Otto Skorzeny

Thanks, there is a PERFORMANCE bIKE NEAR ME. I'm going to stop in and have a look. Does your rack require the removal of the front wheel? I'm hoping to find one that can keep both wheels on the bike so that I have room in the back for luggage.

I fit my bike in the bake after removing the wheels but I need two bikes on the roof and luggage in the back for a vacation trip. Can't mount a tow bar type rack since it isn't my car.

Hi again, Does anybody have a recommendation for a roof mounted bike rack that will work on a 1972 240Z? I need to haul 2 adult bikes. Since this car has louvers on it I can't use the kind that go on the back of the vehicle. Thanks a lot.

Ha! Found it. The tangs on the fuse holder in the top right were spread out and not gripping tightly. I'll bend them back into shape and see what happens. That did the trick. Thanks a lot. Now I just need to figure out what the other fuses are for.

Hi again, The plastic fuse panel cover is missing from this car so I don't know which fuse does what. None appear to be blown but I'm going to clean up all the clips, etc. Can you post a picture or diagram of the cover?

These were taken yesterday in Helen.

Hey Steve, I was just up in your town yesterday in the Z. My girlfriend and I blew off work and drove up to Helen. Coming home I missed a turn or something and ended up driving through downtown Gainesville. (probably because I couldn't see the road signs with just one good headlight!)

Ha! Thanks. I didn't even check the fuse box thinking that if a fuse was blown no power would reach the bulb at all. I'll take a look at that tomorrow.

Thanks a lot Steve. From your reply it sounds like it's more involved than just pulling a fuse and replacing it, eh? In-line fusible link or something?

Zed, I haven't been back to Z car.com since I posted a couple questions because this site seemed to have a greater knowledge base and I got more replies in a shorter time and haven't seen the post to which you refer. Skorzeny was a commando and his exploits during the war were amazing. I've always been interested in history and WWII in particular. When I was in high school I read about Skorzeny's rescue of Mussilini from a castle fortress by landing a small plane on the side of the mountain. I did more research and read his autobiography and accounts of his exploits in other sources. I feel I should point out that he was released after the war by American authorities after charges against him were dropped because British commandos told prosecutors that Skorzeny didn't do anything during the war that they themselves had not done and that they would testify to that effect. Perhaps you should have asked me directly before insinuating that I am ignorant for it appears to be you who have shown his ignorance. No worries, ignorance can be corrected through education. I have no hard feelings toward you and hope you feel likewise. I'd like to continue using this forum when I have a Z car question.

Hi again, The left headlight on my '72 240Z is/was glowing dim and it doesn't respond at all to the dimmer switch. The right side headlight works just fine and brightens and dims properly. I bought a new headlight and installed it with no change in results. Fortunately I didn't put the bucket back in before testing it. The 3 prong connector appears clean and there is no visible signs of water intrusion or corrosion. The Headlights are Sylvania Halogens (sealed beam). What is the likely cause of this problem? Thanks very much.

You could test beerman's very plausible theory by disconnecting the exhaust and run it on a lift and see what comes out the header pipe.

I'm not an expert on Z cars but engines are engines (more or less). I had a freshly rebuilt 1956 Cadillac engine that burned some oil at first. I was somewhat concerned (as you are) but all the compression tests checked out and there were no other symptoms or noises or anything else out of the normal range. After driving it for 500 or so miles - serious driving like 100 mile trips, 80+ mph, rapid acceleration, etc. (no babying) - the oil smoke puffs diminished and finally stopped all together. I believe the piston rings just needed to work their way into a comfort zone.

Hi you guys, I figured I'd give you the update/outcome of my clutch repair. I ordered the Exedy kit from RockAuto that was listed for 1972 240Z. This was Exedy part number 60029. I think someone had mentioned part #60009 so I was a little afraid that I might have the wrong part. Well, 60029 was the correct kit. It matched up perfectly with what came out. No collar was included with the kit. My only "problem" was that the release bearing was damaged (new in the box) I called Rock Auto and they credited me the cost of a new bearing purchased locally and I didn't have to go through any rigmarole about sending the defective part back or anything like that. Man, what a difference. You can tell that the previous clutch was worn out and slipping even before it became obvious. The new clutch grabs so tight now I have to rev a little higher than I used to in order to keep from stalling on takeoff. I've gotta be more careful now because it's a ticket waiting to happen.

Yesterday I saw a 1960 Crown Imperial on a rack. Someone had recently installed new torsion bar bushings and I immediately noticed that the big washers that hold the bushings in place had the concave part facing away from the rubber. I think this is incorrect. The concavity is there to cup the rubber bushing and help hold it in shape. If the manufacturer intended that it be installed with the convex side toward the rubber it seems to me that flat washers would be supplied. Anyway, it got me thinking about the Z. I installed the big washers with the concave side against the rubber as I have installed all such bushings on various vehicles. It may seem like a silly question but is this correct?

I'm probably over-thinking the situation and worrying about a problem that probably won't exist. I'll stack all the old parts on a piece of glass and stack the new ones next to it and compare measurements before installing.

Now I'm getting paranoid. As far as I can tell the transmission is a Type FS5C71A if that means anything.

Hey, thanks a lot for all the tips you guys. The clutch and pressure plate are sold together as a kit so I should be good to go in that department. What is the collar you are talking about? Is it part of the release bearing? do I reuse the old one? What's the story?

I admit it is pretty weird and since I couldn't figure it out myself I came here. The level only goes down during operation not when the car sits as far as I can tell. I do not shove the rods with the pucks on the end in the reservoirs. I let them slide down on their own. This might seem weird but I smelled each of the pucks today to see if I could detect any trace of the ATF which I had used in the past. I could not. I did detect a faint odor of gasoline, however. Is that possible? Is that a clue? Was the fuel smell just the ambient odor of the under-hood area? I don't think so because I walked away and took another wiff. 'Tis a puzzlement. I'm just going to keep checking it and add when its low or starts stumbling on acceleration. Seems like the easiest solution.

Well, I guess I'd better get under there and tighten them up to where they're supposed to be. I was afraid I'd ruin them. Thanks again for your help. I have some more questions to ask but I'll get to those later.

Wow. That thread was entertaining and somewhat enlightening . My problem is identical to Jetaway's. I fill the dampers to the proper level - not above. I drive it and the oil level drops below acceptable level. This results in sputtering during hard acceleration. When I add more oil, the engine smooths out and runs like it should. It doesn't look like any reason was found for this in that case, though. Maybe I'll email Jetaway and see if he ever figured it out. I too use 20 weight oil as specified in the manual. I even tried gear oil to see if thicker oil would a.) work and b.) last longer. No such luck. I should also point out that just like his, both my carbs lose oil at the same rate. Also, I used ATF for awhile and there's no trace of pink left in the reservoir so that stuff's going somewhere.

I'm the current caretaker of a 1972 240Z that didn't get all its regular maintenance as it should have. The oil in the SU carbs seems to get "used up" pretty rapidly. I check it every time I drive it and usually have to top it off. On drives of 30 to 40 miles if there is a lot of stop and go traffic I will need to fill up the reservoirs before returning home. Are their seals or anything that wear out which cause excessive oil use in the dampers? I suspect that the car was driven for a long time without ever having the oil reservoirs checked. Could the piston have worn the cylinder such that more oil is lost than normal? On long trips on the freeway (100+ miles or more) where the driving is pretty steady the oil is usually ok when I get to where I'm going. What is considered normal use for the oil in these carbs. The owners manual says to check it every month or two which seems logical but mine definitely needs to be checked before each drive and usually needs some added. Thanks for your help.

You guys helped me out yesterday on clutch recommendations so here's another question. 1972 240 Z I replaced the badly worn radius rod bushings (strut rod) according to the service manual. The problem is that when torqued to the specified limit (40 ft lbs), the well beyond the edges of the the big washers that hold them in place. In my experience, rubber bushings normally should be tightened until they just bulge to the edge of the washer or so. These do have a steel sleeve inside that goes through the frame and (I assume) acts as a seat or stop for the big washers. Should these bushings be squished out of shape like that? The bushings are made in Japan by Beck-Arnley. The old crappy ones were smushed up tight and the big washers were embedded in them as they had squeezed out around the edges. What's the straight dope on how tight these should be and what should they look like when properly installed?

Thanks you guys. I asked this same question on another Z site and the only name brand so far that anyone suggested (having used it himself) is Exedy. That makes about 4 or 5 votes for Exedy which isn't the most expensive but about $25 more than the cheapest and about $30 less than the most expensive. Unless anybody tells me different I think I'll order one tonight. I do have some other questions about the car which you probably know the answer to.

Hello, I need to replace the clutch in a 1972 240Z, 5spd. The car is not raced and is used for regular driving. It doesn't get hot rodded but will be driven fast. Do any of you have any suggestions for particular brands to purchase or to stay away from? Rock Auto has the best prices and selection that I've found but the prices for a clutch kit range from $90 to $150. Brands include Rhinopac ($90), Exedy ($112), Beck Arnley ($130), Valeo ($142) Advance Auto has a Perfection kit for $100. All of these kits come with pilot and release bearings and alignment tools. If you don't like any of these choices, what do you suggest. I will resurface the original flywheel. Thanks very much.