Leaderboard

been a while since i posted - sucked into the quagmire of moving, work, summer travel, getting 2 kids off to college... all while the z has sat idle in the driveway due to horrible sounds emanating from the rear end (something my kids accuse me of on a regular basis). i finally got moved into the new place, installed some concrete pavers to allow me to jack up the z safely (gravel driveway) and immediately saw the telltale signs of blown bearings in the half-shaft u-joints. that red-iron-primer color all around the joint that comes from the factory lube escaping - i've seen this on motorcycle drive chains that blew the o-ring seals. turning the wheels produced unsettling creaking/cracking noises from the u-joints, confirming my suspicions. so i ordered all the parts to re-build the half-shafts from MSA: 4 new "heavy-duty" u-joints, new rubber boots and sst band clamps. did my research and read the very helpful blog post from woodworkerb (huge help) and when the parts arrived i pulled the half-shafts and knocked out the u-joints. they literally fell out in a pile of dust and broken bits - can't believe these parts were spinning around back there and hadn't exploded on me while on the freeway... my experience with this job was shockingly parallel to woodworkerb's blog: i discovered that MSA had sent 3 correct u-joints and one with caps that were 1mm too small. big PITA, but o'reilly's had 'em in stock (for cheaper + no shipping) and they were identical to the "heavy-duty" ones MSA sells. hmmm... the sliding bearing sets were in brand-new condition and fully packed with brand-new looking grease. i really could have left 'em be, but i went ahead and cleaned everything and re-installed with new grease and new boots. the whole project was done in half a day and the rear end is nice and smooth now. interestingly, the shimmy i had at the steering wheel at 65 is gone now. coincidence?? never thought that the rear could affect the steering, but stranger things have happened... the carnage that fell out: all cleaned up w/a fresh coat of epoxy paint:

We're currently working with a manufacturer in Japan to source a high quality replacement since the Paraut units have been discontinued. I will keep everyone updated once we hear back from them. I have used GMB water pumps in the past on other vehicles so I wouldn't hesitate to put one in my Z. I'm more than likely going to be installing one once I upgrade to an aluminum radiator in the next couple of weeks.

We have Separation! I was fully expecting to find a ton of red sealant but there was nothing unusual. Maybe I need to go to the gym more often.

I hired the services of a local specialist. Their only business is extracting snapped off fasteners. Primary clientele are dealer service departments. Apparently, there are chronic, high-dollar fastener failures on certain premium vehicles to support this kind of trade. The tech showed up at my home with a roll-in cabinet filled with specialty tools. Job was done in 15 minutes. Cost: about $150. For me, that was money well spent, as it allowed me to move on to more rewarding steps in my restoration project.

About 10 years ago I bought a Spirit Garage stainless system and fitted it to my 240ZG. The exhaust manifold was a period Nissan 'Sports Option' item, and the Spirit Garage twin pipe system mated up with it perfectly well and fitted very nicely. Good quality, good fit, nice sound and good longevity. Only thing I did was paint it black as it was possibly a little too blingy for my taste. Recommended.

Sadly..no.. but it has a 6,5 mm steel ring welded to the 3 spokes. I took 6 pieces of mahogany and shaped this around on a slab of wood, this I did 2 times. the front layer with a cavity of 7 mm and the rear ring of 6 parts solid. This glued with 2 components glue. the ribs on the back I've made with the help of a powerfile. al the work took me 36 hours!

Just bought 2 front fenders for 104.95 each (plus shipping of 125.00 or 167.45 per fender) plus lots of little things at very cheap prices. Maybe I'll finely get my 240 back on the road. Do NOT tell the wife! she's been after me to sell it for years - NO WAY.