Correct Series 1 Valve Cover and Air Cleaner for my Z

Hardway · June 26, 2015

When I bought my car it had the regular Nissan OHC valve cover and air cleaner with the Summer/Winter flap and port for a warm air tube on the bottom of the snorkel. Based on the "before" pictures the previous owner supplied the engine at one time had the "Nissan 2400 OHC" valve cover on it but the front snorkel of the air cleaner had been cut off. This leads me to believe my car truly should have the "2400" valve cover but I am not sure if I have the correct style air cleaner. I think I should have the non-S/W flap and no warm air tube. My car is a 08/1970 build. I cannot find the cut off months for when these two items were changed. Before I shell out big bucks for either item I want to make sure my car is actually supposed to have them. Thank you!

A note on the valve cover, I asked about the "2400" valve cover in the pictures and the seller said he thought it was cracked or damaged when they got it so they bought another one. The whereabouts of the "2400" valve cover in the pictures are unknown.

Namerow · June 26, 2015

My 5/70, with original engine:

'2400' valve cover = yes
'Warm/cold flap' on the air cleaner snorkle = no
- also 'no' re warm-air-delivery flex hose, and 'no' re the matching shroud plate mounted around the bottom of the exhaust manifold (has a 'spigot' where the flex hose attaches)

Back in the day, I owned a 72 Z as a daily driver. On really cold Canadian mornings in January or February (days that were much colder than I expect Skinner-Union ever imagined) the cold-start drill consisted of:

Choke to 'full'
open hood
set warm-air flap to 'warm' position
3-second shot of ether into the air cleaner
set warm-air flap back to 'cold'
close hood
start engine

Edited June 26, 2015 by Namerow

Hardway · June 26, 2015

Thank you Namerow. My car has its original engine as well. Can you elabroate on the "spigot" you mentioned in your post? I know there should not be any type of flex hose going from the air cleaner to the exhaust manifold as there are no provisions for it. Below is a picture of my exhaust manifold with the carbs out of the way.

240260280z · June 26, 2015

It is on the heat shield.

Edited June 26, 2015 by Blue

AZ-240z · June 26, 2015

Thank you Namerow. My car has its original engine as well. Can you elabroate on the "spigot" you mentioned in your post? I know there should not be any type of flex hose going from the air cleaner to the exhaust manifold as there are no provisions for it. Below is a picture of my exhaust manifold with the carbs out of the way.

Here is a discussion I was able to find that may be of help.

http://www.classiczcars.com/topic/30810-correct-air-cleaner-for-series-one/?hl=%2Bcleaner+%2Bhousing#entry289842

From what I have learned in the past, August of 1970 was the model changeover between the 1970 & 71 modl years.

Smog laws required the addition of carb pre-heat starting in 1971. As you can see from your picture, there are

two bosses cast into your exhaust manifold just above the exhaust pipe mating flange. Those bosses would have

threaded holes to accomodate the exhaust carb heat riser cover if your car had the air cleaner snorkel for a flex tube

connecting the air cleaner to the exhaust manifold heat riser cover. Since there are no threaded holes in the exhaust

manifold hosses, your car did not have the air cleaner with snorkel for carb pre-heater.

I also associate the model changeover month wih the valve cover change from "Nissan 2400" to "Nissan OHC" covers.

This and other model year changes can be flexible due to the availability of parts at the time of manufacture.

Again, these are just my opinions from research I have done for the restoration o my car.

Hope it helps.

Dan

Zup · June 26, 2015

Hardway---

What is that sensor looking thing in your photo located in the block next to the front of the transmission under the exhaust manifold?

My 7/70 build date 240Z has a block drain plug at that location.

Just curious if it is/was hooked up to anything, and if so what?

The temp gauge??

Mine has only the single wire from the thermostat sender----

26th-Z · June 26, 2015

This is the exhaust heat riser Dan is talking about

Hardway · June 26, 2015

Thanks for all the info guys! Looks like mine was one of the last 2400 valve cover and non-heat riser cars before they switched over to the new pieces. The switch in my block was in there when I bought the car. My guess is that it was at one point an alternative location to a fan temp switch. I have left it there as I may use it in the future. You cannot see it once everything is back together so it is staying for now.