How high do you rev your Z? My 260 is ill.......

[Joe Harlan]

Actually I think I did mention checking mark against TDC several pages ago. Yes the stock pan will work at most track even without accusump but I don't recommend not running an accusump without a good pan. Good luck on your stocker cause seat time in a race car is far better than seat time in the grandstands....

[Butch Kummer]

Joe, Yes you did mention checking the timing mark (and scribing across the entire balancer to quickly tell if it's correct) but if you set the timing without knowing that it's incorrect you can run severe advance without realizing it. We found that out when we were running a SBC at about 65 degrees advance because the timing mark had moved and we didn't realize it when we set it. Luckily we found it before holing a piston when we checked the timing again and it had moved dramatically.

YMMV...

[Joe Harlan]

You are completely correct on that. I don't sned an engine out or even set timing on a Z motor with out establishing TDC and matching the mark. I have seen those balancers slip or be marker wrong to many times. over the years. It just is not that hard to pull a plug and check, Even on an SBC...

[Ron Earp]

While the marks did move a bit in relation to the crank, the dizzy did not and and ignition timing did not.

The car is well marked where the locked distributor should be on the bracket and it has never moved from that point. We also never adjusted timing over the course of this "issue" so as far as ignition timing goes everything was cool. Yes, there was a slight difference in TDC in reality and what was shown on that damper/crank pulley, about 8-10 degrees, but the crank markings were never used to adjust timing.

Rebello sells an aluminum crank pulley nowadays that is about 1/2 the price of the NLA Euro dampner that I just tried to buy. Anyone used on of these? They don't have an inner and outer piece, so that slippage situation can be eliminated. I also thought to use a stock on and machine the AC pulley off of it.

That is a really nice pan there! Mine doesn't look like that, I think I have the NISMO comp pan if that is the one with kick outs. Still kicking, so I'll use that.

Bore on the used engine is stock!! And the bores look good. Engine had head damage and head is MIA, but the block/bores I can see look okay. I will tear it apart of the next couple of days and have a look.

R

[Joe Harlan]

Ron, I have used the single groove unit before and until the recent rule change on balancers I always just machined the outer groove off the stock unit to match the euro part. I am sure there are better balancers out there but I have not spent the money on them.

[Ron Earp]

Well, things are looking up. 0.040" and even 0.060" (illegal I know), plus 0.020" pistons are in stock and available, $42.04 to $38.07 each, so not bad. All from Riley at Lynchburg Nissan, that guys knows his Z motors well as well as the local builders of Z motors and what they use.

I can get together some good rings sets and of course the Nissan bearings are good pieces and available as well. I just need to get busy and look at what I have and get stuff ordered.

R

[x-ring]

On the Arizona zcar pan, one of the 240 guys here has one on his car, but he hasn't had it long, maybe one or two race weekends. I haven't heard any complaints.

I have a similar pan from MSA that I've been running for at least four or five years. The one from MSA isn't quite as nice, but the difference is in the small details. I think the MSA version costs more, so now that Arizona zcar pan is back there is no reason I know of not to get it. Of the tracks I race on around here, there is one corner, a tight slow (40 mi/hr) right hander, that makes my oil pressure idiot light flicker. I think I have a 20 lb/in2 switch.

Do check the bolts though. I think that maybe the different expansion rates between the aluminum pan and the iron block causes, or allows, the bolts to loosen.

It might pay to check the hole in the sheet metal part the end of the dipstick is supposed to go through. On the MSA one the hole was in the wrong spot and the dipstick wouldn't go all the way in.