My two swiss S30Z Fairlady Restoration build thread

[JDMjunkies.ch]

Just a very quick update from the Bodyshop: I got some photos of the Mizukami Auto OEM optional rollbar replica testfit:

Looks good on the first glimpse, but i will go and check out the car close-up in two weeks and see the progress on the other bodywork too.

[JDMjunkies.ch]

Over the easter holidays, i had some hours time to work on my project again. First thing i noticed on the Subie R180 Diff, which i bought recently, was that it most probably got painted at some point.

A quick scrub with the wire brush made the original silver surface appear again:

Same on the Propeller shaft flange:

Then it was about time to remove the nasty grease and dirt buildup around the seals:

And then give the whole housing a healthy two-hours of wire-wheel peeling:

Right: Original Datsun diff, left: Subie diff. Notice the different flange adapters:

Surprzingly, the datsun part came off quite easy.

While the subie thingy required a puller tool setup. Worked well though:

Here we are now. ready to get seals replaced. further cleaning, rust-protection repaint and then assembly everything. Hope i find time again soon to finish this part.

[inline6]

It is critical to get the setting of torque on the front pinion nut right.  When you put the flange and nut back on, do not just torque it to the factory setting and be done with it.  Look for information in factory documentation regarding what torque setting to use when reusing all of the bearings on the pinion gear.  it is a different (lower) specification than when replacing the bearings.  

I recommend pulling the carrier out of the case before installing the flange and the pinion nut.  Then use the low end of the torque specification.   After setting to the low end of the torque specification, check the amount of turning torque required to turn the pinion shaft - you are checking pinion shaft turning resistance at this point.  

There is a factory manual uploaded to the resources section of the forum.  You need to get the turning resistance to be close to correct specification.  

If you don't do as outlined above, you are taking too big a chance at setting too high a pre load on the bearing stack on the pinion shaft.  The weak link is the pinion bearing - the front most bearing.  However, with a damaged pinion bearing, it only takes a low number of miles to damage the ring and crown gears also.

Garrett

 

[grannyknot]

If at all possible, try and set the backlash and preload with all 3 of the old seals removed and the new ones not installed yet, I found that new the seal held onto the front flange and causing more drag and throwing off the preload measurement. On the side axles the new seals around the flanges made measuring the backlash inconsistent and produced varying results.

[JDMjunkies.ch]

5 hours ago, grannyknot said:

If at all possible, try and set the backlash and preload with all 3 of the old seals removed and the new ones not installed yet, I found that new the seal held onto the front flange and causing more drag and throwing off the preload measurement. On the side axles the new seals around the flanges made measuring the backlash inconsistent and produced varying results.

 

16 hours ago, inline6 said:

It is critical to get the setting of torque on the front pinion nut right.  When you put the flange and nut back on, do not just torque it to the factory setting and be done with it.  Look for information in factory documentation regarding what torque setting to use when reusing all of the bearings on the pinion gear.  it is a different (lower) specification than when replacing the bearings.  

I recommend pulling the carrier out of the case before installing the flange and the pinion nut.  Then use the low end of the torque specification.   After setting to the low end of the torque specification, check the amount of turning torque required to turn the pinion shaft - you are checking pinion shaft turning resistance at this point.  

There is a factory manual uploaded to the resources section of the forum.  You need to get the turning resistance to be close to correct specification.  

If you don't do as outlined above, you are taking too big a chance at setting too high a pre load on the bearing stack on the pinion shaft.  The weak link is the pinion bearing - the front most bearing.  However, with a damaged pinion bearing, it only takes a low number of miles to damage the ring and crown gears also.

Garrett

 

THanks for you rinput guys, i appreciate a lot.
I will try my best and take my time.
Also i have the original FSM and the japanese Differential service manual, so i will also try to follow the step-by-step guidance in there.

[240dkw]

This is the manual that inline6 refers to that is posted in the resource section.

 

[JDMjunkies.ch]

10 hours ago, 240dkw said:

This is the manual that inline6 refers to that is posted in the resource section.

 

Great, thanks for sharing. I wasn't even aware this exists. It seems to be more or less the english version of the japanese book shown above, covering the same topics and differential types (R and H versions). Luckily i just found an english hardcopy version for sale and grabbed it. But also the digital version will be very helpful so long.
Hat tip for the input to you guys. You just got to love this community 🙂

[JDMjunkies.ch]

Today marks a bit of a milestone: the 240Z frame / Body / Shell is more or less completed.

The rollbar and all the accessories (optional passenger foot bar, etc.) are fitted.

And all the panels are installed:


The car got new floorpanes, new front inner fenders, rear quarters, rear inner and outer wheel wells, new frame rails, new inner and outer side steps, new roof, a complete new rear-end, new seat-rail mounts, and much more.
Many small areas like alle the little brackets got fixed and rectified. I think i can say the car is as rust-free as possible.

In the next few photos, you can find some details of how the rollcage was installed, as some were intersted how i installed it. I hope i got it right and close to the factory setup.

Welds from the bottom side:

Bolts from the other side (inside the inner rear wheel well):

So now? They'll deliver the car back to my own workshop, so i can install all the locks, spacers, rubber-dampers, trim, etc. before it goes back for final gap-adjustment and to get the sideline into the doors, etc.
Once the car is back in my place, i'll take a closer look at it and share the photos with you. On the first glimpse i'm very happy with their work. but there are still some areas to fine-tune and i'm sure we forgot some small things which i will figure out once the car is back in my place.
Meanwhile the next project is already waiting at their shop. A one of four known-to-still-exist Bentley Airline. Something in a slightly different category with wood frame and all.

[JDMjunkies.ch]

My original Front grille was a bit bent in some areas, had rusted bolts and the original outer vertical brackets were beyond repair. I really tried my best to save it, but somehow the results never really fulfilled my expectations. The vertical Aluminum brackets were worn out, i wasn't able to find the long mounting bolts in an original look and it all felt very fragile and "loose" when assembled. So when i recently stumbled across the resurrected classics reproduction grille, i thought i'd give it a try. Today it arrived, so lets' have a closer look at it vs the OEM grille.

On the first glimpse lit looks very good, down to all the small details. like the bends and shapes of the edges on the fins, down to the way it's assembled with that long bolt in the vertical brackets.

Also those mounting brakets on the side are very close to the original ones:

The  main difference is that this one is made of all-steel, whil the original is made out of steel fins with aluminum vertical brackets. I didn't weight them, but holding them in the hands at the same time, i couldn't really feel any huge difference as the main weight is in the steel fins anyway.


Another small difference is that the original outer mounting brackets are originally riveted to the vertical aluminum brackets, while here they are spotwelded (since here everything is from steel). It's of course not original, but it gives it a smoother look and more rigidity.
Also note the square vs oval mounting hole of the bracket.

As you may know, the grille came in different shapes over the years. I have this odd one where the top three fins are long (as usual) but then the 4th is extra-short, for whatever reasons, before the three regular short ones come. I think i will cut my resurrected grille with a dremel tool to get the original look.
So far this seems to be a pretty solid alternative to the original damaged grille. I know there are other replicas, and used original ones to buy, but this looks like a good solution to me.
The few grams in extra-weight and the minimal visual differences to the original will most probably never be spotted by anyone, while the improved rigidity and absence of rust definitely make up for it. Once the Car is back in my workshop, i have to test-fit it and see how it looks and fits and if i'll shorten that 4th fin.

[Yarb]

Max at Resurrection Classics spends a lot of time researching and finding manufacturers. I’ve been to his whse and walked me through the parts inventory and the stories along the way getting to this point.

[xs10shl]

That is a really nice replica comp roll bar.  I have one myself, and it is very true to original, as far as I can tell.  Just for the sake of discussion:  I have not seen the three through-bolts on the wheel well actually appearing on original units.  Of the few pictures that I have, I don't see any with this particular feature.  That said, I'm confident it will improve safety and utility that way.  The hardware is also a bit different from original on the kit I have - I believe the original units were fastened using JIS bolts labeled "9".

I'll defer to others with better knowledge.

[HS30-H]

15 hours ago, xs10shl said:

Just for the sake of discussion:  I have not seen the three through-bolts on the wheel well actually appearing on original units.  Of the few pictures that I have, I don't see any with this particular feature.  That said, I'm confident it will improve safety and utility that way. 

I've seen the occasional example of user/owner-added single or twin bolts through the baseplate and inner wheelarch. A kind of belt-and-braces approach that certainly would help when the baseplate 'floats' slightly above the inner wheelarch.

They could also have been added at the request of scrutineers/safety inspectors. Pretty soon they were mandating welded-in cage mounts for certain race classes and this prompted some car owners to weld in sections of the factory safety bar, like this rough and ready period example: