LanceM

How the heck do you find this stuff so quick??? Ok that looks like the relay, after some cleaning the harness has one color of wires the relay has it's own harness with a different color code.... makes a lot of sence to me, not! OK so I don't need the relay, that stuff left 20 years ago when the webbers went on... So why is my VR clicking when I connect the battery???? Am I picking up a mystery ground through that circit??

I've had this Z since 79, 73 240, ran it 2 days ago all ok, tried to start it last night, dead battery. Got the battery charged up and go to install and when I hook up the cables both the voltage regulator and a relay, top relay next to the battery click. I don't remember that happening before and I wonder if that is what my problem is??? draining the battery dead? The altenator shows a charge with the engine running. I can't figure what the relay does, if I disconnect it nothing seems to stop working and I don't see it on my wireing diagram, it has 2 black, 2 green, and a yellow wire going to it. If I pull the plug out of the back of the altenator the relay and VR don't do the click thing when hooking up the battery. Bad VR? Bad Altenator??? HELP!

Right on that the colors are all the same for the different transmissions, the spedo drive gears change between all the manuals. The housings that hold the gear are different between the 4 and 5 speeds and I believe but am not sure between the series 1 and 2 4 speed.

The cheap stands will work fine if you don't want to invest much, like was mentioned they bounce a bit and take care when rolling around. But I've been using a Buffalo brand stand for almost 20 years, had everything from an L-28 to a pontiac 455 on it with no problems, got a SBC on it now, another work in progress, and no it's not going in my Z, I've got a 91 Jimmy that needs, how do you say, a little more power

If they are properly torqued grease or anti seize shouldn't matter at all. Been greasing mine for 20+ years, ever since I broke off 2 outta 5 changing a flat 20 years ago, never had one come loose.

Cheater

Don't feel bad Vicky, our cars are extensions of ourselves in ways, though this extension is a bit much much like the clothes we wear. I sure see a lot of things people wearing that I wouldn't get caught dead in For me I'd have to say the hood scoop has to go and the rear view doesn't do much for me, but the flares are well done, body work wise, and I've always liked Z's with solid headlight covers, I have them on mine, headlights are behind the grill, though I don't see how he gets any light or air through his grill.... My car is me, take me or leave me, mom always said " pick your friends, don't let them pick you"

Man I bet that took a lot of cranking on those hose clamps to get things compressed, sounds like a tired wrist to me I was wondering if I could drop the whole strut out of the tower but seeing what those Einbachs took to compress I'm glad I did it the way I did now. If I ever have to do it again it would really be a breeze The real sad part about the whole tale is that if that lower suspension pin would just pop out I could have walked the strut over to the neighbors and used their wall mounted comercial spring compressor and did it in 5 minutes like I did the fronts

To use spring compressors you have to pull the link pin out and I've heard enough horror stories about that pin to fill a book, so that was what I was trying to avoid. I have spring compressors but there isn't enough room in the tower to put more than one on, and after getting the Einbachs on I see that the ones I have wouldn't have worked anyway even if I pulled the strut, once those springs are compressed the top 4-6 coils are almost touching!

Spent an enjoyable weekend working on the Z, well sort of, enjoyable in that it was finally warm enough to pick up a wrench and not have it stick to your hand!!! I had read that you could change the rear springs with out pulling the lower pin by pulling the shock bolt and lowering the a-arm and by using the same method to compress the new spring during the install. Sounded easy and looking at it, a real good possibility that it would work. So after a long day of finishing my 4 wheel disk conversion (280ZX front and rears, another whole story) and maybe too many refreshment breaks inbetween I decided to have a go at a spring starting around 6 PM. Well I start by pulling off the caliper I just put on, that was easy the bolts were new stuck the floor jack under the a arm and pulled the shock bolt and slowly let her drop. $hit the sway bar is holding it up, nuts rusted can't get off, get the sawsall. Lower some more, $hit the sway bar is hitting the axle, mount bolts rusted, sawsall time. Lower more, the axle is at it's limit and the spring is just growing, must be 2 feet long!!! Work at getting the axle bolts loose, tough job they haven't been off since they were put on in '72! Finaly they are off, with out the sawsall!!! The arm is now down as far as it will go, damn spring is still up in the tower an inch, needless to say it is around 8:30 and I've about had it with this "easy" job, so in a fit of real pissed off I pretty much rip the spring down out of the tower and out... Yeah half way there!!! Luckly the Einbach springs are about an inch shorter so no fight getting them into the tower. Now how to align the shock so that it goes through the hole??? Well lets just say that 2 hours later, two tie down straps from out of my truck, and a developing skill of operating a floor jack with one foot while standing on blocks so that I could look down from inside I got it back together. Got into the house around 11 PM looking forward to the challange of doing it again Sunday. Sunday, out in the shop ready to go, big cup of coffee in my hand. Get everything out of the way and have at it, 45 minutes later I'm done!!!!! Why the hell is it always easier the second time??? Oh and if any of you are wondering about how hard it is to do, it's a breeze

My only question is what are those catfish looking wiskers on the airdam???? Lance

No big deal dropping the tank. I just dropped mine "again" for the same problems you are having, only mine sat for 15 years with gas that turned to varnish. To drop the tank take the clamp off of the fuel inlet hose and remove the hoses going to the fuel pump and return line along with the vent line that is almost straight above them. Remove the 2 nuts holding the straps at the front of the tank and the tank will drop down. With it in this position you can get to the other vent lines and remove them and remove the tank completely. It is easiest if the car is up on jack stands and the right rear tire is removed. After you do it a couple of times it only takes 5 minutes BTW, empty the tank before you start, it is enough of a job without 50# of gas inside spilling out through the "holes". Lance

Ha, I remember people driving VW Bugs into lakes and they would float, never thought about a 55 Buick Too bad he didn't make it, probably had a classic ready to sell once it was converted back to "land" use Lance

OK, I'm waiting, what are all the rubber plugs for in the floor of a '73 240 for??? Besides starting rust??? Lance

Pull the hose off of the front of the airflow meter and spray starting fluid in while some one cranks it, if it starts and runs on starter fluid you have fuel problems. If it has been sitting a couple of years the gas in the tank is crap. Dump it and blow the lines clear of the old stuff, put in new along with some injector cleaner and get it running.

Earlier in this post someone mentioned that this was an older group, well being part of some "older" group myself all I can say is that money spent that doesn't give me better handling, HP, or gas mileage everyday, all the time, is wasted money. Chrome don't make you go! Well at least that's what we used to say that back in the ol'days..... Oh yeah, them wings look like stupid kid stuff Had to get something about wings in this post somehow

All I can say for sure is that they are not a bolt in. I parted a ZX that I drove for a while and liked the seats for all of their adjustments and pulled them for my 240. I just did some quick measuring and all I can say is that they won't bolt right in, never got any further than that.

Pipewrench, big pipewrench.....

My wife must not hate my Z that much after all!! She gave me my Christmas present early because her folks got tired of it in their living room, a Craftsman 3 piece tool chest!!! I've been living out of a cheap 2 piece for 20 years along with about 3 tool boxes, now I have room for all of my tools and extra room that I'm going to have to fill!!! Can't have empty drawers in a tool chest, I might think something is missing And to think all it took was to see it in a Sunday paper ad and for me to say "wow now that is a hell of a deal, if I had that I'd be in heaven!" I'll have to remember that line for next year and use it for something really really really great Nothing like a good woman! I should say great woman, she's managed to put up with my crap for 20 years! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone!!!

All too often we hear the tales of deals gone sour, but I want to recommend someone here for a change. A week ago Darren (dhayes5) posted about switching out his Eibach springs for something more stock, a PM or two and some emails later we swapped his Eibachs for my Euros. We live states away, never talked on the phone and have never met. Well his springs arrived today as decribed, I was a day late in shipping but they are on the way to him. A good deal gone good! Thanks Darren, and my highest regards for him if anyone needs to deal with him in the future. It's a good feeling to know that with some people at least their word is their bond, an email handshake so to say!

My understanding on the Stage 1 Euros is that they are stiffer and lower the height 1". After I put the fronts on and put the car back on the ground I didn't see any differance and figure that the old originals probably had already sagged that much, so for me the ride height stayed the same even though it may be an inch lower than stock. Any idea what the spring rate is for the Eibachs is? or what stock is for that matter? The stage 1 euros are 101 Lbs each front and rear.

I have a set of NOS Nissan Euro stage 1 springs that I was going to put on my 240 ( OK the fronts are on, havn't gotten to the back yet...) but they haven't been driven on. I might be interested in trading the Eibach kit for them, PM me if you are interested.

For sure paint the floor, makes clean up easy. Put shelves just above head level, nothing like banging your head as you take a step back from the car! Good lighting is nice, lights mounted on the wall pointing at the car sides are a big improvement to just having ceiling lights. Since the Z hood raises forward a ceiling light above the engine compartment will really work compaired to cars that open from the front. Room is something else as mperdue shows, plan ahead and try to utlize the wall space as effectively as you can with cabinets or bins for holding common items. My "garage" is 30 x 36 with a 15' ceiling, so I'm lucky in that I have plenty of room. Now if it just wouldn't get so cold in the winter or hot in the summer I'd have it made Of course one thing to remember is once you turn it into a garage a lot of other items will end up there besides the car, so always try to avoid the "ah stick it in the garage" syndrome.... or there won't be room for the car!

Here's one that I have used to clean model airplane engines that works like you wouldn't believe. I haven't tried it on a carb yet but it should work the same being that they are all aluminum. Get an old crock pot, one that you will never ever use again for cooking food. Place the item in the pot and cover it with antifreeze, put the pot on low and let cook overnight. Pull the parts out and rinse with hot water and blow all of the passages clear and dry. Model engines that are almost black from burned on oil and carbon come out looking brand new inside and out. BTW, be sure to do this outside as needless to say hot antifreeze stinks. As far as carb dipping chemicals, the only ones that I have found that really work are the ones that are not enviromently safe, and have a long list of dangers and warnings, the longer the list the better they work, If you are in CA you probably won't be able to find any like that I have a gallon of dip that was given to me 30 years ago, best stuff ever, it has eaten through 2 metal cans over the years and is doing it's best to get through a plastic bottle now, cleans carbs like you never seen. The fellow that gave it to me said that he let a carb body soak overnight once and it ate away at the body so to only let them soak for an hour or so. Works so well there is no way it is available now not that I have any idea what the heck it is since the original can is gone!