chaztg

not easy to find. Not available from Nissan or from the higher profile parts suppliers (MSA; Black Dragon). I haven't done any recent searches but I had no luck when I was considering rebuilding the OEM bumpers on my 75 280Z. I finally just took the bumpers off. Find a parts car nearby if you can, but its bumpers may be no better. I've rarely seen the rubber parts in good condition given the amount of time & abuse they are subjected to. Good luck

Latin and Ancient Greek should be mandatory in elementary education and English should always be the only recognized official spoken and written language of all legal citizens of this country, period. Competence in language and grammar is a skill only obtained through practice and reading (another lost discipline).

it has some function related to the cruise control module. I think

if your gas tank has a drain plug, a fuel feed port can be rigged to draw fuel from the bottom out that opening. I did it when my 240 was first converted to turbo EFI to get around running a non-FI fuel tank...I later switched to a '75 gas tank, but in the interim I just had to ensure that the fuel level stayed above 1/4 full, to prevent fuel starvation from slosh. It could be something to limp along until you got a hold of another tank or got yours repaired.

I've owned 240Z's, a '66 1600, a '67 2000 and worked on a lot of other Datsuns of similar vintage and the progression of design is notable with regard to the fuel systems. The early roadsters resemble MGs in their design (no fuel return); my 1600 had twin SUs (Hitachis) and two small metal vent tubes which exited from the tops of the carb float chambers, angling down and terminating at the bottoms of the float bowls...right above the exhaust manifold (!!!). Other roadsters I've seen had longer tubes that exited underneath the chassis, away from the hot exhaust parts. With the introduction of the Z, the addition of a return line was two-fold, I believe prompted by both emissions and safety---either reason could have been the preeminent one, but I think it was equally mandated by the design requirements and the evolution of that particular set up. The 240z was a culmination of all that, just as the flat-top Hitachi carbs on '73 & '74 models could be seen as a culmination of the dual carb set-up, ending up with non-adjustable, pre-set & emissions "friendly" O.E.M. designs as required by Federal law. The basic fuel supply and routing didn't change for years afterward, on Z cars at least. Only times I've encountered non-return set-ups are in early factory original cars which essentially were drawing on an 80 year old design and modified cars with other than factory carbs which may or may not have had a provision for fuel return. My 2000 roadster had a stock-appearing Solex setup with the correct airbox, but not the authentic Datsun Competition package, I'm fairly certain. I'm not going to research it but I assume even the dealer sold roadsters with the Solex package, hotter cam & aluminum oil pans had return lines also, but I could be wrong.

well I guess we all should bow to your knowledge, because you have all the answers. I don't drive an Audi or a Mazda. My 240 has carburetors and we're discussing an original design from Nissan in which they decided to include a "dangerous" fuel return line....I just looked at the one in my car and after almost 40 years all it's "potential leak points" are nice & dry. WTF?

I used a FelPro gasket with no metal inerts for a stock intake/exhaust manifold refit on my '75 280 (no headers) with a little spray-on copper gasket sealer, lightly applied around the port openings. I let it set up for a few minutes to get tacky. It worked great. I've found that 12mm Toyota exhaust manifold bolts are good replacements for the stock nuts & lock washers. They have a flared base & notching around the top. I don't why the design seems to work so well, but it's a great fastener for high temp areas like the exhaust manifold. I use a little locktite, which I'm not certain is needed because it might get baked away. Those Toyota fasteners don't seem to get "cooked" or rust as much as the stock nuts do. They could made of a different alloy or something?

those trips probably pull enough gas thru that pump to take care of any cooling needs (and what's not to like about that :-) It also depends if the needle & seat valves in the carburetors can handle the pressure...if they can resist being blown open and the fuel demand & supply requirements are balanced, there's nothing the matter if you nix the return line. My personal opinion is that it's better & beneficial to use one and it's safer too. If for some reason, gas has no place to go back to and must exit somewhere because of a fuel system problem (eg: a hot engine bay), then I'd rather it be allowed an escape route back to the fuel tank.

I'm a dummy...I thought Martinez was in Arizona.

Can you apply for a lost title thru the AZ DMV, so in the meantime if someone from the forum does buy the car (or "relieve" you of it) then they would have at least something to present to the CA DMV? You have the VIN and you know you're the owner of record right? I heard Arizona's DMV is a lot more user-friendly than the golden state's.

My 73 Z had a flex fan on it when I bought the car in '93. My mechanic immediately said to get rid of it, if I wanted to keep my fingers...I trusted him completely about that statement. Sure they may never wear out and not have a fan clutch, which can seize after a while and create a alot of fan noise, but flex fans are unsafe.

you don't need the instrument cluster to get the set-up running. The engine wiring fortunately doesn't really mingle with the body & dash harness. It taps into the body wiring at the relay area in the engine bay. It's been a while since I've played around with the turbo swap stuff, but if you have an unmolested (preferably later) car from which to pull the necessary wiring and accessories, it's easier to see what is needed and what's not. It can be kimd of daunting just to dive in and figure it out. At the time, a friend of mine sorted it all out and passed his knowledge onto the rest of us so it wasn't so scary and we just all helped each other. It did take a few tries and a lot of hours before we got it figured out.

The two ECUs have different color outer cases: the automatic is a light aqua color and the 5 speed one is black. I believe the ZXt manual ECU is preferred because it has a higher rev limiter. You can get by with either one, but I'd use the 5 speed unit because it's from 82-83 models which have a fuel pump controller and no dropping resistor for the injectors.

On the 280Zx L28 fitting, the angle is more swept back also, so you cannot use the older radiator hose with it.

did you have to bend or shorten the hard lines coming out of the Z31 turbo unit to make them fit properly?

I think the new master cylinder has a receiving cup on the back which is deeper than the one you replaced it with. The pin that sticks out of the vacuum booster should be sticking out just far enough to fit into the back of the master cylinder, but if the pin-cup distance is wrong, when you apply pressure to the brake system there is that little bit of distance to make up and it feels like the pedal has no pressure until the second time you apply it. Remove the new master cylinder from the booster without disconnecting it from the hydraulic lines and peer into it to see if the cup like thing in the back matches the one that came out of the car (if you still have it). I've seen them both deep & shallow; I've also seen different length pins in the vacuum boosters in other Z cars I've worked on. The pin is threaded for some adjustment, but be careful. Sometimes they're very difficult to turn. There may be corrosion and it could be fused so if you shear it off you're screwed. Best of luck

excellent pics...the Haynes manual people should look u up! When can we see the 2000 Roadster 5-speed conversion into an early Z? Just a bell housing swap, or does the mainshaft also have to be changed?

get your electronic parts rebuilt at a local shop who is able to do this type of job. I've had the same thing happen to me with the "rebuilt" junk that the Auto Zones, O'Reillys and other purveyors of Malaysian and Chinese reman-u-f**ked up parts have in stock. A trusted mechanic long ago advised me about the lack of quality control in these parts markets and to go US or Japanese built items whenever possible.

if you want to block the cam tower oil ports, tapping & plugging them is best. An easier method is to buy the block off plates from Motorsport Auto, same effect but quicker to install. They are held in place with the stock oil spray bar's 10mm bolts.

Some people post the dumbest ads. It's either a teaser or they just don't know what they have.

Someone in the local Z Club here in San Diego had a 76 280Z FairladyZ 2+2 a few years back which he had imported from Japan thru the Navy (lucky ducks) and it had an L20A with the NAPS intake (NAPS = Nissan Anti Pollution System). From its name and acronym I doubt that it's a performance enhancer. Just a curiosity for what it is, but it's one of those JDM parts we won't be disappointed we didn't get it here in the USA.

I just bought myself a replacement filler tube from the junkyard the other day. It was somewhat pliable and I was able to squeeze it through the top opening and the metal ring inside the quarter panel. The same car also gave up its brand new rear diff mount....a productive junkyard recce I must say.

I'll take a Euro/British-spec 1977 260Z anyday. They have roundtop carburetors, limited smog devices, lightweight bumpers and probably a load of other cool stuff American market Z cars never had.

By F&N wires, are you referring to the "T" shaped plug that inserts into the back of the altnernator? They reversed those when they rebuilt it??? What a jip. I'd return the damn thing & ask for them to pay for my blown fuse & whatever else it affected. Hats off to you sir for figuring it out.

You don't "want" the car? You've got first dibbs, the owner's putty in your hands; you could name your price! What's wrong with you dude?? Anybody with me?