Bucking 240z

[Truckin1972]

Well my poor baby is now in the shop..

We were going along fine until we stopped at a red light then..when I went to shift into first I thought I was in a bull riding competition! The clutch was fully engaged and I was giving her the right amount of gas to go and all the engine did was rev and the car creeped a long like it was straining to go and bucked a few more times before I was able to get it over to the side of the road and turn it off.

Tried to leave again and the same thing started to happened again but then all the sudden everything seemed to engage and we took off like a rocket!

So now it is in the shop.

I did notice that the exhaust start to smell rich on the way to the shop and my coworker who followed me to the shop told me my exhaust would get pretty black when I would accelerate.

So is it my clutch? My carb? or a combination of both maybe?

[240ZX]

Sounds like a fuel issue! Replace your fuel filter, check pump output, check the oil level in the SU's, and tuneup the engine and carbs (sync/adjust as necessary). These old cars need some regular TLC. Good luck

[Truckin1972]

Sounds like a fuel issue! Replace your fuel filter, check pump output, check the oil level in the SU's, and tuneup the engine and carbs (sync/adjust as necessary). These old cars need some regular TLC. Good luck

What is the SU? Are those the two cylinder shaped things on the side of the engine? If so those have plent of oil in them. I praying that this is going to be a simple fix like you have said. I was planning on doing some serious TLC this weekend but I guess she wanted it today!

[240ZX]

Kelly, do yourself a favor and purchase a repair manual for your 240Z. It will help you become familiar with the workings of the car as well as provide you info on tune ups, etc. SU is the name of the carburators....these carbs are a Constant Velocity (CV) carburator. Probably some of the easiest to work on and adjust. Too much and too heavy of an oil in the carbs will make them respond slow to throttle input....see manual for oil weight and quanity. Again, just remember these are old cars with worn parts and some will definitely need attention. Usual items that need attention are; suspension bushings, ball joints, U-joints, wheel bearings/seals, brakes, carbs, rust (the rust monster never sleeps), wiring harness/connectors (plug-in connectors become corroded creating high resistance). Don't get overwhelmed by it all...we have all been through this exercise so it nothing new under the sun. Read up on the car, do some sit searches about particular questions you have, and when asking questions in the forums, be as specific as you can. Hope this info helps you out to some degree. Focus on the end result of having one of the coolest car ever built. I spent two years going through my Z before it was a reliable and in the condition I colud afford. It's best to make a plan and decide what you really want out of this car and then budget accordingly....a lot of sweat now will pay you big dividens later.

[Truckin1972]

Kelly, do yourself a favor and purchase a repair manual for your 240Z. It will help you become familiar with the workings of the car as well as provide you info on tune ups, etc. SU is the name of the carburators....these carbs are a Constant Velocity (CV) carburator. Probably some of the easiest to work on and adjust. Too much and too heavy of an oil in the carbs will make them respond slow to throttle input....see manual for oil weight and quanity. Again, just remember these are old cars with worn parts and some will definitely need attention. Usual items that need attention are; suspension bushings, ball joints, U-joints, wheel bearings/seals, brakes, carbs, rust (the rust monster never sleeps), wiring harness/connectors (plug-in connectors become corroded creating high resistance). Don't get overwhelmed by it all...we have all been through this exercise so it nothing new under the sun. Read up on the car, do some sit searches about particular questions you have, and when asking questions in the forums, be as specific as you can. Hope this info helps you out to some degree. Focus on the end result of having one of the coolest car ever built. I spent two years going through my Z before it was a reliable and in the condition I colud afford. It's best to make a plan and decide what you really want out of this car and then budget accordingly....a lot of sweat now will pay you big dividens later.

My Chiltons manual finally came in the mail yesterday! After reading through a good chunk of the manual and I have answered many of my questions. I have given this car a lot of credit for being 32 years old. It is running a lot better then I thought it would have for being so old. And I plan on doing some serious engine work this weekend after I get my car back today hopefully. And yes I knew before hand these cool cars were prone to rust problems and I have reseraching various sealants to help prevent this.

And like you 240z I am betting it is going to take me atleast 2 years to get the ol'girl running and looking like new again. I promise I will try not to be too much of a pest with silly questions. :tapemouth