PeterAllen

Steve Perez - http://www.steveperez.co.uk/east-african-safari-classic-rally.html Trust you enjoyed it and would like to hear more about Goodwood as I plan to go there in 2012. Would you believe they telecast the entire 24hrs of LeMans live here in Oz!

This would be very close to being the first race of a 240Z in Australia. Very impressive too... note how it is diving down inside Doug Macarthur's Rennmax BMW at Reid Park! It has been suggested the driver is a William G Marshall. The photographer has given me permission to post this photo which I found here. http://forums.autosport.com/index.php?showtopic=93148&st=3600&start=3600

Tim - Chap in Qld is doing my wiring (Steve at Killa Kustom Kables) and he tells me there is no problem at all with the signals for the tacho (V12 to V8) and speedo. I'm getting him to do the wiring from the headlights to the taillights. For the oil pressure and water temp I'm using Jag senders.

If you specifically want Autometer gauges I can't help but if you simply want different gauges you might want to consider making your own dial faces. I am making my own fibreglass dash with Smiths gauges out of an old Jag and I have made my own dial faces. I just scanned the Jag faces and, while keeping to the calibration marks, made the images I wanted on MS Word. Print the new faces on photographic paper and either stick them on the old faces or make new blank sheetmetal backings and stick them on. It works on the 50mm gauges just as well. I dare say you could make new faces for the Datsun gauges.

I would want to know a heck of a lot more before I ever posted any information about myself (or anyone) on that site!

Slightly different to those stated in the Nissan Motor Corp 260Z Service Manual for Transmission type FS5C71B, published 1975. 1st 2.905 2nd 1.902 3rd 1.308 4th 1.000 5th 0.864 Rev 3.382 I don't know anything about it personally, just quoting the book.

You can use a holesaw and a flanging tool. http://www.skygeek.com/ats-ft100.html

Loui Have you thought about the fuel tank/cell mounts? Probably easier to do while the shell's on the rotisserie - I did mine this week. I'm still to finalise the shape of the tank and will wait until the exhaust is fitted. I have a cardboard mock-up to give the exhaust chaps some idea.

Looking at my car's dogleg sections and I noticed that they have been replaced at least twice, meaning at least three sections have become rusted. It strikes me that some design flaw must be causing this. Has this phenomena been clearly explained and is there something that can be done to prevent it reoccurring? Thanks

Loui There is a new thread on HydridZ which raises an interesting point about stitch welding an S30. At the bottom of the front strut tower there is about 30mm of inner guard before it joins the front rail. If you have a stiff tower and rail it could mean flexing of the inner guard at that point. I haven't thought it through fully as yet but it might be prudent to weld some gussets to join the tower to the rail. When combined with a brace across the tower tops it creates a full circle of support around the engine. The new rails limit a spiral twist of the whole shell but they don't really stop twisting between the engine bay and the firewall. Also while you have it on the rotisserie you might want to consider laying some reinforcement over the rails where the cross-member is attached. I made mine out of 2mm sheet. I'll bring it along tonight for you to look at.

See post #3513 http://forums.autosport.com/index.php?showtopic=93148&st=3480&start=3480

I have read many magazine articles about this car but Google doesn't appear to contain many references. The owner-builder is Warwick Williams and it's based on a Maserati 250F design. Image reference: http://planeimages.smugmug.com/Cars/SPEED-ON-TWEED-PHOTOS-2007/3453032_uhHDZ/4/193968756_jLRmY/Medium

Thanks for the offer but it might require space for a carton of Darwin stubbies! soc_aus and I are working on a 50/50 deal.

e-mail sent. Thanks

Anyone travelling to Sydney from Canberra in the next few days and could bring a few items - i.e. save me a return trip? Happy to pay for a tank of fuel... provided you're not driving a rig or the like!

Those cut-down washers might have been the root cause. The hexagonal impressions indicate the bolts may have been overtightened and by cutting down the washers the force has not been spread evenly, in fact, they have created a stress concentration at the weakest point of the adaptor plate. I suggest once one gave way the m/c applied a twisting moment on the m/c mounting points which subsequently failed. If you remake the adaptor add at least another 5mm to the overall dimensions to leave move material around the mounting hols - and use a complete washer.

Two... There was quite a bit of crud in there for something that was only 2.5 years on the road. Also, the casing of the m/c appears to a lightweight moulded material, all in all not conducive to longevity, however, I haven't heard anything about it being an issue with Holdens.

Yep... and quite a hefty one.

rb30x - Okay, we might be on to something. I take it the m/c in your car is mounted higher than the original m/c - I presume because of interference with the rocker cover or head, please confirm. I also take it the push rod is therefore not aligned to the centreline of the m/c - or is it? Has the pivot been relocated higher on the pedal to compensate? Could you also confirm that the leak is from the bore inside the car and not the swivel union as shown in the earlier post. Thanks.

Sorry, I'm not keen to pull it apart just yet (I already have a shed full of such items!) so I don't have the bore size, but the engine bay dimension is 70mm. Not much room left when you fit a V12!!! (edit) Curiosity got the better of me - the bore is 3/4"

I might be on to something... I just had a closer look at the m/c and I've noticed that the fluid line from the reservoir has a swivel connector where it joins the m/c fitting. If the other owners have experienced fluid leaking in the engine bay then this could (must!) be the problem. You can also see that the m/c protrudes some 50mm or so through the firewall into the cabin. If the leak is occurring in the cabin then it is an issue with the seals and I'm back to square one. I await to hear from them.

Pete - I agree with your synopsis and that’s why I opted to go with the donor car m/c, even to the point of moving everything 10mm to re-establish the donor car pedal ratio. However, the experience of others tends to suggest there is something flawed with the concept. It’s hard to fathom, if anything, incompatibility of the m/c and s/c would impact on the functionality of the clutch itself rather than a mechanical failure of a cylinder component. Am I correct in assuming that in free load the piston would retract to a stop and there should be some (but minimal) play in the plunger rod, thus allowing the piston to always fully retract. I cannot imagine that both cars were not setup like this. One point you raised is interesting – I wonder whether both users are running extra heavy duty clutches which required greater line pressure to actuate and this is resulting in seal failure. For this to be so the design must be operating at a very fine tolerance and one would think it would be a very common occurrence in t56 fitted Commodores generally. Also, I understand that a replacement Holden m/c is around $200+ which might suggest there is something special about them, or am I just out-of-date with the prices of parts!

If I am correct there is a member here with an LS1/t56 installed in their S30 and making enquiries on HybridZ regarding clutch master cylinders suitable for the t56. Apparently the Holden m/c installed in his vehicle is leaking and a HybridZ member has suffered the same fate – twice! As someone who is doing this install I am trying to figure out ‘why is it so’. I thought that perhaps the piston is being forced too far into the cylinder and once the clutch was engaged the pressure was increasing the leaking back past the seal in the m/c, however, as both master and slave cylinders come from the same donor car this seems odd. As illustrated in the photo, while the load distances are different they should, if anything, mean more pedal travel is required in the Datsun configuration to move the piston sufficient to engage the clutch and therefore unlikely to create over-stroking of the m/c piston. I am assuming that the plunger rod is aligned to the centerline of the m/c. Does anyone have any theories on these failures or are they a statistical aberration… Why is it so?

nato - are you recommending a brace across the car where the tape measure is in the photo? If so that would tie in easily with the mounting my fibreglass dash.

The rear sections are a PITA to make... there are many contours and each item is not symmetrical. Also a word of warning (experience), make sure they clear the sway bar. It took me two goes so I hope they are worth it. I also made the rails 30mm deep.