WTB L28 Urgent

[drunkenmaster]

Anyone good one in good shape they will part with?

Found the source of my starting problems, my thermostat was jammed open with stalactites of crystalised deposits. Theory is a previous owner may have blown the head gasket and went crazy with the "stop leak" additive. This crap is all through the head and i can only imagine what the radiator, heater, water pump etc look like inside....I may as well fit a 2.8 rather than mess around with cleaning up the 2.6, same amount of effort.

SO much for this Z being on road ASAP...

[Z Kid]

James,

I may be wrong, but are you sure you are not reading into this problem a little to much, the car had been off the road for many years, and one must expect a build up of deposit in a car that has lain unused. If its got ok compression, and not blowing bubbles through the radiator why does it matter. I also cant see a stuck thermostat as being solely responsible for the starting problems, remembering when you first start the car up, the block is the same temp as the radiator so the thermostat does not make an instantaneous difference. Replace the thermostat with a new one for a couple of bucks and see how it goes, what is the worst thing that can happen to you, the headgasket does blow, and you need to put in a new motor, you are at the same position now, only you have had fun for a while first, helps with the motivational phase.

Its one of the pain in the arse facts about owning old cars, things do go wrong. My old main paid just under 37k for his old car, and on its first long trip, he used 21 litres of oil, when it was parked it ran fine, but obviously 17 years of sitting wasnt kind to it. Still ran fine for over two years before he decided to rebuild it.

If I was in your position, slap it all together, get it roadworthy and enjoy, I am assuming you didnt pay the huge price that a good registered Z seems to command, so every so often little things will go wrong. Stop, dont mess around now, just enjoy it while/if it runs. A motor changeover can be done in a weekend with a slab of beer and a friend or two (heck I pulled out my motors using a tree in the backyard to tie my $10 endless chain onto) Its all part of the fun.

Cheers Chris

PS many of the head reconditioning places slap a bit of "The Turd" in rebuilt heads just to be on the safe side.

[drunkenmaster]

Cant I enjoy my mad panic after getting home from the mechanics without someone trying to talk sense into me?

These deposits are fairly serious though, enough to fill the thermostat housing and seize the hosing bolts into the head enough that an oxy and welding nuts onto it just snaps the bolt further and further. In my disapointment I was just thinking that I wanted an L28 in the end any way, so why stuff around with the L26.

Im sure things will be clearer in the morning.

Thanks

[Z Kid]

James,

THe guy near me paid in excess of 11k for his 260, and when taking the head off, he had to hacksaw off studs before he could remove the head, I think you sit alloy and steel together for long enough and they get bad. Rebuilding the Jag motor, we broke a 10 tonne jack trying to pop the head off. I can see nothing unusual about sheared studs etc in a motor that is thirty years old, in fact if it all came apart easily, I would be worried that someone had done the dodgy on it recently.