Hi all,

It's been several years since I've done anything with my Z other than push it to a new storage location. Unfortunately, the inactivity has not been so friendly to the Z. The brake and clutch reservoir are empty and the rear brakes have frozen.

I joined the forum in 2000 when my Z was a running project. I moved from Minnesota to Maine and eventually got the Z here, too. Been busy with work and family and house in the time since. I have a great new garage and I'm looking forward to getting the Z back on the road this spring/summer.

Edited April 17, 20159 yr by KAMKA-Z

Maybe you can get it running and the brake drums will free up.  Mine did.  I got mine running off a small gas can after it had sat for years.  The gas tank was full of crud.  Good luck and happy wrenching on your old friend.

 

Cliff

So, Ive had a busy Summer and unfortunately haven't spent much time on the Z. My brake reservoir is dry and I believe my rear brake cylinders need rebuilding. I see that the rear cylinders are available though kinda pricey especially if mine are rebuildable. I've rebuilt cylindes on other cars I've had with good results. As long as I'm digging into the brakes, I really should at least kinda go through the rest of the system. Do most people rebuild their calipers or just order new ones? Depending on the source I use the price to replace isn't outrageous.

I've rebuilt calipers with no problems (well maybe one) in the far past. The hardest part was getting the pistons out. I didn't have a compressor at the time so I took the calipers to the gas station to blow out the pistons. The first piston popped right out but the second piston remained due to escaping air out of the first cylinder. My first (and worst) idea was to block the escaping air with my hand. The second piston did come out. With a loud bang, it blew into the back of my hand. I had to finish the brake job the next day. I would suggest if any pistons won't come out with air, find a shop with a pneumatic grease gun. That will push them out. 

Skip ahead a couple years...
I haven't registered this car since 2005 so it's likely it hasn't been started in over a decade. I'm going to try to start it today. I pulled the gas tank plug last night. Mostly dry. Pulled the plugs. There was some evidence of moisture so I cleaned them off and blew compressed air in the cylinders to make sure there wasn't sitting coolant or such. Squirted a little motor oil in each cylinder before putting the cleaned plugs back in. Anything else recommended before I put fresh gas in and start cranking?

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 I'd pull the valve cover and crank it over in stages (to prevent overheating the starter) until it gets oil pressure while watching for oil circulation to the cam and valve train. It also would be a good idea to check rocker clearances before starting. The thrill of firing up an old engine and hearing it run good gives me goose bumps. I love it.

Check the plugs and the fuel filter. You may need to change the filter if you put fresh gas in an empty tank (rust or corrosion build up). Also check to make sure your fuel lines aren’t brittle because a fuel leak can be dangerous. You may want to change the oil and the filter. On first start make sure you have oil pressure.


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