Racer X

Helicoils are an excellent method for repairing stripped threads. Be sure and evenly torque the bolts using a torque wrench on reassembly. What do you mean by tang? What is a Time-sert? Never heard of it. Why wouldn't a helicoil work in a through hole? I've used them in through holes many times. Loctite red thread locker will keep them in place.

Where at in Washington are you? When the time does come, I may be able to hook you up with a very good mechanic.

For the belt, get one the next size smaller. Belts are designated by the overall length, usually in inches. The part number should have that length as a portion of the number. When you mention the pulley offset, are you referring to alignment, as viewed at right angle to the crankshaft centerline? If so, they should line up. Use a straight edge to check. And the fan clutch looks fine. Did you check the bearing play? Also, check that the engine is getting to operating temperature, as I described earlier? If the radiator tank and thermostat housing are close to the same temp, and that temp is low in both places, the most likely cause is a thermostat that isn't closing. If you still feel the fan clutch isn't working right, take it off, and reattach the water pump pulley, and take a short drive. If the car gets to temp, then you can suspect it. If not, I'd go back to the thermostat as the cause.

Yeah, look at all his loyal followers who followed rules and obeyed laws in DC today. Model citizens, eh?

They are domestic terrorists.

No doubt. Wearing MAGA hats even. Am I the only one who doesn't see this as a great America? After the recorded conversation of the Chump attempting to coerce the Georgia elections official for his benefit, it escapes me how he has not been arrested. No man is above the law. Not even that jackass. I applaud Mr. Pence for refusing to be manipulated by the Chump. He is a good man.

These Japanese girls can really rock.

There should be some resistance, easy to turn pushing on it with a finger, but doesn't spin freely. It is a viscous coupling. The bimetal spring moves a plate, closing the gap between the two parts of the clutch. The unique property of the silicone fluid is the more it is pushed on the more it resists. so the heat coming off the radiator changes the shape of the bimetal spring, which pushes the plate against the fluid, and the fan becomes increasingly coupled (although it never is fully coupled, similar to a torque converter in an automatic transmission), and the fan pulls more air through the radiator. So sounds like yours is OK in that regard. In my years as a mechanic I knew other guys who would grab the fan blade while the engine was running, and stop it from spinning, while the engine continued to idle away. These were the same knuckle draggers who checked for the presence of spark, or leakage in the plug wires with their hand. When you get it on the water pump hub, and the bolts tight (tip: use the belt to hold the pulley while tightening the nuts), check the fan clutch bearing for play. There may be a spec, but a feel can be developed for this. A used clutch will have a minor amount of play. As long as the fluid isn't leaking out, it should be good to go.

I love these Japanese girl rock bands. Those sweet looking biscuits get after it. Mmmmmm!

I wonder where all those Z cars and parts went? It looked like he had 75 to 100 cars there at one time.

The thing to look for on a fan clutch is the condition of the bearing. When is fails, the hub gets loose, then the silicone fluid leaks out. If the car isn't fully warming up, the likely suspect is the thermostat. Check the cooling system temperature with a non contact pyrometer. Like this:

If they were used, the pulley v-grooves would show wear from the belts. Easy to check, a 6" steel scale laid against the bevel, shine a flashlight at the backside. As the grooves wear, the surface will become concave. I think they just haven't been stored in a dry environment.

You could use scotchbrite, or a strip of fine emery cloth to polish it up. Do the inside too. Be sure there aren't any burrs, don't overlook the keyway. Clean it with a mild detergent, and install. I like to put a thin film of antisieze on the bore, and in the keyway (use a q-tip). A little goes a long way, just be sure it is even.

Took the grandson to SeaTac this morning for his flight back to Fort Benning. Left at 2am. Most everyone had masks, and only a few chin diapers. His flight was delayed over 5 hours, and after trying to get something else with no luck, we resigned to hanging a bit, have breakfast and then drop him off at the USO in the terminal. But, no one was open yet, even the 24 hour places were closed. So McDonald's drive through breakfast, and dine in the cell phone parking lot and watch Alaska Airlines planes go in and out. Then back tho the terminal, masked up, wander around a bit and help the kid be sure what security gate he wanted, and what gate to find his plane. Left him chillin at the USO, and headed home. He just landed in Atlanta at 4:20 Pacific time, 7:20 Eastern. After getting home ourselves, I went to the gas station to get some diesel for my shop heater. I paid $1.639 for 25 gallons.

I first met him when his shop was on Ballinger Way in King County. I saw him once after he moved to Clearview on Highway 9, and that was about 28 years ago.

Looks like you found the clicking noise. And yes, dampers can be rebuilt. There is a guy in Snohomish, WA that used to be the local Z guy. He has a bunch of L series dampers that he had rebuilt, and he sells them with exchange of your old damper. https://zspecialties.com/?swoof=1&pa_years=1973&pa_car-model=240z&product_cat=engine I notice you don't have a mechanical fuel pump. You know that the eccentric on the camshaft can be removed too, right? One less bit of rotating mass spinning away.

Home family evening.

I really feel bad, as the most I have done with my Z cars lately is move them around some. Been cleaning and organizing my shop mostly. I cleared a spot between the Camaro and the 70 240Z at the back of the shop for the 72 240Z, so I can do the 140,000 mile service on the 2001 Ram 3500, two and a half gallons of oil, new air filter, replace the thermostat, pull 6 tires and wheels, inspect the brakes (gonna need new front rotors, pads and calipers soon) inspect the tires and pick all the rocks out of them, rotate and reinstall, and torque 32 lug nuts. Next up is a repair on the oldest grandsons 2013 Focus. Then oil change and service on the 1948 Ford 8N tractor. That thing is 72 years old and it just keeps on going. The Energizer Bunny has nothing on the Ford. Next up, the 1972 Kubota L260 tractor that I mow with. Oil change and service. The 6 foot finish mower needs the blades sharpened, and the PTO shaft needs greased. Can’t leave out the Kubota GR2110 diesel riding mower that Mrs. Racer mows with, oil change, sharpen blades and general service. Then the 1995 F150 Eddie Bauer needs an oil change, transmission service, and both fuel tanks replaced. By the time I get all that done my daily driver, a 2005 Subaru Legacy wagon will be ready for the 190,000 mile service. It will be due for a timing belt at 200,000 miles, so I’ll order up a belt. Then I might get back to work getting the 72 Z driveable again. After sitting for 22 years there are many things that require attention.

Love the recliner, eh?

Another question. Are the bumpers the stainless steel ones from the guys in Vietnam?

Sounds like you're having a great New Years Eve! Many happy returns.

I bought a Snap On 2 ton floor jack about 35 years ago. It was actually made by Walker for Snap On, looking exactly the same as Walker jacks of the same era, only painted red with Snap On decals. It has served me well, still working perfectly. I had to add another jack when I got the Ram 3500 in 2001. It weighs around 8,000 lbs or so. The options were another floor jack like the 2 ton Snap On only rated to lift more, which are large and cumbersome, or an air over hydraulic heavy duty jack. I chose the latter. Rated at 22 tons it is a bit of overkill, but the design makes it easier to use in tight spaces. And it proved useful when I picked up a motor grader 15 years ago, which weighs in at 25,000 lbs.

Sweet. Did you do the refinishing of the taillight panel? If so, what color did you use? I need to do mine, and there is no shortage of discussions about what is the right color.

The plate isn't meant to signify that the car was ever registered in Japan, as it was not. The car sold new in Washington state, and has been owned, licensed and operated there since new in 1972. In fact the rear plate is the original one, restored to new condition. The Japanese characters for the prefecture isn't meant to be the correct issuing authority. The characters are the correct Japanese for Kanagawa prefecture, where the factory is that the car was manufactured at, not meant to signify any of the four official government issuing offices. The color is indeed correct. From the ALPCA web archives regarding Japan registration plates: Passenger cars >2000 c.c., 1962-74 green/white; 9 x 5; aluminum; embossed unpainted border. An actual Japanese plate from that era, from the collection of a fellow ALPCA member: Japan Greater Than 2000cc by Racer, on Flickr (ALPCA is the Automobile License Plate Collectors Association, located at alpca.org. Formed in 1954, ALPCA has been dedicated to the promotion of license plate collecting and research, the exchange of information and plates, and the fraternal benefits of sharing a common interest with others throughout the world. The largest license plate collectors organization in the world. ALPCA currently has 2,998 members from 50 states and 19 countries.) So yes, I took some liberties with the creation of this novelty plate, but I took care to represent the origin of my Z accurately, and create a plate that is representative of what it might have had if it had been registered in Japan back in the day, within the limits of the resources available to me.