Racer X

So the noise on acceleration but not on coast is a symptom of incorrect pinion to ring gear engagement, or possibly (only possibly, a close examination of the bearings would confirm or eliminate the bearings) the bearings. Checking the wipe pattern will go a long way toward finding the cause. Find a local shop that specializes in differential work. There are a number of competent shops in the greater Vancouver area. Shipping a differential will be expensive, because of the weight.

This is in the back of my 71 Z. The fuel cell is where the spare tire well used to be, and is flush with the rear floor/top of the rear subframe structure.

You’re welcome. You mentioned having new bearings installed in the diff, and the shims were rechecked, but didn’t mention the pattern. I’ve rebuilt a few dozen differentials over the years, mostly for medium and heavy trucks, and a few automotive units. Setting the gear lash and checking it with the lead paste is a fading art. Get it wrong and the gears will sing. Let us know what you find out, eh?

What does the gear wipe pattern look like on the ring and pinion? Can you post a picture of it?

Left yourself wide open there Captain.

I have 'rebuilt' dozens of regulators including on Z cars. Pretty straightforward process. Lots of people throw these things away and buy new when they malfunction. I might add that a point file is a better tool to use for dressing the contact points, over sandpaper.

One of the gland nut wrenches I posted pictures of earlier would have fit that nut before it was attacked by a welder and a pipe wrench.

The ignition doesn't need to know the temperature, the fuel injection system does. Cold engine, enrich the mixture. Warm engine, lean it out.

Among many cool workshop tools, the shop I worked in at the local electric utility has one of those. I used it frequently to tune the distributor for my race Z. If I recall correctly, 34 to 36 degrees was about it. Even running 115 octane leaded racing gasoline. I also used the machine to prove that my younger brother changed the advance curve after I specifically asked him not to. I had set the distributor to around 35 degrees. Put it in the engine, put the engine in the car, tuned it, did a bit of a break in run around the neighborhood. Changed the oil, and got everything ready for the upcoming race meet. The day before we loaded up to hear to the track I caught little brother fiddling with the distributor. Asked what he was up to and he said we could get more power with a bit more advance. I told him I set it on the machine, and asked him to leave it be. At the track the next Saturday I went out for morning practice. Yes, the car was pulling hard. I couldn't hear it detonating over the exhaust. A freshly built engine destroyed in the first 15 minute practice session at Pacific Raceways. Bent rods. Burnt and broken pistons and rings. Scored cylinder walls. Loaded up and headed home. Unloaded, pulled the distributor and went to the shop at work. I found it set to 47 degrees. I confronted little brother about it, he didn't say a word. Got in his car and drove off. Hasn't talked to me since. That was 1991. The boy has never been able to take ownership of his actions. Sorry, I drifted off. But yeah, those distributor machines are awesome.

I believe the condenser is for radio noise suppression. Testing condensers can be done using an analog ohmmeter. The link describes the process. I would add that removing the condenser completely from the car, and placing it on a non conductive surface is how the testing should be done. https://www.reference.com/world-view/test-automobile-ignition-condenser-60004eb0d27238bb

So spending all that time in the shop with the car was OK with your serpent friend?

Also interesting that the Mohr auction house, with a higher grade presentation with professional photography, etc., failed to at least meet the $65k the owner achieved with the first auction.

Since the strut cartridge isn't a tight fit, it is possible that filling the void with oil may help conduct heat. It could even help keep moisture out, reducing the likelihood that corrosion may form. But even during extended periods of stroking up and down, during a track day, or a race, not much heat will develop from the fluid inside the shock moving through the valving. There isn't very much travel, as opposed to something with long suspension travel, like an off road desert racer. And what little heat that is generated is absorbed by the strut housing and dissipated quickly.

Wrenches like that are called spanners. Fixed, the the one you have here, and adjustable. Some have a handle, instead of a square for a ratchet or breaker bar.

As mentioned, the oil pressure port is above the resting oil level in the crankcase. Note where the dipstick is, and the oil level on it when checked, in relation to the location of the oil pressure port. Just don’t try to do it with the engine running.

I'd be most concerned about the oil pressure reading. Confirm the pressure by using a mechanical gauge.

If you are measuring the voltage at the battery, you are only seeing the battery state of charge. Around 13 volts is OK. Measuring the output of the alternator you should see closer to 14 volts as the alternator is operating.

Thanks Steve. Been too long that I’ve seen one in person, and the OP’s picture isn’t good enough for me to see it. Still, looks like the temps in his car are normal.

A couple of things. Is the bearing in the fan clutch OK, or is it loose? You mention the temperature gauge points to “F”. There is no F on the temperature gauge. The picture you posted shows the temperature is in the middle of the range, so this is good. Does the fan clutch engage and stay engaged with the engine at this temperature? What does the temperature gauge do just before, and then after the fan clutch engages? One point I would like to make is that the type of coolant has zero effect on the operation of the fan clutch. Also, the oil pressure. The stock gauge in the Z is electric, nothing more than an approximation. Having a good, quality mechanical gauge is the only way to know what the oil pressure is. Also, the oil pressure will change, showing a higher reading at idle when the engine is cold and getting lower as the engine reaches operating temperature. The rule of thumb is 10 pounds of pressure for every 1,000 rpm of engine speed, so 10 psi at idle is fine.

Snap On makes two gland nut wrenches, WMS1, and WMS2. WMS1 has four sizes, 51, and 54 mm on one side, 55, and 58 mm on the other. WMS2 has 53 mm on one side, and two sizes for slotted gland nuts like one finds on hydraulic jacks. Pictures below. The OEM strut assemblies used the strut tube as a reservoir, so oil was used. The aftermarket strut cartridges are fully self contained. No oil is required to be added.

Actually the brush grew up around them, and they were mostly hidden from view.

Actually I’m going to be offering them for sale soon. It is a shrub, a woody sort of thing that grows on the forest floor around here. The 280Z also had one, growing up through the vent in the hood. I left these eight Z cars here 18 years ago, when we bought this property. The 280ZX, and the 280Z were both running when I parked them.

Stayed home another day to be around in case Mrs. Racer needed anything. She is actually adapting reasonably well, considering the limited mobility with a splint almost all the way to her, um, well yeah. She got out of bed on her own, and was able to use the bathroom without help. So, after I fixed us breakfast, I went out and cleared some more brush, liberating some more of the eight Z cars hiding in plain sight. So far, a 280ZX, a 280Z, a240Z, and a 280Z 2+2. The next Z is a 240, not quite visible on the right.

Need a picture showing your engine and pulley. It is possible the wrong pulley was used, or, the outer part of the pulley has moved on the rubber, and it actually contacted the timing indicator. You may need to replace the pulley. *edit* I went back and watched the video again. The pulley appears to be too close to the indicator. Check the alignment of all the pulleys with a straight edge. I believe you will find the damper pulley rubber is failing, and the outer ring has migrated rearward.

The car wanting to die when the oil cap is removed indicates a malfunction with the crankcase ventilation system. Removing the cap is creating a huge vacuum leak, which shouldn't be there. This car should also have an evaporative emissions recovery system. Engine vacuum is used to pull evaporative emissions, gas vapor from the fuel system and tank, crankcase gases, and into the intake air stream to be consumed in the combustion chamber.