LeonV

How much oil does it burn, and have you done a compression test? Running rich is a separate issue, however a constantly excessive rich mixture may cause premature ring failure. There is no logical reason to discard an engine without fully diagnosing the issue(s).

How did you diagnose "bad piston rings"?

I'll pretend I didn't hear that.

Yesterday, saw a (actually my fiancee spotted it!) bluish-greyish 280Z sitting in someone's driveway in a rural community in the SC Mountains. Looked like it hadn't moved in a while. On the way back home, spotted a really clean looking silver 280Z crossing Skyline while on Woodside Road/Hwy 84 (4-corners).

Extrudabody sells kits. You'd need to add an engine management system, EFI fuel pump, baffled fuel tank, and injectors. Also, search on hybridz.org.

Get the calipers rebuilt, or buy fresh ones and get some quality tires. These two things will get you all the stopping you need. There is no way to get "50% more braking" by upgrading the system. It's not physically possible. Braking force depends on your tires. A properly maintained stock system can lock them up, i.e. the brakes can overwhelm the tires. It's not the other way around. Bigger calipers and vented disks are just buying you more heat-capacity, which is only necessary on the track. Plus, by messing with the brake balance you have the chance to not only make stopping distances worse but also to make the car dangerous to drive if not set up for variable conditions (i.e. set brake balance for highest grip case).

Do the spark plug wires clip into the spark plugs tightly, or are they loose? I ask as I had a rough-running after valve adjustment issue and it was because somehow one spark plug wire became very loose. I close up the crimp and was was good to go.

Nice pics, Walter! I now realize what those mystery holes in my floor behind the seat were for!

Great job! It must have been a pain to get around those headers!

You are welcome!

Don't drop anything into the intake (seal up the holes with something, e.g. tape) and get new gaskets while you're at it.

All sorts of Z's in Long Beach on 9/15! On a more serious note: nice orange 240Z on 19th Ave in SF at 5pm yesterday!

It's simple. Reference Blue's guide on atlanticz.ca in the "Tech Tips" section.

Those Coupes and Willys are also body-on-frame vehicles, meaning the frame can be replaced/repaired separate from the body. Not so on the (unibody) Z. Start with the best body you can unless you like to spend countless hours cutting, fabricating and welding.

Yeah, the tach is the last thing to figure out. I'll post up when I solve it. Well, the thread has been thoroughly derailed! As to the original post, find the main jet which gives you 12.5-13:1 AFR at WOT. The e-tube/air jet combo will control the slope of the AFR curve.

DI engines can run very lean but the idea has been around for a long time, e.g. Honda's CVCC! Good choice! MJ is great, just finished a 1000 mile road trip to JCCS and back. My speedo doesn't work for now, hence I don't have a working odometer to track mpg. However, it is definitely improved and I'm somewhere in the 20-30 mpg range . Once I deal with the speedo, I'll have a better idea. From memory, I'm running 42deg advance at cruise but my AFR is way too rich (about 11.5:1). I'm attending a DCOE tuning day here in Northern CA (that conedodger has organized) in October. I'll be aiming for far leaner cruise while keeping transition tractable and WOT around 13:1. Let me know if you have any questions about EDIS and MJLJ, I'm happy to answer. I've got more details posted in my thread at hybridz.org.

I don't have that problem! Let's compare 12.5 and 17 AFR on the chart you posted: CO is way lower HC is slightly lower NOx is about even CO2 is about even Comparing running 14.5 AFR with 17AFR: CO is slightly lower HC is slightly lower NOx is slightly higher CO2 is slightly lower Plus, you get an additional benefit of higher mpg. You're right about requiring more spark timing with leaner mixtures and lighter loads, but that is why I recommended to run as lean as possible without misfire (or losing power). Certain combinations will be able to attain leaner mixtures than others, depending on mixture distribution, spark timing, combustion chamber design, etc.

I've heard that one too many times as well!

Awesome story, that's fantastic! May the next 40 years be just as good!

Sounds like your expansion tank isn't doing its job. I'm not sure which model you're speaking of so go to xenons30.com and download the proper FSM under the "References" tab. It'll be under the EC section.

On a non-catalyzed vehicle, run it as lean as possible without misfire at cruise for optimal fuel mileage and least emissions. There is no good reason to aim for a rich AFR at cruise, or at idle for that matter. WOT is another story, 12.5-13:1 is a good place to be. I'd go with the Subaru guys' recommendation if a catalytic converter were involved, which of course is not the case for a 240Z.

I just did about a 1000 miles on the Z over the weekend. Only thing that went bad was a slave cylinder (which was new a year ago), and my Z has not been gone through like your car! Just have some key tools on hand (wrench set, screwdriver set, flashlight, duct tape, etc) and at least a spare water pump/alt belt and you should be good to go. I'll second the drive-the-wizz-out-of-it comment!

That's no way to treat a Z! Attaboy, Jerry!!!

JCCS was awesome, albeit hot as hell! We drove down to San Luis Obispo on Thursday, spent the day there on Friday and woke up at 4am on Saturday to make the trek to Long Beach. The show was amazing, I'm sure there will be good coverage on it, I haven't had the chance to look at my pics yet as I'm sitting in the hotel at SLO right now. Heading back to the Bay Area later today! With that said, never again am I doing a long trip in that car with the way it is. Ear plugs are mandatory and it stinks. I think I've had a good fill of driving it, time to do some more work! And here's my chance. The slave cylinder died (again, it's only 1-year-old) on the way in last night. Looks like I'll be fixing that in the parking lot before heading out...

You have that backwards. In no way is torque at take-off in 1st gear "exponentially more" than in high gear at torque peak. Refer to Lazeum's post. In higher gear, the road has an increasing mechanical advantage over the engine. In low gear, the engine has a dramatic mechanical advantage over the road through gearing. The proper test for clutch slippage is flooring it in high gear, on an incline. This is where you'll see the highest load on the clutch.