luke_mcmahon85

i got mine from the zshop, off ebay...works fine. alot seem to have problems.

i hold the 14mm crestent wrench in place while i tighten with the 17mm crowsfoot w/torque wrench...it's not that hard, and you only have to get it tight enough so that the 14mm nut stays put, then you can torque the 17mm all the way down. also, i don't remove the retaining springs. but yes, it does get tricky when it's hot so maybe you're best doing them cold first, although afterwards, i would then run the engine to operating temp and then check the clearances against the hot settings

hahaha, definately DON'T do it with the engine running!

do the adjustment hot, and if it takes you a while, which it might, given it's your first time, just put the valve cover back on and run the engine again, then do the others. also, sometimes the locknuts are difficult to undo with a crescent wrench, and a torque wrench, or wratchet with a 'crows foot' attachment is very handy detailed instructions are here: http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=1803105&uid=786489 the crowsfoot thing is a bugger to find, i ended up finding a set on, but you really only need the 17mm, if you want to borrow one let me know

hey, i don't know about mechanics is sydney, but it's not a very complicated procedure, especially on the L series, so any competant mechanic should handle it...hell i did it myself with basically no experience whatsoever. unless you have a cheap l28 available, stick with the l26. and if you have some spare time you can do the head gasket yourself, just need basic tools, a torque wrench, a hex head socket for the head bolts, and a chain tensior (make yourself from wood). the intake and exhaust bolts are a bit of a hassle, but it's not complicated. oh and if you do, get a die set to do the exhaust studs, it'll make it much easier. all up, if you need to buy ALL the tools, it's probably around 100 bucks, and the gasket set around the same, although you can pick them up cheap on ebay etc. you'd probably get a mechanic to do it for not much more, but this way you learn, and get tools, haha

a grand is pretty steep... ...but after just getting my z back on the road after 6 months absence due to my laziness, i've become a big girl used to the ease of throwing around cars with power steering, hahah. anyone have a clue as to how well these would work/any local sources?

only p90a heads had hydraulic lifters, and even then, i don't know if they came to australia, as mine has solid lifters as does every other one i've seen/heard of here in aus.

it is a gasket for an f54 block

thanks, do you have a number? i can't seem to find them

does anyone know a good engine place (preferably in the south eastern suburbs) my head gasket is blown and my z has been out of action for a while. i was going to do the work myself, just get the head checked for cracks/warpage etc and machined if necessary. although if anyone has any experience with someone doing the whole job for a reasonable price i'd probably jump on it....i miss my z too much

yeah, NZ is a good option...i got a turbo manifold from there for like 90 dollars to my door... the problem with the LD28 crank though is A) finding one that's not inside an engine, or finding someone nice enough to take it out for you B) shipping it here. NZPOST only ships up to a certain weight, and the crank, when packed, is just over, so you have to go another route, which is quite expensive...but if you get a good deal on shipping, then the total cost should be fairly reasonable

do it man...then tell me how slash do it for me...hehe i'm thinking of going the same route. were you going to go aftermarket ECU? i was thinking megasquirt

just get a l28 block...or entire engine, and put the turbo manifold etc on that...the intake will have slightly smaller runners i think, but shouldn't be too much of a problem.

yeah, free parking is still there, although with the fees the way they are, i reckon it'll fill up pretty fast. Also i doubt they'll keep the 3 dollar all day parking....as everyone would use that instead of buying a parking permit. I'm building a motorised bike that i will hopefully finish in about a week, fingers crossed, to ride to uni, as it's only down the road...i thinki there's some photos of it in my gallery here

hey guys, i noticed today at monash that there was a beautiful blue 240z parked next to my embarrassed and rusty looking silver 2+2 today. I assume it is Huw's...it is a very impressive looking car man, do you plan on driving it to uni from now on? despite the $250 parking fees this year? heheh

that is amazing, that aluminium console must have cost a fortune... was that a coupe or a 2+2 to begin with?

From the Datsun Z Garage: Measure the width of your flywheel's shiny clutch contact surface. If it's 225mm wide then you have a coupe version which uses a 550lb pressure-plate. If it's 240mm wide then you have a 2+2/turbo version with a 780lb plate and a wider disc. Both flywheels are the same at weight at 23 lbs, and the diameter is the same (only the contact area is wider). But a turbo pressure plate and disc clutch are definitely heavier than coupe version by a few pounds. So how much performance is actually lost with a heavier assembly? A good one to argue at Z meetings... I haven't tried any of the competition clutches, but truthfully the only time you really need a stronger one is if your engine torque is causing the clutch to slip. I agree it sounds neat to say your car has a "competition clutch", but it doesn't make the car faster. I autocross and dragrace my Z, and my stock clutch works fine (really) after 2 years (Zoom brand). A buddy has a Centerforce 2 which feel very solid, but rumor has it the Centerforce One is a stock clutch with only extra weights hanging on the pressure plate fingers. LIGHTER FLYWHEEL Used for decades to reduce drag on the engine and to make it spin up faster. It won't make the engine develop any more horsepower internally, but can cut down on parasitic drag. Better for track racing than dragracing, as on smaller engines the rotational inertia that helps the car off the line is reduced. This loss of inertia can make the engine rev down quickly between shifts. Some people consider them undriveable on the street, because the engine can stall easily, especially when cold. On motorcycles, having a too-light flywheel can make it stall between shifts(!) So keep this tradeoff in mind if you want one for your car. CONVERSION NOTES There are 2 versions of flywheels on all '75-83 motors: coupe and 2+2/turbo. 23 lbs each. Coupe and 2+2 clutches aren't interchangeable because the pressureplate dowel holes won't match the flywheel dowels. You can use a Z 5-speed on any year Z block, and any year L28 clutch can be used, but the throwout bearing "collar" must match the style of the flywheel (coupe or 2+2). In other words, if you have a 2+2 flywheel, you need to change the throwout collar to a 2+2 version when using a coupe trans. And vice-versa. Auto trans engines have a 1/4" metal spacer between the driveplate and crankshaft, remove this when adding a flywheel. A pilot bushing needs to be installed in the crankshaft if using an auto trans engine (they didn't get one). Unless you need the accessories, don't use a big 3-row harmonic balancer in front, get rid of it. Compared to a 280Z 2-row it weighs about 5lbs more. I've read that taking 10lbs off a 10" rear flywheel is the equivalent of taking 207lb off the front of the car. So I believe removing 5lbs from the front of the crankshaft is desirable. Also, I've been told the 3-rows like to break up over 6,000rpm. All L28 balancers have identical TDC timing marks and are interchangeable. I think i need a new clutch kit as well, let me know how yours goes

haha, yeah, probably a good idea, although that sounds like a sweet deal. i don't think my insurance company knows i have a different engine (L28) in mine, when i talked to them they asked me if it was the original engine, i just told them no, but it's just been replaced with a different optional engine....oh well....looks the same.....