KatoKid

Stivva, who did your chassis straightening? What was involved and how much? Thanks.

Kent, rack came from an importer and he couldnt tell me what year it was. Lurch, Im getting soft in my old age....not really. After years of driving late model cars that steer brilliantly and with good feel I really notice the heavy steering in my 260 and I would like to do some cone bashing with the 240 when its finished. Im putting a lot of effort into ensuring the car goes and stops well and want it to be nice to drive, not a pig.

Last for now...basic cut to test fit MX5 mount

More..

Now this is where the fun starts....and time for all you suspension guru's out there to chime in! My biggest concern is poor steering and feel so bump steer is going to be a factor. The centre to centre width of the LCA mount holes on the Z cross member are 600 mm apart and the standard Z rack measures 610mm between the pivot points of the inner tie rod ends IE the rack is 10mm wider than the LCA mount points. Both the Suby and MX 5 rack are significantly wider at 642mm and 650mm respectively at the pivot points. Surely I'm headed for bump steer city? It looks like its possible to move the LCA points up and out quite some way to compensate but then I'm looking at too much neg camber. Anyone know what sort of camber you get from relocating the LCA points? The car will need to be engineered for rego so I'm hesitant to go with mods like camber plates and adjustable LCA's at the moment, once its rego'ed then yes. Installation: The Suby rack really needs the power head rotated 180 deg so you get better clearance between the pipes and the X member. Ive done this but as per the photo below, once you rotate the rack back you're still going to have to modify the crossmember to provide clearance for the low pressure outlet on the back side, additionally you will need to make up new lines from the power head to the rack piston as well, all no big deal but not really neat and sure to attract the attention of the engineers at inspection time. Also the Suby rack has more total lock than the Z rack (69mm's each side from centre to full lock compared to 60mm for the Z) this may cause clearance issues at full lock for maxed out wheel/tyre packages. The MX5 rack is a much tidier and neater installation. The lines to and from the pump are well out of the way and the lines from the power head to the rack only slightly interfere and will only need a slight tweak by hand to clear everything. both racks will require a notch and reinforcement of the engine mount, but one specific issue for the MX5 rack is that it sits 10mm off centre to the left, not too big a deal as it only needs the tie rod lengths to be 5mm shorter/longer on the respective sides to bring the rack back to centre and equidistant from the LCA points and don't think it will result in clearance issues on full lock. Mounting the MX5 rack requires a small amount of modification to the original Z cross member mounts and use the Mazda rubber isolators. Im going to wait for comments before going any further but Im pretty keen on the MX5 option so far. Will also post details on outer tie rod ends and universal connection to the Z steering shaft latter. Cheers.

The engine conversion I'm planning for my project will potentially have issues with clearance between the front of the sump and the steering rack so I need to get this sorted, also it uses a single serpentine belt to drive all accessories including the power steering pump. Ive looked at electric assisted steering and I think they're certainly the future but while it may be possible to replace the PS pump with an idler the fact is that Ive got a PS pump so I might as well use it. So the next decision is which rack to use. The suby option is reasonably well documented but I haven't seen the MX5 installation, all reports say its a better fit so only one way to find out....I went and bought one of each for comparison purposes. Hopefully this post will help other people with the decision making process but it also raises some other issues which I will ask for advice on latter. Firstly the racks themselves: Subaru - did a lot of research on the interweb and while it sounds like most suby racks look the same they come in many different ratios. Most shopping car subies are 3.2 - 3.5 turns lock to lock. The standard Z rack is 2.6 turns so I was looking for something closer and WRX's are 2.75 or STI's 2.5 and a thing called Spec C is 2.0 turns (but very hard to find). Found a WRX rack for $200. MX5 - Have to use the first generation NA model rack as the NB went to a completely different mounting method. Good news is they are 2.7 turns lock to lock, bad news is I was told they are sought after as many NA's didn't have PS originally. but i paid $250 incl hoses and uni joints from All maz in Clayton. I spent some time measuring and comparing dimensions.

There are 2 options for fitting the longer cam belt to accommodate the taller 3 litre block and this one has been done the proper way with the block drilled and tapped to locate a second idler pulley up high. Given the cost of N1 oil pumps alone it would definitely be worth bidding on. Expect it to go for much more than currently listed.

I'm in. Address for those that havent been before?

Some good stuff on engine and trans weights from Hybridz. http://forums.hybridz.org/index.php?showtopic=59086

Would love to but have a family comitment. Bugger!

You still got clutch trouble Rev?

Doh! Just saw your post on Lurch's door skin tutorial....still want to hear how they fit!

Who's door skins did you buy, Rare Spares or someone else? Will be interested to hear how they fit.

Length of the release bearing shouldn't necessarily change the "feel" of the pedal of that much. Bleeding clutch hydraulics can be one of life's great mysteries. Ive poured litres of fluid through them and still cant get a good pedal sometimes. From experience Ive found the best way is to reverse bleed, by using a syringe and pushing fluid from the slave up to the master, it can be messy but sometimes is the only way. If you have flexible lines then other options can be to remove the slave and bleed it at a height above the MC. good luck, I feel your pain!

Thanks for the bore size Peter. Unfortunately 70mm is likely to be too much so I think an underdash unit will be the only way to go.

Hey Peter A. I'm about to start on an engine conversion that will cause grief with the clutch master cyl interfering with the head/rocker cover if I have the engine positioned as far back as possible so I'm looking for the shortest possible MC. Can you confirm the total distance the Commodore MC protrudes into the engine bay? Also the bore size? Anyone got any other suggestions for clutch MC's that protrude the least amount into the engine bay? Even with the shortest MC I may be faced with having to engineer an underdash alternative. Thanks. David

For me its more about the satisfaction and connection you have to creating something that is unique to you and that carries your signature. Anyone can buy a late model car but no matter how much you love it, it will eventually become just another car. You buy a 40 year old car either restored or unrestored and it will allways invoke more passion than any late model car, no matter how good that late model car is. Even if you pay big bucks for an already restored car there is a sense of responsibility to maintain the car and retain the heritage for the sake of yourself and other owners of the same model car. Ive look at forums for late model cars and much of it is restricted to upgrades like wheels/tyres, a bit of suspension and cosmetic shiver. If that floats your boat then that's OK but I think most on this forum are more hands on, involved and passionate and wouldn't have it any other way.

Looking great Adam. Who's stainless bars did you buy and did they come drilled for rubbers or plain? I think good bars make or break the finished product, seen plenty of cars that have a good looking body but the bars let them down. David.

Not 4 spot, from a 2WD Hilux.

Re post... Had a look at Lurch's 260 and its substantially different so needs to be 240. Anyone parting out a 240 that I can cut the RHF skirt and radiator support from??? David

Confirms it for me...I'm deffinitely doing mine in the original 920

I had a half share with my brother in an old CIG 170 amp which is now 30 years old and still going strong. Problem is that when I wanted to use it he needed it too so Ive just bought a new Lincoln 210, Australian made (even though parent is USA) and tough as nails. Bought it through a friend that owns an engineering shop so got it at a good price, all his welders are Lincoln and get flogged every day and he never has a problem with them. Its probably overkill for what I will use it for and haven't tried it on really thin sheet yet but can go down to .6 wire and 35 amp so should be OK.

Agree with Dimitri, its not difficult to fit them but good sealing and doing it without damage is another thing. Would recommend a guy I used to deal with years ago, hes mobile and specialises in top end euro work (does all the work for Porsche Australia). For A Windscreen 0418 374 877 Marcus Cheers David

Rule #1: Man must have a shed. Rule#2: Imagine the biggest shed and it will never be big enough. Rule #3: The bigger the shed the more you will collect. Therfore you Z collection will be limited by shed size (and $). Here endeth the lesson.

This rocks Adam.....probably the most inspirational thread on the forum. Cant wait to see it the flesh one day.