Carl Beck

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.

Bob has a truly amazing piece of DATSUN history there. Not only that - he has done an amazing job of tracking down that history and restoring the car. That 240Z couldn't be in better hands. FWIW, Carl B.

System error - double Post - delete FWIW, Carl B.

I thought I followed the instructions that came with my Mallory UniLite - - I've hooked every one that I've put in different 240Z's over the years the same way. The instructions that came with mine are Posted in this article as well - see if they are the same as the one's you received. I've always used two ballast resistors. http://www.zhome.com/ZCMnL/tech/MalloryDist.htm FWIW, Carl B.

Hi Guy: I think we have to add a disclaimer. The 240Z clutch and pressure plate needs a 240Z collar - IF YOU ARE CERTAIN YOU ACTUALLY RECEIVED A 240Z Pressure Plate. Personally I haven't received a Pressure Plate that was exactly the same thickness as the original 240Z pressure plates - in the last 10 years. Even if you order or specify a "240Z" pressure plate - it is very likely you will receive the newer replacement parts - which are actually 280Z pressure plates. A lot of these 240Z's have been though seveal previous owners, or to several different mechanics - so unless your the original owner you never really know for sure what you are pulling out of there. So before you reassemble - set the old pressure plate beside the new one - on a flat surface - and measure the distance between the flat surface and the top of the pressure plate fingers. If they are exactly the same height {give or take a mm or two} then use your existing throw-out bearing collar. If your NEW pressure plate is thinner than your old one by 3 to 6 mm - you need a longer throw-out bearing collar. In the case of a 240Z - the longer collar needed for a thinner pressure plate - will most likely be a 280Z / 280ZX throw-out bearing collar. Measure twice - install once. FWIW, Carl

If you don't care about looking "pure stock" - and if you plan to put some real strain on the anti-sway bar in front - you can drill straight through the frame rail bottom to top - and put thin steel plates in place to distribute the load along a greater area of the frame rail.

Dale: Sounds like your all set. Price looks very competitive as well. When I owned a Muffler shop that system would have been about $80.00, but that was 30 years ago. In researching this subject - I see that the rear muffler for the 90-97 MX5 Miata is 7" Round, 14" Long and has 2" offset inlet/outlet. AP Muffler Number 700320 That is only 1/2" longer than OEM, but 1" larger in Dia. I'll have to cut a 7" circle out of cardboard to see it that would fit. 82-86 Nissan Stanza 82-86 - 7" Round, 13" long with 1 3/4" offset in/out also looks like it would fit AP Muffler 70070. With NOS Rear Mufflers selling for $400+ on EBay - For people that want to keep a stock looking and sounding setup -it would be good to know what can be used. The exhaust system on my White 72 is still the original one. Amazing that it lasted 40 years - but it is getting thin... I have NOS parts, but they will most likey go on fully restored Z's - not my driver. Now if I can just find a replacement for the OEM resonator - FWIW, Carl B.

The noise sounds like a bad throw-out bearing - and the noise showing up when it does, also leads to that conclusion. Reverse is not synchronized - and your idle speed sounds a little high. When you have the car idling in Neutral and you let the clutch out - power is being transmitted to the transmission - even though none of the drive gears are engaged with the output shaft - so things are spinning in there. With no synchro in reverse - you need to put the transmission first into a synchronized gear {like 1st}, then move the shift lever to Reverse. This grinding in Reverse happens as the transmissions get a lot miles on them, and the synchronizers wear thin. When the transmissions are new the synchronizers are thicker and even in Neutral they will stop or greatly slow the gears when the clutch is pushed in. As I recall 1st and Reverse are on the same shaft in the transmission - so putting the transmission in 1st - First - will stop that shaft from spinning - then it should go into reverse without grinding. If it doesn't it's most likey time to rebuild that tranny. FWIW, Carl B.

None that I know of.

Hi E. My microfiche is Revised Dec. 1979. Same references as you cite. You are correct - my error - they are the same part numbers. I would guess that moving the Roller toward the rear might keep it in better contact with the glass with the window down - as I recall it barely touches the front of the glass when the window is down. FWIW, Carl B.

I seriously considered it. The problem is that I already have too many unfinished Projects around here. Nonetheless someone got a great deal. I'll never understand why the Insurance Company couldn't have just charged the original owner $1000.00 and let him keep the car. Hell the rear bumper and wheels are worth more than that. Instead the Insurance Company sells it to a reseller - ships it GA and Sells it for a grand? I'll be that reseller didn't pay more than $200.00 for it. And we all wonder why Car Insurance is so expensive...