1976 280Z Restoration Project

[wheee!]

Hey [mention=29917]wheee![/mention], does your EPAS unit return to center when you exit a corner? I just installed a Saturn Vue unit in mine and it does not return to center when I exit a turn.

Also, do you have a speed sensor on your kit? One that turns off power assist above a certain speed? Otherwise you have full power assist at Hwy speeds which is dangerous. I have a GPS speed sensor on mine now. The speedo cable unit I had originally was flaky and caused my speedo to have issues.

[Av8ferg]

I have the original dealer installed louvers with the hinges drilled into the body work sitting in my garage. I spent years looking for a set of the Interpart louvers and mounting hardware. Cost way more than it should have but in the end I am thrilled with the look.

Nice persistence there. My plan is to find a crappy bent up set for sale online on eBay or something and just rob the hardware off it to use.


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[heyitsrama]

3 hours ago, wheee! said:

Also, do you have a speed sensor on your kit? One that turns off power assist above a certain speed? Otherwise you have full power assist at Hwy speeds which is dangerous. I have a GPS speed sensor on mine now. The speedo cable unit I had originally was flaky and caused my speedo to have issues.

Mine has the potentiometer that adjust the level of assist you get, usually i just spin it to the lowest setting that does not turn the motor off. I was test driving it around last night and felt that when exiting left turns it does not center at all, but when exiting right turns it does somewhat center itself. I think an alignment will help out, but to adjust things like caster I'd need to have adjustable TC rods.... (does that increase road harshness? All the adjustable ones seem to remove the rubber bushings and put rod ends in its place.) I don't want to pay for an alignment if i need to also add adjustable TC arms then realign it.

[wheee!]

21 minutes ago, heyitsrama said:

Mine has the potentiometer that adjust the level of assist you get, usually i just spin it to the lowest setting that does not turn the motor off. I was test driving it around last night and felt that when exiting left turns it does not center at all, but when exiting right turns it does somewhat center itself. I think an alignment will help out, but to adjust things like caster I'd need to have adjustable TC rods.... (does that increase road harshness? All the adjustable ones seem to remove the rubber bushings and put rod ends in its place.) I don't want to pay for an alignment if i need to also add adjustable TC arms then realign it.

I see. I have the full TTT GTX2 front end TC rods and LCA's so I have no issues there.

 

[heyitsrama]

Yeah T3 has 20% off this week, debating if i should push that `add to cart button` or try to DIY them. "DIY SUSPENSION, aka i hope that weld penetrated all the way" 

Edited November 24, 2021 by heyitsrama

[wheee!]

I’ve been away a bit, but still tinkering…!

[wheee!]

 

 

Getting ready for the first drive of the year 

[Jeff Berk]

I'm surprised that the battle flag decal can withstand the engine compartment heat. I was planning sometime in the future to do an airbrush space painting featuring a Z but I need some practice.

[wheee!]

On 6/27/2022 at 3:18 AM, Jeff Berk said:

I'm surprised that the battle flag decal can withstand the engine compartment heat. I was planning sometime in the future to do an airbrush space painting featuring a Z but I need some practice.

No damage after a summer of driving...!

[wheee!]

Well, as some have heard through Facebook etc, my stroker motor developed rod knock on cylinder 4. This in turn ended up with me pulling the motor and taking it in to be assessed. Good news and Bad news: The good news is that the LD28 stroker crank is not severely damaged and can be saved. Bad news is that the block and the pistons are done. I have arranged for my builder Reg Sumaru, a racing and engine building legend in Canada, to build me another stroker.

So for now, the plan is to use a spare F54 block from Reg and bore it out for the larger pistons and accommodate the stroker. Pistons are currently being sourced and then the reassembly will begin. I will be replacing the monster camshaft with something a little more subtle, just so I can make it able to idle and hold vacuum under 1300 RPM. This one is a great race cam but not the best street cam. Colt Cams in Vancouver will be grinding me a better cam based off of @Chickenman recommendations.

New and refreshed will be the result, and I will be installing it into SASSZ as soon as I am home from deployment.

Enjoy the pictures of the strokers destruction... (oh, and the cause seems to be historical oil starvation that finally caught up to the bearing by the time I installed the motor last year).

 

[Patcon]

Oooff! That's no good!

Be safe down range!

C

[wheee!]

Well things never go according to plan, and even then the best laid plans never survive contact with the enemy... My plan being to refresh the engine with new bearings and a hone to the crank and cylinders.

After mic'ing the crank, it was discovered that the PO had already honed .030" off the journals and there would not be enough meat left to machine them again. Bye bye V07 Crank 😞

Hmmm, doesn't look bad but....

So where do we go from there? Reg looked carefully at the pistons and the ring chamfers and concluded they were beyond hope too. More sad news but oh well. What else could go south? Well, apparently the block was maxed out at 90mm and there was not enough left to hone reliably for new 90mm pistons and rings. 😞 😞

My sad pistons and rings.

Now what?? No crank, no pistons, no block and an E88 head with a corroded water jacket in need of a valve job and welding...  After careful consideration, I decided I was not left with a lot of choice. Stay stock or start over. I decided to order a Dave Rebello 3.0 kit. Offset ground L28 crank, 88.5mm forged pistons, H beam rods, bearings, head gasket and rings. But where to put it? Lucky for me my builder had a stock F54 waiting for a future build in house. I convinced him to part ways with it, so that will be going out for some machining and prep for the Stroker kit. The E88 head was salvageable, but needed work to make it 100% again, so rather than re-use the E88, I decided now or never and brought my stock P90 to him for a 5 angle valve job, complete porting and polishing and custom fitting to the new block. Effectively the stroker engine will be all new with just the original valve cover and oil pan... New timing chain, cam shaft, valves, rockers, and paint.

My stock state P90

The plan is to have all of this arrive in time for Reg to assemble and have ready for me to install in June when I am home. So much for the low budget rebuild!

 

A nice pristine modded P90 from Reg...

Edited February 20, 2023 by wheee!