1971 "Fuel vapor recovery tank"

[Tim Walz]

Hi I have a 71 240, which the previous (very young) owner removed parts from, thinking they were "getting rid of all that emissions junk". Turns out, I have about half of an a/c system, and this sort of triangular tank, which mounts inside the hatchback, just over the fuel filler tube is missing. I understand that the one I'm looking for is made of plastic, NOT METAL (thanks Mike!) I have been able to locate one on a '72 model car, but it is a different design (too big, made of metal). mine is the older car without seatbelt retractors. (but not so old as to have rear hatch vents). I'd sure like to be able to put more than half a tank of gas in this car sometime, so if you can get me the part I'm describing here, please contact me!

Tim timothywalz@hotmail.com

[Mike]

Timothy,

You are looking for a plastic vapor recovery tank. The metal one from a '72 will not fit. I tried.

You might have to order it from Nissan.

Get ready for a plug.......

Buy the Zcar Microfiche CD and you can look up your own part numbers!! Click the ad on our main page (upper right side).

[m]

[Tim Walz]

I know I need the cd! Looks like it turned out pretty well... (last time I was on with you guys you were still working on it, as I recall.... In the mean time, thanks for the info! I'll still try to find a used one if I can though, to (sorry about the pun) try to avoid getting 'plugged' by the dealer;)

Thanks again!

[Mike]

Sounds good...

Just stay away from the metal tanks. They won't fit. I was "guaranteed" that one would fit my '71. And, it didn't (by a long shot).

My tank is plastic and was cracked. Instead of spending the $150+ on a new tank, I just epoxied it.

I know I'll regret that in the future (smell), but, I have to draw the line somewhere on my resto.

I figured this is an easy swap later on....

l8r

[Daniel]

Since the tank is just to collect vapors and is hidden. Why not make it yourself from metal or have a metal shop do it.$150.00?Is that right mike?Why pay that amount for something you know is not going to last?How much would you pay for a 71 that I would make of metal?Is there a market for those? Daniel

[Mike]

Hmm.... interesting idea.

But, I wonder if a metal fab shop can put together something that custom for under $150. Somehow I don't think it would be possible.

However, I have no experience with metal fab shops. Anyone else chime in on this? I've seen custom fuel tanks, how much are those?

[EScanlon]

My 71 240 manufactured 9/71 (#920 Gold for anyone that has checked the Paint Code post) HAS a Metal Recovery Tank.

Is it possible that the CD shows that up to a given month, they were plastic, then they were metal with a design change even later?

I took one out of a 72 and it's identical to the one I have.

[Daniel]

Having one to go by would be the hard part.You have that.You could use aluminum or sheet metal.All it holds is vapor.Look how thin a real gas can is!If you wanted start with one of those and cut it to fit.Fold and hammer the seams,maybe put in a few rivets,Then seal the seams with some of that fine quality JB weld or have them silver soldered(stronger).Or have the '72 metal unit cut down to fit.I had a 12x12 inch square cut into the bottom of a fuel tank for a truck I was redoing.I cleaned it out and the welder welded it shut.I know a vapor can is alot easier than that!$150.00 buys alot of tries! Have fun!!! Daniel

[Royce]

EScanlon,

FYI... your 9/71 240Z is a '72 model car. Datsun/Nissan built three different cars during the '71 production year. The '71 series I with the vents on the tailgate and the 240Z quarter badges (amongst other differences), the '71 series II vents moved to the quarter panels (again other changes) and the '72 240Z. My car was built '8/71 which is the last month of '71 series II run. For example my car has the fuse box on the trans tunel under the ash tray at the front of the center console, while your fuse box will be behind the passenger kick panel with the redesigned console to make room for the later style transmission with the more forward shifter. See www.zhome.com for a list of the other differences, however, I don't think they list the vapor collection tank! I'll have to take that panel off and see what I have back there!

Of course mine being a late '71 series II and yours being a early '72 makes them both much more valuable! :-)

Have fun!

[2ManyZs]

I'm just thinking out loud here, but I wonder if you could use a radiator overflow tank such as you see on race cars and some production cars. Seems like I have seen them square or rectangular as well as round. Instead of mounting it where the stock vapor tank was there ought to be just about enough room to mount it beside the filler. If you drilled and tapped it for the extra lines ( I have a thick plastic one on my race car) and made some sort of mounting bracket it should work as long as you had it at or above the plane of the filler. Seems like you should be able to find one that is approximately the same diameter as the filler (3 or 4 inch but I'd have to go measure mine) so that you would be able to mount it next to the filler without it being in the way. Let me look through some of my catalog collection and I'll see if I can find something that might work.

OK, I looked in Summit Racings' catalog and found a round aluminum overflow tank for $45.50 (older catalog though) that holds one quart of liquid. It has a petcock on the bottom you could take out and put a T fitting in for barbed hose nipples and one on top you could do the same in. It doesn't give the dimensions but if you measure the space right in front of the filler and find out exactly how much space is there you might be able to squeeze something like this in. You have four lines to connect to it, 3 come from the tank and 1 goes to the filler. Pegasus racing had a radiator overflow tank that was probably even better due to its size but you would need to cap it off with something other than a radiator cap or fumes would leak into the car. Hope that gives you some ideas.

[Tim Walz]

Ok, I guess there are a lot of creative ways to solve this delemma, but I'd sure prefer to put the stock part in if I can find one. I'm the sort of person who could easily turn a "simple" fabrication job like this into a really expensive and time consuming waste of time. (not knowing what the gas pressure is we're dealing with, I suppose I'd probably play it safe with a short section of pvc pipe and some fittings, but how do I know the purpose of the relative orientation of the inlet hoses? etc., etc., etc.) I guess it just seems to me that this shouldn't be a highly sought after part, and thus is probably still on that nasty derelect that one of you has rusting away on the back fourty!!!

Thanks for all the good ideas!

-Tim

[EScanlon]

71 240Z AT; Mfg: 9/71 VIN# HLS30 43274 All numbers match.

Console: Ash Tray / Cigar Lighter Fuse Cover Combo, Choke & Accelerator slots with no warning light from choke, Rear Window Defog Switch to rear of choke, Bi-Lateral Parking Light Switch Opening to right of Rear Window Defog Switch.

Seat Belts: No retract and no indent in floor to accept retracts. Shoulder belt attaches via slotted hole, hangs from hook below quarter light window.

Dash: No indent for Hazard Light Switch.

Hatch: Round openings for original duct work covered with round rubber plugs. Original outer seal was 3 piece.

Fuel Door: Round Keyless Latch

Seats: No recline, round knob adjusts angle.

Tool Storage: Hinged Openings in rear deck. Luggage Straps.

Trust me on this one, it's a 71

Enrique