help me spend some money please

[sleepyzzz]

just now getting to work on my '74 260 2 + 2 that has been sitting for the last 20 years untouched. i know that i have to deal with the carbs right off. being new to this, i read where the carbs i have are not good, even if they were in working condition. i figure being all gumed up, dried out, i would be better off to just change them out. looking at z therapy, they reccomend the things be junked and swapped out, going back to the original 240 set up, and it looks really good. then i look at another route of going with the manifold adaptor and 4 barrell carb, which is going to be about the same amount of money. this would do away with the manual choke if i understand it correctly. by the way, the engine does turn over, hits with either, but won't crank. we feel like the carbs and maybe even the fuel pump is not working, so another issue would be, should i go back with the manual pump, or to a new 12 v electric fuel pump? if you have the time, i would appreciate all thoughts, as i don't want to blow a thousand bucks here, and then be sorry that i didn't go the other way. i will have lots more questions as i get into this more, as the engine itself may need work, once we get it running to see what we have.

[onuthin]

I am no expert by any means but what I have read more than once is the Flat top su's are worthless and not to put a 4bbl carb setup on a Z engine.Hopefully other members can verify or deny what I read. I would like to know for sure myself. Good luck

[Ed]

You will get different opinions on this one.

Your original flat top carbs are not junk if they are working properly. It takes more effort and a little more money to get them working correctly. If they are all gunked up and in need of a rebuild then I would suggest going with the earlier round top carbs. They are a little easier to work on and don't require all the emmision attachments. If you could get a pair of carbs from a junkyard it will save you a few bucks core charge from Ztherapy. The carbs from Ztherapy are ready to go, bolt them on, new mechanical fuel pump and your ready for some fine tuning.

The four barrel carb is another option. Performance wise they are worse then the flat top's. Not to mention your taking away from originality. To get the most bang for your buck go with the round tops.

[=Enigma=]

Before trying to start that thing up, you may want to check to see if the fuel tank has rusted over. doing so will prevent you from pumping rust and sediment into your freshly cleaned or new carbs.

[Zedrally]

Drop the fuel tank, rinse out & check for rust. Seal if need be.

Blow out the fuel lines & replace fule filter.

The pump (if working) you will hear.

I totally agree with Ed's comments. If you would like to know more on flat top carbs, use the search function for in depth research.

Good luck and get that 260 going....

MOM

[=Enigma=]

Here's a link for you:

http://www.jetlink.net/~okayfine/su/tunacan.html

[Arne]

Another thing to note is that the 260s had two fuel pumps - the mechanical on the head and an electric near the tank. Sounds like one or both might be bad.

[kenz240z]

I was looking for another 240Z last fall and came across one with a Holley 4bbl setup. It was pretty quick! But, I'm kind of a purist and think that it would be better to get the round top SU's. They are rather simple to set up and tune. The biggest challenge is to synchronize them, but with the right tools or a good ear even that is pretty simple.

I'd determine the shape of the engine before purchasing a new carb setup. Have you checked the compression yet? I'd also spend time replacing/repairing the steering/suspension/brakes. Especially the brakes. You want to make sure the car is safe to drive before you get the engine running, because once you do the temptation will be there to take it out for a spin...the maiden voyage is NOT the time to discover the brakes are no good.

[sleepyzzz]

thanks everyone for the replies. i know that i have much to do, problem being lack of green to do it with. i hope to tackle a little at a time, and still have a daily driver as i progress. this car was purchased from the second owner, after being in a slight accident on ice, and basicly just parked and left for dead the last twenty years. both front and rear bumpers were toast, and the hood rolled under. he purchased new bumpers, and i have them, still in the datsun wrappers. but he never got around to fixing the hood, or installing the bumpers. i have a good friend, who does all my mechanic work, checking it out now. i hope to hear back on the compression check next week. we have already decided to drop the tank and steam clean it. blow out the fuel lines, and replace all the hoses on the tank. the brake master cylinder is all gummed up from sitting, and the rear drum had seized on the brakes, so we busted it off, just to get the car to roll on the trailor to haul it home. the thought of dropping a thousand bucks on new carbs and fuel pumps, only to find a bad engine is very scary, but i think worth the risk, as he was driving the car every day, up until he had the wreck. i do know that the clutch will have to be replaced as well, as that was one of his reasons for not going ahead and fixing it back up after the wreck. the car looks like it has little or no rust, but i have not been under it yet. for those that care to check it out i have a link to another site with pics.

http://azcc.ww4.us/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=792

[sleepyzzz]

ok, sad to say the compression check was not that great. i am somewhat dissapointed in that, and wondering now what to do. the engine did turn over, maybe not as fast, since my mechanic didn't install a new battery ( just took jumper cables to the cable ends , and one of those was missing a battery clamp ) and he did say that maybe that wasn't the best way to do it. a tear down on the engine, and getting the heads rebuilt, i am hearing prices of 1500 to 2000 dollars. this is making me want to just drop a v8 in there and be done with it. anyone have a suggestion on what to do next?

[sblake01]

Oh, I don't know. Do you think you could properly drop a V8 in for less that 1500-2000 bucks? And I hope you were jumping for a battery alone rather than one connected to a car when you did it that way. But I digresss. I would at least try to get the L engine running so you can get a better idea of what you have as you originally stated. That would probably turn out to be the least costly route.

[=Enigma=]

By the way, If you'll simply send me some money, I'll be more than happy to "help" you spend it.