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Back tracking on the steering rack brackets. All my stuff is back from powder coating and when I placed the steering rack brackets onto the crossmember is clear to me there is only one correct direction. When you have the bracket matting surface pressed to the from bolt matting surface of the crossmember you can see it creates a serious gap on the rear portion of the bracket. Pics below show wrong and right direction, you can see the massive gap and this could be why so many people experience rack play. If both matting surfaces are not flush when bolted down you will not have the same clearances around the bushing. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I wouldn't but a 1/2" drive would work. I'm old fashioned and my manual torque is what I go by. An impact gun could damage something before you realize it. My $.02.

I expected that answer from C.D. No crystal ball needed. C.D. is a likely person to point a finger at but the question is ,where do we go from here? He's not going to offer any help. If it were mine (I wish), I'd either pay someone with a good borescope to take a look in all the cylinders or buy a good borescope and take a look myself. The cost of either option may be similar, IMO. Looking down the road, I'd also be keeping my eyes open for a used engine.

I shudder at what I'm about to theorize and I hope I'm wrong. I'd like to hear everyone's opinion on this theory and if there's a method of confirming it or hopefully blowing it out of the water (borescope?). So far, we've crossed off ignition problems, valve seal has been renewed, several compression tests have always been within specs or explainable if they weren't (throttle closed), carbs are tuned, valves have been set, I'm now down to asking myself what could foul #4 plug and I'm left with a broken oil ring in #4, If the top ring compression ring is good, that could explain no compression loss. What do y'all think?

Decided to switch over to installing more "tar mat". Where I left off was with the passenger compartment floor surfaces finished with both a layer of Second Skin mat and a layer of factory mat cut and installed. I had only installed the Second Skin on the tunnel. So, cut and installed the factory mat on top of that on the driveshaft tunnel. I didn't take as many pictures showing step by step progress, as this is a repeat of sorts of similar prior work. A bit of finishing work is needed for the front tunnel piece where it meets the fire wall. After that, all that is left is the rear hatch area.

@jalexquijano Give us the details of the compression test. Throttle open or closed? Oil or no oil in the cylinders? I'm pleased and bewildered that the compression is that even. I too expected something closer to 160 psi and #4 lower than the rest. If the throttle was closed during the test, I'd like to see the #s again with the throttle wide open.

Firstly, you never lift a Z using the frame rails under the floors - even if they were brand new. Secondly, Whenever possible use Granny's advice and lift the front using that big plate in the center of the front crossmember. Thirdly, When using a floor jack (not a scissor jack, not a bottle jack), we lift the differential in the rear and then place jack stands. There are a few "hard points" in the rear to help. Fourthly, The 280's added a lot more heft to the unibody and were strengthened in specific spots underneath (meaning: there are big beefy steel plates under there that the earlier Z's either didn't have - or were not as strong). You should learn those spots, they will help with lifting and supporting if you need to work underneath. Fifthly, be absolutely certain of your jack stands if you're working to replace the transmission fluid. In most cases both the fill plug and drain plug have been over-tightened and many people have struggled to get them loose. That means you're putting a lot of torque into it, may having to use a "cheater" for leverage - you don't want the Z to come down on you while you're under there. Sixthly, When you put the plugs back in, don't over-tighten them! There is no pressure on the fluid inside. Use Teflon tape (or anti-seize) on the threads and only tighten them to snug. You just want them just tight enough so that they don't leak - and done.

That settles it. We'll establish the CZC base camp at Cliff's place. 😉

You will get a low number if one of those tube adapters is used in the spark plug hole. It increases the effective combustion chamber size. Five 110's and a 100 looks pretty even overall. Four is the dirty one though and he shows three as the low pressure. So, bad oil ring seems to fit best. Bummer. I'd run a hot plug in #4 to keep it clean. I think it's been suggested before.

I doubt you can get on it with an impact. The plug are square. Either square head or square recess. I believe the fill aught to be square head and the drain plug square recess if they're in the proper location. A 1/2" breaker bar aught to fit the square recess well enough. The fill plug is normally the problem

Heat makes a big difference. Expands the aluminum and softens the sealer. Even one of those blow dryer heat guns, doesn't have to be a flame.

I used a 24" x 1/2" breaker on my drain plug. I put a small bottle jack under the handle to loosen it. I swear it lifted the car off the jacks before it broke loose.

Hokes Bluff junkyard has at least 2 MNs. You drive down 411 and they're 15 or 20 minutes off your route. You could leave them at my house at pick them up on your way back. I probably would have something for your back too.

California Datsun motor, that's the problem and most likely Jorge has had this problem since day 1. My opinion from all I've read over 10 plus years about California Datsun. He sold a motor to a dude in Panama. No chance of any blowback. No shudder here Mr Maras.

I believe that the Mustang you reference was sold as a 1964.5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Mustang_(first_generation)

It's difficult to say because we don't know what year Z you're working on.

Agree. The stock R200 in a manual transmission, non 2+2, would be a 3.545 which should use the black speedo pinion gear. Your transmission is early, but even the ZX transmission would use the black pinion gear.

Sweet home Alabama! Maybe by fall next year the Covid issue will no longer be an issue . Still a long ways for me , but could do it in one day . I’m in the “ hope my back is well enough” club. I’m working on that issue . There’s some MN heads down there to grab too!

On top of everyone's useful information, once you've got the car on jack stands - give the car a nice hard shake on all four corners before you go under if you wanna be safe. Worst case, the car falls down with a crash, but that's better than dying or being in a wheelchair! On top of that, throw the wheels down under the car if you've got them off to be extra safe. And, to answer one of your questions, the switch for the reverse lights mount to the transmission, but I don't know why someone would put the transmission fluid in there since there's a fill plug. Maybe you could do that if the fill plug just won't come off...? At any rate, the fill plug is on the upper half of the transmission, if I remember correctly - though, I have a 4-speed 240 transmission so it could be different.

I got it from APS already thank you. I appreciate all of your for the speedy response.

Tonight's goals were Drain the old coolant out of the radiator Remove the carburetor cooling lines and plug the thermostat housing Replace the generic lower radiator hose with a properly formed one This was a good thing to do. Many of the hoses for the carburetor coolant lines (and EGR) were just about rotten. I got the new lower radiator hose on, and with a lot of effort I got the hard line for the carburetor coolant lines removed. I bought a 5/8 elbow to replace the 3-way fitting, but I realized that I should have purchased a 3/4 elbow. After some sleuthing online, I found the 3/4 elbow and ordered it. The thermostat housing is plugged, and I can finish the rest after I get the elbow later this week. While I'm waiting for the plumbing, I can start installing the LEDs that should start arriving tomorrow. I want to take some load off the parking light circuit. If I'm lucky, the tires will be here before the end of the week, too. So let's set a date. I think I should be ready for a shakedown cruise in a couple of weeks.

Thank you so much, for the advice ill get right to look for these spots to lift the car and do a transmission fluid change, and probably a oil change while I’m at it. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Snapped two quick pics @ the host hotel. @Zup & @S30Driver cars in first pic. (Congrats on both your trophy's) 2nd pic - the Safari tribute was nicely presented, as in, IF Nissan manufactured the S30 body today, that's as close to what it would look like, IMHO.

10k is alot for that car. It's got rusty dog legs and probably rockers too. Battery tray... Is it a good buy at 5k???

Random scenery pics Pictures really don't do justice. One check off the bucket list.

I will have no excuse not to attend next year, since that's spittin distance from me.

Not yet, I might later. So, decided to cut the front coils today, 1/2 coil at a time. Did the right side first until I kinda got it where I wanted it, then the left. Cutting 1/2 coil off the top (soft end) dropped it 1/16", a full coil 3/16", 1 1/2 coils for 1/4" drop. Not much impact for amount of material removed. So then I figured I cut on the bottom firm end, and took 3/8 coil off there, which resulted in a total 7/16" drop. Decided to leave it there and not get crazy, and repeated for the left side. Here's what was removed (your results may vary🙂): After a quick spin took this pic: I think I'll leave it as is for awhile, maybe more settling will happen. Ride smoothness doesn't seem to have changed, and no camber change. Final measurements from ground to outside top wheel well: RF: 25 5/8" RR: 24 7/8" LF: 25 9/16" LR: 25 3/16" I guess when MSA says these Eibachs "Will lower most Z's approximately 1 - 11/2" from stock ride height, depending on other factors, such as choice of struts & shocks," I guess my Z isn't in the "most" category. I should probably figure out what springs it had before, maybe they were non OEM. Oh well, good enough for now, until I get the itch to cut more....

I haven't been neglecting the 240Z for the past week. I have just been waiting on finishing things before posting about them. Early in the week I purchased a premium $20 Dual brand receiver from Walmart to install in the car. No CD, no tape deck, but it has USB, Aux, and Bluetooth. I wrestled out the old Audiovox tape deck and shook my head on how I wired it 28 years ago. The only good thing was that it was an excellent benchmark to show how far I have progressed over that timeframe with regard to my wiring skills. One of the challenges was finding a source for the constant 12VDC source. A long time ago, I jury-rigged getting the power from the map light. Yeah, that wasn't happening twice. Using the FSM wiring diagram and my multimeter I figured out my solution. The 12VDC switched source would be coming from the 3 wire connector for the radio. The ground would come from the 3 wire connector for the rear defrost switch. The 12VDC constant would come from the rear defrost relay. I made jumper harnesses for the ground and 12VDC constant. I connected everything and tested the stereo. It worked...except for the right front speaker. I tested the wiring, and found the positive wire was broken somewhere. I decided to start looking at how to install the speaker enclosures. Early on I discovered the old speakers were too deep. Fortunately I had to source speakers for the 260Z to fit the enclosures, so all I had to do was order another set of Pyle speakers from Amazon. Again, nothing but top shelf stereo equipment for me. After the speakers arrived, I put the stereo end of the speaker wires into a connector. I also started fitting the enclosures. I had to trim the driver's side to clear the dead pedal. I also had to get some longer M6 bolts for the hood release bracket, but I plugged the wires into the speaker and got the enclosure mounted. Then I went to work on the passenger side. I decided to remove the fuel pump relays since they are not being used any more, and I removed the relay bracket. I did dry fit of the enclosure and trimmed it to go in more easily. After plugging in the speaker I went to install the relay bracket...Well, that took a lot longer than I hoped. It doesn't line up that great, especially with regard to the top bolt when you have the lower bolts cinched down. It doesn't help that you can't see how misaligned thing are unless you can miniaturize yourself and contort your body just right. Anyway, after an hour or so, I finally got the bracket mounted. I plugged in the stereo and tested. Yes, I have tunes for my next road trip. After I was happy with the stereo install, I pivoted to the hazard switch. I got the retaining ring loose and pulled the old switch through the dash. The connectors came apart with a little coaxing. I dug out the replacement switch that I found despite buying it 16 years (and one move) ago. I got the wife to direct me while I tried to line up the switch with the opening in the dash. That's another thing that took a LOT longer than I remember it requiring. UGH! I managed to get the retaining ring on without pushing the switch back through the dash. After installing the knob, it was time to test. The turn signals worked. Now for the hazards...Nothing. Dang it! Fortunately I knew where to look. It was my own blog where I broke down the turn signal circuit. I saw that the white wire from the battery fed the circuit. I checked for continuity between the wire at the dash harness/engine harness junction and the fuse box. No continuity. Dang it! After dinner I removed the center console. I also pulled the stereo. I removed the screws holding down the fuse box so I could pull it toward me for examination. It took about all of 5 seconds to find a connection that pulled loose. I got it reconnected and buttoned up everything. I LOVE removing/replacing stuff for about an hour to work on something for 5 seconds. Anyway, I tested again, and all worked fine. I found the bulbs loose on the tachometer, so I got them plugged in for the turn signal indicators. I tested the horn again. Well, it almost makes noise...I figured it might be time for a new relay. Who knows? I might need to clean or replace the horns. I sat down and ordered a bunch of LED bulbs and looked for a horn relay on RockAuto, Z Car Depot, and MSA. No one has a friggin' horn relay anymore. When the hell did that happen? I found a generic horn relay on ebay and ordered it.

They are trying for Barber. Talledega Grand Prix is the backup plan. I can tell you that getting the track commitment is one of the most difficult parts of organizing the event. The next most difficult is finding an appropriate locations for the car shows. For instance, for 2018, we approached Chateau Elan for the judged car show (and convention hotel), and they basically said, "Oh Hell F'n NO!" Fortunately for us, Z1 Motorsports had relationships with Road Atlanta and the venue for the People's Choice shows. Anyway, I hope to see a lot of you guys in B'ham.

Lift the car at the center of the front cross member, the one the engine sits on then put a stand on either side of the jack, that will give you lots of room to get in from the sides.

The only way to get to the drain plug is underneath. The easiest way to remove the fill plug is underneath. NEVER attempt to drain the transmission without first verifying you can open the fill plug. Yes, you could fill at the reverse switch, but that is a pain, and again, you have to be under the car to get to that.

Cliff's Alabama Tune Up Drop your baby off and I'll beat the $^!# out of it then charge you $1,000. It's way cheaper than sending it to Italy. Guaranteed by Shaquille O'neal. Fill and chill.

The wealthy Ferrari owner, who only putts around town a couple of times a month takes his car into Tony's and says it isn't running very well, Tony says "No problem, I'll personally fix it myself" Tony grabs the keys and takes the Ferrari on ripping mountain drive, an hour later he pulls back into the garage with engine purring like kitten, he calls the wealthy owner and tells him to come and pick up the car. The wealthy owner shows up and starts the engine, "It sounds fantastic!" Tony smiles and hands him a bill for $1,500.00

According to Wiki... Italian tuneup is a slang automotive term for attempting to restore engine performance by driving a car at high engine speed (RPM) and load. The term originated from Italian mechanics in the 1950s using this practice to burn off carbon deposits from the spark plugs of sports cars.

What's the story behind that? I've always heard FIAT, Fix It Again Tony. That's Italian right? Tony Soprano, Tony's Pizza, Tony's spagetti sauce etc. Tony bologna.

Mine do it warming up, extra fuel I suppose from choke on the 240 and cold start valve on my 280. Then it goes away after an "Italian tune up" romp.

Time for an Italian tune up 😉

When you hear the price of that part... you better take a drill and drill the welds and replace the inner and outer parts, one after the other.. you will need a metall shaping hammer and a leather bag with sand.. and some practice.. but after that you can say you made it yourself! Just try and have some patience ( some need a lot..) and tell us what you did! People who say: i can't do that! are never gonna learn it... 🙂

I'm confused... A real Alfa owner would never, ever, never, ever, ever call their car an Alfa "Romero". Ever.

You're right Charles. It's not oil blow by. Once again I bow out with Mr Panama.

I talk to the owner of the business and he said that engine was built perfectly.