My Engine Build

[Ben's Z]

Ok, took my head to Scroggins Machine in Houston. Let me say what a first class operation they have there. Bobby the lead machinist knows his stuff and is a great guy to talk to. He looked at me head and said. "I owned one of these cars and this cam is going to be fine, don't worry about it. He said one thing you can do is completely remove one set of cam tower alignment dowels to assist in getting the cam to spin better. I had never heard of this but it makes sense. The towers are not going anywhere once bolted down and certainly not when you put the head bolts through it.

My disaster story gets even better though. I believe this error is 25% my fault and 75% ARP Fastener's fault.

So I open up and install my head studs. The directions say 7/16 head studs, torque to 80 ft lbs (odd factory is 60 N/A Turbo is 65) in a 3 step sequence. Well I had torqued it to 60 before I took the head to Scroggins Machine so I never took it to 80. Well I get it back and because it said 7/16" on the instructions I used 12 pt 1/2 drive socket. I get to nut #9 on the 80 ft lbs. sequence and I ROUND OFF an ARP nut. I couldn't believe how ****ty my life was. Swearing I stomped in to the house and unloaded on ARP and their overpriced crap over on hybridz. Quickly I was called out for being an idiot as it is 12mm and torque to 60 ft lbs. I snapped a picture of the instructions and posted it over there and they said "you got the wrong instruction sheet". OMG! I called ARP, explained I didn't have the box, but just an invoice from one of my customer jobber stores and picture of the instructions. They stepped up and sent me the correct amount of studs and a new nut AND THE CORRECT INSTALL INSTRUCTIONS! Kudos to ARP! I later found out from a buddy at hybrid that sometimes ARP will use SAE nuts on cars that are metric, like the early Datsun convertibles, so while I should have second guessed what was going on....well....

Well, everything is going well again and by Sunday my motor should be all done.

I am using some VHT high heat paint to dress up my timing cover and some other items before I put the front cover on.

Here are some pictures of the engine tonight.

Hoping to install engine and trans as a unit in the next few weekends.

[grannyknot]

Ben you sure have been through the wringer on this one, hope all goes well now and you get to fire it up shortly.

Chris

[rcb280z]

Ben, what's the latest on your project?

[Ben's Z]

Ben, what's the latest on your project?

Got the motor and trans installed as a unit. Ordered a turbo rebuild kit from goop turbo shop, but I found cracks in my turbo housing, so I need another turbo and that needs to go back. I stated in a new thread that I cannot get the clutch fork to move enough to get the slave cylinder to reattach to the bell housing. I hate the thought of having to remove the engine again, this time by itself, to fix the clutch fork and whatever is holding it up. I'm not sure how hard a clutch fork is supposed to be to push on manually.

[Ben's Z]

Getting my bake on!

Been using the oven a lot of the last few weeks. I really recommend VHT high temp paint. I used it on my timing cover, and 280zx AC compressor mount in an aluminum color. I now have my exhaust manifold baking at 400 and then again at 600 in "Cast Iron" color. Should be interesting to see how this holds up with a turbo mounted to it.

[Ben's Z]

I'm not dead, but this is all taking much longer than I thought. I fixed my throwout collar issue by buying a 280zxt bearing collar. With the help of ZCurves we had the trans in and out and the problem solved in about 1 hour. Wrestling the trans on the garage floor is much easier with two dudes. I sourced a 0 mile stock rebuilt T3 Garrett and an MSA S30 swap downpipe unused out of a guy in New Hampshire at hybridz. I got the turbo bolted on but then my oil return tube wouldn't bolt to the turbo and have enough clearance between the return tube on the turbo oil pan. I think my tube may have been bent, during removal from the parts car, either way I got it on there with some Sanford and Son work. I am also using a N42 intake and low and behold the damn PCV valve interferes with the pressurized side of the outlet on the turbo. Well off the intake came AGAIN. I used a brass NPT elbow that gave me more clearance now the PCV rides horizontally off the bottom of the intake. I ordered a FMIC and IC piping kit off of ebay today. Still need a wideband (thinking AEM) manual boost controller, and BOV. I have a 6 week year old baby girl, thank god my mother in law has been here helping out, otherwise this thing would have been put on hold until about 2016. I also found a MSA fiberglass 240z bumper on craigslist that I bought in Austin.

Here are some pictures before the motor and trans was installed as a unit about 1 month ago. And some of the other heartache. I also attached a picture of my VHT hightemp exhaust manifold paint. Ok, for starters this will wizz off your wife who gets about 4 hours sleep every night because of your newborn. The aroma in the house is not be confused with anything made by "Toll House" or "Nestle".

[Bonzi Lon]

You should know not to use anyone's (wife's) tools (oven) without permission, especially when stressed (new baby).

Bonzi Lon