1973 240Z Build

[UofA_ZCar]

And the AN fittings have arrived!

 

 

I've never assembled an AN fitting/braided fuel line before, I found this video to be helpful:

 

 

Here is the return fuel line I made today and how I ran it:

 

 

 

[UofA_ZCar]

So I took a break from fuel lines and installed new wheel bearings, 280Z stub axles, the Desert Z rear disc Brake Conversion, and JMortesen's CV companion flanges.

 

Here is how I went about breaking the stub axle nut free:

 

 

 

The ratchet pins up agains the lower control arm and then I just pushed down on the bar pinned into the lugs.... broke free with no problem. I had soaked the nut in PBBlaster for a few days.

 

Painting the 280z stub axles and JMortesen companion flanges:

 

 

Flange installed:

 

 

Drums before and after Desert Z brake kit:

 

 

 

Overall I was happy with this kit especially given the price and the fact that the cable E-brake still functions! I painted the calipers "Lave Red" (a 2012 color used by Nissan)....... it has a cool orange-ish tint in the sunlight. The braided fuel lines are a bit long (from silvermine motorsports), so I will need to source a shorter set. If anyone has suggestions on where to do so it would be appreciated.

[LegnaZetr0]

great progress! Cant wait till i have the time to start cranking on my project again

[Perfect240z]

Great work! I can wait till I get to installing everything back on my Z. Still removing paint phase...

[UofA_ZCar]

The tides have changed! I have decided to ditch the L28T plan and drop an LS1 into the Z. I fancy myself as a Datsun/nissan enthusiast (my first car was a 280Z and I daily drive/wheel an Xterra) and that was the major driving force for keeping the L-series motor. The more I read about performance (HP and Handling) the more the LSX motors seemed to make sense. That being said after long though on the L28T, SR20, and LS1 I bought this:

 

 

 

From my reading the 300zx R200 LSD and CV's should hold up fine, plus I have already installed the Bad Dog sub frame connectors. I will keep the engine stock (which if my research serves me right the 2001 Camaro produced 340 HP) so my build should be able to handle the power.

 

Feel free to comment or give advice as I move forward!

[RebekahsZ]

I am about one year ahead of you with my car. Pm me any time for help. I am very happy with my stock motor. It is more power than I can safely employ. Scary fast. I have to be really careful-after a year of work I don't want to crash it. Dont get me wrong, i am about to order new rear tires already. I also used the same disc conversion and JMortensens axle kit. I used RT diff mount and just finished LSD clutch changes too so our cars will basically be twins.

[UofA_ZCar]

Installed the John's Car's LS1 body mounts today. It is a nice kit with great instructions, but it did still take some persuasion with a rubber mallet and grinder to install it.

 

Braket sandwiched between the cross member and unibody:

 

 

Engine mounts installed:

 

[UofA_ZCar]

Thanks RebekahsZ..... I'm sure I'll need plenty of help along the way.

 

 

Did I few "tinkering in the garage" style things today.

 

Removed the EVAP and plugged the hole in the manifold with a 1.5 inch rubber stopper from Ace Hardware. I was told the engine came out of a 2001 camaro but everything I read says that after 2000 the manifolds should be EVAP free??

 

 

 

 

Changed the reverse light switch to one with a 90 degree bend, so I don't have to bang out the transmission tunnel. What I didn't read in the other build threads is that the new switch has a male electrical fitting and the original switch had female. So now I have a harness with a male electrical plug and a switch with a male electrical plug. I will have to roam the electrical isle at home depo and figure out a remedy.

 

 

 

 

Finally I turned the Skip Shift solenoid into a plug by grinding it in half and filling it with silicone gasket maker.

 

 

[UofA_ZCar]

Installed the Tilton clutch master cylinder last night (Summit part number TIL-75-975U). I swapped the push rod (I don't know the official name) from the z master cylinder into the Tilton so it would bolt up to the clutch pedal. I went with the 4oz resevoir since it was about the size of the stock camaro reservior.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[UofA_ZCar]

Test fit the engine over the weekend and had some celebratory Chimay!

 

This is the part of the LS1 black you have to trim

 

JCI passenger engine mount (driver side reuses the stock F-body mount):

 

 

 

 

The only issue I have noticed so far:

 

The back of my alternator didn't clear the motor mount. This kinda pisses me of as I found a F-body LS1 specifically because I thought all the accessories would clear. I have't had time to look further into it and see if I just need to trim the black cover on the back of the alternator.

 

The big question:

 

I still need to install a new clutch and the headers. It looks like there is enough room to drop the transmission without pulling the engine. If that is the case then I wont have to pull the engine back out. If anyone knows for sure and can spare some insight that would be great!

[UofA_ZCar]

Engine and transmission are back out. No one answered my question regarding being able to pull the transmission without pulling the engine, but my guess is no. It doesn't seem like you can move the transmission far enough rearward for the output shaft to clear the clutch pressure plate.

 

Today i changed the rear main seal and pilot bearing on the LS1. Also replaced the front and rear output shaft seals on the T56; as well as replacing the slave/throwout bearing combo.

 

I couldn't find any good write ups on changing the front output shaft seal on the T56, so here are the steps:

 

Remove the dozen or so 15mm bolts

 

 

Split the case apart being careful not to pull the output shaft off. I put a jack stand against it to hold it on place:

 

 

Pull the bearing races out:

 

 

Tap the old seal out (front to back):

 

 

Now go wash the bell housing. Then tap the new seal in using an equal sized socket (back to front)

 

 

Clean the sealing surface and then put some RVT gasket maker on there.

 

 

Then bolt it back together using the time protocol in the RVT directions. Bolt torque should be 37 ft/lbs. Make sure you line everything up and ease it together.

 

 

I also couldn't find any pictures of how to install the russell fitting on the slave cylinder so here it is:

 

 

This is the pin you have to tap out:

 

 

[UofA_ZCar]

Spent today finishing a few things so I'll be ready to drop the engine in for the final time later this week! Ground a few unneeded mounting tabs off the engine bay, finalized the fuel feed line, and fixed the alternator clearance issue.

 

I ground the alternator lower mounting bracket and the bolt head to allow more clearance between the bolt head at accessory belt. I also ground down the ground line bolt on the back of alternator so it will now clear the Cross member engine mount.

 

[UofA_ZCar]

 

 

Then engine is back in the Z! My John's Cars engine mounts worked great but sadly I'm having fitment issues with the transmission mount. It seems to have been bent incorrectly but I have an email into john and hopefully it will be resolved soon.

 

I also installed the drivers side Sanderson header and to my surprise I had a clearance issue. One of the drivers side engine mount bolt holes that are in the block was contacting one of the header tubes well before the flange was flush agains the head. I had to grind down that part of the block about an 1/8 (or less) of an inch.

 

Next time I'm in the garage I will tackle the passenger side and bending the dip stick tube to fit around the header.

[UofA_ZCar]

While I wait for John from John's Cars to get beck to me about the T56 transmission mount that doesn't fit I decide to finish up my braided fuel lines. The set up is:

 

Sumped stock tank --> Russel filter --> Walbro fuel pump --> Corvette filter/regulator --> 3/8 hard line to engine bay --> stock Ls1 fuel rail. The return line comes off the corvette filter/regulator.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I ditched the idea of mounting the filter/regulator in the engine bay due to spacing issues. So I removed the 3/8 hard return line that I had previously bent/mounted.

[MrCleburn]

Keep up the good work, you have given me lots of incentive to rebuild my Z!

 

That Chimay is some good stuff I like the blue bottle the best

 

-Pat

[RebekahsZ]

How is your fuel pump secured? Looks like it is just floating but I know it isn't. On you fuel sump, is the left line your return? What size clutch master are you running? I have a 1" and it is quite stiff. I originally had 3/4" and it was soft but used all my pedal travel. I think 7/8" is probably best having been on both sides of it. The gray paint on the underside photos great!

[UofA_ZCar]

Keep up the good work, you have given me lots of incentive to rebuild my Z!

 

That Chimay is some good stuff I like the blue bottle the best

 

-Pat

 

Thanks! The comments help keep me motivated.

 

 

How is your fuel pump secured? Looks like it is just floating but I know it isn't. On you fuel sump, is the left line your return? What size clutch master are you running? I have a 1" and it is quite stiff. I originally had 3/4" and it was soft but used all my pedal travel. I think 7/8" is probably best having been on both sides of it. The gray paint on the underside photos great!

 

I drilled two holes in the gas tank strap and welded a bolt onto it (threads facing away from the tank). Then I just slipped the walbro bracket onto it and then a bolt.

 

Drivers side is the return and passenger side is the feed.

 

It is the 7/8 master cylinder. Feels darn near perfect with the car on jack stands ..... I'll let you know how it feel when she is on the wheels doing a burnout!

[UofA_ZCar]

I decided that John from John's Cars is not going to get back to me regarding the POOR fitment of the T56 transmission mount. So after slotting where the rubber mount attaches to the trans, slotting the steel mount where it attaches to the rubber mount, and "messaging my transmission tunnel much more than I would like; the transmission mount is installed.

 

 

I also installed the John's Cars driveshaft today. Seems to be a very high quality piece. My original driveshaft bolts are a bit short for my taste. For those for you who have used this driveshaft, did you reuse the original bolts or buy new ones? If you bought new ones where did you get them?

 

 

 

 

IMHO John's cars engine mounts and driveshaft are worth using. THe transmission mount is poorly made and you are better off fabricating your own. I definitely do not like that the mount doesn't even tie into the unibody frame rails. I plan to modify it so that it ties into my bad dog frame rails.

[UofA_ZCar]

I haven't made my laser pointers yet for lining up the trans output shaft with the R200 input flange, so I decided to install my Savage42 throttle cable bracket and Lokar throttle cable. Pretty straight forward, the only real "modification" necessary was drilling a hole in the throttle linkage on the firewall to accept the throttle cable. Then I just had to trim the throttle cable to fit.

 

 

 

 

 

Here is the link to the bracket from Savage42:

 

http://forums.hybridz.org/index.php/topic/83647-lsxsrrb-throttle-cable-setup-lockar-custom-bracket/page__p__792755__hl__%2Bthrottle+%2Bbracket__fromsearch__1#entry792755

[UofA_ZCar]

Since my last post I have installed the passenger side header, MSD spark plug wires + insulator socks, driveshaft, transmission mount, and the sending units for the Autometer gauges. I have also been stripping unneeded wires from the body harness and installing the chevythunder.com harness. I will do a post dedicated to the wiring once I clean up the install.

 

MSD 8.5mm super conductor wires with adjustable angle boot on the spark plug side + insulator sock (ordered on amazon):

 

 

 

Fuel pressure sending unit with Metco adaptor for fuel rail (http://www.metcomotorsports.com/proddetail.asp?prod=MFF0001):

 

 

Water temperature sending unit + adaptor:

 

 

Oil pressure sending unit + adaptor:

 

Edited November 15, 2012 by UofA_ZCar