JimmyZ

It's frustrating that they should have added a screen to the inside of the tank. IMHO there are two ways to apply a sealer to it with no chance of screwing up the screen. One is to remove the screen which probably involves cutting an access hole. You'd have to add some new line to make up for cutting off. The second method came from a previous thread where one guy had the rad shop simply sweat a new line on and plug off the old screen line. This way an access hole would not be required. They just drilled, inserted new line and sweated. An external filter was then used before the pump. Enrique is right about the small amount of rust. If it were me, with that little tank rust I'd just get some hirsh tank acid and let it do the work on nixing the rust. Sure, in a few years it will be back but who knows what can happen in a few years? (Wrecked, sold etc) If the perfectionist inside you wants it to be fixed right then by all means Renu or seal it after treating otherwise. 2c

Just go to You tube and paste some of the names in. I'm sure it will come back. I You Tube'd Olivia Newton John after checking out some later '70's and 80's top 100's. Right away I was taken back to the Farah Faucet/Olivia NJ and Abba era. They were all so freak'n hot! Abba Take a chance... Olivia "Magic" It's funny that I had to hit 38 before I could remember/understand what I was listening to. A cool song(Magic) even if it is cliche etc..

There was a thread about this same subject a while back. Seems that the best averages for the 240's were 26-28mpg. My '71 does best @90mph which yields 28mpg. In the city 16mpg can be counted on. Jim

An Update... To help anyone answering Fairlady's post here he's changed SEVERAL things since his car stopped. This complicates anyones ability to determine what steps to take. It's now not as simple as saying that "only" the regulator was replaced. (At least this is what I assumed from earlier) Normally one would whittle down the variables to achieve a working motor. It seems he has added some variables. As he mentioned, he changed the dizzy for an electric model then he swapped the cap and coil. The good news is that he did try starting fluid to no avail so at least we know it's an ignition problem. If you've been following the last three threads (not posts) he's made then you'll see that the results have varied when he made tests for spark at the coil. It seems that now he's got spark at the coil and at the end of his plug wires. Talked to him and found that his plugs were new but probably fouled from a rich fuel mixture. He's replacing plugs in the next day or so now. This still leaves the question of whether he has the timing "on" enough to run/start the car, the plugs in the right sockets and the coil hooked up right. Time will tell. Keep our fingers crossed that he get's it running.

http://www.musicoutfitters.com/topsongs/1972.htm Here's the top 100 from '72 Just google top 100 of xxxx (enter year) It's really cool since I had completely forgotten how HOT Olivia Newton John was! Jim

Just google "POR-15" . It will get you there. POR isn't the only tank treatment system out there. There is Hirsch, but it seems to be prone to soften when exposed to alchohol which is found in many stations. I did like the Hirsch tank etch. I tried some on some test pieces and it worked very well. Stay away from Kreme (sp?) as it does not hold up to alchohol either. My radiator shop reccomended RedKote sealer after a proper boiling and acid treatment.. There is also the top of the line "Renu" franchise. This is the BEST possible route and has reasonable prices. Here's a site I made for my tank. I had much worse rust that what you have so I had to cut an access hole for sandblasting. This approach to dealing with rust is what Renu uses. The only difference is that I used RedKote for the sealer. With RK you can remove it with MEK if the tank should need reservicing. http://warbuddies.homestead.com/gastank.html Pics at bottom. Saftey when working with gas tanks is extremely important! Be careful. 2c Jim

I put these images up on a webpage so they could easily be seen. My Acrobat "coughed" a little trying to open the originals.

Wow Kats! That some pretty cool stuff. Reminds me of the invaluable tool set that came with my Yamaha. I wonder if the wrenches have the name Nissan or Datsun cast/stamped into them? The points file was neat too.

Disregard my post above. Just took a look at the Haynes manual and found that the flattops are VERY different from the roundies. http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.ztherapy.com/images/Flattops.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.ztherapy.com/technical_stuff/spotterguides/zcar/240spotter.htm&h=135&w=210&sz=5&hl=en&start=5&um=1&tbnid=Y_ErE3LGhZC8tM:&tbnh=68&tbnw=106&prev=/images%3Fq%3D240z%2Bflat%2Btops%26svnum%3D10%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26rls%3DGGLD,GGLD:2004-21,GGLD:en%26sa%3DN Here's a link to Ztherapy with a fuzzy picture of what they refer to as a "boat anchor":) The Haynes M did have some nice pictures and maintenance descriptions for the flattops though. The flat tops are nowhere near as simple as the earlier style SU's.

Congrats on the new Z! I think you're right in assuming it's gunked up carbs. Mine sat on a shelf for years and the needle valves were seized with some white residue. Laquer thinner works great as a dissolver/cleaner of varnish. Also check that the exit end of the fuel rail is flowing fuel. There is a pin sized hole which helps maintain pressure. Don't enlarge the hole if clogged but instead run some LT through it and blow with air. It's pretty straightforward taking the float bowl covers off. Remove fuel line and screws holding float cover on then tap a little to break the gasket if any. Just be gentle with the float and it's arm. A pair of needle nose will easily remove the float hinge pin. From there soak the top of the bowl in a glass of LT and it will free up. There is a very fine spring/wire retention doohickey on the end of the needle. (At least on my round top SU's) Soaking is a better approach if the needle is seized due to the possible damage to this part if you slip while gripping/pulling. Keep the LT away from the float if it's plastic. I wouldn't want to find out if it could stand up to LT. 2c Jim

The clock was a rally clock at the end. Pretty cool

Try spraying some starting fluid in first. This will tell you if it's fuel or ignition. If it's ignition here's a copy of a post which might help you test the ignition. This can be carried out in about 10-15 minutes. Here's a quick checklist for troubleshooting ignition probs on a stock 240Z. This assumes that failure is not a result of replacing parts incorrectly. This is the quickest approach to resolving probs IMHO. IF/THEN for a no start/ignition suspected situation... 1. Use new plug to check for spark at plug wire. (Lay test plug on ground. Look for hot blue spark when cranking. 1a.If there is spark then remove check the condition of plugs. Clean or replace if necessary. 2. Check for spark using new plug at the end of coil wire. Look for hot blue spark when cranking. 2a If coil has good spark then check/replace distributor cap and rotor. 3. Verify voltage going to coil when cranking. (Use voltmeter) Verify coil is wired correctly (+ to +) 4. Inspect breaker point faces for pitting and resurface or replace if any. (resurface with 220 grit buys a little time but the points will pit faster) 5 Set gap on points .018-.022. Verify that all wires connected to the points are in good condition and not frayed. 6 Replace condenser. 7. Check coil wire with ohmmeter. It's easier to try another wire if you have on handy. 8. If still no spark then check coil internal resistance. disconnect leads from coil. Set Ohmmeter at proper scale and it's test leads on + and - You should see 1.5-1.7 ohms Next stick one lead on the "-" post and one lead to the coil output terminal it should read 9.5 -11.6 ohms. These are figures for a STOCK coil. Other coils have different values. Replace the coil if it is outside it's values. Coils for 240's are as cheap as $25 for a generic. It might be easier/faster to have a spare coil on hand. 9 Check distributor shaft for play. Use a dwell meter to dynamically test the breaker points. If dwell varies outside the 35-41 degree specs and the points are gapped right then distrubutor bushings need to be replaced. (Or replace dizzy) I might have left something out having typed this up at 1:30AM. Hopefully it will help you or someone else in the future at least. Here's another tip.. If the engine is missing/misfiring and you think it's a fouled plug use a timing light's inductive pickup. With the engine running clamp/unclamp the pickup over each wire and observe which plug does not cause the light to flash. Note that if the engine starts ONLY when being cranked it is possible that the ignition switch or ballast resistor is bad. Test the resistor (1.6 ohms) and test for voltage on both side of it with ignition "ON" and car not running. Coil gets 12V when starting and once the key is turned to "ON" the power is routed through the ballast resistor giving the coil 6volts. This keeps the coil from overheating/dieing. __________________

Quite right. It's just intriguing to me not anything that would be put into our cars. I just think it's neat that someone is making a new I-6 casting. You hear about V-8's all the time but I-6's aren't common. The fact that someone is reproducing a vintage part and that the engine looks so similar to the Z's with the SU's, etc is neat. It would be cool if they remade the OS Giken DOHC head for our cars. Not that it would be money well spent but it would be nice.

Unless the tubing is aluminum or stainless it is plated. (Brake lines are not ally) Usually tin plated but some are cad or nickel. If you have a spare line laying around cut it or sand it heavily and watch it rust. After years of exposure my 71's lines needed to be replaced. A double flare tool, 25 ft spool of 3/16" brake line and new fittings got that new shiny look post haste:) Using a paste polish while more laborious would remove the least amount of plating. It's easier to replace IMHO. 2c Jim

Oh yeah. I'm sure it's not cheap but 300 hp in a N/A engine with a block that weighs 81 lbs!? Pretty neat to me.

http://www.dmdaustralia.com.au/block.html Yes, I know this is not a Z block but it really caught my eye. 295hp and 300ftlbs torque = fun.

The plating is so thin that it is easier to buy/fab new tubing. There was a post RE finishing of brake lines a while back. Think the polishing might be short lived if you go too far. A paste polish compound would be better and remove minimal plating.

You can also try starting the motor and depressing the clutch several times. It might unseize. It worked for me years ago when I put mine in a ditch. The car sat for a few days and the clutch disc rusted to the flywheel. On my family's farm we used to unseize tractor clutches by applying shock. We's simply start the thing in gear and run it into a tree! It worked:) If you have a safe place to drive with no chance of hitting anyone/thing you could simply start it in gear and stomp/release the gas a few times. This action might be enough to liberate the disc. Pull the tranny out if gear when you need to stop/coast. 2c Jim

If you don't have one already it is a good idea to have a timing light. A meter which tests for dwell is nice but not absolutley necessary either. Both said tools could help you greatly in this case. There are some great posts for tuning to be found with the search function. You can compensate for the lack of vacuum advance by adjusting the timing to compensate for the lack of advance provided by the dashpot. Not an ideal solution but it would let you see if advance is to blame. Specs on early Z dizzys show that centrifugal advance and vacuum advance are roughly equal with cent advance doing a little more of the work. Total advance provided is 11-20 degrees depending on which dizzy you have. A friend of mine used to run mad amounts of advance while experimenting with performance gains. (Up to 40 degrees Norm 12secdualSU) I'm betting it might be your point gap being off due to misadjustment from vibration, improper installation or bushings in your distributor being worn and giving erratic action. A dwell meter can accurately check the function of the points while the motor is turning. Simply setting point gap with a feeler guage is OK but may not be good enough in certain cases. Also check that your points contact faces are clean and free of pitting. Some meters have a points test feature which is just a fancy name for continuity test. It might just be a good idea to swap 'em anyway. Poor fuel delivery can also cause the problem you are having. Check the ignition first though. Verify that the plugs are unfouled etc before poring over the fuel system. 2c Jim

I second that! After painting my engine bay and polishing everything Simple G is the best. I usd to use a harsh butyl degreaser and in time it ate my paint away. Simple green isn't as fast but at least it won't screw up your paint. If it were my car I'd take the valve cover off and polish it. Smooth it with 220grit then remove 200 scrtaches with 400. Use a drill or grinder mounted with buffing wheel to finish it to a mirror shine then clear coat it. This beats the crap out of simply rubbing your fingers to the bone with polish.

3-4 seconds is a bit different:) Sounds like it's "dieseling" Here's a link to an excellent thread on the relay I was thinking of. Escanlon studied it well. (Nice writeup by Escy) http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21059 If it is dieseling then here's a snipit from an online article This condition can occur for a multitude of reasons: Built-up carbon in the ignition chamber can glow red after the engine is off, providing a mechanism for sparking unburnt fuel. Such a thing can happen when the engine runs very rich, depositing unspent fuel and particles on the pistons and valves. Similarly, non-smooth metal regions within the piston chamber can cause this same problem, since they can glow red. It has also been suggested that an improperly rated sparkplug can retain heat and cause the same problem. A carburetor that does not close entirely can contribute to running once the engine is off, since the extra fuel and oxygen mixture can combust easily in the warm piston chamber. Similarly, hot vaporized oil gases from the engine crankcase can provide ample fuel for dieseling. Incorrect timing. An engine that runs too hot or too lean may produce an environment conducive to allowing unspent fuel to combust. An idle speed that is too fast can leave the engine with too much angular momentum upon shutdown, raising the chances that the engine can turnover and combust more fuel and lock itself into a cycle of continuous running. Check your timing and idle speed first. Jim

I'm digging for my FSM and can't find it. The fact that it's running normally after ign removal suggests the ignition is somehow staying on. I can't imagine the switch causing this but maybe there are some frayed wires near the backside of the switch??? (unlikely) Run a voltmeter to the coil "+" terminal. (If you can get it to repeat the running after key off bit.) You want to test if there is voltage after switching the key off. If there is voltage try attaching the voltmeter to the ballast resistor. At least this will tell you if it's the run or start voltage that is keeping it running. (Run =6V Start is the full 12) Simply hooking up to the coil would tell if it's the 6V or 12V but perhaps you miswired the ballast/coil. I did this when putting mine together. It is slightly possible that someone wired something into your harness that is creating this. (doubtful) The relay can be heard clicking when you cycle the ignition switch. It is a rectangular metal box the size of your thumb near where the passenger's right knee would be. My Haynes manual's elec diagram is kind of fuzzy but the FSM has a better one and describes/has a picutre of the relay.

I'd have to look at the electical diagram but it might be a relay stciking. One sec.

If you had a non-stock carb with a bad fuel solenoid... I'm sure that's not the case since you prob have SU's. When you say "running" do you mean running or just motor turning as in back firing, dieseling etc.. Was it running as if the key was in it?