Restoration of BringaTrailer 240z - HLS30-35883

[Patcon]

I had the same gold stickers in mine too. They didn't go back. I also had the fully dis-assemblable joints

[inline6]

Just now, Patcon said:

I had the same gold stickers in mine too. They didn't go back. I also had the fully dis-assemblable joints

Any idea if they were original?  Some visible marks on mine tell me they might be, but I couldn't be happier with how tight they are.

[inline6]

Thought I would post a pic of my glass bead cabinet and beads I am using.  I've had the cabinet for about 20 years or so.  I LOVE using it.  

 

The beads I am using are these which I sourced from Northern Hydraulic.  It is nice to be able to buy them and not have to pay high shipping rates.

 

The finish can be played with a bit by adjusting pressure and distance from the work.  For the most part, I have been using 90 psi and varying distance.  Stripping is quick.  The finish is nice and easily polished by hand pretty quickly.  Aluminum part:

Steel part:

   

I stayed away from the joint, for the most part, so you can se the transition of beaded surface to not beaded.  Of course, I thoroughly cleaned the part after blasting.

 

Edited February 24, 2021 by inline6

[Patcon]

11 hours ago, inline6 said:

Any idea if they were original?  Some visible marks on mine tell me they might be, but I couldn't be happier with how tight they are.

Yes, I believe they are original

C

[inline6]

I checked the condition of my 3.36:1 differentials a couple of days ago - the original one and the spare that came with the car.  Both have more than the .0078" max back lash, with the one that originally came in the car at about .008".  I assume that it has the... roughly 130k miles on it that the odometer and other records indicate.  Some work to it (the original one) is necessary.  I am inclined to disassemble, replace all of the bearings, and reassemble with the existing spacers/shims and see where I land. 

That said, I suspect the transmission is in similar condition (some measurable wear).  I was able to get the car moving under its own power in my driveway and shift from first to second once without issue (at like 15 mph) before embarking on the car tear down.  That is the extent of my knowledge of the condition of the original 4 speed transmission. 

I have not been thrilled with the idea of rebuilding the stock transmission and differential and putting them back in the car, if I am honest.  I get that they have value if restored to original (or as close as possible) function and appearance, and are again put into the car.  However, I think the driving experience will be "a little lacking" compared to a 5 speed with a suitable rear end ratio.  So, while I will rebuild the original trans and diff, I will be setting those aside.  Instead I will also be sourcing a 240SX 5 speed transmission and converting a 4.11 R180 differential (from a 86 Nissan 4X4 pickup) to a limited slip, which will utilize a new Quaife ATB unit.  The differential will also be receiving a rebuild.  Before beginning disassembly on it, I checked back lash (.005") and examined the ring and pinion.  It looks quite good.  The transmission still needs to be acquired.

Edited February 24, 2021 by inline6

[inline6]

I continue to track down hardware and run it through the process of glass bead blasting, followed by vibratory tumbling with stainless steel bits.  And now, I have experimented with another round of vibrator tumbling using corn cobb and Semi-Chrome metal polish.  Interesting results with that last one.  Some of my hardware came out of the stainless round of tumbling looking a bit dark.  On the left here is a "dark" bolt after I hit it with the dremel tool and wire brush.  You can see the shiny, lighter silver part.  My theory is that the parts in that batch didn't move around fast enough to keep oxidation from making them dark.  The right amount of water and citric acid needs to be in the tumbler or the action is "too slow" (I think).  Anyway, I experimented with adding corn cobb media and metal polish, along with a bit of laquer thinner for kicks under the theory that it would tamp down the dust a bit and not cause oxidation (rust).  

    

After tumbling for a few hours, here is what the dark hardware looked like:

  

They are notably lighter in color.  Additionally I blew them off with compressed air, immersed them in a jar of laquer thinner, and blew them off with compressed air again.  

Close up pics:

  

After all of that, I still ended up using the dremel and a wire brush on the bolts.  I am still thinking about a solution that will polish the parts without doing each by hand with a wire wheel.  But, at least the amount of time with the wire wheel is low after the other treatments.

The box of hardware is getting more and more full.  🙂 Shuffled a couple of times for pics:

    

[Captain Obvious]

Couple of questions/comments...

In your box of things to be plated I see a piece of throttle linkage with the plastic ends. Some people send those out for plating and they turn out fine. My experience was not so great. Not sure if my guy used stronger acid or a longer soak time, but the plastic shows some damage from the process. Still usable, but damaged.

Also if you are going to send the linkage bits, I would take the adjustable end and lock nut off first. My thought is that you don't want to end up in a situation where future adjustment exposes a part of the linkage that did not get fresh plating.

Lastly, I see the outer ring from the master cylinder cap. Are you planning to send the other portion with the rubber seal on it? Is that in there somewhere?

[inline6]

8 hours ago, Captain Obvious said:

In your box of things to be plated I see a piece of throttle linkage with the plastic ends. Some people send those out for plating and they turn out fine. My experience was not so great. Not sure if my guy used stronger acid or a longer soak time, but the plastic shows some damage from the process. Still usable, but damaged.

Ok, good to know.  Before I send everything off, I will separate it out somewhat.  Parts with rubber or plastic will be by themselves.  Hopefully, I can have them treated separate to avoid damage.  I don't have many parts meeting that criteria.  

8 hours ago, Captain Obvious said:

Also if you are going to send the linkage bits, I would take the adjustable end and lock nut off first. My thought is that you don't want to end up in a situation where future adjustment exposes a part of the linkage that did not get fresh plating.

Yep.  From Jim Arnett's tip, I will be going through all of the hardware and using fine wire to tie together various pieces in groups.  I will make sure no hardware is left in an assembled state when it gets put into a box to be shipped off.

8 hours ago, Captain Obvious said:

Lastly, I see the outer ring from the master cylinder cap. Are you planning to send the other portion with the rubber seal on it? Is that in there somewhere?

Those cap parts with the rubber on them are not in the box.  The plating looks nice on them, so I elected to leave them as is.  The plating on the outer rings of the caps was a bit shabby looking by comparison.  So, I went ahead with the full process on them.

Thanks for the comments!

[inline6]

I went on another quest to find hardware that I have not run through the prep process yet and it led me to my seats.  The seats had been recovered at one point, but thankfully, whoever did that work didn't disturb much of the original construction.  So, I was able to take pics and document how things were done at the factory, which I hope to replicate accurately. 

Some disassembly pics:

    

A piece of material was glued in place over top of the straps.  I found that interesting as the material is just a canvas type cloth was not inherently flexible.  So, I don't think there was much give in it compared to the straps which were elastic.

    

The "U" shaped wires that hold the straps to the frame were some of the hardware I was after for re-plating.  

    

The "elastic" straps were stretched and hard as concrete.  This should be considered a mandatory replacement item for "original" 240z's with this type of seat construction for sure.

    

Bare metal in the seat frame that hasn't even surface rusted.

    

Original foam application from the factory included a thin sheet glued to the back of the seat with edges wrapped around head rest foam and then covered by a super thin clear "bag" of plastic

    

    

 

I disassembled both seats, and collected the hardware I needed to get plated.  Both of my seat back adjustment knobs are cracked, so I will look for some that are not.  The design is not very good on those - they are not very sturdy.  It would be nice if there were some one piece billet ones available, but that is not likely to happen. 

I saved all of the seat foam - in case.  I plan on buying new foam which is available from online sources.  I have black seat upholstery that was made by Distinctive Industries, and understand that I have to pair that up with the correct foam version (there are a couple of options available currently) for proper fit.

For now, the hardware from the seats will be cataloged and bead blasted, tumbled, etc.  I am running out of hardware to track down... I think!   I am looking forward to moving on from the hardware stage of the restoration.

 

 

Edited March 7, 2021 by inline6

[inline6]

The English differential carrier for my Japanese car has arrived!

    

The 4.11 differential has been dis-assembled:

 

My plan at the moment is to strip, prime, and paint all of the gloss black enamel parts of the car that haven't yet been painted... in one day!  That will require suitable planning and space.  I am thinking I will wait until I am 100% done with the car body work and have carted it off to the paint shop.  That will free up a lot of room in the garage. 

The list of items is extensive:

• front crossmember
• front control arms
• front compression rods
• front strut housings
• front strut springs (both stock and aftermarket)
• front strut upper spring seat
• front strut upper mounts
• front ball joints
• anti-roll bar
• anti-roll bar mounting reinforcement plates
• anti-roll bar mounting brackets
• steering knuckles
• steering arms outer (already painted)
• steering rack housing
• steering rack mounting brackets
• steering rack u-bolt brace
• steering shaft with u-joint
• front wheel hubs
• front differential crossmember - diff and front suspension mount
• differential limiting strap brackets
• differential rubber isolator mount - front
• differential rear mount - mustache bar
• differential rear mount - mustache bar washers with bonded rubber
• differential case
• differential front flange to driveshaft
• driveshaft (already painted)
• rear suspension crossmember - rear suspension mount
• rear suspension vertical supports
• rear suspension brackets - control arms to vertical supports
• rear suspension control arms
• rear axle shafts
• rear axle shaft - inner flange to differential 
• rear axle shaft - outer flange to axle/hub 
• rear wheel hubs
• rear brake backing plates
• rear strut housings
• rear strut springs (both stock and aftermarket)
• rear strut upper spring seat
• rear strut upper mounts
• engine oil pan
• engine mounting brackets
• engine mounting isolators
• transmission mount
• transmission mounting isolator
• clutch slave cylinder
• handbrake handle assembly (partial)
• radiator
• gas tank
• driveshaft (already painted)
• seat frames lower
• seat backs upper
• pedal box (already painted)
• clutch pedal (already painted)
• brake pedal (already painted)
• gas pedal
• brake booster one way valve mounting bracket
• brake booster
• mud guards inside front fenders
• hood tension rods
• front tow hooks
• rear tow hooks
• battery upper frame

Then again, maybe I will do a couple of batches - it might be easier in the long run!

 

 

Edited March 12, 2021 by inline6

[Patcon]

I didn't have the space to hang 40 odd pieces and still move around them to paint...

[Racer X]

On 12/1/2020 at 7:06 PM, inline6 said:Combustion chambers were touched some as well, including mild undercutting of the chamber edges to improve flow around the valves at lower lifts. 

This combination of changes was done to attempt to match the camshaft, to take advantage of the higher lift and larger intake valve.

  

    

 

Are you also eyebrow notching the cylinder block deck to unshroud the valves?

Edited March 19, 2021 by Racer X