machine work & a trans rebuild(?), its still gonna be a close call. The budget build totally depends on your ability to perform as much of the project as possible. Definately want to scour the salvage yards on a weekly basis; talk to the owner/or the counter man-tell him what you want & that you'll be calling him on a weekly basis looking for your engine/trans combo. Have about 3-5 salvage yards looking for you; that way if/when you call they'll know its you & what you're looking for; but remember-the good deals go fast & there's not one salvage yard I know that will hold parts/so that means you have to be able to act fast & have money in hand when the good eng/trans come in. Good luck & congrats on the baby steps towards starting your project. Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

I know those of us that instal the SBC in a Z cant run the headers we prefer; but, for posterity's sake-here's a couple formula's for determining tube diameter/lengths. Primary Tube Diameter= SQRT(Displacement x 1900/Primary Tube Length x Maximum RPM's) Primary Tube Length= Displacement x 1900/Diameter^2 x RPM Hope that helps someone. Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

The piston tops, if they've been replaced before/upsized w/new pistons will have the ".015, .030 or .060 embedded in them-if they dont/measure the bore anyway just so you know what you've got. Likewise, the main & rod bearings will have "Std" for "Standard Size" embedded or it will have the ".010, .020" undersize embedded in the back of it as well. Regardless of what the bearings say or the piston top says...always mic it yourself/that way you know exactly what you've got & if your bore isnt badly worn you can get by w/simply honing the cyl's for that cross hatch pattern & re-ring your eng & install new rod/main bearings. While those heads are off-shoot scoot & boogie over to your nearest/favorite machine shop for a valve job. Kevin, Yea,Still an Inliner) [ April 25, 2001: Message edited by: Kevin Shasteen ]

My Z is a bone stock 78/2+2 w/4spd. My car did the exact same thing about two months ago. As I was pulling out of a store parking lot after the car had sat for about 15 minutes...it just died! Engine would crank extremely well/turned over strong but just wouldnt start. Had plenty of spark; however, on mine-the fuel pump was not running w/the key on. This forum gave me the idea of running a jumper wire to the pump from another battery, on the gournd by your side, after jacking it up/with jack stands, I did that & the pump began working immediately. After that I knew it had to be one of the relays. On a 78 & I'ld assume a 77 has the same three relays (obviously located in a different area); but, my 78 manual indicates 3 relays: 1)Fuel Pump Relay, Fuel Pump Controller Relay 3)Fuel Injection Harness Relay. My problem turned out to be the Fuel Pump Relay. If you have your Datsun Service Manual. Locate the section on how to test your relays. My Fuel Pump Relay wouldnt act up the first "THREE" times I tested it! I was about to start getting Frustrated! By accident-when I was testing the Fuel Pump Relay for the 4th time I accidently touched my jumper wires to the incorrect relay prongs creating a "Short" for a tenth of a second (I later figured this also acted like a 'load' on the relay) once that happened the relay went dead. and wouldnt indicate any life until it cooled off. Got another Fuel Pump Relay; installed it/turned the key & The Car Started Immediately! I guess my point to this long story is even while testing the fuel pump relay as the Datsun Manual indicated wont confirm your relay is bad until you put a load on it. As I tested the realy-simply putting Electricity "THRU" it-the relay operated fine. After putting a "LOAD" on it by accidently shorting (grounding) the realy-did it act up. Have fun/dont get too frustrated even tho wiring gremlins are frustrating as heck! BTW: when I had my 73Z back many years ago-I had fuel filter prob's w/it; however, the difference from the filter problem & the fuel pump relay problem were night/day. The filter problem didnt stall the car to the point the car wouldnt idle-it only created a hesitation/loss of severe power...but the car would always restart immediately and ran fine at low rpms upto 2nd gear. Unlike the relay problem-when the car died...it was dead & almost w/out warning. It wasnt until after the relay on my 78 went bad I began retracing my last months driving only to remember a few moments when the engine was cold that it noticeably hesitated upon acceleration from 2nd to 3rd gear; I just chalked it up to a cold engine. Later it made sense that the relay was on its way out & those cold eng/hesitations were indicative symptoms of the relay about to fail. Kevin, (Yes,Still an Inliner)

A poly-bushing steering coupler is going to remove some of that slop; now, whether all of that slop can be contributed to the old steering couplet remains to be seen. All I know is that when I received by poly-bushing set the first bushing I attacked was the steering coupler-I couldnt believe how mushy my original rubber coupler was. I could actually squeeze it w/my hand! Now that you have new bushings everywhere except at the steering coupler-whatever weakness that old coupler represented before is now multiplied & will result in front end wondering. Every nook/cranny in the road & every gust of wind is gonna send you from side to side & demand an immediate steering wheel correction. I'ld correct the old steering coupler factor w/the new one as soon as you get it. Then once that factor is no longer a factor you can redirect your efforts to your suspension geometry/rear toe, ect. First things First/get rid of the known's before you attack the unknowns! Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

Welcome Animator; come on it/take your shoes off-sit down & stay awhile. My first question to the seller is why he never drove it(?); if you/he are in Ca It seems suspect to me/maybe it wont pass emiss tests. Also; is it an automatic or standard trans...does it have an overdrive? Does the A/C work? Any wires cut/hanging or dangling from underneath the dash? Before you buy-decide if you want a looker; you know-a car you dont have to do anything to...one that's already been completed & all you have to do is put the key in & drive. Or, a Z you'll be tinkering w/from here to eternity as that is how many aftermarket mod's there are. Once you've been bit-there's no turning back. If you havent seen the car yet-go look at it/take it for a ride. Check out all the mechanicals, paint/body (Check for rust), electrical & under hood-look for any signs of previous collision or improper mechanical repairs. Take notes. Then pick the sellers mind for awhile; ask him what he's wanting for it. Then go home & think about it for a few days. Dont buy on the spot; go home & let it all sink in. If you like it/then go for a second test drive & check out the car once more-look for things you might have over looked before. If you still like it/then make an offer. Good luck! Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

Sorry; I'm not really up on the inline swaps nor their counterparts. I'm sure someone here will chime in shortly tho. Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

KraZ, I cant speak for anyone else; I've never used a 5spd..nor have I ever contemplated one. For me its not about "Is the T-56 the only option"; I'm sure you could use a 5spd if you wanted to. How I look at it is like this; I've spent my late teens and 20's doing the muscle car thing & playing around w/the stock set up...that was fun; but cruising at 65mph & the "RPM's" redlining was not very much fun. Now I've got my 3rd Z & not only the knowledge (the funds hopefully will follow soooon) but this forum to aid me thru if I ever need the help. I want something a little more than just "Okay" or just "Acceptable"; I think the rpm drop of the T-56 would be just that something I'm looking for in my V8Z car. I like the 6spd because it gives the Z some longer legs. This time when I build my car-its gonna have more than those old 3spd auto's in my past musclr cars; to me the 5spds are just not gonna cut it for me; so I guess you could say its a personal choice. BTW-is your 350hp RWHP or FWHP....if your looking for 350hp make sure you factor in the 15/20% loss at the wheels when you're deciding on your engine's power band. Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

Those are definately some nice Z's on that site. I liked the white one also. Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

Anything can be built the way you want it if you got the money. If you had the choice to begin with I'ld personally rather go w/the 700. To me; its like the difference between a small block & a big block; sure you can build a performance small block to match the performance of a big block; however-the big block is still going to be able to do it easier w/less stress-its beefier & has heavier duty parts as a result. The 700 is a larger trans & was intended to handle the higher stresses; doesnt mean you cant get the same performance from a pro-built 200; but, if you got the choice-go w/the trans that is stronger to begin with & build around that. Just my .02c's worth. Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

If your buying your Richmond from a speed shop that can custom build it/you can also have the gearing to suit your needs, however, the more gear swapping you require the more the price of the trans increases. Unless you just want the awe-factor of saying, "I have a Richmond Trans" you wont gain that much over using a T-56 and the cost will be close to half the price of a Richmond trans. I [assumed] you were referring to the Richmond 6spd? Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner) [This message has been edited by Kevin Shasteen (edited April 19, 2001).]

Scottie; cant wait for the "Going In Party"; going in to the 10's that is. We're all anxiously awaiting to hear your story of confirmation after your next outing at the track; dont keep us in suspense too long. Kevin, Yea,Still an Inliner)

Roamer; did you mean Small Block -vs- Big Block? You said Short Block -vs- Long Block. A long block is nothing more than a Short Block but w/cyl.heads on it. So the block-regardless of it being a short block or long block shouldnt change the dimensions of the motor mounts. Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)

Thanks Pete for the site-should keep me busy for a few......YEARS! I'm definately gonna dive into it/curiosity is killing this cat! Lone-I admire anyone who can carry a note & hold a beat. In my junior-high days I thought I wanted to be a drummer; took a few drum lessons/two lessons was all it took for me to realize I'm PURE-WHITE BOY. I couldnt carry a tune nor keep a beat; I couldnt dance my way out of a wet paper bag if my life depended on it, period! Pete; keep working on your spreadsheet; This formula is an answer to the Hot Rodder's Prayer as it takes 90% of the guess work out of which cam should be used. David Vizard is a mechanical engineer-I'm sure he's devised some sort of spreadsheet/formula which your are working on, unfortunately-you know how stingy those Big-name shops can be w/their little secrets. I'm glad we-ve got our own resident engineer in you. Pete, believe it or not I spent 4-5 hours at B&N yesturday evening reading their trig, calculus & some Geometry. Definately interesting books & mostly over my head. I was facinated w/all the graphs & flowcharts of metal's, composites, geometric figures & Trig theories. I've always been able to work math once someone has explained the principle issues/formula's process to me. As for Einstein's Theory of Relativity; If it aint Relative-Then it Dont Matter! (Sorry-couldnt refuse that one); math has always intrigued me-I'm to impatient and am more of an instant gratification person-except when my attention has been sparked; thus, I've never really pursued the subject. Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner)