Chickenman

BTW... agree 100% with Sean240Z on brakes. With good pads and rear shoes, the 240z will stop amazingly well with stock brakes. I used to run a D-Production ( CCSCC not SCCA ) and we were restricted to stock brake calipers and rotors. With Ferodo DS11 pads and Nissan Comp " Green " rear linings we were able to out brake Porsche 911S C-Production cars. Street pad technology has improved dramatically since those days. The Z has more than adequate brakes due to it's light weight. The pads are easy...it's the rear brake shoes in a " quality " lining that may be tougher to find. Asbestos was an ideal material for brake shoes. Since it's banning, finding a good quality brake shoe lining has gotten a lot harder. Most of the " off the shelf " for our cars stuff is junk these days. Spend some extra money and buy specialty shoes. MSA sells some Carbon Metallic shoes. I do not have any personal experience with these, but perhaps other members can advise on the quality of these or make other suggestions. http://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/PROD/classic21g/24-5517

^^^^That's a very good list. If you plan on doing any night time driving I would add some Cibie H4 headlamps from Daniel Stern Lighting. They make a fantastic difference. Cibies are the best of the H4 conversions by far. And they have a Convex front glass that suites the Z-Car much better than the flat faced Bosch and Hell conversions. Better pattern than Bosch or Hella as well, IMHO. With HL relay upgrade and Cibie H4's, you will be astounded in the difference in night vision. http://www.danielsternlighting.com/products/products.html Buy the recommended H4 bulbs from Daniel Stern as well. The bulb is just as important as the rest of the Head Lamp.

Had a dampner that looked very similar to that on my D-Production 240Z back in the late 1970's. Was a Nissan Competition number ( 12303-E4620 discontinued ) or a Tilton part. Can't remember which excatly, although I'm leaning towards Tilton. Regardless, confirmation of the accuracy of the TDC mark on pulley is what you need to establish. Set the engine to TDC using a Piston stop. Or, you can also use a long thing screwdriver inserted in #1 Plug hole to confirm when piston reaches TDC. Once you have established TDC, check the marking on the dampner. If the TDC marks are lining up great. If not, scribe a new TDC mark on the Dampner and use a dial-back timing light to set your full mechanical advance. Disregard all other markings. Note: VERY IMPORTANT. It may be worthwhile removing the crank pulley bolt and checking the overall length. The Nissan Comp dampner and some aftermarket dampners ( Tilton ) required a longer crank bolt as the dampner was thicker at the mounting face than the stock unit. A stock crank bolt will be too short to provide enough thread engagement and will work loose. I bent a very expensive Tilton crank because a " Professional " engine builder made that mistake. Finding the longer crank bolt may be tricky, but ARP probably has something that will work. The current Nissan Comp crank bolt 99996-E1065 is not correct for Dampners that require the longer bolt.

I would not plumb the Fuel Filter by the brake booster. That's a high heat area. Could cause Vapor lock. The factory placed the fuel filter on both EFI and carbed cars on the passenger side for good reason. Well away from exhaust heat. Follow the factory EFI fuel line routing for your carbs. You can actually keep the EFI fuel filter for the carb setup. Will work just fine and one less thing to change. Change out the EFI electric pump for a carburated Electric pump that puts out less fuel pressure ( 4.5 to 7 psi ) . A Carter electric fuel pump is fine. Run an adjustable fuel pressure regulator that uses a Bypass system and retain the factory fuel return system.

Edit: Did some investigating and I found out that the Eibach's are apparently progressive springs in the front for the 280Z. That explains the initial " soft " feel up front in roll. I generally do not like " Progressive " springs and I would NEVER use them up front. I always use Linear rate springs on all of my cars. ( I've Autocrossed, Hillclimbed and Road Raceed for many years ) The Eibach's will be coming out in the winter. Time to dig out my Moog spring catalog again.

Just got back from a weekend trip up to Kelowna BC. Beautiful weather and some fantastic road sections on the Hope - Princeton Hwy. The KYB's have a nice damping force for Touring, but I think the Eibachs are a bit soft, especially up front. I have big MSA sway bars front and rear, but the car rolls a bit more than I'd like. Mind you the CG is also a bit higher than I'd like. I run 225/50x16 Conti DW's on the car and with the Eibachs it's perched up in the air a bit too much. Lower than stock, but not quite low enough. Winter project I guess. I need to go stiffer in front spring rate and rebound and the car needs to be lowered by about another 1" to 1.5". Then it would be perfect. Mind you, I'd have to switch out to 205/50x 16" if the car was any lower. Got a bit of tire rub on some high speed " Rollers ", but nothing to worry about. Regarding KYB saying that these shocks are not for " Lowered " cars. I think that's a recommendation for " Race springs " that drop the car 2" or more. Primarily because the KYB shocks do not have stiff enough valving to handle the much stiffer race springs. They can handle about a 20% increase in rate... but not much more. Recommendation has nothing to do with bottoming out the shock, as they have lots of travel and as long as you use some sort of " Bump stop " on the shock absorber shaft you cannot physically bottom out the shock.. I would not consider the Eibach's to be a " lowering spring " in the conventional sense. They are more like a " Sport "spring or a " Euro " spring. A bit stiffer and a bit lower... but nothing extreme by any means. Nice ride for Touring, but not adequate for serious Autocross or other Competition IMHO.

Get a magnifying glass and look for some faint stamping around the circumference of the rear shell. On the surface near the Field windings. If you see some numbers that start with " LT " it's externally regulated. If you can see " LR " it's internally regulated. Re-manufactured alternators are often sand blasted, and it makes the numbering hard to see. But a Magnifying glass will usually show up some traces. Edit: " P " terminal pretty much confirms an Internal regulated alt. I don't think any of the external regulated models had the " P " terminal... but I'm not 100% sure on that.

Huh?? Who said you can't Mod the ECU ?. I'm I'm going with a Dragons and Skulls theme....

There should be a MINIMAL spark " at the points " when you open them. If you have a medium to large spark at the points when you open them, then it is likely that the distributor condenser is shot. The condenser is mounted on the side of the distributor. It had two purposes: 1: It absorbs the electrical current when the points open, so that the points don't arc. Arcing will rapidly burn and pit the points. 2: The condenser causes the magnetic field in the coil to collapse much faster when the points open. This cause a BIG increase in Secondary current. If the condenser is weak ( or missing ) , the Magnetic field collapses slower and you will have a very weak spark at the plugs. The points condenser should be replaced every time you replace the points. Note: When you go to install new points, drag a piece of clean white paper between the points first. Do it a couple of times till the paper comes out clean. New points usually have an anti-corrosion coating on them, to prevent corrosion during storage. This coating must be wiped clean before installation, or you can " burn " the points. It's actually the oil coating that burns.

Compare the pricing at Rock Auto as well. They are very competitively priced.

1976 280Z with Eibach springs and Tokico Blues I've been dissatisfied with the Tokico HP Blues in my car for some time. As many others have noted, these shocks seem to have too much compression valving and not enough rebound. This makes for a very uncomfortable harsh ride. The rear is particularly bad with feeling that the shocks are seized or that the car is riding on the bump stops. That's been checked and both shocks and bump stop clearance is good. The shocks are just plain harsh. I've had Race cars that rode better. Had some Tokico Illumina's ordered from MSA, but it turns out there inventory count was off. 2-3 months to get more. In desperation I ordered some KYB GR2 's from Rock Auto. Shocks were dirt cheap and I needed something in a hurry as I have some long trips planned. Had them installed and really wasn't expecting much in terms of performance. They're a street shock and I was expecting that they might be too soft. I was pleasantly surprised with these shocks. The ride of the car has been transformed. No more pitching and banging about. The shocks just soak up the bumps and the car is very comfortable now. Bloody good for a 39 year old car. Minimal dive under braking and the nose doesn't pitch up under acceleration. Could use a bit more rebound in the front for Auto cross etc, but for the street, the combination of the Eibach springs and KYB GR2's seems to be nearly perfect. I would not hesitate to recommend these shocks to anyone with a stock or mild to medium " Sport " suspension. I might eventually get a set of Koni Yellows for the front if I can find them, Or even some Classic Reds. That way I can increase the front rebound a bit more. But I like the smooth rear valving of the KYB's. It's just perfect.

Thanks guys. I've only had the radio for a year and haven't gotten around to installing it yet. . Mind you... the exhaust sounds so sweet, with the 10.1 CR, headers, 2.5" pipes and 280 degree cam, that I really don't mind much

I'm looking to install a Pioneer Single Din head unit in my 1976 280Z. Was going to make a template and custom cut an overlay Faceplate out of 1/8" Black ABS. Have some material that is pretty close to original console texture. Then I had a thought about 3D printing. I'm wondering if any one has had a radio faceplate 3D printed for our cars, or can offer any suggestions on the best way to proceed. Not interested in concealed radio installation etc. TIA.

It's been a long long time, but when I used to race Datsuns ( 1200's and 240Z'z ) back in the Mid-70's, I seem to recall that the factory OE alternators were the " Green " bands. I worked as a Datsun Partsman from about 1974 thru to 1992 and saw quite a few early cars in the shops with the Factory Alternators. For some reason the " Green " band sticks in my mind. The Datsun/Nissan " re-manufactured " Alternators may have had a Gray bandat different times... but I think the OEM's had the Green bands. I don't recall Red on any of the Alternators, at least not factory equipped. And also these were all Canadian cars, but in the early 1970's I don't think there were many differences in Production between Canada and USA.

Believe it. It's exhaust fumes. There is a vast difference in smell between Gasoline vapors and exhaust fumes. I've had exhaust leaks in various cars and they all smell the same ( Non- Cat ) . Only car that was as bad as my 280Z was a 1986 Camaro. Similar design to Z with a hatch back design and problem was the same. Leaky Tail light gaskets and hatch seals. Replaced all seals and gaskets with genuine GM products and fumes completely disappeared. GM design has very thick seals and hatch closes VERY tight. In fact so tight that you cannot close the hatch by hand pressure alone. You gently close the hatch, then there is a " Pull Down " electric motor on the Body latch that draws the whole hatch shut...with some pretty high pressure I might add. The GM seals are very thick and need to compress a lot to ensure a seal. These designs create a low pressure area around the back hatch area and will suck in fumes like a vacuum cleaner. GM design with super tight closing required, points to an issue on my car that I just found yesterday. There is a full width spoiler from PO, and tailgate does not latch down tight enough to compress the hatch seals enough. Spoiler hits edges of fenders and leaves a mark if latch is adjusted to close tighter. Ultimate fix may be eliminate or modify the spoiler ends so that hatch can close tighter. Seals are fairly new ( although not genuine Datsun ) and I get water leaking past them at a couple of spots if I take the car to a Spray wash.

OMG... thanks for bringing that up. The ABSOLUTE worst pain I have ever felt in my life was dropping a complete suspension strut with attached brakes on my FROZEN Big toe!! Changing springs on my Rally car. Outside. January. Snowing. Couldn't even scream it hurt so much!!! Rolled around in snow like a decapitated worm for what seemed an eternity. That memory is still etched in my mind.....from 40 years ago!!

Works just dandy. I've also used a body mans dolly and a body man hammer. Use the dolly on the non-engine side and tap the high points flat with the body hammer. You can also use a regular Ball Peen hammer. Don't worry too much about getting it " perfectly " straight. The pan has enough flex that it will pull down straight when you tighten the bolts. Just get rid of the high points on the mounting surface around the holes. Old oil pans on SBC's need this all the time. FY in generaI....never use silicone as a sealant on gaskets. This is advice direct from Permatex . It allows movement ( from vibrations ) between the two parts and will " fret " the gasket causing it to fail. Use a sticky adhesive on gaskets such as Permatex Aviation Cement ( Brush on Can ) or a Spray such as High Tack.

Picture of fuel hoses reminded me to go buy a Fire extinguisher. Always handy to have around. My Injector hoses look like they have been previously replaced, but I think I'll give them a good hard inspection ASAP!! I've replaced some of the Fuel regulator hoses already.

If rubber/nitrile, probably the O-Ring that seals the distributor to the adapter housing. Edit: Just noticed " Siteunseen " beat me to it...

Agree with that 100% Air Cooled engines are very hard on oils. HTHS properties are very important in all air cooled engines. One reason why the bike guys like Rotella T6 5w-40 Synthetic so much. VW/Audi 4 and 5 cylinder Turbo engines work well with it also ( T6 5w-40 ) Of course you have to match the viscosity to the bearing clearances and other design tolerances.

Valvoline VR1 is a bit hard to find up here. So is Brad Penn But Driven oil by Joe Gibbs Racing is readily available. And they have specific formulations tailored to various engine typed. Its expensive but well worth it IMHO. And you can get the JGR oils in conventional, Synthetic blend and full synthetic. Lots of oil manufacturers making these " niche " oils these days, particularly for older flat tappet engines.

It's very hard to judge Tone via the Internet. I think you've made too harsh of a judgment on me and vica versa. It's just the way I prefer to write from previous experiences on technical discussions in other Forums. I find it more efficient to make a statement, and then support that statement with as many facts as I can. Like a " Shot Gun " effect. Short statements and explanations tend to lead to multiple posts explaining the original concept. That's all. Lets move on... agreed?

What kind of nonsense is this Zed Head? I'm not falling for ANY hype and I supplied factual information with links to documentation to other forums and even sites with listings of various oils and there Zinc and Phosphorous contents. Did you even bother to look at those links? Some of them have some ( The VW Vortex thread ) EXTREMELY good technical information in them. None of this is new information...although it does seem to be for you. And then you tell me not to " fill up " ( IE pollute ) your other thread?? WTF?? I wasn't born yesterday ( I'm 61 ) have a lot of useful experience from over 40 years of racing that I have accumulated. I don't mind sharing but don't try and belittle me by trying to cast me as some type of " Fan Boy ". What is wrong with posting with factual information that is used to ASSIST other members? If you want to stick your head in the sand...go right ahead. But don't try and tell me that I can't post just because my opinion and EXPERIENCE differs from yours? That's just being childish and stubborn... Sheesh... Back to technical discussion if other members now wish. Richard

OK one more link to an article written in 2006 by Hot Rod magazine. Titled " Why Good Cams go bad " . This was at the start of when domestic Cam grinders started to see a lot of HP cam failures. There are several factors that happened all at once that relate only to Domestic flat tappet engines, but read the section on Motor Oil formulation changes. Those changes are still in effect, and to a greater extent in 2015 than 2006. And it gets worse in 2016 with further reductions in ZDDP to Diesel oils planned. This is a link to a scan of that article: http://www.vortexbuicks-etc.com/lifters.htm You can also Google " When Good Cams go Bad " or " ZDDP reduction in motor oils " . Should give you a start to hundreds of hours of " Fun " reading... Edit: Please be aware that the above article was written in 2006 when the problem of ZDDP reduction was just becoming more apparent. Back then there were no " Specialty " oils like we have today. the oil companies are of course laughing all the way to the bank. Now they can over charge for " designer " oils for " Niche " markets ". Instead of one product line, they can now sell 4 or 5. And Vintage guys and Hot Rodders have lots of money right? ... Oyyyy Vayyyy !!

Read the following article from Brad Penn Racing on why " Bottled " ZDDP additives may not be good for your motor oil and why ZDDP is not just for " Break-in " of new cams. Similar articles and recommendations from many, many different HP oil manufactures and HP cam companies: http://penngrade1.com/CMSFiles/File/July%202011_PG1HP_TECH_LETTER_ZDDP_BRAD_PENN.pdf