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Need some help...


Sparx Macgyver

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10-4. I hear ya guys. I merely meant an easy fix, but that's OK. Mostly I just have to get it moved before sweep day. Stupid street sweepers....give me a freaking ticket if it's on the street...Ill keep working on it. I think I might be able to push it into the driveway before then. Hopefully Ill be able to anyway.

If your just trying to get into the driveway use a come along, and wench it into the drive way or have two or three guys push you. I think the good question now is how far are you moving it like stated before?

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Give your uncle 20 bucks, go rent a tow dolly at uhaul for 35 and tow it back. Any further than 14 miles, I'd recommend a trailer. It's going to be a little while before you get the brakes and the fuel system working, and then I am guessing there will be other issues, lights, etc etc. Get it safely home and then go through each system completely (fuel, brakes, clutch, electric, etc) Then, hit the streets and raise hellLOL

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If you're going to have her towed, here are a few thoughts.

Definitely use a flat bed.

Bring a few towels or other soft materials to use as a cushion between the chain and your car. Especially if the chain will be attached to one of the tow hooks in the front.

The positioning of the tow hook can also make a big difference as to any contact it may have with the valence or bumper.

The front valence panel (underneath the lower grill) is directly in the path of the chain and/or hook when it tightens. It is thin sheet metal and it doesn't take much pressure from a towing chain to mess it up.

If it's being pulled from the rear, put some cushioning between the chain and your rear bumper.

And make sure the driver goes real slowly as the chain gets taut. It may have to be repositioned one or more times until there's no contact with your car. Or at least minimized and cushioned.

I've been through this numerous times with wrecker drivers.

It's not their car and for the most part, they just want to get it on the truck and wherever it's going so they can do another run. He or she isn't going to pay much attention to what that chain will do to your car, and chances are probably couldn't care less.

I've had to stand my ground very firmly a number of times on this. Once I had to tell the AAA driver to either do it right or take his chain off my car. He didn't want to be bothered with taking that extra bit of care but eventually did when I threatened to report it to AAA.

On the positive side, I have had a couple of drivers who at least appreciated what it was they were transporting and were willing to work with me on this.

I've attached a couple of photos to show you what I'm referring to. This particular time I did not have any cushioning material but made sure the driver positioned the chain and went slowly so as not to damage the valence.

Either way, if you take these precautions I can assure you that you'll be glad you did!

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It seems the OP is trying to get this done without spending any money, and flatbeds are relatively costly. I would suggest just a tow dolly as mentioned before - 12 miles is not that far.

Regardless, for general reference, I would advise against using chains to secure your car to a flatbed in the first place. There are really no "good" ways to attach a car like the Z to a flatbed by chains.

When I am in need of a tow, I call AAA and tell them explicitly that I need a flatbed, and a driver with straps to attach the car by the wheels. These straps go over the tires, and, although they are generally required to also attach some chains, this is strictly as a backup and are not under the high tension required to hold the car uni-body down. The car is then free to move relative to the suspension. With chains, every time the truck goes over a bump or a dip, the entire car is being pulled by the chains in ways for which it was not designed, like an unfortunate person being tortured on a medieval rack.

I am out of town visiting relatives, but if I were home I could go and take photos of the undercarriage of my Z where extensive damage was done by an ignorant truck driver when I had the Z shipped from California to Texas 7 years ago. He used chains and hooks to tie the car down, and the sheet metal surrounding his chosen attachment points was extensively damaged. I have not repaired the damage yet, as I have put it off until I do a full restoration in another 5 years or so.

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I agree about the use of chains. Very good point about using them to secure the car once it's on the flatbed.

What I'm mainly referring to though is when the wrecker driver attaches a chain to the car to pull it onto the flatbed itself. I've never seen anything else used for that purpose. That alone can cause a lot of damage to sheet metal and bumpers.

Once the car is on the bed, most times I've seen the straps you're talking about used around the wheels. Now that you mention it, I'll insist on them if I ever have to use a wrecker again.

Thanks for the pointer.

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Aye, that was my goal. Less money spent, but it happens. Guess I'm gonna have to just push it into the dirt area next to the driveway for now. Unfortunately, my work is not cooperating and having trouble getting my paycheck.

Just looking to get her running soon as possible, but only time will prevail. Thank for the towing tips, I'll keep that in mind when I have her towed. Thanks guys.

Sparky

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  • 3 weeks later...

OK, so it's been a tough one fighting with my work, and with many other things. Tomorrow, I'm finally getting to be able to pull it down to my place. Though I wasn't able to get to the car recently, my uncle was, and he took the initiative, and did his best to fix it for me.

He drained the gas tank, which whatever had been gas at one point was now a very odd looking deep red, smelling horribly like paint thinner/ether. But the tank is empty now. So, I assume this is just really old gas in the tank?

He replaced the fuel pump. He said no issues came up during the uninstall/install.

He lastly replaced all my fuses with new ones. He says he placed 32V buss fuses in place of the old ones. But when he did this, two things happened. The e-brake light stays on permanently, and the volt meter light stays on, both are on when the car is off, and the keys are out of the ignition. The other issue is the head lights don't work. Apparently, all the other lights work, except the headlights, and only the passenger light comes on if the high beams are turned on.

He didn't add fuel to the car after replacing the pump, so I have no idea if that solved anything or not. I do know he says it is at an angle. The OEM pump I guess was flat, and the new one is a bit bigger? I don't know. Again, haven't seen it yet.

I'll be bringing the vehicle to my home tomorrow, and would just like to give you guys a heads up and see if you guys might be able to give me some advice before I get out there and tinker before work tomorrow.

Thanks in advance.

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Alright, brought the car down. I put about 3 gallons in the tank, and a bit in the injectors to prime start it. She fires right up with no problems. I shut her off and restarted her several times. Fuel system is presently not an issue.

Attempted to bleed the clutch. We hit a snag here. I loosened the bleeder valve, and placed a piece of 1/2" tubing over the valve, and pumped the clutch. We pressed ti fast, and let it come up slow. Couldn't get the bubbles to stop coming out. Well, we did for a about a couple pumps, even had some pressure, but then the pressure was gone and bubbles came back. :/

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  • 2 weeks later...

An update.

Headlights are not working properly. Here's what we have:

~ Dash Lights

~ Parking/Running Lights

~ Tail Lights

~ Turn Signals

What we don't have:

~ Hazard Lights

~ Head lights - They don't come on, however, if I turn on the high beams, passenger side comes on.

That's the lighting issue. Tomorrow, weather permitting, I'm going to replace the rear drum brakes, and CSC.

Speaking of the CSC, I don't believe it's the MC. It seems to be pumping fluid quite nicely. The SC doesn't move as it's supposed to. Fluid does come out of the bleeder valve, but if I'm correct after reading some other topics, it's supposed to move 1/2". I'm correct, yes?

Thanks Guys.

Edit: I'm speaking of the Clutch Slave Cylinder.

Edited by Sparx Macgyver
Added details.
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Are you closing the bleeder valve on the cylinder with the pedal on the floor before letting the pedal come back up? If not, you are sucking air right back into the system.

Sometimes leaving out these "little" details throw some of us off trying to figure out what has been and not been done.

Obviously check fuses and links. With the exception of the hazards, it sure sounds like dirty combi switch. I cleaned and then replaced mine before I got it all working.

Do the brake lights work? Wipers?

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