clutchdust

Ad was taken down by author. Must have sold. Didn't see it but there are still free states in the west. We get Kali transplants here all the time. Then they come here and say, "you know what? It would be great if Nevada did what we did in Kalifornia...."

Nice looking so far. Being in SLC, and just the general fact that it's a Z, have you looked underneath for rust? They're notorious for rusting in the subframe legs that run under the floorboard and also in the framerails just before the rear tires and fenders just aft of the rear tires. At the age these cars are now, it's far too common for them to have been "repair" using bondo or some such filler in those areas to mask the cancer. I use a small magnet like those thin flexible kind people use as promotional refrigerator magnets to check. They're strong enough to stick to metal through paint, but not strong enough to stick to metal through bondo.

That does make sense. The question is, do you really know how to do that? I'm not trying to insult you by any means. I remember when I first started to drive, I thought I had it figured out. In my 20's I thought I really knew what I was doing and I was a good driver. In my 30's I got involved in autocross and open track events. That's when I learned what a sucky driver I really was. I'd like to think now that I'm vastly improved but like any skill it takes practice. And as the saying goes, practice makes perfect but the real idiom is perfect practice makes perfect. Sadly, I know this from driving as well as shooting but we guys make lousy students. We let our egos drive us too much. It's hard for us to admit there is someone somewhere (and most of the time many people everywhere) better at a given thing than we are. If you can shelve your ego for a couple days go find a local autocross or track event and get to know some people. You get a ride from a local hot shoe and you'll have a better appreciation for how much you have to learn. I've been doing it now for almost 15 years and I learn things every time I get on the track.

You mean an air/fuel meter? If so, I'll take it. Going to PM.

Damn shame to hear. Sorry about it, and I just cut up a complete 280z that would have made an excellent donor car for the structure. If I had known, I would have kept it and donated it to whoever bought the car. Such is life.

OK, all. Bunch of parts from a 78 2+2 I just parted out. Selling the big stuff (go see my ad in the classifieds ), but any and all this is yours for the cost of shipping. Complete engine bay harness. Almost unmolested, few cut wires but mostly intact. Complete dash harness, no obvious damage.

I have this 78 I'm parting out and yesterday I started pulling the windshield. I was debating on whether to bother keeping the windshield since it had a couple chips in it. But I figured if I could get it out as one piece I could probably just have those chips sealed and at least have a decent back up, just in case. Worked on that damn thing for over an hour, pealing the glue here, pealing the glue there, gentle prying, so on and so forth. I got all the glue freed, or at least I thought, and could get each side out about an inch and just as I'm trying to peel that rubber surround out a little further I hear a "ping". Look and dammit if it didn't crack diagonally almost from one corner to the other. So much for that idea. :mad:

Neat article. I've seen a couple of the Scions around town and kind of admired them. I certainly don't think the looks will carry forward as well as the Z but if I were looking for a new, fun, sporty, little car, that's what I would be looking at. But in the meantime, I'm quite content with my 41 year old Z.

I know this is an old thread but you've heard it now. I took the SUs off mine years ago and put the Arizona Z and 390 on mine. It took a little bit of tuning (with an O2 sensor) to get right but it starts up as soon as I turn the key, no flat spots and good power. And as for the comment about no 90* manifold on a straight motor, ever think that most carbureted v8s have two 90* turns? So if anybody has a 4bbl set up they just can't stand, let me know. They work like a champ.

This sounds very similar to the problem I have going on. I have no turn signals in the rear and no brake lights. I do have flashers and all the lights on the front work the way they're supposed to. All my fuses are good as is my turn signal switch, which I pulled apart, cleaned all the contacts and put a little dielectric grease on the contacts. Right now I have the dash pulled half way out trying to trace out the wiring, but any help you guys can give would be appreciated.

just looking in jegs and they have a 260* cam (they also have a 252* listed as well) for the 2.4-2.8 still available for $136. i'm thinking really hard about doing it so long as i have the engine apart. i still have to reassemble the engine but i've cleaned up the ports on head and i'm putting the arizona Z intake, 390 holley and header on. i figure i might as well take advantage of what i've already done/planned.

got my little datsun "running" again today. it was really struggling at first and only seemed like it was running on one carburator (3 cylinders). i kept it going and it seemed to finally clear the other carb. since i had no tools at the house i decided to drive it over to my shop, about 2 miles away. see where this is going? anyway, once it cleared i thought everything should be pretty good since i had it tuned before i parked it a couple months ago. i figure i just blow the carbs out and i'm golden. right? right. i made the first mile sorta o.k. and then it started to just run flat. i had the pedal floored but i kept slowing down. finally it just stalled. i restarted it and made another 100 feet before it died. this went on for the next 1/2 mile or so. getting progressively worse. i couldn't figure out what the hell was going on with it so <here goes the shooting myself in the foot part> it seemed that it might be running too lean. so i fattened up the carbs. that didn't work so maybe it was actually running to rich, so i leaned them out. maybe carb timing is off so i started tweeking the idle mix screws. i finally got it just across the street from my shop. i figured at this point, maybe i was actually out of gas because i could get it to run for just a few seconds and then it would just die. i didn't think i was out of gas as it still showed above 'E' on the gauge, but gauges have been wrong before. maybe i was sucking the bowls dry. so i walk across the street and grab my service truck, throw a can in the back and grab a couple gallons of gas. i put the gas in and i'll be dammed but it's still not running right. so WTF? then i think maybe, just maybe, there's something else making it look like it's running out of gas. i pull the fuel filter off and i'll be a jack@zz if the sumbich isn't dang near completely blocked. i didn't have a spare but i did have some brake cleaner on the truck so i spray it and tap out all the chunks of crap. funny thing is the car actually runs when it's getting fuel. now i just have to retune the carbs that i totally pharked up jumping straight to check 11. took about 1.5 hours to drive that 2 miles.

that's kind of where i was going with that, but if that block is a better (better condition, more recently refreshed) block, i'd rather do that.

i decided to go out and pull the head off my other Z and have it checked before sinking any more money in the 260 head. i haven't cleaned it yet but it looks much, much better. now here's the part where i need some input from the rest of you. for one thing, the cam has orange paint on it. this may be nothing but i believe this engine may have been rebuilt. the other reason i think it may have been rebuilt is i noticed the pistons have a two valve relief in them. i don't remember the other 240 having that and the 260 pistons certainly don't. the only mark i found on a piston was an 'H'. also, the cylinders look as though they have at least been honed if not bored, as there is virtually no ridge in any of them. now if this turns out to be the case. i may very well abandon the 260 block and use the 240 from that Z. if i did that, what do i need to mix from the 260? isn't the crank longer stroke in the 260 than the 240? if i remember right, i put the 260 crank and rods in the 240 block and pistons and i should have a little screamer.

thanks guys.

a guy here has a 5 speed from an 87 300 listed on craigslist. i'd like to swap in a 5 for my 4 speed. how close is this tranny bolt pattern-wise and dimensions? he also admitted that "chuncks" were coming out (unknown if it's a bearing or synchro) so it will certainly need rebuilding. how expensive/cheap are these to rebuild?

my machinist says he can tell from looking at them that the seats have already been recessed. so here's the latest. tonight i sat down with the head and did some checking. the cam can turn by hand but i would certainly call it "tight". logic (at least mine) tells me that if the head is warped .024" and you can actually see it, bowed in the middle, that the cam towers might be similarly out of alignment. short version, with either the 1&2 or 4&5 tower bolts loose and the others tight, the cam spins pretty freely. i have motor alignment shims at my disposal (for work) and tighening down a couple of .003" under the 1&2 cam towers seems to free it up a bit. i can't seem to find a sweet spot where it's free even when the towers are tight but i'd feel much better if i got the towers milled too. i need to do some more tinkering but i think that ~.003" off the towers on either end should make it about as good as this head is going to get. i'll ask my machinist if he wants to take a stab at it.

this is so much more than what i have in mind for this motor. if it's going to take all that, i'll just check the other one instead.besides, can't i just have .xxx" milled from the center cap and progress out until it spins more freely?

well, this afternoon i bolted the cam towers and cam back in. it doesn't spin freely but i can spin it by hand. as for the origins of this engine, i have no idea. a guy on craigslist posted it and the tranny for free. now my machinist did say he wasn't real impressed by the brass valve seats and suggested i change them to steel. so he is giving me $90 for the machining but he hasn't quoted the valve seats yet. based on what you guys are saying so far i may very well do that.

the machine shop i use (they do better machine work than follow instructions!) did all the machinework on the L26 motor i picked up before checking the head. i was pretty clear i wanted the head checked before doing anythign else. so the verdict? the head is warped .024"! just great. the guy says that if i can put the cam in the head and spin it without binding, they could take that .024" off without a problem. now i do have another complete L24 motor in my '73 sitting out in a field about 80 miles from here. so should i drive out and get the other head, which i don't know if that one is even straight, or should i just go ahead and shave this head? advantages to the L26 head: 1) it's here 2) shaving will bump compression a little, not a bad thing 3) um, it's here 4) the L24 head is unknown condition, it may be warped too possible disadvantages: 1) uneven CR, probably not enough to even measure 2) possible chain tension issues (input?) i'm open to anyone else who has experience with such. man, if was only .005-.010", it wouldn't even be a queston. but .024"? that's a bunch. kind of makes me sketchy.

thanks blake. i'll make a note for the next time i go junk yard hunting. wish me luck. thanks greenZZZ. burn up enough clutchs and it becomes a natural coice.

sounds like some good checklist stuff. i do plan to upgrade to either 16 or 17" wheels in a few months but it will be just about pointless to do if the rod ends are about to fall off.

there has to be some 5 speeds in the local junk yards that will bolt right up to the L26 i'm putting in my '72. i figure a 280zx would be easy but they're getting kind of scarce. any other good donor cars that won't require much modification to fit?

it already has the front dam but everything else needs to be checked/fixed. i already knew that everything needed work. i did wake it from a 12 year slumber in a field a couple years ago. even when it was parked, i think it was all orginal. the only things i've replaced so far was the tires.

i got the Z running again for the first time in almost a year. I took it out today and got it up to 80 on the freeway. granted, it was a bit of a windy day but jeez, this is a little car. i was getting blown all over the place! i know i need new struts but just damm. oh well, just one more thing on the project list.