Captain Obvious

Haha!! Sounds like a plan! Osteopath, when you're fully back on your feet and are accepting company, let me know. I'd be happy to perform an autopsy on that device and figure out what it is. "C". Duh.

Hahaha!! :: Is that all you got? I had vultures storing carrion in mine!!

Chuck, Aren't you always there with parts? Here's to hoping I can make it too.

Well I'll be... I just measured a couple of the balls and came up with my (uncalibrated) mic in the shop and came up with just under .1250 for the ball diameter. So it seems they are 1/8 and NOT metric. I won't attest to the sub thousandth accuracy of what I measured, but it's clear that they are NOT 3mm or 3.5mm. One of the things I noticed when messing with these bearings a while ago is that they are not packed with a full complement of balls. I bet you could get at least one additional one ball and maybe more packed into the race if you wanted to. I assume Datsun left it a little loose because they didn't want drag there and it's a low stress/speed application. But the point is, if you get some 1/8 balls from McMaster and they're a tiny bit bigger than stock, they should still work. So it sounds like a plan! Order a baggie and let us know how it turns out!

I wouldn't hold out great expectation that dropping generic balls into an existing race would be trouble free. I also wouldn't hold out great hope that the balls in the original bearings are imperial dimensioned either. I haven't measured one, but I would expect them to be metric. I still have the bearings that I pulled out of that steering column. Most of the rest of the column is gone by now, but I saved the bearings for just such an occasion. I was planning to put one of the two into the top of my 280 column, but I'll still have one spare after doing that and you're welcome to it if you wish. So I'll measure the balls from my bearings and let you know what size they are, and failing being able to find a suitable replacement, I'll hook you up. You gonna be at Carlisle again this spring?

In other words, what Zed Head is saying is that the K&N filter that fits into the stock snorkel also is a waste of time and money.

Once I had the shaft out of the center, I tapped the bearings out using a long wood or brass rod tapping from the far end. The bearings are press fits into the column tube, but it's not a very tight press. Work your way around the perimeter tapping gently and you can walk them out. Then once you get the bearing assy out, you can pop the retaining ring and lose the balls. So new bearings still available from Nissan?

That's really odd. I guess every location and mfgr has their own additive package and some of them are different enough to notice. Wouldn't be surprised if there were also govt regulations and requirements in the mix as well. And Thanks for the thanksgiving wishes.

That would be awesome. Maybe you can help me pull my dash. An extra set of hands would be well... handy.

The ported vacuum signal is how it was originally designed and I would recommend re-connecting it that way. The bottom line from the discussion above is that there doesn't seem to be any significant advantage to changing the Z's original port source to a manifold source. Once you're off idle, the port source is the same as a manifold source anyway, and you might be gaining some idle stability and have lower idle NOx with the port source. BTW - The ported vacuum readings you got above sound perfect. Highest just off idle and acts pretty much like a manifold source as the throttle plates open more. So why were you using a manifold source anyway? Did you do that or did the car come to you like that?

Haha! I'll work on that! What I know so far is that Hess Regular has a bouquet like an aborigine's armpit.

Cool. Sounds like you turned up a couple concrete things to look into and took some steps in the right direction! So the nozzles being at different heights (even when both confirmed to be fully up) is odd. That 1-2 mm could certainly affect gas mileage. Refresh my memory... What's the history on the carbs? Are these ZT refurbs? Looking forward to the next time Blue comes to my place!!

Cool. I'm just happy to know that it's conceivable that I can tell the difference and I'm not just imagining it. Thanks guys!

Gotcha. Helps to have a second one there that does what you expect. I wouldn't mess with the internals either unless that was the only option you had. If ZT is sending a replacement, good deal. So you and your friends sit around having lung contests?

Is it my imagination, or is it conceivable that I really tell the difference between regular and premium by the smell? Premium smells a lot "sweeter/smoother" while regular smells "sharper/harsher". I'm no wine guy, but I think I got a pretty good nose... Is this my imagination?

Are you sure that you just aren't able to develop enough pressure to crack the valve open? Been a while since I've been inside one of those buggers, but isn't there a little spring inside keeping it closed or almost closed when static? Thinking that maybe the fuel pump has enough ummph to push the valve open, but your lungs don't? Maybe the spring is stretched a little too long? Do you have more than one that acts like this, or are they all the same EXCEPT for the one that acts this way?

I wouldn't worry too much about the different raw castings. I would expect that those rockers are not cast one at a time, but in fact come out of a multi-cavity mold many at a time. The parts that come out of the same cavity of the same mold should be like peas in a pod, but probably differ (innocently) from parts that come out of other cavities even within the same mold. I haven't looked under my valve cover to see what mine look like, but that's what I would expect. There's no way they were casting these things one at a time when they were used twelve per engine. Doesn't mean that the rebuilder didn't just grab random rockers off a pile, but just saying that Datsun probably did the same thing back at the factory and (if done right) there shouldn't be anything wrong with that, if done right. If done right.

Awesome. Well have a great time, and hope you can hook up with the local Zedders!

Hey boys... Look what I got heah! I gots no input as to where the Z's are at, but just wanted to let you know that I'm jealous that you're going there and I'm not. I've heard that it's one of the most beautiful locations on the planet. Hope you find a local to show you around! BTW - Business, pleasure, or both?

Even if the FPR got completely stuck shut on the outlet, the pressure in the system should have only gone up to the dead head pressure of the fuel pump and the system still shouldn't leak even at that pressure. So keep the fire extinguisher handy, keep a keen nose, and good luck with the hunt. You know it'll be back. Most likely you'll be dressed nice, it'll be raining, and you'll already be late. My friend Murphy works on these kinds of problems all the time.

Right. Is that not what's happening?

I know. That's exactly why I'm trying to scare you off the 300. Did they make the Prelude or Integra with a T-top? I know they made a Fiero T-top... That'll satisfy your need to tinker. You'll hate lots of other stuff about it, but you'll love the T-top! If you want details on the Fiero or more info on the 300ZX, shoot me a PM. I think we've derailed the OP post completely by now!

I didn't buy my 300ZX because it was the descendent of the first gen, nor did I ever expect that it would be similar in any way. My comment was meant more to say that If you're simply looking for something fun to drive that has T-Tops, there has to be other better (IMHO) choices than the 300ZX. My 300ZX was in excellent condition. Needed nothing. Sounds great, right? Well not completely. I like to tinker. No... I HAVE to tinker. And I found that car very difficult to tinker with. I consider it over-engineered, and mine wasn't even a TT! Mine was a 2+2 (which in the states means it's a NA and has T-Tops) and the TT is an order of magnitude MORE complicated. Even I dreaded working on it. Heavy, over-engineered, expensive to fix, not "nimble" at all... A "sporty looking" luxury cruiser. Open the hood and look around and try to see the ground under the car past the engine? Forget it. Packed too tight. And somehow they managed to stuff two turbos in there on the TT??? Anyway, I didn't intend to 300ZX bash. They're beautiful, and through the same theory that bumblebees fly, they can be hot performers as well. Just saying that I've spent many hours in both seats and I'm much happier in my smelly, slow, creaky, always something needs fixin' 280Z and if I were to replace my first gen with something else, it wouldn't be a 300ZX. How about an old Porsche Targa? You got the $$?

Bummer... The intermittency just makes me nervous. You know the problem didn't magically go away by itself forever, right?. A smoking gun (not to be confused with a smoking car) would really be nice on stuff like this. I had a (non-Nissan application) leaky injector that leaked slowly out through one of the seams in the injector body. But it wasn't intermittent, just slow. Good luck with the hunt. Maybe you vurped a little into your carbon can? Shouldn't happen, but just tossing ideas.

I had a 94 300ZX for a number of years. I sold the 300ZX and bought the 280Z instead and I'm much happier with the result. I know everybody is different, but I'm not sure you'd be happy in a 300ZX. It's really hard to describe, but there was just never anything visceral about it with me. Sure, T-tops out on a beautiful day was a wonderful thing, but other than that, nothing. The insignia says "Z" that's about it. There was nothing else about the car that reminded me of the first generation.