Hardway's 1971 240z #8011 - Build and Repair Thread

[S30Driver]

I love your documentation style, and the thoughtful attention to detail.

 

Oh, and your car is a thing of beauty as well!

[Hardway]

Thank you for the compliments guys!  I really enjoy the documentation side of my projects on the Z and glad they are of use and entertainment to others.

 

SurferD, I know the boat you are in with your car as I was pretty much there with my previous 240z.  Check out the build thread for it here ->  http://www.classiczcars.com/topic/44963-the-lime-green-machine-restoration-thread-1972-240z/  

 

It had been a daily driver for several years when I bought it.  However it had essentially received zero maintenance except for a 2.8L/5spd/R200 swap at some point in its life.  My '71 silver Z is a living example of buying the best car you can afford.  My '72 was very much a project that ran and needed everything done to it, cost me $3,000.  My '71 is indeed a much better starting point but with a better car came a higher price, $9,500.  Is my '71 three times the car as my '72, probably so.  One thing is for sure, I have been able to drive more than three times as much as I did my '72.  Have fun and keep us posted on your progress!

[SurferD]

Thanks for the encouragement.

This fall/winter what started as a simple rear shock replacement became a complete disassembly of the all rear suspension and driveline components.

It's because I couldn't get the spindle pins out.

Everything was either media blasted or wire wheeled and repainted.

New wheel bearings and I used new hardware where I could or refurbished the old stuff.

Today I replaced both fuel lines because as I was putting stuff back they started leaking.

All the corossion on them made them so thin any movement caused cracks.

Hopefully in the next few weeks everything's back together so I can drive it again.

I have the same Appliance wheels you had on the 72.

Edited April 16, 2015 by SurferD

[Hardway]

Nice pics SurferD!  I would recommend starting your own build thread and showing more before and after pics of your work.  We love this stuff and it keeps everyone motivated.  The black and silver color scheme of your parts is rather striking.  Good job on getting them prepped and painted so well as we can see the evidence of the rust from sitting outside for so long.  Your experience with the rear suspension is like all of ours.  A strut replacement project can turn in to the biggest case of "while I am it" syndrome. Of course since the rear struts are such a pain anyway it really makes sense to go all the way if you can.

[SurferD]

I just may do that.

I'm pretty active on the CT Z car club site and document stuff there a lot.

The diff strap brackets were so bad I couldn't use them after blasting.

I had a friend at a machine shop make me a set with bushings out of 316 stainless steel.

I have a serious case of "while I'm at it"!

Of course the fuel lines were a safety thing. I'm surprised they didn't leak before.

Everyone should check theirs for corrosion and replace if needed.

It's not easy but can save you from a bad leak or worse, losing your Z in a fire.

Here's a few of the crusty diff and shafts.

Edited April 16, 2015 by SurferD

[Hardway]

I had some free time weekend before last and wanted to tackle a few more items on the Z.  During the previous week I had received my Carter electric fuel pump, Holley adjustable fuel pressure regulator, and Fuel Lab fuel pressure gauge from Summit Racing.  I had used the same pump and AFPR on the old Lime Green Machine with good results so I went with them again.  The gauge is a non-liquid filled unit, is easy to read, and had good reviews.  All three pieces were around $80 together.  Add another $20 or so for the brass fittings from the hardware store and some new 5/16 inch fuel line.

 

I started by determining where to mount the AFPR.  I decided to use one of the existing threaded holes that originally held the external voltage regulator.  Next I assembled the AFPR and gauge using yellow sealing tape.

 

 

 

I had been debating whether or not to keep the mechanical fuel pump since it appeared to have been restored by the previous owner.  As I remembered how long it would take to pressurize the fuel system and knowing it might hinder the performance of the electric pump I decided to remove it.  A block off plate was in order but I did not want something that was flashy or screamed "look at me".  A quick search on Ebay revealed a very nice but very plain block off plate from Z Car Depot.  It is a trick piece with a groove machined in to the back that holds an O-ring so there is no need for a gasket.  A few clicks of the mouse, $26, and 4 days later it was in my hand.

 

 

 

Once it was mounted it seems to blend in perfectly with the rest of the engine.  The included countersunk screws finish off the install nicely.

 

[Hardway]

Next I installed the AFPR and gauge setup.  Everything went as planned except I used all new hose clamps and saved the originals that had been re-plated.  The original style clamps certainly look good but they are a big pain in the butt to deal with.  For now they are bagged and boxed along with the original fuel pump and associated hardware.  Since I was only using one bolt to hold the AFPR in place I used a lock washer behind the bracket.  This securely held it in place and helps keep things tidy under the hood.

 

 

 

With everything in the engine bay wrapped up I moved to the back of the car to install the fuel pump.  I located the original green and black wires that would have been used for a factory installed pump.  I double checked the ground continuity and all was good.  Knowing I would have to get power to the green wire I found the connector for it behind the radio.  The black wire of the connector is 12v key on so I used a simple inline fuse holder with a 7.5A fuse to complete the circuit.  Another check out back confirmed I had power to the green wire.  I retained the factory bullet connectors so everything could be serviced if needed.

 

 

Next up was mounting the pump itself.  There were three threaded holes in the structural support over the diff so I determined the hole to the far left was best.  The threads had been covered with under-coating so using my M6 X 1.0 tap and some WD40 I cleaned out the threads.

 

 

Using a new bolt, washer, and lock washer from the parts collection along with the strap included with the kit the pump was mounted.  With new some 5/16 inch fuel line and clamps the plumbing was complete.  Wiring was a no-brainer and with the connections made and covered in plastic loom the install was complete.  I had planned to replace the return line as well but I did not have any 1/4 inch fuel line on hand at the time.  It is looking rather sketchy so it will be replaced sooner than later.

 

 

 

A quick turn of the key to ON provided a pleasant whine from the fuel pump.  Once everything was cleared out of the way and fire extinguisher at the ready (you can't ever be too careful) I gave her some choke, turned the key to let the pump prime the system for a few seconds and started her up.  She fired right up with only two rotations of the engine and quickly settled in to a high idle.  This was a very welcome change as it usually took 7 - 12 rotations of the engine just to get the engine to initially fire.  I pushed the choke lever down and let the engine come down to a nice idle.  With everything sounding good I looked around both ends of the car to confirm I had no leaks.  With visual confirmation attained I turned the car off, let her back down on the ground, and took her for a test drive.  The test drive revealed more predictable throttle response and maybe a little more power but that could be my imagination intertwining with the satisfaction of my work.  For an afternoon's worth of work I am very happy.

 

I have few follow on items for this project.  In addition to replacing the return fuel line I plan to add a relay to the circuit as well as an oil pressure or impact switch for safety.  In addition I am going to look in to my carbs to double check their settings as the car's power seems to plateau at 5K RPMs.

[240260280z]

Looks great!  Glad you like using the tap set.

[Patcon]

Your new fuse holder for your pump could be your "Dongle". Everybody wants one...

[Hardway]

With the fuel system up to slightly more modern standards and a few more test drives I have noticed a persistent tapping in the valves getting worse.  When the engine is cold everything is quiet and runs like a sewing machine.  However once the engine warms up the tapping makes itself known and gets louder.  Knowing that intake valve #4 will not go in to adjustment spec I knew this was the reason for the audible disturbance.  During previous valve adjustments I cannot get any clearance between the rocker arm and the bottom of the cam lobe even though the adjuster is lowered to its max depth.  After a few conversations with other Z owners and a local machine shop the cause is probably related to the valve seat.  It was either machined too deep or pressed in to far causing the valve stem to stick up too far.  Of course the only real way to tell was to pull the cylinder head.  This pains me since the engine was rebuilt less than 2,000 miles ago and was a big reason I bought the car and paid the premium for it.  Oh well, no sense in risking damage to the engine or any of its components so I bit the bullet and started on it Friday evening.  I used Blue’s excellent pictorial write up as a guide as well as lessons learned from Mike W who just went through this on his 260Z.  You can check out Blue’s write up here -> http://www.classiczcars.com/topic/39674-77-280z-head-removal-step-by-step-photos/

 

Since the engine had been recently rebuilt all of the fasteners came off with no issues.  The first to go was the carbs. While I have them off the car and on the bench I will go through them to perform the checks I had originally planned.  The domes will get some polishing while they are off as well.

 

 

With the carbs off and access easier the beauty of the carbs and plated linkages become more apparent.

 

 

 

Next was the exhaust manifold.  Once it was off I found a rather interesting issue with it.  Inside the manifold is a rock hard clay like substance that will not easily come off.  I have posted a separate thread asking about this.  If it turns out to be nothing I will clean the manifold and put a fresh coat of manifold paint.

 

 

 

 

There is even some traces of it in the exhaust pipe.

 

 

With the inspections continuing I noticed a piece of metallic debris in one of the holes in the oil spray bar.  Using a stick pin I extracted it from the hole.  It is debris like this that can cause a cam to fail.

 

 

[Hardway]

As items were removed all of their related hardware and fasteners was bagged and tagged along with notes.  As we all know this is key to making reassembly as painless as possible.

 

 

Following the write up I properly marked the link on the timing chain. 

 

 

Using the template found on Californiaparts.net I made my own timing chain wedge using a piece of 3/4 inch scrap wood.  I made sure to sand all the edges so it would not splinter in the engine.

 

 

Unfortunately when I went to install the wedge it would not clear the mechanical fuel pump cam even after trimming the corner off.  I had a conversation with Mike W and he said the wedge might be a little too long and advised take some material off the end. 

 

 

Sure enough with a half inch cut off and the end rounded off it went in.  I took my time with a mallet and half inch socket extension to hammer it in to place.

 

 

Next came the moment of truth.  I have read about the horror stories of the chain tensioner plunger popping out when tension is taken off the chain.  Confident the wedge was firmly in place I removed the timing gear.  Luckily everything was quiet so the chain was laid to rest and covered with a rag.

 

[Hardway]

With the two front head bolts removed and bagged I went about breaking the head bolts loose.  Most were pretty but three in the middle on the passenger side did not feel as tight as the rest.  Anyway, all came out without issue and were laid accordingly.  I cannot tell if these are the original 40 year old bolts so a new set may be ordered just to be on the safe side.

 

 

With the help of my wife we lifted the head off.  It did not require any prying or persuasion.  A naked eye inspection seems to show the head is in overall good shape.  The intake valve on the #4 piston looks to be fine but the machine shop will give it a thorough inspection and diagnosis.

 

 

 

The cylinder walls feel perfect but with the head off you can see coolant has been getting past the gasket since it has a small amount of rust outside of the gasket.

 

 

 

There is much discussion on which head gaskets work best.  Many people have great luck with Fel-Pro head gaskets just like the one on the car while others go with high performance pieces from Cometic and the like.  For now I am going to do some research and order the other gaskets I will be needing for reassembly.