Skully

I would love to do another road trip, I have acquired a new job where I don't have as much consecutive days off, just good ole 5-2. I did a few test drives, and I have some issues I have to look into. Seems that the MS trigger is fine, reading actual rpm to trigger is fine, but output to coil seems shoddy, I am getting huge spark retard and my tach reads like 1200 while MS reads 2k+. And I feel misfire as my tach bounces on the gauge (Not on MS). My tach is hooked up to the coil, so I assume this is giving me issues. Still have some troubleshooting to do, might be my HEI, but it worked fine with the previous setup. Will see!! It drives, just can't get into the power!

Skully

sorted out the issues, everything is peachy! Cya guys in wintertime, as I am having too much fun :P

beg3yrs

Love the sound, love the gauges, it's all good. The one chuckle in the audio pretty much says it all.

Skully

hehe yea its good times! Made a grille out of a mid 80's GMC truck, looks half *** decent.

beg3yrs

That is one beautiful car!

theramz

Nice! That grill really adds a nice touch to finish the car off. Like the lights behind it. Think I'll copy you on this one!

Skully

Well, I redid my valve stem seals. The head I have on here wasn't the head I planned to use. I had a rebuilt head long time ago, but the compression was way too high, so its shelved and I found a used head, but I didn't rework it. Maybe I'll rebuild the other motor, and make a high compression carbed, ready to drop in, in case this one blows.
Here is my 10$ valve compressor! lol. It worked, and I wasn't worried about damaging the cam since its aluminum u channel, I drilled an access hole at the end so I can get the magnets in there to pull the keepers out.

edit: If anyone questions their seals, or wants to replace them, this was really easy to do, just have to be careful because of tension and tiny parts could go flying, but its simple, easy way with the head on to replace them!

beg3yrs

That's pretty slick. Thanks for the post. I'll keep that solution in mind.

Skully

z32 adapter plate, and 5 speed, hopefully going in before winter is done. Gotta get a drive shaft made up. It was -45 or so for a bit there so, yeah no thanks. Its almost 0c now so woohoo, windows open in the house, enjoying the fresh air haha.

theramz

I would let you borrow my new transmission jack but it's too nippley there.

Skully

Man you have the best shop in the world, all these helpers and tools that you really want to be hands on! So lucky! yeah If I need to cut some glass maybe you have a helper that wont mind!

theramz

Check out my new buffer! Wax on wax off. This is why my car is not getting done, I just play with my tools.

beg3yrs

Careful Skully. Last time Tom sent a helper down my way she lost her arms and legs. She still wriggled and was long and lean but spent to much time hissing ...

theramz

So she was still of some use. These are called Cobras! They used to work on GM cars but the transmission jack wouldn't fit under the car and the buffer left streaks on the paint. I'm retraining them. It's pretty hard. That's what she said.

theramz

Getting back to Skully's thread-
Who makes that adaptor? Do you have to change the clutch/flywheel?

Skully

Hahaha.

There is a few guys that make the adapter, I went with Hoke performance one, since he was making a batch right before new years. Clutch and flywheel remain the same from an L28, there is a lot of writeups on this already, its pretty straight forward, once you get the machining done to the bellhousing.

beg3yrs

So ... what beast is eventually going under the hood?

Skully

Keeping the l28 turbo, I like it and its enough for me. Just the 4 speed will not suffice, I was scared to do a hard launch. I had a 5 speed out of a 280zx, took it apart, the counter shaft bearing had like 3 ***** left D:.

beg3yrs

I see. Did a little research and saw that what you're doing will handle LS motors (would probably need a new diffy as well).

There are a couple of Zs here in Tucson with LSx motors in them. One of the owners belongs to our club. Done by an aircraft mechanic, it's a thing of beauty. Dry sump too.

If you see this bad boy on the road, expect to be smoked...

Skully

Haha nice, must be nice to have a bunch to get together with!! Yeah I made sure nothing will break. Diff is an r200 lsd, so it should handle loads of power as well, not that I'll be swapping an LS, but its all there .

beg3yrs

Ah you never know when someone up there in the Frozen North swaps ends in their Camaro or Corvette and wraps it around a tree. Suddenly there's an LSx available ...

It is nice to have a local Z club. Ours in Tucson is tiny compared to the one "up the road" in Phoenix.

Skully

Well snow falls, then it melts, and I sneak a drive in here and there!!!
Installed an aluminum splitter/belly pan, I really like it! Also threw some vents in, the heat that pours out of them is pretty surreal, I thought I was overheating first time I saw the heat waves. Its ok its a 280, you can molest them without pissing off people right?? JK don't care heh!

beg3yrs

Your car is looking great! I very much like the lights behind the grill. Next time I take photos of mine I'll try to remember to get the marker lights lit up. It's a nice effect.

Here it is end of April and you still expect the possibility of snow? OMG

Skully

, yeah I love the clean front end now. Still haven't machined the bell-housing for the 5 speed , probably not going to do the swap until beginning of winter anyways.

Yeah sometimes we still get snow till May, but this year has been pretty good, melted pretty fast, now we get occasional snowfall but it melts in a day.

theramz

It's a shame to muddy up that pretty car after all that work.