Randalla

I'm in the process of refurbishing my 240Z taillights and have run into a problem. The Philips screws that hold the taillight to the rear panel all came out easily on one side, but two of the screws on the other side just spin, so I can not take the light out. Has anyone had this issue and solved it without damaging taillight housing?

inline6, this is excellent reference. Thank you for posting this. What are your intentions on your project? Looks like you're prepping for a re-spray. Will you respray something approximating the original undercoat and then spray color?

Just a quick update for anyone interested in my Float-Sync tools. I've sold roughly 20 sets since early April and when the stock I have is gone, I'll likely not be producing more. You can find them on e-bay or you can order from me directly at datsun.floatsync@gmail.com, and save yourself $5.00.

Very interesting AK260. This confirms my experience running 5-6 different profiles and monitoring an AFR meter I mounted on my steering column. My fresh built 2.8L motor has dished pistons (turbo block), an E88 head with port work and un-shrouded valves. I'm running a 276 lift, 480 duration cam and a 2 1/2" exhaust with straight through glass-pack. I used dished pistons to eliminate any possibility of detonation when setting total timing at 36 degrees, even though compression is down. With the SB needles the car runs very strong on the dyno, 180 hp at the wheels (roughly 220-230 at the crank). Torque was 225 ft. lbs. As a regular driver, the SB needles were too rich at lower RPMs for my liking. Couldn't stand the smell. I ended up defaulting to TF needles, which ended up being a compromise I could live with. Your chart shows exactly what I've experienced. Great to actually see it diagrammed. Thanks!

While the picture of the underside of Jim's car is obviously not the kind of paint job the body got, it sure looks like more than over-spray. It has been rewarding to uncover factory paint underneath as I go. As an aside, I'm not a fan of seeing the ragged pinch weld along the bottom of each side, which is typically a little beat up. I've resorted to straightening any "jacked" edges, sanding the outside edge, and then masking and spraying it semigloss black. No, it's not factory but to my eye it really cleans things up when viewing the car in profile.

Thanks to both of you for the great reference. My 1972 Z has been in AZ all its life and I've begun cleaning the bottom up. It appears the underside of my car has a lot of road grime, but no factory undercoating. I've found that a combination of using kerosene and/or hot steam loosens the grime, that can then be wiped off with an absorbent towel. It's definitely slow going but the results are looking like it will be worth the effort. I'm probably one of the few anal enough to actually care. I'll post some images as I make progress. Thanks again

I'd like to find a complete description of how the underside of a 240Z (floors, inner fenders, components, etc.) was finished from the factory. I have to believe there must be a post on here somewhere, but I have searched on a number of topic descriptions to no available. Can anyone help? Thank you.

Looking for a set of 70mm Epsilon Southern Ways center caps, either OEM or reproduction. I found a post here on the site that indicated someone (69clark) was re-producing the caps, but after sending a PM and not hearing back I thought I'd post it here. Thanks!

Recently picked up a set of Epsilon 3-piece wheels. They're in great condition but I will be re-finishing the centers and buffing the barrels up. I'm considering having the centers powder-coated rather than painted. Thoughts? Recommendations?

Recently picked up a set of Epsilon 3-piece wheels. They're in great condition but I will be re-finishing the centers and buffing the barrels up. I'm considering having the centers powder-coated rather than painted. Thoughts? Recommendations?

Do you know if your vacuum advance is working? If not, I would suggest that you check timing at 2500 rpm (total advance). Timing at idle is not all that important, since you spend very little time time behind the wheel at idle. For the best performance, you should set timing at 34-36 degrees with a largely stock motor. If you get detonation dial it back a few degrees. If you're feeling particularly adventurous you can begin experimenting with different needle profiles. In my motor, which is modified, I get the best performance with SB needles, though they are too rich for everyday driving. FYI, I've switched from using ATF damper fluid to 20 wt fork oil, which you can find online or at your local motorcycle shop.

zKars had a great thought using rubber "O" rings on the outside of the site glasses to mark the desired fuel level. I headed down to my local hardware store to look for a pair that would be the right size. For those interested in doing the same, the size I found that seems to work well is 3/16" x 5/16" x 1/16." It's a stretch fit, but they will likely stay put as a result. The only down side is they are 1/16" thick so you can't see the whole tube. I intentionally did not scribe or mark lines when designing the tool as I know some may want to experiment with different levels. The "O" rings are a nice solution, as they can be easily moved to suit individual users.

Sorry, I see I said "website" for ordering, in my previous post. I should have said email address- datsun.floatsync@gmail.com.

Sorry, I see I said "website" for ordering, in my previous post. I should have said email address- datsun.floatsync@gmail.com.

I just received the final components for my Float-Sync tool this morning, and now have roughly 25 sets available for sale. Save yourself $5.00 by ordering directly from my website at datsun.floatsync@gmail.com. Price, including shipping, is $70.95. Product is also available on E-bay for $74.95. Thanks for the interest and the kind words of my previous customers.

Please be advised that the new Float-Syncs have glass, not plastic site glasses. Be careful etching a groove as they may be prone to break along that line. I actually like the "O"ring idea. If they're thin and tight they should stay put.

I will likely have new Float-Syncs back in stock and ready to ship by next Wednesday. One of my suppliers says my parts are in the mail and I will receive them on Monday. I think you will find these much more precise, and you can see the fuel level in both carbs with the car running. Maybe some of my former customers can vouch for Float-Sync.

This looks to me like fuel has been leaking from somewhere for a long time, given the color of the stain. Here are a few things to check. First, make sure your float level is not set too high. If it's too high, gas may be coming out the vent tube on the fuel bowl lid, or more likely, given what I see in your pictures, your float bowl lids need new gaskets. Still it's unusual for this to happen unless very aggressively driving and sloshing fuel. I would also check to see that your fuel is not leaking due to a pin hole leak or poor sealing of the hose clips. Obviously this is an issue you should address ASAP. One of two conditions would cause that fuel stain

Yes, late summer is for 240Z bars only. I'm hoping to get a tooling estimate in the next 60 days for 260/280Z taillight bezels to see how feasible it may be to produce them.

I communicated with my supplier this past week about the taillamp bars. Production is currently down, but it looks like there may be enough interest to warrant reproducing some additional sets. I'll post up when they are back on stock, but that may not be until the end of summer.

Thanks guys for the kind words. Steve J, I'd love to be able to offer chrome surrounds for 260 and 280Zs but I believe the tooling would be cost prohibitive. I will however, check with my supplier. A friend from Vegas and I worked together re-chroming good 260/280 cores a couple years ago, but it soon became impossible to find cores good enough to strip and re-plate. These actually turned out to be higher quality and a bit heavier than OEM, as they were electrochrome plated rather than the less expensive process.

I previously produced and sold about 120 sets out, over a five year period. I'm giving serious consideration to producing another batch, but wanted to gauge interest first, as my cost is rather steep and I don't want to get stuck with a mess of them. These are OEM quality or better, with the mold marks for left and right sides and come with install instructions and fasteners. I expect the price to be in the area of $130 a pair. Those of you who have purchased some of the first batch will hopefully vouch for the quality. Any interest?

Makes perfect sense. I think it was about the same time that NHTSA was founded and began instituting new rules. Thanks Carl.

Carl, once again you impress by your depth of knowledge. Both my Series 1 cars are late, 13,000+ and 19,000+. Based on your last post I obviously wouldn't have had a 2400cc valve cover from the factory on either one, which I don't. Any idea about the date or VIN# when the "holed" steering wheels replaced the "plugged" wheels? My 19,000 VIN car has the plugged wheel. I'm guessing that may have been carried through all the Series 1 cars, But am not sure.

Carl, you truly are a wealth of information! Based on what you posted I can only conclude that the hatch and glass on my car must have been replaced fairly early in the car's life. For what reason is any ones guess. Appreciate the informative post ups.