dogma420

Just be sure you state that they don't fit correctly. 2 wrongs don't make a right if you sell them without stating the problem. Later, good luck on getting some that fit...I do have some of the smoked look ones, don't know if I have the rubber seals, but they do fit correctly.

ZTherapy all the way; listen to Bruce, he the USA diety of SUs!!!!

PLEASE correct me if I'm wrong.... My head is original, I've never put lead in it...I was told a long time ago the L series aluminum heads have hardened seats by default. My head has over 125,000 miles on it with unleaded gas, totally original head. No problems with the valves.

YES, there is a market for a complete turnkey ZX turbo motor (with everything including brain included)... Go ahead and get it...someone will buy this motor.

Awesome looking Zed! Glad you shared your pictures....please share more information so when I do the process I will get my car looking like yours! Have a Zed ful day!

now i see what you're saying...the knob is in the same place on the 'shorter' shifter...we are talking shorter shift distance between each gear.....not a shorter shifter length in the size of the shaft...

the distance between the hole it pivots on and the ball that inserts into the tranny is different....you need the brackets for each side that make up for the difference...those brackets are shaped differently for the newer tranny...hence why you can't use it...your shifter just doesn't make any difference.

I don't believe that to be true; the 77-78 5 speed was the 4 speed and they just added an extra gear to it; the 79-83 5 speed (not borg warner) was a redesign that doesn't resemble the 4 speed in design.

I guess they don't; email them and let them know you'd get one if you could...that's how they get parts to be made after a long hiatus anyways. As you can see in the picture, those brackets are really all this is about, and a longer shifter from the hole to the pivot on the end that goes into the tranny. If you could machine both of those, and get good, you'd sell a lot of 'em on here!

Yes, MSA has 3 versions, 1 for the early 4 speed, one for the 77-78 5 speed, and one for the later 5 speed to 1983. Its right in their catalog. It even says that the later 5 speed throws are longer than the earlier one. I personally debated the early vs. later 5 speed and I am happy with the earlier one....with the exception of possibly problems down the road with the 5th and reverse on the same leg....its exactly like my 4 speed was, just it has a 5th gear now. Instead of 4400 rpm at 70 mph, I get 3200 at 70 mph, which is what I was looking for on those drives to the beach! I really have to recommend the upgrade to a 5 speed, if for nothing else, the synchros are just kick butt compared to my stock original 4 speed. The shifts are so much sharper and precise, one of the few upgrades I've done, and I'd recommend it for anyone that has a 240z with the 4 speed. The driving experience couldn't be better. Errr, does anyone want to buy my 4 speed tranny? heh.

MSA does offer one, but it doesn't make it as short as if you installed it on a 77-78 5 speed....I installed it on mine, its very short...and if you had any machine exp. you could make this kit yourself. it just raises the pivot points where the shifter bolts through, so the pivot is higher (and movement is shorter)...I'm sure you could get it to be much shorter by making one.

I would like to get some '73 3 point stock seat belts for my '72 240z...in at least OK condition. I'm in Portland, Oregon, USA. Only a set will do. Cross posted to parts wanted. Thanks in advance for reading my post.

Carl, that link doesn't seem to work for the other garage thread.

believe it or not, the ZX 5 speed has longer throws than the 77-78 5 speed. That's the main reason I got the 77-78 5 speed, because the throws are shorter.

Thanks! Take your time.

How about the driver's side 3 point retrac belt?

Glad to help...I'd be a rich man if I got a nickel everytime someone on here has helped me out!

Yes, you would be looking at Hitachi SUs but if you can do anything on a Datsun, you'd be able to do the same on the British SU...they are almost exact other than very small details.

Yes, the US Emissions were the reason.

the hitachis are almost exact clones of the british SUs...some of the parts are interchangeable. See Ztherapy for more info. Get their SU carb tuning video, well worth the money.

70-74 all had SUs....the 70-72 had 'round tops' and the later ones are called 'flat tops'.....the domes are flat vs. older ones (good ones) being round. Plenty of pictures on here of the round ones.

By the way, forgot....73 is when the 3 point seat belts started...I'd say its a 1973 240z by the vin...are the front turn signals under the bumper area or in the grill area? If under the thin bumper, its a 73 240z or a early 260z (up until 6/74 or so).

check out www.zhome.com there's something on there for it. Hey, I need 3 point seat belts for my 72, I have lap belts. PM me if you want to sell these. Thanks!!!!

Thanks for the info!

Jcraig, SUs, stand for Skinner's Union which made at one point the original SUs found on MGS, etc....Datsun had Tihatchi license the SU design, they are essentially the same carb, but made by Japanese. (might be wrong on the licensing part but close anyways). DCOEs are downdraft, and like any other downdraft, the fuel / air mixture has to travel in a down, turn towards motor, and then go (and that point is where the SUs would be shooting their air / fuel mixture to begin with)...a shorter, straighter path is more desirable for air/ fuel...so SUs or any other sidedraft for that matter are just better carbs. SUs are designed to only give the motor what air/fuel mixture it wants, depending upon vacuum. The gas pedal only controls the butterfly in between the piston/needle and the motor...allowing more or less vacuum. The piston in the SU is free floating, and moves on its own...hence why these are great carbs if properly synched and if they're in good mechanical condition, they aren't hard to synch...I can do it!!!