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Thread: Six_Shooter's Money pit/Time Vampire

  1. #1
    Super Moderator Six_Shooter's Avatar
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    Six_Shooter's Money pit/Time Vampire

    I bought my 1973 240Z from a guy in Richland Washington that had bought it with the intent of installing a SBC, but decided it was too small for him.


    So after a couple months of flying out to see the car, finailing the deal, and getting the car shipped I had my 240Z home, and in need of some TLC to get road worthy.


    It was a less than typical 240Z, brown (eww), Butterscotch interior (double Eww), and Automatic (tripple eww)! But it was solid underneath, and I got a good deal on it.


    The first thing I did was swap out the brakes, since they were in desperate need of repair.


    I decided on going 4 wheel disc, using Toyota 4 piston front calipers, and 280ZX rear disc set-up.


    I also had some electrical repair work to do, to get everything working right.


    The only pictures I seem to have of the exterior are after a couple months of driving it, so there are some changes that I had already made.


    I had already added the Spook by this point.






    Here is a picture of the rear, that I believe I took on the day I got it on the road, due to the old tires being on it, the mudflaps and a box of spare parts in the back, that came with the car when I purchased it.



    Tranny


    Well after driving the Datsun for a month in auto tranny form, I got sick of not using my left foot, and just resting my hand on the shifter, though I had been shifting it manually...


    I had also been able to locate the rest of the parts I needed, to complete the swap.


    I started the swap about 2 PM on a Saturday, and had most of it done by about 8 PM, just a few details I couldn't finish in the dark.


    Sunday came and didn't have much time and spent most of it trying to find a nut to install my solid front diff mount, which I could find and re-surfacing the exhaust flange to eliminate the exhaust leak I had there. Then family obligations meant no more time to work on the Z.


    Monday I re-installed the exhaust, checked everything over, and then took it out for a drive. A manual Z is one billleeeeon times better than an auto Z. :D


    I'm using a Centerforce Dual Friction, and it grabs HARD!! The tires screaming for traction going into 3rd made that apparent.


    I was actually enjoying the L28 that's in this car, the auto just made that car a real dog, a real slow dog.


    This tranny was a 4 speed, since I couldn't locate a 5-speed at that time.


    On to the pics:


    Not enough pedals:



    Ahhh, that's better:



    This shifter only moves forward and back:



    This one also moves side to side.



    CFDF:



    This is where/how it was done:





    Now I have a manual Z, just like it should have been. :D


    EFI and Turbocharging


    When I first got my 240, it had Weber down draft carbs that had seen better days.
    Here is the engine pretty much as it was when I received the car:



    Well since I'm a fan of EFI and turbocharging I decided to play with the engine that was already in the car, which turned out to be an L28, F54 block, with a P90 head, N/A version from a 1981 or 1982 280ZX, is as far as I can narrow it down.


    I started with an N47 intake, which I cut off excess parts and smoothed out, it was also modified to accept "O-ring" injectors, which are more common than the stock "barbed" injectors, and many more sizes available.






    I also had a throttle body adaptor made to use a GM 3400 throttle body. This is a 56mm TB and would also serve to house a compatible IAC motor and proper range TPS.



    Onto the turbo and exhaust:
    I used a stock L28T exhaust manifold, and mated it to a Borg Warner turbo, pirated from a 6.5L diesel. This required the use of a small spacer between the manifold and turbine inlet. The wastegate actuator started as an actuator from a Pontiac Sunbird turbo, combined with some custom brackets and arms, it now controls the internal wastegate of the BW turbo. I chose that actuator, because I had one and it also opens at about 2 PSIG, giving me a large range of control over the pressures I am able to set. (Though I had to add external springs to get more than about 5 PSIG of intake pressure.)



    the exhaust is 3" from downpipe to tip. All fitted and TIG welded by yours truely. :D



    Muffler, a Moroso Spiro-flow and tip:



    Turning attention to the ECM and wiring:
    I first had to chose a place to come thorugh the firewall with the wiring. I used a stock firewall feed through ("grommet" ), from a 1988 Chevy Cavalier, since it was part of the harness I already had, prviously installed in my 1985 GMC Jimmy, that had a turbo 3.2L V6.



    Here is the ECM, which is in it's "easy to access" location. You can also see the grey "EMU cable" that attaches to my EPROM emulator to allow real time tuning.





    I use a custom code called "Code59", which is a modified version of a stock GM code called "$58", which was originally used in the Syclones, Typhoons and Turbo Sunbirds. This allows for Wide Band O2 fuel control, extended VE and spark tables (up to 30 PSIG!) and many other refinements that the developers have done and they plan even more! (www.code59.org for more information.)


    Working on the wiring:



    (Mostly) Complete harness:



    Fast forward to a running installation, which didn't have an intercooler, since I ran out of time, seeing as I got running the day before 2008 ZFest, and had a few other details to iron out. I had to turn the TB upside down due to the dizzy cap interfering with the TB linkage. I didn't really mind this since I was already planning on a DIS swap later on. (more on that later.)








    I've skipped over a lot of details, like modifying a 280Z speedo to accept a GM optical Vehicle Speed Sensor, oil supply and return for the turbo, modification of the throttle pedal to use a GM throttle cable from a Buick Century (IIRC), using a GM ignition control module between the 280Z dizzy and the ECM, E-fan install, electric fuel pump and larger fuel pick up from the tank, along with many little brackets and adaptors to make it all work together. I also swapped in a 5-speed from a 1981 280ZX that I bought for parts in this time.


    I was able to get it tuned and work well up to 10 PSIG, but the weather was turning cold and time to park it for the winter.
    The man who says something is impossible, is usually interrupted by the man doing it.

  2. #2
    Super Moderator Six_Shooter's Avatar
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    Re: Six_Shooter's Money pit/Time Vampire

    I decided to take the 240Z apart to do some up grades and other planned changes, but since my garage wasn't insulated (working on that), I didn't get a whole lot done when it was cold out, and then everyone wanted to me work on their vehicles (along with house hold chores), put the 240 on the back burner.


    I had been able to get the DIS conversion almost done, just some wiring to the ECM and power are all that was left at that point.


    I already had some parts that could be used for this conversion, due to needing to make an external crank position trigger system for my aformentioned GMC Jimmy. I retained the reluctor wheel and part of the CPS bracket, along with the ICM and coils.


    I started by having my grandfather (A retired machinist) redrill the reluctor wheel to fit the Datsun harmonic balancer. I then went ahead and made a new base for the CPS mount, with some adjustablility built into it. ;)








    Some of the parts:



    The only glitch I've had was getting the stock (280Z) tach working with the DIS.


    The tach, which I installed last year, worked with the dizzy set-up connected to the negitive side of the coil.


    It seems that the output of the DIS module is too weak to trigger the 280Z tach (works fine with an Auto Meter tach), so a resistor needed to be bypassed inside the tach, now worked fine, until I hit about 5000 RPM, at which point the tach would either peg, or drop to zero. After doing some reading, I think this was due to the dwell of the tach signal getting too short at upper RPM for the tach to read correctly.


    I got tired of the ECM sitting on the floor, so I found a place to mount the ECM, so that I could take passengers, and not worry about them kicking the ECM or cables.


    The Brackets, which are made from textured ABS sheet:



    Attached to the ECM:



    I cut the MEMCAL cover to allow for the EMU cable to come out of the ECM without being pinched:



    Details of the ECM mounted:









    And finally, the view the passenger will have of the ECM:





    Interior


    In the time I've had the 240Z, I've had a few gauges set-ups in.


    Obviously I started with the original gauges, then I swapped the Amp gauge to a 280Z Volt meter. Swapped the 240 tach for a 280Z tach.





    I then wanted more information on my dash I swapped to this:





    I modified a quad gauge from a Turbo Sunbird GT gauge cluster, to fit into an original tach housing, this gave me, Oil pressure, Volts, Water Temp and Fuel Level. I then installed my boost gauge, a 2" tach and my AFR gauge into the trio location.








    I found that I really didn't like the small tach, part of that might have been due to the poor illumination of it, good thing it was a cheap tach to test the theory. The LEDs that I installed in the small tach (as seen here: [url=http://sphotos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/76000_10152586608765051_147084713_n.jpg[/url] ) were too far out of my peripheral vision to be useful, at least during the day.


    I decided to pull the rest of my Auto Meter gauges out of retirement, I Left the boost gauge where it was previously, I then installed the Oil Pressure and Water Temp gauges where the other trio gauges were. I gear clamped the volts and AFR gauges to my steering column and sat my fuel level gauge in the pocket left by leaving the fuse panel cover out of the car. I got sick of this ratty look, and decided to remove the radio, to install the 3 "loose" gauges into that location. I had other audio plans at the time.
    I retained the 280Z tach for a while, then decided that I needed something that will keep reading above 5000 RPM, so I borrowed a Pro-Comp 5" "tattle-tale" tach from my Grandfather, that isn't being used in any other project. I installed this where the original tach would have been, and it fits snug, without any retaining hardware. I also installed an Auto Meter Shift (which is now triggered by the ECM), on a custom arm above the tach, on top of the dash.








    I am now looking for a new gauge set-up for a few reasons. According to my datalogging program, and my known thermostat temp, the water temp gauge reads about 10 degrees low, this is an annoying quirk to me. The Boost gauge might read about 2 PSIG low, but there is some question to the accuracy of the datalogging definition file in this specific data output, so I will need to do some other testing before I condemn my boost gauge. I also want a gauge set-up that illuminates the font, graduations and needle directly, instead of the "flood lighting" that the early Sport Comp gauges I have now uses. I also want a radio again, the iPod and computer speakers just aren't cutting it, and as a Car Audio/Electronic Accessory Installation Technician, I should have something better for sound in my car. ;)


    I may go back to the Quad gauge where the tach was, and install a digital tach/shift light above the dash or in one of the trio gauge locations. I also have a couple other ideas.




    Suspension


    I have made some suspension changes, which include Tokico strut inserts, a solid front diff mount and aluminium torque arm bushings.


    I have mostly suspension changes planned for this winter, along with getting to finishing off making the FMIC, relocating the air filter outside of the engine compartment and a few other changes.




    Misc


    Here is a picture from the track, before I turbo charged it.



    This is a picture of my girlfriend, and I at her brother's wedding, with the Datsun. Here you can see the 280ZX wheels I have on it currently.





    Thanks for looking and reading through, let me know what you think. :D
    The man who says something is impossible, is usually interrupted by the man doing it.

  3. #3
    Super Moderator Six_Shooter's Avatar
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    Re: Six_Shooter's Money pit/Time Vampire

    Just adding some random eye candy, this was when I removed my engine for some much needed maintenance as you can see from the pictures.

    Getting the 2.8L out


    Inspecting the timing chain, do you see a problem here?


    New timing chain installed


    Just some pictures of the piping just after the turbo, since people seem to ask about it.




    The lowest point is the clamps.
    The man who says something is impossible, is usually interrupted by the man doing it.

  4. #4
    Super Moderator Six_Shooter's Avatar
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    Re: Six_Shooter's Money pit/Time Vampire

    Here are some pictures of swapping from an R180 rear diff to an R200. In this post there are also some pictures of the 300ZX CV shafts that I installed at the same time.

    Rear suspension brackets all sand blasted:


    Brackets all painted:


    No Diff or brackets:


    R200 diff painted and cover re-installed:


    R180 to R200 comparison:


    R200 and brackets all installed:


    CV joint swap:

    Welded CV plates to original companion flanges:


    Close of up my TIG welding: :D


    Just a picture of the modified flanges with a stock one:


    CV shaft installed:


    I decided to add a proper crankcase EVAC bung to the inlet to to the turbo, especially since I was replacing the filter and didn't want to drill a hole in this one for the hose like I had in the last one:


    Inside:


    MMMmmmmmmm


    I am still working on this:


    The gears, new timing chain, and maybe the new filter have really changed the way this drives, it needed a new tune, pretty badly.
    The man who says something is impossible, is usually interrupted by the man doing it.

  5. #5
    Super Moderator Six_Shooter's Avatar
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    Re: Six_Shooter's Money pit/Time Vampire

    Some videos of the 240.

    Here is a run at TMP, when it was still carburated and naturally aspirated.
    http://vimeo.com/14046600

    Minutes before I started taking the carburators off:
    http://vimeo.com/14022041

    Running on EFI, turbocharged and had just completed the DIS ignition swap:
    http://vimeo.com/14016010
    The man who says something is impossible, is usually interrupted by the man doing it.

  6. #6
    Super Moderator Six_Shooter's Avatar
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    Re: Six_Shooter's Money pit/Time Vampire

    Moar piktarz!....

    I built a "CAI" for my car, since my intake temps would soar when I was in boost and would even be higher than I liked while cruising. When I made the small extension to move the filter from the turbo down and forward about 10" it really helped, so getting it right out of the engine bay should help even more, and it has.

    CAI welded up, but raw:


    Another view:


    Painted:


    Installed:


    Installed:


    Connection in engine bay:


    Behind airdam:


    Intercooler fab pics: :D





    Some test fitting:


    More progress on this:
    :D
    The man who says something is impossible, is usually interrupted by the man doing it.

  7. #7
    RIP EagleMark's Avatar
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    Re: Six_Shooter's Money pit/Time Vampire

    Wow I guess you've had that a long time? A friend of mine got one for high scool graduation in 76 or 77 and still has it. The only car he ever owned... but it was silver with Black interior...

    1990 Chevy Suburban 5.7L Auto ECM 1227747 $42!
    1998 Chevy Silverado 5.7L Vortec 0411 Swap to RoadRunner!
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  8. #8
    Super Moderator Six_Shooter's Avatar
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    Re: Six_Shooter's Money pit/Time Vampire

    I received it March of 2008, I paid for it February of 2008 and found the listing for it in January of 2008. I had it shipped to me, from Richland Washington, which is about 2500 miles away.

    So, yeah I've had it for a little while, but not that long to me. I had hoped to be farther along in the project by now.

    I'm hoping to get some new pictures in the next couple of days of the FMIC installed and some other parts.
    The man who says something is impossible, is usually interrupted by the man doing it.

  9. #9
    Super Moderator Six_Shooter's Avatar
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    Re: Six_Shooter's Money pit/Time Vampire

    Well, time for some updated pictures.

    Long overdue pictures of the FMIC installed:







    Just a picture of how the outside currently looks. I really need to get onto improving this.
    The man who says something is impossible, is usually interrupted by the man doing it.

  10. #10
    Super Moderator Lucky's Avatar
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    Arrow Re: Six_Shooter's Money pit/Time Vampire

    Considering the paint/body on my projects I don't dare tell you to paint yours :lol:

    I always did like that body style. The new chin piece is a nice addition
    odd things the police have said to me; "you can't drive that on the road", "I like your cow", "I didn't think you would pull over so quick"

  11. #11
    Super Moderator Six_Shooter's Avatar
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    Re: Six_Shooter's Money pit/Time Vampire

    Yeah, I really think the air dam updates the look, which is really what I'm going for in the end.
    The man who says something is impossible, is usually interrupted by the man doing it.

  12. #12
    Super Moderator Six_Shooter's Avatar
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    Re: Six_Shooter's Money pit/Time Vampire

    Ahh, first drive of the year, oh so good. :D
    The man who says something is impossible, is usually interrupted by the man doing it.

  13. #13
    RIP EagleMark's Avatar
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    Re: Six_Shooter's Money pit/Time Vampire

    I forgot what it was like to put a toy car up for the winter. Since I moved here to Idaho I had gotten into 4x4 trucks and just keep going all year. No salt use here though!

    1990 Chevy Suburban 5.7L Auto ECM 1227747 $42!
    1998 Chevy Silverado 5.7L Vortec 0411 Swap to RoadRunner!
    -= =-

  14. #14
    Super Moderator Six_Shooter's Avatar
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    Re: Six_Shooter's Money pit/Time Vampire

    This is a car I "built" in Forza 3.

    It's similar to what I want in the end, but with some of the body modifications I will be doing. I also want wider tires and slightly different colour wheels, but Forza only lets you do so much. lol

    The man who says something is impossible, is usually interrupted by the man doing it.

  15. #15
    Super Moderator Six_Shooter's Avatar
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    Re: Six_Shooter's Money pit/Time Vampire

    Well, the car has been jackstand racing for a while, and I'm finally getting somewhere with it. The rear brake and 5 lug swap is nearly complete. I turned down the rotors from 290mm to 280mm tonight to fit with the brackets, caliper hangers and calipers I have on hand. I'll have to measure the old rotors, but I think that's still an inch larger than the old ones.

    The front is almost as complete, but ran into a slight snag with the flex lines. The lines I was planning to use are a few days to get, and would be coming from two different warehouses. That means with my luck, I will only receive 1 of them by next week. I'm trying to get the car together again for the 24th, since that's the Brantford Downtown annual car show. So I'm looking at alternate flex lines to use.

    Piktarz suun.
    The man who says something is impossible, is usually interrupted by the man doing it.

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