Guest Tom Simpson Posted March 19, 2001 Share Posted March 19, 2001 I'm running a mild 350 that has.... .030 over HEI ignition .443/.465/.262 cam dart iron eagle heads with 1.94 valves cast flat tops performer intake edelbrock 600 carb What should my next upgrade be? I'm thinking MSD and some nitrous but I just want some opinions......Electric water pump, electric fan, both?? ARGH! TOO MANY CHOICES! and no, I don't want to go to a wild cam. thanks in advance, Tom [This message has been edited by Tom Simpson (edited March 19, 2001).] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Racin_Jason Posted March 19, 2001 Share Posted March 19, 2001 Well a couple little things come to mind that can add up.. Upgrade the HEI with a module and external coil = more spark (and HP) after 4500rpm (this might be enough without a full MSD system..) If you dont already have them..headers and an open air cleaner should be first on the list. Roller rockers will reduce some friction and heat, giving a few ponies too. Electric fans are a given on these cars it seems. Unless you have a 14" long spacer for the mechanical fan..and we know that would look sharp! Electric waterpump is not needed on a street car. The benefit of electrics doesnt outweigh the simplicity, flow or low cost of a mechanical IMO. I'd do alittle research on cast pistons+nitrous before you start bottle feeding your baby. They can certainly handle some..but you need to know your limit before you start spraying. Beyond that is getting into the serious MONEY. If you want to really up the ante you should consider a hydro-roller cam or maybe a 383 stroker kit. Best of luck! Jason Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tom Simpson Posted March 19, 2001 Share Posted March 19, 2001 I was just going to buy the 6A box and the coil made for the HEI by MSD..... As far as fans go I only have 3" or so between the water pump and radiator(car was built as a daily driver and to stay nice and cool)......so anyways, can i put a big ole pusher electric on the other side? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Fast Frog Posted March 19, 2001 Share Posted March 19, 2001 Tim: A lot has to do with how much you have/want to spend. Jason's given great advise in his reply. I would go with an upgraded ignition with something like an MSD 6000A or 6000AL. Many guys opt for an elect fan-I've got a Black Magic 150. Some guys run a Taurus fan. Jason's right about the elect water pump-only for racing. If you have the $$, go for a complete hyd roller cam setup. Dart hds are OK (I've never used them), a good set of aluminum hds are even better-like Dart Sportmans, Edelbrock, Brodix-but $$$ come into play again. I've had my 76Z now for 25 yrs, and have done almost everything to it-wild cams, turbocharging even nitrous with a Marvin Miller kit 20 yrs ago. Recently (6 yrs ago), I went V8 and even supercharged it with a Paxton SC. My advise for these kinds of performance upgrades is to build for them as you build and improve your car. Don't do these as an "afterthought". Building a engine to eventually run Nit, a turbo or a SC is done a little differently than an engine that is naturally aspirated. As you can tell from surfing the forums here at HybridZ, the expertise on these matters are top shelf-probably the best on the net-at least relating to Z cars! Good luck!! Rick [This message has been edited by Fast Frog (edited March 19, 2001).] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Bayley Posted March 19, 2001 Share Posted March 19, 2001 Tom, be aware of the MSD 6A's lack of high voltage tach output. The stock Datsun Tach uses a high voltage pickup off the ignition coil. When I switched over to MSD, I had a hell of a time getting the stock tach to work. None of the adapters worked that MSD sold me (this was five years ago, I've heard they got better). I eventually got one of their units to work, but only untill 4000 rpm. That wasn't good enough for me, I eventually switched to an aftermarket tach. MSD wasn't much help when it came to troubleshooting my tach problem. As for the performance increase, this was virtually nill. However, start up was noticably better and the idle was improved. As far as best "bang for the buck" goes. Nitrous wins, hands down! With a relatively basic small block (stock internals), it is safe to spray a 100 - 125 shot without worrying about too much. Anything over that would raise concerns. Now, I'm not saying that Nitrous is the god-sent end all to high horsepower... but it is the cheapest, easiest and most efficient way to greatly increase power output. Good Luck, -Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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