inline6

About to pay a bunch for a cam from Kinetic Sunbelt (in GA). They came back to me with specs which are below. I've run a 490/290 in my 510 years ago (daily driver in college) which I liked... I've read some posts and tried to decipher what cam is really too radical. My car has an F-54 L-28 with flat tops, about 10 to 1 compression with E88 head (1 mm bigger intake valves). Switching from SU's with SM needles to a set of tripple 44phh Mikunis when I do the cam upgrade. So, is this cam going to be too radical? Can I still drive it to and from the track? It pretty much just sees autocross and track duty these days, but I don't trailer it. Intake Seat duration 320 degrees .050" duration 290 degrees Valve lift with zero lash .565" Hot valve lash .015" Net valve lift .550" Exhaust Seat duration 315 degrees .050" duration 274.8 degrees Valve lift with zero lash = .565" Hot lash = .015" Net valve lift =.550"

Hey Dreco, I watched your video at myspace. Very cool. What are you running for exhaust? G

I guess I'm just not convinced. On the rear flares, I used fiberglass bondo and covered the flare mounting flange (where you blend) and about 4 inches onto the quarter panel. The rears did much better, but you can still see where the rivet holes were in the right light at the right angle as slight convex recesses (but no visible seams). There was obviously some movement in the materials after sanding and painting. I did not use fiberglass cloth like Barrie, and I think that is clearly a good way to go. I think creating a lot more surface area over the seam helps secure the flare and hide the seam's edge if there is a bit of movement later. I'm not an expert, so take the advice or ignore it if you wish. Here in VA we see temperature extremes of about 5F to 99F. Using rivets can't hurt in my opinion, and I'd hate to see someone spend upwards of $1000 on paint only to suffer the same problem I had. G

Here are some photos of the flaring process on my car. May take a while to load: http://members.tripod.com/trueweb/Zcar I wouldn't recommend the E6000 epoxy that Motorsport Auto recommends for bonding the flares to the body unless using lots of mechanical fasteners as well (bolts, rivets, etc.). I think the different expansion rates of steel and fiberglass with regard to temperature changes caused problems on my car. The fiberglass flares separated after I had the car painted (they stayed attached, but the seam became visible about 4 months later during the first warm days of spring). I used aluminum rivets and the epoxy, but when I did the blending, I ground the rivet heads off (was told the epoxy would be strong enough by itself) during the start of the blending process, and then used bondo to finish. I did this because of less bondo and a better looking transition from the body to the flare. In retrospect, I recommend using lots of rivets (maybe 1 every inch) and leaving the rivet heads on when you blend.

Hi Lee and Gav, My head was rebuilt ~40k miles ago and the bottom end only has about 75k on it. This motor is in great condition. I have the same situation on start up Lee. My motor is a F54 L-28 with an E-88 head. I only have to pull the starting circuit out 1/2 way, crank for about 6 seconds and it fires right up. I have to shut them all the way within 10 seconds though or it starts running really rough. Amazingly, I can drive like normal after about a minute with the chokes in all the way even if it is pretty cold out. I have had different needles before that provided different behavior. I am currently running the SM needles and not the N-27's that came from the factory. The N-27's needed to have choke while driving until warm. All this varies depending on you initial mixture setting of course. Anyway, it is interesting that a few others have the same problem. I am thinking of lowering the fuel level in the bowls a little bit to see if that helps. Garrett

Hi, I have an annoying problem. Whenever I come to a really hard stop, the engine idle drops to about 400 rpm for 4 or 5 seconds and then bounces up to normal idling speed (650-700). While it is doing this it idles like the mixture is rich. I have the stock 71 SU's, floats are perfectly adjusted to the high side of spec (14mm clearence instead of 15). Brake booster seems to be functioning properly. Anybody have any ideas? I have had the problem for a couple of years, but can't relate it back to anything I've changed. Seems like it has to be fuel related. I unhooked the fuel chamber vent lines to air filter, but no change. Is it just the fuel sloshing to the front of the fuel chamber, allowing the float to drop and bring in a little too much fuel temporarily until the car has stopped? If this is the case, I can see that the fuel level rising too far would cause an overflow situation at the nozzle, causing an extreme rich condition until the motor sucks up the excess fuel. The longer I am at threashold braking, the longer it seems the car takes to return to normal idle after stopping. But if this is it, then I would expect others to have experienced it. Anybody????

Hey MDBrandy, Check you PM's. I got a tip for you but you have to look before the end of the auction. Garrett

Hi, Searched the archives and found some info with regard to using a tach adapter with the Hi-6 so that the tach will work. Can anyone confirm that this will work? Can anyone confirm that it doesn't work without an adaptor? I recently put an L-28 with about 10.2:1 compression ratio in the car and I am experiencing a little bit of misfire at higher RPM's. I am thinking the Euro distributor with points and 30 year old stock coil need to be upgraded and will fix this, but see no reason to spend a bag of money replacing gauges in the process. If that is the case, I'll drop down to the XR-3000 and be done with it. Garrett

I finished rebuilding and installing the transmission. Here is a fair amount of info that will help you and save you some of the trouble I had. Again, this was the 83 280ZX Nissan (not Borg Warner) box. The most striking thing I learned: The synchros aren't what takes a beating when you crunch gears! Each gear has a part that is manufactured separately and then press fit to the gear itself. It has straight cut gears and is what the gear sleeve meshes with to secure the car in gear. The synchro helps the sleeve slide onto this part of each gear more easily. This piece, which takes the brunt of the wear is NOT REPLACEABLE. You have to buy new gears. (2nd was $214.00 from the dealer with 20% off) Given this, if your box is crunching gears horribly and it is not a problem outside of the gearbox, don't expect a cure all by rebuilding with new synchros. Even with all new bearings and needle bearings, 3rd gear has a high pitched whine to it. I suspect that is a characteristic of the tranny. It is not loud, but present I think in all of them. Don't expect to get rid of it. The tranny, in general, is very quiet now however. There are several regular bearings and some needle type bearings. I replaced them all, but the needle bearings were probably fine. There are some "bushings" (made of steel) that the needle bearings ride on. These look like wear items in the exploded view diagrams, but in fact don't seem to wear. Same with the washers next to the mainshaft nut and countershaft nut. So here is what to replace in my opinion: Countershaft bearings seemed to be worn most Mainshaft bearings if you want to be thorough. My tranny easily had 150K+ miles but, I could not detect the difference between old and new when checking play synchros as necessary. I replaced them all, but they showed little wear. mainshaft and countershaft nuts oil seals and front gasket Special Tools: Factory Shop Manual! shop press 1 small 3 finger gear puller 1 large 3 finger gear puller pipes of various diam. to use as drifts to install bearings: (1) 7" long 1.5" min ID (1) 7" long 1.0" min ID (1) 16" long 1.063" min ID (1) 8" long 1.375" min ID pipe to use in making special tool to hold guts of tranny in shop press: (2) 4" long .8" min ID (you need a welder to do some tack welds to make this tool) several plates (.250" thick would be best) for making a "tool" to hold tranny guts in vise (shown in factory manual) and for the tool hold guts of tranny in shop press (also in manual) bearing separater (used in press to get behind bearing when removing) vise Autozone has a tool rental program. Basically, you buy the tools (used) for list price and when you are done, return them and get a full refund. Finally, there are two hog rings on the reverse idler gear that are beasts. I broke two sets of hog ring pliers and ended up mangling them and having to buy new ones. Get some serious hog ring pliers to do battle with these guys. Summary: Not hard at all with the right tools. Making the tools was the hard part. Second gear probably takes the most abuse in general. Examine that one closely compared to the others to gage amount of wear.

Thanks for the compliments Steve. I've got a whole website in my head that I would love to get public, but I'm not an html person. A friend put together my website for me several years ago. I've got a lot of other stuff that I have learned along the way, as many Z owners have no doubt, but getting it public sure would save a lot of $, time and aggravation. My 83 ZX transmission is nearly back together. I ran into a problem with the hog rings on the reverse idler gear. They are so thick and beefy, that even the toughest set of hog ring pliers I bought at Sears won't get them off. I damaged both of them getting them off and had to order new ones. So, I am waiting on parts. I made a host of special tools (drifts of the right diameter and length, and another one that allows me to use a standard gear puller to reach one of the gears really far down on the mainshaft) that are like the ones in the ZX factory service manual. Since I have a second ZX tranny to rebuild for my 510, they will come in handy again some day. Garrett

I can get copies of the pages for rebuilding the T5 for you. I started out asking if anyone could do that for me and didn't get any response here, so now that I bought the book, I am glad to help someone else out that is in the same situation. The tool, however, won't work for the T5. I'll double check, but I don't think it is used at all with that tranny. Mine is the Nissan box. You want to send me a pm with your address, so I can mail the pages? Garrett

Hi, an update: I got a used 83 factory workshop manual off of ebay. It has excellent info on both the T5 and the nissan 5 speeds. So far, I have taken the front and rear housings off, made a tool (like the factory tool shown) to hold the gear assembly in a vise (to make it easy to work on), measure existing gear clearences (all within factory spec) and removed the shifter rods, forks, and detent balls. I am going to see about borrowing some tools (puller, bearing separator) from Autozone tonight. Garrett

Good luck finding a burrette. After I had my engine together, someone recommended that you can buy syringes from Wal Mart. So I didn't get to measure the chamber cc of my head. N42 is a better head to go with to start, but my E88 already had a fair amount of work (larger, hardened seats, larger intake valves, some porting, etc), so there was my incentive for using that head. BTW here is a useful page with engine combo info: http://www.zhome.com/ZCMnL/tech/128combo.html And a compression calculator: http://www.turbofast.com.au/TFcomp.html I have the F54/E88 running now and comparing it to my 77 L28 short block, I'd say I picked up a couple of horses. No dyno results, :cross-eye but the car is clearly reving to 6k in 3rd quicker and feels a bit quicker by seat of pants. Both blocks are in good condition, so it wasn't like the old one is worn out. Carb mixture (original round top SU's with SM needles) only needed a tiny change. Same exhaust and everything else. The big change was the timing. I was running insane advance with the previous combo-- something like 25 or 27 degrees BTDC initial (Euro distributor with points still). With the new combo, I am running right around 20 degrees BTDC (manual calls for 17 for that distributor, btw). Any more than that and I get some detonation. I used to run on 89 octane. Now I run the best I have access to which is 93. Not fair that you guys in Australia can get 98!

Looking to see if someone will provide me with the transmission chapter? I would like to rebuild my transmission. Can you make copies and fax the pages to me, or sell me the book for cheap? I'm bidding on one on eBay, but don't know if I'll win it. My transmission is manual 1981-83 Nissan (not T5).

Hi, After reading through my 240Z factory workshop manual, I realize that rebuilding my 83 ZX (not Borg Warner) transmission is going to be a large challenge if I don't get the factory info for that one. Does anyone have a factory workshop manual for the ZX? I would really like to have that info before I give this a try. In my 240Z manual, there are specific instructions for disassembly, and the available shim sizes, clearences, etc. Transmissions are a new venture for me. If you have the factory manual info, can you copy and fax / scan and email it to me? If so, let me know. Garrett

Two Nissan dealers here have tried the superceeded number and they say it is discontinued and no longer available. I forgot to mention that the number indeed superceeds to the number you mention. Also, Motorsport Auto in California doesn't have any. It is not a part that breaks often evidently as they say the last one they ordered was in 2001. I'd like a new one, but if no one has one then I guess I'll grab a used one from a salvage yard-- hopefully.

Hi, It looks like a very important relay, 25230-E4100, is discontinued and no longer available. I have a 71 Z. This relay is attached via machine screws through the passenger side kick panel and is just next to the flasher relay. Anybody got an extra one? Mine is sticking and when I turn the ignition key from the accessory position to two positions to the left, it is energizing the starter circuit. I took the cover off the relay and when I turn the key back one position (to off) and then physically separate the contacts in the relay, then click back to the first position (now you can pull the key out) then the starter circuit is no longer energized. Nissan description is "Relay for Heat Glass". Seems to me that it is more like "relay for power to whole car". Garrett

It sure would be nice to get some mp3's up so we could hear the different combinations. I am sure it would help a bunch of us save money and get it right the first time. Still looking for the right combo... inline6

I chased my shimmy problem for years and then found that my new ball joints did the same thing I think you are describing. I jacked the front (either side) of the car under the ball joint (or outer end of the lower control arm) to keep the load as if the car was on the ground, but allow the wheel free movement. then grabbed the wheel and was shocked at the amount of movement in and out and front to back. When I jacked the front of the car off of the ground like done normally, everything felt tight and I couldn't perceive the play. I literally replaced every bushing and rod end in the front end, prior to that, but didn't replace the ball joints because they were already new when I bought the car. Replacing them with new OEM nissan ones was the final solution. The shimmy finally was gone after I did that.

Thanks ZVoiture. I put compressed air on it and it didn't go anywhere--- it is in the car, so I can see it very well. Well, that saves me a lot of trouble. I don't have to order anything to plug the hole! Thanks!

Funny, mine is not a turbo engine. It is an 83 though. Perhaps the latest 83's had knock sensors. I am thinking it taps into an oil gallery... I'm going to go blow compressed air in it and see if it goes anywhere. I should be able to hear I hope...

The sender switch goes in a raised boss area directly on the block about 2 inches behind the oil filter. It is directly in line with the top of the oil filter, not quite as high up on the block as I indicated earlier. Anyone know what it is? Does it control the fan motor that blows air through the valve cover splitter onto the intake side of the engine? Seems kind of strange to use oil to trigger that fan, so I don't think that is it.

There are two oil senders on the right side of my 83 280ZX block that I am putting in my 240. The one part I threw away, a short sender switch with a fuel injector type (2 electrical pins) cnnnector is all that is keeping me from starting it up. It goes behind the oil filter (the other one is the canister that goes in front of the filter) and towards the top of the short block. Seems like it would be a oil temperture sender, but I can't find it anywhere on the microfiche at carfiche.com. What the heck is it? What is the nissan part #. I would get a plug, because I don't need the switch but the hole appears to be some funky pipe thread pitch (spec).

Another thing the machine shop could do is drill out the bolt. Basically by using a mill or precision equipment, the machine shop should be able to locate the exact center, and the drill out the center of the bolt so that just the thread of the bolt remains. Then remove the thread with a pick and or compressed air etc. What a pain, I'm going to clean those holes and put a drop of oil on the threads before I put the head on my new motor. I didn't realize that this was a common problem.