Phacade

I'll post this in the emergency forum as well as I am sick and tired of my doors. My '73 240Z has doors that just don't want to click. I have to slam the poop out of them to get them to stay shut all the way. If I simply close them gently or my wife does, it closes but one could jiggle the door maybe 1/2" or so. The solution up until now is to slam it hard, sometimes three or four times, to get it to shut. There has got to be some way to adjust them so you can shut it regularly and it stay shut and not jiggle. Of couse when it jiggles, it will not lock. Please help!! timberwolf@geotec.net

L28E, that was Nissans way of saying it was an a-typical L28 with alot of emissions and fuel-injected stuff on her. The good news: According to Nissan, the later L28's were siamesed; meaning they have criss-crossed patterns between the cylinders. In short: it is a much stronger block choice. I read a great article and used much of the info on a particular site (www.mindspring.com/~blittl/ZGarage.html) in buildimg my L28. Unfortunaly his site is down right now due to bandwidth problems. Hopefully it will be back. If not, I have a print out somewhere around the house I can scan. When you pull the engine, you can pull the intake off and chuck it (unless you you plan to stay fuel injected, in which case you have ALOT of mods to do). Get yourself a new intake manifold, balance tube and heat shield from a '70 to '72 model 240Z. '73 has EGR on the crossover and, granted, can be blocked off and used, but looks tacky. Remember, no matter how it runs, the object here is to get that 'whoa!' when you open the hood.

You could always go for the rebulit L28 from Motorsports, but I don't know the quality or anything and it seems a little pricey. That leaves scrapyards. Look in the yellow pages under salvage yards. Finds a wrecked 78-83 Z and get it. You could leave the fuel injection on but you would need to do alot of mods. You have the carbs alreay so I suggest going this route. If you can not finds a wrecker would rebuilding the go to www. autotrader.com and do a search for cheap Z's over the US. Make a trip out of it. Finds something not good enough to salvage in itself, yet good enough to drive back to Canada and strip. You really dont even need to worry about a title if your intentions are just to take what goodies you can off it and roll the rest off a cliff. There really is no substitute for an L28 in your 240Z.

In good condition and for sale: Misc 240Z parts, L-24 engine (no induction), starter, alternator, 4-speed tranny, intake manifold, Weber DGV carbs (x2), EGR crossover valve, Outlaw II style wheels -VGC-, radiator, floormat (x1) Misc 280ZX parts, fuel injection parts, fuel pump, AFM, original Z wheels ('81) with tires (P230-60-14 rear and P220-60-14 front), leather seats, louvers (black), one slightly used '81 280ZX (minus engine,tranny, rear end) but lots of good interior parts and guages look great!, etc. Looking to buy: Rear bumper (good condition) for '73 240Z, dash cover for same car, '70-'73 black interior door panels in decent same.

So where in Illinois are you? I have relatives in Peoria so I know there area fairly well. How does the car look? Drive? What parts are extras? How much are you asking?

I have a '73 that was doing the same thing. I gave up. I rebuilt an '81 L28, P79 head and 54 block with Z therapy round top SU carbs, Motorsport 6-1 headers, Felpro gaskets, K&N filters, etc. It has a few quirks but is for the most part wonderful. I also put in the '81 5-speed. I plan on putting in the R200 rear end later this year. Thats my 2 cents worth. Cost me about $2000 when it was all said and done.

I got my SU carbs from Scott at Z therapy last year. '70 model carbs. He had them already mounted on a polished intake manifold with the crossover valve (NON-EGR). Great communication. I forget to get him my trade but I don't think he wanted my old Webers anyway. Great carbs!!!

The question is; can I remove my oilpan without removing the engine from the car. I have an '81 L28 in a '73 240Z, dual SU carbs mated to a five-speed. When putting the engine together I (oops!) left out the oil runner that helps to hold the gasket to the block. I would like to put it back. Any suggestions? Tips? Thanks in advance.

The story happened right after I bought my '73 240Z. I had done nothing to it at the time, those of you who have read my post know it now has an L28, 5-speed, etc. Anycase one particularly cold February day last year I was coming home from work. I was thinking I needed to do something to my Z and was not certain what as of yet. The L24 spat and spuddered and the 4-speed whined like my ex-girlfriend. I was driving down a residential street during rush hour, my personal shortcut to avoid traffic. Just keeping the car running was difficult so I had been racing the engine a bit, and as a result I guess I was driving to quickly. It didn't help that the residential roads were completly iced over. The road was pretty straight except for one S-shaped bend. I went through the first part fine but lost traction and slammed into the curb (and took out a mailbox). A few hours and alot of colorful metaphors later I had towed it to a friends house who has a garage. The control arms were bent. tie rods bent. Somehow the body and frame seemed fine. Fast forward two weeks later I has rounded up the much needed parts and we began pulling of the bent pieces and putting the good ones on. All seemed to be going well until we got to the last tie rod. Right front. It was fused. We could not seemed to break it loose. The instructions (which in laymans terms said removal of tie rod from 240Z: Remove 240Z from tie rod - too many blasted parts to take off first) were not helping.We tried virtually every tool at our disposal (including a drill, a jack, numerous power tools, 3 cans of WD-40, a chain and a Ford truck, and a firecracker - my wifes idea. Finally as a last resort we got the Blow torth out and started cutting. Who knew WD-40 would be so combustable? I started look quickly for something to put the fire out with and in a panic choose beer. It took about a whole six pack to extinquish my flamming Z, thank God it didnt catch anything else on fire (like the nearby gas line). Now whenever I see my friend, and we have nothing else to do, one of us usually says "Well we can always have a weenie roast on your Z!" ------------------ "Go into emptiness, strike voids, bypass his defences; hit him where he does not expect you" -Lao Tzu

Lets see, 1978 280Z, black. Correct? One thing I would check out is if it is the '78 'Black Pearl' Z. They made a few that were the 'Black Pearl' Z, and then a few others painted their '78 black. The 'Black Pearl Z is worth a little more than other '78 Z's. Check the papers, you might even get a car fax at www.carfax.com. This will tell you all the history of your purchase. As far as the car goes, give it a general look over before starting. Check undernearth the car, floorboards, fenders, gas tank area, and pull up the floormats (both sides). Your looking for rust. A little can be expected. Southern Z's tend to be a little more rust free than their nothern counterparts. Take a refrigerator magnet with you and check the body for bondo, etc. Before starting look at your wiring. Look for recently replaced wires and question this. This could be a short or a burnout somewhere. Beware of sellers who 'just happen' to have the car running when you get there. I prefer the car to be cold when I arrive. You never know if they spent 30 minutes starting it before you arrived. Open the oil spout (before you start) and stick a piece of white cloth inside with your index finger bent at a 90 degree angle, whipe and remove. Look at the color. Brown = good. Black = need oil change most likely. What you dont want to see is black (or even brown) with spots, shavings or sludge. Could mean engine has been abused or is not running correctly. Check oil level, water, filters, etc. Now start it. A decent Z, fuel injected and all, should start in no less than 5-7 seconds cold. Keep an eye on your gauges. AMP should be a hair to the right of center. Z should idle at 750 to 1200 when cold, although I have seen alot of Z's idle at 1500 cold and come down to between 600 and 900 when warm. When you start, listen to any unusal noises. Starter noise, any clanks or rubbing. Any squealing, etc. Get a good explanation for each and pay less accordingly. Get out and go back to engine. Take the throttle by the white ball and rev engine gently. Listen for same aformentioned sounds. Listen for exhaust leaks. Go to passenger side and look at head gasket. Look for signs of leaks, holes, wear, or goo.Any of the above is bad. If you have a compression gauge you can test the cylinders at this time. When satisfied close the hood. Take note how easy it closes. Difficult close may mean hood was off and therefore may mean extensive work done previously. Put the car in gear. Now is a good time to test the emergency brake. Feel the sponginess of the clutch. I like mine to grab about halfway in. If it is an automatic, get your head examined. Why would anyone want an automatic Z? Start slowly and listen for clanks or any sound other than the engine. Any sound may be rear-end, u-joints, diff mount, etc. Check all gear, you want a smooth shift into each, no grinding, no stiffness. At the same time it should not shift too sloppy either. Make a note of each of the problem areas or potential problem areas. Its time to negotiate. No matter how good a deal or desperate you are; act as though you are just barely interested. Tell seller about what you will have to do to get it roadworthy again. Now shut up. Give the seller time to decide if he wants to come down on his price. Its not personal, its business. Good luck to you. ------------------ "Go into emptiness, strike voids, bypass his defences; hit him where he does not expect you" -Lao Tzu

How much for a rear bumper in good, and I stree, good shape? Where are you? ------------------ "Go into emptiness, strike voids, bypass his defences; hit him where he does not expect you" -Lao Tzu

There is a better way to handle the EGR on the balance tube. I have a '73 240Z, howbeit I have put an '81 L28 in her, rebulit with '70 SU carbs, etc. What I did was to obtain a '70 model balance tube from Z therapy, along with the carbs, of course. If you order it with the manifold it comes pre-assembled. Just bolt it onto your head (after, not before your exhaust) and your off to the races. The '70 model balance tube is different the the one you and I had, no EGR to cap off, not to meantion the brake hose hooks on horizontally, not vertically. Make sure and hook up the PCV (or not, your call). Another good idea here; if you don't have an original air filter box (the orange one), get it. It delivers air more evenly to each carb, and has factory air horns built in. It also pulls more COLD air than other filters do due to the enlongated shape. As far as timing is concerned, do yourself a favor. Upgrade. I simply got an electronic distributor from the donor '81 280ZX, and its coil. Makes timing so much easier. No dwell to set. Ahhh! You need to rewire just a bit. I think I found the settings on the Datsun Z garage site: (www.mindspring.com/~blittl/ZGarage.htm) Alot of good advice here. Away I hope this helps.... ------------------ "Go into emptiness, strike voids, bypass his defences; hit him where he does not expect you" -Lao Tzu

This is for the carbs to breath, it hooks up to your airfilter. If you dont have the stock air box, get one. Hook two 5/16" hoses to each and then to the middle of the air box. ------------------ "Go into emptiness, strike voids, bypass his defences; hit him where he does not expect you" -Lao Tzu

My '73 (just got the newly rebuilt L28 running in her) has a weird signal quirk. Right works fine, but left stays solid when at idle. When I give it a little gas, it blinks normally, just like the right one. Strange. ------------------ "Go into emptiness, strike voids, bypass his defences; hit him where he does not expect you" -Lao Tzu

Not certain what you mean by laurel, but any Z head from an L series engine will fit on another Z block. WILL being the operative word here because you may not WANT to. Different heads are setup differently from others. The earliest Z heads (E31 I believe) are high compression heads while others are not. The correct block choice is essential as well. Why go with a L26 (2.6 liter) When a L28 (2.8 liter) is more readily available and is delivers more. If you do happen to go for the L28, and we all hope you do, I suggest a late model L28. They are more rigid inside, siamesed, and again; more readily available. Of course once you have made these choices the there is fuel delivery to worry about, carbs or fuel injection. But one thing at a time. ------------------ "Go into emptiness, strike voids, bypass his defences; hit him where he does not expect you" -Lao Tzu

I dunno. All I can tell you is my '73 240z is doing something VERY similair. Its just down right uncanny, in fact. When I drive down the road I get a 'whoomp-whoomp-whoomp' sound from the rear end. The faster, the more pronounced. Of couse the rear end of my Z operated on only one gear ratio, therefore it would make more noise the faster it goes. Now from talking to Z mechanics, friends, etc, I believe the problem is the rear end itself. Its tired. I have the original R180 but am getting ready to drop in my R200 [insert full belly grunt from Tim Allen from Home Improvement here]. It has a 3:90 gear ratio and should be a definate improvement. ------------------ "Go into emptiness, strike voids, bypass his defences; hit him where he does not expect you" -Lao Tzu

After a long bit of research I have finally concluded what I believe to be the correct tire size for '70-'78 model Z's. They origianlly came with a 70 rated 14" tire, usually a P185x70x14. Of couse this varied depending on the dealer of course. I have dabbled with 15" and 16" wheels, and yes, even with 17" wheels on my 240z. Nissan designed it to be a 14" tire. To go outside of this will mess with speedometer reading, and other things as well. I have even heard it will affect braking. In any case, I now go with, and recommend, a 60 rated 14" tire. My exact size, P215x60x14, all the way around. It gives me the look I want (low profile), performance (lower side walls = better cornering). I have seen a few even go with a P235x60x14. Too wide in my opinion. Technically, it will fit. Bit it will also rub in the front under hard cornering. Try not to go lower than a 60 rated tire, however. This will, once again, throw off your speedometer, and will also increase ride harshness (and thats no fun). Brand? I went with BF Goodrich personally, although Goodyear makes a good tire, as does Pirelli. ------------------ "Go into emptiness, strike voids, bypass his defences; hit him where he does not expect you" -Lao Tzu

Yes, as a matter of fact, I did. I put in a Purolator 2-4psi electric pump, 30 gallons per hour, right next to the tank. Even put a cut off switch in (he he). I even mounted a Moroso psi gauge right up next to the fuel filter so I could make sure I am getting the correct mixture. I am sure it is not fuel related, although I could use a regulator.

I know you guys are probably the most experienced Z people on this site, so I turn to you. I recently rebuilt (using all new parts) a '81 L28. I took off all the fuel injection parts and added dual SU carbs from Z therapy. I used the 280ZX electronic distributor and coil, and added Motorsports 6 into 1 headers going into straight 2" pipe all the way back. The car runs, but not well. It will not rev above 3000 rpm, unless I take off the air filter, then it will go to about 4000 rpm. It has no power (0 to 60mph takes about 2 min). The plugs look very black, and kinda wet, wetter back towards 5 and 6 cyl. It almost looks like oil or gas mixed with oil on the rim where the spark plugs go. I have set my carbs time and time again, set my ignition timing repeatedly; and still the same animal. I have had a few people tell me that this will happen if my cam timing is off. I had a friend help me with this part when we put the engine together, and since it was a new chain, he used timing mark 1 on the cam sprocket, or so he said. Beyond this, I really have no idea what to do. How do I check - fix the cam timing? How is it suppose to be setup? Any thoughts? PLease help me, I am literally at my wits end!!

Awesome, glad to hear it man. I just ordered some Ram-flows for my car as well. Hopefully I will have my beast running well soon, but mine is far more complicated than you average bear. I have a completely (did I mention hand built) rebuilt L28 from a '81 280ZX with the mating 5-speed in my ;73 with the '70 Su carbs, '81 electronic distributor; etc. It will get there eventually, but I have ALOT of bugs to work out first. Yes, the air/fuel mixture is under the carbs, it is a round wheel -w- knotchs on it. Looking down at it (although you can't see it overheard), counterclockwise should be more air, clockwise more gas. But don't take my word for it, Blow $15 bucks and buy Scott's video from Z therapy. You will thank yourself. I got his video when I bought my carbs from him. Gee, that wasn't a shamless plug at all... ------------------ "Go into emptiness, strike voids, bypass his defences; hit him where he does not expect you" -Lao Tzu

You might try adjusting your mixture, Also, there are some tubes pointing straight up on the SU's right next to the gas hose inlet. These are breathers and if are plugged will make gas run out the front; did on mine until I adjusted it. Make sure you didnt leave any open spots on your balance tube, seal it well. You might experiment with bits of emission and see if putting them back will fix it. Do you have your cat still on the exhaust? Cut it out! ------------------ "Go into emptiness, strike voids, bypass his defences; hit him where he does not expect you" -Lao Tzu

I recently got my Z started for the first time. I have a '73 240, with an '81 L28 (F54 block and P79 head). All block work has been done and new parts installed. Basically it is a new engine. I got original SU carbs from Scott at Z therapy, original 240Z air cleaner and ZX electronic ignition. Well the distributor and coil anyway. I finally worked out all the trouble with the electronic fuel pump (Purolator 4psi, 30 gallons per hour) and put in a gauge to monitor this. So I finally start it. Really rough at first, but I follow Z therepy guide and balance my carbs, time the car. It still runs rough. It has no exhaust yet, just Motorsport 6 into 1 headers. It sounds like one of those gasoline rides at Disneyland. What can I do to smooth it out? The car feels like it is getting too much gas. When I step on it, it slows down, yet when I back off the gas it will pick up. Also the clutch disengages too quickly, is there a way to adjust this? Should I regulate the line down? ------------------ "Go into emptiness, strike voids, bypass his defences; hit him where he does not expect you" -Lao Tzu

I'll have to agree and disagree with that. My flap-top carbs worked very poorly with my '73 240Z; however they made even worse boat anchors (yes, I tried). ------------------ "Go into emptiness, strike voids, bypass his defences; hit him where he does not expect you" -Lao Tzu

I have a '73 240Z project that is nearing completion (thanks largely to all the parts and advice from you all). Here is my specs so you may be able to diagnose thae problem a little easier. I have put an '81 L28 with the 5-speed in, '70 model SU carbs and intake. The car previously had a L24 and 4-speed with dual Webers when I got it. I ran poorly so I decided a new mill was in order. It previously had a mechanical fuel pump in the engine compartment and the original electric pump back by the tank. I got rid of the mechanical pump when the swap was made, and upgraded to a different electric pump (Was advised to get a Purolator 2-4psi, 30gph pump from Pep Boys, so I did). I have everything hooked up, but have no power to my pump. I checked my fuses, fine. Checked the pump via external power, fine. I checked the wires going back to the aux electric pump, which I suppose is now my primary pump, no juice. I did a continuity check, no power. I did a check on amost every wire I could trace. Nothing. I thought about just running another wire back to the pump for some power, and I am sure I could get myself running this way. But the nice people at Nissan probably engineered the car in a certain way with alot of releys so the car wouldn't explode or something in the rare case of fire or accident. Any ideas? I checked the wiring guide in the Haynes and Chiltons manual and I believe I have covered my bases. Please help!! ------------------ "Go into emptiness, strike voids, bypass his defences; hit him where he does not expect you" -Lao Tzu

Check Motorsport Auto. Should run you too much. 1-800-633-6331 ------------------ "Go into emptiness, strike voids, bypass his defences; hit him where he does not expect you" -Lao Tzu