Six_Shooter's money pit and time vampire... v.240Z

Gimme Fuel, Gimme... Well... fuel...

Engines require three things, fuel air and spark, here, I get fuel to the engine.

In the past on my 660s I've used a stock fuel rail and regulator, well, I had tried an MSD regulator that I was not impressed with and replaced pretty quickly with a stock regulator that I modified to be adjustable. This time I have plans of really increasing available flow through the fuel system, so this is what I shall call "the get it running set-up".

On the previous engine I had a custom fuel rail made, since the stock fuel rail was fugly and wouldn't flow as well as I needed it to, and also limited me to barb style injectors. In that system I had an Aeromotove FPR, that worked well, so I wanted to retain that with the 660. To do this easily required some -6 AN fittings at the fuel rail. Now I know there are expensive adapters available to do this, but I am cheap, and I plan to modify the fuel rails even more in the future, so it made the most sense to weld on some AN fittings to the stock rail. I used a couple 3/8" NPT to -6 AN fittings, instead of the "weld on" type since these were cheaper, if I had to buy them, but I also had a pair of these already, so it made it easy, and cheaper for me.



Installed in the car. I attached the FPR to the strut tower, because I wasn't happy with anything I came up with for mounting it on the engine itself.





I've Got The Power

Next up was wiring. I retained the ECM and harness I was using on the previous engine, which is a 1227749, with a modified harness from a 1988 Cavalier. This is actually the third 660 this harness has been attached to, and third vehicle, if you include the donor car and engine. I used this same harness in my Jimmy years ago. This set-up has been running the L28 for the last 6 years, so all I had to do was modify for the LX9.

Funny enough I didn't have to modify each injector length, since they kinda fell into place, I just had to shorten some wires, and extend only the O2 sensor wires to get everything to fit how I wanted. I aldo had to add some wiring for the alternator, since I am using a Toyota alternator, instead of the GM alternator I was using on the L28.


In these pictures is where I pulled a couple wires out of the vehicle harness to be connected differently, or at different points then where they were originally.





I had intended on using an old hot rodder trick for the starter, where a Ford starter solenoid is used to give power to the starter, on both the heavy feed and the small signal wire. I have done this in the past without issue, but this time it held the starter on for a couple extra seconds, so I ended up changing to using the Ford starter solenoid as only feeding the higher current supply and triggering the starter more conventionally otherwise.

Here I have the loop that is now removed:



Ford starter solenoid, I may remove this and wire it a little differently now, because of how I actually have this connected, but it's working well as it is.

[caffeine]

Just curious why LX9 over keeping the L28? There was a guy at the 1/4 mile event I just went to who was running around 11.5-11.7 with an L28 in a 240Z.

Going about it

Well, in looking at the cooling system and specifically the bypass that the gen1 used and the gen3 used and how very different they are, I started to formulate a plan to get something better then relying on the heater core as the bypass.

I had to go with my alternate routing because I couldn't find a fitting that I liked to do it my preferred method.

I started by welding up the hole in the back of the front cover that is present on the gen1 front covers. I then added a plate that I drilled and tapped for 3/8" NPT to the top side, where it will be accessible when the front cover is installed.

I followed the idea of the gen1 path for the coolant bypass.



90* fitting with a 3/8" NPT to 3/8" tube adapter.



I then pulled a plug in the block and put a 1/4" to 3/8" tube adapter in that hole.



I then formed a tube with proper tube nuts to connect the two.



Bypass installed



In the intake, where I really would have preferred to run the bypass to, I simply threaded the hole where the tube was for 3/8" NPT and plugged it.

If that's a 10mmx1.0 thread, Nissan used 10mmx1.0 banjo bolts on their brake calipers on the 90's-era cars. I know for sure the 240sx used them, and pretty sure the 300zx did too as the 300zx big brake conversion is popular on the 240's. This would be an easy solution since the brake lines and banjo bolts are readily available.

Yes, I've already verified that it is indeed 10mmx1.0 thread, using a banjo bolt from a brake caliper I have, which is where I kinda got the idea.

My only concern is whether the flow of fluid would be dampered and would slow down the clutch action.

[ForcedFirebird]

If that's a 10mmx1.0 thread, Nissan used 10mmx1.0 banjo bolts on their brake calipers on the 90's-era cars. I know for sure the 240sx used them, and pretty sure the 300zx did too as the 300zx big brake conversion is popular on the 240's. This would be an easy solution since the brake lines and banjo bolts are readily available.

Springing into action

I knew the weak point on the LX9 valve train was the stock springs, and truth be known, I believe it's been this way for a long time. I used stock valve springs on my Franken60 that used small port 3100 heads, and believe they were a major part of the limiting top end on that engine. I didn't want to take any chances this time and want to rev it to about 6500 RPM or so. I installed a set of Crane Cams valve springs.

Comparison shot:



I used a handy tool that an engine builder friend of mine had (I also bought the springs from him). I was able to remove the stock springs without adding an extension handle, not so with the new aftermarket springs.



No Heat For You!

Last week, while I was under the car, I looked at the block heater and really didn't like that it was still there. I mean I needed something there to keep coolant in the car, but I will never use the block heater, then it hit me, vehicles that don't spend their lives in Canada (or Northern States) probably don't have block heaters fitted to them, so there should be a plug option. Off to the dealer I go, and sure enough after some searching we find it. Has to come from the states, which wasn't surprising. I think I found the same plug at Car Quest the other day, though, which would have likely been cheaper.



Clutching At A Solution

So with the new trans there were some clutch things to sort out, one being that while the original clutch slave could be used, it has to move to a new position relative to the car. It's mounted lower on the bellhousing requiring a different flex line or some other solution. I came up with my own solution:

I decided to make a short extension piece, and a new bracket to anchor the flex line:



I don't like how low the flex line hangs, so I might try using a different hose and a banjo fitting to move the hose up higher.

Getting all lubed up... and down

Well, The oil drain back from the turbo took a bit to decide on just exactly how I wanted to do it. I've ran -10 braided hose on my last couple of turbo installs and while it worked it can get expensive and the piece I was using was getting old starting to seep a bit of oil. I hate leaks, and so I eventually decided on a solid tube to a rubber hose coupler at the oil pan. But then I had to decide just what route I was going to take, after some trial fitting, I came up with this:



It snakes in past the Y-pipe and then on a downward slope to the fitting I have at the oil pan.

Take Charge and be cool

first attempt at getting the IC tubing through the lower holes in the rad support:





New mount tab, to use an existing front facia/grill support:



Adding some more before test fit:



Looks like a good spot:



IC tubing all tacked together.



I decided to add the BOV directly to the IC tank. I did this on my friend's car, and liked it. I also think it keeps the IC tubing looking cleaner overall.







All painted up:



Mitsubishi Eclipse BOV installed:

It's been exhausting

Some picture updating to with my last update:

Started at the downpipe flange. Plasma cutters and flap discs are wonderful things


This is where I got to when I discovered that I couldn't put the one flange where I wanted, the downpipe just wasn't go to be able to be installed with it this length. I really liked how it fit though.






Tacked together from one end to the other, next up, weld it solid...


All painted and hung:

alright, now that we know it runs, we need a video!

In due time. I did take some video, but it's turned 90* for some reason.

[ericjon262]

alright, now that we know it runs, we need a video!

No pictures this time, mostly because it's late (early?) and I'm tired.

It was exhausting

I have the exhaust finished, it's a 3 piece exhaust now, where as the previous exhaust was one piece. I had to do it this way to make servicing components on the car easier. It snakes through areas pretty nicely, and will get the job done. I was hoping that I would have been able to make the exhaust two piece. Basically ting a new downpipe into the old system, but this proved to be more complicated than it was worth and would require taking apart other parts of the car to get the down pipe in and out, which I do not like. When I build cars, I try very hard to make them easy to service, even for the less common/less frequently serviced items, because, why not? It will make my life easier in the long run, and it's usually no harder to make a vehicle this way than it is to just keep stacking parts on top of parts.

Time to take charge and cool it

I started on the intercooler piping last night. I wanted to change how the IC piping was routed through the rad support while I was at it. You see there are 4 holes in the rad support, well, there are more, but one is filled with the rad, and the others are just simple wire pass throughs or bolt holes. lol Anyway. There are two holes about mid way up on the rad support that are about 2 5/8" or so, and fit 2.5" piping just nicely, but are not ideal to get piping through, due to the inner wheel well being very close to them, but not impossible. I had some intake piping through these holes originally, back before I put the IC in (I just had a tube there taking it's place). Anyway, once I actually made my IC, due to where the tube were, it was easier to just remove the vent boots from the upper holes and use those hole. They are larger and just easier to use. Many people that install turbos in these cars use the upper holes. These holes as originally fitted are for some vents that allow fresh air into the cabin, and they DO make a difference, so I really wanted to change the holes used for the IC piping.
A couple years ago, I basically rebuilt a friend's 240Z for him and went through some considerable effort to use the lower smaller holes to pass his IC piping through, though we used 2.25" tubing on his car, so it made it easier. The IC he had, also allowed me to have some distance to curve the tubing just right, even though I did have to pie cut the bends to make them tight enough to fit exactly how I wanted them. It was worth the effort, it looks clean, planned out and not hacked looking. So I really wanted to get this going in my car as well. The difference, I'm using a very different style IC, his was a crossflow design, with the inlet and outlet both at the same height near the top of the IC, mine is a vertical flow design, with one inlet at the top and one at the bottom. In the end this design worked out very well for me, as I will show eventually in pictures. He was using 2.25" tubing, I'm using 2.5" tubing, his tubing was stainless steel, and mine is aluminum, his was much easier to weld...

Anyway, back to the point...

I started last night trying to get something that would work to get the tubing through the lower holes. I was working towards keeping the IC on an angle and then pie cut some tubing for one of the tubes, and really did not like how it was turning out. I was also planning on welding tubes to the IC, that passed through the rad support in those holes, and had one side tacked together that did this, or would have once I tacked it to the IC itself. Since I really didn't like how it was turning out last night, I went home.

One more time

So tonight I decided to tackle the IC piping and was determined to not leave until I had something that was at least tacked together and would work. I succeded. All tacked together, still needs to be welded. I ended up with somewhat of a hybrid of what I was thinking of previously. I ended up welding elbows onto the IC, that are pointed at angles, that once some IC piping is passed through the rad support will allow me to use a short coupler on each end. Right now I am down to only 4 couplers in the entire system. One at the turbo compressor, one at the TB and one at each end of the IC. It took some real effort to get this to work, but I like the end result, and once the vent boots go back it it will look even better.

All's well that oils well

I also started on the oil drain back. With the turbo mounted so far forward, and all of the tubes and pipes that are pretty much in the way, the -10 AN that I used previously was not going to work well. It would have worked, but there would have been a chance that the drain would not have been on a downward slope all the way to the pan. So I've come up with a plan to use some tube, and a drain flange that was original to the turbo, but will take some modification, and some additional tubing. I'm shooting to make it one piece all the way to the elbow into the oil pan, and use just a short piece of rubber hose to connect it.

I'll post pictures hopefully tomorrow.

This is the part of the day where I actually laughed, possibly even chortled a little.

I needed to come up with a custom driveshaft for this set-up, since the new trans uses a very different and much larger output spline than the original trans. I did some preliminary measuring a few weeks ago, going off outside dimensions of some driveshafts I had, one that fit the trans, and a few that would be either original or some vehicle between. It seemed that the closest match would be the original driveshaft and the driveshaft that fit the trans, I had no idea at the time. So today I decided to cut apart both driveshafts and see what it would take to get something working. The pilots for both driveshafts are the same, or at least so close that it was a snug fit to slide the new yoke, into the old driveshaft. The other great surprise is that without cutting the driveshaft shorter, it was the right length, though it could be about 10 to 15mm longer without issue. I do have about 60mm of yoke engagement as it is, which is over half of the overall length of the yoke.







After this, some magic happened...

When I turned the crank with a rachet, the rear wheels turned as well.

This was the part that I thought was going to cause a long delay on getting the car mobile again, but it turned out to be easier than I thought.

While I had the trans out, I also made some additional room for the VSS, by slicing the mount brace and then hammering the plate to move into the brace, and then finally welding up the slice.

Fitted the starter. It seems that I didn't measure quite right for the starter position when I was making the adapter plate, but I did plan ahead and left enough material that I could open up the area under the starter if need be, and it was. I also made the clutch cover plate, that will be installed between the oil pan and the adapter plate, much like the OEM would have, and also my "clutch inspection hole" cover. This is actually a hole on the side of the trans that would be where the Nissan starter bolted to in the 300ZX TT, but is a great way to look at the throw out bearing and clutch.

I'm a tad worried that I may not have enough movement of the clutch fork to disengage the clutch. I have about 14mm of movement of the throw out bearing in total, after the throw out bearing comes in contact with the fingers of the pressure plate. If I need to, I can get a 300ZX throw out bearing and use the longer throw out bearing collar from my car to gain an additional 5mm. This would place the bearing just about against the fingers of the pressure plate at rest. I'll try it how it is first.

Last parting shot of basically how it's sitting right now:

Update!!


A little crank trigger mount modification, This is the same basic set-up I used on my Jimmy years ago, but I moved the base of the mount forward to clear the oil pan. In the Jimmy I was able to hammer some clearance, which I didn't like at the time, but it was my best option. This time I decided to move the mount base and shorten the slider.



I also pulled the oil filter adapter off, originally to see about adding a port to it to feed the turbo, but I found a better solution for that, half way through. Anyway, while it was off, I decided to make an improvement.

Original:



Smoothed out.




Added a flex joint to the Y-pipe:



I changed the oil pan to one I had modified for oil drain back provisions, and was happy to see the bottom end was as clean as the top had been.



I was able to get a clutch in the car as well.

I ended up using the entire clutch from my L28 in this set-up. I originally thought I would have to use, or could have used the pressure plate from my Jimmy, but it would have been too tall. So I found that there was a 2mm difference in diameters of the bolt patterns for each pressure plate. I decided to drill out the holes in the pressure plate larger and then added a couple dowels made from some bolts to help keep the pressure plate located properly.



I then moved on to finishing the bellhousing modification I had started a few weeks ago to clear the starter:

Cool, I have the same one that I'm planning on using in my truck with a 3400.

Did you make a spacer for the water pump pulley to match up with the crank pulley/crank trigger setup?

Yeah, that was made years ago, when I used the same front cover on my Franken60 in my Jimmy.

I'm contemplating going to a Camaro water pump, when it comes time to replace it, just to get a little bit more room in front of the engine.