hey there. i have a 5/70 240 with the stock L6. it is manually choked, mechanical fule pump, a real pain to start in the winter especially. i am thinking about options to make this less of a pain in the arse to start. i am not necessarily looking to dump thousands and thousands, maybe 2k-3k if need be. i am also not a z expert, so if any of my questions sound stupid, sorry. i was thinking: install an electric fuel pump, upgrade the coil and ignition and dizzy to hei and get my carbs tuned. ooooooor, just do an engine swap. if the swap, what can i put in there? i heard some mention of a L28 being a good match for a 70 240? thanks. happy toolin'

I don't think any of those things will drastically help the cold weather starting. All of those things you mention, except the L28 swap will make it somewhat better but still, it's the 'natrure of the beast' with carbs to be somewhat cold blooded. Even if you put an L28 in it, unless you use the EFI that goes with it, which would solve the cold weather starting problems but is a real pain to swap into a 240z, you'd still have those carbs in the Pennsylvania winter.

again, stupid question alert: why would putting efi in there be so hard? i am guessing it would be because of the need for an ecc and a pressurized fuel system where once there was none? i would imagine all the fuel lines from the tank up would need to be replaced and all that jazz to handle the pressure of efi? :stupid:

Sourcing all the appropriate pieces might be a bit tough. You would need to get the "computer," wiring harness (and modify it to work), all the relays, new fuel pump, throttle linkages... or I suppose you could look into aftermarket efi systems, but I don't know what that would entail.

hmm, sounds like more than i wanna get into. think i'll go with stock and upgrade. thx.

  dankehoe1 said:

i was thinking: install an electric fuel pump, upgrade the coil and ignition and dizzy to hei and get my carbs tuned

That should do it - if you also have your timing set correctly, the correct weight oil in the crankcase (10w-30w for winter) and solid electrical connections between the starter and a good starting battery. This all is based on also having an engine in reasonable shape, with the cam timing on spec. and good gasoline in the tank (something that is getting harder to find today with all the various EPA required winter blends).

Having spend the first three winters of 240-Z ownership in Spokane, Washington - starting in the coldest weather was never really a "problem" in the Z. Took dipstick heaters in the VW, and 55 T-Bird however...

FWIW,

Carl B.

When I said "problem" I just meant that I can start the EFI car up and drive it away immediately and it will run 'normal' compared to a carbed car having to warm up before it runs 'normally'. But with the carbed cars I've owned, 240Zs, roadsters, 510s, etc. it was something I could live with.

dankhoe (what a name man!)--

my 10/71 240z has a typical worn out 2.4L motor, original 150k+, original build of carbs, and my car starts idling on its own on maybe the 2nd, sometimes rarely the 3rd turn of the key. If I use a little gas after first started, always one key turn.

The amount of cranks of each turn varies. If my car is not started for over a month, it might take 5 cranks, possibly 2 key turns, before catching. It always catches though.

I have mechanical fuel pump, until about a month ago, I used the points original dizzy (just upgraded to 280zx distributor--I recommend it!) and never had starting issues, even in the cold, which in the NW is typically 30 degrees F at the worst.

But- if my manual stock choke isn't choking the carbs properly (which I haven't ever had any issues--but I do check them occasionally)--my car just won't start, and it will have these same symptoms. If the choke mechanisms are working, my Datsun has a very hard time starting cold without the chokes.

Possibly double-check your choke mechanisms and make sure they are working properly; my car is very easy to start up, and besides being tuned up, is a very tired 2.4L....

dankhoe--

I would think that if your car fired right up when cold from some starting fluid being sprayed in there, that this is a carb issue of some sort.