Zed Head

Might be this guy. https://twitter.com/yassy834

I was kidding. It looks like him though. I think he's wearing football pads. Maybe I can translate some of the comments and see who it is. Yes, shame about Jaws dying. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Kiel

How much are you planning to spend? Your engine seems to have seen a lot more abuse than most. You might want to do a thorough inspection before buying parts. That $450 combo might be a deal once you add up the cost of parts to fix what you have. Cam + rocker arms + pistons + bore + >>>

This thread might not be a good idea but I came across this video that I need to share. There seems to be quite a bit more foreign content on the old youtube site recently. Maybe I haven't been paying attention though. Jaws from the Bond film wins a motorcycle race.

Like the picture in the FSM.

Seals just get pressed in until they are flush with the surface they are being inserted in to. That's about it. Tap, tap, tap around the edges or on a blcok of wood on top of the seal. Done when the front edges are flush. Here;s a picture from the 73 FSM showing your slinger/thrower and key, as they should be. The early FSM's with their pictures are sometimes better than the drawings. Since the key is circular on the bottom you could take a wide punch or steel bar (or brass or aluminum) and just tap/beat on the raised portion of the key to try to break it free. It's raised up in the back because it rode up the back of the keyway on the curved bottom when the last guy installed the damper. Or, since you have a new slinger you could just bend that old one out of the way to give you more room and tap the key from the back.

That area is easy access. Try the sealant, if it leaks, go for the removal. It sees the same pressure and vacuum as the valve cover gasket. If it snapped while installing though, it should be very easy to back out. Unless you used thread-locker. Shouldn't even need to drill it. Why would would you even torque those little screws? Maybe you confused inch-pounds with foot-pounds? Those are tighten to feel screws. But I see the Allen head. You can apply a lot of force through an Allen head.

I think it's 100. It's the reference point for all of the other numbers.

One of your pictures, and the damage you've found, made me wonder about the camshaft. Might be a performance, high lift cam. A picture will tell, look for new stamps on the ends. The lobes will have a smaller base circle if it's a regrind. Detonation causes damage that looks like foreign object damage. Might be that somebody built a "race" engine. Check your head also to see if it's been shaved.

Paint 3D. Tried to get a 3 way comparison. The original CanTechZ color has more "pop".

I wonder if somebody could build a U-shaped device that you could slip over a nut on the threaded end of the shaft. Then you could turn the nut against the inside of the U-shape to push the lock bolt out. Heat on the piece at the end would also cause expansion that might be enough to loosen the fit on the shaft.

You could use a drill and a piece of hose to turn the input shaft and run it through the gears. With no load you won't need a clutch. Or you can just stop turning while you change gears. At least you'll know that things spin in each gear and don't pop out. It's possible to get everything put together with two gears engaged. So at least spin the input shaft by hand to be sure you didn't do that. Did you remove the clutch pivot pin/ball? If you did you'll want to seal the threads on it. I had a wrecking yard transmission that had a leaky pivot pin and you couldn't tell until it was installed and you drove it.

Someone asked about using the computerized paint matching. I've done it for house paint and it's amazingly accurate. If you have a part that hasn't seen sunlight, like the inside of the gas fill port cover, or a chunk of the sound deadener under the spare tire, you'd probably get a good match. They don't need a big piece.

2+2+5 =$14,280. https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1978-datsun-280z-22-9/?utm_source=dm&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2021-03-30

179 x .8 = 143. You are right on the edge. Most engine builders today use 10%, not 20% (actually 80% of highest by Nissan's description). Your backfiring and popping could be caused by "missing". Raw fuel in the exhaust pipe.

Did you measure cylinder pressure correctly? Do the SU's require a person to prop the pistons open? Seems like they'd block flow otherwise. That is a lot of variance, you have some weak cylinders, if you used the proper procedure. With the popping and backfiring you're seeing, I'd guess that you have some leaky valve seats. A leakdown test will tell you a lot. Some people simplify the leakdown test and just push air in to each cylinder, and listen for leaks. Crankcase, exhaust pipe, or intake manifold. I'm going to guess that your engine is damaged or just worn. Your plug gap looks right for your Pertronix. You're using the Ignitor I which is not the high energy system. You can't run a big gap with that one. The SU's are known to leak at the throttle blade shafts. @Captain Obvious and others have written about it.

Paul Revere and The Raiders, somehow, led me to here...

Are you bidding? Don't want competition? No link. That's pretty good money for a fiberglass 240Z.

I bought a 78 parts car cheap mainly for the 5 speed. I ended up using the engine in my 76, it was in much better shape. Just planting a seed. Your engine looks like somebody has spent too much time in there. I don't think that Nissan numbered the pistons so the mismatch you saw might not be important. I see some pretty deep scores in the cylinder you showed, so you might need new pistons anyway. But then you're looking at pistons, a bore job, rings, all the extras...spendy. Any L6 engine up to 1984 will drop right in. A 280ZX parts car with a 5 speed would be a nice find.

You should just do a light sanding and a clear coat on the exterior. It has character.

Pictures would be neat. Are the ends bare metal or painted? Who made them? I think that factory springs are all flattened to fit the seats. My 280Z springs were. Use the @ to notify Carl Beck. He still visits. You'll probably want to post some details, like part numbers and stuff. @Carl Beck

The super silver is selling today. Doing pretty well. $36,000 and a bidding battle in progress. Edit - didn't sell. That's what happens when you modify. The value is personal. Maybe not objective. https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1973-datsun-240z-153/

How about a shot of the bottom of the cylinder head? You can stand them on end, they'll balance. Seems like somebody over-revved, or had some stuck valves in the past, or didn't get their cam timing right during install. The dings are covered with soot so they're not fresh. Check your cylinder head number too, see if it's an N42, that would have come on a 75 engine.

Sunday might be the best day to end an auction. $42,240 for a 72 that's nice but doesn't seem that nice, plus it has a sunroof (no offense to the buyer. Or the seller). Green is a good color though. The seller apparently had a reserve set higher than the final, but took it off. Must have been close. https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1972-datsun-240z-171/

And another silver car. Crusty 71 4 speed. https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1971-datsun-240z-171/