A musician's therapist (The $300 Z)

[1969honda]

I'll look at the diff cover for you, I have a few ideas on how to get studs out. Can't wait to see it at the show again!

[Ben280]

Have any photos of the mustache bar misadventure? Seems odd that T3 would switch to bolts, when a stud is just a backwards bolt! Studs in the diff also REALLY help when mounting the diff by your lonesome. 

 

Excited to see some photos of the car out and about!

[Zetsaz]

3 hours ago, Ben280 said:

Have any photos of the mustache bar misadventure? Seems odd that T3 would switch to bolts, when a stud is just a backwards bolt! Studs in the diff also REALLY help when mounting the diff by your lonesome. 

 

Excited to see some photos of the car out and about!

 

I'll take some pics of how it works during the week. Car is parked at the show I was prepping it for.

 

Even if they stuck with studs I'd have to replace them with longer ones. The billet is thicker than the steel mustache bar. It's also completely straight and has a billet spacer to account for the curve in original bar to meet the mounting face if the diff cover. Original studs barely get you 3/4 of the way through the material on the new one. 

 

Haven't worked on it a ton, but aside from being more pieces and more hardware to potentially back out, I think their mustache bar would actually make it easier to service everything 

Edited July 1, 2023 by Zetsaz

[Zetsaz]

We got the diff cover studs out, but I feel like I'm not totally happy with the fitment of this t3 bar

 

Seems to be just skimming the fuel tank mounting point on the spare tire well even after a bit of thumping and hammering. We'll see how it holds up. Also only used some washers instead of the spacer provided by T3. I think I still have some adjustment on the RT diff mount and the spacer might get the CVs completely perpendicular to the wheels but it's close for now.

 

Other major project is the new crossmember/steering rack/Kameari engine isolators. I couldn't use the adjustable engine mounts I bought for now because the top runs into my oil pressure sensor due to the T underneath it for the oil feed to the turbo

 

Aanyway, mostly done with this major project. Just waiting on a new tie rod end since both the ends on the new rack are right hand thread unlike the original

 

 

Last little problem I had was a cylinder not firing. Racked my brain over it for hours only to find out the DB37 connector on my MS box wasn't completely seating... The side of the connector that was just slightly lifting enough to have intermittent contact issues happened to be the side with the wires for spark control

[Jboogsthethug]

So with you seating the DB37 connector does it now fire without issues? Also, weird that the t3 bar has fitment issues. Their stuff seems very well engineered so an oversight like that seems out of character!

[rossman]

I'm running the ttt mustache bar too. My setup didn't need the spacer nor did I have to remove the studs and use bolts. It all lined up well as best as I can tell. My setup is a z31t long nose r200/diff cover, z31t cv half shafts, rt mount, and ttt mustache bar.

[Zetsaz]

15 hours ago, Jboogsthethug said:

So with you seating the DB37 connector does it now fire without issues? Also, weird that the t3 bar has fitment issues. Their stuff seems very well engineered so an oversight like that seems out of character!

 

Zero issues. I finally got better screws for the connector case and tightened it up properly. Started running rough halfway through my first longer drive. I guess the vibrations shifted it out juuuust enough that some of the pins didn't make full contact, which makes sense in retrospect because at cruise it was sort of subtly surging, which I know know was one of the coils not firing every time.

 

Agree on the T3 fitment issue. The problem isn't just that it's thicker though, it's the shape of the top. It doesn't dip down at the sides almost immediately like the stock bar, so at the top it has less clearance.

 

6 hours ago, rossman said:

I'm running the ttt mustache bar too. My setup didn't need the spacer nor did I have to remove the studs and use bolts. It all lined up well as best as I can tell. My setup is a z31t long nose r200/diff cover, z31t cv half shafts, rt mount, and ttt mustache bar.

I probably could have kept the studs honestly, but with the fitment and lack of flexibility I couldn't even slide the thing on to check without removing the whole diff and just assumed that I'd be needing the spacer and the studs wouldn't be long enough. 

 

Would not say I'm unhappy with the angle of my CVs, but it's also so hard to see it properly while on my back. I can tell they're very slightly angled back to meet the diff, but it's less than the angle they're at vertically just while sitting. It's not a huge deal, they'd be a pretty horrible part if they couldn't handle tiny variations outside of perpendicular 

 

As far as your fitment, do you have an older version of the bar? I think they've changed slightly over time. I can live with skimming on the mount. I'm more bummed that I have to slightly shave the fins on the diff cover to clear the mustache bar. The diff cover was near perfect condition original piece (minus some grime), but I don't plan on selling so the value isn't tooooo big of an issue haha

[Dat73z]

Your car looks really straight but was it ever in an accident or are the moustache bar studs off on the chassis? That spacing to the spare tire well looks really tight. I would think others with the same setup would be complaining about that. 

 

Did you ask T3 about what's going on? 

Edited July 8, 2023 by Dat73z

[Zetsaz]

On 7/7/2023 at 7:40 PM, Dat73z said:

Your car looks really straight but was it ever in an accident or are the moustache bar studs off on the chassis? That spacing to the spare tire well looks really tight. I would think others with the same setup would be complaining about that. 

 

Did you ask T3 about what's going on? 

 

Fairly positive it's never been in an accident, but it's so hard to know on a car nearly 50 years old. Gonna ask T3 if anyone else has had the issue. There is always the chance that the mustache bar studs are slightly off on the body.

 

Got the car back on the ground yesterday. Shaved the fins enough to mount the dog bone but I need to get longer bolts to mount the rear sway bar. The ones included from T3 are a size thicker. I think their design has changed just slightly since I purchased mine, I have a hard time believing they've included the wrong size bolts twice now, once when I bought the new sway bar, and once when I got the fancy caps.

 

I got the alignment shockingly close just by measuring both sides to the end of the tie rod end. We'll see if I'm actually close or just imagining things when I get an alignment tomorrow. The front camber is slightly more negative now since I moved the inboard mounts on the front control arms up a spot from what I think is stock on the new crossmember. Between that and the bump steer shims in the new steering rack I think it should be driving waaaaay better.

 

Three or four days left until I drive it up to Washington for a friend's wedding and really see how it's going on a longer trip

[Zetsaz]

Oh I forgot the most important detail... My annoying noise seems to be solved.

 

I did replace the driver side CV, but there's a chance the new stiffer Kameari mounts stopped some movement and it was slight exhaust issues all along... Should have tested separately but I have things to do haha.

[Zetsaz]

Wasn't charged for alignment. They said my wheel bearings and ball joints were loose. They got the toe close and it's driving well but I'm noticing the playin the center. Probably wasn't noticeable before with all the play in the steering rack. 

I've tightened the wheel bearings and noticed the improvement immediately, next up is ball joints. I think brand new nicely greased parts from Apex going into nearly 50 year old components just didn't seat completely on install. Inspected the ball joint yesterday and it seemed completely fine, just loose. Need to find my 1/2" impact attachment, was only able to tighten a bit yesterday since it was just spinning. 

[Apex Engineered]

@Zetsaz Feel free to reach out if there is anything we can do to help. Hopefully the ball joints were greased before use, if not and you need new balljoints reach out and will have a set sent!

[Zetsaz]

10 hours ago, Apex Engineered said:

@Zetsaz Feel free to reach out if there is anything we can do to help. Hopefully the ball joints were greased before use, if not and you need new balljoints reach out and will have a set sent!

I assembled them with plenty of grease (which actually made inspection a bit messy haha)

I did manage to tighten them properly with the help of my brother in law's impact and the seem well seated now and aren't just loosely spinning around. I really think they just didn't seat as well as they should have when I first installed and it gave a false sense of security when I first torqued them down.  

If the few miles I put on them last summer before moving wore down too much and they tell me I need new ones I'll definitely reach out. Ball joints are easy, I'm mostly hoping the bearings don't have to be replaced, since those have maybe 6-7000 miles. Took so long between installing and really using the car that I never bothered to double check the torque after a few drives.

[Zetsaz]

Made it to Washington!

 

Bit of oil is leaking from the oil pump or the front of the oil pan. Not severe enough to do an emergency fix while I'm around for a friend's wedding a few days but probably something I'll address when I'm home for Christmas.

 

Ignition coil on 6 went out with a couple hours left in the drive. Was going crazy thinking it was a connector again, but ended up replacing the coil this morning.  Unplugged the injector and turned off EGO correction so the rest of the cylinders would at least be close for the last bit of the drive and took it easy but I think these old LS2 coils are just going out. I'll need to upgrade all of them, I think they were already old and pulled off a junkyard engine by the PO.

 

Only other hiccup was more vibration than I'd like but I don't think it's the alignment. Getting tires rotated and balanced right now. Haven't done that since I first bought them which at this point has been several years and close to 10k miles between the now 3 round trips from Seattle area to northern Utah and the cruise down the Pacific coast highway. First time around I had them done at Discount and I feel like the guys there didn't do a couple of them right anyway

 

 

Mostly small things but with how many miles I like to cruise around they get very noticeable

[Zetsaz]

Almost ready for the drive back to Utah tomorrow. Car has been running quite well since swapping the ignition coil. I'm currently in "square" GM truck coils, and next year plan on fully swapping all of them out for reliability so I'm not having the issues I had this summer.  Christmas visit I think will finally be time to run the AC lines.

 

Over 1000 miles on it just since Thursday, and probably another 1000 between short rides here and the drive back to Utah before I head off to Mexico again.

 

Got to do some nice rides out here on the islands as well as up to Vancouver. Despite the repeated frustrations, and various rattles and small noises I'm not expecting becoming extra obvious with so many miles in it, it really is a joy to drive and I'm happy with how insanely different this thing is from even a few years ago.

 

I was telling my brother in law that it's weird looking back at old folders of pictures I had of other cars for motivation because my car is better than most of them in most ways now haha 

[Zetsaz]

Heading back to Mexico. Had a nice final cruise and coffee run in my hometown. The drive back was SMOOTH after a Datsun friend in Washington got my alignment back where it belongs. Massive difference with the bump steer spacers under the brand new steering rack and having raised the inboard mounting points of the front control arms with the new crossmember 

 

The beauty of longer drives like this is I get to REALLY test it and, especially in the heat, notice things that would otherwise never pop up.

 

-Pinion seal on the diff needs to be replaced have a nice spot on my otherwise clean stainless exhaust from the fluid.

 

-One of coolant fittings in the back of the head isn't quiiiite sealed. Looks like it splattered a bit on the the Cyl 6 runner for the exhaust manifold and probably at least partially responsible for the streaks I saw on the transmission bell housing.

 

-Something's up with the oil pump or area immediately around it. Seems like once the oil is warmed up it's leaking slightly and the fan is spreading things around. Gasket looked good around most of it though, saw drips of oil on the bolt heads mostly.

 

-One of the injectors is possibly not perfectly seated. It took a LOT of miles but there's almost a fine dusting on the last couple and on my fuel hose and pressure gauge.

 

-The seal around the oil fill cap is cracked. I'll debate whether I just get a new seal or a really nice cap around birthday time haha

 

-The plastic ring/sleeve on the backside of my horn has been cracked for a long while. Typically holds fine, but I'm stiffer bumps it falls right between my legs haha. I remember seeing some kind of 3D print replacement somewhere. I'll look into that more or figure out an original replacement.

 

-The screws that hold up the fresh air vent thingamabob switch thing are M5x... .5. no one carries them locally but it's finally time to bolt this thing up and not have it just dangling around under the dash by the passenger foot well.

 

- Finally - looks like I need to do even more about heat, especially off the transmission tunnel. My cup holder from Milkfab was getting nice and hot and turning my drinks into tea by the end. The cabin stays nice and cool despite no AC for now. The lizard skin SERIOUSLY helps, but I think I need to coat the underside so less heat gets into the metal to begin with. 

 

-Another consideration is using my vented hood. It's been sitting outside my dad's shed for a while, but I'm debating getting it sand blasted then paint matched and swapping to it. The other option is a carbon hood. Either way, I need to get heat out of the engine bay.

 

 

All Things considered, pretty small things for a nearly 50 year old car built by a music teacher who does this as a hobby with this as my only experience building a car

[1969honda]

Glad to hear it's working well Omar!

 

For the m5 bolts I would check out McMaster-Carr online or in Ogden of 19th W and about 28th S is Bolt & Nut supply. 

 

On the insulation you could maybe run some mass loaded vinyl with a foil barrier under you carpet?

[Zetsaz]

9 hours ago, 1969honda said:

Glad to hear it's working well Omar!

 

For the m5 bolts I would check out McMaster-Carr online or in Ogden of 19th W and about 28th S is Bolt & Nut supply. 

 

On the insulation you could maybe run some mass loaded vinyl with a foil barrier under you carpet?

 

Most of the interior is well coated, the cup holder and something like the shifter are the few "open" areas that can't be be totally sealed off or are going to get hot over time anyway.

 

The entire interior is coated in lizard skin and everything but the roof has dynamat. No issues with anything carpeted as far as heat goes.

 

I think at this point the issue is preventing as much heat as possible from getting to the metal to begin with by treating the underside with more lizard skin ceramic or some kind of transmission tunnel cover. In town and really in a drive less than an hour or two you'd never notice it 

[BJSZED]

Omar,

 

Do you think the coolant leak is coming from the NPT threads into the head ? What did you seal those threads with ? I'm about to do the coolant mod and am trying to figure what's best to seal the threads. I was considering just using blue silicone as I've used that before to seal badly damaged threads or using blue locktite.

 

[Zetsaz]

3 hours ago, BJSZED said:

Omar,

 

Do you think the coolant leak is coming from the NPT threads into the head ? What did you seal those threads with ? I'm about to do the coolant mod and am trying to figure what's best to seal the threads. I was considering just using blue silicone as I've used that before to seal badly damaged threads or using blue locktite.

 

 

Based on the mark on the exhaust manifold I think it's coming from the NPT to AN adapter on top of the extension. Looks like it's sort of "spraying" so really only leaking when it's really hot on the long drive. Doesn't seem to drip or anything otherwise, just need to tighten it a bit more when I'm back home.

 

I've just used basic white thread sealant on NPT threads or the BSPT threads and haven't had issues honestly. (Using the fluid one, not the tape stuff)