kmack

Since you've been viewing info from zhome.com, find the link for the Georgia Z club. I believe they are based out of Atlanta. There are quite a few guys/girls in that club that will be mroe than willing to take a look at your car and help out when they can. It's always nice to have some local folks you can count on for information.

I would try to have the tranny flushed first. It should run about $100, but it's cheaper than rebuilding if it will fix the problem. A good flush will include flushing the torque converter. Basically, they will need to run fresh fluid through one of the cooling lines (at the radiator, and while the engine is running) until fresh fluid comes out the other cooling line. This will clean almost all the crap and build-up out of the tranny, which may help. The vacuum signal could be just exaggerating the problem. When the pressure and friction plates wear, the tranny will slip while engaged. The lurching sounds like the beginnings of slipage. As far as replacement, most times you can re-use the pressure plates, just scuff them up with sandpaper to get the old glaze off. The friction plates will need to be replaced with new. The cost of parts for rebuilding an auto tranny is usually not more than $200-$300 including friction plates, bearings, seals, and filter. It's the labor involved that jacks the price up. If you're careful and pay attention to how it all comes apart, you can rebuild it yourself. It's like taking apart and putting back together a puzzle. Be careful when removing the "valve body" from the bottom side of the tranny. There are small ball bearings used as check valves that go in certain places. If they fall out and you put them in the wrong place, the tranny will not shift right if it works at all. Try to find a manual first. Or if you are not comfortable doing the rebuild yourself, pull the tranny out of the car and take it to a transmission shop. That will save you a few hundred $$'s there.

How many miles are on the car/transmission? The lurching could be worn friction plates that need to be replaced. I would also suggest to at least do a full fluid flush and filter replacement.

PCV and Valve breather were both connected at the time of the runs.

Phred, Thanks...I'll get in touch with you by email. Victor, you're right. The runs aren't cheap, but I worked a hell of a deal for the 4 I got yesterday! I'm in charge of Events for our Z club and I set up a dyno day for the club. What would have normally been $45/run was knocked down to $20/run! Now I'm starting the stages of putting my rebuilt, original motor back in the car. I will deal with the needle issue at that same time. Thanks for the input guys.

Phred, Thanks...I'll get in touch with you by email. Victor, you're right. The runs aren't cheap, but I worked a hell of a deal for the 4 I got yesterday! I'm in charge of Events for our Z club and I set up a dyno day for the club. What would have normally been $45/run was knocked down to $20/run! Now I'm starting the stages of putting my rebuilt, original motor back in the car. I will deal with the needle issue at that same time. Thanks for the input guys.

Well, I just got back from having my car dynoed. Figures came back about what I was expecting for well used engine. 200k+ miles, a few bad valve seals, rings on their way out, etc. Put it this way, during a full day of autocrossing I use a little more than a quart of oil! Anyway, I had the air/fuel mixture tested at the sametime. In the meat of my power, the ratio is running rich. Perfect stachiometry (sp?) should be about 14.1. I was told I should be running mid to high 13's running in the power. I'm running low to mid 11's. Basically I'm rich throughout the powerband. I leaned the mixture half a turn on the SU's for the second run, which helped down low, but it still ran almost the same at peak power. The suggestion has come up to locating a different profile of jet needle. So I'm asking this: Can anybody look at the dyno sheet and tell me if this sounds correct? Have you had this done and seen something familiar? Anybody know where to locate a leaner needle? What about the SM needles I have heard about? FWI, The motor is a stock '73 L24, stock '71, 4-screw SU's running a stock airbox and filter, 6-2 MSA headers and 2-1/4" exhaust to a Turbo muffler. I know I could probably lean the mixture nuts out a bit more, but I'm afraid that will lean the low-end too much. Any suggestions? Check out the dyno sheet here: Dyno Run

Jim, If it helps, it's my understanding that the early Series I dash is all but identical to the Series II dash. The only difference being the cut-out for the cigarette lighter. Which, on the Series I dash, the indentation is already there. FWIW...

Yes, It is from an early '71 Series I 240Z. I can try to get a picture of it for you if you are interested.

Need an early Series I dash? The one without the cigarette lighter cut out?

Using a MIG with the Flux-cored wire will work. But you have to make sure the pans are thicker than the sheet metal of the car, otherwise you'll burn holes in the metal rather quickly. If you can get a MIG w/ the gas set-up, not only will it weld thinner metal easier and provide you with cleaner welds, the wire will actually be cheaper! As you mentioned, practice, practice, practice, before you do any welding on the car. Make your mistakes off the car before they become a permanent fixture on your ride.

Last month my speedo started bouncing during an autoX. I was topped out in 3rd and the needle was bouncing between 25 & 55. Then it dropped and worked no more... I thought the cable broke. Turns out all the teeth on the speedo drive gear (on the tranny) were gone. The little yellow gear was completely flat! I pulled one out of the spare tranny and voila`, no more speedo troubles.

One nice benefit of painting your car like that witht he stripes....you'd never have to worry about someone stealing it! It'd be too easy to recognize.

Thanks for the info, Daniel. That's good to know.

Not yet. Radio Shack has Single-Throw relays, but I'm really looking for a Double-Throw. I want to run one individual wire to each headlight and for each low beam and high beam. If I use the single-thro, then I have to split a wire going to each headlight or use four relays! Which I don't want to do. Still have al ittle bit more checking to do this week. I'll keep you posted.

I really like that first green, the light colored one. Something about that just says, "Look at me!" Of course I thought the flame job looked pretty cool, also.

I agree the H4 conversion is definitely the way to go, but I want to run the higher wattage bulbs. I want to make sure that the other zombies in their boxes-on-wheels see me and don't hit me! So, that means I need the relays. Mayhem, I have already been to that site and yes it has a wealth of information, except where to buy relays, unless you buy from them. And since I'm a mechanical person on a shoe-string budget, I have a hard time buying things outright that I could make on my own. Still the question stands....(other than Radio Shack, which I will check out today) Where can I buy automotive relays?

While you're in the mood to replace your thermostat, go get one from the dealer. Yes I know it's more expensive, but get one! The openings are larger on the OEM vs Stant brand. by almost 3/8"! I got one from the dealer the other day and compared it just for grins against my old Pepboys special....what difference! I haven't driven my car yet, so I can't tell of any differences, but I will be racing this weekend. I'll let you know what happens.

I'm in San Antonio also, gramercyjam. Been to any Z-Sport meetings? Sorry, texasz....I have a used glove box innard also. It has one small piece of a corner torn out on the top. Would be pretty hard to see in the car. Let me know if you're interested and we'll work something out.

This is for those that have done the relay conversion for upgrading your lights: Where di you get the relays? What brand, style, part numbers? I'm having a bit of a hard time finding the relays to even get started. Seems most of the local parts houses don't carry relays (other than turn signal or wiper relays). If you ask them, they just look at you :cross-eye ! Anybody have any suggestions where I could go? Online stores even? I have a set of the Hella H4's sitting on a shelf because I already melted a low/high beam switch a few years ago. And I hate dim lights!

The only issue I see with using these holes, is that you either have to not use the interior dog-leg panel at all, or put holes in it. Putting holes in that panel to me is not an option.

Interesting point, Carl. Alan, Another question. Do you know of anybody making those style mounting plates? Btw, thanks for the pictures. Those really helped. Also, what do think the thickness of the metal would be? I would think anything more than 1/8" thick would be overkill.

Alan, Any chance you might have a photo of what the bar looked like mounted in the car? I could definitely use/make something like that if I just had a photo to go by!

This is the way I measure toe-in. Imagine a horizontal line through the center of the wheel (running front to back, in line with the car). Measure from the inside face of the wheel rim at that horizontal line on the front side of the wheel to the same location on the other wheel (left to right). Then measure at the same spot but on the rear side of the wheels. (measuring points will be in front of and behind the control arms) The difference between those two measurments should be within the range you have listed from the FSM. With the rear measurement being greater than the front measurement. Hope that makes sense...