280zex Posted November 8, 2009 Share Posted November 8, 2009 So now that I have some running/driving time on my setup I had to make some changes. First off I replaced all the plastic pipe pieces with aluminum and silicone. I had originaly used the spectre peices due to the price and availability. I knew they wouldn't last long as their design is for intake not the pressure side. Yes one of the elbows ruptured but theres always a schmucks close by and the part was replaced easily and cheaply. Heat soak is (was) also an issue. I noticed that the fuel in the float bowl closest to the exhaust manifold would boil and flood the secondary side of the carb after shutting it off. I didn't have this issue while running. So I purchased a fuel rail cooling fan (ebay) and an adjustable fan controller from Hayden. So far the fuel boiling issue is gone, but it is getting to be winter so I'll have to wait till summer to see if this solves my issues. So far so good. I made some more carb changes as well. I removed the secondary side pump arm as it was getting too much fuel pump when i put my foot in it. So no more double pumper. Now the car launches much better! I installed a Mallory uni-lite dizzy so that I could lock out the timing advance curve. I run at 18 deg timing. this keeps the detonation gremlins at bay. When I first installed the Mallory I didn't use the recomended ballast resistor. The accel super street coil lasted about 3 days until it overheated and died. That coil was internaly resisted but died anyway. I now have an MSD blaster2 coil and the Mallory ballast resistor installed. This works but the spark is much weaker so I might install a Mallory trigger box. The hyfire with rev limiter. I also changed my motor oil from castrol 5w-30 synthetic to Mobil1 0w-30. I think my engine will consume a bit when cold due to having forged pistons. I'll find out soon enough. Next round of work needed is to have the exhaust mainfold/down pipe sand blasted and coated. I will also be wrapping the down pipe and getting a turbo blanket. I still need to fab a heat shield to help protect the front brake line/ master cylinder. I noticed things getting too hot for my liking. I don't know the exact temps but the front brake line splitter gets too hot to touch and thats no good. I would like to have a short 4 inch to 3 inch aluminum pipe welded to my carb hat as the silicone coupler rubs the hood. However the hat is cast aluminum and I dunno how to weld it. I may also change the cam to a smaller duration. I'm currently using a 280deg/480 lift. I'm serously thinking about going to 260deg/480 lift.. Heres the pix.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
280zex Posted November 23, 2009 Author Share Posted November 23, 2009 Upgrades/update. My wallet hurts So I just installed my air/water inercooler and pump. The i/c is a perfect fit!! I still need to get the water radiator but everything else is set to run. The water pump is a live well marine pump rated at 550gph at 12 vdc. It was half the price of the bosch pump but is only good to 115f water temp. Life span is warrenteed to 1500hours. I'm kinda out on a limb with this but hopefuly it'll work out well. I was in need of a new carb as well. The current carb I have is at the end of a useful life. Manufacture date is 8/1975!! Oddly enough I ran into some of my old shifter cart racing buddies and got a chance to talk to my (racing) arch enemy. Turns out he's now employed by a Nascar team. Nascar uses the Holley 390cfm 4bbl double pumper carb!! Turns out that my buddy just got done with a test/tune on the 2010 team car and is willing to give up the carb on the test car!!!!!!!!! Hot damn I say cuz mines a falling apart and I use the 390 carb on my 280Z. Wierd how things turn out eh?? However theres a catch. I don't get the metering blocks and all the air bleeds will be removed. Possibly due to private carb tune info?? A freebee is still cool with me!!! Here's the pix of my current work.. The water pump mounted.. Air to water innercooler mounted.. Carb hat mounted/current state of madness!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pat1 Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 looks great. I had a turbo toms set up about 13 years ago and loved it. It was a suck through system. I wish I never sold it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PanzerAce Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 Gotta be honest, every time I see a well done holley carb setup on a Z, I'm *this* close to running out to my Z, removing the mikunis, and dropping one in in their place. Ease of tuning, cheap parts, could go to any shop to tune.... Looking forward to more info on your build. Maybe a gas mileage report (some people won't care, but I always like to know).' Also, why the water/air rather than air/air intercooler? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
280zex Posted November 23, 2009 Author Share Posted November 23, 2009 (edited) I went with the a/w cooler for 2 reasons. 1 I didn't want all the extra piping for the charge side. 2 I didn't want a standard inercooler visible in the front of my car. There's a fellow on zcar thats going blowthrough on a set of su tripples. Sounds cool so far. Can't wait to hear it boosted!! Gas milage is about 17mpg average. Edited November 23, 2009 by 280zex forgot mpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 That's what I got with triple mikuinis boosting to 350rwhp in daily driving 22 mile one-way through Carbon Canyon to work from corona to brea every day...plus some weekend running around and club events. Same basic setup as Gumbys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
280zex Posted November 23, 2009 Author Share Posted November 23, 2009 (edited) Hey Tony what to do about that darn pesky heat soak?? I'm actualy thinking about plumming in the intake fittings on the bottom of the manifold into my a/w inercooler. The ones that are for warming up the bottom of the carb via engine coolant. I still need a turbo blanket.. Edited November 23, 2009 by 280zex Bad Grammer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LowCarbZ Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 That's what I got with triple mikuinis boosting to 350rwhp in daily driving 22 mile one-way through Carbon Canyon to work from corona to brea every day...plus some weekend running around and club events. Same basic setup as Gumbys. Is there a build thread on your car's setup? I'm interested in more info on this... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
280zex Posted November 23, 2009 Author Share Posted November 23, 2009 I haven't setup a build sheet/faq yet. There is so much work I have done over the years that is an undertaking unto itself. Also I don't want to post up miss-leading info either. There is a well known Z-shop thats willing to give up dyno time once I get the carb and water cooler installed. So far I'm totaly cought off guard as to how well this setup is running power wise!! The clutch is about done from too much right foot action. My rwhp "guess" is 250 with 8lbs boost. The shop with the dyno has an ACT clutch setup that should do the trick. I'm not after major HP with this setup. I was after the "holy @#$%!!" factor. However it does run damn well so far!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
280zex Posted November 23, 2009 Author Share Posted November 23, 2009 On a side note. NO computers/electronics were harmed in the making of this turbo setup Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted November 24, 2009 Share Posted November 24, 2009 Heat soak was not an issue with the standard issue Mikuini Cooling Bodies...even without an intercooler and 10psi. When the gas formulations changed, though, it got bad... nothing to do but to go EFI. I gave up at that point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
280zex Posted November 24, 2009 Author Share Posted November 24, 2009 A machinest friend said mabe we could make some type of water cooled aluminum heat sink underneath the fuel bowl.Or even make our own water cooled fuel bowl. I was also thinking of having the heat shield I made ceramic coated. I know the turbo blanket will work and wraping the dp too. There is soooooooo much information that the design side of my brain is going 10k mph!! I have been reading up on the body aero stuff as well. Boy do I need to make improvements. I know the potential to have a truly"super Z" is possible but my wallets a screaming!! I have the will but lack funding. I lost the sweet-a 100k a year job and now make 30k. I HATE BUDGETS!!!!!!!! I would like to get with a moderator or a very knowledgable Z person here and put forth a faq for blowthrough/holley. Its not that hard realy I just gota get the RIGHT info to put forth for others who wana go the different turbo road. Research is the key!!! Knowledge is better. Having the wisdom to combine the two and make it a reality is truly powerful!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted November 24, 2009 Share Posted November 24, 2009 What different turbo road, this is all old hat stuff, there really isn't anything new here...it's all pretty much been done, it's just a matter of reinventing the wheel every 10 years or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
280zex Posted November 25, 2009 Author Share Posted November 25, 2009 I know this has been done many times before. I'm just not a big fan of efi. I know it, I've built it, I've modded the hell out of it. It's just not my thing. Realy I'd love to go gumbys route but on a rb and go kinda ratrod super freaky 60's styling with no electronics. Hide the wires. Go like black and copper with twisted stainless. Make my own valve cover that has Datsun on it. Mabe outa carbon/lexan and copper lettering. Just let them freaky designs outa the box. Don't get me wrong I'n mot preaching a better road. Far from it realy. I'd be nice to have a stock 76(or what ever) year just to drive. Mines got a tude. I realy miss my STOCK 1980 280zx. Best damn car I ever owned. I'd give up my 2007 sc VW jetta in a second to have sutch a low milage perfectly maintained zx. I drove all around just to be in that car!! Man I do miss that one. Just thinking that some @#$%^&^%$$%^&^#$%# killed my car makes me cry!! Total loss. FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF. Sorry I miss my baby so. I took like 10 hours to polish each rim( the only NON stock part/s) with a tooth brush!! Sha-Shine!!!!!!! I have pix of what was left after the accident but don't wana even look at them...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
proxlamus© Posted December 4, 2009 Share Posted December 4, 2009 Do I see a polished aluminum pipe and silicone couplers on your injector cooling fan?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
280zex Posted December 4, 2009 Author Share Posted December 4, 2009 Shiny yes but its the cheapo shucks stuff I had laying around. I was after the coldest possible air source for the fan intake. I may even modify the snorkel/output side to flow the air under the fuel bowl. Thats my hot spot right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAG58 Posted December 7, 2009 Share Posted December 7, 2009 Shiny Only thing that's important. And nice use of your cooling fan, excellent setup overall, I hope you see some solid performance out of it. Is it on a stock bottom end? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
280zex Posted December 9, 2009 Author Share Posted December 9, 2009 Nothing is "stock" anymore. F54 turbo block, ARP studs/bolts. 87 mm forged pistons with a 10cc dish. Felpro turbo head gasket. Not shure what the difference is but the parts store listed it as an option. N42 head with custom sworl headed, stainless valves and seats. Mild port/polish. Not shaved by me but measured with about.005 thinner than factory. I'm guesing the previous owner had it "shaved" or whatever. The polishing the p/o did was a nice touch though! Custom cam grind from Delta Cams ( Tacoma, WA ) 280/280 deg with a .480 lift @ 1.5 lift angle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big-phil Posted December 9, 2009 Share Posted December 9, 2009 Nothing is "stock" anymore. F54 turbo block, ARP studs/bolts. 87 mm forged pistons with a 10cc dish. Felpro turbo head gasket. Not shure what the difference is but the parts store listed it as an option. N42 head with custom sworl headed, stainless valves and seats. Mild port/polish. Not shaved by me but measured with about.005 thinner than factory. I'm guesing the previous owner had it "shaved" or whatever. The polishing the p/o did was a nice touch though! Custom cam grind from Delta Cams ( Tacoma, WA ) 280/280 deg with a .480 lift @ 1.5 lift angle. I bet the wallet hurts now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
280zex Posted December 9, 2009 Author Share Posted December 9, 2009 I keep all of my receipts. I have yet to add them up though as I don't realy want to know. On a guess I'd say $5000.00usd just for the engine in its current setup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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