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Since a long time not here, I used to have a 240Z, but now Im rebuilding a Datsun 300zx 1984, The engine came in very bad condition, rod and main bearing damaged, crankshaft damaged, but noow the engine is runnig very well ... almost, I have some problems with the gas / air mixture, it feels very rich, and others . Just wnt to share Some pictures from my engine, also my cat is helping ...

Holy hell boys! Been awhile , update is..... All rust is removed and repaired. Epoxied the bttm and seam sealed er up and today I put on the final 2nd coat of undercoating (herculiner) I chose this stuff because I had used it on my bro co and I a used that thing hard in the bush, she held strong so I assume in this application under a car instead of a beast she will hold up fine. Pretty friggen excited to bolt on a few suspension pieces and get this thing off the stand and on ots wheels. Next up is a bit of a break from it, then set and adjust door gaps and hood /tailgate stuff. Should be ready to epoxy the body and start in on skim coats of bondo by the fall. Yay! Sent from my SM-N960W using Tapatalk

I have heard it said that the bright links of the timing chain will "line up with the timing marks ever now and then" when you spin the engine over. Well... I'm here to put a number on it and that number is eleven. I lined up my timing marks and then rotated the crank to see how long it would be until the marks lined up again, and the answer is that they line up every eleven rotations of the cam (twenty-two rotations of the crank). Not being satisfied with only experimental results, I counted teeth and links and stuff. There are 20 teeth on the crank gear. There are 40 teeth on the cam gear (makes sense since the cam spins at half the crank speed). There are 110 "teeth accepting holes" in the chain. The common multiple (modulus maybe?) of all of those numbers is 440 and it takes eleven cam rotations or twenty-two crank rotations to move 440 link holes. The links of the chain will line up in the same position every eleven rotations of the cam. And because everyone likes pics... Timing chain and pulleys:

Probably something like mine, works okay now but you really shouldn't have to repair it before you install it, I wish now I had kept my type 1 fiberglass air dam.

I agree with Alan's assessment. Seems like a nice survivor S30-S (Fairlady Z-S). It's actually a twin to the blue S30-S I bought last year from Michigan that 240260280Z posted a link to above. Note there is no provision for an inspection light in the engine bay and the antenna looks to be the manual extending and locking version that came with the base AM radio (same as my car has). Would be nice to see more interior shots to see if it has all the original rubber mats that Alan posted pictures of. In addition to the front mats there are small mats behind the seats and in the rear hatch area. Curious if it has a clock or the standard blanking plate for the Z-S ( as mine does) and if it has the standard Z-S four speed or was upgraded to the five speed as mine was. Does the dash have any cracks? Original radio? Things like that will also affect the value. -Mike Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk

Thanks for posting my article. I've attached a photo of a random 240 clock , which is the one that Jeff has, and this is what causes most the 240 clocks to stop. I have worked on many 240 clocks over the years and it's always the same thing. If you add oil this is what you will end up with. If you try to clean things in place you can't do a very good job and you will damage parts. There are plastic parts in the clock (some plastic motors in later 240 clocks) which can be attached by several cleaners. I use only IPA (alcohol) which does a good job, but you need to scrub the parts to get the gunk off . The 280 clocks have a completely different design which uses plastic gears against metal. If you oil on these parts you can degrade the plastic over time. There is nothing in this clock that needs be oiled. The 2 main rotating components are metal against nylon. Nylon is self lubricating and it shouldn't be oiled . Again this clock mechanism needs to be disassembled and cleaned, not oiled. The main failure of the 280 mechanical clock is the circuit board. I do repair these and sell them on my web site. Anyone can usually repair either of these 2 clocks, it just takes time and patience or you can send it to me. Just my 2c.....Ron PS: The first photo is the 240 clock and the second is the 280 clock

The part is not rare like some of the 1969 parts but they are a little difficult to obtain. $200 to $300 seems fair as later ones are ~ $60 on ebay.

Furry help is always welcomed. Cheers, Mike

I am hesitant to use urethane on the front air dam due to the flex at high speed. I have seen too many videos of cars on the Hwy with their air dam folded over and the driver oblivious because it looks normal when parked. Plus I like the classic Jag profile of the rounded catfish front end. The BRE cuts a clean profile of the front.

Thats interesting @ZCarFever my 7/70 car with a black interior has the access covers. I wonder if different colors had the panel with covers introduced at different dates to use up existing inventory.

Let me go back and look at my original issue....

I don't think any of the bolts go down into any other cavity, but some of them are drilled and tapped slightly deeper than others. And if you're really worried about the possibility of a tip of an old bolt being broken off down in the hole, you should be able to get a look down there with a good light. The bottom of the hole is cone shaped like the tip of the drill bit that created it. If you see a ragged flat bottom, you might want to do some more cleaning and investigating.

Oh crap... So when I said crank revolutions, I meant cam revolutions. I was spinning stuff and counting, but in all the excitement, I kinda lost track myself. I changed the original post to fix that mistake. Thanks for the help guys!

Don't force it! Some of those of the head bolt holes enter the oil gallery if I remember right, or maybe it is the coolant passage. In any case it is normal.

Yes, 440 is the lowest common multiple. https://www.calculatorsoup.com/calculators/math/lcm.php And 440/#cam teeth = 11

Bragart! See you at lunch tomorrow Mr. Shiny (Duffman)? By the way, I see the wing nuts on your air cleaner are not lined up.

Three years later: What I finally did after messing around with this missing and bad running problem for more than a year was to find a Z mechanic in town. I knew an import shop that had some experiences guys, and I called and found out that one of them had been a Z-car mechanic in a Datsun dealership years ago. I took them the car, explained and demonstrated the rough running problem, and also an oil leak on the timing gear cover which I was forced to remove and re-install after the head was on. My request to them: make it run right. Keep it as long as you need, I'm in no hurry. I also asked them to replace the steering rack (the seals popped when I took it off the jackstands it had been sitting on for nearly four years) and install some poly bushings I had. In other words, I was really tired of messing with it. I've done a steering rack on a ZX and I just didn't feel like repeating that exercise at age 67. Got it back four months later, and $5000 later. I wrote that check with a clear conscience, because with it running right I have at least a $9,000 car. Without it, I had a $2000 body with a problem engine. The $5K was worth it! (Especially with a new steering rack and a set of good poly bushings all around.) The problem was mostly vacuum leaks. The 83 ZX turbo has a nightmare of vacuum lines and they had the equipment to check them all and the experience to see what the problems were. I'ave had Z-cars since 1974 and this was my 4th one, but this problem was beyond me.

Looks great, that's a lot of progress and it looks familiar, keep at it.

The Spinal Tap Chain.

I would say not - the rear spoiler doesn't provide enough down force at subsonic speeds - but it looks cool and balances the car (visually at least).

i suggest you put a charger on the battery and just let the owner know it's due to be replaced. Chances are the gent buying it won't put a standard lead/acid battery in it.

Ok, Site, if we are going the self-gratifying route (?), here is another option; just go the Euro balance tube route, get rid of everything else!

Glad to hear you are making progress. Note: there are two types of connectors. 1-The old style that your z most likely has already. These have a very annoying spring clip that tends to be a pain to remove and are easily lost , and 2- new style that have a push type spring that allows you to remove the connector easily with one hand and no tool. Make sure you get the second kind. I think most sellers are only selling these now, but just make sure. Also, before you order the connectors, make sure ALL the other connectors to various sensors in the FI harness are in good shape. The same ebay sellers sell a complete connector kit that will cover all the sensors (or at least most of them) for not much more money than just the injectors. Len

There are actually many that were brought back. Prices are still high. https://www.classiczcars.com/forums/topic/58665-1972-fairlady-z-value/ https://www.classiczcars.com/forums/topic/62503-77-fairlady-z-on-craigslist/?tab=comments#comment-579787 https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1972-datsun-s30-fairlady-z-right-hand-drive-japan-only/ Please post pics and the rest of the gang here can help you out. There are also experts from UK an Japan here who have great knowledge. @HS30-H @kats@Mike B

Hi , good luck on your selling , I was told by Mr . Miyate ( Nissan Shatai engineer ) , he said it was oriented to insurance matter at that time in the US , he ( engineers ) created an access panel for the bulbs each side in order to reduce insurance fee . My 03/1970 240Z still has a non-access panel type rear trim . Kats