240 Tom

Thanks so much for the advice and I will follow your recommendations on checking the ignition switch. I still question if a faulty ignition switch could cause loss of power to everything else such as the headlights and power to the fusebox. As I mentioned, when the car died I lost power to everything. Thinking about it now, even when I had the jumpers attached on my third try I was still not getting power to the headlights and as I mentioned the radio that was wired directly to the fusebox also shut down. Can a faulty ignition switch case this? If not, does anyone have any suggestions as to what might? Thanks again ~ Tom

Hi, I hope someone can give me some advice. My 71 Z had been sitting in the garage for about a month due to the cold and snow so yesterday I decided to start it up for a quick spin around the neighborhood. Went to start it and it was stone dead...nothing, looked around and could't find any lights or anything else left on and thought it was strange, but I I got the jumpers and it started right up. I hopped in and started driving and everything was fine...but I did notice that the amp gauge was not showing a high rate of charge as I expected. I had the radio turned up and was just enjoying the drive. I figured I would drive it for a while to get a charge back in the battery but after about 10 minutes the car suddenly and completely shut down, like I turned off the ignition. I got out the jumpers again and it started again, but before I could put it in gear it completely shut down again. I got out the jumpers a third time but this time I got nothing with the jumpers attached, not even a hint of the engine turning...just stone dead. I noticed that on my previous jumps I would get a tiny bit of normal sparks on the jumper clamps when attaching them to my battery while already attached to the other car, this time I was getting nothing, no sparks at all as if I was putting the two jumper ends on a wooden board with nothing completing the circuit. When I bought this car last year I noticed that the power line for the aftermarket radio was simply looped under a fuse in the fusebox which meant the radio turned on even when the ignition was off, but now even the radio was stone dead which I assume to mean there is no power getting to the fusebox. I had it towed to a local garage and the mechanic checked it out and told me he found that the ignition switch socket to the harness was loose and that he wiggled it in and the car started right up. I wondering if this makes sense to anyone? The ignition cylinder is worn and hard to turn, but would it kill the power to the fusebox where the radio was wired into? Does anyone have any thoughts on this...I'd hate to drive it away only to get stuck somewhere else because the problem was not resolved. Is there anything else that could cause this kind of intermittent failure? Thanks in advance for any help ~ Tom

Hi, New guy here from Jersey with a 71 240 I bought a few months ago, I'm the second owner. I have a few questions that I hope someone can help with. I’m far from a mechanic and haven’t wrenched on anything in years but I can still tell the difference between a hammer and screwdriver. I owned three 240’s and a 260 back in high school between 1977-79. I rebuilt one of the engines back then (new rings and bearings) and it even ran after I was done. I also vividly recall almost having my head taken off when changing the rear struts when a compressed spring shot out of the crank-type spring compressor. About the car...I bought it from CA and it has 146,000 miles running the original matching numbers block, E31 head, original carbs and air pump. Car has A/C that is not blowing cold although the compressor does kick on (maybe only needs a charge?). Body is in OK condition with some minimal rust starting to bubble in the usual places on the front fenders and a bit around the forward edge of the rear wheel wells, frame looks really solid. There was an old re-spray on the hood/front fenders and hatch that is now starting to crack and flake. Car has the common American Racing slotted rims with new Yokohama 195/70R-14. Inside is very decent with everything working except the clock but unfortunately has an aftermarket radio. In going through the car the only neat finds were the original shoulder belts still in original plastic and the original unused spare. The original owner bought it for his 50th birthday and drove all the miles himself, parking it in his garage about 10 years ago. After the old-timer started losing it his wife sold the car to a local dealer (he never registered it so I’m technically second owner) who in turn brought it to his mechanic who did enough to get it running and saleable for a quick flip. Work included new: Radiator, radiator hoses, cap, and thermostat Rear brakes including lining and cylinders Master brake cylinder Water pump Points and condenser Battery Tires After the car arrived and driving it about 20 miles the clutch master cylinder went so I changed that and the slave cylinder. A horrible gas smell in the car was tracked to a broken nipple on the plastic fuel recovery tank (found a good used one), and then the unbelievable oily exhausty stench that damn near asphyxiated me was tracked to a leaking rear trans seal where the trans fluid was dripping onto the exhaust pipe with the resulting fumes going straight up through the completely shot inner shift boot. There’s still a lot to do… the u-joints don’t sound too great, rear struts are in my future, the weatherstipping and every other piece of rubber is shot and there’s a ton of play in the transmission linkage making third a little hard to find when it’s cold. Anyway…after putting about 1000 miles on the car here are my questions: 1. Car also has a rough idle and stumbles badly at low RPMs. I need to tach it to about 2000 to shift or it starts to buck. Car runs well once over 2000 but stops pulling at about 5000. I seem to recall my old Z’s pulling to about 6000 RPMs. Any suggestions on where to look would be greatly appreciated. 2. All of my previous cars had the air pump already removed...what are the components on the carb balance shaft to disconnect if I want to remove this one 2. Groaning noise coming from front suspension after backing up and turning, and then turning back to straight to go forward. 3. Where can I get the little plastic “T” in the wiper washer line where it branches off for the driver’s side squirter? I also need the whole metal squirter assembly that feeds into the cowl after I broke mine trying to get the hose off. 4. Are Yokohama 195/70R-14 the right size? Seems to take way more effort to turn this car at slow speeds then I remember…or was I just a lot younger then??? Thanks for any help! ~ Tom

Thanks for the warm welcome and all the help... After determining that the 3 cables that I could find were all attached, I moved on to removing the Heater Control Panel...loads of fun. I removed the 3 cables I could find at their termination point, and the one remaining directly off the back of lever. Turns out the reason the lever wasn't working was because a pin and c-clip had popped off. The top lever that was not working controls two cables, one to the drivers side that operates the vent door, and the other that leads somewhere around the blower housing. After lubricating the 3 cables everything else and getting it back together I think I found the reason why it broke. The 4th cable that routs somewhere behind the blower housing (the one I couldn't find) is seized, someone probably tried forcing the lever causing it to break. Sooo...does anyone know what I need to do to get to the end of the cable that routs behind the heater housing? Will removing the 10 or so screws that seem to hold the two halves of the housing together get me there? At this point I don't know if its the cable or whatever lever the cable operates that is seized. Also, any help as to the whereabouts of the inline blower fuse would be most appreciated. Thanks again. ~ Tom

Hi from a newbie, I just bought an orange 7/71 240 out of CA from the original owner. It has 146,000 on it and has a little of the usual rust in front fenders and a few rust bubbles on the rear wheel wells, still very presentable and runs well with a pretty nice interior. The car still has all the smog equipment on it and has air conditioning that doesn’t currently work. Back in high school between 1977 and 1979 I owned 4 different Z’s, one 71, two 73’s and one 74 . Loved the cars then, and finally bought another 33 years later. I have a couple questions that I hope someone can help with. 1.) The top heater control lever (OFF – VENT – HEAT) currently doesn’t engage anything, just swings free. I assume it’s supposed to engage, but since I never had a car with A/C I just want to make sure that the lever isn’t supposed to be disconnected when A/C is installed. 2.) If it is supposed to engage, is there a trick to getting off the Heater Control Panel? I took out the 4 screws, removed the all the plastic handles, but the faceplate doesn’t pull away, what am I missing? 3.) The blower motor also doesn’t work, I checked the fuse and it’s OK, what my next step? ~ Tom