Project BPE

[mbc]

Well everyone, tomorrow is the day.

As some of you know, My Z has been stored in a garage since Feb of '95. I have not driven the car since '99.

Tomorrow I will start the process of bringing the Z back to a 'streetable' car.

This will be a tedious task, but well worth it. I am familiar with what needs to be done...it's going to take some serious effort.

My first goal is to get the Z running again. It only needs new injector hoses, a good fuel system flush (I hope the tank is okay:paranoid:), and fresh fluids. There was nothing wrong with the car when I stored it, so all of the problems will be related to improper vehicle storage:stupid:.

I will inspect the front calipers, pads, and rotors, repack the front wheel bearings, inspect the rear wheel cylinders, all of the rubber brake hoses, and bleed the entire system. I hope the master cylinder is still good:nervous:.

Also, I will bleed the clutch. The pedal feels okay even after all these years, but I don't want any problems.

Lastly, I will tune the engine so it will smog

If the car passes smog, I will then have to take the car to the DMV, so they can verify the VIN. Then after all of the paperwork is completed, I will be able to drive my Z again.

When the car is roadworthy, I will have more options regarding its future. Some of you may remember seeing it in the classifieds here.

I bought this car with a blown motor, replaced it with a junk yard unit, and promptly stored the vehicle...it's been a while.

If I've missed anything on the list of repairs, let me know.

[zbane]

Good luck, and do remember to post photos as you go!

[mbc]

Here are some before (current) pics:

I hope all goes well with this.

[mbc]

The car is running now. I drove it around today (about 5 miles), but there are some small details that still need attn.

Next is the complete engine tune for smog. There is some black smoke @ WOT, so I will adjust the AFM accordingly.

Sorry, no pics yet.

[mbc]

Aside from having the ugliest engine bay on the board, I noticed today that the motor is down on power. I'm thinking that it has to do with either a vacum leak, incorrect ign timing, or a problem with the vacum advance. While sitting still, the engime revs up just fine, but when I attempt to run the car under load with heavy throttle, it lacks the power it once had. All cylinders are firing, there is no popping, stumbling, or hesitation.

I'll see what answers a search gives me.

[zbane]

just a quick guess- crud in your fuel lines, starting at the tank and going up through the fuel filter and (if it got past the filter) in your injectors.

I think that besides replacing the filter, you might wish to invest in a couple bottles of Seafoam and Redline injector cleaner.

Of course, you probably have thought of these things, so this is more for those that will follow.

FWIW

[mbc]

Thanks for the tip Zbane. I thought of that too after reviewing the day's events.

The gas that was drained from the tank was yellow/ orange and had a foul odor. I used a new plastic tub as a recepticle so I could examine the contents. I could see no solids in the old gas.

I have an extensive list of parts I plan to replace, and your suggestions are on the list:).

Matt.

[zbane]

You are going to want to get into the gas tank in order to do a visual inspection. There is a filter on/in the fuel pump that is probably gunked up. Atlanticz has a great writeup on cleaning/inspecting it (as well as other things). The Redline FI engine treatment will help clear the varnish crud from your lines, but before you use it, you will need to get as much old gas and accumulated stuff out of the system.

Search the site for "Seafoam" and using it to clean the internals. The stuff is great, and I recommend using it to clean your valves and such. Just make sure you don't use it in your garage, it smokes ALOT.