TwinTurbo.NET: Nissan 300ZX forum - LS3 Build
People Seeking Info
 
   


     
Subject LS3 Build
     
Posted by smartone on December 17, 2014 at 11:29 PM
  This message has been viewed 2169 times.
     
     
Message The Z first started out as my brothers (at the time I was a junior in high school) bought with the engine out of it and he had my cousin put the motor in it for him. Needless to say my cousin did not do a good job and he could not get the car to run 100%. I helped my brother and we got it running correctly. Then a few little problems popped up here and there and he grew tired of it, then I took over . I fixed the car and drove it as is for awhile, till some bigger things needed fixing and it had to sit for awhile.

Ordered a few parts here and there to get it running correctly and ended up pulling the engine because of a leaking rear main seal. A few performance mods went on the engine and while it was out I made sure all maintenance was up to date, along with a mild shave and tuck, using a new oem harness. At this time the car was also undergoing a paint job with 90% of all work done by me. This was actually a very slow process because at the time I was working and then started college at The University of Texas which is an hour and a half from the shop/home. At this time all Powertrix suspension went in and energy poly bushings all around. I finally “finished” the Z in the fall of 2013 and I was able to drive it for a few weeks. I then had an intermittent misfire and would be gone everytime I tried diagnosing it. Then it finally stayed, when I got home that night I diagnosed it as a stuck open injector. I parked the car for a day and got another 555cc injector, and replaced it easily since everything was tucked and deleted.

Then the worse thing happened, a knock. I only then changed the oil since I did not think of the gas contaminating the oil till I did a little reading online, but this didn’t help. I thought it was a collapsed lifter, but after a little driving I was convinced otherwise, rod knock and a spun bearing.

At this point I did some research and considered rebuilding the VG, but decided against it, LS time. I picked up an L92 from Josh (never want to deal with him again) from Gas Monkey Garage in Dallas. I opened up the motor to replace all gaskets and whatnot when I discovered that two of the cylinders were re-sleeved and a few of the combustion chambers looked as if they were beat with a meat tenderizer. I tried working a deal out with Josh, which he said he would help me, but he was nowhere to be found when it came time to fix them or pay to have them fixed.

I then decided to have the heads fixed at Advanced Inductions while also having them ported and milled, with a head and cam package to match. Phil from AI was VERY awesome to deal with, and gave me all the measurement information I needed in order to cut the valve reliefs properly since I went with a bigger cam. For the relief work and checking over the bottom end I went to Mike Barnard at Performance Automotive Machine (5 minutes from my house) who did some more amazing work, I am sure some of you have heard of him, he holds some records. He is older now and worked slow but was completely ok with having me there to lend a hand and do as much as I could to help. We checked the bottom end over and the sleeves were done properly suprisingly, and we replaced all gaskets as needed and then measured for push rod length and they were ordered and installed.

Once the motor went together it was time to strap the LS3 (technically after I swapped over the intake and TB from an LS3 and deleted the vvti) to the Z32 5 speed transmission using the LOJ Innovations kit, all ordered through Stephen. Using their entire swap kit the engine went in smoothly along with the modified Kooks TBSS headers, ceramic coated by Elco. The engine was dropped on the subframe and then the car dropped onto the engine and trans using a newly installed lift at my cousin’s shop.

Then the fun part came, installing all the little stuff and modifying and fabbing all I need. Ordered a custom radiator and some spal fans, and I had a local metal shop bend up a custom fan shroud for me. I made some brackets for the coil packs to mount them to the strut bars to move them off of the valve covers. A vette intake was shortened and the “core support” was cut so it could run over the radiator and under the nose panel. An Innovate LC2 wideband was installed and efi live bought. I am doing an email tune through Pat G for now till the spring when I can have him dyno tune it. I still have a few little mechanical things to do, but at this point I need to redo the bumper, hood and fenders since they were damaged in storage at the shop.

A few weeks ago I got an initial drive on the first email tune, and needless to say the car is quick, 3000ish pounds and 500 rwhp should do it. I did a couple of idle and wot datalogging sessions but only got a few in because I had a few smaller problems. The mocal oil cooler was leaking at one of the fittings and one fitting on the oil thermostat was leaking slightly. Also the four screws that hold a plate in place on the inside of the alternator backed out, and were chattering against the back of the pulley, I freaked because I thought I had spun a bearing but luckily I saw the little bolts had backed out. I tried to bring the alternator back to the shop that rebuilt it but it is a one man show and he was badly injured and is bedridden. I received little copper pieces from BAT Inc that go between the mating surface of the AN fitting and the oil cooler to seal that leak, and I replaced the other leaking AN fitting since it was leaking where it swivels. I will try and get the alternator fixed and installed tomorrow, or pick up a new one.

So far I want to say thanks to Phil at AI, Mike at Performance Automotive Machine, Joe at Z Speed Performance, the guys at BAT Inc and Stephen from LOJ Innovations. I have also been in touch with Houston Z and they are going to do a partial sponsorship for the Z, and I plan on using them for my corner balancing since I do not have scales, and also for as many parts as I can in the future.

Suspension:
-Powertrix R/T 8/6 coilovers
-Powertrix FUCAs
-Powertric RUCAs
-Powertrix Tension Rods
-Powertrix front and rear sway bar end links
-Powertrix rear Traction Control Arms
-TopSpeed Hicas eliminator kit (will be replaced with PT or SPL)
-Powertrix front and rear strut bars
- QSTERN inner tie rods (to be installed with some SPL outers)
-Energy Suspension complete bushing kit including subframe and diff

Brakes (In the works):
-Porsche 18z calipers
-370z rotors
-Rear setup TBA

Powertrain:
-LOJ engine performance version mounts
-LOJ integrated harness and e38 pcm (plug and play), with some tucking done by me
-Electric pedal
-LS3 (L92 converted to LS3)
-VVT delete kit from Texas Speed
-Melling High Volume oil pump
-Improved Racing crank scraper
-Gates LS1 fbody water pump
-Ported LS3 throttle body
-FAST 65 lb injectors on a Fasster rail
-Corvette regulator/filter combo
-823 heads CNC ported and milled by Advanced Inductions, switched to hollow LS3 intake valves (milled to 64cc chanbers)
-Rocker arm trunion upgrade
-BTR Platinum Spring Kit w/Ti Retainers
-ARP head bolt kit
-Ai ChromeMoly hardened pushrods (5/16” and .080” wall thickness)
-Custom spec Ai cam (.626 lift on both, 115 lsa, 234.8 and 249.2 duration at .050”)
-Kooks TBSS headers with 1 ?” primaries and 3” collectors, ceramic coated
-stock pistons with valve reliefs cut (approx 6cc each)
-Proform valve covers
-LOJ oil sending unit adapter to retain the factory oil pressure gauge
-Custom coil aluminum coilpack brackets welded to the front strut bar
-Rebuilt oem ps pump, by me
-Innovate LC2 wideband in the driver side header (may add another in the passenger side)
-Full 3” exhaust with custom midpipes going into a Megan Exhaust (temporary)
-BBK Vette bridge style intake, shortened to sit higher
-Custom AC line with the AC condenser moved forward
-Fasster steam vent kit
-Mocal 25 row oil cooler, 10 AN
-Mocal oil thermostat, 10 AN
-Mocal HD remote filter stand, 10 AN
-Fasster AN fittings, 10 AN
-LOJ Innovations oil pan, 10 AN
-Griffin radiator, with custom mounts
-Custom fan shroud
-(2) 12” Spal fans
-Mishimoto overflow and ps reservoirs
-LOJ innovations accessory mount kit to keep the Z32 accessories
-LOJ transmission mount
-Z32 5 speed
-rebuilt oem slave cylinder, by me
-Redline MT90
-EPRacing one piece steel driveshaft (shortened 3” since the trans was moved back)
-CZP driveshaft safety loop
-LOJ Innovations adapter plate and custom flywheel
-South Bend DXD Stage 3 Drag Clutch Kit from Zspeed
-ARP flywheel and clutch bolts
-Z1 short throw shifter
-LOJ solid shifter bracket
-Zspeed shift cover plate
-Walbro 485 fuel pump

Body/Aero:
-Professional Lambo Grigio Telesto paint job (door jams and all)
-Custom front splitter/shield (more functional version in the works)
-Custom radiator air guide with oil cooler and ac condenser mounts
-2 piece custom aluminum fender liners, coated in kevlar bed liner
-Rear diffuser in the works
-JDM front and rear mud guards
-New oem third brake light

Misc:
-Efi Life V2 Flashscan usable on any GM
-Innovate LC2 wideband gauge

Also at this link you can find all the pictures of my build, since it would take a very long time to upload these all on here.

[ http://s1217.photobucket.com/user/sonnymarton/library/?sort=3&page=1 ]

     
Follow Ups  
     
Post a
Followup

You cannot reply to this message because you are not logged in.