Just what the Doctor ordered. 1977 280z

[Zed Head]

Holy moly.  Is this a resto or a resto-mod?  It looked done to me when it was sitting on the trailer.

[grannyknot]

7 hours ago, Zed Head said:

Holy moly.  Is this a resto or a resto-mod?  It looked done to me when it was sitting on the trailer.

I thought so too but the more I disassemble for cleaning the more I find that needs attention.  Besides installing a freshly restored part back on the car is a satisfying feeling that I can never seem to get enough of.

The car is going to bone stock except for a few electrical upgrades.

[colinc]

12 hours ago, grannyknot said:

I got the engine pulled today and a chance to pressure wash some of the crud out of the engine bay, lots of work to go.  I found a place that will yellow zinc plate everything I can fit into a 5 gal bucket for a $100 so after I put everything from the 280z in there I started to go through my collection of spare Datsun bolts, then all stray metric hardware. I even went through an old box of engine bay work lights that I have p/u over the years at swap meets.

Tomorrow is our local Zfest so gave the 240 a wash, clay bar and wax.

Hey Granny,

Who are you using to do the yellow zinc?

Thanks

[grannyknot]

45 minutes ago, colinc said:

Who are you using to do the yellow zinc?

https://heplating.com/small-lot-orders-electroplating/

Too bad about Zfest eh?  Pouring rain all over Southern Ontario.

[colinc]

2 hours ago, grannyknot said:

https://heplating.com/small-lot-orders-electroplating/

Too bad about Zfest eh?  Pouring rain all over Southern Ontario.

Thanks for the info.

Yes, I think Zfest will be a washout.  It’s a shame as it is probably the most popular club event.  I wasn’t going to make it this year regardless of the weather given the location (too far from whitby) and the timing (have to watch the British Open) but I am sure many people were planning on going.

Can you post pictures of the parts you get yellow zinc’d. I am still not completely happy with the parts I had done.

 

Edited July 22, 2018 by colinc

[grannyknot]

All right, I got the head off the engine today, pistons look very clean for over a 100k miles, valves are pretty caked with carbon. I have never had a head bolt break on me before and two head bolts broke on this engine, one on either side of #4 cylinder,  also there there are four other bolts that broke, 2 in the timing cover and 2 in the front of the block.  There is about 7-8 other bolts that have broken of on the body so far, never had such bad luck. I did sit for 20 something years.

pics go from front to back on the block and the head, last pic in the broken studs. Should I attempt to weld nuts on to the stubs of the head bolts or should I just take the block to and engine builder or someone who does this all the time?

[gwri8]

PB Blaster, Vise grips, taps from a dead blow hammer and small propane torch worked for me on the head bolts. It's worth a try but if you're going to take the block in for boring or decking, then I would share the fun and let them do it.  They have proper equipment and it's no big deal for them.

[Zed Head]

Take off the headgasket and see what shape the stub is in.  I did almost exactly what gwri8 described on my one broken bolt.

The problem with letting a shop do it is that they sometimes charge by the hour.  And it can take a while to get them out.  I'd clean up the interface and see if any rust breaker can get in there.  The shots with a hammer help break up the bond.  I didn't tap mine I gave it some good hard knocks.  It came out eventually.  But I had more to work with.

[Namerow]

48 minutes ago, grannyknot said:

Should I attempt to weld nuts on to the stubs of the head bolts or should I just take the block to and engine builder or someone who does this all the time?

PM me and I'll send you contact details for the specialist I hired.  He caters to dealer service department jobs and is extremely competent.  Golden Horseshoe coverage.  Price is reasonable for job-done-right.

[grannyknot]

First pic is the 2 broken bolts I knew about, second pic is another one I discovered when I removed the timing cover, last pic is just letting the block cool down before removing the broken head bolts. I pulled out the Oxy Acetylene torch and got them all cherry red, they all came out easily after that.

[Patcon]

12 minutes ago, grannyknot said:

I pulled out the Oxy Acetylene torch and got them all cherry red, they all came out easily after that.

So you heated the bolt cherry red or the surrounding metal? I would have thought when the bolts were that red they would be too soft to turn out. Did you let the dull down any first or just turned them out red? Did you use any oil on them while hot, I assume no? I need to get an Oxy/Acet bottle setup...bottle envy.

[grannyknot]

I like that.  With the  M6x1 bolts I just put the flame on them from the side and got them glowing and quenched them with WD40, and did that a couple of times then did a double nut on each one and they came right out.  The head bolts I dropped the pistons as low as possible and slowly heated a six inch area around the bolts then after a minute put the flame right on the bolt until red then WD40 and repeat.  Welded on the nuts let it cool right down and they came out with no effort,  I was concerned about the thermal expansion of cast iron vs the steel bolt so went slow with heat.  That is a complicated area with water jackets (air gaps in this case) on either side of the head bolts and a steel cylinder sleeve on the inside.