New FI club member

TopgunZ · 05-22-2017, 12:13 PM

You will love that clutch. That is what I had and couldnt think of a reason to not get it again if i had to.

Elmo370z · 05-23-2017, 10:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jayhovah

I'm perfectly happy with my Z1 Clutch/Flywheel combo... and is cheap! =)

I have an RJM pedal sitting in a box that I impulse bought on black friday.... On the fence if I will install it or sell it though because I am not really unhappy with the feel of the OEM pedal.... either way, it's sitting at the end of a long list of to-do's...

What are you selling the pedal for?

Jayhovah · 05-23-2017, 11:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elmo370z

What are you selling the pedal for?

If you wanted it for what I paid on Black Friday I'd sell it ($250 with HD clevis pin... so about $50 off after shipping). I owe you a beer too for the heat shrink.

TBatt · 06-20-2017, 09:50 AM

Southbend clutch is in and the HD CSC too (RJM pedal V3 and CNC MC has been here for a while). Waiting on the exhaust mods from FI.

In the mean time I will be doing a much needed fuel pump upgrade. Charles at CJM told me that some of the Goodyear fuel tubing can go bad after being submerged in gas over time. Well, he was right apparently. Yesterday when I was checking the vital fluids under the hood I noticed that my fuel pressure was at zero after sitting for a couple of days. I turned the ignition on to run the pump and it shot up to 52psi. This morning I checked it again and the pressure was again zero which means that the line between the pump and regulator is leaking. CJM has the parts to fix this permanently by using teflon tubing like what is used by Nissan as OEM. I have all of the parts along with the CNC top hat so they are going on next weekend.

I'll follow up with lots of pictures as I install all of the CJM goodies that no one but me will ever see........except when I post the pictures.

TBatt · 06-26-2017, 12:02 PM

The CJM fuel pump goodies were installed this weekend. I would like to say that everything worked out good but it is nearly impossible to enjoy working on the Z's fuel pump. It will fight you all the way!

All of the CJM goodies are truly top notch! No, I'm not plugging CJM because of any discounts or any affiliation with Charles, I'm just a very satisfied customer that appreciates quality.

Here are few things that may help you out if you do the top hat upgrade. First and foremost, DO IT! When I removed my fuel pump I saw that one of the metal rod mounts was fatigued. Plastic will turn white when it has flexed and that is what I saw on one of the rods. When I tried to remove the rod by heating the plastic it just broke off. It was a problem waiting to happen.

Tools needed:
Flat blade screwdriver
14mm wrench for seat removal (not required but makes the job easier).
10mm socket for access panel removal
8mm and/or philips head screwdriver for pump removal
Old towels to protect the interior and sop up the fuel that WILL SPILL.

You must not have a full tank of gas before you remove the fuel pump. I had filled the car up the week before and had planned on driving out at least half a tank before getting started but Cindy showed up, Cindy the tropical storm that made it rain buckets all last week. I drove my truck instead and the Z so I had almost a full tank.

I disconnected the fuel line from the pump and placed a rubber hose on the fuel outlet and ran the hose to my gas can. I then hooked up a 12 volt battery directly to the fuel pump connector and pumped out about five gallons. The CJM instructions shows which pins to connect to so it was easy to hook up with some clip leads. I used one of my batteries from one of my RC planes.

Make sure you have lots of ventilation! I had both garage doors open and my shop fan running as well as having both car doors open and the hatch. You can see one of my big monster RC planes. 12ft wingspan and weighs 43 pounds wet.

The instructions that CJM provides are very good with a couple of exceptions which I will get to later. Read the instructions fully. Mark out the sections that you don't need (the instructions cover a bunch of fuel system options). Now go back and read them again. Nothing hard here but you only want to do this one time!

I used the top hat kit and the fuel pump installation kit that comes with a foam insert to keep the pump in place as well as PTFE OEM type hoses. This is way better than what Stillen has you do and just have the fuel pump dangeling inside the housing. With the foam around the fuel pump you get a nice firm fit. I used a little WD40 to lubricate the foam to help it slide in place.

Wiring the fuel pump is pretty straight forward but I would like to see a table that the installer could use to keep the wire colors/function and new connector pin out organized. What I did was to write out to the side of the connector picture the color of the wire and then the terminal on the new connector and then the body wiring color. You don't want to get things crossed up so take pictures and keep good notes.

One other small issue with the wiring. The crimp terminals supplied are for a very heavy gauge wire and are difficult to manage with the stock sensor wires. Usually I double up the wires to increase the diameter but the wires were still too small. I did not have a wire crimper for these terminals so I was using a combination of needle nose pliers and common wire crimper tool. I found that by trimming the ears of the terminal to remove the excess material the metal would fold over with out a lot of excess material. If you have too much metal sticking out the terminal will not seat in the connector. Luckily plenty of extra terminals were supplied in the kit so I could do some experimentation. After removing some of the terminal ears the crimp process was MUCH easier. I did go ahead and solder all of the connections as a backup.

The other thing that I found that could be improved with the instructions is pointing out for dummies like me the proper orientation of the new top hat. I initially installed the top hat backwards and when I went to put the pump back in the tank I saw the problem. The instruction show the correct way it should go on but if you are caught up with getting everything back together you can miss that very important part. The CJM logo will be on the opposite side of the fuel level sensor and facing the front of the car when installed. Look at my pictures and you will see that completed pump on my table is WRONG. Don't do it this way! It was simple to rotate it around and the only thing I had to do was to loosen the outlet fuel tubing clamp on the top hat and then rotate the whole assembly (undoing the rod mounts of course).

Speaking of fuel tubing, like I said already, the kit comes with PTFE (the generic name for teflon) and was easy to install. You must heat the tubing so that it will expand over the fitting barbs. I used a hot air gun that I use for my RC models. It gets hotter than a hair drier so I had to be careful. I heated up the end of the tubing a little and then tried to push it on the barb fitting. It wouldn't go so I added more heat. I kept repeating this until the tubing would slide on the fitting with a moderate amount of force. Don't heat it up too much or you will ruin the PTFE. Just experiment like I did until you get the tubing just right. Your heat application will vary with your heat source so you will have to use some trial and error. Just keep the error portion to a minimum. One other issue you will have is with the fuel clamps getting in the way. They will only open up so far so you can't easily leave them on and still get the tubing over the barbed fitting. Some of the fittings are easier than others so be patient and don't force the tubing as you could break the fuel pump. Keep in mind that fuel pump parts are not sold separately and if you screw up something a new pump assembly is around $500, ouch!

Several of us have seen the top hat fail or starting to have failure issues. Once your Z is packed with extra power and handling capabilities, this will cause more stress on the stock fuel pump top hat. The flimsy plastic is fine for most Z owners but for us boosted freaks, we will overstress this part. The pump is not secured at the bottom so it can and will move inside the tank. This is what causes the plastic top to fail.

Reps welcome and appreciated!

TBatt · 07-21-2017, 11:43 AM

My FI test pipes and Mil Spec Cats came in yesterday. Again, FI has amazed me with their build quality. Kind of a shame to hide these under the car.

Along with the FI goodies are my other mods to be installed, Southbend DD clutch, HD CSC, RJM 3.1 pedal.

Hoping to get this done around the first of August. Ah, August in the South, when the humidity matches the temperature......about 90-90.

Jayhovah · 07-21-2017, 11:51 AM

Nice pipes.

TBatt · 08-07-2017, 11:33 AM

Well the demon bolts lived up to their name. Dang, they are hard to break loose but I won!

The CSC was just about to go out. The dust boot had already broken down and torn so it was just a matter of time before the unit failed.

Installed FI test pipes with MilSpec CATs, Southbend Stage 3 Daily clutch, ZSpeed HD CSC, RJM V3 pedal and HD master cylinder. That is a lot for a 63 year old! I'm bruised and tired but still kicking!

I would have finished up last night but the clutch safety switch is giving me some trouble. I hope that it is just a blown fuse (there is one in the circuit). I'll get back on it after work today.

TBatt · 08-08-2017, 09:38 AM

Well so much for making plans to finish up the Z.........My truck died on the way to the shop. I think the timing belt jumped. I replaced it 50K miles ago at the 100K service so it should have been good. I had to have it towed home last night, in the rain. I'll dig into that problem this weekend once I get my tools back home from the shop. Oh crap, I need my truck to haul my tool box back. Guess I can borrow my uncle's truck to do that. It is a fairly large roll around tool box that takes at least two people to lift it.

And, my wife said that the rear brakes on her car are making noise. When it rains, it pours!

TBatt · 08-10-2017, 11:21 AM

Got the Z running last night. The problem was a loose connection on one of the tranny connections. Once the connector was mated properly it fired right up.

The new clutch is awesome. Very nice feel and very positive hook up. I'll do some adjusting on the RJM pedal to see if I can get a more gentle take up on it. Right now it is like the throttle, lightning quick.

Holy smokes on the exhaust sound! The TP and Mil Spec cats give the car a very deep sound at idle and below 2.5K rpm. No drone, just a nice, almost V8 tone. When you step into the throttle the sound is much louder with a Ferrari-ish kind of ripping sound. Makes going through the gears even more fun!

Next is some plumbing mods to the SC pipes and a Tial BOV. That will happen after I get my truck up and running. I LOVE MY CAR!

TBatt · 08-24-2017, 10:25 AM

My WC Latheworks burnt titanium shift knob arrived yesterday. Pictures does not do it justice. It looks way better in person. The burnt titanium is hard to photograph all of the subtle hues.

A nice add was this makes the shifter about an inch shorter so it is like having a short throw shifter.

Turn around time was very short as these are hand made by a single guy in his shop. Highly recommended!

TBatt · 09-13-2017, 07:43 AM

This morning at 2:50am my father passed away. It was kind of expected but came sooner than we thought it would. It appears that he had a stroke early yesterday that finally took him down. He was a real motorhead and will be missed.

My dad is on the far right. He had a front end alignment shop (the BEST in North Alabama) and sponsored a race car for advertisement. He also drove the car in some of the races. As you can see, I get my car interest from my hero.

May he rest in peace.

JLarson · 09-13-2017, 08:36 AM

Really sorry to hear about your father, and I appreciated you posting a picture of him here. A touching tribute to the man who inspired you in many things.

Hotrodz · 09-13-2017, 09:25 AM

Thanks for sharing and sorry for your loss and thanks for sharing your story...it is a special one.

imazman · 09-18-2017, 08:54 AM

Sorry about your father. My father passed away 7 years ago but he occasionally visits me in my dreams. I wish it was more often but I appreciate the times when it happens.

I want to thank you for you information on installing the return fuel system. You should consider adding it to the DIY fuel system stick (assuming there is one) in a similar way there is a Supplimental Still Super Charger Install description. Nice to have these tidbits of info in one place because i tend to forget what i read a day later and then can never find the info within the forums vast postings. I hope to get the CJM RFS sometime soon.

Also, I like your shift knob...what is it's weight in comparison to stock knob? How much and where did you purchase it?

Thanks and my condolances
/Z/

05-22-2017, 12:13 PM	#181 (permalink)
TopgunZ A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Minneapolis Posts: 2,651 Drives: 06 350Z , 09 370Z MT Rep Power: 6834	You will love that clutch. That is what I had and couldnt think of a reason to not get it again if i had to. __________________ ROTREX SUPERCHARGER TUNER KITS - $6799/ CUSTOM STILLEN AIR TO AIR KITS -$2100/ 700+ WHP!! WWW.TOPGUNSPEEDWORKS.COM

06-20-2017, 09:50 AM	#184 (permalink)
TBatt Track Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Huntsville, AL Posts: 832 Drives: 2019 GT-R Rep Power: 20168	Southbend clutch is in and the HD CSC too (RJM pedal V3 and CNC MC has been here for a while). Waiting on the exhaust mods from FI. In the mean time I will be doing a much needed fuel pump upgrade. Charles at CJM told me that some of the Goodyear fuel tubing can go bad after being submerged in gas over time. Well, he was right apparently. Yesterday when I was checking the vital fluids under the hood I noticed that my fuel pressure was at zero after sitting for a couple of days. I turned the ignition on to run the pump and it shot up to 52psi. This morning I checked it again and the pressure was again zero which means that the line between the pump and regulator is leaking. CJM has the parts to fix this permanently by using teflon tubing like what is used by Nissan as OEM. I have all of the parts along with the CNC top hat so they are going on next weekend. I'll follow up with lots of pictures as I install all of the CJM goodies that no one but me will ever see........except when I post the pictures. BOLIO 671 and Hotrodz like this. __________________ RJM pedal, Hotchkis Sway Bars, FI TDX, FOG Light, Z1 Slotted Drilled rotors, Stillen SC, Quaife ATB, Z1 Oil cooler, AEM Gauge Set, Galeforce gauge mount, Avant Garde M590 Hypersilver w/RE-11, TopgunZ A2A kit., ECUtek tuned by Seb: ROLL TIDE!

08-08-2017, 09:38 AM	#189 (permalink)
TBatt Track Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Huntsville, AL Posts: 832 Drives: 2019 GT-R Rep Power: 20168	Well so much for making plans to finish up the Z.........My truck died on the way to the shop. I think the timing belt jumped. I replaced it 50K miles ago at the 100K service so it should have been good. I had to have it towed home last night, in the rain. I'll dig into that problem this weekend once I get my tools back home from the shop. Oh crap, I need my truck to haul my tool box back. Guess I can borrow my uncle's truck to do that. It is a fairly large roll around tool box that takes at least two people to lift it. And, my wife said that the rear brakes on her car are making noise. When it rains, it pours! __________________ RJM pedal, Hotchkis Sway Bars, FI TDX, FOG Light, Z1 Slotted Drilled rotors, Stillen SC, Quaife ATB, Z1 Oil cooler, AEM Gauge Set, Galeforce gauge mount, Avant Garde M590 Hypersilver w/RE-11, TopgunZ A2A kit., ECUtek tuned by Seb: ROLL TIDE!

08-10-2017, 11:21 AM	#190 (permalink)
TBatt Track Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Huntsville, AL Posts: 832 Drives: 2019 GT-R Rep Power: 20168	Got the Z running last night. The problem was a loose connection on one of the tranny connections. Once the connector was mated properly it fired right up. The new clutch is awesome. Very nice feel and very positive hook up. I'll do some adjusting on the RJM pedal to see if I can get a more gentle take up on it. Right now it is like the throttle, lightning quick. Holy smokes on the exhaust sound! The TP and Mil Spec cats give the car a very deep sound at idle and below 2.5K rpm. No drone, just a nice, almost V8 tone. When you step into the throttle the sound is much louder with a Ferrari-ish kind of ripping sound. Makes going through the gears even more fun! Next is some plumbing mods to the SC pipes and a Tial BOV. That will happen after I get my truck up and running. I LOVE MY CAR! BOLIO 671, Hotrodz, Jayhovah and 1 others like this. __________________ RJM pedal, Hotchkis Sway Bars, FI TDX, FOG Light, Z1 Slotted Drilled rotors, Stillen SC, Quaife ATB, Z1 Oil cooler, AEM Gauge Set, Galeforce gauge mount, Avant Garde M590 Hypersilver w/RE-11, TopgunZ A2A kit., ECUtek tuned by Seb: ROLL TIDE!

09-13-2017, 08:36 AM	#193 (permalink)
JLarson A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Media, PA Posts: 4,074 Drives: 14 Nissan 370z MR M6 Rep Power: 2684370	Really sorry to hear about your father, and I appreciated you posting a picture of him here. A touching tribute to the man who inspired you in many things. Hotrodz and wideglideleon like this. __________________ 2014 370z Touring Sport Magma Red MT // BP Single Turbo 6467 // 63mm TB's // Z1 Ported Upper Mani // RJM Pedal // Zspeed Stage 3 Clutch // 526 WHP, 451 WTQ 2006 350z (Sold) // 1990 300zx (Sold) // 1985 300zx 2+2 (Sold)

09-13-2017, 09:25 AM	#194 (permalink)
Hotrodz A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: NW, AZ Posts: 9,330 Drives: 10 Nissan 370z Nismo Rep Power: 2684385	Thanks for sharing and sorry for your loss and thanks for sharing your story...it is a special one. __________________ *Fast Intentions TT Installed and Tuned by Seb at SpecialtyZ 610whp 560tq:\|Fast Intentions 3" TT-TDX*\|SpecialtyZ/Fast Intentions 72 Row Oil Cooler\|SZ 6 Puck Clutch & Flywheel\|3GsCustoms\|Z1\|Wavetrac\|Hotchkis\|Whiteline \|Blitz\|Fortune Auto 500\|Fujimura\|SPL\|H&R\|TK\|TWM\|RPM Rollbar\|Sparco\|Next Level Performance\|TrackSpec\|AeroFlow Dynamics\|Pioneer\|

09-18-2017, 08:54 AM	#195 (permalink)
imazman Base Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: PA Posts: 120 Drives: 11' 370Z Nismo Rep Power: 11	Sorry about your father. My father passed away 7 years ago but he occasionally visits me in my dreams. I wish it was more often but I appreciate the times when it happens. I want to thank you for you information on installing the return fuel system. You should consider adding it to the DIY fuel system stick (assuming there is one) in a similar way there is a Supplimental Still Super Charger Install description. Nice to have these tidbits of info in one place because i tend to forget what i read a day later and then can never find the info within the forums vast postings. I hope to get the CJM RFS sometime soon. Also, I like your shift knob...what is it's weight in comparison to stock knob? How much and where did you purchase it? Thanks and my condolances /Z/

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