landmizzle

Hi all, I have a '72 240Z with the original SU carbs and Pertronix ignition. Car is freshly tuned with valves adjusted, new plugs, cap, rotor, and carbs adjusted. Idles great and drives around town and on the freeway fine. However, when I rapidly accelerate the car begins to hesitate at about 4500 RPM. It did this before the tune-up also if memory serves correct (the tune-up was probably six months or more ago. I don't drive the car daily). Any ideas? My thoughts are maybe my A/F ratio isn't quite right or I need to go to a different viscosity SU oil which is currently 20 weight. Revving the engine while the car is not in motion does not seem to illicit the hesitation/stumbling symptom.

Hi Steve, Yawza! You sure do have alot of questions. I'll try to answer what I can. First off, the dyno ratings is from the flywheel not the rear wheels. Compression ratio is 9.8. Primarily because I wanted to use pump gas. Even so, I have to run premium to avoid pinging. As she stands now, with A/C on going uphill, with lights on, during a hot day, she doesn't ping. The intake restriction I'm referring to is the air box or perhaps carbs, not the head itself. This is based on my experiments during tuning and with the aircover on and off. Yeah, I have thought about those 365 CFM SU's. Sounds sweet. Not sure if that might be too much flow for my engine. I'll have to check with Rebello. Then again with the price of gas now....... I'll keep the current 2.5" exhaust (your correct about the backpressue issue IMO.) but may go with headers. We'll see. Need to think about it. Your questions about the rods and such; I'll have to get back to you on it as I don't know the answer. I'll check with Dave Rebello though, and let you know. Best Regards, Landmizzle '72 240Z

Hi chickenwafer, To be honest with you, I don't know if he works on turbo engines or not. I would be surprised if he didn't but, ya' never know. I do know that they work on various engines including 60's muscle cars. They had a very nice Boss 302 when I was there. His web-site is here www.rebelloracing.com Give em a call. I noticed you're located in Pittsburgh. If that's Pittsburgh, CA, your right next door to his shop. Best Regards, Landmizzle '72 240Z

Hi Lonetreesteve, The total price for me was $4700. The break down was $4200 for the engine work and porting and an additional $500 for the dyno tuning. Best Regards, Landmizzle '72 240Z

Hi all, You may recall several months back that I almost sold my 240Z on Ebay. Fortunately, rational minds on this site set me straight and I saw the errors of my ways. Since then, I've had Rebello Racing rebuild my engine. I thought you might like seeing the Dyno results. Click here http://sclenden.users.sonic.net/240Z/Rebello 240z.xls Rebello has a package where they use the original block and head from your 240Z and bore and stroke it out to 2.8 Liters using a 280Z crank. This package is for the semi-purists crowd that what to retain number matching blocks but add a little more grunt to their engine. In addition, 280Z intake and exhaust valves are installed in the head which is lightly ported. Dave Rebello spoke with me at length about what I was wanting from my engine and based on that conversation installed a cam that he thought I would like. Dave won't release the specs on the cam but, I can tell out that I love the finished product. Some basic instructions I gave Dave Rebello... I informed Dave that I wanted more mid to high end horsepower and torque. I could accept some gas mileage lose especially if would occur only when I "stepped on it". My car is equiped with a 5 speed from a 280ZX (read tall geared, especially in 5th) and 3.54 rear end. I have a 18 lbs. Maxima flywheel and 2.5 inch exhaust with a stock exhaust manifold. Random thoughts on the results... My baby is much more torquey accross the rpm range than before. Cam really comes on from 4000RPM and higher. Between 5000 and 6000 RPM she's really singing. Feels like the pull you get from a 4 barrell carby when the secondaries kick in. A bit of a loppy idle. Gas mileage went from 28 MPG to 23 MPG on the highway. Consistently get 20-21 MPG in the city or when "stepping on it". Currently running SM needles which work great. BTW, the SM needles weren't installed at time of dyno. Intake and exhuast difinetly bottle-necking component of engine setup. I may install headers at a later date. Engine responds to sutle changes in tuning. Everything from enriching to leaning the needles, dampening oil, needles themselves, ignition timing, air box cover on vs. off, etc. High performance=high maitenance. I love it. It's not as bad as it may sound though. However, you will notice effects with subtle changes and if you're one to tune to perfection, be prepared to be more thoughtful and patient. Dispite the tall gearing, she acclerates very good and consequently is long legged at cruising. 3300 RPM @ 80 MPH. Would probably really rocket with a 3.9 rear end but I really don't want to go that route, especially with the price of gas now. Rebello isn't cheap but they seem to do quality work and warrent the engine for life. My engine now has about 10K on it and is running smooth as ever. Anyway, thought I share my experiences. Hope someone finds it useful. Best Regards, Landmizzle '72 240Z

No. I've heard about this modification and mixed reviews on how successful it's been for people who've tried it. Based on the mixed reviews, I've never followed up on it in detail. Best Reviews, Landmizzle '72 240Z

Howdy, Since this was an all new install I didn't see any point in using the R12 and so I went with 134A. Best Regards, Steve Clendenin

Howdy, I would highly recommend that if your engine is stock (viz. stock bore and stroke, stock cam, etc.) that you not use the SM needles. You will not benefit from them. I use the SM needles and love them. However, my 240Z engine has been stroked out to 2.8 Liters and it has a mildly aggressive cam that really comes on strong at around 4000 RPM. In addition, the valves have been enlarged to the 280Z version and I've had some port work done on the head. With those changes, the SM needles work great. In your case I would pass on them or wait to use them after you've done some modifications that will benefit from their use. Best Regards, Landmizzle '72 240Z

Howdy, The A/C kit is the complete one from MSA. Best Regards, Landmizzle '72 240Z

Hi all, Using the search function I came across several questions regarding Z Specialties 105 Amp Alternator. I just purchased one and thought I share my experience with it. Since I've owned my '72 240Z, she has always had "slow" turn signals. I've replaced the flasher unit, the switch on the steering column, cleaned connnectors, and probably a whole lot more over the several years I've owned her. Some of this actions made marginal differences but, the end results were not completely satisfying. Two months ago I had A/C installed in my 240Z using the kit from MSA. Works great btw here in the central valley of California. The resulting drain on the electrical system with the fan turned on high and the brake lights on at a stop caused the turns signals to simpley glow steady-your choice left or right. Several more "fixes" later, things had not improved and I decided to bite the bullet and purchase the 105 AMP alternator from Z Specialties. What really attracted me was the claim that the alternator cranked out 50 AMPs at idle and came fully "on" by 2500 RPM. In addition, the claimed "plug n' play" was very alluring due to the fact that I didn't want to butcher my Z. Once I received the alternator and read the instructions, I realized that the installation was almost "plug n' play". At least with the unit I received. The alternator is internally regulated so you don't want to use the stock external regulator. The instructions mention that you simply don't need the "T" plug connector and should tape over it to protect it. In addition, if looks are a concern you can leave the external regulator in place. You should disconnect it from the wiring harness and tape over the plug also. This is what I did. So far so good. My eyes widened however, when I realized that the two wires from the harness that go to the alternator had connectors ( O ends) that were too small to fit on the terminals on the unit. The supplier had thoughtfully provided two connectors that you can attach to these wires after clipping the original ones off. I really didn't like this idea as I didn't want to butcher the wires especially if the alternator wasn't all it claimed to be and/or I wanted to return the car to it's original configuration. After thinking about it for awhile, I determined I could use the cutting wheel on my Dremel to cut a slit into the O connecters and in effect make C connecters. I could the spread the C abit so that the ends would fit over the terminals. This is exactly what I did and it worked great. The alernator fit into place perfectly and required no extra brackets. The results, I can now turn on my headlights (even brights), have the brake pedal depressed, A/C on with fan turned on high, radio on, radar detector connected, and the turns signals work fine (engine at idle obviously.). I'm very pleased with the results and happy I made the swap. Short of the wire connector crafting, the unit is plug n' play. So in the end let's call it almost plug n' play. Hope this helps someone! Best Regards, Landmizzle '72 240Z

Hi all, Since I started this post I thought it only fitting to follow-up on it. I placed an order with Classic Datsun Motorsports. It took several weeks for the upholstery kit to arrive but, CDM was very good about keeping me informed of the order status. I was impressed with the quality of the covers. The vinyl appears to be of good quality and the fit was excellent. I only covered the lower portion of the driver seat as the rest of the original covering was in good shape. The grain is "just slightly" different. You would have to look very closely to notice a difference. The other component that is not an exact duplication is the piping on the seat that runs from front to rear on both sides. It is wider than storck and curves out slightly differently. Again, you would have to look very close to notice the difference. In my car, since the seats are 3/4 original, you can tell a difference if you look for it. However, in a vehicle completely recovered, you would have an extremely hard time decerning the difference. I've had the driver side seat covered for two months or so now and it has held up well. The fit is great; no unusual creases, folds, or stress marks. Hope this helps someone in the future! Best Regards, Landmizzle '72 240Z

Hi all, A couple of monthis back the driver seat in my nearly perfect interior '72 240z, began to split at two points in the seams of the bottom-half seat. Barely, noticeable at first but, as you would guess, it's gotten worse and is now obvious. Now that it's irritating me everytime I see it, I know it's time to replace the cover. I know that MSA, VB, Too Intense Restoration, and Classic Datsun Motorsports all sell reupholstry kits. What I would like to know is which vendor supplies a kit that is most like the originals with regards to the pattern. Classic Datsun advertises their kit as the ones used in the "Z store" program, so that might be a good start. I believe the kit from Too Instense Restoration also comes in leather (just the top surfaces are leather) which might be nice but not exactly original. So, has anyone purchased and installed any of the mentioned kits (or perhaps others)? How did the pattern comapre and were you happy with the quality? Thanks for any opinions or suggestions! Best Regards, Landmizzle '72 240Z

Howdy, This is very common when putting on new weatherstripping. Over time they will get easier to close. You will want to make sure that the doors are properly aligned. Read this link http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=12484 Essentially, by putting on the new weatherstripping you "will" have to realign them. It's just the nature of the beast. Best Regards, Landmizzle '72 240Z

Hi all, While my post was somewhat stylized it only hinted at the true indecision and vasilation I endured during the last month or so. I want to thank everyone that took the time to post their support, surprise, disgust, and various other flavors of responses. It's funny how we allow ourselves to create our own problems and then frett and sweat over "tough" decisions that have to be made. As you probably know by now, I cancelled the auction and have decided to keep my fair maiden Z. She seems happy with the decision and I'm finally at peace. Funny how the closure finally occured. After I'd posted here and a few people replied, I went outside and just reflected for a moment. I considered all the rationalizations, logical and otherwise, lust, and arguements pro/con that I had tossed through my head the last month. The last month.....a full month....Bzzzzt twap....The spark jumped the gap and it all made perfect sense! I had volutarily put myself in this predicament and then stressed-out on making the right "choice" for me. If I was still not at ease after a month of consideration, perhaps it was time to pull myself out of the situation so that I wouldn't have to face a "choice". Again, funny how we build our own hurdles. Brothers and Sisters, the lost one has found his way and has returned! My little Z is about to get some pampering and attention that she justly deserves. The SRT-4? Oh I still think it's a hot little number that most people will miss-out on because "it's just a Neon". I'll just contine to drive and pamper the Z. Maybe in a few years, when the 2003-2005 SRT-4 are worth about 1/4 of their original MSRP's I'll pick one up. Maybe then I'll retire my Z to a garage queen. Then again maybe not........ Thanks again folks, Lanmizzle '72 240

Hi all, Please hear my plea for guidance for I have sinned. I have tasted the fruit of of higher horsepower and lusted after that which is new and non-z. I'm ashamed to admit that my eyes and heart have gazed longingly upon the creation of Dodge. Yea, she is known as the SRT-4 (though she be "only a Neon", she's one fast hot-handling Neon) and she has stirred feelings in me that I knew not I possesd. I know the faithful, will look down on me with scorn and cry "Tis' only a Neon!", "She looks of rice and and posses not the classic lines of beauty.", "Will she still stir thy loins a decade from now?", etc, etc..... Dear brothers and sisters, it is yet worse than I have hinted to thus far. You may recall my fair maiden '72 240Z that I took as my own some two years ago. Yes, she is the lovely lass you see in my profile. I've.....I've....umm...sob, sniff.....I've Ebayed her! Whoa is me, what a pitiful wrench I am. I meant only to Ebay her as a mental exercise. A fishing of the waters to test her desirability in the eyes of others. I promised I would protect her by placing a suitably high "reserve" that no sane person would dare approach. A "Buy it now" price that only the lunatic would court. I so, was blinded by the lust of the new trullop that I was at first pleasently surprised at how quickly the bidding rose. Soon, however, and especially now, with a current bid of $10,300, I've become sickened with guilt and coming to the realization that my "taken for granted maiden" may slip from my hands never to return. Why, why I have I allowed myself to be put in this deplorable position? I still have not finished describing the depths of my sacralistic subversion. Yes it's even worse......It was not a forth night before the auction inception that SWMBO, granted upon my wicked heart the option to either buy the temptress trollop or infuse my fair maiden with golden trickets, to the tune of 10K or so. I token to be bestowed upon her such that a Rebello engine rebuild (2.8 stroker kit with original block and head; 200+HP and 200 lbs of torque.) might fire her heart and new paint may dance upon her skin so that all could see her true beauty as it should be. As the auction draws near tomorrow night I'm faced with the dilema, THE CHOICE, casting of the di that will forever change my companionship. I still have the time to make a choice but, I know not what to do. Please brothers and sisters, speak unto me. Give me guidance for I can't lead myself in this hour of confusion. WHAT SHOULD THIS PATHETIC PERSON DO?????!!!!! Best Regards, Landmizzle '72 240Z

Wanted to thank you two for taking the time to reply to my post. I really appreciate it. The good news is that the diagnosis was correct; it was the alternator. The bad news is that the old alternator wasn't supplying as much current as I thought and gave it's final death rattle on me today. Consequently stranding me about three miles from work today. Fortunately, one of my co-workers gave me a ride home (about 50 miles.) so that I could recharge the battery and as luck would have it, the new alternator I ordered arrived once I got home.Yea! 60 minutes in the 100 degree sun and the alternator along with the recharged battery were installed. She's running like a champ again. Best Regards, Landmissle '72 240Z

Hi all, I don't know if I'm observing something that is normal or not ( I don't think so but,......). With Summer here and long daylight hours, I haven't driven at night lately so maybe I'm just being paranoid but, on my last trip I've noticed that with the headlights on, my AMP meter is reading about an 1/8 of the way into the negative side of the gauge. This caught my attention as being odd. Driving during the daytime with lights off course, the needle is stable down the middle. I've also noticed that when the ventalation fan is on now, the neeedle moves slightly into the negative side of the gauge. I've replaced the battery, and the voltage regulator with no changes. I've spoken with my mechanic an he had me disconnect the Voltage Reg. plug and jumper the middle pins ( white wire, white/black strip wire) on the engine side of the harness. He stated that this should get the alternator to deliver a full charge and the AMP gauge should read full positve to the right of the gauage. If this occured the Voltage Reg. is bad. If not, the the alternator is bad. There was no change when I did this; needle read 1/8 of scale into the negative as before. Does this sound like the proper diagnosis? I really don't want to get buried in the "blindly replace" game. It makes sense to me but, electrical issues are not my strong point. All suggestions welcome! Best Regards, Landmissle '72 240Z

Hi again jonwusa, I forgot to mention. I work in Livermore, so I drive by Tracy daily. Depending on what it is you want looked at and your schedule, I might be able to stop by after work and give you a hand. I don't pretend to be an expert but, after owning 4 240Zs over the last 15 years, even a complet idiot like myself, actually learns a thing or two. PM or email me if you're interested and we can discuss the specifics. Best Regards, Landmizzle '72 240Z

Hi jonwusa, I live in Modesto,CA and have been taking my Z's to Motor City Imports for the last 15 years. Ed who owns the shop, knows Z's inside and out and has always treated me well. I highly recommend him. He can be reached at 209-529-2886 tell him Steve Clendenin refered you to him. BTW, the shop is located in North Modesto. Best Regards, Lanmizzle '72 240Z

Wow! Californian's are often accused of living in a dream state but, even this statement has to be attributed to some kind of medicated inducement. Did you mean "rustored"? If not, than your definition of restored and mine are on two different planes of existance. $2500 for a restored 240Z?! You gotta' be kidding.....A cheap shiny paint job on a rust bucket makes not a "restored" Z. I too live in California, and 240Z's are a bit more common here than in the rest of the USA, but, come on. Besides your offer being rude,sarcastic, and insulting, it's based on a market-place that exsist only perhaps in your own head. Now, the sellers asking price for the vehicle offered may not be attractive to me but, give the man some respect and save the insults. Regards, Landmizzle '72 240Z

Hi GregP, This may be stating the obvious but, I'll venture the suggestion anyways. You could also install a dizzy from a 240z with a manual transmission into your '73 240Z auto Z. I have '72 240Z that originally had an automatic transmission and this was one of the first modifications I did. Shortly after I swapped the dizzy, I installed a Petronix Ignitor into the dizzy. It should be noted that the manual dizzy ran just fine even before the Petronix install. So, if nothing else, if you can find a manual dizzy cheap enough (240Z), you'll elimatinate the dual points with no ill effect. Now, maybe things would be different with a '73 but, I kind of doubt it. I'm sure someone will chime in if my assumption is wrong. Best Regards, Landmizzle '72 240Z

Hi INF, You should redo your compression check with the engine up to running temperature before you try to determine the state of your motor. That said, you do have some large variance in the readings you supplied. The "wet" test you described does tend to tell you if your low compression readings are a result of worn rings or issues in the head (valves, seats, etc), so you're going in the right direction to diagnose this yourself. With what you discribed about the lack of adjustability on the valves, I would tend to agree with you that your valves my have receeded but, I'm by no means an expert in this area. Hope this helps. Best Regards, Landmizzle '72 240z

Hi all, The bottom line on what fuel to run is this; run the lowest octane that you can where pinging does not occur under load (i.e., hard acceleration, going up hill in the highest gear, etc.). High octane fuel is not "better" or "high performance" nor is "gentler and kinder" to your engine. It is simply fuel that has additves that raise the octane so that it ignites "slower" (in simplistic terms). This allows it to run in engines that generally are higher compression without pinging. Pinging is the sound you hear as you engine is being slowly distroyed (or perhaps not so slowly.). Irrigardless, of whether your engine is normally aspirated, turbo, super charged or whatever, run the lowest octane you can where pinging does not occur. Doing anything else, is simply wasting money. BTW, two engines can appear identical, yet have different octane requirements. There are all kinds of things that can effect the engine's octane requirement; age, outside temperature, state of tune, elevation, and much more. Finally, again, don't be fooled by the marketing hype. High octane fuel, if not needed, does not make your engine run "better". It actually contains less energy per given volume compared to lower octane fuels. That is why you sometimes hear people say that get better mileage or more zip with lower octane fuels ( surprising to many because it goes against the common misconception and hype.) Hope this helps. Best Regards, Landmizzle '72 240Z

Ya know Brandon, Emoticons are a great idea. They really help convey one's tone of voice or infliction across this voiceless medium we call the internet. Based you your's, let me leave at this; bugger off! You certainly have every right to disagree or agree with me. But show a little maturity and try not to take little snip pot shots wrapped in airs of superiority. I think I pretty well explained my point of view and took the time to expand upon it. I never said the '69 or 70 was less desirable than a '72 from an investment (or course you're not making the wisest "investment" if you put money in cars anyways.) point of view. Addtionally, while there would be some difference between two equal Z's, a '70 and a '72, from a collector's point of view, it wouldn't be as much as some people might suppose. It's not like were talking the difference between a 65/66 factory GT, K-code,fastback and that of a standard 2 barrel coupe. Not even close. My problem with you is not your position but your agrogance and or attitude. Keep you wavering finger to yourself. I'm assuming you've had a bad day, and perhaps a cooler mind will prevail on another. Best Regards, Landmizzle '72 240Z (a '72 I'm so ashamed! <smirk>

Hi all, The issue with Slick50 and Split Fire plugs is they don't live up to their claims. When these products first came out (Slick50, sometime in the late 80's and Split Fires, early 90's.) the internet was not on the publics radar and hence it was much much harder to verify their claims. Marketing hype and testimonials were really all the consumer had unless they were willing to do alot of research on their own. Hence, these products established themselves to some degree. Of course, human nature of "wanting something for nothing" also helps propagate the myth that these products worked. However, it's now fairly simple to dispel the hype on these products and others like them with a simple web-search. Take the time to check it out and you'll see they have no merit. BTW, I've used both of them several times in the early 90's, (yes, I was just as much a victim of hype and human nature.) and can attest that I saw nothing that the placebo effect wouldn't account for with regards to "performance,effeciency, improved sex life, and thicker stronger hair..... It's your money and if you want to buy these things, they probably won't hurt your car but, you'll get the same benefits to your car as if you wrote a check to "Santa Claus" and sent it to the North Pole for the same amount. Best Regards, Landmizzle '72 240Z