astrohog

Fixed it for ya! 😁

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Looking for a close ratio 5 speed. I've seen a few listed here, but can't seem to find them now (plus they were over a couple years old). Hope someone here has got one that I can take off their hands!

Planning to swap an R200 into my Series 1 car (12/70 build date) and am looking for the mustache bar, front diff mount and insulator and the rear transverse link mount from a later 280Z that came with the R200.

Sent PM

OK. Just got the last of the plugs in. I like the M16 x 1.5 low headed plugs to fill the inside ports of the intake when one has removed the water heating. Purchased them from Belmetric.

Well, Here I am, a year late, but better late than never! I paid $3,000.00 for my all original, 100,000 mile, 12/70, 1971 240Z in 2006.

Okay, so I've received various plugs and set screws from both McMaster and Bel-Metric. I ordered 1/8 and 1/4 NPT, 1/8 and 1/4 BSPT, M12 x 1.50 straight thread and M12 x 1.50 tapered thread, and I am still a bit confused! I won't hold you hostage until the end, I'll give you what I THINK the holes were from factory, and then I'll provide some pictures and notes from my "testing". I think the factory balance tube (US market 240Z) came with 2 ea. - 1/8" BSPT and 5 ea. - 1/4" BSPT holes BALANCE TUBE 1/4" BSPT HOLES it was clear to me that 1/4" NPT is too big, couldn't really even get a thread to start, so it makes sense that, 1) One COULD force 1/4" NPT into the holes in the soft aluminum and create some sort of "seal", and 2) a hole that had been "buggered by a previous (or current!) owner could likely be salvaged by tapping to 1/4" NPT. The 1/4" BSPT plugs I have encounter resistance at 1-1/2 turns and are fairly tight at 1-3/4 - 2 turns. This leaves them sticking out farther than I would like for a clean, plugged look as I would like them to be as close to flush as possible. The M12 x 1.50 straight thread, socket set screw I tried fit very loose initially, and threaded quite a ways in (farthest of the three options I tried) before finally hitting resistance. I feel like it MIGHT have finally created a "seal", but not ideal in my opinion. The M12 x 1.50 TAPERED plug encountered resistance at about 3-1/4 turns and was fairly tight at 3-1/2 turns in. This left it pretty close to flush to the surface and provided a good seal and I think this is what I will be using to plug 1/4" BSPT holes. (see pictures below) BALANCE TUBE 1/8" BSPT HOLES it was clear to me that 1/8" NPT is too big, couldn't really even get a thread to start, so it makes sense that, 1) One COULD force 1/8" NPT into the holes in the soft aluminum and create some sort of "seal", and, 2) a hole that had been "buggered" by a previous (or current!) owner could likely be salvaged by tapping to 1/8" NPT. The 1/8" BSPT plugs I have, encounter resistance at 1-1/2 turns and are fairly tight at 2 turns in. This leaves them sticking out more than I would like for a clean look (see pictures below) now I want to experiment with M10 fine thread (both straight and tapered) in the 1/8 BSPT holes INTAKE MANIFOLD WATER HEATING HOLES The outside (inlet and outlet) holes come from the factory with 1/4" BSPT holes Again, the 1/4" BSPT plugs don't thread in very far and sit proud. The M12 x 1.50 TAPER thread plugs thread in farther and sit pretty flush for a clean look. the inner holes (two holes on the inside of each part of the two-part manifold that connects the manifold halves with "bushings" and metal tubing) come from the factory with M16 x 1.50 STRAIGHT thread. I have some M16 x 1.50 straight AND taper plugs coming to try in those holes. I'm now thinking that a straight-threaded plug with a low head and Loctited, may be the ideal ticket for this hole since there is a machined spot to accommodate a bolt head. Heck, any old M16 x 1.50 bolt will work here! Keep in mind that these holes, if not being used (not connected to water lines), can stay open, they do not need to be sealed/plugged, as they will not affect anything other than keeping the intakes warm on initial start-up in cooler weather/climates. I just want to plug them for aesthetic purposes. Here's some pictures to clarify my rambling!

Just ran across this one and thought I would share. I can't recall seeing one that was as factory fresh as this one! Color combo is much better when new! 1972 240Z 9500 miles

Happy Thanksgiving to the Z family!!! I am grateful for this group!

My 12/70 has the flapper. And I'm REALLY late to the party! I just picked up an air cleaner housing that only has one hose barb coming out of it (I'm assuming it is for the valve cover breather hose?), has the filter retainer ring on the inside of the filter and there is no sticker, but has sticker residue on the top. What sticker would have been there, and what production dates of cars would have come with this style of box? Jan. - July '70 cars?

Anybody remember this one? White Lines

Yes, I understand how they are designed, I just wanna use them how I wanna use them! LOL I really wouldn't like the look even if the heads DID bottom out, still kinda klunky looking. The BSPP plugs on the other hand (they have a lower profile head), look pretty good, but they won't bottom out in the tapered holes.....so I guess I could tap the holes to a parallel thread and use thread sealant. I think you are right though, once I get all the holes I need to plug measured, I will order the allen screw type.

OK, here we go..... The threads on the balance tube all seem to be BSPT (1/8" and 1/4") The threads on my intake manifold where the water lines used to go are still a mystery. I have a feeling they are just a metric thread (not pipe thread), so I will have to do more investigating when I have an assortment of metric bolts to try. Also, my thermostat housing is at my storage, so I cannot check those outlets right now, either. I guess everything is a process......stay tuned! Here's my new dilemma; The pipe plugs I ordered from McMaster for sizing purposes are external hex head, and they do not thread deep enough into the balance tube for the head to bottom out and seat on the flat of the balance tube. Not the clean look I was going for. I think I'll try the internal hex drive (like a regular socket set screw) plugs and hope they sit flush or a little recessed when seated. If I don't get a good, clean look that I like, I may have to weld the holes up and grind them smooth. Oh, the lengths we'll go to for these cars!!!! LOL

Yep, I read that one and that is what caused my post. I have the oil pan from the turbo motor, and I have the oil pan from the original L24. I can use either, but they both need re-habbing before I can use them. I didn't want to have to re-hab both of them at this time, but I think that is what I'm going to do, as they will both need to be done at some point anyway. Since I have the pan out for cleaning up, I have the ability to modify/change/omit the heat shield from the turbo pan. Can you explain what part interferes with the header? I'm thinking I may be able to retain some heat-shielding of the gasket and still fit the headers? I'm actually considering just using the MSA header I have for now until I can save some more dollars for the ZStory headers and hopefully, the tariffs will expire as well! I've also read that the turbo oil pan may not fit into the 240 because of the sump being in a different spot from the 240 pan, and causing interference with the crossmember, but I haven't been able to confirm that either.

Thanks Captain! This is more the info I was looking for. I guess I will be able to verify once my assortment of plugs arrive from Mcmaster.

I'm also planning on removing the water tubes that run through the intake manifold. Are these BSPT as well? I'll find out soon enough, I suppose.

Did you read my post?

Now THAT is the info. I was looking for! THANK-YOU!

When I spoke with Sean @ ZStory, he recommended the Street-sport or Race-sport for my build. I'm leaning towards the street-sport, but as my build increases in cost, I may just re-use the MSA header I have for now and get the ZStory later, especially with the tariffs and all...

Yep. Been down all those paths and I STILL don't know (for sure) what size they actually are. I see what you used, but I don't think you used what was intended to go in those holes. I've seen more references to BSPT than anything else, so I suspect that is what it is. There are MANY holes that can be plugged on these cars; holes in the block, holes in the exhaust manifold, holes in the thermo housing, etc. Looks like some may be just metric threads (which are a parallel thread), some are BSPT (I'm presuming, will confirm) and some others may be BSPP. I also googled, "240z balance tube plugs" as was suggested in the thread you linked to, and many of the resources provided by Google were links to places where one could purchase said plugs, but they were not identified as to which size or threadform they were, in fact, a couple of the sellers provided two different plugs with two different threadforms and said both, "will work". Call me picky, but I prefer to use the proper fitting when a threaded hole is provided.

So....on this same topic, does someone have the definitive answer as to what size the balance tube holes were originally tapped to? How about the outlet ports on the thermostat housing? When I bought my '71, the PO had roughly carved a plug out of wood and wrapped a piece of bailing wire around the balance tube and over the plug to hold it in....I drove it that way until I pulled the engine for my current L28 swap project. At one point, I picked up an NPT plug and tried to plug it but realized the NPT was not the factory fit, so I put the wood back in and left it 😄 (Now that I think about it, that may have been a contributor the obnoxious gas fumes....) LOL. Now I am looking to properly plug all of the unused holes and would like to know what standard was used at the factory so I can acquire the proper plugs. I have done quite a bit of searching on this topic and have not found any definitive answers. At some point, I'd like to Identify all the sizes and compile a list for the Z community to avoid future "mashing" of the wrong size plugs into parts that are becoming harder and harder to find in good condition. I just placed an order with McMaster-Carr for 1/8 and 1/4 BSPT and BSPP plugs and will use them to check the different port sizes (that is, IF I can remove all of the rusty OEM fittings!!! LOL).

I assumed he was mourning the loss of another turbo block to N/A..............

Yes. I've had the turbo motor sitting here for a decade, and the original plan was to go turbo, but I changed my mind and want to keep it N/A and make it what I might have done back in the day to hop it up for a, "somewhat period-correct street rod" that is clean and simple under the hood, with not a lot of spaghetti or that immediately looks like it has been modded. Of course, I want to keep it easily-returnable to its stock configuration and will be keeping the original, numbers-matching L24 and the rest of the original bits. My plan is to bore to 89mm add flat-top pistons and new rods, L-Spec Datsun-worked head (shaved, ported, new springs, SS valves, valve guides, stage 2 or 3 cam and cam tower shims). I just purchased the A123 electronic ignition distributor, Champion radiator with fans and will be doing the GM alternator conversion, light flywheel, performance damper, turbo oil pump and keeping the dual SU's. More than I bargained for, but I think I will end up with a really nice driver that will satisfy my butt dyno!

I've searched and I've searched. I've read threads that Google linked to on other sites (Hybridz, zcar, etc), but the posts were so poorly written, I am still in need of an answer! You guys here never let me down, so here's my question; I am building an L28 (F54/P90, N/A with dual SU) that I will be swapping into my '71 (12/70) 240Z. The F54 came from a 1981 280ZX Turbo. Will there be any clearance problems with the L28 turbo oil pan? If so, Can I simply use the oil pan from the 240Z on the F54? I plan on running ZStory headers and I think I've heard whispers that there may be interference issues with the L28 pan/heat shield? What is the sage advice from all of you that have walked this path before me........