Carl Beck

Hi Jerry: Do you have any more pictures of the Red 410 or 411 Stationwagon? Also I love that STOCK 510 4Door... FWIW, Carl B.

I think most people that want an original 5spd. shift knob - want an accurate reproduction of the original plastic shift map. The "Cloisonne" technique would not fill that bill. FWIW, Carl B.

The Reproduction on E-Bay has a Red "R" - the original I have use a White "R" FWIW, Carl B.

That's Amazing!! Who still rides motorcycles - your Fiance or Mary McGee? Your Fiance should do an interview with Mary for publication in Nissan Sport Mag. It would be interesting to see how her career evolved over the past 45 years. FWIW, Carl B.

That is really a shame. A lot of great people there. Carl B.

Which interior panels? For what year car? What color? Where do they need to be shipped to, or purchased locally to save shipping? I don't see a car in your Profile - did you buy something recently? FWIW, Carl B.

Personally I wouldn't want to. However as part of the Gasoline Vapor Emission Control System - gas vapors from the tank are collected in that cannister behind the Right Rear Quarter. That cannister is there to allow the vapors to condense back into liquid form when they get dense enough. The vapors that remain are sent up to the engine compartment - to that Flow Control Valve. They are sucked into the crank case when there is a negative pressure there - then redirected to the intake via the PCV system - to be sucked into the combustion chamber. So the crank case is just a place to suspend them until they can be put back into the combustion process. This was all originally part of the California emissions control regulations - but soon became part of the Federal Standards. Give a bureaucrat an inch and they will always take a mile and demand more. They can not ever let their job be DONE. FWIW, Carl B.

Agreed - a ton of good pictures - that address the concerns of most informed potential buyers of Datsun 240Z's. This is a good example of a good Ad. Also agree that there is a certain amount of "timing luck" - hit the timing right and there will be two or three potential buyers with money burning a hole in their pockets - hit the timing wrong - and it has to be relisted a couple months later.. Of course there is a lot of price elasticity involved - price it low enough and it will sell. FWIW, Carl B.

Yes, something doesn't line up. By 4/72 the seat belt warning system was required by the Fed's and every car after 01/72 that I've found - came with self retracting seat belts. But David mentioned "retractable shoulder seat belt straps". So I think his question may have been more about the shoulder belt part and how or if that was supposed to hang on the "J" hook by itself. With these old Z's you never know what some previous owner has done. Many people didn't like the self retracting seat belts - as they couldn't be used as easily to lock yourself in the seat. A lot of guys that auto-crossed or did track days replaced them with the older style. Most people didn't appreciate the seat belt warning buzzer and light either - so many of them were simply disconnected. Likewise the door open warning buzzers... Always interesting.. Carl B.

If you have the whole system off - that would mean all the hard lines from the tank to the carb's - is that correct or not? To get the long hard lines off - as I recall you have to remove the rear suspension as well. You can use Chevron's Techron Concentrate Plus, it is very effective. Pour it directly into the hard fuel lines - cap one end, and let it sit for a day. Then drain it in a pan - and it can be used on several lines. After the Techron is emptied out - flush with fresh gasoline. It doesn't take much.. catch the gasoline in a pan and pour it back though a couple of times. A less expensive solution - but slightly less effective - is to use Toluene or Xylene. You can buy them at Home Depot by the gallon. They are commonly used as paint thinners..{but they are also used in the Techron Concentrate or other Fuel System Cleaners}. They will dissolve the varnish that forms when gasoline is allowed to evaporate - just takes them a little longer and in greater quantities than the Techron. If you have to cut a section of a hard fuel line out - it is no problem. Just cut out the damaged section - take it to any Hydrulic Line supplier or repair shop. They will have brass compression fittings that allow you to join the new sections with the ends of the older section. Of course you'll have to custom bend the new sections - and you will want to make your cuts where you have straight line on both sides of the damaged section. If you are worried about cosmetics - just cut the entire end off - back under the car - then use a good end from a parts car. That way the repair won't show in the engine compartment. If you are now running a set of SU's - you only need the mechanical pump in Calf. most of the time. On real hot days - if you fill an empty tank with cooler fuel - it is possible to get vapor lock if your mechanical pump is weak. Yes - originally the electric pump was put there to help eliminate vapor lock in the 73/74 Z's. The other option is to simply run a new electric pump. Even in Southern Cailf - you need defrosters for the windshield when you hit fog, humid weather, or go to the mountains... I'd replace the heater if this is a road driven car. Besides you never know when or if you will want to go North.. to God's Country. good luck, Carl B.

Can you Post a picture of the struts?

Yes - it would actually be best if hooked to the carb air cleaner. If not - it at least has to be open to draw in fresh air. I'm sure that you will enjoy the Z - they are fun to drive and very easy to work on. Once they are in proper condition - they are very reliable as well. Not to mention that they are always beautiful to look at. FWIW, Carl B.

You shouldn't. At idle there is no need for vacuum advance in the distributor. You should feel vacuum on that line if you open the throttle and run the engine at higher RPM's. Vacuum Advance should advance the timing under load and back off at cruise or steady RPM's.

Second Picture from the last at Post #15 - the Top hose on that Flow Control Valve should go to the Air Cleaner or be left open - it draws in fresh air. The Bottom hose goes to the Crankcase Vent... the flow control valve directs gasoline vapors to the crank case - where they are sucked back into the intake manifold by the PCV valve. FWIW, Carl B.

If they are the original seat belts - This also means that your 72 was built before Nov/Dec. of 71. Just curious - what is your VIN and Build Date. You most likely also don't have a RED Seat Belt Warning Light on your Center Console - yes/no. As well as horizontal defroster lines in the rear glass. FWIW, Carl B.

Hi Albert: First - as others have mentioned - a 240Z Factory Service Manual is the best thing to have. Second. See this picture - you can see where the vacuum hose hooks up for the distributor vacuum advance. http://becksystems.com/KellyW/162KellyW.jpg The vacuum advance on the distributor uses Ported Vacuum just behind the Carb - ahead of the intake manifold. Third - the hose off the top of the Carb Float Bowls is a vent - it would normally hook to the stock Air Cleaner - but as I recall the aftermarket round cleaners have a hole in the back of them for a connector. I wouldn't suggest venting the float bowls toward the exhaust manifold. Fourth - the last picture shows a line from the Gasoline Vapor Emission Flow Control Guide Valve - that used to run to the Stock Air Cleaner - that line lets fresh air into the system, to allow heavy gasloine vapors to get out of the cannister in the rear of the car - - - Unplug that and leave it open. No need for the hose if it isn't connected to an air cleaner Fifth - the vacuum ports on the Balance Tube - between the Carb's - should be properly sealed off if not used. Post some pictures of the rest of the Z - and tell us why you bought it to begin with. FWIW, Carl B.

Reviewing my Post #2 above - and given that you were using the taller Collar with the pressure plate in your car.. I should have written: If the new Pressure Plate is the same thickness as your old one - you use the longer Release/throw-out bearing Collar. If the new Pressure Plate is thicker - you use the shorter Release/throw-out bearing Collar. It sounds like Diseard purchased that Excedy Clutch Kit recently - and found it still contains the thicker Pressure Plate. If that is the case the one you get should be thicker than the one that was in your car with the 4spd. Let us know - side by side pictures would be great. FWIW, Carl B.

Fog lights are most effective when they come on with the Low Beams and turn off with the High Beams. Driving Lights are the opposite.

Did he send picture of the undercarriage? Wonder what needs to be done in the engine bay.

What you have pictured are the Release Bearing and Release Bearing Collar. The Bearings are the same. The input shaft on the 4 spd. and 5 spd. are the same length. The thing that is different between the "original" 240Z and the 77 280Z is the thickness of the Clutch Pressure Plates. The original 240Z Clutch Pressure Plate is thicker - and it uses the short Release/Throw-out Bearing Collar. So the Question is - Is the new Exedy Clutch Pressure Plate - thinner than the one you had in your Car. Take the old Pressure Plate and the New one - sit them on a level surface - and measure the height from the level service - to the top of the Pressure Plate "fingers". If the new Pressure Plate is thinner - you use the longer Release/throw-out bearing Collar. If the new Pressure Plate is thicker - you use the shorter Release/throw-out bearing Collar. Remember the Input Shaft on the 4 and 5 spd. are the same length. So the combined length of the Pressure Plate and Release/Throw-out bearing has to be the same. Thicker Pressure Plate - shorter collar. Thinner Pressure Plate-longer collar. By the Way - in original form, the 77 5spd. should have had the longer Release/throw-out bearing Collar, because in original form the 77 should have had the thinner Clutch Pressure Plate. Are you sure you didn't get them confused after you took them out? FWIW, Carl B.

Ah.... I am so relieved - My greatest fear was that you followed my advice - and blew up another Module - in which case I would have to send you a new one! Glad to hear things are going better at this point. FWIW, Carl B.

E88's used on the 240Z's had the same valve size as the E31 42mm intake / 33 mm exhaust. The 88 used on the 260z had only the larger 35mm exhaust valave. N42 used on the 75 280Z's had both the larger 35mm exhaust valve and the larger 44 mm intake valve FWIW, Carl B.

I've had several Mallory Unilites in several Z's - and never hand a problem with any of them. Sometimes the feed to the Tach can be an issue. For $60.00 you get a well used ZX distributor that uses very expensive modules, or you can convert it to run on a GM module. Then you have to worry about the timing curve suiting your engine or not. In most cases it doesn't. So different issues no matter what you do. Crawford Z used to be willing rebuild and sell you a ZX distributor with the correct timing curve - but by then it isn't much less expensive than the Mallory. Maybe I'm getting old {well no question abou that} - but to me it isn't worth the few dollars saved, to screw around with a used distributor. Especially after spending thousands of dollars on the engine.

That is most likely because the Load didn't change - and the first Mallory Ballast already limited the current being feed to the distributor. I could be thinking of this all wrong - but I don't think adding a second Mallory Ballast Resistor would do anything. If you know for sure - that Mallory designed a distributor that can not take more than 12 volts - with no {ie "0"} tolerance for anything above that.... Then you'll have to get a Ballast Resistor that won't allow any higher voltage to pass though. You'll have to reseach the very technical spec's of the different Ballast Resistors on the market. But Gee... a 12 Volt Battery puts out 12.6 Volts... I think 12.4 volts will be FINE. That is well withing the range of "a 12 volt system". FWIW, Carl

Ok - When they say "12 volt ignition source" - - - I would think that is a general use of the term. Meaning something less than a 13 volt ignition source. Unless they said NO MORE THAN 12 volts - or give some additional specification. Ok - 13.8 volts is NOT a 12 volt feed. OK - I wouldn't see that as a "problem". I would doubt that it would. The Ballast resistor is there to limit current - so it depends on the load put on it on the output side - with the engine running - - - the voltage should vary depending on if the points {trigger} is open or closed. Ballast resistors work in a somewhat limited range - so if the OEM resistor is a standard resistor designed to work in the typical 12 volt system - it will only drop the current so much because it is designed to work with a certain load range. I would think you would have to use a Ballast Resistor - designed to provide a more limited voltage given the same load. I'd call Mallory and see if 12.4 Volts - is OK or not. I think it would be fine - where 13.8 would not be. FWIW, Carl B.