Richard McDonel

Gentlemen (I hope that's the appropriate salutation), I really do appreciate your interest. I think - not totally sure - I'm the wiser for reading your comments. Here's a final question: Is the use of a vacuum pump for bleeding any less effective than having someone pump the pedal? Have a good weekend all - and a Happy Thanksgiving for my Canadian friends.

Captain, OK, I think I follow what you are saying, but it seems to assume that the air is ahead of the fluid in the lines. What about air that has fluid both ahead and behind it? Air that got in because of a leak somewhere else - front brakes or proportioning valve for instance. It seems to me that a guy is going to have to push and awful lot of fluid out before he gets to the bubble? Does that make any sense? ps, For the record I did not flunk Fluid Dynamics because I never took the course, so you're ahead of me there.

Thanks for all your thoughts and suggestions folks. What I'm thinking is that any air will naturally rise to the highest point available. Therefore there is not going to be any air at the bleeder screw; it would have already risen to its highest available point, that being the hose where it clips to the top of the brake backing plate. Regardless of how high one holds the bleeder jar, if there is air in the brake hose at the top of the assembly, that air is not going to be sucked all the way down to the bleeder screw. Isn't that why with the front discs the bleeder is at the top of the caliper?

I have a 240Z. The brakes work fine, but I can't understand the bleeding process. Why is the bleeder screw on the rear drums at the bottom of the assembly? Old Chevs and even back to DKWs I've worked on always had the bleeder at the top, which makes sense, because air rises and we want to get it out of the system. What am I missing here? Thanks

1971 240Z. My headlights, dash lights, and horn all work, but not well. Headlights are dim, dash lights are barely there, and I doubt the horn could be heard from 100 feet. Fuses are OK. Any ideas? Thanks

View Advert "Datsun" script badge on hatch I need a 1971 240Z Datsun script badge for right rear of hatch. Not sure what they mean by "price" on Line 6. Tell me what you want for it. Advertiser Richard McDonel Date 10/05/2021 Price Category Parts Wanted Year 1971 Model 240Z  

View Advert Shop manuals 1. Wick Humble Z Car restoration manual. Fair-rough condition, but all pages are there. 2. Chilton's hard-cover Datsun Repair and Tune-Up Guide 1961-1972. Intact and good condition. Advertiser Richard McDonel Date 10/05/2021 Price $20 Category Parts for Sale  

Heyitsrama: A dried out joint. I hear they can be brought back to life with some time in a cigar humidor. Great idea, right? But I'm two years late?

Good evening All, All these years of working to turn three dilapidated 240s into one good cruiser has come with a lot of expense I'm sure that everyone on this forum knows what I'm talking about. But this evening I'm delighted to share with you that I have taken the first step towards recovering my investment. I had in my garage two trash-grade seats. The idea was to take them apart so the seat cushions and backrests would fit into my garbage bin. On two of them, I made a profit. Jammed between the seat cushion and the metal arm linking it to the backrest, I found money! A 1974 nickel and a 1981 dime are now safely in my possession! Finally, a return on my investment! I shared this news with Momma, but for whatever reason she did not share my jubilation. Cheers,

Many months ago I posted a query on this forum. At the time I had two interior door panels in rough shape. They had been bought without door-latch holes and my attempts at cutting my own had failed - perhaps by 1/8 to 1/4 inch, but enough to make an ugly scene. My usual supplier, MSA, had new ones on back order for months, and I was becoming convinced they would ever have them. So I asked this forum for suggestions. ZKars and one or two others answered and referred me to Zcar Depot, a firm I had not previously dealt with. I called, and yes, they have them in stock; door latch openings pre-cut. Ordered a set. Have to say I was very impressed with the package. The panels were bagged in clear plastic, then perimeter-wrapped with thick straps of felt, then inserted is a form-fitting cardboard box. That box in turn was set in a slightly larger box, so four layers of protection altogether. Open it all up, and everything was good. It took me a while to get around to installing the panels - winter you understand, and my heated garage is occupied by my next project, and 1965 sprint car - but I finally did the job last month, and while the installation process is a time-consuming pain, the new panels fit perfectly and look sharp. Thanks to ZKars and others who steered me in the right direction. Richard

@Namerow Will definitely let everyone know how they look - probably this weekend - but progress report on installation might take a while. Here, in central Alberta in the depths of winter, my 240 is on a hoist, above my '78 Mercedes 450SEL. The other garage, the workshop, is filled with a disassembled 1965 oval-track sprint car and related parts. So...freeing the 240Z might be more of a project than is practical with a foot of snow on the ground. Again, thanks for your interest.

7tooZ Good to hear!

Door Cards. It's been a couple of weeks since I posted my plea for advice on finding a set of 240Z door cards. My great thanks to the fellows who offered suggestions; 240DKW, Namerow, and ZKars. Here's what I found. Nissan no longer has them. I even took in the part number from the PartsManual website. Nope. Nothing on Nissan's computer older that 1975 Banzai. Expensive, and looks good, but door handle holes aren't pre-cut. I don't want to make that mistake again. ZCarDepot. Bingo. Should be delivered Friday.

@namerow, Bingo! You win the prize!

@240260280 Great little video. Thank you for illustrating my point - no shoulder straps in 240s!

pps Attachment now attached

Thanks for your comments folks. It appears I kick started a bit bit of discussion (good) at the risk of going off-topic (naughty). To clarify, my car (photo attached) was not the T-Bird look-alike "SP", which was based on the 750cc "Junior." My car was the basic two door ,1 litre four seater sedan known as both the 1000 and the 3=6, and sold under the names of both DKW and Auto Union (sort of like Plymouth and Dodge, Ford and Mercury, Chev and Pontiac, Austin and Morris). Great fun actually, provided one kept a minimum of three wheels on the ground at all times. Respectfully, I stand by my comment on seat-belt / shoulder -harness safety. As the driver, I have some measure of protection in case of a head-on in that I'm holding the steering wheel and have my arms as a shock absorber, but in the case of a roll-over I have absolutely nothing between me and a collapsing roof. ps Bonus Question: What is the meaning of the 3=6 model name?

@DutchZcarguy Unless you have a roll bar, please ditch your four-point harness! Back in the 1960s I had a DKW 1000. Like the 240, it was hardtop, that is to say skinny pillars front and back, and none at the back edge of the doors. Wearing a simple seat belt, I had a roll over. On the drivers side, the top of the windshield frame came down as low as the top of the horn button. Whether because of instinct or impact I bent over at the waist, probably below the dashboard. With the flexibility of my then-18 year-old body, and more importantly the lack of any shoulder restraint, I was able to crawl out of the car with no more harm than a bit of glass in one eye. If I had a three or four point harness, I would not today be enjoying my 240Z, my golden years, and the company of this prestigious forum. I may probably be breaking some law, but my 240Z has just a three-inch lap belt. As is required by law, modern cars have substantial pillars that serve the same purpose as roll bars. My DKW and our early Z cars do not have this. The weight of the car will crush the roof. Happy New Year, and be safe all.

Door cards. I did get a set of these many years ago - not sure where - then set them aside for the decade or so during which I was building the car. When the time came to install, I had to cut openings for the door latches. Missed by a quarter inch, and it looks awful. MSA had them in their catalogue, but were out of stock for the longest time. Now they are offering "remanufactured" panels. In the photo they provide, the chrome strip is missing. Suggestions?

Mark, Bingo! I think you nailed it. Long time since I've been offered the choice of detergent and non-detergent. You mention head bolts covered with the stuff. Mine were almost that bad. I could see them, but had to scrape the sludge off to get the socket to fit. BTW, my 240 is up and running, so I hope I won't be banished from this site for apostasy. The 327 is for my newest project, the restoration of a 1965 Grant King-built oval-track sprint car. Cheers

Jim, I'm amazed you found the engine to be so clean after four decades. Coincidentally, just last week I began disassembly of an old Chev 327 V-8 (I know, I know, sacrilege on this site; forgive me). The fellow I got it from believes that it last ran in (another coincidence) in 1981. The oil is disgusting. It is sludge. Days after I began stripping the engine, there are still bits of black greasy stuff falling off the block. I used a spoon to get some of it off the top surface of the heads. I have to admit, I've never before taken apart an engine that has been idle for so long. Any chemists out there know why Jim's engine would be clean, while mine is such a mess?

Jim, You are a bear for punishment! No idea what you paid for it, but I'll bet it was a pretty penny particularly since it came with a trailer hitch. Just don't see that every day. Good luck with your latest project.

I'm not familiar with this product at all. Any concerns about paint damage, particularly paint damage by long-term contact?