My "new" car/project.

[bramagedained]

Managed to spend most of another day in the garage, though, I only maybe had 3 actual hours of work into it.

I had the nuts on the front hubs a bit too tight, when I got back from Brainerd yesterday they were hot. So today, I pulled them apart, re-packed the wheel bearings and put it back together.

I replaced the distributor<-> intake manifold gasket that was leaking. The nut that holds the clamp wasn't very tight again(I tightened it once before) so I added a lock washer. Happily, it fired right back up after having the distributor out and back in. I guess the pointers I made for where the housing/rotor needed to sit were good.

I did not yet go for a drive to see if it's better. That requires a first stop at the car wash to spray everything clean first anyway.

I figured I would replace the spark plugs while I was at it, since I had never pulled them nor had any idea when they were from. Now this part was interesting.

The casting marks and numbers on the block are easy enough to see and read. The block itself is from 1979 and I assumed the heads were as well. On a reference chart, the block was in a "passenger car".

Interestingly, the plugs that were in it, physically do not fit anything that came from GM in 1979. They do not have a tapered seat and instead use a washer to seal.

From what I've found looking, GM switched to using heads with a tapered seat in 1971.

Maybe the motor is more than I thought. Makes me wonder what cam/lifters/springs etc are actually in it. Or if the shortblock is even OEM. I was told it has a cam and idles like it. Also the 70's era Edelbrock intake manifold.

Anyway, all 8 plugs looked like the should. With the exception of half the insulators on all of them had black spraypaint from whenever the block was painted to get put in the car.

[bramagedained]

New thing that's probably happening.

The OEM springs are tired, and a really low spring rate. According to the factory service manual, they're <90lb/in, when new.

The difference in weight of the V8 swap+auto and my big ass puts me right about at the limit for capacity anyway.

The solution without coilovers:

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/mog-6558?seid=srese1&gclid=COirlPPAnccCFQUMaQodVxEO6Q

$35/pair.

Those are for... a chevette.

These are ~180lb/in as the come and end up ~250lb/in when cut to the proper height. From what others have said, they work well with the KYB shock inserts I put in there recently.

The backs will still be likely coilovers, mostly for the smaller coil diameter to clear big tires. A 28" tall 275 radial might fit without flares, and a 26" tall 275 will fit(it's already been done by a guy running the rear setup I'm going to change to) without them.

[bramagedained]

It turns out the brake deal isn't 100% as easy.

This is due to the weirdness of the 260z, as it's basically a mix between 240z and 280z depending on the part of the car and if it was early or late in the production run.

Anyway. The issue is that the spacer between the rotor and hub isn't a simple .500" think one like it otherwise might be. The "right" one ends up being .345" or so. Now, I can probably get this made how I would need it(for free, but, on someone's spare time), or buy a set for $120.

OR, and what I'll probably do.

This place just sells all of the stuff as a bolt-in kit. Complete with hardware, SS brake lines, and brake pads.

http://www.silverminemotors.com/datsun/datsun-260z/brake-upgrades/front-big-brake-kit-stage-4

The cost of a complete bolt in kit is ~$80-$100 more than you can get the parts for once shipping, sales tax, and core fees are figured in. If I go that route, I will ask if I can get rotors that are not slotted or drilled.

I would probably hop on that right now, if those brakes fit inside the stock 14" wheels I have right now, which they don't.

I still need to find a set of wheels I like that I can buy in both 5x4.5 and 4x4.5 (which is 114.3mm). The rear will be a 15 because drag radial sidewall. The front will be either 15 or 16.

I should be placing the order for the rear end parts in the next week. The newest batch of them has been produced and is available.

[turbotalon1g]

It's awesome to see this thing at the cookout.

[bramagedained]

Another change.

I sat in the car with a helmet on, and my head was very close/touching the inside of the car.

The one of the previous owners raised the seats up with some kind of janky spacers, and I had left it because I still fit.

Well, yesterday I took them out which lowered the seat about an inch and gives me much more room.

Old:
http://i.imgur.com/5s0XsU4.jpg?1

http://i.imgur.com/cOKiW0R.jpg?1

Stuff taken out:

http://i.imgur.com/cq9hpRE.jpg?1

How the seat sits now:
http://i.imgur.com/rFM8io0.jpg?1

[bramagedained]

I cant swing a turbo setup this winter, but, I think odds are high it will at least have 4.8/5.3 by spring.

A 5.3 with a cheap stock takeoff cam(from an actual LS motor) should make 300 something at the wheels through the auto, which I'm sure is a lot more than it makes now.

I need to get out somewhere to have it weighed and dynod in it's current state to see what the winter's changes bring.

Testing of stock LS cams in the 5.3 truck motor:

http://www.hotrod.com/how-to/engine/1307-ls-cam-test-comparison/

In theory, it doesn't take much to make it a quick car since it's light.

[93gtpeater]

Pretty awesome read.

[bramagedained]

Well, pretend progress.

I have all the parts for the rear end, rear suspension, rear brakes, front brakes, new 1" master cylinder and a proportioning valve.

Custom parts for the rear swap:
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h144/Bramage/260z/IMAG0323_zps1yxlvytu.jpg

Most of the store-bought parts:
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h144/Bramage/260z/IMAG0332_zpsvwuxdppk.jpg

I'm done with school for 3 weeks so I thought I would spend my first day off getting things prepped to actually swap the rear.

I went through the motions, which turned out to be a COMPLETE FUCKING WASTE OF TIME. More on that later.

F150 axles, these need to be cut apart to disassemble the outer CV, which is used along with the new 930 axle shaft and a 930CV as the inner joint.

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h144/Bramage/260z/IMAG0339_zpspokyxozj.jpg

The shaft needs to be cut off so you can spin the star far enough for the ball bearings to come out so that you can take it apart:

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h144/Bramage/260z/IMAG0341_zpsa9nvljn2.jpg

Good thing a pipe vise is in the garage, it made this part fairly easy:

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h144/Bramage/260z/IMAG0343_zpscnxyrwhe.jpg

I spun the axle around the other way before I actually cut it, this just made for a better picture:

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h144/Bramage/260z/IMAG0350_zpslpfbtvlh.jpg

Done with a cutoff wheel, care taken to not ding the CV joint itself:

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h144/Bramage/260z/IMAG0344_zpsrfzpzatc.jpg

Now you can spin the star far enough to get the balls out, which means you can get the whole thing apart:

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h144/Bramage/260z/IMAG0346_zpsbzyzrx4p.jpg

Star and balls:

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h144/Bramage/260z/IMAG0348_zpsfwa6gpdb.jpg

CV Joint separated and cleaned, shaft still needs to be pressed out of the star:

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h144/Bramage/260z/IMAG0352_zpsoqpx3eia.jpg

Outer stub fits into the Dodge Intrepid hub like it should:

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h144/Bramage/260z/IMAG0354_zpsczoouqnw.jpg

New 930 shaft in what will be the inboard 930 CV joint:

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h144/Bramage/260z/IMAG0353_zps50x5hx9e.jpg

Everything was good until this point. Until I had re-assembled the CV joint and went to slide the 930 axle in.

OH RIGHT THEY DON'T FUCKING FIT:

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h144/Bramage/260z/IMAG0355_zpssdlkj4s5.jpg

Despite the F150 axles being for the correct year truck, and correct model, these ones are different internally than how Ford designed them. The Ford design uses less/bigger splines than the shit I bought.

So I wasted $150 and 5 hours today on this. Tomorrow I'm going to try and see if I can source some re-man Ford shafts from an autoparts store. Otherwise I can order ones I now know will work with the 930 shafts from summit and have them on Tuesday/Wednesday.

[cmspaz]

That's super shitty man...

Unfortunately that's not something you can check before getting them apart, because a worry I'd have about parts store remans is whether or not it's a reman OE or a reman of a shaft like you purchased; an OE replacement. You never know how many cycles this shit goes through. :(

[MorningWood]

I still have your engine stand when you're ready for that guy let me know, i can drop it off. I'll be going home for christmas this week I believe, but anytime after that