EScanlon

You mention it will not turn over, then you say it has spark. Do you mean that the engine WILL turn over, but that it won't START? Not trying to beat you up over it, but not turning over would say bad starter or need new battery or at least charge the old. You wouldn't be able to tell what kind of spark you had. Spark says the engine (and therefore the dizzyy) is rotating and that is why you're getting spark when you check, but without it starting, you're back to fuel or air. ================== No they didn't. While they always had the provision in the electrical system for an electrical fuel pump, at least as of the 71 on. (Haven't been able to locate a good 70 diagram, the "Basic" S30 diagram did NOT show the electric pump.) They NEVER installed BOTH an electric and a mechanical pump as far as anyone has reported. The electric fuel pump was more heavily relied on once the problems with vapor lock surfaced in the 73's and on. However, since the OP's car IS a 71, it is highly doubtful that he's equipped with an electric fuel pump unless it was added later. Even then, running BOTH an electric AND a mechanical pump would more than likely generate MORE problems than solve, that's why the dealers would block off the mechanical when activating the electric pump feature and not run both. ======== FWIW E

Sorry if I was too blunt. I have had passengers in my car get befuddled trying to separate the shoulder belt from the lap belt so they can use that odd "keyhole" to hang the belt, then using the square part and complaining that it isn't long enough.... yada yada yada... and then almost breaking the hook trying to insert the metal buckle. I figured you knew how to do it, after winning a Gold Medallion. Congratulations by the way. E

Actually, no. The male half of the seat belt stays attached to the shoulder harness via the double keyhole on the metal opposite where it latches to the female half of the seat belt. The Adjuster on the Shoulder Harness has a big "D" loop that goes into the J hook on the dog leg. Same as with the earlier version on the seat. 2¢ E

Years ago, I worked on a shifter knob that had an inverted Nut that tightened UP from the bottom once you had the knob aligned. Trying to remove it by the regular method of twisting, pulling etc. didn't yield anything and we had left it alone. Then one day, working flat on our back on the floor, I looked up and essentially "upskirted" the knob and noticed what appeared to be a "screw" or rather two notches in the underside "nut" holding the knob on the shift rod. When I commented what I found with Joe, the MWR Auto Shop monitor, he said it sounded like a "lock-nut" arrangement and that I should unscrew that "nut, and that then the rest of the knob would unscrew normally. I used a special tool, can't remember the name, but it looked like a rounded off wrench with pins sticking out of the side of the wrench which fit into the grooves of that nut. I had started using a pair of bent nose needlenose pliers when Joe mentioned he had that tool. I unscrewed that nut completely, and sure enough the knob simply unscrewed from the rod. That lower nut was in fact a nut that locked the knob in place. Don't know that that is the case with yours, but it's worth a check. FWIW E

Mine's an early 71, but it has been years since I've been into the wiring up front. When I refurbished mine, I removed all of the wiring, and cleaned and DE Grease all the connections etc. so I haven't had to get in there for a while. I may be working on it this weekend, if the items for my Roadster don't pop up first, and if so I'll look. E PS, Richard, update your profile with your car's info.

That's true, except that you know that SWMBO will eventually catch up with you, barefoot or not. As mine says, you have to sleep sometime, and the way you sleep? You're dead meat! E

Oh, agreed!! But, like the saying goes, walk a mile in someone else's shoes and you're then a mile away with a new pair of shoes! Sadly, the reality is that we have yoked ourselves voluntarily, and that is why we refer to them as SWMBO. (She Who Must Be Obeyed) E

Or even simpler, the R/W wire they used is the SAME wire everywhere they used the R/W wire, and there was no need to source a smaller gauge wire for the short sections it would have been "economical" to use it for. (Which would not have been more economical overall.) That is, it would have meant TWO different gauges with the SAME color markings, meaning that it would DOUBLE the possibilities of the wrong gauge being used in the wrong spot. So, for simplicities sake, they used the same gauge within the same circuit everywhere. That R/W wire is ONLY used in that circuit and nowhere else in the car's circuitry. 2¢ E

Jim: Sometimes just disassembling the Wiper PIVOTS, the ones that go through the cowl, is enough to go from "Slow and Slower" to "Not so slow and Almost fast". There are a couple of good threads on that in the archives as well. E

You forgot to "carry the one". You have current being "supplied INTO" EACH " bulb through the thinner wire" then "coming OUT of" EACH "of the high beamS onTO the thicker wire" where BOTH High Beams then merged to return to the combination switch. Without the allegory, simply put, you may have a smaller current going into each bulb independently of each other, but when they join to return to the combination switch, you now have TWO small currents (making one bigger one) returning at the same time. Make sense now? HTH E

Sometimes it's easier to get forgiven AFTERWARDS than to get permission beforehand.... What you do is up to you... E

The Red/White wire is the RETURN wire for the HIGH beam circuit. The power TO the lamps is the Red (for the Right) and the Red/Yellow(for the Left). BOTH lamps have their return circuit joined at the front of the car for either beam. (Red/Black for the Low). The original headlights were 45w/55w (if memory serves) which means that the higher wattage circuit (the high) would have required the heavier gauge. FWIW E

It's a simple check. Disconnect the vacuum hose, remove the dizzy cap and look at the points plate. Then (sorry about this) suck on the vacuum hose to simulate engine vacuum. The more vacuum you generate, the more the plate should rotate. Then, release your hold on the hose and the plate should counter-rotate SMOOTHLY AND PROMPTLY back to it's zero position. Repeat a couple of times, try to emulate a sudden vacuum to see how well it reacts. Both on the intake and release it should have smooth and prompt response. If it hesitates, or seems sluggish, check the plate. HTH E

Don: A "dizzy" is shorthand for a "distributor". On the subject of the dizzy having been swapped for a "newer" electronic one, it is possible and more than likely probable that the replacement came from a boneyard car, which would make the Vacuum Advance Bearing Plate (under the "points" plate) questionable. Both the electronic and points dizzies use that bearing plate to allow the points or sensor to be rotated by the Vacuum Advance Diaphragm. When it goes bad, due to lost ball bearings, or rust, it causes the vacuum advance to operate erratically. One time it will advance properly, but not return to un-advanced normally, other times the other way around. When mine went bad, years ago, it would not let me accelerate properly, it would take slow and careful throttle action to get the car up to higher speeds. Once up to speed (and therefore no or very little advance being required) the car performed normally. FWIW E

Excellent pics Dan! Those should almost go into some sort of sticky for future reference. In fact, I'm going to annotate a set of them with information from this thread as well as a few others. E

You don't describe how it acts, so from the hip, have you checked the vacuum advance? Both the diaphragm and the tubing and WHERE it's getting the vacuum from. FWIW E

I would suggest folks look at it not as what color to "RESTORE" to, but what color is best when REFURBISH-ed or REFRESH-ed? Consider what would sell quickest and what would generate the higher ddollar sale. I say that knowing how many folks take the word "restore"; to them it means to take back to original condition, which would answer the color question. But to address the question in the manner that you meant: car colors tend to follow cycles that I can't cite but they are noted by the car industry. Years ago, burnt orange, copper, root-beer browns would not have been popular, today they abound. At one time pastels were strong, then metallics, and lately, opalescents or "pearls". Z's from their introduction had "odd" colors that did and did not develop their advocates. The original "red" was seen as being "orangish", the "orange" was seen as "reddish", the "gold" was seen as "mustard", and the "yellow" was either too pale or too neon green. In fact, some earlier owners ended up with cars in colors they wouldn't have opted for originally, but that later grew on them and now they love. With all that being said, my personal vote is for a non-stock color that both draws attention and is considered a color "in vogue". FWIW E

You can confirm the engine replacement by checking the engine # with the vehicle data tag that is on the strut tower in the engine bay. But from what you've posted, it sounds as though it has been replaced. There was a time there when obtaining a rebuilt 240 engine wasn't available and you had to do with a 260 and then later a 280. It isn't bad unless you were hoping to compete for a gold medallion. E

At the risk of being too obvious, has anyone checked with the dealers? There are still numerous parts available for the S30, and I've no doubt for the S130 also. I don't have the part numbers to see, but while the car does go back to the 80's, someone with the FAST system may be able to provide the numbers. Parts reproduction is at a money disadvantage with regards to already produced parts. It isn't until all back-stock and good used parts have been generally exhausted, and only then do owners dig down and pay more for the parts and make reproduction parts feasible. No one wants to invest tons of money to produce parts that cannot be sold for a premium that allows for a quick return on investment. Find the correct part numbers and then check with the likes of Courtesy Nissan, or even your local dealer (with the P/N they'll be more willing to work with you). You may be surprised to find what IS available. FWIW E

Look at the underside of the steering column. You'll see a small oval hole right about where the Comb. Sw. mounts. That is the hole for the tab on the switch's body. I don't recall if the small tab / pin is on the Turn Signal side or the Wiper/Light side but it's a definite bump of the same material as the body that is located on the curved part of the body. Don't have the camera handy for a pic, but once you see it you'll not forget it. Align the body half with the tab into the hole and then tighten the 4 screws and everything lines up perfectly. The two stalks should be at the opposite ends of the vertical axis. If you have one or the other higher than the other, then you may have a mismatched pair of T/S & W/HL halves. E PS If I get the camera out this weekend, and nobody beats me to it, I'll see if I can post a pic of the tab and hole.

I had a bit of slipage on mine, and one day while working on the turn signals I pushed on the tire and noticed that the whole steering rack shifted slightly. A little investigation showed that the rubber bushings holding/ clamping the steering rack in place had deteriorated and allowed up to 3/4" of play in either direction... for a total of 1.5" AT THE RACK! That explained why the car would wander erratically while holding the steering wheel straight, one time it would be pulling to the right, next time to the left and then other times... straight. R&R the bushings, cleaned and tightened them and the problem went away. Check that before you go disassembling the whole front end. FWIW E

Blue, if any of those situations exist, then the wiring has NOT been placed properly. I guess another way of saying it is: If that location screw is difficult or impossible to install, then you've got a problem with the wiring or the location of the switches. In all the Z's I've disassembled and re-assembled, that little set screw has been a very key indicator. The only way the T/S or Wiper/Light stalks can be mounted in too far or at the wrong angle is if you ignore the little set tab that is supposed to insert into the steering column body to position it. In fact, if you ignore that tab, you'll find a LOT of trouble in trying to get the combination switch assemblky to both tighten down AND stay in place. And there is yet another point, if you mix-match the Wiper/Lamp half with a different year T/S side, there have been reports of mis-alignment of one or both stalks. FWIW E

With everything having been refurbished, wouldn't you be better off with NEW seals rather than trying to reuse someone else's old? Just a thought... E

Blue, you might also mention the one very small screw that aligns the "clamshell" (fancy name for the steering column surround pieces) to the ignition lock. If you look carefully, you'll see that the ignition lock has a small (4-40? or thereabouts?) screw at the bottom of the lock's body. If you use this as a guide, it will position the clamshell bottom half perfectly, and you can then tighten the rest of the clamshell screws. FWIW E

Just tell everyone it's still on the rotisserie... They look real good! E