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ANOTHER Datsun Z/LS3/T56 Swap Thread


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27 minutes ago, 280Z-LS3 said:

Does the wax smell as bad as I've heard?

 

It is very smelly when first applied, but I think that is primarily the carrier fluid which quickly evaporates....

 

After a few days I cannot really detect an odor to it, but keep in mind this is all in my shop which is full of various smelly chemicals.

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  • 3 weeks later...

It's designed for drifting...but if I ever use it for that you can shoot me....

 

It's just a rear emergency brake.  It has its own master cylinder and only activates the rear brakes.  It also has a line-lock lever downstream which you can flip to use as a (temporary) parking brake.  The car has no proper parking brake.  Basically I won't be parking it on steep hills unless I want to chock the tires.

 

Honestly...one of the big reasons I included the handbrake is in case I ever need to get rolling on a hill....lol.  You know...to keep the car from rolling backwards.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I added quite a bit of heat shielding before dropping in the engine and transmission.  Most of it is DEI "Floor and Tunnel Shield II".  The small rectangular shields on the frame rails are pieces of aluminum covered with the DEI stuff.  

 

I had thought that my brake lines and wiring harness were far enough from the headers to be safe, but then I saw a YouTube video detailing how someone else's LS3 swapped small car had completely lost brakes because the header heat burned through both fire sleeve and then the teflon lines.  Although in this case it looked like his brake lines were only maybe one inch from the header tubes.  Mine are four or five inches away, but it still seemed like the heat shields were a good idea.

 

The floor/tunnel shield seems like a good product and sticks very well, but the high heat tape from DEI for covering gaps and edges was kind of....meh.  It just doesn't stick as well as it should.  I guess heat resistant adhesive just doesn't have the holding power of something like duct tape.

 

Overall fairly slow progress, in large part because shipping is so screwed up it takes forever to get anything sent to me.   I thought I would have the car making noise by Xmas, and that isn't going to happen.

 

Thanks for looking.

 

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Well done as usual! 

 

What hose did you use for the dry sump system?  Gary at ARE is an advocate of Aeroquip Push Loc.  I want to make sure scavenge lines from pan to pump are rated for enough vacuum so they don't collapse, everything else is such low pressure most anything will work.  Not sure how much vacuum my 3 stage will make per line but certain a hose rated at 28mm hg will be fine, 20mm hg not sure.  I like the idea of Teflon (ptfe) lined hose because it will last forever but does come at a premium price.  Steel outer braid is not necessary for me so a lighter weight synthetic outer braid is preferred.  Some of the brands I am looking into are Earls Ultra Pro (ptfe), Areo Quip and Fragola.

 

Oh, did you use an oil tank heater and oil thermostat before the cooler?

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I used Earl's Ultra-pro for oil, fuel, and coolant, the steel braided variety for fuel and oil and the fabric braided for coolant. I initially planned on using it just for fuel, because the Teflon lining is impervious to alcohol fuel additives, but I liked it so much I used it in the other applications as well.  If you have ever used the traditional rubber-lined steel braided hose, I think the Ultra-pro is a huge improvement because it is much MUCH more flexible, and thus vastly easier to work with.  I used the traditional rubber lined hose for my diff cooler plumbing, just because I had some laying around from another project, and I hate the stuff in comparison.  It doesn't want to bend...

 

I agree the steel braid probably isn't essential, but the rules require it for fuel lines that run through the passenger compartment (mine do for about a foot).  It is also nice insurance for critical lines since the steel braid makes them pretty much immune to abrasion damage.

 

I don't know if Gary advocates the Push Loc because he stocks it or he stocks it because he advocates it, but he tried to sell me a bunch of it when I was there.  I'm sure it works well but I have just never felt right about push lock hoses (Earl's has their own variety) for critical applications involving any pressure.  I used the Earl's push lock ("Super Stock" IIRC) for my crankcase breather hoses.  For practical purposes I think XRP, Earl's, Aeroquip, Goodridge and Fragola are all pretty much equivalent brands.  I have used all five brands over the years and cannot really even tell them apart.  I would just avoid the Chinese copies like the plague. 

 

No oil tank heater.  I did use this thermostat for the oil cooling:  https://www.improvedracing.com/remote-engine-transmission-oil-filter-mount-with-thermostat-env-170.html

Edited by Ironhead
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Good to know you like Earl's Ultra Pro because that is the front runner for me out of all the numerous brand choices.  Certainly will steer clear of the Chinese knockoff brands...

 

My game plan right now is to use the fabric braided for everything in the dry sump system except the scavenge lines.  For the scavenge lines will use the steel braided because it has a higher vacuum rating of 28mmhg vs 20mmhg for the fabric covered hose.  Better safe than sorry...

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19 minutes ago, 280Z-LS3 said:

My game plan right now is to use the fabric braided for everything in the dry sump system except the scavenge lines.  For the scavenge lines will use the steel braided because it has a higher vacuum rating of 28mmhg vs 20mmhg for the fabric covered hose.  Better safe than sorry...

 

I find that curious, because with the Ultra Pro hose, the covering, be it braided stainless or fabric, is not in any way attached to the Teflon liner.  With the retro braided stainless covered rubber hose...like Earl's "Classic", the stainless braid is solidly bonded to the rubber hose to achieve a high vacuum rating.

 

With Ultra Pro the covering is just that...you can slide it right off the Teflon core.  Hard to see how the covering has any impact on preventing the Teflon from collapsing, unless the steel braid's increased rigidity helps prevent the liner from becoming oblong or egg shaped as a prelude to a collapse.

 

I couldn't find it on Earl's site, but I wager the vacuum rating of their "Performo-Flex" (standard steel braided rubber hose as been used for decades) hose is much higher.  In fact, I wager that's why they don't list it.  They consider it a "legacy" product and I think are more keen to sell the Ultra Pro.  Like I said though, the old school stuff is really rigid and harder to work with.

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It must be that the steel braid supports the hose wall helping to keep it from deforming.

 

I spoke with Joel at ormebrothers.com about hose.  He said there are only three companies in the USA that make quality hose which most companies rebrand as their own.  The non convoluted pfte he sells is really rigid and not recommended.  He steered me to BMRS, can't go wrong there right?  But I don't want the hassle of sending off lines to be crimped. 

 

Bonus, the Ultra Pro product line is on sale till end of year so need to get an order in soon.

 

Merry Christmas!

 

 

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Oh, did you use the Setreb HP recommendation to size your cooler?  I am looking at the 25 row unit spec'd for 325-425 hp.  Ultimately plan on making more in the area of 500-600 hp and the cooler in that range is huge at 40-60 rows!  I believe the recommendations are for WOT for hours at a time so thinking a smaller cooler will better fit my application.

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On 12/25/2020 at 9:27 AM, 280Z-LS3 said:

Oh, did you use the Setreb HP recommendation to size your cooler?  I am looking at the 25 row unit spec'd for 325-425 hp.  Ultimately plan on making more in the area of 500-600 hp and the cooler in that range is huge at 40-60 rows!  I believe the recommendations are for WOT for hours at a time so thinking a smaller cooler will better fit my application.

 

I followed their recommendations, and yes it resulted in a huge cooler.

 

pKj4qfy.jpg

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On 12/25/2020 at 9:03 AM, 280Z-LS3 said:

But I don't want the hassle of sending off lines to be crimped. 

 

 

 

I wanted to add, that would be unthinkable to me.  The crimped lines are light and clean looking, but I cannot count how many times I have carefully measured for a hose assembly, then after building it found it was slightly too long or short or just changed my plans entirely.

 

I actually considered buying a crimping machine....until I priced them.

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Nice work Ironhead.
Your skills in welding, fab, and bodywork have really come together, and I applaud you. Great work. I've been following along here since you shared this thread on the other site.

~3 years from inception to near completion... at this rate, you'll need to move further north and buy more land to build a hanger to store all your project cars if you average 1 project every 3 years of "retirement"!

 

Also, to hold true to my original sentiment - I just got around to gapping rings on my engine.... and you're close to almost building oil pressure. ;) My daughter turns 4 this month, so, no surprise there. LOL

 

Love the updates and photos, keep pressing on my friend!

-CL

 

Edited by UNHCLL
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12 minutes ago, UNHCLL said:

Nice work Ironhead.
Your skills in welding, fab, and bodywork have really come together, and I applaud you. Great work. I've been following along here since you shared this thread on the other site.

~3 years from inception to near completion... at this rate, you'll need to move further north and buy more land to build a hanger to store all your project cars if you average 1 project every 3 years of "retirement"!

 

Also, to hold true to my original sentiment - I just got around to gapping rings on my engine.... and you're close to almost building oil pressure. ;) My daughter turns 4 this month, so, no surprise there. LOL

 

Love the updates and photos, keep pressing on my friend!

-CL

 

 

Thanks Buddy, good to hear from you.  I won't tell anyone you're on a Datsun forum....lol.

 

I don't expect to build another car anytime soon.  Too expensive, and TBH I am getting a little tired of it and ready to move on to something else...you know....bingo....feeding the pigeons at the park...pool aerobics.  All this car work keeps ruining the velcro straps on my shoes.   Besides...I'm sure getting this thing running will be just the beginning of getting it truly "sorted".  My "other" car is currently sitting in the garage with a dead battery.  I feel a little like I have betrayed it....but this current project has absorbed pretty much all of my interest in turning wrenches.

 

Wow...4 years old.  Time flies.  That being the case, I'm surprised you even had time to write...much less build a car.  You should post some update pics nonetheless.

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Well, things are moving along.  Slowly, but moving....

 

I got the engine and transmission installed and wired.  That all went fairly smoothly.  I got the clutch working...but doing so required upping the master cylinder from .75" to .875"....for the clutch to fully release before the pedal hit the firewall.

 

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The Jeep wiper motor works and parks the wipers correctly.  Not sure there whether I was lucky or good....but it was surprisingly easy.

 

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Shifter installed.

 

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Driver's door mounted and panel lines sorted (as good as they are going to get).

 

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Honestly what has really slowed things down has been trying to route/shield/design all the engine mounts and wiring and hoses and the starter so that they are not burned by the headers.  I hope all these heat shield products do what their manufacturers claim, or the car is going up in flames soon after I start it up.

 

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Thanks for looking.

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