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Shade "woody shrub" way is push the handle of a big screwdriver down between the chain. It should be hard to push down all the way if the tensioner is right. Another way is buy a cheap bore scope that works with your smartphone and have a look.

Agree, I'd love to slot an S20 motor into 1 of my early HS30's. It's a special bit of engineering, a twin cam engine in 1969 was very exotic equipment and it has plenty of racing pedigree to back it up in the Skyline. The Hagerty segment is full of inaccuracies but 1 thing it does highlight is the sound of that engine at full song! I'm very much about the 432-R look, and I just got myself a set of Kobe Seiko Rally Mag (reproductions from M-speed in 14") to sit on my 240z. I've also acquired over the years Ikeda Bussan seats, Ura Mach wheel, chrome ring head lamp covers etc.. and my red 240z also has the white stripe long the bottom sill of the car. I'd love an S20 engine to complete a similar look to the attached images. The quoted S20 engine power is stock on 40mm Mikuni's, but like the RB26 that came later and was quoted at 280HP as per the gentleman's agreement, I'm fairly sure the purpose of the S20 engine was to modify for tuning and racing and so many cars fitted with S20's are not making 160HP anymore. If it wasn't for the fact that an S20 engine costs so much these days, I'd swap 1 into my Z for sure. In fact at today's prices it kind of makes sense to go for 1 of the Twin Cam L-engine options instead such as the O.S Giken head. Real Deal vs O.S Giken L-head. L engine with O.S Giken twin cam head and cloned S20 valve cover. The real McCoy. I certainly would pay more for an S20 powered S30Z, than an LS powered S30Z.

Thanks Gavin, xs10shl, Namerow, I will think and think before starting the repair job . A good thing is I have a very bad 240Z dashboard to start with , I can do anything and no worries if I do stupid things. Here is an example which was repaired recently by Tasaka san . He is offering to teach me how to. But as Tasaka san said , he is still learning and seeking what is better and this example is just a test bed. We have to wait until we see something happens on the surface . Or hopefully don’t see any defects after passing one year, two years, and more , that will be wonderful. Kats

Italian tune up did the trick! #6 at 155, but now #3 is at 125, hmmm seem odd as it was fine. I suspect I just need to do some more hard driving. Got video of the results (otherwise it did not happen). Same deal on #3 Exhaust valve (wet test no change, blowing smoke from smoldering rag out tail pipe at 90psi from leak down test). I am a beliver in the Italian tune up now. I would take it up to 5500-6000 and some hard pulls thru the gears maybe 15 miles out on the Tpike. So the head will stay on for a while. also managed to break my antenna mast coming into the garage, not sure how. will be posting in the classified for a donor...

How many miles on the engine? As a point of information, the timing chain doesn’t “stretch”. What happens is the pins and rollers wear, resulting in excess play at each pin and roller. Add that up over the dozens of pins and rollers, and the effective length of the chain increases. Also, the curved chain guide, and the guide on the tensioner plunger get grooves worn into them as the chain slides over them. The chain, guides and sprockets are many times better than timing belts and sprockets with regard to overall wear and longevity. An engine with a timing belt will need to have the belt replaced every 100,000 miles or so. And engine with chain driven cam(s) can conceivably go several hundred thousand miles, with little wear, and chains rarely fail like belts, provided proper maintenance is performed (oil changes). I have seen some very high mileage engines with chain driven camshafts where the wear and ultimate lengthening of the chain caused the chain to wear through the chain guides, and the front cover. It was the resulting oil leakage that brought attention to the problem with the chain. In your case, the only way to check the wear is to remove the front cover, and examine the curved guide and tensioner plunger. You can also use a pair of water pump pliers (the kind with curved jaws) to rotate the camshaft back and forth, not enough to rotate the crankshaft, just enough to observe how much play is present in all those pins and rollers on the chain.

Many many years ago I test drove a 260z 2+2 with a vinyl roof with my step dad. We both agreed we didn't like it, at the time I told the seller it was the reason I didn't want to buy it. He understood and said it wasn't the best look either, but over time I kind of don't mind it as much as I did back then. I still don't love it, but it is of that era.

I had the exact same symptoms and, based on advice from this group, tried the AC Delco synchromesh oil and it cleared up within just a few miles of driving. I was skeptical then amazed. Been driving it for two years now with no further issues. I also had a bad case of the monkey motion shifter. I took the pin out, ran a bolt through the hole (with the shifter removed) and put enough pressure to slightly squeeze the ears back together. It took a few repetitions squeezing and checking the fitment until I got it snug. Once I got it right I used the lock nut and bolt in place of the pin with some homemade plastic bushings. Probably have 9-10,000 miles on it with no issues with the oil or shifter.

Our '92 Camry has a timing belt service interval of 60.000 miles. Miserable job too. These dampeners are notorious for having the rubber portion deteriorate over time causing all sorts of issues observing timing. You should be able to turn the engine over several times to get the zero mark on the dampener to line up with the cam sprocket markings and have the bright link set on whatever number(usually 1) and have the cam lobes pointing to the "bunny ear" position. A screwdriver or the oil dip stick lightly inserted in cyl. no. 1 will also give you a visual about TDC, just make sure it's on the compression stroke.

I'm alive and well. Still planning to produce some more Float-Syncs but have been distracted by other Datsun stuff. Hoping to have some by the end of the year, but no promises.

In the States the 280ZX changed ratios in 1980. According to the FSM's. 1979 had the older wide ratio 5 speeds, 1980 had the new close ratio. 1980 also had the odd 0.773 overdrive (although I got one from a 1981 car, not sure how it got in there). So a generic "280ZX" remark can be confusing. If you want to see something wild check out all of the differential ratios and vehicle combos for 1979. They kind of went nuts. I've never seen a 3.7 long nose R200 but according to the book they were available. Even the 3.364 R180 is out there, supposedly. And, the 4 speed is still shown.

Sometimes an exhaust leak can sound mechanical. Nissan actually provided a way to monitor chain wear. The notch and groove. Some aftermarket sprockets don't have the notch though.

I have resorted to the use of lacquer thinner for the final wash after mechanical removal of undercoating, and it works very very well. However, it’s as dangerous as gasoline in-terms of the its flammability. I ONLY use it with the doors wide open and a breeze blowing through. AND with full face organic rated breathing protection. Bit chilly around here in January…… Diesel fuel is cheaper and safer and just as effective, though messier and involves disposal of rags that don’t dry out through evaporation. Let’s be careful out there and do our best to ensure we can continue to do this hobby for as long as possible with the least side affects. /end fatherly rant…..

A little GOOGLE search tells me lacquer thinner is much better for removing hardened paint than acetone. Acetone has more practical uses and is better for removing grease and wax and evaporates much faster. I will pick up some lacquer thinner today at work and do a comparison test if I get some time next week on the project. Thanks, John-Lugoff,SC.

I had a weird tick like that once, i mean i still got weird ticks, but that one is gone....

I think $30k for such a Z is cheap in today's market. We've been paying much more than that, for much rougher for ages in the HS30 marketplace simply because so few cars are around these days. It's an excellent starting point to jump in and drive and enjoy.

well the verdict is in..... 80 psi on #6 the rest were about 155-160. using a leak down test I found it to be in the exhaust (lots of blow by coming from the tail pipe, intake and crank case were negligible. Looked with a bore scope, cant see the valve itself as its only a look down type, but the piston crown was very clean (I used some redline injector cleaner for the trip). starting to wonder if its possible the carbon could be knocked loose and is fouling the valve. I tried tapping the exhaust valve from the top while under pressure to see if it would seal better on rebound, no joy. The lash pads are in place and the lash is correct at .010 for the exhaust. Before diving into pulling the head I am going to try an Italian tune up. I drive like a little old lady so will give it a go and see if there is any change. worse case I have a backup head N42 head and a MN42 head. I know the MN is ok, the N42 may need some work as IIRC it was just a tad out of spec for warpage. Videos will be posted soon...

Unless the owner has added a big stereo, the alternator won't necessarily be putting out more current than the old alternator. On the other hand the excitation curve is improved over the old alternator, so it is putting out enough at lower engine RPMs. (I know this has been mentioned in the past over at ZCar.com. I don't know if it was mentioned here.) This can make a difference with blinkers functioning properly, headlight illumination, etc. Granted, LEDs can also help with lighting performance, and I am a big proponent for them. I have used a ZX alternator in my 240Z for over 20 years without problems, and I put a Frontier alternator (70A) in my 260Z last year. It's not an accident waiting to happen.

Classic. No mention of the S20 engine's historical significance in the 270KK/'Maru Z'/S30-series Z story and no mention of the fact that the very fabric of that (theoretical) '69 240Z concerned already had S20-specific DNA, let alone mention of the S20's heritage, quality, character, the drivability of the package and - let's face it - the wow factor. Re-creating one of the S30-series Z's long lost prototypes (which is what an S20-swapped '69 LHD Z would be) could be a great 'what if' project along the lines of Jay Ataka's 'Phantom Z Sport Wagon'. And judging an S20-swapped car solely on its power rating would be equivalent to judging that 'Phantom Z Sport Wagon' purely on its additional load space. Totally missing the point...

Hi Kats: That would be such an unusual engine swap for a 69 240Z; I wouldn’t have any previous sales to compare it to. It is not unusual to have a far more powerful engine put into a Classic Z Car, but usually that engine with say 350/400HP would cost less than $10K. There are a large number of Buyers that would love 350HP for an additional $10K or more. Just don't know how many would spring for an additional $40K or more for 160HP swap.

@EuroDat You can't buy this but if you ever want some. I will gladly ship you some... C

Hi, You have not mentioned what your plans are for your series I. If you want originality then you will want to keep this 71A transmission. You can very likely fix your problem by using a good oil suitable for brass synchros. Try oil from AC Delco or GM. Yes, it does wonders on these old trannis. The part numbers are AC DELCO USA part number is: 88900399. GM USA part number is: 12377916. I can not order the GM or AC delco oil here in Europe. I'm using Redline MT 75W-90 and find it very good. Here is a thread on the oil subject for these transmissions. Another option could be to dismantle the transmission and replace the bearings. If you can not find new synchros, you could swap it with 3rd gear. You might want to read through this thread as well. He had issues with 3rd gear, but his journey to fixing it is informative. Just for the info. People mention the 280ZX close ratio, but the 2+2 has the same wide ratios as the earier 280Z. The 2+2 also uses the 240mm clutch/flywheel. $100 would be an absolute bargin over here.....

My 71 Z roundtops were adjusted for near sea level. When I took it up to Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood (app. 5000') I had to lean the carbs out a bit to keep it from missing. I noticed the miss started at just over 4000'.

I've been replacing all of my 11 year old fuel hoses with braided cover hoses and decided to do the flow guide valve vapor hoses for a consistent appearance. My valve cover breather hose was already a OE braided unit but I gave it quick inspection. Uh Oh - big crack at one end, time to replace it as well. A visit to MSA showed me a repro unit for (choke!) $90! 😲 So it was back to Belmetric for possible options. The valve cover fitting is 16mm in diameter but Belmetric only has 14mm and 17mm hoses. The breather hose is about 14" so I ordered two feet of the 17mm hose at the most attractive price of $7.15/ft. (today it is $8.01). At 1mm oversize, obviously it is an easy fit but the OE circular spring clamps hold it securely in place on the valve cover and air filter box. All of the hoses at Belmetric are from Germany and are typically marked so on the hose. If you don't want the word Germany on your Japanese car, the markings can easily be removed with a vigorous rubbing with mineral spirits. I really like the feel of $75 still in my pocket! 😁 https://belmetric.com/m17x21-braided-continental-hose-rh17-n203701/