First of all, I finally got a 240Z a couple days agao and am pretty excited to get started on it. It currently doesn't run, so that is first on my list of priorities. It hasn't been driven in years (last inspection sticker/plate was in '07) and so I'm not to interested in trying to go out and turn it over just yet. What I'm considering doing is buying the Fel-Pro gasket kit from summit racing http://www.summitracing.com/parts/FEL-FS21157PT/Application/?prefilter=1 so i can replace all the gaskets and seals. I also got a bunch of spare parts to go with it and one of the items is an E88 head from a 260Z. I was wanting to practice setting the valve clearances on this head but can't figure out how to turn the cam w/o it being attached to anything. I'm also looking for opinions on what else I should do before attempting to start the engine, this is how my list stands at the moment (it was running before the guy quit driving it):

1. Replace all gaskets and seals

2. Pull apart carbs, clean and reassemble

3. Clean up the Dizzy and verify that it is in spec

4. Drain fuel from lines and tank

5. Verify that the valve train is in spec

6. Fab up new fuel lines? I assume i should do this since the lines in there are probably closing in on 40 years of service

7. Drain and replace all fluids

Anything I missed from that list? I'm thinking of buying a second bare block and sending it out to get rebuilt along with the spare head, intake, and carbs that I have. Then get the original block rebuilt to stock specs since it is the original block.

I use a 'thin wall deep well' 1 1/16 socket on a breaker bar, same on the Roadster, the 521 pick-up has to use a box end wrench of the same size.

Bonzi Lon

If your Z was equipped with Dealer Installed A/C - - - the original crank pully bolt may have been replaced with one with a larger size head. Other than that - what Bonzi Lon said - should fit.

Ok, so I finally am getting to the point to start it. I just have one piece that I need to find before hand. I replaced the water outlet housing since the original was in pretty bad shape. When I installed the new one I noticed pretty quickly that the sensor that plugs into it will not work at all. The sensor is smaller than the hole on the water outlet housing. I have no idea what the sensor is for although I believe it is for the coolant temp sensor. Does anyone have any suggestion for what I should do? It appears to be a pretty easy sensor since it only has two wires. I just don't know what I'm looking for exactly.

Can you post a Picture of the "new" and "old" outlet housings?

I'll check and see if I can find the old housing. They appeared to be identical except for that one hole. I'll update once i get a chance to look.

Ok, I was able to take the new housing off and get some good side by side pics of the two housings and noticed some other differences. The biggest of which is the thickness where bolts thread through. I would say that it is at least 1/8" thicker if not 1/4". Anyways here are the pictures. The grid they are sitting on are 1" squares. Anyways here are the pictures. I think I'm going to just use the old one until I can figure out how to make the new one work properly. I know that the hole on the new housing is 5/8" but I can't figure out what pitch it is. I figure it's the coolant temp sensor, but I don't know what to get since everywhere I look says they don't have an application for the 240.

Go to a decent hardware store and find a reducer, the external threads of which will match your housing and the internal threads which will match your temp sensor.

Hi Jonu:

That is interesting. I just checked all my 240Z's.. and none of them have a temp. sensor in the Gooseneck {or top of the thermostat housing}. I checked the Parts Catalog - and it says that the L24 & L26 use the same part - ie a Gooseneck with no sensor in it. In both cases the temp. sensor is located below the thermostat in the bottom half of that housing/assembly.

Looking at the L28E's in my 78 280Z factory service manual - it also shows the temp. sensor in the bottom of the housing... Looking at my 83 280ZX service manual - that does show a "water outlet" in the gooseneck..

If you have a temp. sensor in the bottom half of that housing - under the thermostat - then to use that gooseneck you'll just have to plug that extra hole. If you don't have a temp. sensor in the bottom half of that housing/assembly - then I'd try to get the right parts to put back on the engine.

What part number did you use when you ordered that new gooseneck?

FWIW,

Carl B.

Edited June 17, 201212 yr by Carl Beck

Carl, this is what I ordered: http://www.autozone.com/autozone/parts/Compressor-Works-Water-Outlet/1973-Nissan-Datsun-240Z/_/N-ip599Z9pd7s?itemIdentifier=104538_0_0_

I'll try checking around and see what I can find at other places online.

Call your local Nissan Dealer Parts Dept. and ask them to do a Dealer Search for 11060-U2001 Water Outlet.

Get this one on E-Bay

Item number: 370612906203

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Datsun-240z-260z-Water-Outlet-Thermostat-Housing-NOS-/370612906203?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item564a4028db&vxp=mtr

Put the one you have on E-Bay like this joker

Item number: 360432206257

http://www.ebay.com/itm/69-70-71-72-73-74-DATSUN-240Z-WATER-OUTLET-NEW-MADE-IN-USA-/360432206257?pt=Vintage_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item53eb6f01b1&vxp=mtr

Or - just go buy a plug and plug the hole you don't need. IF YOU HAVE A TEMP SENSOR in the bottom half of that assembly - below the thermostate.

FWIW,

Carl B.

Thanks for the heads up Carl. I went ahead and bought that one on ebay you linked. The lower half of the housing does have a port that was plugged, so I'm putting the sensor back where it belongs. The hole on the bottom half was plugged by a short bolt, so all i had to do was pull it out and put the sensor back in.

That will be a much better arrangement - with the sensor ahead of the thermostate - you would read water temp in the block/head... So you would get a warning if/when the thermostate sticks shut and block temps' start to go too high. With the sensor past the thermostate - you would get a false reading, or at best a very delayed reading on block / cylinder head temps. The one thing you don't want to do is overheat the L series engines.

FWIW,

Carl B.