olzed

I would be cautious using silicone where it has to be applied thick to effect a seal, as on an out of true oil pan. It can extrude in to the motor, and there is the risk of it getting sucked into the oil galleries. I had this on a Massey Ferguson tractor engine a few years back. Use a gasket. Brian.

My bet is Gearbox/ transmission bearings. Unscrew the bung from the bottom of the tranny and let some oil into a clean container. Just a little. No need to drain it all.(You may get some up your arm) Whack the plug back in. Check the contents of your container for metal particles. The oil should be spotless. If not---- Brian

Yes to the grazes. A couple of plasters is all you will need. Make sure you unscrew the nut the correct way, and don't overtighten it. Brian

As Nissanman said, you can get at the speedo cable without taking out the dash .Tight but it is possible. Don't remove the dash just for this.

It's great when a plan comes together. Nice result!!

I echo others sentiments. MSA for me. I have imported from them on a number of occasions, and found the service second to none. Four days to to my door in NZ. We can't get local deliveries any faster.I own what I consider a rare car (72 240) and don' mind paying a bit extra to be able to source parts for it. Brian

Havn't seen this ,but I hope I do, if it ever comes down here. Brian.

So is this event on closed roads, and going for it, or is it a cruise through the countryside? Either way it can be a lot of fun. The Targa down here is held on several closed road stages, with various classes of cars competing.Ex Kiwi Steve Millen (Stillen)has been a competitor in this event. Each stage is preceded by what is known as the Targa Tour, where a fee is paid and you can thrash your car along some nice country roads as quick as you like, with a group of like minded people. Brian.

If you can't find a shifter, you could always put in a five speed.

Put in a diff from an auto car. Higher ratio which will lower your revs. Makes for a nicer drive IMHO. You would need to swap the speedo drive on the gearbox for a different one to correct your speedo reading, but that is very easy done. I have a diff from an auto 3.54-1 ratio in my 72 and it does 3000 at 60 mph in fourth. I never use fifth.

Holy shite. One day I may be able to drive my 240 to the US. Brian.

We can't begin to imagine the horror of this when our feet are on stable ground. Talking yesterday with a friend up from Christchurch. She was in a veterenarian shop when the quake hit. She said the liquefaction erupted through the concrete floor. All the vet instruments and drugs flowed out the door. They finished an op on a cat outside. Is this event in Japan part of the same fault line as the Christchurch quake. ?

Hi. Can anyone identify this for me. I presume an office desk ornament. It's made of thin glass, slightly concave, and about 4 -1.2 inches square. Brian.

Speaking of gas prices, we are currently paying $2.16 per litre for the cheapest stuff in NZ, and it's expected to go higher. Thats over $8 a gallon at a guess. The sooner that the problems are sorted in the Arab countries the better. Sorry to hijack. Brian.

Charge your battery before doing anything else.

Correct.

Your problem could be the small thingy on the top of the starter, with wires going to it. Basicly its an electrically operated switch that carries the heavy current to turn the engine. It's called a 'solenoid' With 40 years of use the contacts become burnt. I had this experience. Brian.

Could be a bit of crud in the fuel tank, getting sucked onto the fuel pipe at odd times. Have you got water into the tank.? Not very likely. I have had this in the past though not on my Zed, given the location of the filler. Brian

As Sarah says. Points . Condenser. Brian.

Thats so cool Rick.Thank you. There are dozens of Aussie search and rescue guys in Christchurch at the moment. Although Auckland where we live is a long way from this event it is such a hard thing to come to terms with. Its like it is not real. Our 45 year old son is an engineer in Auckland, and he had been moved to Christchurch three weeks ago to assist in evaluating the affected areas from the Sept. event. Now they start all over again. Brian.

Like Dave said, only I remove all the plugs so engine spins easily, and warm up the engine first. I had 140-150 on all.

Like Dave---oops

Thanks so much to everyone for your thoughts and messages. It's so much appreciated. The city of Christchurch was just coming right after the September quake, but this last one has devasted large areas of the central business area, and it will take a huge effort and many years to come out of this. Many beautiful and historic buildings have been destroyed, including the magnificent stone cathedral, which was an icon in the city. There are people still trapped at this time 9-00 am Wed. and many deaths. This quake although 6.3 was only five km deep and very close to the city, so the effects were very severe. Water supplies and the sewerage system is out of action, and this after months of repairs from the last quake. Thank you all. Brian.

65 confirmed dead so far. And it's expected to rise.

Our thoughts are with you and yours at this time James. Brian.