240zwinter

9/70 HLS30-10031 with the origional white paint and 135k on the origional motor.

Doh! Sorry I just enlarged the picture up and they are fiberglass not steel : P

I have a question. I thought that the early Z's had fiberglass head lite buckets like my 71? The car in the pictures has steel ones since you can see them crumpled from the crash. So did just the US Z's have fiberglass or maybe that picture was taken after the late model 240z steel ones where available?

Installed new U-Joints in the drive shaft and the clunk is gone : )

One more question I noticed that the metal Fuel rail on my 240 has a return? line on it. All of the side draft carb set ups I have seen do not use this rail and the return line. I have even seen alot of SU's without the fuel rail and return line on them. Anyone know if capping it and not using it will have negative effects? Thanks again.

I have seen it online but most of the fuel grade stuff is yellow not clear like this page shows. http://www.newageindustries.com/clearfl2.asp I was told by the guy at Ace Hardware that standard PVC hose will disolve if I use it as a fuel line? The guy at OSH Hardware did not know for sure either so that is why I was looking for fuel grade clear : ) I am doing my heater hose in clear as well with a drain. Anyone know what ID/OD of the small SU carb jet hose is off hand?

Hello I am going to replace all my fuel lines and possibly my fuel rail. I used to have clear tubing on my old 510 that worked great and wanted the same on my new Z. I am going to use 1/4" from the main hard line and was told that the tubing is fuel rated PCV but I can not find any and did not want to just use water rated PCV. Does anyone know where to get 1/4" clear not yellow fuel safe tubing? Also what ID/OD is the SU jet tubing since I want to replace that as well as add a float level tube. Thanks.

I dont realy like that style but the 17's look ok to me? Here is a pic.

I put those sway bars on yesterday and took her for a few corners around the block. Who ever made them seemed to do a good job of ballance as the car is flat and very neutral in corners now : )

In no way would I consider this done correctly just a temp fix. I was going to replace my bushings with a whole bar but it was the wrong one so it was already off and had to go back on to drive it since its my only car ATM. Once I finnish building the bead blast cabinet I can tear the car down and do it right with poly everywhere : )

You mean the bushing repair/mod I posted here http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=19283 ?

Well after looking at the Diff. it seems to be a R-200 by all the photo's I have seen. Thanks for the Z car garage web site link Beandip : ) I dont know if its a LSD or not but it does not spin the oposite direction very easy by hand. I suppose I will need to open it up and see as well as confirm the final ratio of the Diff. I also noticed that the Diff seems to be in the later 1" back position since the drive shafts are at 90 Deg. and the mustache bar is reversed. The back link bar? is barley rubbing the diff so I will need to replace it or just grind a U shaped notch in it for clearance. The other thing I noticed is the drive shaft seems to be a bit short? I will post a pic. of the gap to see if anyone can tell if this is ok to drive like that. The 5 speed does not look like the Borg Warner one pictured here http://geocities.com/zgarage2001/engine.html It is also not a dogleg 5 speed so it must be a 280 trans. Accourding to that site it is better to have the later 5 speeds from a 81-83zx but does not show how to identify the early and late 5 speeds? Can anyone tell me by the pic of my trans or have any info on how to tell if its a early or late 5 speed? Thanks again for all your help.

Thought I would post a quick mod/fix that worked on the mustache bar bushings. Fisrt off I had a bushing that would allow the bar to move up and hit the frame. I didnt have any luck with a used bar bushing from the wrecking yard so I came up with a temp mod/fix untill I get new ones. I noticed that the bushing had 2 holes through the rubber compaired to the ones I got from the yard and were much softer. So I grabbed some thick vacuum tubing I had laying around and some bailing wire and did the following. Cut some length of hose about 1/4" OD thick so that it wraps around the metal bushing insert. Then slide some wire through it leaving about 1 1/2" out each end. Then wrap the hose around the metal bushing insert and twist the wire and then cut the excess. Then tuck the twisted excess wire down in the rubber bushing holes and make sure it is wraped just snug enough to stay on the bushing but not too tight. I then used 2 solid concave bushings caps top and bottom. You will have to tighten the Diff mount first then jack up the diff to compress the bushings enough to get some threads at the bottom. Walla ! stiffer bushings that dont knock !

So how do I identify my diff.? Is there a way to confirm that it is a R180 or R200? If I were to replace the rear diff housing and back A-Arm mount/bracket? would I need to get a longer drive shaft or is there enough travel on the splines? The holes are on the same centers and dont apear to have been drilled out. The new sway bar mount bracket's come real close to the old mustache bar about 3/8 to 1/4 " away. You can see how close they are in the pic. but dont seem to rub yet : ) Had to use my old bar and bushings with a back yard mechanic's mod that I remember doing years ago and seems to work till I get new ones. I will post a how to for those in need of a quick cheap fix.

Ok I ran into a problem, the muztache bar I pulled of a 73 240z does not seem to be the same one that is on my early 1971? The post's in the back of the Diff housing are bigger and I wonder if the Diff is a R180 or R200 etc. ? The bar that came of my car is wider its 2.360" and the holes are bigger 0.690" compaired to the bar off the 73. The 73's bar is 1.8" wide and has 0.590" holes for the diff posts. They also seem to be bent diferently with about 1.8" difference in the bend. All other dimentions are the same bushings, overall length etc. Anyone know if its because of a different diff or was it on purpouse to allow for the sway bar to clear? The smaller one off the 73 has solid bishings and the one off my car has 2 slots through them. I would like to keep the stiffer bushings in the smaller one and maybe drill out the holes and see if it works backwards to compensate for the difference in bend? Any idea's

Oops sorry forgot to ask about the springs that were on my car when I bought it. I can not find any markings on them and their uncompressed hieght is about the same as the space between the top and bottom perches. They will rotate by hand when the car is jacked up all the way and they look to be poweder coated blue from the factory? Any idea on the brand? Would like to know the brands of the springs and bars so I can have a base line spring/roll rates for further modifications. Thanks again.

I found out that my mustache? bar bushing allowed the metal bar to slap the top of the frame under power so I went out to the wrecking yards again. I found a 73 240z with an old RotoMaster single SU draw through turbo system tht was not worth pulling but it had some parts I did want : ) The bushings in the mustache bar seem to have top and bottom caps and may be made of harder rubber and is different from every Z I have seen so I dont think they are factory? The sway bars .940" F and .750" rear have welded tabs, they came with some different brackets to mount it on and were origionaly silver. Can anyone please help me identify what brand thease may be? Thanks.

I went to the junk yard and found a 11/16" slave cylinder from a 87 200sx that bolts on. The stock one that I found on most Z's is a 3/4". The bore length is the same but the 200sx comes with a longer non adjustable rod. I think when the shop did the tranny swap they mis-matched the clutch arm some how : ( Picked up another E12-80 mod for $7.00 : ) I went under the car and tried moving the dif with a jack from the front/nose and the back at the mustach bar and it DONT move at all? I could have sworn that clunking sound was it but does not seem to be? I even jacked on the tranny mount and it is solid as well? I put it in gear and jacked one side of the rear end up so one tire was off the ground and the other was on the ground to see if I could find some play in the U-Joints. I did not see any slop or feel any play so I am at a loss to what thye hell that clunk is? Any idea's on what would make a clunk in the rear when torque is applied by accelerating or shifting hard. It does it only when going forward.

Hello I have a early 71 and a shop had put a 5 speed from a 280z in it many years ago. It seems that they did not replace the slave cylinder at the time and the rod is too short and caused the piston to move almost out of the cylinder to actuate the clutch. Does anyone know if there is a small bore slave cylinder and a large bore clutch master cylinder combo from a 240/260/280/zx ? that has a long and hopefully adjustable rod? I want a larger and smaller bore combo than stock if possible to reduce the clutch pedal movement. I also need to replace the Diff. mount bushing does anyone know a good year from another car that will fit? Maybe one that is of a longer lasting or stiffer design ? Going back to the junk yards : ) Thanks.

I am looking at rebuilding the SU's on my 71 as well. If remember correctly when I was in college there was a performance kit that allowed you to hone the chamber walls and install a piston bushing? Does anyone make something like that still? I ask becasue the inside of one of my chamber walls seems to have a casting flaw like a bubble that left a divit on the alluminum. The carbs seem to work real well for thier condition but when I rebuild them I want them better than new : ) Or can you just buy new pistons and round tops to make them like new again?

The coil is a big fat 12volt one so I will just remove the Resistor. Again thanks for the ignition help : )

Just wanted to say that she fired up and runs real good with 5 year old gas : ) Followed a wireing diagram from Z car home for the 280zx E12-80 set up and it works but it shows bridging the Ballast resistor rather than removing it? Since the ZX Dist. and coil are 12 volt why would I need to leave the resistor in the system If I am not going back to points? Is there something else that needs the resistor to be in the loop even though it is bypassed by the bridge? Just want to make sure before I remove it.

Just got back from all 3 pick-n-pulls in my area since it was 1/2 price day : ) I looked at every 280z, 280zx, maxima I could and almost every module was gone save for a few E12-92's that plug into the FI box. I found a 83 ZX Turbo that I took the almost new re-manufactured 60 amp altenator and since it was a automatic I pulled the oil pump as well. Then I found a real clean Dist. from a 81 manual trans federal ZX with only 82k on it as well as the OEM replacement coil that was on it : ) The last thing was to find a elusive E12-80 module so the hunt began and I found one on of all cars a 1978 B210 carberated 4 cyl. car? So it looks like I am set for the ignition system hopefully it all works. I also pulled a set of headers from the same 81ZX and they are very thick steel and not rusted out. They have round ports but they should work on my E31 head? So a good day for me and all for under $60.00. A bit sore from helping my buddy take an entire front and rear drive train and suspension from a Miata for his A Mod car project. I will see if she will fire soon and wanted to say thanks to all who offered parts and help/info.

Found that a old toilet brush grabs the webs but also found out that Black Widows can jump!!!! Anyway finnished the hydraulics and have the Dist. out and cleaned up a bit. Looking at the specs it seems this 280z dist has about half the advance cures of the 240z. Also it looks like it might have been peiced together as I see what appears to be point loabs on the shaft? I dont know if Datsun just carried over the same shaft and added a reluctor or what? See pic. The Mitches book/site only shows the 79 Dist. with the module that is attached and the stator and reluctor are different than mine so its no help. I may go and see if I can find a complete unmolested Dist. with the numbers 30100 634 673 on it since that one almost matches the good 240z Dist. advance curves and should have the newer pick up and hopefully the IC module on it as well. If I can not find a good Dist. anyone have a good site/link to a rebuild of a early 280z Dist.?

According to the Mitchels manual the IC or ignition unit as they call it should read aprox 400 OHMS across the two leads give or take 10%. Hope that helps.