SteveJ

I don't have access to my 73 FSM right now. However, if you look at the link for Blue's tech tips in my signature, you can look at the wiring diagram for a 72. I'm not sure if the rear defroster circuit changed between those years. Do you have 12volts at the terminals going to the grid? Well, my signature didn't show. Here is the link: Blue's collection of tech tips - A great place to search for answers. I suggest you bookmark that site.

Heck, there was more wrong with it than just the wire colors being switched. Apparently the wire color switch happened about 7 years ago when I was documenting splicing relays into the headlight circuit. I pulled a wiring diagram off the net this morning since I didn't have one handy. I had an error in the layout of the circuit as well. This should correct my previous errors.

It's simple. I asked if you had continuity at two points on the dimmer switch. You said you didn't. If the switch isn't making electrical contact at those points and you've attempted to repair it without success, it would be time for a new switch. As for how the circuit is laid out, here is a simplified diagram. The fuses have been omitted, but they are on the red wire and red wire with yellow stripe. Okay, so the image doesn't appear in a decent size. Try this link.

For Southern California, that car is nearly a disaster. Are they salting the roads up to Big Bear? For the East Coast and Snow Belt, that's mild. Heck, I looked at this one kid's 240Z when I lived in Virginia. Apparently a previous owner lived in Chicago. I think there was more fiberglass than steel on the underside of that car. I'm not sure what the frame rails connected to.

Haynes, Clymers, Factory Service Manual. All have pictures of the lift points and jack stand placement. Clymers and Factory Service Manual have better pictures.

Do a compression test. That will give you a better idea of the condition of your engine than just checking the plugs.

As WingZr0 said, the lever to recline the seats is outboard (toward the door).

What is the voltage at the battery?

Your assumption about the dimmer switch is correct. Since you have attempted cleaning/repair, your choices appear to be 1. See if Dave can clean/repair it. (If you are confident in your skills, maybe it is beyond his abilities as well.) 2. Buy another switch. (New switches: MSA Black Dragon) After looking at the prices, choice number 1 seems like a REAL bargain, unless you can find a good used switch from ZBarn or other place.

NOW we're getting somewhere. No, you didn't really post a lot, but it shows a lot more thought than indicated in your previous post. The key is knowing what your destination is. After that, you have to research what can be done (ITS, drifter, drag racer, etc.), how it can be done (your own blood and sweat or farm it out), and how much it will cost. Once you have your destination and have mapped out how you're going to get there, a lot of us can help you navigate. For instance, if you want to add a lot of horsepower via a V8 swap, you would be smart to read what other people did over at Hybridz. Also, you'll need to select the transmission you want to use, determine the driveshaft length/type, and procure an R200 rear end (unless you want to tear up an R180). You might want to look at posts from 1fastZ at ZCar.com and Hybridz. He made his own 24 valve head out of 240SX heads and added twin turbos. Now that he has the motor running well, he is finding all of the other weak links in the drivetrain. I follow his posts out of admiration for his innovation and to find out what might wear out on my significantly lower power Zs. Do not expect to have people spoon-feed you. However, if you demonstrate in your posts plenty of effort made to research and try things yourself, you will be amazed at what people will share with you. People have done amazing things with their cars and have expended a lot of time, money, and energy in acheiving their goals. Just expect to have to put in a good-faith effort in learning on your own, and people here will fall over themselves to help you.

You probably won't regret that decision.

Let's break this down. 1. You have high beams. 2. You don't have low beams. 3. If you tested the dimmer switch and didn't have continuity between pin 16 and pin E (hopefully you moved your dimmer switch back and forth to ensure you were putting it in the low beam position), your dimmer switch isn't working. Disassemble the dimmer switch and clean it, or see if you can send it to Dave (Zs-ondabrain) for his cleaning and repair service.

You can get a wiring harness by emailing any Z pick'n'pull that you can find. ZBarn is in Tennessee. Search for it and send Roger an email.

It all depends. If you're pulling a V-8 out of a 75 Mustang II without modifications, you can get more horsepower from building up an inline 6 and putting on triple carburetors. Do some research before asking questions. The quality of your questions indicate you don't really have much of an idea of what you are doing or are considering doing. Go to HybridZ and read a lot. Buy How to Modify Your Nissan/Datsun OHC Engine and How to Rebuild Your Nissan/Datsun OHC Engine. Look into Jags That Run for information on swaps as well. Now if you REALLY want to make your car to go, you need one of these.

Thanks, Arne. It's one of those things that I'm not going to figure out myself, but as soon as you said to check the driveshaft, I realized how that could be the culprit.

I'm sorting out the problems on the 74 260Z I bought last month. Here is one that I need some more help in coming up with a definitive diagnosis. This car has a stock 4 speed and (I assume) a stock differential with stock rear end gears. There are no outward signs that either have ever been replaced. On accelerating through the gears, if I shift from 3rd to 4th around 50 to 55, I get a strong vibration, almost like the car is going to shake apart. If I shift early, say around 40 mph, and accelerate smoothly, the vibration does not appear until I let off the gas some. I could also get the vibration to appear at 35 mph when I let off the gas to prepare to turn. I have looked at the trouble-shooting suggestions in a 73 FSM, a Clymers manual, and a Haynes manual, as well as searching online. Aside from changing the differential gear oil (which I did), it almost sounds like a parts swapping festival until you find the culprit. I'd rather avoid that. I'd appreciate any suggestions to narrow down the trouble area. Thanks!

I looked at the wiring diagram and the instrument harness diagram from the factory service manual. As Beandip said, if the wire was pulled loose from the tach, the car will not run, and it won't have voltage at the coil. The wires of interest are a black wire with a white stripe and a green wire with a white stripe. There is a connector to the tach under the dash. If this came off, the car won't start. I'm going to try to attach a PDF file of the wiring diagram and instrument harness pages. Hopefully these will help with the diagnosis.

Hopefully you're planning on hauling it on a trailer if you buy it. Also, if you do get it, I might be able to help you load it, and I might be interested in some of the parts, too.

That's what I thought. With factory air and leather, it HAS to be a 71 ZX. After all, the ZX was the luxury model.

Heck, I'm old school. I just put in the html code myself. Of course, if I was REALLY old school, I'd still be using a green screen and 300 baud modem...

Yes, the ad was for a 71 240SX when the seller first posted, but I guess the seller finally saw the letter Z some place on the car. As for the clickable link, if you click on the Quote button on that message, you'll see how I formatted the text.

What? Don't you want the 71 240ZX advertised in the Atlanta Craigsist? I mean, it has factory air and good leather. I can't believe this car hasn't sold already since the owner only wants $3000.

To add to what E had to say, be sure to inspect the wires and the cap. I recently picked up a 260Z for a good price because the previous owner couldn't get it started. It turns out that the distributor cap was bad where the coil wire connected to it. Also, check the plugs. If they are fouled, that could prevent starting, especially coupled with a weak spark. Have you noticed any signs of burning oil (blue smoke out the tailpipe, low oil, etc.)? Considering that the car smelled like gas, fuel is probably not the problem. By the way, what exactly did the mechanic mean by the distributor being "loose"? Can you turn it to the left and right? Does the shaft wobble?

Please take this the right way. Do you really expect your car to run decently with bailing wire and duct tape holding things together? Exactly what gaskets did you replace? Have you tried to adjust/balance the carbs? Do you have any idea what your timing is set at? What exactly broke on your distributor? Pictures would be a good idea. Help us help you.

Yes, there are alternatives. Use the search function for seat belts and you'll find plenty of threads. The seat belts being sold by MotorSport Auto appear to be functionally similar to the ones I purchased from Wesco. As a matter of fact, essentially the same generic design can be found in many places. Courtesy Nissan was also selling non-retractable seatbelts. I bought some of those, but I decided that it would be better to have the generic retracting seatbelts. You can see pictures of the seat belt installation in my gallery on this site. As for the price, I don't think it's out of line for seat belts with new webbing. With hardware, Wesco charges $80 per side.