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On level ground, you can measure ride height at several locations side to side (assuming the tires are all the same and filled appropriately). Check the seams at the doors for irregular gapping. Also, see if the doors open and close properly. This isn't a sure way but may give you more insight into possible chassis tweaking. A few bucks at a frame shop will provide the answers you seek.

I have a chance to pick up a free 200SX 5-speed. I don't know the condition of it but it's a freebie. Is it worth bothering to get for parts? Which parts?

That's a loaded question. IF the suspension NEVER bottoms out then you don't need the bumpstop. When the suspension is compressed hard enough to use up all available travel then things can go bad quickly. Ask yourself if would you indiscriminately start smacking your chassis with a hammer? Not likely. Since you're there do the smart thing and put those bumpstops in. Unless you're lowering the car a lot you'll still have plenty of compression travel and good insurance against metal to metal impact. No o-ring if no oil. My 240Z didn't have an o-ring. Unless I roll the car there should be no seepage (unless you were to overfill the housing). That oil is used to cool the strut in operation. Why wouldn't you use it? Modern struts may not benefit from the oil bath but it can't hurt. It also helps prevent the strut from rust welding itself inside the housing.

To each his own. I've owned and used pickle forks. Sometimes they work fine and other times it's a real pain even with a air tool type. A quality tool should last a lifetime. If you ever get the chance to use a proper balljoint/tierod remover then you'll understand quickly why I would promote acquiring one. It takes no effort to get the job done quickly and painlessly. While replacing a bad joint would preclude worry over the boot if you're changing a control arm, strut or spring it doesn't make sense to trash a good joint. That's just my humble opinion.

Pickle forks suck! Search on the web for "ball joint removal tool". A good one cost about $45-55 and is worth it's weight in gold! http://www.etoolcart.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=6556 https://www.roverparts.com/ProductList.cfm?vehicle=All&category=ALL&Search=separator&PartNumber=&imageField.x=0&imageField.y=0

I run the RX-7 pump too on both my triple Dellorto l24 and 6500w Onan generator. Dead quiet and very capable of supplying the fuel you'll need. As for the SU's, I used a stock (noisy) pump until converting to the RX-7 pump. I used three (overkill) dial-type regulators. One in the main line and one for each carb. They were set to 2.5 psi and the SU's ran fine.

About $200 as a spare for mine. Seriously. if you're looking to get rid of it let me know. I really have one in my 240Z and like it even if it isn't the strongest box out there.

Very interested in the radiator..how much to 23707?

I upgraded my 240Z brakes (still in the process). I used 280ZX single pot calipers up front. It entailed drilling out the strut housing mounting ears and using washers to center the caliper over a 300ZX rotor (turned down .25" in diameter to clear the caliper). In the rear I used Ross' (Modern-motorsports.com) 240SX brackets and 300ZX rotors. I rebuilt the stub axles (bearings, seals, etc.) while there. The other work included gutting the proportioning valve in the rear of the 240Z, swapping E-cables from side to side to correct length issues with the 240SX calipers, welding up the 240SX E-cable brackets and redrilling to fit the 240Z E-cable ends, installing a 280ZX proportioning valve in place of the 240Z brake light switch (below the MC) and installing a larger MC. You'll also need 280ZX flexlines up front and the flexline kit from Ross in the rear. Some but not all is covered in the upgrade posts over at Hybridz.com. Two suggestions, use a GOOD tubing wrench to break the brakeline fittings loose and use a small hammer or such to knock the tught fittings loose instead of constant pressure. The latter will usually round off the fitting if it is really stuck. I use lucky and had no failures here! I'm hoping that the finished product is compliant and trouble-free from the start.

Out of curiousity, other than a wreck, is the rack centered properly? It seems that the limit is built in here. If the rack is off center then the tire could contact before you ran out of rack. Is it a stock wheel/tire or aftermarket with inadequate offset?

Tires degrade over time whether shelved or in use. It also appears that tires with little or no use are more prone to tread separation. This has come up in recent times through manufacturers, distributors and the NHTSA. I couldn't help but think it was another marketing ploy when I heard this. When I purchased my 240Z two years ago I checked the car out well, including the tires (Pirelli). All looked good for my 500 mile trek home. After an enjoyable high speed run through the Smokey Mountains of NC I was cruising at 70 mph on a straightaway when the right rear tire delaminated. It was a scary situation made worse because the carcass got caught on the spinner and beat the crap out of the wheelwell. Had it happened in the mountain run I probably wouldn't be here to talk about it! All four tires were replaced before continuing my journey home. Even then I had a sickening feeling in my gut the remaining 350 miles. The present recommendation is to replace tires at the 6 year mark. Not a favorable prospect considering the cost of good tires but what is your car AND your life worth???

Centech makes a compact mini fuse panel for the early Chevys. I bought one with the intention of incorporating it into my 71 240Z. Check it out at http://www.centechwire.com/catalog/panels/pdp3.shtml and note the reasonable price of only $45. As is stated, you can also expand on it by adding another ATO or mini fuse block over by the passenger side relays for additional circuits.This is a top quality piece! NO cheap plastic. It will fit right where the original fuse panel sits with a little effort. I'm going to attempt to use the original pigtail so it is a plug-n-play unit.

In all the efforts to reduce or eliminate exhaust fumes drawn into the car has anyone tried to minimize the low pressure area in the rear? I was thinking that narrow plastic scoops mounted in the rear wheelwell opening (out of view) could be vented up and out the rear valance, just below the bumper, via hose. The outlets could be installed to look factory and visually pleasing. The idea is the low pressure would draw air out of the wheelwell (and from under the car). This might have a positive effect on downforce and lower that notorious low pressure area too. It might help to reduce fumes getting pulled into the car with open windows. I wish I had access to a windtunnel to test the theory. This would supplement the replacement of all rubber and filling of all holes, of course. It's just a thought... What are your opinons?

The only thing that comes to mind is a stuck injector flooding a cylinder.

They weren't interested in trying. This is how it is done whether it's spindle pins or other similiar parts. It took my 3000 lbs and several bolts to push mine out. The other side pulled effortlessly with my puller.

Cut the pin between the control arm and housing. The bushing can be removed using Carl's technique. The pin remnents can be pressed out of the housing but a VERY short grade 8 bolt (1/2" shank below head) must be used to start. Progressively longer bolts are then used to press the pin out. Longer bolts will bend under the high initial loads.

No information is available. I picked up to car as an abandoned vehicle. It was driven in but left behind after it appeared to be a money pit. The property owner just wanted it gone so we came to an equitable agreement and I towed it away. I haven't cleaned to piston top(s) fully so I don't know if there is any overbore info. The cylinders do not appear to have been ridge reamed. It was the different numbers on the pistons that had me curious. I could use a bore gauge to determine any taper and/or overbore of each cylinder.

I picked up an 82 280zxt (with 201300 miles on the OD) the other week. The F54/P90a engine supposedly had no compression on cylinder 5. Someone had pulled the valve cover, water pump, oil pump, etc. for reasons I'm not sure about. I pulled the engine yesterday and removed the head expecting to find a burnt valve, blown head gasket or damaged piston/rings. Nada...nothing wrong. There's lots of oil every where and the plugs were heavily fouled. The block has no ring ridge and crosschecking is still evident in the bores. One of the torque convertor bolts was lightly damaged. I'm convinced this is a relatively recent rebuild. All of that said, I am wondering if this is an overbore or ridge-reamed block. The pistons all have P90 stamped into them. Four of them are also stamped 23 (1,3,4,6) and two are marked 45 (2,5). Can someone possibly help identify what I have here?

You can take it to a machine shop and have the remnants of the pin pressed out. This is not an uncommon problem. Mine took 3000 lbs to get it to move. We had to cut 3 or 4 1/2" diameter grade 8 bolts into progressive lengths starting with 1/2" up to 3" to use as press pins. It is a dangerous task but can be accomplished. Maybe someone here is breaking a 240Z and can supply the part you need (with a spindle pin that will come out).

That clears things up for me. My replacement MB bushings were the type that did extend beyond the by a small measure. Removing and reinstalling these bushings were a real pain especially mushrooming the sleeve over the bar end.

For my use the hydraulic lifters would be fine but I do like the tick of a solid lifter valvetrain. It reminds my of hipo chevy smallblocks I built many years ago. I only posted because I'd read in several post that the P90a head was no often found with solid lifters. I guess that was incorrect.

Just connect them together with NPT pipe and a disconnect coupling (often used for natural gas lines at the furnace). You can tee them or stack them however it suits you then get the pipe and coupling needed to finish the job. It's just like plumbing water pipes.

More tank! I suspect that your compressor head is too small to adequately support any heavy tasks such as spray painting. You'll end up burning up the compressor head. If this is a an exception and not the rule of usage then you might get by with increasing the tank size. You could just add another tank to increase the volume. The problem here is the compressor must run much longer to meet the total tank capacity and burning up the head becomes a possiblility once again.

Just a note to say that I have an L28et with the P90a is a solid lifter configuration. It has been said that these didn't exist or only came from the Japanese market. I don't yet know if I'll hold on to it, sell it complete, break it for parts or move the head and turbo over to my triple Dellorto L24...decisions...decisions. I'm breaking down the whole car so if anyone needs a particular part let me know. I'll be posting bits to eBay shortly.

Coated headers are sprayed with a gun and then baked to cure. No one to my knowledge is capable of spraying completely through the interior passages. It is typically sprayed as far in as possible/reasonable. Most of the paints (JetHot, HPC, etc.) are only about .002" thick. The only coating I would consider today is provided by Swaintech. It is a true ceramic coating (not paint) with an average thickness of .015". It is still not applied throughout as it is not really possible. However, this coating (only in white) is as effective thermal barrier as is probably available in the market.