Zed Head

If I'm seeing things the way I think they are, a 4 speed built after 12/74 uses the same part. You could probably find a 4 speed for under $50. Maybe the guy you bought the recent 5 speed from has one. http://www.carpartsmanual.com/datsun/Z-1969-1978/power-train/transmission-gears/4-speed/from-sep-71/6 http://www.carpartsmanual.com/datsun/Z-1969-1978/power-train/transmission-gears/5-speed/19

I wasn't exactly sure what was meant by over-riders. Never have really understood the purpose of them on a Z, I could see having them on a Bronco or Blazer to tie down the canoe on the roof. I guess they might protect the Z body from a Bronco or Blazer bumper though...

It's a tsunami. Another orange 72. Seems mostly original even down to the coolant hoses, which is scary. Shiny on top, crusty underneath. I had rims like that way back on one of my first cars. https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1972-datsun-240z-161/

I'm no expert but I don't think that that is usable. Besides the broken teeth, the cone surface for the synchro is rusty and maybe scored. It doesn't look like much but is actually a very precisely machined surface that has to fit the synchro surface just right. And, the remaining teeth still look bad. They should be sharper, they've been abused. How does the same part from the other transmission look? @zKars

I like the bumper feelers. How else do you know when you're there? They don't look bad either.

Matte or eggshell.

Today's auction entertainment, if you like watching people spend money. The Black Pearl 78. https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1978-datsun-280z-84/ Reserve not met at $26,000. That paint code means a lot, apparently. Otherwise it's just a crusty old 1978 280Z.

The next wave continues. Crusty underneath but looks pretty good overall. Wouldn't a white dash be cool (neat)? 1973, lots of originality. https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1973-datsun-240z-151/

The blue ZX went for $26,250. Pretty good money, it was in excellent shape though.

No 260Z or 280Z category? How can that be?

Here are some part numbers that might help. @Captain Obvious has modified his car in that area and might have some thoughts. http://www.carpartsmanual.com/datsun/Z-1969-1978/engine-280z/fuel-tank/to-jul-76 http://www.carpartsmanual.com/datsun/Z-1969-1978/engine-280z/fuel-tank/from-jul-76

This is normal for 1978. It's a flaw in the design, but useful for testing the fuel pump circuit. It should only happen when the key is On though. Turn key On, remove sender plug, pump runs. Only 1978 does this.

Several of us have had new aftermarket parts fail soon after install. The seals seem to get damaged because they don't clean the parts before they assemble them. We recommend taking any new aftermarket part apart, cleaning the seals and bores, and reassembling before using. I developed a trick on that clevis pin. Tie a thread through the hole in the pin, then use a wire to thread the thread through the hole in the pedal. Pull the wire through the hole, then the thread, and use the thread pull the pin up to the pedal. Then you can use one finger or a screwdriver to do the final push through the pedal. The thread is thin enough to make it through the hole beside the clevis pin. I could not get my fingers up there even though a PO had created room with what looked a hammer and vise-grips in the past.

Might be better off to just find a 3.9 R200 and have the LSD installed in it using the old gears. The gears seem to be very durable, I've never seen ruined gears described. Probably why the gear seats aren't available, there's no demand. MFactory produces a helical LSD for the R200, also. Seems to be of good quality, cheaper, and easier to find. There's a guy on Hybridz who developed it with them and I think you can get a discount if you go through him. http://www.teammfactory.com/catalog/mfactory/helical-lsd/Nissan

Heat.

Moving on...

Just realized that I was pretty busy in the late 80's/early 90's and pretty much completely out of the car scene. My only car was a 1985 Ford Escort that would occasionally get something stuck in the engine and billow large clouds of oil smoke then miraculously clear up. Eventually it blew a head gasket or cracked something and dumped all of the coolant in to the oil pan. It was a neat little car though, it had a 5 speed stick and was front wheel drive. One of the CV joints was bad, so bad that it was past the clicking stage and was full in to the feel-the-wobbling-shaft stage, but I just drove it anyway, to its death. So I missed most of the cool cars that showed up in that time-frame. Never heard of Conquest or Starion. Why am I sharing all of these old memories...

Chrysler pseudo-Supra. Wonder if it felt like a K-car with fender flares. https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1989-chrysler-conquest-10/

Most people with collar problems either find that the fork hits the back of the transmission hole before full clutch release or that a too long collar jams the pressure plate fingers causing a slipping clutch. You can't fix either of those with an adjustable rod. The rule of 92 is the "guaranteed" method, for those that want to do the job once. I think that some pressure plates probably release with a shorter stroke also. More precise design, shorter levers on the diaphragm springs, thinner cushion springs, stuff like that. So the odds probably depend also on the clutch kit overall design. Interesting topic for sure. Here's the Rockauto pages for the two types. https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/nissan,1971,240z,2.4l+l6,1209158,transmission-manual,clutch+kit,1993 (goes through 1975!) https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/nissan,1978,280z,2.8l+l6,1209260,transmission-manual,clutch+kit,1993 (options are growing - racing clutches)

I knew that 64 was first but I like what they did in 65 to sharpen the lines. It was all straight lines and angles. Found a 64 on BAT, below. I actually bought a 66 GTO body, in high school, and put a Chevy engine in it. The motor mount pedestals unbolted and the swap to Chevrolet from Pontiac was easy. It was basically a Malibu frame with GTO sheet metal. I bought the car half-stripped down, no windshield, interior, engine, transmission. It was a project. Every day was winging it, no clue what I was trying to do. My English teacher thought I was deep in thought about class material but I was really just making a list of all of the parts I needed to get. I picked up a 63 Bonneville 4 door also, for free from a friend's family, after I wrecked the GTO. 389 and four speed automatic. That was a fine machine. I miss those old heavy metal cars. Even the 72 Ford LTD with the 351 Windsor. Smooth motor. https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1964-pontiac-gto-23/

I had a Z and a ZX engine in the garage at the same time for along time but never really looked at the dampers or timing plates. Big picture, your Z damper is older and probably close to failure. But the ZX damper is pretty old too. The ZX damper is probably an improvement over the Z damper, if it's changed. No reason to add mass or size without purpose. I'd get a ZX damper and use that. Just thoughts.. p.s. there are dampers for sale out there that are advertised as 71 - 83. I wonder if people run in to size problems, with the timing plates.

I'd get the ZX plate just because it goes to 30. It's handy for checking that your advance mechanisms work correctly. I've not got in to this issue but the damper pully probably plays in to it also. And it looks like the mounting holes are different but that would mean the timing covers are different. Always something new cropping up.

You're in California. You might not pass the emissions test. That's another "doesn't work with stock EFI" problem. Emissions, smelly exhaust, running lean at high RPM, those are the things that have to be balanced, that people have problems with.

Another clean 78, 5 speed. I don't know how the bumper rubber can last so long. A driver survivor, looks like somebody rattle-canned the undercarriage for the pictures. But none of the usual speed bump, curb jump, incorrect jack placement dents in the subframe rails. https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1978-datsun-280z-82/

There's a plane at 1:10 and more after. Seems like he's by an airfield. You can see the selfie stick or GoPro in his shadow at the start of the video. It seems to me that there is an imbalance in the engine. A weak cylinder maybe. I heard it at idle and while he was driving. Anyone else, confirm/reject?