jamo240

I use the lightweight shockproof in my twin synchro R33 box behind the RB engine. Works very well...very happy with it. CHeers Jamo

Well boys I am now through the dreaded VASS process to make all my mods legal. It wasn't that hard really. A few issues on wheel sizes, but otherwise all i had to do was fit inertia reel seatbelts, which was no big deal....although I did have to pull them apart and re-configure the belts...many thanks to Restraint Technology Australia for that! With that done (especially the brake test which resulted in a few flat spots on the VERY old A032R tyres I had on it, I changed tyres. After a bit of research, I decided I wanted to go with the Dunlop Direzza Z1 Star Spec, which conveniently is not offered here in Australia at Dunlop dealers. Fortunately for us Victorians, Stuckey's have come to the rescue and stock them. I had them fitted today, and all I can say is Holy Snappin Duck Shiv! What a transformation. They are quieter, more grippy when cold...it actually hooks up in second gear now. But most of all, the dartiness is gone from the ride. The tyres work 1000% better on rutted roads which used to make it dart all over the place. They are a much better road tyre (ie not saying the A032R were anything but great as a track tyre, which you would expect from an R spec tyre). Anyway...all smiles now, and just tidying up a few bits and pieces before the Nationals next weekend. Happy days and see you there ladies.... Jamo

I have some that are about 50mm too if you want them...I took them off my car, so they are now surplus to requirements. Cheers Jamo

I don't know about getting porting done, but Orgers in Bayswater can recondition your head no problems. Cheers Jamo

Yes...the fusible link down by the starter is the circuit that provides power to the vehicle body and engine harnesses. If you look, you will see the main power cable goes from the battery down to the starter B+ terminal, and the FL is connected to the same terminal. If the fusible link fails, the vehicle electrics will be unpowered. Jamo

Hey Fluegel...he would have thousands. But..let me check the thread pitch before I send you there! After reading your thread more carefully, I note you may be after what is not now a std metric pitch....as I retapped mine before installing to clean the threads, I can't be sure they are the original thread. It certainly didn't feel like i was cutting metal when I ran the tap in, and the screws feel like a good fit in the hole, so it all works in any case. Cheers Jamo

Hi Zed4ps A points distributor is capable of firing a fuel injected engine. From the spark's point of view, how the fuel gets into the cylinder (via carb or fuel injection) is irrelevant. Given you have two cylinders you suspect are not running right, have you got the plug leads on the right pins to reflect the firing order 1-5-3-6-2-4? As long as your are confident the ECU is getting all the inputs it needs (especially relating to engine speed in this case), then go back to basics. An engine needs compression, fuel and spark to run. Check and make sure each of those things are there (especially on the cylinders you have already identified as not saluting the flag), and you are sure to get it running fine. Cheers Jamo

Why would you put a hot-rod Porsche sticker on a Datsun? Wouldn't that make about as much sense as putting VB Commodore "Radial Tuned Suspension" badges on the fenders??!! Jamo

That's tough Xnke...it's 100 degrees here today...no risk of mask fogging! Certainly an interesting project to take on...will be interesting to see what the dyno figures reveal about your design. Cheers Jamo

Hey Dave As with all things, you tend to get what you pay for. Welders are capital assets, and obviously last many years, so over time, the up-front cost is not the main thing....you need to pay enough to get a machine that will do what you need it to do...buying to a price is improvident. Not sure how good the Chinese ones are as I haven't used one, so no comment there. Miller and Lincoln both make great machines. Cannot recommend foot control enough. Most of the American machines can do both, but you cannot beat foot control for fine control of current as you move around the job, where the temperature must vary as the mass of material and disposition of the weld (eg butt, fillet, lap) change. I weld using both, but prefer foot control immensely over hand control. Cheers Jamo

Adelaide is a lot of fun. Wine wise, I like Langhorne Creek or McLaren Vale. The Lion Hotel in Nth Adelaide is great for a few wines on a Sunday session..always a good band there. Friday night the Bath Hotel in Norwood or the Maid and Magpie are fun. Some have bands. Glenelg is also good on a Saturday...try the Pier Hotel. If you like Greek food, try Estia in Henley Square. Alphutte has fantastic food on Wakefield terrace. Star of Siam has great Thai in Gouger St and Beyond India does good Indian on O'Connell St, Nth Adelaide. If steak is your thing, try Gaucho's Argentenian restaurant on Gouger St. If you want a quieter beach day than Glenelg, try the Largs Bay area, and have a bevvie at the Largs Hotel afterwards. You might also like a visit to Penfolds in the Eastern foothills..nice wines and a bit of history there. Finally, the Norton Summit hotel does a great pub meal with a nice view of Adelaide. Cheers Jamo

I got some from my local bolt bloke in dandenong. He had thousands. They are same configuration as std, silver chromate finish. I bought 20 so have some spares if you run into trouble finding them. Jamo

Hey zzzed. Standard 240Z alternator wiring sees the alternator output go to the amp meter via the fuse panel thru a white/red cable. From the amp meter the cable changes color to white. The white cable then goes to the starter motor battery terminal via a fusible link. The way the charging circuit is configured, when the alternator is charging, the current flows to the electrical system via the fuse panel without going through the amp meter. So essentially, a +ve current output is showing the current flow to the battery....the actual alternator output is higher than this, as the current to the electrical system is in addition to this. When the alternator is failing to charge, full current flow to the electrical system goes via the amp meter, hence you are seeing total current flow from the battery. The reason is that you are interested in current flow to and from the battery...not total flow through the system, as this is not important to understanding whether your battery will go flat...it's a very cool circuit configuration...i don't know why people get rid of it! In my case, even starting with a very flat battery that will barely start the engine, my amp meter shows around 40A current flow to the battery, and there is no smoke or smel from the meterl. Current flow gradually subsides over time until the battery is charged. This is how you know your battery is charged...the alternator is now supplying power to the electrical system as required, but you will only see a small positive current, showing your battery is now charged. This is how i configured my circuits in my installation: Alternator output: Connected white/red cable through an 80A fusible link to existing white/red alternator output circuit. Field excitation: Connected Black/white 'IG' cable through a diode to RB field terminal (light green cable). The diode prevents alternator output (once engine is running) from being fed back to ignition circuit which can prevent the engine turning off even after you key off. This is necessary as the standard 240Z voltage regulator is not there any more to perform this function. Battery condition sensing: Take the white cable that goes to the 'A' terminal on the 240Z voltage regulator and connect to the RB sense terminal (red cable). This white cable is actually wired in parallel to the starter motor battery cable, and so is an accurate point to sense battery condition at. Amp meters are a cool thing, and come from the halcyon days of sports cars. If you understand what they are measuring, they give you a very good indication of the state of both the battery and charging condition. Most people didn't understand what they were showing however, hence by 260Z they introduced volt meters to make life easier (simply give it a green zone between 12.5-14V, and people are happy campers if the needle is there). This was still too much for many to understand or care about, so lamps were introduced to complete the dumbing down process such that you didn't need to understand anything other than if the lamp is on when the engine is running there's a problem. For the mental pygmies who found that too confusing, we have now progressed to the 'check engine' warning to make it clear that action is required! There is no need to install charge indication lamps to make the system function. As explained above, these were only introduced in cars without either amp or volt meters, and hence show whether the alternator is charging (the lamp stays illuminated if the alternator is not charging). If you have an amp meter, there is no need for a lamp! Hope this helps. Cheers Jamo

The main offender is the mainshaft nut that retains 5th gear, which is to the rear of the centre plate (the other four gears are in front of the centre plate). The sleeve for selecting 5th gear also has the straight cut reverse gear teeth on the outside of it. That is why 5th and reverse gear problems associated with the mainshaft nut can occur together. The mainshaft nut, along with the counter shaft nut (holds one of the reverse gears) are both designed to be 'staked' to the shaft. That is, after you 262 loctite them and torque them up, you use a pin punch to deform the skirt on the nut into the groove in the shaft. This prevents it coming undone. The practice of double nutting the mainshaft nut involves machining the skirt off the old nut in a lathe, (which cannot be used twice due to the skirt being damaged during the removal process), and then doing that one up first and follow it up with a second nut which you do up VFT behind the first one. This process was developed by the Nissan Rally team many years ago. I have done it with mixed results....I have still had them come undone, and personally favour the factory configuration. One of the problems with double nutting is it moves the second nut too far back to engage the staking groove, so if the nuts do come loose there is no 'last line of defence' via the stake to prevent the nut coming right off and fifth gear drifting back down the main shaft. The other thing to look at is the detents that have been mentioned earlier (the ball and spring in the centre plate). These usually work pretty well from the factory, but you can increase the spring tension a little via plugs between the nut and spring. Finally, wear in the reverse gears can cause tapering on the teeth that creates thrust while driving (in reverse) and can cause them to jump out of reverse gear. The fifth gear problem is more likely to be a mainshaft nut/excessive end float on 5th gear problem. Cheers Jamo

I bought replacement spindle pins from Nissan, and they have them brand new...about $75 each. When you fit them, put plenty of never seize on them, and they are easy as pie to get out even years later. Also remember the groove that matches the centre cotter pin is not actually in the centre (ie the pin has a front and rear, it is NOT symetrical). If you put it in the wrong way around, too much thread pokes out one end and not enough from the other. There is no brute force involved in reassembling if it is all lubricated and de-burred. Also, if you get the pin in the right way round and get the groove in the right place, the cotter pin goes in very easily and only requires a small torque on the nut to retain it....I do mine up with the inch-pound torque wrench and they are very easy to get out using an aluminium drift without damaging the thread. cheers Jamo

Hey Dave Definitely agree on the twin 2" configuration. While my 3.5" (necking to 3") is certainly quiet, it is boomy and that is part and parcel of large diameter systems. As for muffler building, that Motorsport place opposite purple pig in the bayswater area builds mufflers for very reasonable prices. Give them a call. Cheers

No worries...let me know if you need assistance....I can drop by and pick it up if he won't post it. It's not far from where i live. Cheers Jamo

Yes...that's him...he has quite a few there, brand new. Cheers Jamo

John...if the distance between the rack end ball joints is different to the distance between the lower control arm (LCA) inner pivot points, then Ackerman and bump steer are affected. 15mm per end would be considered significant. Incorrect Ackerman is what makes tyres squeal on polished floors in car parks at full locks...it's the component to geometry that toes the inside wheel more than the outside so the two radii match...if they don't, you get tire squeal or shuddering as the two fight each other..mostly an irritation toward each steering lock. Bump steer is created when the steering arm goes through a different radius to the LCA, and causes the wheels to toe in and/or out as the car ranges through the suspension travel...bump steer is a problem at road car speeds, and will cause dartiness and instability under brakes. You need to get rid of it in the range of suspension you use (eg it doesn't matter so much if it is out at full suspension droop). On the Nissan race cars, we would adjust it so it was within 0.005" throughout the used range...but road cars aren't quite that fussy (0.020" a side would be fine, between 1.5" above ride height through to full bump). Suggest you either draw it up if you are handy on CAD to understand the effect different pivot points will have on geometry, or try to replicate what is there now as much as possible to avoid getting into problems with geometry. Cheers Jamo

If you are using a combination that is well proven on other people's cars, I would look a little further before replacing anything else. Why don't you get a couple of brake hose clamps (available from tool shops) and clamp the rear lines off at the calipers and make sure you can actually lock the fronts up at all. It would be good to diagnose which part isn't working before changing anything else. Cheers Jamo

The other thing the Nizpro team advises is that engines running on E85 run noticeably cooler than on 98. I tend to agree with Peter Mc on the NA vs turbo question...turbo cars have the advantage of being able to get extra air in the cylinders, but run into knock problems moreso than NA engines, hence they benefit more from the octane rating of E85 while overcoming the calorific disadvantage. In the same way NA sprint car engines are built very specifically to benefit from running on methanol, you would need to build a very specific NA L series to benefit from E85. Pete has the experience here though, as I haven't messed around with it on NA engines. For turbos however, it can be of benefit without changing the engine mechanical configuration except for a re-tune to deal with the stoich ratio issues. CHeers Jamo

Thanks Gareth! Cake or tarts....I'm happy either way! As promised, here is a pic of the whole lot installed. The cable you can see actually connects the tweeter to the mid-range speaker, so that will sneak up between the door panel and the door trim to keep it out the way of the window mechanism. Where you can see the black texta dot on the edge of the trim is where I may put another trim clip in, but with the extra fibreglass stiffening the panel, there is no sign of it misbehaving even when you slam the door, so I reckon it is pretty good to go as-is. Cheers lads Jamo

Hey there's an idea Dave....I wonder if any are hiring?! Jamo

The boys down at Nizpro swear by E85...particularly the product supplied by United. The downsides are availability (you can't get it everywhere), the requirement to retune your engine to address the different stoich ratio it requires, the possibility you will need bigger injectors/jets and the fact you will use if faster. In the case of tuneable engine management systems like Apexi, you can just adjust the injector scale factor and you're good to go in the event you need to run on premium for a period of time due to not being able to get E85 (assuming you have previously tuned the engine for E85). The upsides are a much higher octane rating, which gives you the potential for more power and in the case of turbo cars, Simon and Dave at Nizpro have dyno verified that it gives you useable boost at lower RPM (up to 500rpm lower than on premium) due to the increased gas volume (because you burn a greater mass of it per unit air). They also consider it will give you 10 degrees more spark which is where a lot of additional power can also be achieved on turbo cars that become spark/boost limited using premium unleaded. In the words of Dave at Nizpro regarding turbo cars "...I wouldn't run a car on anything but E85 in the Melbourne area where it's easy to get...it is just that much better". These guys are tuning cars on it everyday, so they have plenty of experience. For those who don't understand how E85 works from a performance perspective, it's like this: Petrol has a stoichiometric ratio of 14.7:1. That is, you need 14.7lbs of air to burn 1lb of fuel. Ethanol is about half this, so more like 7:1. From a calorific point of view, petrol actually has more energy per lb than ethanol, but because of the lower stoich ratio, you can burn more pounds of it per unit air, hence get more power...the higher octane rating also helps power due to spark tolerance. When you add nitro methane to ethanol, the stoich ratio goes right down to about 4:1, and this is why top fuel dragsters burn 30 or so litres to cover the quarter mile...they are injecting a huge amount of fuel for the air that the engine uses, but this is the only way to produce such large amounts of power. Bottom line: E85 is the highest performance potential fuel you can buy at the pump in this country, but you will have to make tuning and possibly component changes to get the benefits. You will also use more of it. E85 will be of no use (and may perform poorly) without retuning the engine. I have not heard of the corrosion problems driving component changes on conventional cars, but will check with the Nizpro chaps on this one....I do know they replaced the fibreglass tanks in their race boat with Stainless steel when they changed that engine over to E85. Cheers Jamo

That sounds great John...I will look forward to seeing it all done... I think you have got the speakers in a great place in the old air vents...that is probably the best place they could be....should sound great provided you have got the key tones covered in your mini speakers. I am getting my door trims re-trimmed in synthetic leather with some stitching accents. Cheers Jamo