KenFirch

I recently converted my Caswell plating setup to a rolling workbench. I'll get more use out of this for the space it takes up in my shop. And I've found a place in town to use for plating instead of trying to do it myself. I've found that all things need to be near perfect for good results with Caswell, and it's a time burner. But it was fun while it lasted.

Yeah, the MSA headers I bought have the "Thermal Barrier Ceramic" coating. I guess if I want something really ugly, I could get this: https://www.thezstore.com/product/5287/protective-header-blanket-straight-6-headers.

I've got the MSA 6-1 header installed. Pics here:

I'm looking to install a heat shield below my SU's, to replace the stock shield. I've been noticing a bit of stumbling after idling for 4-5 minutes at those stupid stop lights. It may be the California 10% ethanol gas lowering the boiling point, or the fact that I haven't yet done the Spring valve adjustment/plug change. I see Z Car Depot has one, not sure how well it works. Anyway, any other options or ideas out there? Thanks, Ken

Curious as to what happened on the flatbed. Maybe a cautionary tale?

Go all the way and remove the shaft mounts too, by using a throttle cable.

My 73 Z had a L26 block and an E88 head when I got it. I rebuilt it 8 some years ago, flat top pistons, but no mods to the head. It runs great, and a blast to drive. It will ping on regular, but not 91 gas.

Smart move.

Your 71 may have had bolts on the top row, studs elsewhere. Studs will save wear and tear on the aluminum head threads, and probably hold a torque better. Studs are usually only removed if damaged. Good thread here.

No oil to deal with. Clean gasket surfaces. I couldn't tell from your pics or video, but you should have 6 thick washers where the stud is between the exhaust and intake manifolds, like these.

I'm thinking you'll need to drain coolant and remove carbs and intake to get a clean shot at removing the exhaust manifold and easier reinstall. Especially if you keep the exhaust down pipe in place. Here's what some folks use to plug the air pump tube on the air filter base. I think it's a chair/table leg cap, probably from Home Depot. If you need help wrenching, send me a message.

Those white plastic ball sockets should pry off pretty easily with a screwdriver or small open end wrench. Post a pic when you get a chance so we can see what you have.

Found a new air galley for you: https://jdm-car-parts.com/products/air-galley-for-datsun-240z Kidding! Unless it's a must have for a concours Z. You might try the simple and cheapest #5 option first. I would try to jam a short 1/2" long piece of tubing (or bolt shank) that tightly fits in both ends of the broken tube, to hold together in alignment without completely relying on the JB Weld. Might be worth a shot before spending a lot of money. It'd be a shame to trash all the work you've done so far getting that stock appearance, looks great. If you need any mechanical help, feel free to contact me. I'm just an old retired guy with lots of free time lately. Yeah, I'm satisfied with the MSA 6 to 1 header, good clearance over speed bumps, unless you go too fast. For performance, there are better ones, but this one suites me fine. Muffler Tech is still there on Florin Road, a bit of a drive from Roseville with an open header, but the cops will understand, right?

Yeah, I’m guessing an exhaust leak somewhere on the air galley. Dang! That sucks. From your video it looks like you’re going for the factory look. You may want to start soaking the six fittings above each exhaust port in case you need to remove it for repair. I’m not sure how successful others have been removing the air galley, I’ve found them tough to get the fittings loose. I’m not sure what year your Z is, but I’ve got a 73 manifold with usable galley hanging on my wall just down the road from you in Elk Grove.

On mine a 1" wrench fits on the air galley fitting to hold while breaking loose the valve. Maybe try some heat too, and a second pair of hands. I tried for a few years to keep my 73 Z stock, working smog pump, new check valve, exhaust manifold, etc. Never could get it to run good until I plugged the air galley intake, it ran so much better. I removed and boxed all the smog stuff up, eventually went with a header a few years later.

The reserve, if any, is set before the final listing info is approved by both seller and BAT. I'm not sure reserve can be changed after going live. Looking at wording in the email I received from BAT titled "Seller Expectations," there's this line: Honor your agreed-upon reserve. Your 1965 Sunbeam Tiger Mk1 reserve is $xx,xxx. If your auction is marked as sold, we expect you to follow through and complete the transaction. Complete the transaction based on the buyer’s preference for payment. We offer buyers the option to either pay online via our Bring a Trailer Verified Checkout process or to arrange the payment details with you on their own. There is a final "Approve" button you must click on their website to agree to the terms. So, as long as BAT marks auction as "sold," high bidder pays their bid, and BAT sends seller the balance up to sellers reserve. If that Z's reserve was $25,000 (I don't know what it was), buyer pays seller the $24,500 bid. Buyer also pays 5% ($1,225) to BAT. BAT would then send seller $500, still making $725 from the listing, plus the $100 listing fee.

I had that connector marked as the buzzer on an old wiring harness I removed from my late 73. Factory buzzer sounded kinda like this, which is why it's not connected.

I didn't know they were called that! But I can see how it came about. Added to my vocabulary.

I was happy, and lucky I think, to get 50K for my Sunbeam Tiger a few months ago on Bring A Trailer (https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1965-sunbeam-tiger-78/) during this period. Broke even on the car. Market is finicky. Ken

Yeah, wish I'd caught that issue before putting this kit out there! Sorry about that! Plus, you'll need to be able to hold a fast idle during carb balancing, and I'll be working on a method to do that.

For those running non-SU carbs, also listed on eBay just the firewall bushing and hardware: https://www.ebay.com/itm/226237509603.

Forgot to mention kit is on eBay: https://www.ebay.com/itm/226199554933. Or by searching eBay for 240Z Throttle Cable. And revised instructions attached. Ken 240ZSUKitInstallation-7-10-24.pdf

I replaced my stainless Lokar cable with the black Lokar TC-1000U, I now think it's the best choice. Someone mentioned that when he manually blipped the throttle from the engine side, the cable ferrule dropped out of place at the bracket. I honestly never tried this on mine while working on this kit, but obviously would be necessary while balancing the carbs, or just playing around. The problem is when you push the cable (instead of pulling with gas pedal) back down the sheathing, the gas pedal spring is resisting and ferrule moves out of place. Worse, the engine can't return to idle. Not good. And if you're using the stainless one, it's a pain to get those little frayed strands back inside the ferrule. The black version is much easier to get back together. But, it shouldn't happen in the first place. The firewall side is crimped around the sheathing and isn't a problem there. I called Lokar Tech, but they couldn't offer a solution since they only make a kit for the 4 bbl carb on the 240Z, and just said it wasn't installed correctly. Whatever. So, the fix is to glue the sheathing to the ferrule with some sort of epoxy glue. I used J-B Weld. Two areas, the sheathing to the ferrule, and the ferrule to the aluminum adjuster. Apply to outside surfaces so no adhesive gets inside center hole when assembled. Wipe off excess and let dry throughly. Problem solved, blip away.

Here's a pic and instructions. You'll still need a rubber bushing on the rearward side. TensionRodKit.pdf

I had the same problem with the tension rod bushings splitting. This MSA kit works much better: https://www.thezstore.com/datsun-240z-1973/product/6551/tension-rod-t-c-kit-70-8-87-240z-260z-280z-280zx-300zx