Zed Head

I was going to mention the safety factor also. So many other families are buying giant SUV's and trucks so that they will be the survivors of the accident. The Z started as a sports car, light weight and meant to move. I don't even know why they came up with a 2+2 (no offense to the 2+2 people and their memories). Aside from just accident survivabilty, there's the distraction factor. You don't want to be distracted in a Z, awareness is your best defense. I would not want to get T-boned in a Z by a giant Ford Diesel F850 or whatever number they're up to now.

Cracked head, corroded/cracked front cover, condensation. How much water? How long have you had the engine?

There was a TSB issued about the hose rerouting in 1977. Apparently it was a "fix it if people complain" type of TSB, if people came in with a sticking throttle. It's shown in Humble's Restore book.

The local news stations have really been beating on them. Interviewing people who had bad service. They're taking some serious heat.

Wolf Creek Racing. http://www.wolfcreekracing.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=72&Itemid=61

There's not much room in the back of a 2+2. You might take your family out and fit them in the back for a test drive. Plus, an old Z will probably have some smells. The kids and wife will be complaining. John Coffey was working on something like a desert rally car, I believe, but I don't think they lower off-road cars. They raise them.

The basic idea is that when you torque the bolts down the rubber of the bushing is clamped in to place. It flexes rotationally forward and backward, internally in the meat of the bushing material, as the suspension moves, but the outer and inner surfaces stay locked in place. So there's no sequence, it's just a matter of getting the outer and inner surfaces located at the normal ride height of the car. Basically, you leave the bolts loose, set the car down, roll it back and forth to get the wheels to spread to their normal position, rock it up and down a few times, then lay on your back and reach underneath to torque the bolts. Or drive it up on ramps so you can get under it. If you're using polyurethane bushings, none of this matters because they rotate inside the mounts. They need grease to stop squeaking.

I couldn't say, my opinion has no backing, I've gone cheap. I think that I have an OReilly MC in my car and it has worked fine, but have been burned on a reman slave cylinder. It was dirty inside and failed within about 8 months. Considering the difficulty of replacement I might go with one of the better known brands. I don't know who's out there these days though.

If I recall correctly, the axle will put a dent in the cap on the hub side and wear on it if it's too long. Hope it works. Good luck. You know the big bolts are missing from your control arms, right? Next year? It's only August.

These guys are well-known and established around here. Looks like they're milking their reputation. Beware. http://www.oregonlive.com/window-shop/index.ssf/2016/08/leifs_auto_complaints.html#incart_2box

There are actually two seals in the master cylinders - one to push the fluid and another to keep the fluid in the bore after the pusher seal passes the reservoir port. Sounds like your pushing seal doesn't have tight contact with the bore and is shrinking/relaxing to smaller diameter in the bore when there's no activity to create back pressure. I bet a new seal or new MC would fix the problem. I think that there's a variety of seals and cylinders out there though and the remans might use a bigger seal. Best bet might just be a new MC.

Does he say this every time? - " I am a Z collector and will be offering some of my more rare and sought after cars for sale in the coming weeks... " He has a 78 280Z and a Roadster fro sale also - http://www.ebay.com/sch/harmony01/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_ipg=&_from=

When you say "lose prime" do you mean that the pedal is up but when you press it ti goes to the floor without actuating the clutch cylinder? Or do you mean the pedal has dropped to the floor and has to be lifted up and pressed a few times before it stays up? Is any fluid lost or does the fluid level stay the same, even though the "prime" is gone? Don't know what "prime" means.

You might also check the power transistor wires and the ground circuit of the mounting bracket. It's very exposed and the wires aren't very durable. Plus I think that the transistor grounds through the bracket, so a dirty or loose bracket can affect its operation. The whole thing looks cobbled together, like it's from Radio Shack. Check it, clean it, tighten things up, and use a meter to verify grounds.

But what does the tachometer needle do? Usually there are other things that happen that can give a clue about the main problem. Here's a link to the HEI module conversion - http://www.zdriver.com/forums/240z-280zxt-s30-s130-tech-tips-275/turbo-ignitor-swap-upgrade-chevy-hei-27569/

When does it miss? All the time, even at idle? Accelerating, cruising... What is the tachometer needle doing when it's missing? Try to distinguish between a fuel problem and an ignition problem. Maybe your power transistor is dying. Considering the time you're spending, switching to the HEI module might be worth a shot. $25. The injectors all fire at the same time, even on the turbo engines. Sequential injection didn't show up until in the 90's. Just sayin'...

Looks like the hood vents aren't broken yet, although the hood is. Back lights not bad, rims might be okay except they're probably curb-rashed from the stretched tires. This is about like the parts car I bought. Engine's in my 76 right now. http://portland.craigslist.org/clc/cto/5746677801.html Edit - @Mark Maras

I think that's starting bid. eBay says "0 bids" so far. It has some rust, some in odd places. Check behind the left headlight bucket. Sutherlin is waaay down I-5. Farm country. The description says that there's a Dannys Datsun down there.

79 is probably the L24E engine, with the "MN47" head. It's the same basic engine as used n the 240Z, 260Z and 280Z, but designed for efficiency and emissions control. Somebody was recently giving away a Maxima in Indiana. That engine would fit, probably perfectly. Or the head would swap over easily. Cam and rocker arm swaps can lead to new problems. Found it - http://forums.hybridz.org/topic/125917-one-owner-1984-nissan-maxima-come-and-get-it/

One more thing - the 4 speeds have a plate that bolts on to the the top that none of the 5 speeds have. That's the best tell.

Just spitballing, but is it an early B or a later B case? I don't think the later B cases, 81-83, came in a 4 speed version. Are you turning the input shaft while you try? Could be just synchro gear teeth points jammed together. The later 5 speed later cases also have a 5th gear lockout mechanism. Don't know if it jams up or not, but it would be an outwardly visible sign of it actually being a 5 speed.

The T/C rods are much much easier to install with the car on the ground and suspension compressed. The extra length of your assembly would be because the new shocks extend farther. May not be directly tied to full travel.

You mentioned looking for data about going from 83 to 86 so I thought you were working with an L24. Going from 86 to 87 if there's no problems wouldn't make sense even if it were free, I'd say. Unintended consequences, plus you take 1mm of life off of the block. Might as well go to 89. And stroke it. Deja vu.... Good luck. You know about these engine calculators right? They're fun to play with. http://www.ozdat.com/ozdatonline/enginedesign/

The increase in displacement will far outweigh any effect from increased piston mass. The increased mass would only be a factor for very high RPM engines. But there are already big engines available. 280Z or 280ZX L28's. I wrote the thing below up a while ago but didn't post it, but might as well. I ballparked an L24 at 150 HP. No offense but you might do some reading on general methods for increasing engine power. David Vizard is known for writing good material. I'm no expert myself but I can see that you might be getting distracted with some of the racing engine factors, like piston weight at 10,000 RPM. You are pretty far away from that concern. An overbore to 86mm gives 7.4% more displacement. If you can get the same power per unit of displacement that's 7.4% more power. So a 150 HP 2.4 liter engine gets bumped up to a 160.5 HP 2.6 liter engine. 10 HP for the cost of the new pistons, rings, etc. Notice that's about the same as the stroke change to 2.6 liter. Mass of the pistons doesn't really affect power output. 87mm gives 9.9% more. 2.629 liter, 165 HP. You could just buy an L28 and get 17% more displacement. More stroke and an 86mm bore. Seems like designing pistons might not be cost-effective considering all of the other limitations in the stock engine design. It's been said, but the power gains are in the head. Most people leave the bottom end alone until they get the top end working right, as I understand things. The short block is very basic and very durable. The head is poorly designed and full of potential problems.

Sounds like you're still having problems getting the pump to pump. It really shouldn't be that difficult, unless there's a problem with the pump or the inlet lines to the pump. If you want to try some things without disassembling everything, you could remove the valve cover and actuate the pump lever by hand. The pump mechanism and drive eccentric are right there, easy to get to. Disconnect the fuel lines, place the inlet side in a cup of gas and the outlet inside in an empty cup and see if the pump moves fuel, by moving the lever. That's all the camshaft does, is move that lever back and forth. Turn the engine over so that the lever is on the small side of the eccentric so that you're operating it in the normal rage of motion. Who knows, the eccentric might have fallen off or the lever might have broken. Quick examination and test.