Jeff G 78

Now change that avatar!

Holy schnikes! That is the best looking stock engine bay I've ever seen. Fantastic work Guy!

Thanks Bruce. I assume I want to run a return system?

I am turning on old, crusty '75 280Z I have into a 24 Hours of LeMons racer and I'm thinking of doing the same swap. The old FI system is likely going to require loads of diagnostic time and work since the car has been sitting for 17 years since it last fired. I have a '72 240 engine with SU's that also hasn't run in decades, but I figure SU's will still be simpler than FI for a LeMons race. What is the best thing to do for a fuel pump? I'm thinking an electric pump will be easier than making a mechanical pump work with the N42 head. Is there a cheap electric pump that anybody recommends? Years ago, I ran a Holly red on a triple Weber car, but it was obnoxiously loud. Not that it matters for a LeMons car, but I'd rather not listen to it for 24 hours.

Sounds like a bargain to me.

Somebody's been using the search button.

That's a sweet looking brace, but it looks like they are no longer being sold. :disappoin

Holy old thread Batman!

A few weeks ago, there were several days of rain in the forcast, so I had a good window to finally replace the mustache bar bushings in my Z. I had already replaced the trans crossmember bushings, but my vibration was still there. I got the new poly bushings installed, but while I had the car on jack stands, I went ahead and pulled the suspension apart so I could trim the fender lips to fix my tire rub. Unfortunately, I stretched a braided brake line too much and pulled the end off, so I had to wait a week for parts to come from MSA. I got the new hoses Monday and got everything back together and bled. YAY! My vibration is gone. Replacing the mustache bar bushings did the trick and now my Z finally accelerates smoothly through the gears. I did, however, pick up additional gear noise from the poly bushings. It isn't terrible, but is louder than before. I will take the noise over the vibration any day though! For pictures of my fender trimming, check this thread http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34282&page=2

I have been meaning to say that for a while now and your post just gave me a good opening. I read it constantly on many forums and it is commonly believed to be true, but it just isn't for the reasons stated above. I used to have to do tire clearance studies at my job. You wouldn't believe what the OEMs have to do to pass the clearance tests. Thanks for not taking it personally. It sure wasn't meant that way.

This is not a rip on you Mike, but I hate it when people blame lowing spring or sagging springs on tire rubbing. The tires should not rub at ANY point in their travel all the way to FULL compression. The lowering springs (or sagging springs) don't change the arc of the tire, only the starting position. Just because you can drive around on smooth roads without rubbing doesn't mean they won't rub! What happens when you hit a large swell in the road with two people in it? It will use a large portion of the available travel and if your tires don't clear, it will tear them up or even bend the sheet metal. I just spent several days with my suspension all apart to fix this condition. I have 16x7 zero offset wheels and 225/50R16 tires and they rubbed in the back. I tried to roll the lips, but it still rubbed. I then removed the springs and jounce bumpers so I could move the tires through full suspension travel and correct the rubbing. It turns out that I had to trim quite a bit off the flange to get them to clear. Once done, I used POR 15 on everything that was disturbed. I now have a car that I could fully bottom and not get any rubbing. Here are a few pics of mine. You can see how much I had to trim and how the tire now clears (BARELY!) through full travel Trimmed lip prior to final smoothing and painting Tire in full jounce with spring and jounce bumper removed

What is the rear tire size? They do look like they are too wide or tall to clear the fenders. I was having bad rubbing problems with my setup, so I had to trim the flanges a bit. I tried rolling them, but they still rubbed. You might need to change the tire size or go with a different tire/wheel combo.

I could do that, but to tell you the truth, it was cheap and easy to do. I think I have about $20 in materials which will make quite a few and it took less than an hour to cut and bend everything. I used a pnuematic angle die grinder with a cutoff wheel to slice the square tube at the corners and then cleaned it up with a sanding disc on the die grinder. The main strap was simply bent to shape in a vice. The CAD work was by far the hardest part (that was my first and only CATIA attempt). If you still want me to cut up a set, let me know and I'll see what I can do.

I would except that I don't weld. I had a friend weld the pices together on mine. I got everything cut, bent and prepped, but he did the important part. There was enough stock left over after mine to make 4-5 more. If I weren't planning on tracking my car, I could have probably skipped the angle brackets and simply used the main strap piece. That would eliminate the need for any welding, but I wanted mine to be completely secure. I will likely make one more when we build our LeMons Z.

It sounds like you have very little experience around cars and few if any tools. If that is the case, you have two choices. The first is to buy a bunch of tools and learn how to wrench on your car. The second is to find a good mechanic who knows these cars inside and out. Just because a shop can fix a 1990 vintage car, doesn't mean they can fix a 30 year old Z car. Times have changed. I'm sure somebody on this list can hook you up with a local mechanic. Be prepared to spend some money on the car and please download and study the FSM as well as the EFI Bible. If you don't have the link, let me know.

Radiator is MUCH harder than replacing the plugs on a Z, but it still rates about a 2.5 on a 10 point scale. There are four bolts, three hoses and nine phillips head screws. You will need a floor jack and jackstands or car ramps so you can get under the car. It's an hour job for me, but could be a bit longer for you.

I would suggest doing a much longer test. Get on a highway with mile markers and note your odo as you pass one. Continue to drive for at least 10 miles (more is better). At the 10 miles mark, record the odo reading and determine the error. GPS will get you close, but one mile is not enough for an accurate reading.

I was just looking at that from a link at zcar. Did he re-engineer the body to get the proper stiffness? The idea is really cool if it is properly beefed up.

N/M I posted before fully reading post.

Like Arne said, check the odo first. I checked mine with a GPS too and mine is way off just like every Z on the road. They ALWAYS read high. Use this tool to calculate your speed. It agrees perfectly with GPS on my Z. http://www.geocities.com/z_design_studio/

Is there enough steel in a seal to even be attracted to a magnet? The spring is tiny and is surrounded by rubber. I would think a magnet in the oil drain hole will stick to everything EXCEPT the seal.

That would be cool too Rob.

Not that this helps you now, but I ALWAYS stuff a rag down in the chain pocket as soon as I pull the valve cover. If I have to rotate the engine, I remove it and then reinsert it right away again. That damn hole is like a huge vacuum. All dropped parts will find their way to the oil pan via that hole. Hmmm, that gives me an idea. How about a custom cover that fits around the chain and gear that still allows rotation, but without the worry of parts falling in??? A bit of aluminum sheet and I have a prototype! Heck, we have clutch alignment tools and timing chain wedges, why not a plastic cover for the front of the head to use during maintenance?

Hey Guy, no copying! You have to come up with your own block paint scheme when you do your engine.

Looks like a lot of work, but it should be a fun project. Your son is lucky to have a dad that is into cars. Have fun with it and keep us updated with project pics.