http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/blogs/mikes-z-car/ This is a club dedicated to the early Datsun Zcar 240z, 260z, 280z. en Thu, 23 May 2013 12:45:03 GMT vBulletin 5 http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/images/misc/rss.jpg http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/blogs/mikes-z-car/ http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/blogs/mikes-z-car/811-hood-emergency-release-plus-handle-mount-stripped-threads-fix.html Sat, 30 Mar 2013 05:42:40 GMT Hi all, This has been done before by others, the following is my experience. I added a second hood release cable so now I have two of them in case the original cable breaks. Getting the hood open after the cable breaks is not particularly easy in my view of how others have done this. The... Hi all,
This has been done before by others, the following is my experience. I added a second hood release cable so now I have two of them in case the original cable breaks. Getting the hood open after the cable breaks is not particularly easy in my view of how others have done this. The easiest way to do this IMO is to do what someone else did, loop a steel wire through where the original hood release cable attaches to the latch under the hood, run it through the firewall grommet for the speedo and make a loop in the end inside the car. I didn't do it that way as I wanted to use a spring sheath pull cable like the original with a knob on the end hidden above the existing hood release handle.

Materials needed:
A. 5 foot long pull cable from auto parts store, eBay etc
B. Wire cutters if desired, to shorten "spring like" sheath and center steel wire.
C. Needle nose pliers for wrapping steel center wire around hood pull point
D. Clear packing tape used to slide new cable through hood release firewall
grommet using existing cable as a pull tape.

The new cable was pulled through the firewall grommet to make it look like it belongs there, painting it black would also help. An easy way to pull the new cable through the grommet is to use slippery clear packing tape to tape the new cable to the old one and then use the old one to pull the new one through the grommet. This has to be after the old one is unfastened from the hood latch connect point so it can be partially pulled back inside the car. Don't use duct tape! That stuff will never go through the grommet unless there is a big hole in it. I shortened the spring like cable sheath to be the same length as the existing cable so it would lie next to it all the way to the latch assembly to hide it. An idea to shorten the sheath would be to pull on the knob to pull the solid center wire out of the way before cutting the spring like sheath (NOW I think of it). I did this the hard way, I carefully used wire cutters while the center wire was still there. The easiest way is to skip this and let the extra cable loop in the engine compartment avoiding the carb linkage or anything else that moves. I clamped the new and old cables together 10" from the hood latch though it wasn't clear to me that a clamp was needed. I tried clamping them together at the hood latch and that didn't work; too much friction for the return spring. I made a clamp out of a small piece of sheet metal about 2"X1" that I clamped around the cable pulls with vice grips. Another idea might be to use a very small hose clamp with a rectangular piece of solid metal held between the two cables, otherwise the cables are too small for most hose clamps. The pull knob for the new cable is right above the handle for the original to keep it invisible until it might be needed. It has a spring holding it up out of sight and is zip tied to the original cable closer to the firewall to keep it from flopping around yet still be accessible. I was driving with the hood ajar before adding a backup hood release but the new cable works great and I now get to drive with the hood closed.

Inside car:________________________Spring to hold new knob up out of sight:


Hood latch:


***** Fixing stripped threads on handle mount*****
I may be the only one who has had this problem but, the threads the chrome colored nut under the pull handle screws onto on my car were stripped when I bought the car. This nut secures the handle pull to the frame of the car. The loose nut allowed the handle to flop around which I didn't like. The threads (10MM, pitch=1) were too far gone to be fixed by chasing them with a die. A new cable was going for $75 so to fix the loose handle I used two washers about 1 inch in diameter, one chrome and one ordinary steel both with large center holes in them. The chrome washer was used under the pull handle to improve appearance and is slightly larger than the steel washer, all hardware came from Thrifty (Ace) hardware. Two tiny pilot holes were drilled in the chrome washer in line with where two holes were going to be drilled in the steel washer with 3/4" self tapping screws. The steel washer was cut through on one side with a bench grinder (could use a hacksaw) to allow the washer to fit over the cable behind the handle mount. Further enlargement of this cut was done with an ordinary file. The drilled holes in the chrome washer were made a little larger than the self tapping screws I used to drill into the steel washer to allow alignment. Note that the screws have to clear the flange on the back of the cable mount; mine didn't entirely clear the flange so to fix this I used a file to grind off the side of the flange to get it out of the way. The steel washer was placed behind the handle mount, the chrome put in front and the self tapping screws securely hold the two together. Although this violates a prime directive of not drilling holes in the car they are only visible with the door open. Also, the drilled part can be easily replaced as it is attached to the car with two screws. The handle is very secure now.

Front exploded view:_________________Side view showing stripped threads:


Back view:


Picture of install:
]]> Mikes Z car http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/blogs/mikes-z-car/811-hood-emergency-release-plus-handle-mount-stripped-threads-fix.html http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/blogs/mikes-z-car/108-240z-frame-drawing-sketchup.html Tue, 12 Feb 2013 02:37:21 GMT Didn't mean to bump this. Won't be of interest to you unless you are a Sketchup fan and want to have a 3D drawing of a Z car frame.

Attached is a sketchup drawing of the front and rear frame for a 240Z as one sketchup drawing. Can be viewed with the free program sketchup, download from Google (Mac or PC, can work with Linux). Can be zoomed in and viewed from any angle. The drawing was made from measurements from my own car and from the chassis dimension drawings to maximize accuracy.
Can be converted to Autocad readable .DXF with Sketchup pro for importing into Autocad. May need an older version of Sketchup pro to make the resulting .DXF work with an earlier version of Autocad.
I found it interesting that the inside frame rail to frame rail measurement on the rear frame rails where the spare tire well is on my car measured about 10 MM further apart than on the chassis dimension drawing. The manufacturer must have made a slight change there unless whoever made the chassis drawings was off a bit in that area.

Screenshots:


Drawing:
240Z frame rails front and back for upload.skp.zip ]]> Mikes Z car http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/blogs/mikes-z-car/108-240z-frame-drawing-sketchup.html http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/blogs/mikes-z-car/802-engine-bay-light-lens-make-your-own-replacement.html Wed, 30 Jan 2013 07:18:38 GMT Hi all,
I made a new engine bay light lens out of an empty nutrition drink tube that looks like a large translucent white test tube with a tube DIA of 33.8 MM, though it does not have to be exactly that to work. The nutrition drink is called Energize and has the words "Hardcore Energize bullet" on it with the word "Energize" much larger than the other words (Thank you to SteveJ for identifying the brand of drink for me since I had thrown away the wrapper). It is sold by Wall Mart here and I have read Walgreens sells it though not in the Walgreens we have (Several Energize offerings are on eBay now 23 Feb 2013). There is a colored shrink wrap covering on the Energize tube but the tube itself is translucent white. Another brand of tube that might work is the Profect brand tube though its color appears more neutral if the color at the top just under the lid isn't from shrink wrap:

Energize Hardcore Bullet:_____Profect Protein Beverage:

........................

******EASY WAY****** (see further down for how I did this the hard way)
1. Cut off the rounded end of the nutrition tube so it is the same length as the original lens (33MM or 1 5/16" or 1.29") and scrape off any plastic burrs.
2. Sand off open end on the side of a bench grinder disk or on a sidewalk to remove irregularities if any.
3. Push into the light housing. You are done.

Pushing the new tube into the housing will take some hand force if you use the same size drink tube I did and will likewise take some force to pull it back out to replace the bulb however the engine bay light bulb will typically last for decades as it isn't often used. This easy approach will result in the best looking light lens as you won't see any cut/grind marks needed to make the new lens twist into place like the old one did if you try the same thing I did. Note that I also made two new rubber gaskets out of a truck tire inner tube to be a weather seal between the lens and metal housing as the existing rubber seals in the metal housings I have had deteriorated.

OLD lens/NEW Lens:....................Rubber gaskets:

......

The three pictures immediately below are also on this related thread:

http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/o...ht-source.html

White translucent tube for new lens material:


DIA of new lens material 33.78 MM:..DIA of original lens 32.52 MM:
..............




******HARD WAY****** (see above for easy way to do this)

The goal of doing this the hard way was to duplicate not only the look of the original but the way it twists on.

1. Be sure any old rubber gasket or freshly made one is in place before doing this. I pushed the new lens into the bay light metal housing after cutting it off from the nutrition tube and put masking tape on it right up to the metal housing.
2. I drew a line across the top of the four tabs and extended this line the width of each tab in a counterclockwise direction from each tab as viewed from the rounded end. Each tab will slide in its own slot as the lens is twisted on. I also put a dot where each side of the four tabs were to be used in the next step.
3. I pulled out the lens and drew a straight line from each dot to the open end of the lens as a guide for grinding with the dremel small cylinder grinding tool.
4. I ground the area down between the three lines for each tab so the tabs will slide over that area easily.

5. Using a dremel thin cutting disk, I cut the slotted line I marked earlier. NOTE: Don't do like I did, take time to cut a little at a time and then test to make sure you didn't cut the slots too deep. You want a firm effort to twist the lens into place so it doesn't come off. If the slots are too deep the lens will be loose and can be cocked over at an angle which doesn't look good.

Dremel tools I used:

Note:
As the drink tube is much longer than needed it is possible to practice several times to get the plastic cut/ground off right. I cut off each practice session to give new plastic to practice with before cutting the tube to final length. Plastic slivers from the tube can be melted on with a soldering gun while positioned next to the slot towards the open end of the tube if needed to get rid of any looseness if the slots get cut too deep. ]]> Mikes Z car http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/blogs/mikes-z-car/802-engine-bay-light-lens-make-your-own-replacement.html http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/blogs/mikes-z-car/792-clock-replacement-240z-quartz.html Wed, 21 Nov 2012 07:16:34 GMT Hi all,
I got a quartz clock from Michael's (arts and craft store in USA) and replaced the mechanical clock mechanism in my 1970 240Z (my clock face says JECO). There is a thread where someone else used this same clock for their Z, the following is my experience. The easiest way to do this IMO is to use the hands from the new clock and to wrap wires onto the new clock battery connections to remote the battery location to perhaps the fuse box. I didn't install that way as I wanted the clock hands to look stock and I prefer soldered connections.
Materials needed:
A Quartz clock from Michael's ($18), see pictures of clock card for model
B Battery holder for AA (or AAA) battery from Radio Shack
C Small wire to run from clock to battery holder
D Epoxy glue
E Glue gun to put a dab of glue on inside of set time knob
F Optional tape to cover three bolt holes in back to keep light in
G Bench grinder, dremel or possibly sand paper (to remove raised edges on back of clock face and hour hand)
H Soldering gun if soldering connections

1. I ran the new clock for 24 hours to make sure it is accurate. This is the front bezel all I have left of the Michael's clock:

Clock card from Michael's:


The existing clock can be taken out through the heater fascia panel or glove box. Thread on removal:
http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/h...ighlight=liner
Also see clock threads listed below. I went through the heater panel as it was already open for other work. Per these clock threads some 240Z clocks have a bracket for mounting, mine doesn't seem to have a bracket. My clock was held on with an 8MM bolt that is also a phillips head. I had to use a nut driver for more leverage.



2. On back of the clock I removed the three small nuts. I also removed the 2 screws that hold the two clock halves together. I cut the wires for the motor off the back of the clock.
3. I pulled off the Z clock hands but had to gently use a small screwdriver from the side to persuade them to come off. Screwdrivers can be covered with tape to prevent scratches. Inadvertent scratches can be marked out with a black marks a lot.
4. I covered the 240Z clock face with a ziploc bag I cut a slit in to go around the center hole by taping it on both sides of the thin aluminum face to protect it though thin cardboard might have been better protection however I didn't damage anything. I did not tape directly to the front of the clock face to avoid marks. After removing the hour hand from the 240Z clock to prepare it for re-use I taped the front of it to a piece of cardboard to expose the raised edge to discourage it from taking off while using the bench grinder on it. I ground the raised edge flush on the back of the face and the back of the hour hand. The minute hand didn't need modification.

Front view:............................Raised edges on back to be ground off:


5. I epoxied the new clock movement around its edges onto the back of the face making sure to get the post for the hands centered in the hole on the face. Epoxy wanted to let the new movement slide out of position so I re-centered it a few times as it dried.
6. I wanted to re-use the 240Z hands but they have mounting holes that are too big to fit tightly on the new movement so I epoxied the 240Z clock hands on top of the hands on the new movement from Michael's. To make that possible I cut off about 1/4 inch of the minute hand on the new movement as it was too long and would have been been seen sticking out from under the end of the stock 240Z minute hand.


On both hands on the new movement I ground off part of the sides of the arrow on the ends of the hands as they were wider than the width of the 240Z hands and again would have been visible once the clock was placed into operation. I had to be careful here as the new hands are thin aluminum.
7. For the battery connection I could have wrapped wires onto the existing battery holder which would have been much easier than what I did. An idea here would be to wedge the wires in the battery compartment with a wooden dowel cut to the size of an AAA battery and maybe glued in. Another idea might be to solder the wires to a small piece of flat copper with the flat copper wedged in between the battery connections and the wooden dowel. See * below for how I did the connection to the circuit board.
8. I pressed on the hour hand from the new movement that had been prepared to be physically smaller so it would hide under the 240Z hour hand. Next I epoxied the 240Z hour hand that had had the raised edge removed on top of it. The edge would have raised the hour hand to a height to where it would not have cleared the minute hand I was about to install. The 240Z hour hand wanted to slide off center so I had to recheck it periodically as the glue dried. Five minute epoxy might have worked better.
9. To install the minute hand from the new movement I put it over the already glued on hour hand to check for clearance, I needed to bend the minute hand up and over the hour hand assembly using tweezers for the bending. I applied epoxy to the 240Z minute hand with a toothpick to make sure I didn't get too much that might flow into the second hand mount point (not used) in the center of the new clock post to avoid having it bind. After gluing the stock 240Z minute hand I had to recheck it periodically as the epoxy was setting to check for centering and to make sure it was sitting flat with respect to the face. I put a toothpick across and on top of the minute hand at the post it was on with a small weight on the toothpick with a spoon to hold up one end of the toothpick with the idea of keeping the minute hand flat and centered on the post so it would look right.
10. For the time setting function I put a small dab of glue gun glue on the end of the set knob next to the minute hand (a thread mentions using a glue gun). This was to make the set knob reach further when pushed in to contact the 240Z minute hand that was glued on top of the new movement minute hand. I made sure to get the glue down in the slot at the end of the setting knob to secure the glue better. Too much glue can be trimmed with an ordinary finger nail clipper. I think the end of the glue dab needs to be fairly flat. Not enough glue and the set knob when pushed in won't contact the minute hand making setting the time impossible, too much glue and the knob will bind the minute hand possibly stopping operation of the clock. One other thing I did to further secure the glue dab was to take a toothpick and apply a very tiny amount of epoxy to the junction between the dab and the set knob. I used jeweler's magnifying glasses to make sure I didn't glue the set knob so it wouldn't push in.
11. The end result is that the clock looks great installed in the car and is keeping good time.

Here are threads on fixing Z clocks:

Zclocks good quality:
http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/thread5093.html

Keep hands from new clock:
http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/o...lock-redo.html

Getting clock out thru glove box (tends to destroy glove box) or heater panel:
http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/thread9492.html

Different kinds of clocks described-motor type-pendulum type:
http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/thread18442.html

Fixing electric circuit type clocks:
http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/thread22795.html

Replace with desktop auto car parts store clock -orange face:
http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/thread36393.html

Replacing capacitors on clocks that use them sometimes helps:
http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/thread18851.html

Zclocks and Auto Meter clocks discussed:
http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/thread13723.html

Clock runs when car runs but then quits a few days after car is parked:
http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/thread12992.html

Changing out mechanical movement to quartz discussed, radio shack 12 volt to 1.5 volt regulator mentioned:
http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/thread10767.html

Oiling original mechanical clock sometimes works sometimes doesn't:
http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/thread7817.html

* I tried to solder to the connections in the battery holder but the solder would not stick. To solder directly to the circuit board I took the movement apart by unscrewing a screw and unsnapping the two plastic latches on the sides. I soldered the new battery wires directly to the circuit board where the existing battery holder connects VIA a spring like action by two prongs (The prongs aren't soldered). I scraped off the two circuit board "pads" with a pocket knife where the two springlike prongs connected and got down to a copper colored metal which my solder gun could solder to. The wires I used are very small 30 gauge, they need to be to make for easy soldering to the small pads and to make it easy to get them to pass out of the movement though a small hole could be drilled in the plastic case of the movement for the wires. I personally feel taking the movement apart and getting it back together properly was not particularly easy as there were several very small plastic gears that kept falling off and I had to remember where they went.

Clock innards:


12. **** How to get rid of the AA battery: ****
Schematics below include the 320 ohm resistor needed for quartz clock per spec sheet for minimum load of 4 mA. Be sure to adjust the 5K pot for 1.5V out before connecting clock.
]]> Mikes Z car http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/blogs/mikes-z-car/792-clock-replacement-240z-quartz.html http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/blogs/mikes-z-car/790-clock-face-scanned-240z-series-1.html Sat, 17 Nov 2012 16:10:09 GMT BE SURE TO SAVE THE FOLLOWING ZIP FILE PICTURE FOR PRINTING NOT THE ONE VISIBLE ON THE SCREEN (keeps DPI correct to print to original size): Attachment 58056 (http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=58056) For viewing but not for printing: Attachment 58057... BE SURE TO SAVE THE FOLLOWING ZIP FILE PICTURE FOR PRINTING NOT THE ONE VISIBLE ON THE SCREEN (keeps DPI correct to print to original size):

clock face 240Z series 1 scan cleaned.jpg.zip

For viewing but not for printing:


The attached .ZIP file clock face is a scan of a 240Z series 1 clock. The original clock face was removed from the clock and placed on a scanner so there should be no perspective distortion. It could be printed out for a creative project if someone were so inclined and placed on a desk top clock face (might need white hands?) to make the clock look like a 240Z series 1 clock. To do this you could pull the hands off or possibly point all the hands in the same direction and feed the printed face over the desk top clock hands through a hole cut in the middle if one of the hands doesn't stick out in both directions from the post for the hands. Another option is to use a razor blade to cut a slit from the middle to one edge and make a small hole in the middle for the post the desk top clock hands are on. Usually it will look better if printed on photo paper.
To print this the same size as the original clock face select 100% scale in print preview and don't change the resolution from the 600 DPI the .ZIP file image is currently set to. Note that the scan here includes the four curved slots that allowed light through from inside the clock for the night time light for the clock, these curved slots would not normally be seen when the clock is installed in the vehicle and may be cut off.
To change the printout size change the DPI or resolution as it is also called in your print preview. To make the printed face half as big as the original clock face change the DPI to 1200, to double the size change it to 300 DPI. ]]> Mikes Z car http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/blogs/mikes-z-car/790-clock-face-scanned-240z-series-1.html http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/blogs/mikes-z-car/775-access-door-fuel-vapor-hose.html Sun, 12 Aug 2012 16:13:54 GMT Hi all, I put in an access door for the large fuel vapor hose that connects on top of the back of the gas tank making it easier to change out the hose. After dropping the tank to change that leaking hose I realized I wanted easier access to that hose though I recognize it might be a while... Hi all,
I put in an access door for the large fuel vapor hose that connects on top of the back of the gas tank making it easier to change out the hose. After dropping the tank to change that leaking hose I realized I wanted easier access to that hose though I recognize it might be a while before it needs replacing again. I figure anything that makes upkeep easier prolongs the life of the car.
I put an aluminum rod approx 1/4" DIA about 10 inches long into the part of the hose that connects to the gas tank that was to be bent into a "U" shape to keep the hose from kinking and closing off. I verified this after bending by blowing through the hose. The hose I used was not OEM. It is no doubt stouter than needed as it is rated for 350 PSI, marine use and is ethanol resistant. It fit fine on the tank though on the other end I had to slit one side with a hacksaw to get it to fit over the nylon hose connector at the fill tube. I clamped it on with a radiator clamp and sealed the slit with Seal All. The hose was stiff to install but should last a long time.
Mike

View thru door (new hose):........................Door closed:


Bottom view no tank:...............Access door seal:


Access door hole location:........Original hose seen here:


Fuel vapor hose I used (very stiff hose) (pictures of numbers seen on hose):

Weatherhead 5/8" H10110 Made in USA 1008, MSHA 1C - 46/6:


End view with ruler showing diameter:
]]> Mikes Z car http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/blogs/mikes-z-car/775-access-door-fuel-vapor-hose.html http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/blogs/mikes-z-car/755-gas-tank-sealing-por-15-standard-tank-seal.html Sat, 30 Jun 2012 02:05:30 GMT Many thanks to Jeff G 78 and postings by others for help with this. I noticed the instructions on the standard tank seal can called for thoroughly stirring the tank seal which I thought I had done but when I poured the seal in the tank there were a few lumps. If you look closely at the flat... Many thanks to Jeff G 78 and postings by others for help with this. I noticed the instructions on the standard tank seal can called for thoroughly stirring the tank seal which I thought I had done but when I poured the seal in the tank there were a few lumps. If you look closely at the flat surface on the right (tank baffle) in the completed picture below you can see a couple of small lumps likely from lack of stirring. I used a pint and a half which is a half pint more than what POR says you need so it should be fine.
I spilled some tank sealer on the outside of the tank and thereby discovered how durable the POR standard tank sealer is when I started wire wheeling the exterior of the tank in preparation for painting.
Mike

Original dirty tank:

After acid cleaning with hydrochloric acid (per the bottle, this is a substitute for muriatic acid commonly used for this):

After marine clean and metal ready:

Completed (pink color from camera light):


More details of my experience:
Gas tank seal process.txt ]]> Mikes Z car http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/blogs/mikes-z-car/755-gas-tank-sealing-por-15-standard-tank-seal.html http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/blogs/mikes-z-car/235-hatch-anti-corrosion-interior-passageways.html Sun, 04 Mar 2012 03:32:36 GMT Hi all, I went to spray the interior metal passageways of my 240Z hatch with a Transtar Amber anti corrosion spray can and noticed there is a reinforcement plate on both sides and top of the hatch. To spray the two passageways created by this plate on the sides was easy as I just had to guide... Hi all,
I went to spray the interior metal passageways of my 240Z hatch with a Transtar Amber anti corrosion spray can and noticed there is a reinforcement plate on both sides and top of the hatch. To spray the two passageways created by this plate on the sides was easy as I just had to guide with my hand the 3 foot long spray wand above and then below the reinforcement plate as you can feel the end of the plate with your hand. See drawings. After I did this on both sides I drilled a couple of holes at the top middle of the hatch to give access to the top and bottom of the reinforcement plate in that area. Access to that area can also be had without removing the hatch as I did by drilling in the corner, see last drawing. Be sure the two corner holes line up with the two passageways at the top of the hatch especially if you use the Transtar spray wand as it isn't flexible enough to go around tight turns. I plugged the holes later with plugs I got at an auto parts store and sealed them with silicone. The animated .GIF drawing shows the location of the reinforcement plate. The end of it can be seen by looking up in the bottom inside area of the hatch with the interior finisher removed.
Mike

Where I ran the spray wand on sides of hatch:



Black U shaped area is reinforcement plate (click for animation):



Drill two holes for spraying top of hatch:



Transtar Amber Spray can (spray can on left):



Wand used was 3 ft long, sprays 360 degree pattern: (I found mine in a local automotive paint shop, can also perhaps find with google)

#4471 Transtar Rustproofing Wand (includes three 3 ft wands and shorter red wands):

]]> Mikes Z car http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/blogs/mikes-z-car/235-hatch-anti-corrosion-interior-passageways.html http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/blogs/mikes-z-car/234-map-light-stuck-fix.html Sun, 04 Mar 2012 03:14:47 GMT Hi all,
The map light in my 240Z got stuck so that when the switch was pushed in to make it turn on or off it would push in and wouldn't pop back out. This was partly due to the top and bottom of the assembly pushing in on the clear plastic switch cover causing the clear plastic to drag. To cure this I glued in a sawed off ordinary lead pencil to bow out the top and bottom of the assembly reducing the friction on the clear plastic switch. The pencil length that worked well for me was approximately 26/32 of an inch and was epoxied in place when it was working right. I painted the yellow pencil gray to hide it behind the clear plastic better. A small bolt with a series of nuts would likely also work and would be adjustable but use lockwashers if you do this. I also put a small amount of light machine oil on the switch itself on the white plastic post that sticks out of it and used a pocket knife to scrape smooth the plastic adjacent to the moving end of the clear plastic switch to make it more slippery. The plastic seemed to have dirt on it that was causing friction.
Note that the clear plastic switch cover on my car would come out of the white housing on either end once the heater fascia cover was unscrewed for access to the map light.
Mike

Modification notes:



Bottom View of post location (ignore file name):



After modification:

]]> Mikes Z car http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/blogs/mikes-z-car/234-map-light-stuck-fix.html http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/blogs/mikes-z-car/230-glove-box-latch-fix-prevent-door-warp-solution-part-2-2.html Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:17:34 GMT This will describe the lock latch modification only and will not address the door warping issue further. I noticed the glove box door on my 240Z would not always stay latched. The first thing I tried was to slide the lock mechanism fore and aft after loosening the two screws that hold it on... This will describe the lock latch modification only and will not address the door warping issue further.
I noticed the glove box door on my 240Z would not always stay latched. The first thing I tried was to slide the lock mechanism fore and aft after loosening the two screws that hold it on as they are in long slots. I had previously modified the latch on the door to stay in position better using a cotter pin (see part 1 of 2 blog post on this) but the half with the locking mechanism needed work so that the latch would hit at the right angle. I did this in two steps. To do the first bending operation I pushed in the lock with the key so the vise grips wouldn't hit where the key goes in and used an aluminum rod 3/16" in diameter as a fulcrum.
Step 1: (click for animation)


Step 2: (click for animation)
The second bending operation used vise grips on both sides of the very end of the tang to slightly turn the tang so the latch would hit at a better angle:


The door closes every time now with a firm click and
stays closed. Be sure to click on the last two pictures below to see the short movies showing the latch before/after action.
Jan 2012

Latch tang result from step 1 and step 2:


Closing action before: ________Closing action after modification (click either for animation):

...... ]]> Mikes Z car http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/blogs/mikes-z-car/230-glove-box-latch-fix-prevent-door-warp-solution-part-2-2.html http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/blogs/mikes-z-car/143-horn-button-datsun-label-printed.html Sun, 07 Aug 2011 04:04:48 GMT I had a horn button but no badge on it with the word "DATSUN" so
I selected a font similar to a real badge and resized it to print at the right diameter to tape to the horn button. It came out okay, see attached picture of result and the file I printed the word "DATSUN" with. Printing the label on photo paper if your printer supports that or having it printed at a kinkos type of print business might significantly improve print quality and make the background print blacker. I covered the printout badge with clear packing tape and cut out two round circles from a document protector plastic to put on both sides of the printout to keep the printout badge looking okay. I used a bench grinder and a flat abrasive tool to grind down the edges to a fairly round shape. I taped three little pieces of clear packing tape from the front outside edge around to the back to hold the assembly together. Then I rolled four pieces of clear packing tape around on itself with the sticky side out to tape the whole thing to the horn button. I may get a real badge someday but this printout will work until then.
To make the size correct in print preview select 100% as the size or 72 DPI which means the same thing in this case. If the print is the wrong size adjust the DPI to be different than 72 DPI, maybe try 80 or 65 or some other variation. Printing at 80 DPI will make the print a bit smaller, 65 will make it larger.
If one of you has a real badge for an early Z car and are willing to let me borrow it I will scan it in and post it here and mail it back. Or if you wish, scan it in yourself and mail me the file. I am willing to cut the badge out of the scan and set the DPI so it will print to the correct size and then will post it here and/or email the scan back.
Mike

]]> Mikes Z car http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/blogs/mikes-z-car/143-horn-button-datsun-label-printed.html http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/blogs/mikes-z-car/102-glove-box-latch-fix-prevent-door-warp-solution-part-1-2.html Sun, 15 Aug 2010 16:04:17 GMT Glove box latch fix and door warp prevention (see part 2 of 2 of this blog post for bending the latch tang on the upper half of the door latch on the body of the car to make the latch click solidly every time) I wanted to make the glove box latch work right and to stop the door warp by... Glove box latch fix and door warp prevention (see part 2 of 2 of this blog post for bending the latch tang on the upper half of the door latch on the body of the car to make the latch click solidly every time)

I wanted to make the glove box latch work right and to stop the door warp by weakening the overly strong light switch spring. Note that ZULAYTR posted in a thread:

http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/i...ht-switch.html

as to how to straighten out your door if it is already warped by heating it up and bending it the other way.

To stop the latch on the door from sliding if it is loose:
1. The door latch on my car was loose (a two piece assembly) and sliding even when tightened so I took it out and flattened with a hammer the back 3/8 inch part of one end of the U shaped piece closest to the hinge.
2. I drilled a tiny hole thru the U shaped piece and the lip on the flat piece it fits in and put a cotter pin through the hole to keep it from sliding back and forth. There is room for a tiny cotter pin. On my car this hole needed to position the parts so that the U shaped part is slid all the way into the flat part it mounts on to mate to the upper latch right:



As information the upper half of the glove box latch on my early 240 is held in place by two 4 MM metric bolts with a .7 pitch.

Preventing door warp by weakening the door light spring:
1. To avoid further warping of the glove box door I replaced the spring in the glove box switch with a weaker spring; what Ace Hardware here calls a no. 3 spring.



Spring specification:



2. The switch assembly, called "nut spring" in the fiche can be pried out with a pocket knife.
3. Bend the legs of the chrome colored retainer out just enough to allow it to pop off of the rest of the assembly. The spring will pop out at this point. The "legs" of this item fatigue easily and will break if bent too much so limit bending as much as possible.
4. I cut off part of the no. 3 spring to make it even weaker however if you do this be sure the spring is still long enough to push the copper connection on the end of the plastic plunger rod into firm contact with the chrome colored retainer as that is where it gets its ground connection. I tried shortening the original spring but the spring still felt too strong. After replacing the chrome colored retainer on the rest of the assembly pull gently to test that the two parts are gripping each other. If not it is possible to gently squeeze the retainer with pliers just under the lip to force the legs to grip tighter. If the legs need to grip the sides of the hole better try putting a straightened out paper clip under a few of the legs in the middle and use pliers to squeeze the end of the leg to force it to bow out so it will grip the hole it fits in better.

]]> Mikes Z car http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/blogs/mikes-z-car/102-glove-box-latch-fix-prevent-door-warp-solution-part-1-2.html http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/blogs/mikes-z-car/67-3-july-2009-copy-240z-registry.html Sun, 07 Mar 2010 02:17:11 GMT Attached is a copy of the 240Z registry from 3 July 2009. If this is a copyright thing or another kind of violation I will delete it just let me know. Mike Attachment 44410 (http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=44410) Attached is a copy of the 240Z registry from 3 July 2009. If this is a copyright thing or another kind of violation I will delete it just let me know.
Mike
Z Car Registry.xls ]]> Mikes Z car http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/blogs/mikes-z-car/67-3-july-2009-copy-240z-registry.html http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/blogs/mikes-z-car/58-five-floor-board-holes-repaired.html Fri, 09 Oct 2009 23:58:32 GMT This weekend I had the 5 floorboard sheetmetal pieces welded in to repair rust holes. Also the driver's side frame rail was straightened. Unremoved rust makes the mig welder spit sparks. First I drew on the floor with a marks a lot around the holes using straight lines to make the cutting and fitting of the new pieces easier. After I cut along the straight lines using an angle grinder I made cardboard templates from the floor holes. I bought a piece of sheet steel 16 gauge from Thrifty hardware and put the templates on that and drew on the metal to outline the new replacement pieces. I used an angle grinder to cut them out but I had to use a bench grinder to adjust the shape of the 5 repair pieces to fit properly. Some would have overlapped the metal which would have been easier but I didn't want an area to trap moisture. 16 gauge is slightly thicker than the 17 gauge originally on the car.
Coincidentally the gentleman who did the welding used to own a scarab 71 240Z. He put nitrous on his and I don't know if that is typical for scarabs but he said he had trouble with the rear shocks coming up through the floor and he had to weld reinforcement in to prevent that. ]]> Mikes Z car http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/blogs/mikes-z-car/58-five-floor-board-holes-repaired.html http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/blogs/mikes-z-car/54-fusebox-3d-drawing-sketchup-early-70-240z-detailed.html Wed, 19 Aug 2009 00:46:09 GMT Hi all, I soldered both ends of all rivets and all wire crimps to fix fuse box overheating. Rivet and crimp location shown here: Attachment 51365 (http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=51365) Other screenshots from drawing: Attachment 44409... Hi all,
I soldered both ends of all rivets and all wire crimps to fix fuse box overheating. Rivet and crimp location shown here:


Other screenshots from drawing:


Drawing:
240Z_fusebox_early_1970_final.skp.zip

I pulled the fuse holders from the fuze box before soldering to prevent melting. Sanding or cleaning the fuse holders with copper cleaner and bending the fuse holder together to tighten the grip on the fuse also can help with overheating.
You will need sketchup or sketchup viewer to look at the attached drawing which can be downloaded for free from Google. The drawing is 3D and can be zoomed in for details. It shows the inside/outside of the fusebox including the fuseholders, the colors of the wires and has text to indicate the destination for each wire. It also shows the cables that go out the back and the connectors on the end of the cable with all connections labeled. It is very close to being a scale drawing. ]]> Mikes Z car http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/blogs/mikes-z-car/54-fusebox-3d-drawing-sketchup-early-70-240z-detailed.html