1977 280z Light Restoration Project

[Muzez]

22 minutes ago, S30Driver said:

I have retained rubber for most of the bushings with some exceptions.

Yes, you want the 280z specific Eibachs,  only change the rear isolators, the fronts are the same as the 240's.  Yes, you need to pay attention to the correct front / rear installation, many before you have got them on backwards and had to reverse them.   I have that setup with what many would consider  and have commented, "the perfect stance".   ( unless you want to go for the dragstrip funny car stance....)

 

Yeah, drag strip isn't on the horizon for what remains of this lady's 170hp. Trying to treat her gentle (at least until I have a better feel for her and have ironed out the rough edges) 

Thanks for the guidance! 

[Muzez]

Project Update: Finally got all of my new parts in and am starting reassembly this week!

Replacing the worn out struts first. Went to pull the first one last night and the entire thing came out in pieces. Sprayed the whole bench with oil when it came apart ? . No idea what brand these are because there are no markings or part numbers whatsoever. 

Is it still best practice to backfill the strut housing with oil to prevent rust? And if yes, what kind of oil is recommended?

[Muzez]

On 7/2/2020 at 9:42 AM, dmuzial said:

Is it still best practice to backfill the strut housing with oil to prevent rust? And if yes, what kind of oil is recommended?

Found the answer here: 

 

[Muzez]

Hey Guys,

Making process getting everything back onto the car just before the end of the driving season here. Excited to get it all finished and put some miles on this year. Figured I would post a quick before and after of the suspension reassembly.

Before

After

Newly refinished MSA linear springs vs old stock springs

Reassembled Brake drums

[Muzez]

Welp! Drove all summer and had a great time. Few gremlins with the fuel system, but otherwise it was great to get out and get some sunshine 

Unfortunately, winter means maintenance and this winter is the big one. Pulling my engine. First time doing this solo (though I have been leaning heavily on you guys and the service manual for insights so not really solo.)

So far, making progress

- Gas tank dropped

- Fuel lines emptied

- 5mph crash Bumpers off

- Radiator drained and out

- AC system drained and condenser removed

- Intake out

- Wiring labeled and photographed 

The plan is to pull the engine this weekend but the biggest barrier is the exhaust manifold to collector pipe connection. I already snapped off 1 of the nuts and I have no idea how to access the one in the back closest to the transmission. I have tried heat and break-loose and similar products with no luck.

Anyone have any advice for getting the exhaust pipe disconnected from the manifold?

Edited December 15, 2021 by Muzez
Fixed photo

[grannyknot]

You'll have to replace those bolts anyway so you could use a nut splitter like this one,

 

[Muzez]

3 hours ago, grannyknot said:

You'll have to replace those bolts anyway so you could use a nut splitter like this one,

 

 

Thanks @grannyknot will give this a try 

[Muzez]

Well. Engine and Transmission are out and I am almost healed from a minor surgery so I am ready to get back out to the garage. Next thing is checking for oil leaks. Trying to decide if I should be replacing the head gasket. Included some photos below. If anyone has any advice, let me know! 

The sides of the engine block don't seem to be too oily except under the #3 spark plug. There is a little buildup around the plug itself which makes me think it wasn't torqued down well at some point. 

The major area of oil buildup is where the front of the head meets the timing chain cover. There is sealant around the water pump to suggest that someone replaced it in the past.

None of the compression numbers were off when I tested but they were a little lower than I would like. It was my first time testing though so it is possible I messed it up (can't remember if it tested hot or cold). 

1. 155 PSI
2. 159 PSI
3. 163 PSI
4. 162 PSI
5. 157 PSI
6. 160 PSI

Also, what is this mounting point for on the front right hand side of the engine above the alternator ? 

For more on the engine / trans removal, there are photos here. 

 

 

[Patcon]

Mounting point is for a mechanical fuel pump, provided the hole into the timing chain was milled open.

Is there a reason you wouldn't want to do a head gasket?

I think if I had the engine out, I would do the head gasket. It allows you to inspect the jackets for corrosion and the valve seats as well as clean up the combustion chambers. It's mostly labor, the gasket is pretty cheap. Technically you shouldn't reuse the head bolts but many people do.

[Muzez]

12 minutes ago, Patcon said:

Is there a reason you wouldn't want to do a head gasket?

Mainly because this will be my first time doing it and I am a little terrified that I would c&%k it up. 😛 Mostly worried about snapping the head bolts and resetting the timing correctly and just generally getting beyond my abilities. Bad reason since I set off on this whole journey to learn. 

Good point though on the cleaning and checking the internals. I will do it. Will start disassembly in a week or so. 

Edited January 4, 2022 by Muzez

[siteunseen]

If you haven't already bought this I highly recommend. I built some dirt bikes and boat motors so I knew the basics but I'd never done a car motor. I bought this book for $20 and didn't have to call my Dad for help at all. I think it whizzed him off?

https://www.amazon.com/Rebuild-Your-Nissan-Datsun-Engine/dp/1931128030

 

Great how to book. He makes you want to do it unlike Haynes and Chilton manuals. They suck in my opinion.

 

 

[Reptoid Overlords]

There's a good chance that the water pump bolts have either already been broken by a previous owner, or will break as you are removing them.  It's not that big of a deal if you break one, they aren't terribly hard to remove, especially with the engine on a stand and not in the car. 

I would go ahead and replace the head gasket and timing chain while the engine is out.  The book that Siteunseen mentioned is the way to go for sure.  I had never done it before and used that book.  Made perfect sense and I'm no real veteran at this stuff.  If setting the cam timing is your biggest worry, that book makes it plain and clear.  Plus there's lots of threads on here about it, and if you get stumped, folks are happy to help.