Randalla

The camshaft is not being replaced. We had the valve cover off to assess timing chain stretch and possibly move the cam gear one hole.

Mystery solved. After re-reviewing the repair history, the owner found a receipt from 1997 showing the camshaft was replaced with an internally oiled one. Wonder if there is any benefit to running both the oiling systems as currently installed on his car???

Unfortunately I have returned the car to its owner until he gets a new spray rail at which point I will again have the car to take a photo and post. However, I know what I saw when I removed the valve cover. It was definitely an internally oiled cam. The only explanation at this point seems to be a mid-late 70's cam swap, even though the owner claims that was never done.

Duffman, here is literally what the 1973 Datsun 240-Z service manual says in the engine lubricating system chapter: "The rocker mechanism is lubricated under two types of lubricating methods. The rocker arm and valve are lubricated intermittently by the oil fed through the oil gallery in the camshaft and the small channel at the base circle portion of each cam. Lubricant is supplied to this oil pipe (spray rail pictured) through No. 3 camshaft bearing, and the rocker arm and valve are lubricated intermittently by the oil through the small holes or the oil pipe." This is confusing at best. I may be reading this completely wrong but it sounds to me like in 1973 there were two means of lubricating the top of the motor.

Are you absolutely sure about that? The reason I ask is I have been working on a friends 1973 240-Z, which has both a spray rail and an internally oiled cam. He is the original owner, has all the repairs and paperwork from new and there is no record, or recollection, of a cam shaft being replaced. I pulled the cam cover off for the first time in nearly 40 years he said. There was nothing to suggest any work or changes had been done previously. I don't recall having seen another 73 with both the rail and internally oiled cam.

Can anyone give me the production dates when the following changes were made for cam oiling on S30's? The first scenario was a spray rail only (1970-1972?). The second scenario is cars that came with both a spray rail and an internally oiled cam (1973-?). The final scenario is cars that came from the factory with only an internally oiled cam (?).

Working on a friends car (1973 240-Z) and trying to figure out why we can not get the heater fan to run with the OEM switch. The fan has not worked for about three years. A year ago he took the fan out and wired it direct to the battery to test it and it ran fine. That led him to assume the switch was the culprit. I had an extra switch, which we tried with no success. I'm wondering if there is anything between the fan and the switch that we may be missing. Of course both fan switches could be bad but the odds are at least one would be working. Is there an easy way to verify the switch is good? Any other thoughts regarding things to check.

I would encourage you to get a picture with him and the car if you can. I tracked down the original owner of my 72 240-Z. Even though he is in his 70's (25 years older than I) he is a great guy and we have become good friends. He had some great stories about the car and I got shots of him with the car and presented him with two framed photos. I found him at the same phone number he had when he bought the car 40 years earlier.

One more long shot, but worth considering. Do you notice any difference when the gas tank is topped off vs. 1/2 tank or less? If so you may want to check the fuel pick up tube in the tank. I don't know if this has actually happened or not but it was something we looked at on Duffman's car since he had recently had the tank boiled out and we suspected the chemicals may have perforated the tube, thereby allowing air to be sucked into the system. Admittedly this is a real long shot. You know of course, that when you find out what's causing all your problems it will be some little detail we have all missed so far.

This is a long shot, but Duffman, on this site, was having a similar problem with his L-28 with mechanical fuel pump and a fuel pressure gauge installed inline between the fuel rail and the SU carbs. We went though many of the same things you did with no success. We set and re-set floats, checked for obstructions in fuel delivery, rebuilt the distributor, etc. The fuel pressure gauge fluctuated periodically, indicating an air suction issue somewhere. That led us to look more closely at fuel delivery from the tank to the carbs. The fuel tank had been out of the car recently which was a further clue. What Duffman discovered was the short fuel hose from the tank to the metal fuel line was sucking air where the clamps were. The car never leaked fuel but was apparently sucking in air and creating a lean condition under hard acceleration. As soon as the hose was replaced (some cracks were seen around the end) the problem was gone. Before you lose the mechanical fuel pump, install an inline fuel pressure gauge and watch the pressure under all conditions from idle to WOT. If you notice a 20-25% change you may also be sucking air somewhere. By the way Jeff, I am an ex-Detroiter, moving from Milford, MI to Scottsdale, AZ in 1994. Used to head to the Northville Dairy for ice cream when I was a kid.

Steven, I'll be really surprised at this point if the problem turns out to be fuel, in light of all we've done and what we have eliminated. I'm feeling much more confident we have an electrical/ignition issue that shows itself only when the engine is under load. Still wondering if a faulty voltage regulator might cause this condition. I don't know, however, if the VR changes under load. Maybe someone else can comment. If the VR is not the culprit I think Doc needs to do his thing on your distributor.

I'm in the process of getting my Roadster back on the road and am planning on using the same silver (the BMW name is Titanium) that is on my 2001 BMW 740. The color is gorgeous. I get lots of compliments. It has as very slight blue cast to it which makes it a cool rather than a warm silver. If I was ready to do one of my Z's I'd consider it for sure.

Anybody planning to go to the Grand Datsun Classic in Williams, AZ on October 8th? Looks like there will be nearly 50 Datsuns in attendance, of every description. So far cars are coming from six states as well as Mexico. Bob Bondurant will be attending the event as well. I know it's a drive for some of you, but this is shaping up to be a great event. You can still register (no charge) though the end of September on SOCALROC's website. Hope to see some of the Z brotherhood there. I'm taking my 1971 and 1972 240 Z's.

Granted, as the first Scarab and one that has the correct pedigree and documentation this is a very rare/valuable car. However, 300,000 is a bit crazy as factory numbered Scarabs that have come to market typically sell in the $30-40K range. A good sales price on this one might finally benefit the others that come to market. I have one located here where I live but it needs a complete restoration for it to bring anywhere near $30K.

Excellent! Truly amazing how much better these engines run when really dialed in. Syncing the two carbs will make at least another 20% difference if they are not at least very close now. How many degrees advance are you running?

If the idle speed increases when you lift the pin, the carb is adjusted too rich. If the speed decreases it's too lean. Turn the mixture nut counter clockwise (looking from the top toward the ground) to lean it out, clockwise to richen it up. You want the idle to rise briefly when you lift the pin and then settle back to roughly where the idle was before lifting the pin.

I owned three of these cars and always loved the look. Unfortunately Lucas Electric components were a nightmare. For Jag owners, this picture just looks like a "minor short"...

Just saw this this AM and was glad to see there's another guy out there with both a Z and a Shark. I have a 1971 and 1972 240-Z (Yellow and Orange) and a pristine 1986 BMW 635CSi the same color as yours, with a 5-speed and black leather. PM me to exchange phone numbers if you want to chat. I'm in Phoenix.

Just walked out and checked the build date and engine block number. The build date is 4/72 and the engine tag and casting number on the block match, (original engine) #097506.

Thanks guys. I'll post the information you requested this weekend.

I'll be interested in what you find when you do the disassembly. I'm going to guess it may be something else. Your symptoms would indicate to me that you have multiple issues. You didn't say if you replaced the booster or master cylinder. The hard to depress pedal does not sound like a proportioning valve. When you say both tires are hard to move with the car jacked up are you talking front or rear? Pulling one direction or another also does not sound like the proportioning valve as I believe the proportioning valve only modulates front and rear pressure not side to side.

I had the same challenge trying to find one that could be rebuilt. I bought three used ones before finding one that was not so corroded and pitted that it could actually be fixed. If the used one you find has been sitting a while there is a good chance it will really be gummed up inside. Are you absolutely sure that's the problem? What are your symptoms? When mine failed the brake light warning would come on and the car felt like it had only about 60-70% of the normal braking force. The car would stop, but in a much longer distance than it should have. I ended up taking it completely apart, cleaning everything and reassembling. I was lucky as that solved the problem.

Here is the conclusion to the 37 years and counting story above. I wrote this a couple of years ago so it is now 39 years and counting After trying to work around some out of town time for both us, Bill Haggard and I were finally able to schedule a lunch to meet for the first time, and reintroduce him to the new car he purchased 38 years ago. Bill lives in Tempe, but suggested The White Chocolate Grill, near the 101 free-way and Scottsdale Road, a restaurant he frequents and enjoys. Bill beat me there, meeting me in the lobby. At 74 years of age, his youthful looks, dressed in blue jeans and a red polo shirt, surprised me a bit. I expected him to look his age. Perhaps his years as a college professor, and his still fertile mind, keep him young. Most of our nearly two hour lunch was spent getting to know each other. We found we shared many of the same passions and life experiences, even though Bill is about twenty years my senior. I found Bill to be a very generous, warm guy, as much interested in the details of my life as I was in his. Now retired, Bill spends his time with friends and acquaintances, lending his business expertise to assist them with their own challenges. Bill offered to help me develop my own business plan for a venture I had contemplated starting. We got lost in the conversation, oblivious to the time we had been eating lunch. After paying the bill, we walked to the parking lot together to show Bill “his car.” His first reaction was one of utter surprise at how the car looked today. Though I told him previously I had restored the car, I don’t think he was expecting to see his 38 year old Datsun 240Z looking as it does today. I had the sense his memory of the car was not as clear as I had hoped, though during lunch he recounted several memories of trips taken with the car in Arizona. I lifted the hood to show off all the chrome and detailing I had done. Bill was extremely impressed. I took several pictures of Bill beside his 240Z, which I treasure as one more of many mementos I have, associated with the car. About a month before meeting Bill, I took the Z and my camera out for a photo shoot, attempting to capture some great shots that I wanted to frame and present to Bill at lunch. To say he was blown away would be an understatement! He assured me the photos would occupy a place of prominence in his home and would no doubt be a conversation piece. I also told him I was looking to publish this story which he was very excited about.

I was raised in Detroit, Michigan, a “car guy” from the cradle. My grandfather sold used cars and my father worked in advertising promoting Chevrolet, Chrysler and Ford. After college I followed in my father’s footsteps in the ad business, working on Ford, Oldsmobile, Jaguar, Chrysler, VW, Audi, Lincoln, Mitsubishi and many others over the years. I loved cars as far back as I can recall. At age six, my father would point to cars asking me to identify them, which I readily did while sitting on his lap behind the wheel. I remember cherishing the promotional plastic model cars my dad brought home from work, racing hot wheels and slot cars with the neighbor boys, drawing cars every chance I got and touring the factory where the first Mustangs were built. Go karts were my first exposure to driving. My parents thought two-wheeled travel (mini bikes) was too dangerous. My dad built the first kart: tube frame, plywood floor, 2 horsepower Briggs and Straton engine, which he ran behind with a rope leash making sure it didn’t get away (it had no brakes). Later, I bought a factory built go kart which I loved to race against my friends and take apart, experimenting with ways to make it faster. One night my dad came home to find the engine in pieces on the garage floor. “You’ll never get it back together,” he said unhappily, which only motivated me to prove him wrong. The next day when he came home from work I was proudly driving it full throttle around our circle drive. In college, I was gifted one of my dad’s sedans, my first car. The idea of having a car of my own was something I’d always longed for but I really wanted something sportier, a car that could snap my neck back and turn the girl’s heads when I drove by. Unfortunately, my budget and, as the years passed, the necessity of room for my three kids, limited me to unexciting transportation choices for many years. My first recollection of seeing a Datsun “Z” car was in the mid 1980’s. A business associate had a 280-Z which he dearly loved but he had to replace rusty doors and fenders, after contending with Detroit’s road salt. I remember thinking how great the Z looked, but wrote it off as cheap Japanese junk (a common Detroit opinion at that time). In the early 90s I saw a restored 240-Z drive though my neighborhood in Michigan and fell in love, vowing one day to find one of my own. In 1994 I moved to Phoenix Arizona and began my quest for a “rust-free” Datsun 240-Z. In 1995 I found HLS3076976, a 1972 240-Z, in the Arizona Republic classifieds. I bought the car for $2,500 after having a mechanic inspect it. I felt I’d probably paid too much for the car, but it was solid, drivable and came with a thick folder of receipts and records dating back to the car’s purchase. The previous owner had used the car as collateral for a loan that he had defaulted on. I bought the car from Title Leasing Company with just over 100,000 miles. It needed to be completely refurbished, which I began immediately. I learned the car was originally purchased by John Haggard at ABC Motors (now ABC Nissan) on Camelback Road, and serviced at Brit Smith Datsun in Mesa. The window sticker and bill of sale showed Mr. Haggard paid cash, purchasing it for $4,938.04 with two extra cost options added, air conditioning and mag wheels. Curiously three colors were written on the invoice, silver, brown and white, all crossed out. I later learned those were the first, second and third choices, the owner settling for orange due to availability. When I bought the car it had been painted Maroon and the paint was showing its age. I worked hard the first few years, replacing most of the mechanical components, cleaning everything and upgrading the car in several areas. The car made very few long trips but I drove it regularly and enjoyed it fully. I won first place at a local Datsun car show for the “best original interior.” I’d always wanted to have the car repainted its original orange color but there were always competing priorities with three kids in school. Finally, in the fall of 2008, after owning the car 13 years, I bit the bullet and had it painted. It took nearly six months, but in April of 2009 the Z was trailered back to my home and I began the reassembly. I was thrilled with the results. The Z was put back together and on the road again by October, when I took it to its first show. While going through my file of paperwork for the car and looking at the bill of sale I became curious, wondering if the original owner might be alive after all these years and still residing in Arizona. I had a name, an address and a 37-year-old phone number. I tried the number and amazingly John Haggard answered the phone. He had moved from the original address, but not far, still residing in Tempe. After explaining who I was and why I was calling, we had a very pleasant conversation, reminiscing over the 37 years passed since buying HLS3076976 new. John is now 74 years old, a retired college professor at Mesa College for 40 years. He taught business and even a couple of advertising classes. He’s the last of the Haggards, a family calling the Valley home for three generations. After collecting his memory, John, who asked me to call him Bill (his middle name), recalled that he was a 37 year old bachelor at the time he bought the car. He wanted a flashy car with some power and didn’t need four seats. He liked the orange color, though it was not his first choice. “I take care of my cars like a baby,” he said. He told me the car had never been in an accident and recalled only a single flat tire as a problem. He did relate, much to his chagrin, that he accidently spilt pool acid in the rear hatch area, eating a dinner plate size hole in the carpet. The car has been in the Phoenix metropolitan area most of its life, with only the occasional trip to California or northern Arizona. Bill and I agreed to stay in touch and will meet in person before the end of the year, the next time I show the car. Meeting the original owner will complete the circle for HLS3076976 and for me. Half of John’s life has passed since he bought the Z back in 1972. Playing a part in reuniting two survivors will be a special moment.

Since making it look pretty is a high priority, why not install new fire wall grommets for plumbing, electrical, throttle, choke cables etc. All of these are much easier to install with the engine out and the little touches will make a big difference when everything is back together. I'm assuming you are also degreasing the engine and accessories while it is out as well. Also sooo much easier with the engine out. Obviously check and replace the engine mounts if needed. Access to front end suspension and steering components is also much easier with the engine out if they need to be refreshed. I'm sure I am missing some other obviously things but these were top of mind, as I just did mine.