beermanpete

The use of any washer in the hub assembly that would affect the bearing preload is suspect considering there was a grading and matching process of the hub and collar used during the original manufacture. The use of washers (shims, really) would require the distance collar to be intentionally short and the bearing preload would be set-up using shims. In this case the shims would need to be hardened, precision ground, and available in a suitable array of thickness to allow proper set-up of the assembly. Since Nissan does not offer such shims nor mention them in the service manual it seems reasonable to assume the presence of the copper washers in Matthew's car are there in error and should be left out of the assembly. As The Captain already advised, the collar and hub should be measured and proper set-up verified before final assembly.

Ah. I did not know that. Thank you.

The first side axle made to allow using the Subaru STI LSD in a 240Z with the stock drive axles was made by John Coffey at Beta Motorsports. John sold the design to Wolf Creek Racing. What Wolf Creek Racing has done with the design I do not know. I have John's side axles in my Z and they are holding up fine so far. I use my car for time trialing so the usage hours/milage are low but always at high loads and speeds. The engine is stock so the power level is moderate.

My car, a '73 240Z, did not have any copper washers in-between the bearings and the distance collar (piece?). How would a soft part in that location help? It seems like a mistake to me because it would crush when tightening the lock nut and/or over time.

I do not know what the lengths are.

I prefer to make the valve adjustment while the engine is cold. It far easier to work cold on and I am not racing against time as the engine cools. Note the clearances are smaller when cold. Use two wrenches so you can hold the adjusting nut while turning the lock nut. There is some interaction and it takes patience and a few tries to get each setting correct.

All the Z engines I have worked on have studs in all positions.

The "little port" is for a hose that goes to the throttle opener. The clip is shown in the fuel system section with a hose but the copy I have is not clear enough to determine which hose it is. The holes along the top look factory to me. Check the edges of the holes for paint. If these are factory holes they will be painted. A mod by a previous owner may not be painted or it might not match the original color correctly.

I would take option C, mostly since I do not have a welder. The muffler shop can bend and stretch the pipe to get it to fit well and be reliable.

A few thoughts: Make sure the brake pads and calipers are cleaned well. Dirt on the sliding surfaces can cause squeaks. Also, the Triumph TR6 and a few other British cars us the same pads. Perhaps anti-squeak shims from those cars would fit and help (if you can find any).

Yes, it is possible the ballast resistor has changed value over time. The '72 service manual indicates the correct value should be 1.6 ohms. This is at ambient temperature (68 degrees F). If you just ran the car the resistor will still warm and will measure too high. The voltage measured at the positive terminal of the coil will vary with engine speed, points dwell angle, and other variables. As I recall my car ('73) was closer to 9 volts at idle. Before chasing ghosts or your tail, replace the coil (you already know it is bad) and check all the basic stuff: points condition, dwell angle, primary wiring, etc. If the car still is not running right look at the less likely stuff.

I would use the original ballast resistor unless it is bad. The original ballast is wired such that the starter bypass only shunts one section of the ballast. Presumably, this is to keep the circuit resistance large enough to protect the electronic ignition module from an overload during cranking. Make sure your new coil has the correct primary resistance (0.5 ohms).

There are differences year to year in the exhaust manifolds and bolt spacing at the joint with the pipes. The first thing to do is find a manifold and pipe set that match and fit with each other. Hopefully you have a gasket that fits the set. If not, they are easy to purchase.

This is the check valve. I removed these from my car when I installed disk brakes in the rear. Disk brakes don't need check valves. When you get a chance, try taking them out and see if it helps.

Your fuel/air mixture rations seem ok to me. It is suppose to lean out a bit at cruise. If it running ok leave it.

One possible cause not already mentioned is a check valve in the master cylinder output port that is holding pressure in the line. Take the adapter fittings out of the ZX master (where the brake lines attach) and look for check valves.

Good. Any chance your timing light is the problem? Do you have another to check it against?

I have a feeling you're missing something. The oil pump drive shaft position won't have any effect on the timing mark accuracy. If you have to set the timing for what appears to be 35 degrees to get the engine to run right something is wrong with the timing marks. Perhaps the harmonic damper has shifted since the engine was first assembled. Check the timing marks again.

When you cover the rear carb with your hand does fuel get in the air horn and on your hand? Try turning the base idle screw in the rear carb in (the "do not adjust this" screws, as CO calls them) a turn or two.

Good to hear you have it running. I doubt the 180 out issue is due to the E12-80 distributor but it could be assembled incorrectly. I went through a similar issue with my car but with the breaker points distributor.

I am in "The Valley". I assume you mean the San Fernando Valley. I will help you but I am busy this weekend. Do you get any spark?

The factory service manual lists the valve clearance as: In Ex Hot 0.010" 0.012" Cold 0.008" 0.010"

I support the Reline MT-90 recommendation. I have also used Brad-Penn GL-4 gear oil with good results.

I have a Simpson 260 VOM, a off-brand DMM, and a Bluepoint analog Tach/Dwell meter. The modern DMMs typically have a diode test function and a continuity beeper that are handy at times. Generally I prefer analog meters however.

+1 for starting at the begining. Check all the mechanical settings. If you still have breaker points in the ignition system you can set the point gap and timing without running the engine. The ballast resistor should be 1.6 ohms. The voltage at the ballast should be 12 volts on the battery side and about 9 volts on the coils side at idle.