Zed Head

Waiting might be the ticket, if you can. I had the same thing, with a rusty stub sticking out of the block, about two vice-grip jaws worth. Over about two days I heated it, sprayed it with PB Blaster, let it cool, gave it a few torques to test it, then heated and sprayed again. Eventually one of the "torques" started it moving. Mine was broken because of coolant leakage and rust. The rust will fill every crevice over the thousands of heat cycles it sees, so the penetrant takes quite a while to penetrate through that.

Not even a weep. I think that it's a factory original 1978 engine, looks like it's never had work done on it.

I don't think that you'll be able to use the turbo distributor since the turbo ECU uses a Crank Angle Sensor (CAS) to control timing. No vacuum or mechanical advance in the turbo distributor, just spark distribution (and maybe the CAS, depending on year of L28ET). You might have to change the distributor drive shaft from the turbo motor oil pump also. I believe that it's different and fits the turbo distributor. Fairly simple to do, as I understand it. The turbo engines work well enough with low compression when off-boost so it should get you by with the 240Z distributor and carbs. Tuning the carbs could be a challenge. Don't forget to remove the adapter from the crankshaft if the turbo car was an automatic.

My heater control lever goes from cold to full hot within about 3 mm of lever movement. I've considered a better setup also. Maybe a ball valve with a cable (like a throttle or choke cable) run to the control lever. Really, the whole vacuum-operated AC control system could probably be removed and replaced with a simple set of cables. None of the settings really blow the right air at the right temperature to the right places. I spend about as much time adjusting the AC controls while driving as I do shifting gears.

No offense Hardway, but I wouldn't squirt any brake cleaner through the lines unless you know that you can get it all back out, which is unlikely with all of the twists and turns. It has a much lower boiling point than brake fluid and might screw things up if traces were left. Plus, the seals in the system aren't designed for brake cleaner. Seems like a good idea in concept, cleaning the lines out, but, kind of like engine crankcases should only have oil in them, brake systems should only have brake fluid. Brake fluid is actually a really good solvent itself, as many have found out when they got some on their paint.

Oliver at zspecialties.com knows all about them. Rebuilds them too, but only if the tube is intact. He usually answers e-mails. I think that you're right about its purpose as a control device. The idea is probably for BTU or calorie control, limiting flow as temperature (heat content) increases, so that you don't have to move the heat control lever as the engine heats up. The concept probably looked great on paper.

Are you sure it's not the slave or master cylinder of the clutch linkage? Reverse, since it's not synchromesh, is usually the first gear set to show the effects of bad clutch linkage.

If the voltmeter shows 12 or more volts but drops to zero when you turn the key to Start it might just be dirty battery cable connections. Pretty common.

You have to loosen the bolt in the center of the pulley also. Then you can tap on the top of the adjustment bolt to knock it down.

B+ is the battery positive post, or any wire connected to it. If you have the connection from Pin 1 to the coil negative and you're getting spark, then the injectors should be firing. The ECU "counts" 3 sparks then fires the injectors. You can actually test the system by grounding the coil negative three times and listening, or looking if you have a christmas tree light, for injection. You might try that before you decide to try another ECU. Connect a jumper wire to the coil negative, turn the key to Run and tap the jumper to ground. Tap, tap, tap, etc. Every three taps you should get a click or light from the injector circuit. It's an easy test and takes out the noise and voltage drain of the starter. All you're doing when you tap the jumper to ground is energizing and discharging the coil, which creates a spark and gives the ECU one count through Pin 1. Don't leave the jumper wire touching ground or you'll overheat the coil.

Since you don't have a ton of knowledge to describe the problem, a video might be your best shot. Lots of exhaust, and snap, crackle, pop are hard to diagnose. Some people spend a lot of time and money to get those two things. What were you doing before the change happened? Winding it up, going through the gears, drifting? Just asking, that would be a good clue.

It could even be as simple as grease on a brake pad. Tim B. said the car was getting painted so he might not be back for a while.

The stiff pedal could be a booster problem. Does the idle speed change when you press on the brake pedal? You'll have to do more investigation as to why it pulls. Take the front wheels off and have a look. Pressure should be equalized left and right (hydraulics) so even air in the lines shouldn't cause it to pull. Air in the lines leads to a spongy-feelng pedal.

Have you checked continuity on Pin #1 at the ECU connector to the coil negative post? In case you missed that test. Looks like you covered the others.

Are you getting spark? The ECU uses the voltage from the negative post of the coil to determine when to fire the injectors. Also, and apparently this isn't the same for everyone, the ECU on two cars I've worked on, a 76 and a 78, needed to have the tachometer connected to fire the injectors. Not exactly sure why, although I have a theory, but I have confirmed it. Anecdotally, the resistor in the circuit to the tachometer fell out of my 76 and the engine wouldn't start until I found it and re-installed it.

3. It's actually a switch coming from the block below the master. It completes the circuit to the red brake light in the speedo (tach? - one of them) when there is enough pressure imbalance to move the switch forward or backward.

Did Eiji do port work on the head or is a stock N42 head? Vicariously curious...

I was just trying to get off the simple high CR needs less timing theme and get in to some details. A good tune on the dynamometer would be interesting after the seat of the pants, to see how good your seat is, and just for some good information on a Datsun Spirit motor. Seems like one session might be worthwhile, considering the investment. On the other hand, it would be money that could be spent elsewhere.

So, with 10.5:1 calculated CR would you rather have a long duration or a short duration cam, to avoid detonation?

Compare the duration and lift of his cam to a stock cam. It's probably why there was initially some piston-valve conflict. Cylinder pressures probably a little lower than if he had 10.5:1 on a stock cam. Will there be dyno tuning?

I'm just guessing, but it could be a sign of a clogged PCV valve, which would be easier to fix than valve seals. If you look in the Emissions section of the FSM, you'll see a diagram of the flow pattern of the gases from the crankcase under different conditions. Under normal, mid-range RPM conditions, that hose adds a little bit of air to replace what the PCV clears out in tot he intake manifold. Under high RPM conditions, blow-by can push gases through both hoses, as described in the chapter. Worth a look at the diagram and a read. My old engine did have worn valve seals and more blow-by than my current newer engine. The valve cover hose was oilier inside and my throttle body gummed up once. When I took the head off and set it aside, there was oil leaking down the valve stems on to the valve heads within hours. It burned about a quart of oil every 1500 miles. The newer engine is much cleaner, no residue in the hose.

The items you've showed in your pictures won't really be affected by using polyurethane over rubber. Have you experienced a car with polyurethane bushings or are you just going off accounts from the internet? Different suspension and drivetrain mounting points will be affected differently by the type of material. A blanket "polyurethane is harsh" statement doesn't mean much.

Are you talking about the seals? Isn't the excess trimmed off? Here's a summary from the Monroe book - Put silicone sealant in side-seal groove Install cap and tap in until 1/8" from bottom Oil side seals and insert in groove, push to bottom of channel Snug cap bolts Insert nails, press or tap down until flush Trim ends of seals, leaving 1/16" Don't know if that helps but it's in the book, but with more detail

How about a fuel pressure gauge installed so that you can check it when the problem occurs? A direct, immediate measurement as the problem is happening. Might help narrow the range of possible causes.

The ECU grounds the injector power when a signal from the coil negative post comes through the blue wire to Pin #1 on the ECU. Every third spark. That's when the injectors open. No Pin 1 connection to coil negative, no grounding, no fuel through the injectors. Tests are described in the Engine Fuel section of the FSM. They're fun. Having the rail hooked up backward wouldn't cause the no-fuel issue, but it would cause other problems, like excess fuel pressure.