DavyZ

The answer lies in Wick Humble's book on restoring your Datsun Z car...He has a paragraph or two about restoring the buckets and makes reference to the metal ones. Sorry, I can't look it up, I'm at work! David

Owen, I feel your pain! Sorry to hear, but I know an innovative person like yourself will overcome. Wangan Midnite will ride!!! David

No, just lots & lots of teflon tape! OK, the consensus is: 1) the drain plug at the bottom of the differential IS and expansion-type/pressure-type item and tightening too much will crack the aluminum. Well, the only thing that fits in that plug is a HUGE ratchet like a 1/2" torque wrench. I'm unsure what the torque spec is, if there even is one! I'll just be VERY careful while tightening. 2) teflon tape should work well, per Terry, and give a good seal w/o leakage. Good! I'm going that route; Thanks guys!

Welcome to the forum! This topic has been answered numerous times in the past few days--go to the Chevy forum and look for a title post with "V8" and "ZX" and your questions will get answered. Use the "search" feature in the forum to look up things you want--it's a great resource and you'll learn a lot of the basics. That will get you started. Hope this helps! David

So what you're really doing is really "polishing" more than "porting," like the title on your post says, correct Ross? [ May 08, 2001: Message edited by: DavyZ ]

That sounds like a "race only" engine--any engine that is N/A with that kind of HP has to be to radical for the street; but it's fun to dream. So, theoretically, I'd say with some mods to the car, if you can get some traction and not break anything, you would be in the 9s or low 10s. With a drag racing setup like Ron's, maybe faster--he has a BBC and is running mid 8 secs. I'm not sure of HP or torque, though. David

Yeah, that guy is a riot! I have his "Power Secrets" book and I've read it a few times. He never really "cheated"; he just had a different interpretation of the rules. At least he was consistent with that... Lone, the last time I looked at the price of Extrude Honing, I ran away. The process usually costs more than the part you want to modify...I know they are trying to recoup their investment costs, but sheesh! Force feeding toothpaste thru an engine part can't be that expensive! David

I'm assuming at least some of you guys know the annoyance of a leaking rear differential. My R200 has a very slow, but annoying leak and I swear I'm at a loss to pinpoint its origin. I think it's coming from the large drainage bolt at the bottom. I will be going to Redline shockproof gear oil in the diff and hope that the viscosity won't be any thinner--unless I stop the leaking here and now. Here are my two questions: Is that bolt tapered or will it bottom out? I do not want to crack any aluminum if it is some kind of tapered compression bolt! Is teflon tape a good idea in this case? Is the paintable kind better? Any suggestions or ideas would be helpful. I never want to make a mistake if I don't have to... Thanks, David

Ross, you also might want to check Summit Racing and see if there is a cost advantage there. Eastwood and Summit are the two places I would check.

Kevin, I think Mike is more of a DeVillbis kind of guy; maybe for the POR-15, but not the body (YGWYPF).

Kyle, as I posted on ZDriver: Nice choice on the rims!!! I photographed your car and wheels at The Show. Did you use a 1" spacer or is it thicker? Car looks great and so do the seats, paint, etc. David

Yeah, I shuddered after posting that phrase and was anticipating some "diaper" jokes, but I got good solid information instead! Many thanks for the replies!! David

This is a most curious situation, because I have never had a wiper keep falling off before. By wiper, I'm assuming you mean the replaceable wiper blade, right? All the aftermarket ones I've tried, fit. The OEM Nissan ones are the best. Could it be that it's either the way you are trying to attach them (common mistake) or that your wiper arms are worn out and you need replacements? Give some more info! David

Jason, those can be one of two things: First, they can be those plastic headlight covers that are then glassed/bondo'd in over the buckets, thus making it look like a "solid" front end. Second, they can be fiberglass quarterpanels that the maker decided to nix the headlight buckets completely and keep the "solid" look. The covers are the cheapest way to go IMO. Look for the covers in the MSA catalog, you won't miss them. David

Welcome to the forum! You will find this place to be your best resource for doing a complete swap. Now, the ZX V8 swap is not as popular as the first generation Z swap, but it is fantastic nonetheless and you'll enjoy the car. Ross Corrigan is a friend in Canada who has done this swap successfully, knows what he is talking about, and fortunately posts often. First bit of advice for anyone doing this swap: get the JTR manual and read it several times to familiarize yourself with the steps and items you will have to deal with when doing the swap. The book applies to first generation Z cars, but the book is very helpful overall; plus, if you don't need the book anymore, you can sell it in this forum in a heartbeat... To answer your question quickly, you can purchase engine swap items from JTR and from MSA. www.jtrpublishing.com www.zcarparts.com Hope this helps, but continually ask questions before you jump into a major part of the swap so you will get the benefit of of at least another person's best guess Good luck, David

I will also go to the Optima or Exide battery because they are sealed and very tough. I like the idea of being able to mount it inside the car safely. I'm not sure which is cheaper, but I imagine the Exide battery is cheaper--otherwise I'd go with the Optima.

Ron, a agree with Speedracer in getting the engine HOT before testing. A local shop where a friend of mine works says they can get most cars to pass, but they get the car engines HOT before they run it through. Also, there are chemicals from the autoparts stores that sell stuff that will help you pass--they guarantee it on the can. How do they back it up? Dunno. It think the brand is called "Outlaw" but I've never tested the stuff myself, so I'm not sure it works.

I like those "sneaky-pete" cheater systems that have those less conspicuous bottles and are easier to hide. That way, if anyone asks, "What's that?" you can say, "That's just a long fire extinguisher!" David

Man, that's looking really GOOD!!! You're doing a great job for first-timing it. You make it look easy. Just how much time did that take you? I bet your next one you do in 1/3 of the time or less based on the law of averages. And then the larger pieces will be "fast" to make as well. It looks like a full on fender-flared "ultimate" Z is in your future!?! Good job, Lone David

Ross, isn't Hammerite that stuff that looks like hammer-finish but is not for rust, but is meant to just prevent it? If your tank is rust free, then it's probably as good as Rustoleum or some such product, maybe better. We pay about $9US for a can. Another good product is Eastwood's Corroless if you have rust already. It is about $20US/can. Ouch!

Yeah, Kevin is right about taking them to a machine shop to get looked at. If only one valve is 1/4" recessed, it may not be a problem, but at least call a machine shop and get their opinion. David [ May 02, 2001: Message edited by: DavyZ ]

Sometimes valves become recessed just do to wear. I can't remember if you have the camel hump heads or not. If they are, they probably still have the valve guides and valve seat made for leaded gasoline. I may be misdiagnosing your problem but bear with me: With today's unleaded gas, you'll find that the exhaust valves tend to wear right into the head. On intake valves, they get lubricated by the fuel, so there is usually no problem, but not so with the exhaust valves. Lifters, pushrods, and valves rotate as the engine runs. It is the friction of the valve as it rotates against the seat that causes the wear; the valve actually grinds away the seat until it sinks deep into the head. Eventually the valves will be seating so deeply in the head that major problems will result. The stem height (the distance from the spring seat to the tip of the valve stem) will become so great that the geometry will be thrown off and spring pressure will decrease. The seats will become so sunken that flow will be affected. If not corrected in time, the heads may crack or the seats may become unrepairable. The best method to prevent this problem is to convert the heads to accept unleaded gasoline. A machine shop has to install hardened exhaust seats to prevent this from happening again. If this is an intake valve, I'd be very curious to see if all of the valves are not doing exactly the same thing. David

Sean, I can help you with MSA's site: www.zcarparts.com Just log on to that and you're there. Hope this helps. David

Are we still coming over for beer and pizza?

The others have said it all, but I want my turn too, and it goes something like this: After cleaning the Mudstain's clock and kicking his can all over the place, you will take all of his cash, provided of course that he has the cajones to put some CHC where his mouth is...oh yeah, he'll be sorry for shooting off his mouth...