Zs-ondabrain

Hey Bruce, I'm working on a set of 3-screw wide tab (bulky adjuster nut) and the needles were a little wobly (bent). I went to swap them out for some narrow tab 3-screw needles and noticed they are different sizes. I searched everything in ZTherapy but couldn't find anything on the subject. Is this common?? I think (if memory serves) the wide tab needles were longer than the narrow set. common? Also, What SU's did the Solid Brass dipsticks come from. Roadster? Picture below show the current progress of my current build. Sorry to hijack the thread but it is SU related. Dave.

Or better yet, if it has SU carbs. Check the "Last Chance" filters inside the Banjo fittings (on the float bowls) to see if they are clogged. If so, try and clean them or flat out remove them for testing purposes. Maybe even put the old carbs back on and try again. What have ya got to lose? Dave.

Time for a valve job or honing of the pistons. Mine does the same exact thing. Bad rings, and valve guides are the colprit. Dave

Awesome, just let me know. Dave.

Could be. First things first, Flush the system. This will knock out any loose crap that may cause blockage. (let's everything move better) Go buy a thermostat (180 should be fine but you can always do a 170 or 175) If you live in a normally warm or hot climate, a fan shroud is almost a must. If you don't have one, get one. (Directs that air where it needs to be) Check the belt and pulley on the water pump. And while you're at it, how much tension does the clutch fan have. The more resistance, the better cooling affect of the fan. These are my own top 4 things to check and do. Your situation may very but you can't go wrong with a good flush, new thermostat, shroud and water pump and fan inspection. Dave. PS. I have an Aluminum Radiator and it NEVER moved past the mid point while sitting in 95 degree Anaheim heat, while stuck in traffic, idling in stop and go traffic, Never. Something to think about.

Just remember that the crap on the surface is what slows you down and causes the most work. By bead blasting, you'll remove the "Crust" that is basically, dirt, grease, baked on hard-water and coolant, and maybe even get some dirt out of the cracks. But try and only do a light "Dusting of the surface" to avoid pitting the aluminum with the Glass bead. The Wet-sanding will remove the rest of the crap and Level the high spots and make the pits and divots, not so deep. Like many others, I've done this a few times and if you've seen my engine compartment, you'll know what I'm talking about. It's very time consuming and I hope your arm and hands are up to the task. Just remember that the more surface you remove, the easier the polishing will be. Dave

And I'll take what ever you don't use. I'm trying to get a few together for my 240 and 260Z. Let me know, Dave

hollelujaw brotha. Elbow grease, sweat, tears and a whole lotta sanding and polish. Look at the carb forum, you'll see the domes I just did. They are small and still took about an hour and a half each. Those, compared to a whole valve cover = time and patience. Have fun, the end result is well worth the effort. Dave.

Modified, supercharged, LS1 Vette motor. But the stunts are the fun part, right?

And also find out if it's a 79' ZX or 77' Z. No such thing as a 77' ZX.

As you can tell from the pictures, the domes were in pretty bad shape. Just pay attension to the STEEL items like the steel shaft in the piston. The picture below is of the piston that came out of that one. It was pitted too badly to reuse, so it will now be used an an alignment tool for the 4-screw carbs I have. To bring the luster back, I found a long bolt (4.25" long) and 2 washers that were only slightly bigger in diameter, than the openings on the dome. (top one at 3/4" OD and the inner bottom one at 1/2" OD) both with a 5/16" bolt hole. Then give them both a 45 degree angle on the outer lip. This will seat them and center the bolt. I put a nut on there and snugged it down. I use a small benchtop drill press. Once it's in and can spin without distortion, or wobbling, I use the red Scotchbrite on a medium speed. DON'T HIT YOUR FINGERS on the spinning bolt flange near the bottom of the dome. I knock all the crap off with the scotchbrite pad and if it needs more surfacing, to remove fine cracks and such, I use 400 grit wetsanding paper, as it's a better quality than typical sandpaper. After the 400 grit, use the scotchbrite to clean a little more than I use Mothers Aluminum Wheel Polish on a soft cotton towel. For the upper vent tube area, I use a buffing pad to get the hard to reach areas and also down by the feet, where the drill press method does not work. Takes a little time and effort but as you can see, it's well worth it. I top it off with Miguires Cleaner wax to keep it shiney. The same process is similar for the piston but Do Not use anything stronger than the scotchbrite. If you take away too much surface from the rings on the upper part, the piston will not work correctly and be worthless. You can also use the scotchbrite on the inside of the dome. I obviously had to do that on mine. Clean everything with brakeclean and you can wipe the inside out with ATF fluid on a clean soft cloth. Cleanliness is a good thing on the SU's. The Video covers almost every part of the SU and yes, the choke linkage has a few minutes of fame on the video. And Bruce hit it on the nose. DO ONE AT A TIME and use the other as a cheat. I personally know every part and where it goes but I still only do one carb at a time, until it's time to match the pistons and domes (fall rate) described on the DVD. I'm sorry it took so long for me to get ahold of Bruce at ZTherapy. Dave.

Get the vido and the rebuild parts from Bruce. I bought the DVD 2 weeks ago and have watched it 2 times. I've learned a lot and put video to practice. Here's the Carbs I'm working on this week. Before and after. From Yuck to Yeah!!! Thanks bruce, did you get my email? The pistons were stuck in the domes, the float bowls were full of white corrosion, Nothing moved before I got to it. Dave

So I wrote the buttmunch. And this is what I wrote. Nice, to the point and I thought I was doing him a favor. "#2442 is a 70', NOT a 71'. Most likely made around Feb of 70' The 150HP 240Z put out the LEAST amount of horse power. That 150HP is at the crank, NOT the rear wheels. The 74' 260Z put out another 10HP more and the 280Z's came with about 165 to 170 at the Crank. The 280ZX, in 1979, put out just a few HP more than that, but only to compensate for the extra weight of the ZX body and its internal weight. I've owned Z's (3) for quite a while and make upgrade and performance items for the 240Z's. I appreciate you selling the car to someone who may or may not take it back to a more desirable shape. But please do a little research before making false statements that may lead to a very pissed off customer. Regards, Dave. " And this is what I got back in return. What an arse. "THATS NOT WHAT I RED ,AND UNLESS YOUR BUYING THE DAM THING MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS ,I DONT THINK ANY BODY IS GOING TO GET PISSED OVER $250 YOU JACK arse!! MIND YOUR OWN !! " Please, Somebody else, hell, as many of you as possible, write him and tell him the same thing I did. Just to jerk his chain. He Obviously needs it. Dave.

I already stated, it's an 11/69 and the 6 digit thing was a stutter of his finger. have a great week guys, Dave

Easier said then done on some Z's. I had to destroy the drum on the 260Z to get it off. But you're right, sounds like a shoe slipped off or something. Dave

That's weird. but I'm not that familiar with the real old Z's (mostly 69's) mine is an 8/70.

Because it's a new (Non-Datsun) Dizzy You'll have to make your own timing marks. Twist it till it's dead center, then make a mark on the Unilite and the timing plate on the neck. Mine is 180 out because of where the Vaccum advance pot sat on the Unilite. So I twisted it to my own liking. Do about a 7 degree advance then try and start it. As long as you have #1 up on the compression stroke, and the rotor and #1 plug are lined up, you should be able to dial it in quickly. Have fun, it's the best damn thing I ever installed on my 240Z. I haven't even had to change the rotor or cap. The brass tab on the rotor is changable and flip-able. Soild brass tips inside the cap stay clean and are easily cleaned as well. Dave.

It should be in the door jamb and yes, it should say 69'. I believe. Right front strut tower, door jam and the firewall, near the brake booster. Go to http://Zhome.com and look at the register. You'll find that # 00374 has a production date of 11 / 69 And # 00387 also has a date of 11/69' Dave

Or correct. Isn't an OPTIMA a dry cell battery? They will fix it or make it write. I understand your being upset and totally agree. But keep in mind that some Alternators are BAD, right out of the box. It happens. Dave.

I just wrote him and explained all the false facts. $2442 is a 70' not a 71' as stated. He also claimed that the 240Z's 150HP had the most HP of all Z's up to the 300ZX. WRONG. I told him I appreciate him selling the car to someone else, who may or may not bring her back to a better former glory that it is at the moment. Dave.

Take it to a local shop and have them do a Bench test on it. If you bought it from MSA, they typically honor the warrenty. You can also ask them about a full refund on the Alternator if it's bad and buy one locally. And send them back their alt. Sounds like the Internal VR is bad. It happens. Not their fault, but it just happens. Delute the acid with a mix of water and baking soda. It will nuetralize the acid better than just water. Dave.

Not sure of the milage but we left Marysville, WA. for MSA at about 7am and got a motel in Sacramento, CA. that night. We left on a thursday morning and did the barbeque in Anaheim on Friday morning.

Occasionally, They will let you pump your own gas BUT they have to stand there and watch you. The last time I let them pump my gas, the bastard wasn't paying attension and Rammed the nozzle into my paint (around the door lip) and Chipped it. THEN he left the damn flap hanging there when he closed the fuel door. And that was the third attendant to do that. I hate Oregon gas station.

I had to deal with multiple layers of old paint when I was drilling out some holes and here's what I did. Use a heat gun to slightly warm or heat the area. This will soften the paint enough to keep if from flaking or chipping when you drill or punch it with an awl. Mark the hole with a black marker, warm the area then tape it and drill it. No flaking or chipping. Worked for me, Dave.

Your picture doesn't show up up. And you're probably right, I hold an average of 75 to 80 MPH for as long as the gas tank will allow, then fill it up and go again. I have no problem driving for 12 to 16 hours, with the occasional rest or fuel stop. I'm crazy like that. We'll both do the MSA thing at the same time one of these years. Dave.