Take it apart and find out.

I would go with the 8.5 inch I'm pretty sure that = 225mm and if it doesn't ... still go with the 8.5.

Rock on Z people!

It is a very good Idea to get the clutch centering tool. It may come in whatever kit you buy, if not, I recommend buying it. It will save you some struggling with reinstalling the engine. Trust me. I did mine last week...Well, kinda, but it's a long story. The tool made it much easier.

Hello Wizard...

Let's go back to the beginning on this.

First - if your throw-out bearing is making noise - that's nothing unusual. There is no reason that you can't drive the car with it making noise. If it is the throw-out bearing, it's mostly noisy when you have the clutch pedal to the floor. (clutch disengaged). Driven with some common sense, a Z will run several thousand miles with a noisy throw-out bearing. (I drove one back and forth across America that way).

Second - If you want to know what year engine you have - look on the block, just below the #5 and #6 spark plugs - and tell us what the Engine Serial Number is.. it will begin with L28- if it's a 280Z or ZX engine.

Third - You have reported conflicting information related to your trip to the Auto Parts Store. At Your Post #9 - you wrote that they needed to know if the kit was for 8/12 or the 9/12 width. Then at Your Post #12 you said they showed you kits for for like 81/2 and/or 91/2.

A kit for "81/2" - would mean either a 1981 or 1982 280ZX and a kit for "91/2" would be for a 1991 or 1992 300ZX. That is hugely different than saying/writing 8/12 or 9/12.

The bottom line is - you need to buy a clutch kit for a 75 though 83 280Z/ZX. They are all the same today. You can not use a clutch kit for a 91 nor 82 300ZX, nor a 280Z/ZX 2+2, nor a Turbo. (unless you find when you open it up - that the flywheel is indeed one out of a 2+2).

Either you aren't paying close attention to what they are telling you at the Parts Store - or you are getting confused on the way home.

Contrary to the general advice so far - I would not recommend that you attempt to change the throw-out bearing and clutch by yourself at this time. Based on the explanation of your present situation, and given your very limited mechanical experience, an attempt at this task would take you at least a week and maybe two - to successfully complete the job, if you had everything you needed in terms of tools and work area.

You would need:

1. A good basic set of hand tools (including a good pipe wrench)

2. A Torque Wrench - and the knowledge to use it

3. A Good Hydraulic Jack - both to get the car up on the jack stands and to hold the transmission

4. 4 Good Large Jack Stands - tall enough to allow you to get under the car and drop the tranny.

5. Yes - the clutch alignment tool is a must

6. Something to drive back and forth to the Parts Store/Machine Shop to drop off and pick up the flywheel.

7. A drop light.. you'll be working far into the nights

8. The service manuals that show you how to do this job

9. Several days - during which you will be frantically and frustratingly Posting Panic Requests for HELP to this forum - and waiting on replies.... every step of the way.

You would also need to know how to handle rusted nuts, bolts and possible broke studs. As you'll have to drop/move the exhaust system. How to bleed the clutch master and slave (if the slave pops a seal when removed). If you plan to drain the transmission fluid and then refill - you'll need the pipe wrenches mentioned above - if you have any hope of getting the fill plug out, and maybe a propane torch...

Drive the car to work - save some money and have the job done. Or find the local Z Club in your area - and get some experienced help.

FWIW - just my best advice...

good luck

Carl B.

Carl Beck

Clearwater, FL USA

http://ZHome.com

Carl,

Thats the best advice offered to any newbie to this site for a long time!

We all should bookmark your reply and refer back to it everytime the urge to do what appears to be an easy job!

While we all would like to perform out own work, think of the practicalities at this point in time. Start small and work your way up.

Good luck

MOM

well i looked at the engine and it says N42 im not sure what that means, but it is a 280 bored out to 300 liters and i see people talking about there engine and different engine types and i never heard anyone mention an N42 so i dont know what the heck that means

Find a local Z fanatic and invite him or her for a beer/dinner, let that person show you what is what, and give you some advice on where to go and what to do. Reread Carls' post and realize he has passed you a great deal of wisdom in his words.

You need to get a factory service manual to know what you are looking at-the N42 is the cyl head, not the engine block. If you block is still the right color, it will be painted blue(though it may be dirty) and the cyl head will be aluminum.

Will

N42 typed into the search function returned many, many pages of threads.

Not sure where to start? Then try search first.

anyone live in arizona near or around lake havasu??

the N42 is the cyl head, not the engine block.

Actually it could be either, there is both an L28 N42 block and a N42 head. It depends where on the engine he is looking.......

How do you know it's been bored out to 3 liters? Thats not easy thing to do. The block usually needs to be sonicly tested to make sure the walls are thick enough to bore that much over. I believe its a a 120 thousands over bore, and if thats the case the best BLOCK is the N42 block. All of the stock 280z blocks were N42's. that much of an over bore makes a 2949 cc engine (i.e. 3 liters)

block codes...

240z = E31 and P30

260 = P30

280 = N42

280zx = F54

If it is a 3 liter it should be fun to drive... once you get it fixed.

The block code is located on the drivers side to the right of the engine mount

no, its not an easy task to have it bored out to a 3 liter, but with about 6500 bucks and a god amungst man Z specialist, you can too have an engine built like mine, yea it was costy but sooooooo worth it, yea its a blast to drive when its running correctly, people hear my car from like 5 streets over, i pull up and people hear it and expect to see this big arse truck or godly muscle car, and there shocked to hear such loud noises from this little datsun