ktm

from the release bearing. So, after I made my inquiry in the drivetrain forum, I went ahead and installed the slightly larger T/O collar (new) onto my transmission. Turns out it was slightly too large too. Recap: My A-series transmission had a T/O collar that was to correct for the year. It measured 1-5/16 in. from the top to the back of the release bearing (I did not know this until last night). The 260z 4-speed I am swapping in had a T/O collar that measured 1-1/8 in. (correct for that year). I bought the 280z collar (you can only buy two now - the small one and the large one) which measures 1.5 in. I went against my better judgement (and because I was excited to get the tranny in place) and used the new setup. I thought I would have enough clearance. Turns out I was wrong. So, if you find that you need to remove the collar from the release bearing, just clamp the release bearing in a vice, insert a 27 mm socket into the release bearing end and give the socket a few taps with a sledge hammer. The collar pops right out.

Stock head gasket thickness is approximately 1.25 mm.

Which is what I am thinking. The auto-to-manual swap looked to be quite complete (based on our earlier discussion Arne). I just hate not knowing for sure.

My 1972 240z has a 1971 L24 and a type "A" transmission. One of the previous owners appears to have completed an automatic to manual transmission swap at some point in its life. I am in the process of replacing the type "A" transmission with a 260z 4-speed. I wanted to keep the 4-speed but liked the gear ratios of the 260z transmission. The 260z transmission came with the clutch fork and throwout bearing. I dropped the type "A" transmission yesterday and pulled the fork and bearing off. For starters, I am glad I am doing the swap. The bearing is on its last legs (you can spin the bearing freely - no lubricant whatsoever) as is the transmission (the input shaft is hard to turn compared to the 260z 4-speed and you can hear some grinding inside the case). The drain plug had a fair amount of metal shavings around the magnet. Now comes the interesting part. I compared the throwout bearing from the type "A" and 260z transmissions. From everything I have read, the bearing collar for a 1971 setup (pressure plate) is the smallest of them all and should be lower than the 260z collar when placed side by side. However, this throwout collar is nearly a finger width taller than the 260z collar. This leads me to believe that the collar is for a type "B" transmission which is the tallest of all the collars. This observation lead me to the conclusion that I may have a 1972 pressure plate. However, this does not make any sense as the engine and transmission are from a 1971 car. Prior to dropping, the transmission shifted fine, with only the occassional grind going into reverse, going into first at a stop, and going into second. Let me stress occassional. So I ask, what would be the symptoms of an inappropriately matched bearing collar and pressure plate? In this case, if a 1972 collar was used with a 1971 pressure plate: ?? - No idea. Now, if the collar were a 1971 collar and a 1972 pressure plate, I can see that the clutch would not completely disengage and I should get grinding all the time. I could replace the entire setup, but I am pulling the engine next year and I am just doing this to get the car back on the road while I build-up my new engine. Is there any way to identify the pressure plate?

Thank you Carl.

Thanks to Arne and others, I have determined that my car was originally an automatic. One of the previous owners swapped in a 5/71 engine with an "A" series 4-speed transmission. I got my hands on a low mileage L26 4-speed (purposely, I do not want a 5-speed). The transmission comes with the clutch fork and throw-out collar. Now, here is my question. Can I simply swap the clutch fork and throw out collar from the "A" series tranny into the L26 4-speed, since the collar matches the pressure plate. If I decide to switch to a self-adjusting slave cylinder, can I match up the throw-out collar with the L26 clutch fork? See you on the road.

ez, I am only offering a counterpoint to yours. Dropping in an LD28 crank into an L24 is going to require some thought and preparation. He will not be able to use the L24 rods and L24 pistons with the LD28 crank. It is very important that that point gets across. You mention using custom pistons, and I agree that anything is doable. However, the original poster may not know that he can not simply slap in an LD28 crank and use the rest of the L24 internals. I have been using that calculator. I just have not taken into account using custom pistons. I do all my calculations trying to use readily available stock components, save for boring and shaving.

You would not discount the L24 block because the pistons stick 4.75 mm above the deck or that it yields a 20.5:1 (18.7:1 using an E88 head) compression ratio using L24 rods? Or that it yields an 12.5:1 - I mistyped the last one (12:1 using an E88 head) using L28 rods? A 12:1 compression ratio would require an aggressive cam and race gas. Why bother putting an LD28 crank into an L24 and only getting 2.7L of displacement. LD28 cranks typically run $300. For $300 you can get a complete L28 N42 or F54 and N42 head setup.

I would not use an LD28 crank in a L24 block. Using the engine design utility, you get a deck clearance of -4.75mm. That is, the pistons stick 4.75mm ABOVE the block. Even using a 2mm gasket means that you have 2.75mm you need to address. This was using L24 rods, L24 block, E31 head, and L24 cam. The compression ratio was a whopping 20.5:1! Now, if you went with a 2mm gasket and L28 rods, you will solve the clearance issue. However, your static compression ratio is still 11.5:1. The displacement is 2.69 L.

zbane, you do realize that the 240z you show is a heavily modified Z. While he may have grafted a Firebird nose on there, it also has a stroked SBC 350. All in all, seems like a decent buy (reserve is unknown).

***EDITED****. Pictures in the FSM were not clear. I have the mount isolator in backwards.

I am refering to the inner control arm bushings which support the control arm by the differential mount and the rear support brace. The inner metal sleeve which slides into the bushings is longer than the bushing for both sides of the control arm. Is this normal? The sleeve for the stock bushing is flush with the face of the bushing. The large nut will contact the sleeve and there will be about a 1/16-in. gap between the bushing face and the nut.

Check Craigslist.com for your area and the immediate surrounding areas. Check out Zcar.com and Hybridz.com as well. I found my 1972 240z in a Craigslist ad.

What Arne said. You can also find remans on Ebay for around $70 shipped.

I have some POR patch in the drawer. Thank you for the recommendation.

I am in the process of removing the undercoating from my rear wheel well. I am encountering the factory seam sealer at the fender/body seam. I plan on applying POR-15 in the wheel well once finished. I know I need to replace the seam sealer, but I am concerned that the POR-15 will not adhere to it. Conversely, I am concerned that the seam sealer will not adhere to the POR-15 if I were to do the reverse. Any suggestions? Thank you, Bo

Are you sure they are 1.5 pitch? I only ask because nearly all the 10mm bolts that I have encountered on the car are 1.25 pitch, same for the 12mm bolts. These bolts will be exposed to the elements, so they either need to be stainless steel or plated/coated, eitherwise they will rust right up. Might as well buy Grade 8 bolts as well (which is the typical grade for automotive fasteners on our Zs).

Miles, there should be no play along the axis of the inner tie rod throughout its range of motion. Have you jacked your car up, gripped the left tire at the 9 and 3 position, and moved it side to side and up and down? Do you have any play?

The material Gary is talking about is a woven geotextile. Fiberglass fabric is a type of woven textile. Woven textiles have widely varying properties depending on material type (polypropylene, polyester, etc.), strand width, strand length, mass per unit area, apparent opening size, etc. I am not surprised that this material is similar to fiberglass fabric, however, I have never considered using it before (no reason, just did not put two and two together). I am sure that Gary has had great success in using the material. I would caution using that material for anything structural though. The material Gary is mentioned is not designed for tensile strength but rather to act as a barrier to vegetation. Not exactly a high load application. Saying that, for the application you are inquiring about (panel repair), the material should work fine.

"1) Is it cruel and evil to buy this car and learn on it? Will it just explode under my unskilled hands?" The 4-speed transmissions in these cars are rock solid. I would not say that you will do detrimental damage to the transmission in the short period of time it takes you to get it down. "2) Do I need to be a mechanic to get any pleasure out of this car, or at least keep it healthy and in good condition. The last thing I want is to buy a well preserved car and turn it to crap. I'm more than happy to buy parts whenever necessary and learn as much as I can, but I don't have a large amount of space to operate on the car, nor do I have a huge array of tools past some ratchets. I'd prefer not to have the car live in a mechanic's shop. Will that be the its life? How much maintenance is usually required?" Will this car be your only transportation? I see that you plan on using this car for trips and such, so I am assuming that it will not be your only car. These cars are mechanically simple and easy to work on. Open the hood and marvel at all of the room in the engine bay compared to modern cars. The carburetors are easy to work on as is just about everything else on the car. Do you at least have a garage to store the car during winters? You do not need a huge amount of space, just enough to be able to safely work on the car from the sides. I would buy a complete metric set of sockets up to 19mm, two sets of metric wrenches up to 19mm, locking pliers, breaker bar, and a torque wrench. Do the work yourself if it is not your only car. Its a great way to learn and save yourself money as well. These cars are VERY reliable when running correctly. If something does go wrong, there are an abundance of parts and you can usually do the work yourself over a weekend (at most). "3) I'm assuming that driving this car on slushy wet roads is just out of the question both from a handling point of view and from a rust point of view. Is this the case?" I think you answered your own questsion. You can drive it in the snow, but unless you have driven a rear-wheel drive vehicle in the snow I would not do it. Remember, these cars are over 30 years old. They do not have the electrical nannies that modern rear-wheel drive vehicles have like stability control. "4) I know it probably depends on the individual car, but are 240's in general reliable enough that I could feel comfortable driving long distances without a cell phone or a trailer full of spare parts (and a person in the trailer tha knows how to install said spare parts)?" Yes. However, if you are going on a long trip I would carry some tools with me anyway just in case. "5) Is there anything besides rust that a car doofus like myself can look at? The price is $7000 or best offer. Is that an outrageous amount? It's been garage kept and well looked after (or so he claims, as I've yet to look at it myself)." Rust. Let me say it again - RUST. Look underneath the batter tray for rust and/or battery acid/corrosion damage. Look under the engine cowl (right in front of the windshield). Look at the rocker panels right behind the front wheel. Lift the hatch and look along the flat portion right above the tail lights. Most importantly, check out the condition of the floor pans. Take the carpets out and look at the floors. If you see the original 'tar' paper still inplace, don't be fooled. Rust can hide under the tar paper. Check out the floor pans and rails underneath the car. If the car is an East coast car, it most likely has rust. These cars suffer from exhaust fumes in the cabin due to poor aerodynamics. If all of the seals are in good condition and you are getting a good seal, it is not a problem. However, some people have been trying to get rid of their fume problem for over a year (once its started). I am not qualified to comment on the price. Out here in California, $7000 would net you are more highly sought after 1970/1971 in very good condition. It's my understanding that people in the Rust Belt are willing to pay $7000 for a car that those of us in California would pay around $4000. "6) Obviously this is a bias place to ask, but, should I buy it?" It's up to you. If you are willing to spend $7000 this car, I would actually look at a Arizona/California car and look at a 1970/1971. Find a car and have it professionally inspected (around $300). If it looks good, fly out and drive it back or have it shipped to you. I say this only because of the amount you are willing to pay. Then again, that is my opinion. It's hard to say without actually seeing any pictures of the car.

Jim, very true. I did think about tucking them back along the main harness and zip tying them for the exact reason you described. Thank you for the voice of reason.

1-5-3-6-2-4 Too young, too old, just right - one mnemonic trick Number 1 plug faces the front of the car more or less. Also, some newer distributor caps will have a little raised ridge on the side where the #1 plug attaches (at least mine does).

Ding ding ding, I do believe we have a winner folks. The reverse switch wires are paired with, you nailed it, a pair of wires which were spliced together using a jumper wire that has bullet female connectors on either end. My car does not have the kickdown switch at the top of the accelerator arm and has the clutch stop. Very nicely done Holmes, very nicely done. So I guess my car started out originally as an automatic. Wow, I am learning more and more about my car every day it seems. I should be able to clip and seal off those extraneous wires that are paired with the washer wires, correct?

Thanks again Mike and Arne. I'll do some more hunting around my car to see if I see any other spare wires in the main harness where the washer wires originate. I can tell you for certain that I do not have anything under my coil save for the ignition box. One thing that lends creedence to a automatic to manual swap is that my tranny is an "A" series (I have a 1972 240z) built in May 1972. Then again, I also have what I believe to be a 1970/1971 engine as well (E31 head and metal fan).

Me likes. I saw it in their catalog and have been considering it for my car. I am not a fan of body kits are they are usually installed incorrectly and seem to flap in the wind. However, that air dam really adds a nice stance to the car.