2ManyZs

Some of the newer cars did use an R-200 but they used a different stub axle flange for use with CV joints. Some of them can be changed and a few I think are not compatible at all. Or require more work than is feasible. I would look for one from a 280 or 280Zzx up to 83. Keep in mind that some of the 280Z's used an R-180 though. I believe some of the 77-78's used the R-180 but am not sure if they all did. Probably be a lot cheaper to look for one from a ZX if possible. They started offering a LSD in 87 but I think those are the rears that are the hardest to swap because of the stub axle flanges.

If the water control valve is not working as it should, it will vapor lock on a cool day. The water control valve is intended to shut off the water at about 70 degrees if I remember right. So if it is not working, it won't matter what the temp is outside. So I would suggest blocking off the water first, see what happens, and then take another step. If you do more than one item at a time, you really won't know what was causing the problem. It is possible to get the flat tops to run decent. They just aren't as easy to work with as the round tops. You should be able to pick up a decent set of round tops for 100 bucks or so. That will save you a lot of money over the ZTherapy carbs, although you never know what condition the carbs you are buying are in. If you look around enough you should be able to find a decent set of round tops. But, if money is a problem, try to work with what you have first. It may not be as hard as you think to get yours to run with a little tinkering. You may also have a vaccum leak somewhere that is affecting things to. You say you have begun to de-smog the car, so I'm wondering if there may be a vaccum leak somewhere. Make sure you have everything blocked off completely. There are enough people here to help with questions, sooner or later we will hit on the right combination.

Sounds to me like something may be wrong in the AFM. Did you take the plastic cover off the potentiometer on the side and see if there is any corrosion in there? I believe the potentiometer( I think that's what they call it) controls a lot of the functions in the FI, as the AFM opens up it moves the arm across the contacts to signal the ECU. Be sure the arm is in contact and there is no corrosion present. Might not hurt to spray it down with some electrical contact cleaner and see what happens then. As far as the fuel pump goes, it should get the same voltage supply at all times, as I believe it is powered off the ignition switch. You may have a short in the wiring or a bad connection somewhere. There should be a relay on the kick panel on the passengers side for the fuel pump also. Hard to give a good clear answer since I no longer have my 75 280 or my Factory service manual. I'm just kinda guessing.

I normally left the hose from the block to the air cleaner connected and blocked all the other hoses off. Best to let the crankcase vent if possible. Unless you are using a different style of air cleaner. Then it might be best to put a filter of some type on it at the block. Just my opinion.....

Motorsport Auto has a complete kit to put A/C in. It's a bit expensive, but not bad considering what you get. No more 2 windows open at 60mph. It also has an upgraded rotary compressor which will work much better than the original style compressor.

First item before anyone can answer your question is which carbs are you running? If you are running the flat top carbs you may need the extra pump. If you are running the round top early carbs I would say you could do without one of the pumps. 73's came with only the mechanical pump from the factory, but because of cold start issues and vapor lock problems with the flat tops they recalled the cars and installed the electric pumps. If you are running the round tops I would say you could do without the electric pump and just run the mechanical pump. The electric is no more prone to failure in my experience than the mechanical pump. I know this doesn't really answer your question. If you are still running the flat tops, my first bit of advice would be to block off the water to the carbs and try it with just the mechanical pump. Blocking off the water should help cure any vapor lock problems and you should be able to go with just the mechanical pump, the electric pumps (especially stock replacements) are a bit expensive. To check your electric pump, just unhook the fuel line before the mechanical pump and run it into a gas can and turn on the key, if you have no gas it is the electric pump that is not pumping. While you have it unhooked you can then take the fuel line off the fuel rail and run it into the gas can and turn over the engine to see if the mechanical is pumping any fuel.

Don't think you would have to take out the dash to get the switches out. Might need to be a contortionist to get your hand up behind the dash while laying on your back on the floor though. It would be easier to take out the heater control panel and go through there if you can't reach them from below. Taking the heater control panel out isn't an easy job by any means, but it sure beats taking out the whole dash. And you will still have to work by feel most of the time as you won't be able to see what you are doing once you get your hands in there. Good luck.

Here is a pic of the flares I was wondering about. I haven't seen any here in the states that go back on the lower end of the quarter like these before. Most all the ones available in the US are either just the fender lip or quarter panel replacement types. These go from the dog leg area to the rear bumper mount are to make it a smooth transition from the stock body work into the flare. Anyone know who makes these? I believe the car on Ebay was in Australia.

I don't think I've ever seen complete or even sections of wiring harnesses for any Z's advertised for sale. You might try calling MSA or Classic Datsun Motorsports, they might know of someone who can help. CDM might be the best, since they were involved in the Z car store restorations done by Nissan a few years ago. They would possibly be the best place to start looking, as they may know of someone who can reman a wiring harness or they might do it themselves. You can find their link to their web-site in the web-links section here. Good luck.

I know I'm going to be chastised for this. I just recieved a new Summit Racing catalog and lo and behold, in the "ricer-boy" section they have colored bulbs from a company called Matrix. They have 1157,1156,194,211-1, 67,912(168), 10x36 dome light, 8x28 dome light in purple, amber, blue, green, or red. I'm not sure but I think the 194's or 168's might work in gauges, but you would need to check the original bulbs to find out for sure. They are $4.95 a pair, so you really need to check the bulb size before you buy. They also have them in a higher output bulb, but they are 6.95 each and up.:sick: I know how we look down on some of these "ricers" but they might have a couple things that we can use. :stupid:

The front crank pulley or damper. They had three different pulleys available if I remember right, a one groove, two groove and a three groove damper. L series used a one piece pulley/crank damper unit while some other manufacturers use a two piece set where the pulleys are bolted to the damper as a separate unit.

But, what is he trying to say? :devious:

No problem, I would hesitate drilling holes in a good rear bumper myself. Not that I have one. :disappoin Bet you will be able to find someone that wants to replace a set of rusted one on their car. :classic: Always someone looking for parts isn't there?

Only the rear bumper will require holes to be drilled in it. You may need to drill holes in the front bumper guards to mount the over-rider though. Can't remember if the guards had extra holes or not. :stupid: The 72 bumper should have the same spacing as the 73. I believe it was only the 70-71 guards with the wider spacing. As far as looks, well, that's a matter of taste. I prefer the cars without them, but that's just me. How much protection? Not much, if any. You can add all the bars you want, but they will still be bolted to a very flimsey bumper (by todays standards anyways), none of the early bumpers really offers much protection since they are rather thin and light gauge metal to begin with. The later bumpers that everyone hates because of their size and weight are really the only Z bumpers that offer much protection.

No need to bleed the clutch system unless you replace the slave cylinder, just hang it out of the way when you pull the trans. The flywheel bolts should be torqued to 100ft/lbs. The pressure plate bolts should be 17 1/2-19ft/lbs, you could just tighten them securely with a 3/8 ratchet and they will be fine. Doubt if a clutch kit will have an alignment tool, you could probably find one at an auto parts store pretty cheap, or if not MSA has them for a reasonable price.

Hard to kill an L series if it is taken car of. Too bad it's harder to keep away the rust monster that has taken more cars out of circulation than accidents and wear and neglect combined.

The rear bumper over-riders were all the same for all the 240's I believe. The rear ones all mounted to the bumper itself and did not mount to the upright bumper guards. The 72-73 front bumpers should be the same if I remember correctly. The 70-71 cars had a different spacing between the guards so be sure you have the correct ones. 70-71 were spaced further apart than the 72 and later cars.

It will be much easier to remove the trans if you remove the shifter before you attempt dropping the trans. You will need to take the console off, remove the shift boots and pull one pin on the shifter. No big deal but it will be easier to work the trans out if you don't have to drop it so low to clear the shifter. You will also need to unbolt the slave cylinder for the clutch from the side of the bell housing. 4 bolts hold the driveshaft flange, all should be 14mm. Take them out and drop the driveshaft. Unhook the speedo cable and reverse light wires, remove the bellhousing bolts and then lastly remove the 2 bolts from the trans mount. It's a rather easy job, shouldn't take more than an afternoon if you have the tools available, and a good set of jackstands to raise the car up high enough that you can slide the trans out from under it so you can have some room to work. BTW, when you drop the trans mounts, the rear of the engine is going to drop with it. If you can, I usually loop a section of rope under the rear of the engine and tie it to the hood latch framework to keep the rear of the engine a bit more securely. It will help a great deal when you go to put the trans back in, with the engine flopping around in the motor mounts, you may have a hard time lining up the input shaft thru the clutch. Conversely, anyone that is pulling an engine will find it easier to separate the engine from the trans if you loop the rope under the bellhousing to hold the trans still.

It's more than likely the seatbelt warning/interlock.

If you only change the dash, the VIN number on the dash will not match the VIN number on the chassis, therefore you are altering a vehicle VIN number. Not legal.

Definately change the sender first. One little gob of sludge buildup in the sender and they are out of whack, they were notorious for it. Or you could just pick up a cheap mechanical gauge at an auto parts store and hook it in temporarily just to verify your oil pressure and get an accurate reading. You can change the spring in the pump if the pressure is low, or shim the one in it. Haven't done one personally as I usually replace the pump with the high volume pump just to be sure.

Just another reason to believe the old adage: "A fool and his money are soon parted."

Not many people are going to take a restoration to that level. I guess the one question on most everyones mind is going to be how long did it take you to re-assemble it? Simple to take one apart, but to put it back together from a bare shell takes a lot of time and patience. I guess you get the award for taking a resto to the "nth" degree, especially after seeing all the nuts, bolts, and washers re-plated. Job well done!

It is not necessary with carbs, only fuel injection. But it never hurts to get the best available hoses instead of the cheap stuff. For what little bit extra it costs it wasn't a bad deal over some of the flimsy, soft rubber hoses you find at some auto parts stores.

Shouldn't be a problem, just keep an eye on the voltmeter for a while. If it isn't pegged on the high side of the scale, your voltage regulaor may be OK. But just to be on the safe side, it might not be a bad idea to change it when you can. They are cheap and they do probably fail more than any other part of the charging system. With a new battery and alternator you should be OK on your trip.