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Mark Maras

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Everything posted by Mark Maras

  1. Mark Maras
    Free Zs. I' got Georgia on my mind.
  2. Mark Maras
    Most likely is lack of fuel. Do you have carbs or F.I. Regardless,I'm guessing the engine will rev. to redline with no load (clutch in). Check your fuel filters first then fuel pressure & volume. This not an uncommon problem. It usually is the fuel filter restricting volume. The engine, under a load, only has enough fuel to go that fast but will rev. fine with no load. Mark in Portland
  3. Mark Maras
    Dynamic balancing the wheels & tires will let you know where the problem lies, if it is a balance problem. Reading your description of a wobble in the steering wheel rather than a vibration, It seems that it would be more of an alignment issue. I would suspect steering linkage but you've replaced all of that. A re-check of the alignment would eliminate that possibility. As for swapping wheels with someone, it's a great idea, No other Zs around? Possibly other members could supply you with a list of cars that have the same bolt pattern, or wheel adapters that you could use temporarily. Mark in Portland
  4. Mark Maras
    Many years ago as I was driving my 71, the speed suddenly dropped to 45mph. 2nd, 3rd or 4th gear, same thing, 45mph. The engine would still sing at 6000rpms with the clutch in. It ran great up to 45, then nothing, no cut-out, no more power. My dad was the riding mechanic that day. Fortunately for me, he knew that it was lack of fuel & and it didn't matter what gear I was in, the engine only had enough fuel to push the car that speed. We pulled to the roadside, pulled the clear filter on the fire wall, blew it out ,yuck!, reinstalled it & problem was cured. I did change the filter that same day. I've shared this because it's possible you may run into this symptom in the future. It may be a good idea to carry spare filters & tools to replace them for a while. Mark in Portland
  5. Mark Maras
    The spray bar can have a build-up of sludge internally. When you remove it. check the holes in it to see if they're plugged. A couple of mine were. I soaked it in laquer thinner for 24 hrs. & used compressed air to clean it out. I did have to repeat the procedure a few times until I was satisfied. New cereal box gaskets & now the oilers squirt instead of drool. It had the rear tube warp but it seemes fairly secure for now & the bar is now oiling all twelve. Mark In Portland
  6. Mark Maras
    Humor me. Does the noise change when you push on the clutch pedal? Both engines making the same noise eliminates engine noise, Exaust is an excellant place to start. My long-reach stethescope is a 4' piece of garden hose held to my ear. As far as the clutch question goes, I'm just eliminating non engine possibilities for the noise. Mark in Portland
  7. Mark Maras
    Maybe a compression check too.
  8. Mark Maras
    I happened to write this down a couple of weeks ago. I knew it would be useful. The thread in the block is British. "BSPT". Sorry, I don't remember who shared this with us. Thanks. Here is what I wrote down. Search bspt on McMaster Carr.com. #5832T121 BSPT to NPT threaded brass nipple, 1/8 pipe size X 1 1/2" threaded both ends Sch40. Hope this helps you out.
  9. Mark Maras
    Glad to hear that you're going to check a few of the basics first. Reading your description of the engine stumbling a little above 4500 RPM & the timing problem, I suspect that the oil pump shaft was installed wrong a while back & the PO got it to run to his satisfaction & gave up. That is an an easy fix. Was there anything else that you worked on when you adjusted the valves or did you possibly bump an elec. connection.(personal experience) Random thought- What position are the cam lobes in when you're adjusting? Mark in Portland
  10. Mark Maras
    Did you dbl, chk. to see if the timing marks were in fact aligned when #1 cylinder was on TDC, power stroke? There can a number of reasons for the marks not being aligned but this easy check will let you know. If they don't line up you can re-notch the pulley in the proper location. This could also explain why it won't advance more than 7 degrees.
  11. Mark Maras
    Yeah, I wouldn't want to crash a Z. The results would not be pretty. That said, I have a big problem with "crumple zones". IMO in the name of "safety" they are making cars disposable. A better idea is to bolt the crumple zones to a stronger central chassis, much like a survival cell. If you crunch the car, simply unbolt the damage & replace it. I remember driving the cars from the 50s & 60s. You could still drive one home after the average accident & in my case even a roll-over. The roll-over went to the body shop for an easy repair. 1969 $750.00 Yes the cars were heavy then, but so are the cars of today. Make-em stronger not weaker. Mark in Portland.
  12. Mark Maras
    Be sure & let us know what they find, with pics if possible. Enquiring minds want to know.
  13. Mark Maras
    Personally, I like to solder & use heat shrink tube. My son used this method as well when he rewired his 81 RX7 after a major elec. fire cooked his dashboard & fused his wire harnesses about 2 feet in all directions from the fuse block. When he wrapped the harnesses with tape the repairs were barely noticeable. No unsightly lumps in the harness. BTW everything is still working great. Mark in Portland
  14. Mark Maras
    Move your battery & check the frame rail, fire wall & rear of the wheel well. This is a common area for rust to hide. Your passenger rail makes me think there may be more rust. Mark in Portland
  15. Mark Maras
    Ditto that. I would include wiping the wires down with solvent & a rag will bring out the true colors. I've misidentified colors on wires before they were cleaned.
  16. Mark Maras
    Thumbs up for Daniel Stern. Now to get him interested in Z cars. He probably could afford a good one.
  17. Mark Maras
    Should you decide to rebuild it, along with syncros, replace all the bearings & then you still have to figure out what happened to the front yoke & tail shaft housing. These are not difficult trannys to work on. A little mechanical talent, A good FSM & desire is all it takes. I would drop in the 5-speed, get the car back on the road & then tear down the 4-speed if you need something else to work on. Mark in Portland
  18. Mark Maras
    The best way that I know of is, secure the car on jack stands, tranny in neutral, hand brake off, crawl under the car, grab the rear of the drive shaft & push, pull, twist, then rotate it 1/4 turn & do it again etc. Then go to the front of the shaft & repeat the procedure. There should be no detectable movement other than rotational. While you're under there check out the axles the same way and take a sharp implement & stick the floorboards & check for rust. Check all four fenderwells & move the battery & check the frame rail,rear of the wheel well & the fire wall, Oh yeah, the rear sill plate under the hatch. The car sounds like a good find. The major item to check the car for is RUST. Usually where there are signs of a little rust there is more. Take your time & look it over well. Keep us posted. Send pics. Mark in Portland
  19. Mark Maras
    If I'm imagining this right, the front driveshaft yoke is loose in the tailshaft housing of the tranny? Have you pulled the driveshaft yet and looked at the yoke to see if the outside is worn. Also was the tranny ever run low on oil causing a lack of lubrication? Regardless, It's time for your 5 speed and probably a front yoke. The only thing I found tricky about the 4 speeds is the shifter check balls. A good manual will get you past that point. The rest is easy. Mark in Portland
  20. Mark Maras
    I faced the same gasket dilema on mine. I assembled the oil bar with no gaskets and started it up and watched it drool oil out the wrong places. Flow to the cam was OK but I'd rather have all the oil go to the valve train so I went with my old stand-by, a cereal box. Take the caps off the oil bar and press the inside of a small piece of the cardboard against the oily opening on the oil bar.The cardbord should have a pattern that can be cut out, A paper punch makes the holes look good. Sealed mine up and now I feel better. I'm sure there are better materials around but I always have had a ceral box on hand. I've never had one fail. Various previous uses; Fuel pump mounting, Thermostat housing, SU float bowl cover, GMC 671 blower to manifold. Put a little grease on them before installation. Mark in Portland
  21. Mark Maras
    Well at least you now have a buzzer to remind you of the things that don't work.:-) Keep cleaning those connections and things will start coming to life as you go, Hopefully the next one will be a little more useful than a warning buzzer. Mark in Portland.
  22. Mark Maras
    Yeah, that's what it needs. While you're at parts store you may want to find out if the new shorter belt is the proper part # for your year. If it's not, the PO may have changed harmonic balancers or even engines. The balancers in different years had different diameter sheaves. Mark in Portland
  23. Mark Maras
    Take it to your local locksmith & let him take a look at it. The chances are good that he can repair it. Should you decide to replace it, you'll need to take it to him anyway to have it re-keyed. Virtually the same process as repairing the old one. Mark in Portland
  24. Mark Maras
    I'm no expert but I'll give it a go. The fusible links are low voltage insulated cables that are there to protect the wire harness in case of severe overload. I've been fortunate over the years & never had trouble with one, but others have. Even after a dead short in the dash board wire harness of my son's 81 RX7 that started a fire, the fusible link was still good. ???? Like I said I'm no expert. Anyone want to correct or add to our limited knowledge? Mark in Portland
  25. Mark Maras
    Very often just removing a replacing the spade terminals will improve the connection. A small piece of emery cloth is what I use. The female only has 3 places to make a connection. The flat surface and the edges of the rolled portion that touch the spade. Squeezing the female end is the correct way to tighten the connection. An afternoon spent cleaning all the connectors and grounds will revive the circuits that have high resistance & low voltage. Deoxit at Radio Shack is also a good choice for cleaning and preserving connectors and contacts. Then a dab of dielectric grease on them will keep them from corroding in the future. Mark in Portland
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