zKars

More and better wire harness support tabs

Other side of HCP, more bracing too

Extra bracing HCP area bottom

70 frame is always first of two pictures. Left side end. End framed in.

We have discussed differences in the dashes through out the various years, but I’ve never seen a discussion about the differences BEHIND the dash pad. There are wiring differences, 73 dashes have the lit controls and pull hazard switch, but I’m talking stuff you REALLY don’t see. This week I’m swapping a cracked dash pad for a Hung Vu reproduction dash pad on a fairly early 1970 240Z, VIN 27xx ish. I was having trouble fitting the old dash frame into the new dash pad, and wondered if the issues are related to the expected minor differences in the fancy new dash pad or something unique about the frame itself, There were a couple of screw holes in the HCP area that were obviously not in the same place in the new pad (there are lovely metal bars built in where the frame to pad screws bite, predrilled too!) so I wondered what else might be “unique” Downstairs I go to get another dash, this one from a 72. Removing the steel frame from the dash pad and comparing it to the early frame there are several very obvious differences. Most are related to strengthening the frame. I’m just going to post a series of pictures that compare the two. BTW, the 72 frame fits the new pad much better. Not entirely sure why.

I was going to guess “drain” as well. Is the flattened wide thing rubber or metal? May be an add or user replacement to whatever was on there before. I have never ever seen these.

Today I'm doing various things to complete an early Z restoration. One of those things is installing replacement tool storage area doors, the plastic ones behind the seats. I bought the replacements from MSA as the originals were not in great shape. Their price is $79 https://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/PROD/classic08j12/40-4495 They are made by dashtop.com, same folks that make the aftermarket ABS dash covers and other interior panels. They seem fine, small imperfections, not the topic of this thread, so I'm not going there, except to say that the label they apply to the inside of one of the doors is a Bee-autch to remove. Being ABS, I'm reluctant to use anything but a citrus based cleaner like Goo-b-gone or some such. Waste of time. So as I'm a good little engineer, interested in product improvement, I decide to write them a small note and suggest a different glue type for the labels..... Get to the web site, find the product and guess what dashtop.com wants for a pair??? $149!!! $70 buck cheaper!!!! http://www.dashtop.com/products/replacement-left-right-toolbox-lids-1970-1973-datsun-240z BTW, these replacements don't come with the plastic hinges. You have to get those from your old doors by removing the rivets. Hopefully they are still hinges....

Absolutely no change in engine response when you move the gas pedal is 90% pedal not connected to throttle body, or 10% virtually no fuel pressure. OR 0.005% it’s only running on one cylinder so no amount of extra air makes any difference in how the engine runs. You have lots of diagnosis, cleaning, testing and learning ahead of you. http://atlanticz.ca/zclub/techtips/efisystem/280zfuelinjectionbook.pdf

Mark this is sobering news. Sorry to hear about your struggles.If there is any Datsun related help I can supply, let me know. Alberta has one of the highest rates of naturally occurring Radon gas that is a known to cause lung cancer. Gathers in basements. I keep seeing warnings about it and how to test for it. Not sure how you abate the problem, I think it requires some type of air filter system. Just tiny amounts of radon that seeps out of the ground. No problem unless it collects and concentrates.....

Hey JTO. Zkars here from Calgary too! Send me a PM and we can chat or meet up. Replacing the bushings on the mustache bar and trans mount are fraught with issues. If your stock mustache bar bushing are badly worn, you may not have much choice but to use poly replacements, but doing so will result in more vibration and noise from the diff. These do not affect suspension or handling, so don’t do them unless you have to. Pretty much the same goes for the trans mount. Are the bushings too small? If so you have to remove the outer shell of the old bushings to make room. But again, unless the stock bushings are shot there is no point to changing them other them to increase noise. I know others have expressed concern over fitment. IF you want to go back to a stock mount, I have more than a few. I’m the local parts hoarder.... The belt over the diff is a last resort to prevent the diff nose from hitting the tunnel if the isolator mount fails. It fits a bit loose. I’ve added a rubber spacer in there to take up slop, no sense letting the diff lift at all.

If it helps, I recently discovered that three of my hoarded fuel pumps pump fuel out past the plastic electrical connection tower on the side better than out the outlet port. I suspect they are plugged internally and that pressure had to go somewhere..... So finally the actual helpful bit, I have at least three check valves on these pumps that available to who ever needs one...

“Someone” totally has to design a variable length throwout bearing collar. Then buy any clutch you like and adjust the length of the collar to get the “rule of 92mm” total height. Enough of these struggles already.

It is a bit tricky the first time you remove a ZX wheel. Rule 1. There is a simple push-on cover over the upper half of the wheel, the one with the ZX logo. I guess its the horn button isn’t it? It just kinda of peels off of the center section. This reveals the 22mm nut. Remove the nut (not quite all the way) the wiggle and pull (hard!) the wheel toward you until it comes off the splines. Done. I just happen to have a tan wheel from an 81 turbo on a ZX I;m parting out that you can purchase to replace the one you “had a learning experience” on. Send me a personal message.

This is another route to a solution, The thermostat housing holes are all BSPT, and that temp sensor hole isn’t a tapered thread. Many have run NPT taps into a spare hole with a little sealant.

Is it ok if I make you a white one out of a black one? I know my way around SEM vinyl dye products. Happy to explain how as well. Cost you a can of Phantom white 15003 and a can of vinyl prep 38343 Oh, and some soap and water to scrubby dub first. Might as do both then they look identical.

Now here is some precious jewelry

I’m totally putting it on Facebook Marketplace for $50. I’ve always been on edge about coins having three sides....

I’ll post a few more interesting pictures I took of the beast.

The recent 75 that I just parted out displayed quite conflicting “usability” or should I say “re-usability” in many components that come in twos. The car had sat outside for I’d estimate 10-15 years at least. 95000 mi on the clock. 195000? Maybe.... 1. Spindle pins. Right side came out easily with my usual simple air hammer technique. Left side, no such luck. Even after upgrading my air hammer to the best one available (ingersol-rand 123KMax) and heating with dual MAP gas torches to 600C +, not even a micro-millimeter of movement. Off to the machine shop we go. I even cleaned out the cross pin area, although it came out without a fuss. Haven’t had to seek outside help for quite a while. 2. TC rods. Right side is near new, left side again not so much. Significant corrosion under the sleeve at the bushing end. Just enough to make me not want to re-use it. 3. Drum brakes. Unlike the usual drum to hub corrosion, this left side came loose with only a few hundred mild blows from a 5 lb, but then had to literally pry the drum off, the totally worn out brake shoes where bonded to the totally worn down steel liners and actually peeled off parts of the liner when it finally gave up. Right side? Just came apart..... 4. I previously shared my struggle with the lug nuts on the left rear side. One that had to come off with a ridiculously long snipe and a left hand thread lug remover socket So its no mystery to me that the car sat more on its left side in a damp spot. There were also many pleasant surprises. The gas tank interior was sparkling clean, as well the fuel level sender. The filler hose is still soft enough to re-use easily. The tank itself has some dents, which I will chronicle the removal of here later. Going to try one of the hot glue slide hammer dent puller thingamadooees. The hinges are like new, pin play and roller detent wise. How is this possible? The e-brake cables are free to move in the sheaths, which are in great shape! Again, Huh???? The rest of the linkage is dirty and seized some, but un-seized with little fuss. Even the lousy M6 threads on the adjusters just cleaned up with a wire brush and PB Blaster and the nuts move just fine. The little rotten cotter pins all came out with a fuss, as did the the square C clips that hold the brake sheaths to the brackets under the car. The tar mat sound deadening came off in huge sheets with my fingers. ok, the floor under them was mostly gone, that ones not fair. The steering wheel, the infamous sponge rubber “rotten on top where the sun shine, not bad the rest of the way around” was EVENLY rotten all the way around. Spooky. Actually feels nice high grip in use. The wiring is totally un-molested and in pretty good shape. No the clock was not working. I was sure it would work given the other nice surprises. Wiper linkage and motor. Primo! Even the 6 little M5 bolts that hold the linkage to the cowl came off without much fuss. Sun roof. too bad..... Front clip from in front of the shock towers forward, near perfect. Remember the hood prop clip still in place and unbroken? Still is. Saved it. Battery tray and surrounding body is nearly rust free!!!!!!! Saved it Now the rest of the body from the rockers down, actually bottom of doors down, was GONE. It was neat to see the seat rails still attached to the sills and trans tunnel, but half gone on their bottom where the floor was.....

Dash to firewall are all M6 1.0 but are machine screws not self tapping, the ones under neath the ends are the same. Even the two in the middle at the trans tunnel (four for 280’s) are all M6 machine. They do have a starter tapered thread at the tip I suppose. The self tappers that hole the vent levers are #8 roughly, quite coarse. Sorry don’t have the exact spec. the four heater panel are M4 x 0.7 about 30 mm long, 25 at least. Run a tap into the threads on the dash to clean them up. They like to get cross threaded and nasty.

New shells and pins are easily available from Vintage Connections and several others. I can’t imagine just cleaning pins and putting it back in the old shell Have you looked at the wire in the crimps? Yuck! When i cut old pins off, then strip a little insulation to crimp on a new pin, i am time and time again shocked by the corrosion I find on the wire strands themselves near the ends of the wires. In some cases I’ve cut back a foot and still found corrosion. I scrap each strand clean and then put the new connector on in most cases. Lots of fun. Without re-wiring the whole thing, that’s about the best you can do, For all the high current wires, 12 gauge and larger, I often do replace then entire wire from the alternator to the amp meter and back to the fuse boxes. Those wires have to carry all the current they can and reliably. Which reminds me, I have to show you have to take new 10 gauge plain white wire and paint a nice permanent red line on it to make it look like a stock wire.... Later.

View Advert Series 1 Hatch Vent Plastic parts I have a customer with a S1 hatch that nothing but the exterior chrome grills. We are in need of the other three plasticparts in the pictures. Both sides. Let me know what you have on hand. Thanks Advertiser zKars Date 02/15/2021 Price $123.00 Category Parts Wanted Year 1970 Model 240z  

Continue tapping it off all the way around, in about 1-2 “ movement stations. Don’t do this over the curved corner. It will come off by itself there. You can start at either end. About the only “issue” with this technique is over the length by the 1/4 window. Hard to tap from the inside there with the glass in the way. So far, if I start at the front, but the time i get to the quarter window, the thing just falls off that last foot or so with a tiny twist and tug game. I tried using a flooring tool called a Z bar (how appropriate!) that lets you hook the edge and tap well out to the side of the car. The one I have is too wide, (1.5” ish) all I’d have to do is make it narrower

Here I precariously setup my camera on a pail inside the car (thank you grand daughter for letting me borrow your plasticine), facing toward the bottom front edge of the trim. My “thing” tool is my favorite tire changing bar that is thick, tapered and tough as hell. I use it for many prying and beating operations, I sharpened the end to a flat crisp edge. It is about 1/8 thick. Have a look. 76101A06-62B6-4726-A121-0963A9D9DB93.MOV