Project Slicktop

The Nissan 300ZX (Z32) general community discussion forum
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Honad
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Joined: Mon Oct 31, 2005 9:18 am
Car: 1994 Nissan 300ZX TT, 1992 Nissan 300ZX Slicktop
Location: De Soto, KS
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evan_aggie wrote:Hey Honad, you put on headers if I'm not mistaken, right?

I had a couple of questions.

Most people say headers on the NA w/o the motor pulled is a huge PITA, but do able. How did you install the headers?

Second, what exhaust did you go with? Is the exhaust not effective without the headers, or can you still get gains?

I was looking at the Labree H-pipe with resonators. I wanted some more "gusto" without an obnoxiously loud exhaust.
It's actually not horrible to do headers with the engine still in, though it takes some patience. It is much easier to do when the engine is out, which is how we did it in this build.

The car has Specialty Z Test Pipes and non-resonated Greddy SP exhaust. It sounds like f'ing crap between 2k and 4k rpms as it's raspy, from 4k to 7k it sounds great.

I did the full exhaust all at once, so I'm not sure what the power gains were with just headers, but knowing how it worked with other Z's in the area, you will pick up some power when you add Catback, and then again when you add test pipes and again when you add headers. Often I recommend doing Pop charger, Exhaust and ECU before doing anything else. I had some really f'ed up Air/Fuel before I changed Eproms.

The Labree with H-pipe is what I have on my TT, which is actually moving over to my Slicktop this year, since I'm going to 3" on the Turbo car. I think that's a fantastic choice in exhaust. It's got great bends and very little restriction, plus the fit and finish is fantastic.

Also, get some friggen broadband man! Half the joy of this thread is all the pictures.


dozug
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Car: 300zx Twin Turbo

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Honad wrote:


Woo SexZ! I'm hoping for as good of a result. Your car looks great.

I've had JDM tails since right after the engine went in. They are sitting in the hatch in the pictures above.
What is that front bumper?? I like it! Is it the stock front and the lip or is it whole front bumper??

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Honad
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Car: 1994 Nissan 300ZX TT, 1992 Nissan 300ZX Slicktop
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Well, I got back from the honeymoon and thought I should get started preparing for the Autocross/Race season. I wanted to take the car for one last drive before I threw her up to do the clutch/flywheel and change brakes, etc. While I was driving, she went to 5 cylinders. "Great...", I thought. So, I went through all the normal trouble shooting steps and figured out it was Injector #1 that was bad. Thank f'ing God, the easy one. Though you really should, you don't "have" to pull the plenum. ----- I'll do a quick little how to on this. 1. Remove the gas cap to relieve pressure, you can stuff a rag in there to keep the fumes down if you'd like. 2. Remove the fuse for the fuel pump from the row of them by the battery. Attempt to start the car. Obviously, this will not work as no fuel, but you will depressurize the rail. 3. Remove throttle cable cover. (4 Allen screws) Disconnect throttle cable and cruise control cable, unbolt from plenum and set aside. (2 10mm bolts) 4. Remove oil cap, stuff a rag in there to keep debris from getting in. 5. Remove injector connector, then the injector cover. (For stock, two Phillips screws) Use plenty of penetrant, pb blast, liquid wrench, wd or whatever you use for lube, let sit for a while before you go at the screws. They will be tight. 6. Remove injector. Now, these were obviously put in with the strength of 1000 men. I mutilated the **** out of it while pulling it out. It was bad, so, no big deal. (Flathead screwdriver, Pliers, another screwdriver, patience) Old vs. New I even cracked the tip off on the old injector wiggling and wrenching it out of there. Thankfully, I was able to pull the plastic bit that broke off out. 7. Install new injector. Remember to replace the o-rings with new and the half moon that goes into the retention cap when you do this. Make sure to lube them up a bit with spray dry-lube or Vaseline so that they don't bunch up. 8. Tap the injector down into position. I used a set of pliers coupled with a doubled over rag so as to minimize damage and tapped the new injector in there with a rubber T bar to lessen the blow. 9. Re-attach the injector cover. Be careful with the two screws, make sure that they go in right the first time; it is very easy to strip them. 10. Repeat steps reverse from 5. ---- Here are a few little bits that I got for Xmas that I figured I should take pictures of, heh. 300 Degree Brake Master Cylinder Brace The ever important Nismo Radiator Cap! Also in the parts bin CZP Clutch Line, Nismo needle bearing, Flywheel stop tool, CZP Pivot ball, Front and Rear Caliper rebuild kit. Now, it's back to the dyno Saturday to make sure everything is running top notch and to see if there was actually any gain what-so-ever from the Stillen grounding kit I installed since the last dyno. I highly doubt it. Then, I'm ready for my clutch/flywheel job so we can see some actual gains.

dozug
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Also in the parts bin CZP Clutch Line, Nismo needle bearing, Flywheel stop tool, CZP Pivot ball, Front and Rear Caliper rebuild kit.

What is front and rear Cliper rebuild kit?? I need to rebuild mine,,, It makes metal grind noise and feeling when i step on the brake..

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Z32TT
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^ Caliper rebuild kit, its just to repair his brake calipers all the seals and stuff so its as if it were almost new again, Dozug you prob need to change your brake pads their prob worn out so check em

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Honad
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Z32TT wrote:^ Caliper rebuild kit, its just to repair his brake calipers all the seals and stuff so its as if it were almost new again, Dozug you prob need to change your brake pads their prob worn out so check em
^Speaks the truth.

Dozug, sounds like you need to do pads and rotors. Don't forget to bleed the brakes!

DJ Raijin
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Car: 1992 300ZX 2+0 T Top NA

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Honad wrote:^Speaks the truth.

Dozug, sounds like you need to do pads and rotors. Don't forget to bleed the brakes!
also depending upon how long you've been driving like that, might need new rotors too. Or else you will need to get them cut or put on a brake lathe.

But I digress....

Great work Honad. A solid performing machine. Love it.

dozug
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Car: 300zx Twin Turbo

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Honad wrote:^Speaks the truth.

Dozug, sounds like you need to do pads and rotors. Don't forget to bleed the brakes!
Hm,, I dont know if its pad, because even if im stationary, in Parking, If i press the brake pedal, it makes metal noise.. If its rotors, isnt it hiss sound??

JDMZ32
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nice update. i'll be getting that ever important Nismo radiator cap as well. as soon as my friend ships it out to me (along with his TT radiator).

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Honad
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The Saturday dyno session went fine. Shocking, I know, but the Grounding Wires did not net any measurable gain in performance. Big surprise there. :p

The car did, however, make the power that I was hoping for and the A/F is exactly where it should be, so, I'm satisfied. The car is in great working order and am now ready to throw the new clutch/flywheel in. Here's to less rotating mass and freeing up a bit of horsepower.

I took the following video so that we can visually see the difference in the way the car revs in neutral once the new flywheel is in. It was night and day in my TT, I imagine the result will be similar in the Slicktop. I will try to put together a side by side post install video as well.

Click for the Rev Test Video

Dyno Chart Current

Dyno Chart Now vs. Stock

dozug
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wow your rpm goes up so fast and goes down so fast! I dont remember but did you change the pipes?? or is all N/As are like that??

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Z-owned
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Can't wait to see the results of the flywheel as it's a mod I am doing this summer as well well I have the transmission dropped.

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tg
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I know the plenum pull is a whore but just to change 1 injector but I wager it takes about as much time for a novice to do it both ways. at the same time you can delete the TB coolant lines and do a bunch of vacuum line cleanup. Also keep in mind that pulling injectors that have been in a fuel rail for 10+ years is going to involve damaging them. Even with the rail off the engine and in a vice we were not able to remove 1 of them without breaking the heads or the caps.

Only those who are skilled with the extended needlenose pliers should attempt injector changes w/o pulling the plenum we had to swap fuel rails and fpr's anyways so I've never known it any other way :D

As per the flywheel, it doesn't make an HP difference (or only slightly) but it improves response and shifting enormously. Its worth mentioning that you'll usually save the cost of the flywheel in clutch replacements as a heavy flywheel translates to more clutch wear when shifting quickly or without rev-matching. Plus most of the trouble is getting the transmission out -- changing the flywheel while you're in there with 3ft driver extensions if worth it

What's the weight savings on the lightened flywheel? 9-10lbs?

@dozug -- the NA typically has better throttle response due to the increased compression. Adding a ligthened flywheel only exemplifies this.

As far as rebuilding calipers goes -- I've found that usually if you find a shop that rebuilds for parts stores (napa for example send their "bring us your old ones for a core refund" calipers (and alternators etc) to refurbishing centers) that disassemble, media-blast and rebuild the old ones into near-new spec and for very agreeable prices. Not worth the 2+ hours plus the tools required to take yours apart and rebuild them properly -- Unless you know somebody :D

I barely have time to browse the forums let alone post -- work is getting very very busy (web business is always busy during recessions) but I always follow your thread

Keep it shiny side up.

dozug
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Thank you for the info. hm,, what is your front bumper??I dont know what that is,, is it bomex?? wings west??

cjdubs
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honad that was amazing. cant wait to see how the new fly wheel improves it.

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Honad
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tg wrote:I know the plenum pull is a whore but just to change 1 injector but I wager it takes about as much time for a novice to do it both ways. at the same time you can delete the TB coolant lines and do a bunch of vacuum line cleanup. Also keep in mind that pulling injectors that have been in a fuel rail for 10+ years is going to involve damaging them. Even with the rail off the engine and in a vice we were not able to remove 1 of them without breaking the heads or the caps.

Only those who are skilled with the extended needlenose pliers should attempt injector changes w/o pulling the plenum we had to swap fuel rails and fpr's anyways so I've never known it any other way :D
There was about a 2 hour block in time where I would waffle between just changing the one and biting the bullet and doing all 6, rails, lines, etc. Basically the fact that I would be dumping something like 1500 bucks on parts with the new rails, injectors, plugs and hardline kit made me decide against it at this time. Though, I have put it on the to-be-addressed schedule of events for 2010 cause I'm sure the other 5 are not far behind.
tg wrote:As per the flywheel, it doesn't make an HP difference (or only slightly) but it improves response and shifting enormously. Its worth mentioning that you'll usually save the cost of the flywheel in clutch replacements as a heavy flywheel translates to more clutch wear when shifting quickly or without rev-matching. Plus most of the trouble is getting the transmission out -- changing the flywheel while you're in there with 3ft driver extensions if worth it

What's the weight savings on the lightened flywheel? 9-10lbs?
I know with my TT, I picked up something like 10whp due to reduced drivetrain loss but it could of course be attributed to any number of things on that car, like if the wind was blowing a certain direction or the stars were in a certain alignment. I'd hope for a similar experiance, but I'm just happy with the added response, quicker revving, etc.

I think the weight of the JWT is about half of a stock flywheel. I have never weighed a stock NA flywheel, so I'm just not sure. When I remove the stock stuff, there will for sure be a weight session.

You know I picked up some crazy huge extensions for the job. I've seen setups that make me lol that work, but I just can't roll like that.

For example.
tg wrote:I barely have time to browse the forums let alone post -- work is getting very very busy (web business is always busy during recessions) but I always follow your thread

Keep it shiny side up.
Appreciate it! It's been pretty slow, but the season is ramping up, so there should be some good activity in here for at least a few months.

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Jaykit
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Love reading this post all the time. Glad there is going to constant updates again now that its almost season. Brings the dreams to life seeing you modding your car as such, one day for me hopefully after university.

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tg
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Your extension looks like mine! my mechanic friend has a 4ft straight one ;\

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Honad
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I know I said that the clutch would be up next, but I picked up a little something and thought I'd throw it in before I do the clutch/flywheel. It's actually been some time since I've done any sort of weight reduction on the car, so I figured it was time for some sort of move on that. I introduce to you, 900 cranking amps of power. The mounting hardware and automotive posts. The 11lb 5 ounce battery. The battery before. The comparison shots The old battery weight - 35lbs 2 ounces Installed It actually looks pretty silly in there. It's hard to believe that little thing kicks the s*** out of the big battery as far as power and deep cycling goes. With the stock hardware being almost exactly the same weight, the car dropped 23lbs and 13 ounces, not too shabby at all.

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Z_Fanatic
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Wow! Of all the ways to lose weight. It almost looks like a lawnmower battery

How much did that set you back?

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Honad
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Z_Fanatic wrote:Wow! Of all the ways to lose weight. It almost looks like a lawnmower battery

How much did that set you back?
Believe it or not, they make smaller ones. There is a 9lb and a 6lb battery, but they don't recommend them for daily use, they are more for full blown flipping race cars with no headlights, etc.

They aren't bad at all, about the same price as an Optima. It was 160 shipped!

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95FairLadyZX
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Honad wrote:Believe it or not, they make smaller ones. There is a 9lb and a 6lb battery, but they don't recommend them for daily use, they are more for full blown flipping race cars with no headlights, etc.

They aren't bad at all, about the same price as an Optima. It was 160 shipped!
Thats sweet! I think Ill get myself one. Did you have to order the mounting hooks or are they included? and accessories?

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Honad
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95FairLadyZX wrote:
Thats sweet! I think Ill get myself one. Did you have to order the mounting hooks or are they included? and accessories?
Everything was included, in retrospect, there is an optional mounting bracket that I probably should've ordered. The way that it is in there is fine, it's just sort of clunky.

I totally recommend grabbing one, unless you have a bunch of big s*** stereo stuff, then it may not be the best idea. However, for my application, it's perfect and should be more than adequate power

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Z_Fanatic
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Honad wrote:They aren't bad at all, about the same price as an Optima. It was 160 shipped!
Wow! Nice find

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tg
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wow 24lbs is serious ;\

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Honad
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tg wrote:wow 24lbs is serious ;\
This is serious business!

skinZ32
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24 pounds. AWESOME find keep up the good work

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95FairLadyZX
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Honad wrote:Everything was included, in retrospect, there is an optional mounting bracket that I probably should've ordered. The way that it is in there is fine, it's just sort of clunky.

I totally recommend grabbing one, unless you have a bunch of big s*** stereo stuff, then it may not be the best idea. However, for my application, it's perfect and should be more than adequate power
This one honad? Its my DD so i should be fine right? and thanks http://www.braillebattery.com/...14115/

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Honad
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95FairLadyZX wrote:
This one honad? Its my DD so i should be fine right? and thanks http://www.braillebattery.com/...14115/
That's the one I got. I think just about everyone would be just fine with the 11.5 lb one, but if you are concerned, I'd say grab the 15lb one instead. It's more that I think anyone would ever need.

http://www.braillebattery.com/...b2015/


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Honad
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Well, during the crazy snow storm that we had yesterday, Damone and I hammered out the new clutch and flywheel. Other than getting the old needle bearing out and a brief fight with stabbing the transmission, it was pretty straight forward and drama free. Moments after yanking the bell housing off. Tackling the work in the bell housing Comparison OE pivot ball (left) vs. CZP Chromoly one (right) Comparison OE Flywheel (right) vs. JWT Aluminum (left). Comparison OE Clutch (right) vs. JWT (left) Comparison OE Pressure Plate (left) vs. JWT (right) Torquing down the new pressure plate, Notice the great 300 degree flywheel stop tool. The new gear installed I can tell you right now, when we fired up the car for the first time it was hilarious as it has never started with such urgency before. It was if the car was saying "thank you, omg, it's so much lighter!" I have not weighed the stock parts yet, but I can tell you the obvious, the flywheel was about half the weight, but the surprising part was how much lighter the pressure plate was. I'll get definitive weights up this week for everyone. I have not yet been able to take the car for a test drive to use the butt dyno, but will be hitting the real dyno this weekend to see if any power has been freed up. Stay tuned for the sheets. Thanks again Damone for all your help! I really appreciate you swinging by.



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