Captain Obvious

Well I'm not usually good at spontaneous plans, but I'll try. On the good side, my car is together and running. Up until recently it was torn down a little for some electrical work, but I put the finishing touches on the project(s) a few days ago. Did "my version" of: 1) the headlight relay upgrade. 2) installing an internally regulated alternator. 3) adding a starter relay to take the solenoid current stress off the ignition switch. I say "my version" because like most other things I do, it differs somewhat from the typical approach. I just can't leave well enough alone. Anyway, those electrical projects are done and they work great. I'll try to make it. One thing I really hate is standing in the long line of "the unwashed" of people who didn't pre-register...

Well shoot... This has snuck up on me. Isn't there usually some chatter about the show weeks before it happens? I don't remember seeing any chatter this year. (Not saying it didn't happen... Just saying I don't remember it!) I usually go, but I'm not sure I'm prepared. I guess I'll try?

Haha! Good. Glad you got a laugh out of that. I got a laugh out of your kid watching you burn through the harness. I know it's not funny, but it's good that you can at least make light of it now. Good luck with the project! What am I gonna do when I have to work on the kids cars... I already can't keep up with my own projects let alone those they'll need help on!

Gone all megajolt on us. I'm sure you'll take lots of pics. I've been considering such a mod, but I've still got bigger fish to fry.

The downdraft two barrel? Cobwebs that make it clear you don't drive the Z often enough? Seriously though. If your points are visibly arcing, I suspect your condenser is toast.

I know it's a step backwards in technology, but what are the chances you can go back to a good ol' simple points system? Just long enough to make sure everything is working properly? And then you can start modifying again?

Haha! Yes, I did!

Excellent. Glad you found the issue! It's so nice when you really confirm that you found the real problem instead of just waiting for the problem to come back again. It sounds like you nailed it this time. I'd vote for Zed as well, but my polling place is even farther than Timbuk2. I'm not sure my Z would make the trip.

OK. I think I know WHAT you are doing, but HOW are you doing it?

I agree with the above. Those numbers don't look that bad. You know there is an idle mixture screw on the AFM don't you? It allows for more or less air to go around the AFM vane hence affecting mixture under low lower load (idle and light cruise) conditions. Before you go tweaking the AFM, you might want to try opening that idle mixture screw up a little. Counterclockwise for lean. Clockwise for richer. Adjust the idle mixture screw while you have the sniffer up the pipe. There's some description in the manual about how it should be adjusted. IIRC, you're looking for CO numbers which will indirectly tell you mixture. Sorry if I'm telling you stuff you already knew, but stating the obvious is part of my contract.

The spark in the first video looks a lot healthier than the spark in the second video. The one in the second video looks intermittent like it isn't firing rhythmically. What was different between those two videos? Did you change something on the engine between the two?

Good info there. Only thing I would add is some additional clarification about the piston drop... The jiggley bits on the bottom of the suction piston stalk are a check valve. Slow piston rise and fast piston drop. I've seen some problems with those jiggley bits in the past where the check valve wouldn't seal properly in the up direction and hence there was a lean dead spot when you punched it because the piston went up too quickly. My experience is limited, but I've not seen one with any sort of problem in the down direction.

Don't forget that you can put a filter over the white and still be legal. In the front, you could put an amber lens over a white bulb and have an amber result. Same process for red in the rear, like most brake lights. White bulb, red filter.

Neat tapered piston pic Blue. Not saying that I've seen or heard it all, but that's a new one to me. Do you have any writeup of the inended advantages of that mod?

I think it's a federal reg. No red on the front. No white on the rear. Helps you determine if a car is heading towards or away from you. The "exception" is white back-up lights, but in that situation it's OK because even though it's the rear of the car, it's actually headed towards you.

I'm not up on the details of the different pulley designs, but I do know they changed a bunch of different times over the years. You can't see it in the pics, but the one I was messing with was cracked where the drive key went into the center hub. So since the pulley was already ruined, I figured I couldn't make it any worse! Your machinist must've been very surprised when the pulley ring fell off in his hand. I imagine there were a few choice words said at that point! About your carbs and the suction piston beveling, I've never seen that modification before. Not saying that I'm up on all the carb stuff, but I've just never seen that one even mentioned before. Looks like it couldn't hurt. And as for your order of events, I think it would be a great idea to toss your carbs onto your existing engine and work out all the other infrastructure stuff before you do the swap. It would be just one less variable in the mix when it comes to getting your new engine running well. Good luck with the project and let me know if there's anything I can do from the other end of the country to help!

I'm not sure I understand what you did to the carbs... You took some material off the bottom of the suction pistons? Have you got any pics of that?

Well since you brought up pulley stuff. I don't think I've posted these before... A while ago a local Z buddy of mine had a chipped pulley he gave me to mess around with. Chucked up in the lathe: Cutting from the inside. Using carbide on the cast iron pulley: Converting a two row pulley into a single row: I'm sure there are different designs of pulleys, but I was able to work this one and still have the main pulley still attached to the harmonic rubber. This pulley originally came off a 74 260. Haha!! Am I really grown up??? That would be too bad!

I'm interested in an Amco knob with the Datsun logo. I've got a couple extra stock style 4-speed knobs that I have rebuilt/refurbished. Any interest in trading for a rebuilt 4-speed knob?

I thought it was going to be more like this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmCKvY684WI

Live long and prosper.

Call me a skeptic, but I think a big cap on the alternator is snake oil. The battery is pretty much like a hugely gigantic capacitor already. I could see some benefit to having a small faster reacting cap located right at the alternator or regulator, but a big expensive chromed one is a gimmick.

I've got a newly redone stock system and it's a huge step up from the previous owner debacle I started with. My wallet says I better not go for a ride with someone with a fancy setup!

I'd better get the boys round And do some drinkin fast

I believe that's an oversimplification and it's not that simple. It comes down to "dwell time" and the exponential relationship between time and current which will flow in an inductor. I'll go into the details if you want, but the simple answer would be something like: It all depends on what's controlling the dwell time. If the dwell time is well controlled and is short enough, then you don't need a ballast, but if the dwell time is too long, or if it's not controlled under all conditions (like in a points driven system with the engine off), then you better have a ballast in the system or you'll likely damage something. The electronic ignition systems, especially the newer ones, control the dwell time electronically and can limit the coil current adequately without having to resort to using a ballast. Older systems or mechanical systems do not.