Everything posted by zKars
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Two steps forward,one step back. T/C rod length quandy
Thanks for the confirmation pictures, I'm now sure I have it assembled correctly. I'm running 16x8 rims, +5mm offset, tires fit perfectly inside the top of the wheel well. Not like they're sticking out or anything that would make this tire rub situation worse. This poly on one side thing is bugging me. I can see reasons why you might want it one either side, depending on whether you are trying to dampen compression loads, like when dropping a wheel in a hole or rut, or when you are trying to reduce caster changes due to steering and damping loads where you might convince yourself to put it in front or the back, or both. My objective is the former, hence my choice of rubber in front. Now when I look at your pics of the bushings with the second locknut, I see rubber bush in the back is not very compressed. This is very different from experience when I put my rubber in front/poly in back. The rubber went damn near flat before I reached lockup length. I'm wondering if you don't have the unit compressed enough to lock the big washers against the center tube (lockup length, like the rear wheel bearings against the distance piece). That would contribute to the nut backoff problem you're having. Also don't re-use an old nylock or crimp nut. I can also see an issue with using one poly one rubber in terms of the relative centering of the bushings and the resulting effective length of the T/C rod. Poly in front biases the rod too long, poly in back makes it effectively too short. It's only "right" when you have the same bushing on both sides. You can use this to your advantage, or you can cause caster problems. I might just be putting that poly bushing back in the back and pull that wheel back. Now back to work.
- Parts Identification.
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Two steps forward,one step back. T/C rod length quandy
Thanks for the input Zed. There is quite a difference front to rear to the fender, pictures may not convey well. I see it in the pictures, but then I know what I'm looking at! Barely 2 fingers in front, fully 4 behind. The wheels are not turned slightly, both sides are identical. Hadn't really considered that the normal position may not be visually centered though. Oh, and a correction, I actually have 205-55 16 yoko S-drive tires, 24.8" diameter. Pretty sure I got the assembly correct at the frame pocket end, one small washer, then a big cup washer, then a bush, then the frame, then last bush, then the last big cup, then the nut. I'm sure I have the nut torqued down so I'm touching and squeezing the central trapped sleeve. No extra there. I also just measured the wheelbase, stock should be 2300mm, I have 2320mm +/- a couple both sides, so that tells me the wheels are somewhat forward. Any more ideas? While I'm at it, let me mention another observation about this process. I considered putting a poly bush on the back side of the T/C frame pocket as has been often mentioned by others doing this, leaving the rubber in front to keep bump compliance. But when I torqued the thing down, the rubber front bush was nearly crushed flat before you get to the lock down point at inner sleeve contact, as the poly bush doesn't even start to squeeze, so that didn't feel right. Went back to two rubber bushings. Can't imagine trying to get the nut on with TWO poly bushings! Remind me never to attempt that foolishness.
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Two steps forward,one step back. T/C rod length quandy
Again, I'm proof of the old saying, 'no good deed goes unpunished". I'm on a bent to improve the overall enjoyment of my Z, and a couple of days ago I decide to scrap my front adjustable control arm setup in favor of some actual suspension that knows how to soak up bumps, ie stock rubber bushings rather than bone crushing vibration passing heim joints. The installation was straight forward, stock control arms, stock T/C rods with fresh rubber bushings. Job took me till fairly late in the afternoon, and I wanted to be done in time to make it over the usual Wednesday evening show and shine at a local venue to meet up with other Z club buddies. Finished up, through on the tires, fired it up, and headed out to the show. Then the fun began. As I backed it out of the garage in to the lane, I turned the wheel and what should I hear but the lovely sound of front tire rubbing furiously on the front valance! Crap! oh well, off I go to the show. No rubbing on the way, UNTIL I get there and have to crank the wheel to get into a parking spot. Gruncccchhhh... yikes! I get out and look (finally) and sure as h-e-double l, the wheels are way forward in the wheel well. Both side nice and even, but way wrong. Great caster setting, but incompatible with my 205-50-16 tires and my stock valence. Now what the heck is going on? how can stock T/C rods cause this lovely surprise????? Pretty hard to get this wrong. Yes the control arms are on the right side (short side forward), T/C ends tightened all the way to spec. Any ideas gang? I'm going to have to go through my T/C collection and see if there is any difference in lengths, but I think they are all the same through all S30 aren't they? with one turn right, contact! Good news though, (two forward, one back remember), the ride on Calgary's rough streets is fabulous! No more bone jarring whacks. And it handles just fine
- Parts Identification.
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Goodbye Poly
I'm about the "join the gang" here and put some rubber back in my front end. No, the Z"s front end silly! Clearly I'm getting soft in my old age and want my Z the same way. Good bye AZ Z Car adjustable control arms with your solid mounts..... Unfortunately the strut rod bushing kit AC Delco 45G25036 appears to be no longer available. Rockauto, partsgeek and others I've googled either don't have it, or it crosses to a kit that only contains the 4 rubber bushings. Moog K9215 is still out in good numbers, but also only contains the bushings, Have a look at your favorite sources and see if you can still find some. Its nice to get the new washers, central spacer tube and a new nut.
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Choke lever mount broken under console
This is a flat plate, 4.25 wide, 3 inch long, cut to fit the lever frame. Use the picture of the plate to get the shape. A scrap of 20/18 gauge tin will be fine. 1/8 thick aluminum is too thick. 1/16 would be ok. The spacers between the level frame and this plate are 0.5 high. Use small 10-24 bolts, 1 inch long with washer to connect the plate to the lever frame especially for the left hand bolt and don't leave any extra length or it interferes with the left side of the ash tray hole. The right hand bolt can be more like a 6x1.0 metric or 1/4-20 bolt. Use bolts with thin heads or they will hit the underside of the console. I did not copy the plate in the ebay ad, I made my own and discovered the above specs and issues. Its a whole nother issue why I'm installing SU choke cables today.... I couldn't be foresaking triple carbs could I? Heavens forfend...
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1157 bulb sockets
if worse comes to worst, I have a few sets of 280 tail light harnesses you can cannabilize or just use instead. Let me see a picture of the harness connector on the end that plugs into the car harness, i think there are early and late plugs.....
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Was running great, but then on the way home it just died
If the car was under power (foot on gas) and the car instantly died (no chugging, slowly dying over a few seconds) then its ignition cut-out. Bad Ignition unit or coil. FI cars can die quickly if the fuell pressure goes away quickly, but it's not instant. And it doesn't come back two minutes later when you re-start the car. Just probabilities here, but my guess is ignition box under the dash or the coil.
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MARRS #7 at Pocono - 944 S2 and RX-7 crash in front of me
Holy Porsche wall Batman! Nice deek to miss him and keep racing. Also nice recovery with the yellow honda. Usual story eh? one guy screws up and many poor saps pay the price.
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Finally replica door panels for 77-78 z's
Way to go Charlie!!! From floors to doors, this cat has ya covered !!!!
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'71 rear cylinder rebuild kit?
The 72-76 wheel cylinders are just fine, other than needing to re-do the hard line since the entry point on the slave is oriented differently. Not perfect, but a very reasonable solution. Rockauto even lists the wheel cylinder kits for 72-76.
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Have I wrecked this?
Granny! I have a cheap one for you. No repair. Please....
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Have I wrecked this?
Time for a new strut. Way cheaper than getting it fixed. Left or right?
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[2015] What Did You Do To/with Your Z Today?
Nice! not easy to do that. I do have either the flat early or the curved later one. $20 and shipping. Let me know. z240@shaw.ca
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Omega electric car
ewwww.. Looking at the red thing makes my eyes 'Thor'....
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Important Info on period Fenton 'Racing' wheels
So I get this decent set of 14x6 aluminum 5 slot mags from a Z friend who recently sold his Z. For cheap. Picked one up, and WOW! Light! weighted it, 11 lbs! Cleaned up the back and see they are Fenton wheels, "GYRO Racing Wheels" embossed on the back. Then I googled them and found this article. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/why-you-should-not-run-fenton-mags.34158/ Time to call the recycler! Got Fenton wheels? Show car only! No driving! Jim
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Passing of Todd Walrich (Wolf Creek Racing)
Seems we've lost another great guy and close Datsun family member from our midst. RIP Todd, you will be missed. Prayers to your wife and family. http://www.the510realm.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=28237&p=245755&hilit=walrich#p245755
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Balance driveshaft after installing new U-joints?
I'd be real suspicious of any shop claiming to have greased the rear wheel bearings. Given the effort required to get there to do that, unless they charged you for 2-3 hours for that item, they didn't do it at all. I see you've already had your BS detector tripped and went to a different shop. Very wise.
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71 wires ID
This is the head light connector in front of the rad. Now is that the headlight harness end or the car harness end?
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Lock Part Sourcing
Yes, there are many things I wish I had more of. Somehow I have amassed an interesting collection of bits of pieces, haven't I? Good to hear about the antenna judging (or lack there of...). Those guys are pretty thorough, surprised that was ignored. Maybe we should stop talking about it....
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71 switch ID
Ain't not never seen that thing on any Datsun I know. Most likely someones way to turn on fog lights, rad fan, the ignition, who knows..
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Interior door sill scuff plate for '78 280Z
Aha! 2+2 for sure is the reason for the extra length. all coupe doors are the same width. I have tons of the short ones if that works for you, Sorry got none of the inner black vinyl covered ones though, rare as hens dentures. If the underlying tin is in good shape, yup, just strip the old vinyl and texture coat them with something tough. Box liner? They are scuff plates after all. and rereading your initial post, you were only asking for the inner ones anyway. Trying to be too helpful...
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Interior door sill scuff plate for '78 280Z
Can you check the distance between the screw holes at the ends of the tin scuff plate (Datsun word side, the up side), and the overall length and let me know? I have a pair of these are about 2" longer than the usual 240 plates, and I suspect they are late 280.
- Lock Part Sourcing