J Shara

On a side note, just picked up a 79 L28 with matching 5 speed trans lol. Just to have it. ? It's an F54 block and a P79 Head. I've heard different things about the P79 head and when I get around to rebuilding/modifying it, I may just buy a different one.

Does the oil flow around the cam tower mounting bolt? It would have to right? And what about the mouse trap springs could they get weak with age and cause a problem?

Cyl 4

Cyl 5

Cyl 6

Cyl 3

Cyl 2

This is cyl 2

I am about 25 mins north east of baltimore in harford county. I also removed the oil filter and blew some compressed air back through the cam towers and the end ones had no back flow of air but the middle one did. I could see it go through to the cam main journal bit it felt different from the other towers. I might try and remove the cam and the middle tower and inspect it but at that point I might as well just pull the head ?. I am gonna order new rocker arms and lash pads, the cam is a given. I wonder if I should get new valve springs as well at least for the affected cylinders, not all the lobes are burnt. This is cyl 1.

OK so I finally had some time to do some more digging on my Z. It has the original externally oiled camshaft that was in the car when I got it. I set the lash to the spec as per the FSM. I run 10w30 in it with one bottle of Lucas oil stabilizer. I have since taken the plugs out and with the valve cover off cranked the hell out of it. And with the spray bar removed as well I get no oil coming out of the cam towers. But the entire time I was running the car, the oil pressure read fine and the engine never knocked or anything. Is it possible that the oil passages in the head alone could be clogged? Also does the center cam tower supply oil for the entire cam?

Hello everyone. It's been awhile since I've signed on, and to be honest it's been awhile since I've touched my old Z. I was running the car all last summer, and it ran great. It had great power, and pulled really strong. I'm running ZTherapy rebuilt SU's which I synced and tuned, pertronix ignitor, and just an MSA 6 to 1 header. I rebuilt the engine but had the head sent out to Mancini machine, where I know they re surfaced it, and I can only assume they checked, repaired, and assembled the head correctly, as this was some years ago. I was driving the car one day and I thought the valve train sounded louder than normal so I preceeded to pop the cover off and check my valve clearances. I found that a few lobes on my cam are black, not shiny like the others. I also noticed that the oil is dark for how new it is. I'm wondering if I ran the valve clearances too tight on these valves and damaged the surface hardening of the cam. I ran Lucas oil stabilizer in this engine when I was driving the car as well. Also used some ethanol fuel treatment in the gastank. Any feed back would be greatly appreciated.

Good point. Thanks beermanpete. I'll definitely have to check my connections and grounds. But the car suffered this problem before the electric pump was installed too. I think I could have a few things going on electrically and fuel related. Back to the garage

Yea that is what it does. Ok so I can rule out the alternator, and battery cause I tested the battery, and swapped the alternator with the one from my parts car. I also put a new fuel filter on it today, and it looked like to me, even with the electric pump running, the filter fills slowly and stays relatively empty. Im thinking clogged fuel line. After the car was turned off I noticed the filter filled. Also before I installed the electric pump, I verified with my meter 11.5 volts at the factory pump wires.

Well the ammeter kind of flickers between 0 and what I'm guessing is like 10 or 20 amps cause the scale is from -60to60. What should a normal reading be when the engine is running?

Ok so here goes. I've been trying to drive my Z around lately because I just got it road legal and I thought I had it running beautifully. But it seems that after 20 or 30 mins. of driving, or after the car warms up, it falls on its face, loses power, stumbles and the exhaust note changes. What I cant understand is how one minute it'll have full power and sound/ drive amazing, and the next minute, it becomes lethargic. Also noticed that the temp gauge flies up past the red mark, the amp gauge freaks out and when I have the lights on and step on the brakes the dash lights dim. I also noticed that when I rev the engine with the lights on they get brighter. Could I have a failing voltage regulator or alternator. The regulator is new, or it was 2 or 3 years ago but the alternator is original. I tested voltage at the coil and it read between 14 and 15 volts. Static battery voltage with the engine off was 14 volts as well. 15 seems a little high to me. Car has a pertronix installed too. I couldn't get it to act up while it was idling though. Its like it only happens when the car is moving. Car will sit there and idle all day long. But then a couple runs through the gears and bleh. Any thoughts would be appreciated. I just installed an airtex electric fuel pump or the rx-7 fuel pump on it today thinking it would solve my " failing fuel pump issue but I don't think that is it. Unless I have a clogged fuel line, but that wouldn't explain how the car runs fine sometimes. I am really stumped on this one.

yea those cork gaskets do suck

I'm in Harford county. I've driven the car a few times since this happened and it only happened one other time. It appears to happen when its very hot out, if I drive the car continuously, and after I get on the throttle a bit. Is it possible the non vented gas cap could have something to do with it?

Ok so now I had a bad day with the z . Shes finally road legal. Got the tags and everything today. And wouldn't you know it, I'm fairly certain the fuel pump took a dump. Car was running fantastic this morning. Stopped at BP and put some mid grade in the tank about 7 gallons. Then 15 mins later I noticed the first hesitation. Eventually it woldnt run long or good enough to make it up a small incline. Pulled over on the side of the road and popped the float bowl chamber covers and the front carb was empty. I also checked the lines off the fuel rail and into the carbs by blowing through them and they were not clogged and I could hear coming through the bowl vent. : ( Luckily a kind man who's house I was in front of, lent us his air compressor and we sent a fair amount of pressure through the rail. So im certain that's not clogged. Any thoughts?

Hey man that's a nice looking Z. Some day ill own a 280. Hows rusty is she? Looks pretty clean from the pics.

Yes keep old parts or try to sell them, or hand them in for cores. Although many aftermarket parts are available for our Z's, certain parts are becoming or are already impossible to find. I found a place that will rebuild my original horns but at a high cost of 280 per pair. I made the mistake of getting rid of some sheet metal on my car and I recently landed an apprentice ship at a hot rod shop learning how to fix rust and do body work. Go figure. I saved the original hatch from my car though, and plan to repair it and keep it as a spare. BTW I have a lot of 240 z parts that I am willing to sell. Shoot me an e-mail or a PM if your looking for something.

Yessir. Its been 6 long years haha. But you know project cars truly are never done, I think I may install a zx five speed and 3.90 diff some day .

Thank you!