messenger

I made some progress today... well sort of. I put some new plugs in the car and once again it ran perfect. There seems to be something wrong with the choke. If I idle the car on the choke it will run awful basically how it was running with fouled plugs. If I idle the car with my foot on the gas pedal at say 750rpm it idles nice and smooth. The choke slides under the carbs seem to be returning fully. I would open then close them and try and see if I could push the slide in a bit more. They seem to go all the way in one would stay out about a 1/16 maybe. I lubed the slides and all the cables and pivot points. The lever in the car was easier to move but that is about it. I also added some ATF to the carbs they seemed a bit low on fluid. After all this the car would still soot up the plugs after idling for just a few short minutes. The car has to be running to rich, but im not sure as to why? I ran the car out a seperate gas can and it would soot up the plugs just as fast. I think a carb rebuild is inline what do you guys think?

Sorry to post again but I just made some progess. I have figured out whast going on here and roughly how the system works. Im pretty sure something is screwy with the vacuum advance plate. It is very hard to move or twist it is very notchey, I don't think that a little bit of vaccum would be able to move it very easily it was probally jammed. Im going to give it a nice cleaning and lubing. Now to figure out where to set it?

Ok, the inner workings of this distributor are very foreign to me. I have it all apart, i looked in the distributor no sign of any ball bearings in there. Anything else I should check in there while it is all apart. I have it all apart other than the cam and counter weights those are still in there. How can I check the "vacuum capsule" as hayes reffers to it, for the neccasary 1/4" of movement? Just by pulling on the spring?

By "capacitor" do you mean the one in the dizzy?

Ok, heres the update. I've checked the compression seems to be about 160 across the board, that seems in check. I have checked the points, they are clean and the gap is correct. I ran the car out of a gallon of 93 octane. No luck the car ran exactly the same after all of this, no different at all. The car is still suffering from a lumpy idle, almost if I had a cam. While reving the car its still missing and hesitating, If I had not run the compression check by the sound of the motor I would think the compression is down. When I rev the car to about 1500rpm and hold it there, it runs pretty rough. Help Me!!! Thanks again -jared

Good luck. Hopefully you will find something around here. I just got my first Z the other day, there are some good finds out here to be had for sure. I'll keep my eyes peeled for ya if I see anything around town. Now if i can get my car running properly again i'll be all set. -jared

Just like the title states Rear hatch window louvers I just pulled off my 240z Im sure this will fit 240z-280z's. They are in great shape with all mounting hardware accounted for black in color. Best offer.

Have you tried the band-aid rubbing alcohol fix?

Ok, Just ran a compression check the results varied from 150psi-160psi. Which I think is fine. I finally bought a haynes manual as well. The point gap is .018-.022 for clearitys sake.

Thanks for the help! I just checked out the points, they seem to be in check and pretty clean. The hardest part is to get the largest part of the distrubutor lobe to line up. Any tips on how to do that? Other than jacking the car and turning the crank pulley. "I think its .0018-.0022" Is that correct? That is what i set it too. I just wanna make sure you did not mean .018-.022 Im going to run a compression check next.

Pressedsteel, I think your most likely correct. I can almost guarntee that if i was to go buy some more plugs it would run great for a little bit, untill they fouled out again. Im going to order the carb video ASAP. Im suspecting the carbs even more now after this discovery. Check out the zip tie in the picture and the missing adjuster screw. That can't be good. :surprised

Ok, so what would be a good way to check your theory? Bypass the fuel in the tank and hook the fuel line straight into a 1 gallon tank. That would not tell me if the carbs are clogged though. Bad fuel would not really explain fouled out plugs after 5 miles. Im sure there must be more to it.

I arrived at that estimate by looking at the gas gauge, it read below E and it does work. I also shook the car and listened to the gas slosh around in the tank. It is defitently and estimate but I think it was a decently accurate one.

I did not drain the tank. I know I should have, but I guess i just figured hey the car started right up on it its fine. There was maybe only 1/2 gallon of old gas in the tank im pretty sure I idled through it before I even drove the car. It does have a few fresh gallons of 93 and redline fuel system cleaner in there now. I just pulled all the plugs, they where all sooted pretty evenly. They were gapped at .030 I just regapped them to .040, I was reading that helps in over rich conditions. I checked the distrubutor vaccum plate. It seemed to work fine, I sucked on the hose and it moved roughly .125 or so. The car still idles and runs like $^!# this morning. Can anyone point me in a good spot that has info about the points on these cars? Basically how to adjust them. Ive done some searching but have not found much. Thanks again.

Thanks for the replys this far guys. I got home late its dark here so I only pulled one plug out. I will pull all 6 tomorrow to take a look. I also plan on doing a compression check. Mike, Im not familiar with the frozen ring theory. Do you mean the ring froze to the cylinder wall while the piston kept going? Thus I am missing a ring? Enrique, How would i be able to tell if the distrubutor vaccum plate is bad? I forgot to mention one thing. This may or may not discredit the distubutor plate diagnosis. The first night I got the car I was dying to start the car up. So I checked all the fluids topped them off got a new battery and it started up. It was running slightly rough. I never drove it like this, I just started it and let it run for a few minutes and revved it up to about 3 grand. It did seem to miss or hesitate like it is now, of course I can't be 100% sure it was the same problem as I did not drive the car like that. Once I did the tune up the missing and hesitating went away........... well for a little while.

Well as some of you may have read I picked a "72 Z a few weeks back. The car sat for 5 years in a garage. I got it towed home changed all the fluids, got a new cap, rotor, plugs, wires, fuel filter. The car started right up and ran great. I drove it for about 5 miles and it was running like a dream. Then it was like someone flipped the "run like $^!# switch". First the car started to really hesitate and fall on it face under part throttle, then it started to back fire under throttle. It would run ok under steady throttle, not great by anymeans but good enough to get me home. I think that the car is running a bit rich. The orginal plugs I removed looked pretty fouled out. When I got home I pulled the new plugs that had about 5 miles on them, they where all ready pretty sutted up looking. Plus the back fire under throttle leads me to believe richness. I checked the timing that seemed to be in check. My first assumption is that something is wrong in the carb department. The thing is I don't know jack $^!# about carbs really. All the cars I have had prior have all ben fuel injected controlled by afc's. I have done some reading up on adjusting the carbs, it seems a bit foreign to me right now. One more small note I did check the fluid level in the carbs and it seems to be in check. What do you guys think is going on?

I wish I was driving it home. The car has ben sitting in his garage since 98. So im not even attempting to drive it home. I have AAA plus so I can get it home for free. I wanna take my time drain the tank change all the filters change and check all the fluids, before I even think about turning the key. Here are some pictures. http://photobucket.com/albums/v98/bmxwrx/?multi=6&addtype= Let me know what you guys think. The car was 750. dollars. The floor boards where in pretty good shape as was the body. Hopefully it will run ok with out to many issues.

I bought one:) It is a orange '72. in pretty awesome shape. I'll post some pics and more info tomorrow. Thaks so far guys.

*SOLD* To me Thanks jim, I really appreciate it.

Thanks that was pretty informative, i can weld cut grind fab the floor pans. Im not so worried about that. But why not just spend a little more and wait to find a 240z that is not so rotted. I have already set my sights on another one that is in the local area. This time im goign to bring my camera. So I can have you guys check it out first hand. Im located in austin texas. Im suprised they rot so much here. Id like to see one from MA where im orginally from. I could only imagine the rot.

Im more than capable of working on the car. I am an ex-dsm'er so i know how to turn a wrench or two. Im pretty sure the guy bled the clutch, well he said he did. Maybe he did not do it correctly? So what is the easy fix, the clogged lines?

Ok, I went and checked out a 240z today. It was in decent shape. The floor boards looked rather rotted other than that as far as rot goes nothing else to major. The clutch went straight to the floor, possible a leak in the line or the clutch master? Im not sure if there is a common issue with these cars and the clutch. Maybe it is something simple im not sure. There is something wrong with the fuel pump/fuel line. The car ran great if we hooked up the fuel line straight into a 1 gallon gas tank. But other than that a line may be clogged or fuel pump may be dead? Not sure if there is a common problem there either. Some pluses where it had a after market heat wrapped header, after market 2.5 mandrel bent exhaust. The car is 650. dollars, which seems like a pretty kick arse deal. How much do you guy "think' this thing would take to get going rouhgly. Thanks, -jared