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Jon, I agree with you about the clunking noise. My attention was drawn to the metal debri Sarah spoke off. That is never a good sign in my opinion. I drove my 240Z with the R180 singing an increasing whine for a couple of years until that and the 'clunking' became a real nuisance. The mounts and halfshafts were tight so I knew it wasn't the culprit. An inspection proved the NiSMO LSD was completely worn out after 38 years of service (I've only owned the car for about 6 years). Sarah, we do get together for events other than the monthly meeting. There was a great pigpicking this past Sunday. Check out our website at http://www.tzccva.org for information about upcoming events. We hope to meet you soon.

Welcome to diff hell. Seriously, sounds like your diff is trashed or on it's way out. The burnt smell isn't a good sign nor is the metal debri. It may be possible to rebuild it depending on what all of those metal shavings came from and/or chewed up. Cost varies depending on what has to be done. It's no point in guessing at it here. The good news is I may have a R200 (3.54 ratio) ready to bolt in. It hasn't been rebuilt but shows no sign of damage. I'm having another quaife-equipped R200 (3.90 ratio) built for my 240Z at Tidewater Z Auto Service (in Poquoson). They can help you with your problem too. Lastly, Have you heard of TZCCVA? It's the local Z car club. I'm the VP. We meet the second Monday of every month at 7:00 over at Frankies Place for Ribs in the Kempsville area of Va Beach. We like to have you drop in to visit us!

Other than parts mentioned and outer tierods you're on your own. The boots may be available. There are no other parts available despite listings in parts catalogs. I intend to do some research to see what can be used for inner tierods. Seals and bearings within the rack should be able to be crossed based on dimensions. The rack and pinion should not show significant wear unless the assembly was never lubricated, boots were torn allowing for dirt infiltration, or it was maladjusted over it's lifespan.

There is too little info to understand why you even got to this point. If you need to rebuild the lower end then get to it. Get the machine shop to properly mic the bores and determine how much larger you need to go, either .020 or .040 oversized. Order new pistons and rings. This isn't rocket science as someone once said. As for the original running condition? This and a whole lot of other issues could be the culprit. You need to get the basics in order first. Personally, I think you jumped the gun unless you had a very good reason to pull the head off to check the bores. You should have started with a proper tune-up. There must be Z people, enthusiasts and professionals, in your area that should be knowledgable and willing to help you.

The logical approach is to consider how often you drive your Z. I have two DD's and the Z. Keeping the battery charged up prolongs the life of the battery. Repeated full discharge or even lower charge greatly reduces battery life. I run only Optimas (they don't rot out the battery tray area) and you know how much they cost! Even sealed wet-cells are not cheap anymore. I use a 'Battery Minder' for this purpose. This 'Battery Brain' can be very useful in an offroad/camping situation where there is no 'help' and you've fallen asleep while the radio played all night. Lights left on or a door not quite closed will kill a battery. Most of us have experienced this frustration. What's it worth to you? As far as kill switches, alarms, etc, they are all easily bypassed in older vehicles like ours. I choose to pull the rotor or a couple of spark plug wires if I really want to reasonably disable my Z. Don't want them even bothering to look? Then buy a wheel boot and throw it on the DS front tire. Auto thieves get the message quick enough.

Was it running like this before you swapped parts? Were plugs gapped properly? Are wires really cinched down? We are to assume this is a carb'd engine? FO is 153624 so it's not likely you crossed two wires BUT you never know until you really know. Carl 's approach is the most straight forward to assess the wires. I also like to look under the hood in pitch blackless to check for cross-firing (blue aura jumping between wires or other engine parts).

Makes a momma proud. Your mom, not mine!

Where in Hampton Roads do you live? I don't own such a new Z myself so I can't answer. You could take a drive over to see Todd at Tidewater Z Auto Service in Poquoson. He could get you straightened out quickly. I'm Mark and the VP of the Tidewater Z Car Club. You're invited to come out to Frankie's Ribs at Fairfield Shopping center (Providence and Kempsville) in the Kempsville area of Virginia Beach next Monday night. Our club meeting (second Monday of every month) starts at 8:00. We gather at 7:00 for dinner and general conversion. You'll meet some great people!

I will only run rubber except for the sway bar and t/c rod bushings. Eibach springs and Illumina struts (set relatively soft) are mounted. I'm running 15" wheels but have run 17" wheels in the past. The thinner sidewalls do induce more harshness but the handling is great. A set of Miata seats are also installed. Overall, the ride is firm but quite comfortable for what it is. It is a very small sports car so Lexus comfort can't be expected. A ride in any Corvette is miserable by comparison.

Now, that's a cool tool.

I'm letting everyone know we're having a car show this Saturday at Pomoco Nissan in Hampton Virginia. Anyone that wants to come out is welcome. Register on site to show your car. We include Z's, early coupes/sedans and Infinity's too. Awards are all people's choice. There's also an auction. Hope to see you there. Find us at http://www.tzccva.org/

I have a set of NOS mirrors I plan to install on my Z very soon. I also have a partial pair of fairlady wings with the holes already cut out for reference. I don't know of any reason that the 2+2 would be any different from a stock Z. I'll try to get some accurate measurements/photos this evening and post them here.

I use Pledge furniture polish on my dash and panels. It also works great on chrome or polished aluminum. Outside of that, try to minimize excessive temperature swings and sunlight. Use a good windscreen sunblock panel and/or car cover when parked outside.

On my 240z there is a bracket on the carb linkage to install a simple solenoid. It is energized with the a/c compressor to step up the rpm to overcome the additional load. It has been the same on every carb or early FI I've owned. The later FI's use the ECU to control idle rpm. Since you didn't mention what car we're talking about it hard to assess.

I use these on all four corners. First, I use stock bleeders and reverse bleed the system (calipers to MC). Then I swap out for speed bleeders and bleed normally. Yes, I use a container to catch the fluid. It also helps for a visual for insuring I got all of the air out. Works like a charm.

Go to www.hybridz.org and search for autometer gauges. There are several threads about how some installed this brand. There are also a myriad of other gauges. I chose Revolution over Autometer. Why? Autometer had a small offering of gauges sizes in appropriate styles to suit me. Some like vanilla while others choose chocolate.

There are several versions of SC'd Z's over at Hybridz. Some are more refined (like Ken Jones green 280Z) than others. I'm in the process of building one for my 240Z too.

Yes, a Sanden unit. The reason I was looking for this particular bracket is it is ready to go. I need only made a few mods to meet my needs. If nothing comes of my search I will go to Vintage or Nostalgic to piece one together. Thanks, Stephen.

Hi. Have you heard of TZCCVA? It's our local Z car club. We meet at Frankie's Place for Ribs over on Providence Road the second Monday of every month at 7 o'clock PM. We'd like to have you on board. You can E-mail me at mark4460@cox.net for more info. I'm the VP.

I've got a new project going (along with the other 387). I need a drivers side a/c compressor bracket like that found in the MSA kit. The stock aluminum piece won't do. Anyone? Thanks.

I use Suzuki Aero sidemarkers (anything around 2000-up works). These screw straight into the existing holes with NO mods. They are low profile and have no rubber or metal trim ring. It really makes a subtle but appealing statement. The front markers are tied into the turn signal so I get that alternate flashing like many earlier GM cars.

I use TRW ball joints. As for a zerk fitting, the reality is most people don't lube their steering components on a regular basis, if ever. This also goes for u-joints. The sealed units work well.

I'd like a post lift of my own. Twin Cities doesn't sound close to me though. Luckily a neighbor and my best friend both have lifts I can use when needed.

The 240SX (or KA) transmission is superior. Having built many early transmissions and finally completing this conversion for myself I can say it's worth the minor trouble. Head over to www.hybridz.org and search for the 240SX or KA swap. There's plenty of documented information.

I prefer 6 spoke. These are going on my car when the 5 lug conversion is installed over the next couple of weeks. :classic: http://www.vintagewheelsus.com/products-br17.html