Phantom Posted January 9, 2004 Share Posted January 9, 2004 MAS280 - Any idea of how much HP the 1 1/2" primaries cost over the 1 5/8 or 1 3/4"? Looking at flow area all of them are significantly larger per volume of exhaust than the 2 1/2 " collector they feed. It would have to be a 3" to equal the flow area of four 1 1/2" and then 3" all the way out on both sides. Do the LS1 guys have some numbers somewhere? From what I've read, the long tube headers do more for HP gain than the larger primaries. The problem is that long tubes won't fit on a Z unless you carve the unibody up. Pop N Wood - you are correct. My '77 280Z was the development mule for the JC conversion components. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mas28O Posted January 9, 2004 Share Posted January 9, 2004 I do not have any flow sheets but I know that ls1 guy go with 1 5/8 for an upgrade over stock and 1 3/4 when they use cam and heads. The 1 1/2 will not flow more than the stock headers and they might cost a few Hp at the high RPM's. Look over at http://www.ls1tech.com for more info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeromio Posted January 9, 2004 Share Posted January 9, 2004 I agree with Phantom, though I have no tech to back it up. Shorty or stock manifold are gonna be virtually the same - larger primaries are not going to do much when you're talking 5 inches of tube before the collector. Maybe if you're spooling a turbo or have a honkin big collector it matters. On my car the manifolds go to 2.5 inch and then 3. The 2.5 is the restriction and larger primaries are not going to make a noticeable difference. Long tubes are talked up quite alot as an HP adder, but there is no possible way you're gonna fit them on a Z. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Your Car is Slow Posted January 9, 2004 Share Posted January 9, 2004 Anyone have a pic of the trans mount/crossmember? Is it the same silly bent piece of metal like the JTR mount that uses the floorboards? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shift00 Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 So, whats the verdict on the Johns Car set up? I haven't read about anyone buying this kit or heard how installations went? Since this thread was originally developed in 04' Im curious If their is more "LS1 Kits" available from other suppliers as well? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PLATA Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 David the PO of my now Z had it done, the conversion has been solid with over 25k miles , all of them with a smile . Your more than welcome to visit my gallery and see her present condition Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Infidel Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 JCI was the only mount supplier for years and years, they are good to go. There are some new shops making mounts now in the last year, but I havent heard a review on them yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SUNNY Z Posted November 22, 2013 Share Posted November 22, 2013 So, whats the verdict on the Johns Car set up? I haven't read about anyone buying this kit or heard how installations went? Since this thread was originally developed in 04' Im curious If their is more "LS1 Kits" available from other suppliers as well? I built my own for about $10. Fit my dual 3" exhaust, and installed easily with 4 bolts. I thought the JCI kit was cheesy and overpriced, personally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktm Posted November 23, 2013 Share Posted November 23, 2013 I built my own for about $10. Fit my dual 3" exhaust, and installed easily with 4 bolts. I thought the JCI kit was cheesy and overpriced, personally. You did not build it for $10 as the JCI kit also includes a driveshaft which, at a minimum, is $250. Additionally, the JCI kit is coated (I do not know the coating but it looks annodized) whereas yours is most likely raw carbon steel. Your welds most likely look like they have slag over them and are unfinished whereas the JCI kit looks very well made. So, let's not talk smack, eh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SUNNY Z Posted November 23, 2013 Share Posted November 23, 2013 (edited) You did not build it for $10 as the JCI kit also includes a driveshaft which, at a minimum, is $250. Additionally, the JCI kit is coated (I do not know the coating but it looks annodized) whereas yours is most likely raw carbon steel. Your welds most likely look like they have slag over them and are unfinished whereas the JCI kit looks very well made. So, let's not talk smack, eh? I was referring to the trans crossmember in the above post. I will have about $100 in the motor and trans mounts when I'm done, +350 for a good driveshaft (not some 2.5" steel thing that i wouldnt trust to 300whp). The JCI mounts work, I have used them. They are bulky and old fashioned, but they do work. And you're right about the welds. Maybe I should just find another hobby. Edited November 23, 2013 by SUNNY Z Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebekahsZ Posted November 23, 2013 Share Posted November 23, 2013 Calm down, fellas, lets be friends...,everybody gets testy when the tracks shut down for winter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Infidel Posted November 23, 2013 Share Posted November 23, 2013 You did not build it for $10 as the JCI kit also includes a driveshaft which, at a minimum, is $250. Additionally, the JCI kit is coated (I do not know the coating but it looks annodized) whereas yours is most likely raw carbon steel. Your welds most likely look like they have slag over them and are unfinished whereas the JCI kit looks very well made. So, let's not talk smack, eh? LOL, this guy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktm Posted November 24, 2013 Share Posted November 24, 2013 (edited) Admittedly, I was in a bad mood and a bit drunk when I posted. Not a good combination and I regret what I posted. My apologies. Still the kit is good value considering what it may cost someone who cannot weld and would have to take it to a shop to have one fabricated. It does come with the driveshaft as well. Edited November 24, 2013 by ktm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qwik240z Posted November 27, 2013 Author Share Posted November 27, 2013 The JCI mounts are far from Cheesy. They are well engineered and made very solid and are nearly a bolt in. They position the engine in a great location so that it is far back in the engine bay and you can still hook up heater hoses, etc. They place the shifter so it comes out of the stock location. I had my JCI equipped LS! 240Z for almost 10 years and I was very happy with it. For those of you that don't want to build your own mounts, these mounts are highly recommended. The drivers side engine mount is designed so the steering clears and the mounts include stiffening plates for the stock motor mount towers. As to the transmission mount, I can't speak as when I did the swap, JCI only had a version for the 280Z and my car was a 240Z. We fabbed up a trans mount that tied into the custom full length sub frame connectors we installed. Overall, The JCI engine mounts are an easy way to get the LS1 into your Z car in the proper position. For $300, It is a cheap investment. It will save you hours of fabrication and design time. It will save you so much time as you will not have to install and remove the engine numerous times. Just install the JCI mounts, then install the engine. One time and move on to the rest of the project. It was a no brainer for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zfan1 Posted November 27, 2013 Share Posted November 27, 2013 Good quality mounts, yes but a bit bulky. I used them in my recent conversion but probably would go another route in a future build. Not dogging the kit but just to see what else can be done to make more room for headers, etc. We fabbed our own trans mount as we went with a 4L80E in my 240 and nobody offered a kit for that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebekahsZ Posted November 27, 2013 Share Posted November 27, 2013 I would bet that JCI could make a better trans mount, but expect the cost to go up. When you are trying to make money with a low volume sales product, you gotta keep production costs down. We can do anything we want with a welder and some metal IF we price our own labor cost at zero dollars. You can do that on a hobby, but in a business. I am very happy with my JCI kit. I don't weld and I have had zero problems with it from a fit and reliability standpoint. Everything lined up in the car perfectly-and that is what I was most concerned about. I had trouble with the driveshaft that they originally sold me, but they were GREAT about standing by it and heavily discounting the replacement driveshaft. The fit and finish was fine, but it was not up to drag racing with a standard trans and slicks, but I don't think they planned for that item to get racing use and they never advertised it for such. Great customer service. I would definitely use them again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikey303LSZ Posted November 28, 2013 Share Posted November 28, 2013 I used all JCI parts. John provides good service and backs up what he sells should there be an issue. All parts bolt in as described and it saved me tons of time pulling the engine in and out multiple times to mock up and build components from scratch and hope fitment issues wouldn't pop up 10 steps later when trying to install steering linkage, exhaust etc. Like all aspects in life everything can be improved. It's much easier improving the previously developed leveraging lessons learned vs being a pioneer developing a path for others. I highly recommend the JCI setup. I feel it's good value for what you get and it gave me a HUGE jump start from where I would be without the parts. I made a few "improvements" along the way and won't be critical of such things as I wasn't the pioneer running a business helping guys like us out. Theodore Roosevelt sums it up well a quote called The Man in the Arena... Feel free to PM if you have questions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dreco Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 I finally got around to installing my engine and t56 using John's kit. I was pleased with the install. Everything looks to line up. JTR headers fit as advertised. So far so good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Posted December 14, 2013 Share Posted December 14, 2013 As the original JCI kit owner - yes it was developed on my car - I have been more than satisfied. Everything John's guys did on my car is still there and working fine after 10 years and 35,000 miles plus trck time at Texas Motorplex, Mustang Ranch, Texas Motor Speedway, and Renegade Raceway plus a large number of spontaneous "competitive events" that fall into the category of "do as I say, not as I do. I have every component at John offers except the transmission mount. He developed that after he did my car because he felt the torque tube set-up he installed on my car was too elaborate. The cross member he offers is lighter, less expensive and easier to install even though the torque tube takes a little stress out of the body. My son, DarthZ, has a 240 with some of his components and they are also performing as advertised in a lighter car with even more HP. John was very professional and easy to work with? The guys in his shop were old school and very experienced in their crafts. They could go toe-to-toe with any of the shops we watch TV episodes on. He'd be more fun to watch though as he owns his own railroad. He has a short track that ties in with the main lines and he periodically takes his private train on a run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
socorob Posted December 14, 2013 Share Posted December 14, 2013 He'd be more fun to watch though as he owns his own railroad. He has a short track that ties in with the main lines and he periodically takes his private train on a run. So does that make him a double engineer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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