Zed Head

It's a switch. 100% to one path, or 100% to another. They get dirty. You can take them apart and clean them or just squirt contact cleaner in and work the contacts.

All I can say is, yep, follow the path. Good luck.

The path. it's all about the path...

Steve makes good points. The wiring diagram in the Body Electrical chapter of the FSM is your best bet. It shows a little drawing of the dimmer I think as part of the schematic. And, as he says, there is no relay. Just wires to the switch then the fuse box, the lights, the dimer, etc. So that needs figuring. Pretty sure that there's a separate specific wire with its own connector for thew ground (not a short) of the headlights. It would be shown in the schematic. Maybe it worked loose. No offense, but you'll have to get up on your electrics terminology. A "short" mans the electricity got away from the path it was supposed to follow. Took a short cut. It's all about proper paths, making the electricity work.

Double bummer, because now your new MT-90 is full of particulated bearing. Oh well. Edit - that's the 5 speed that had the crunched up reverse gear, right?

I was going to mention the thickness. They definitely feel thicker. Could be a problem since I think that new pads take up almost all of the space. I took the pictures on top of a set of pads that had shims already stuck. So, if a person had those they might have to remove the pre-stuck shims. BUT, as you can see, the pre-stuck shims also have holes. So you could remove the pre-stuck shims and cut them to look like the MSA shims, and them use them as free-hanging shims. If I didn't have my old beat up Nissan shims that's what I'd try. Actually disappointed that I didn't think of it back when I was messing with squeal.

The range of engagement is partially a function of the marcel spring. The wavy one between the friction surfaces. It compresses, but allows early contact of the surfaces. Some interesting technology in those simple looking parts. http://www.motoiq.com/MagazineArticles/ID/1429/Clutch-Technology-Part-3-Clutch-Disc-Construction.aspx Good luck with the 'cane. Florida's just a big sand spit though, so should drain pretty quickly.

Did you check the dimmer switch? At the base of the turn signal. It's a common cause of "no headlights". It's the ground point for the lights.

The Wagner shims arrived today. Here's some pictures. Looks like they might have less contact than the MSA/Nissan shims but might still work I'm going to guess that the partial coverage puts a cocking load on the piston, maybe causing a little bit of binding that damps the vibration..

Saw this article about winter grade gas coming two weeks early. Hot weather + winter grade could = hot start/heat soak. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-09-01/valero-seeks-texas-help-to-ship-more-gasoline-after-harvey

Cut the shim with two "ears" on the side and bend them over and you'll have a self-locating shim that will probably hold itself in place also. Curious though, and just to be rigorous - are you sure that the mislocated shim reduced flow enough to cause the problem? Often those big passages connect to smaller passages and can't flow that much anyway. Probably doesn't matter since you're rebuilding, but sometimes the obvious thing isn't really what it seems.

Shiny.

I think that EFI engines can handle more radical cam profiles because the fuel metering is more precise. But Nissan used the exact same profile and lift for the 1973 240Z and 1976 280Z. It's in the Engine Mechanical chapter. Kind of weird.

Your posts usually have clarity but this one does not. "Measurement of the hole". From where? Looks about 3/16" in diameter.

12.05 at the battery and 11.33 at the module means that something is drawing current and that there is resistance on the path. Could be a short in the module.. Not really clear where you measured at the module. 12.05 also means that your battery is almost dead. It should be at least 12.6. Your grandfather was probably right but it's always good to confirm. That 260Z module is one of the very first designs, so probably probably to failure. The 260Z was the first Z to get electronic ignition. I'm not really a survivalist but I like their chart. http://modernsurvivalblog.com/alternative-energy/battery-state-of-charge-chart/

I guess you made free-hanging shims from the stick-on Autozone shims. You had to pry them off. I'm confused about what came with your pads, and what you ended up using that worked.

I have the D161 pads on my car too. I didn't get the hanging 1/2 shims though, I think I got full size stick on. They must have changed something. But, here's a thing - the ones that I replaced had full-size shims with holes for hanging, but also had glue for sticking. IF I recall right, they were pre-stuck. I hope yours didn't have release paper over glue that was supposed to be removed. Just saying... It does make me thing though, that I could remove the stick on shims from the pads I didn't like, remove the glue, and cut them in half, and use them as free-hanging shims. Anyway, hope it keeps working. I'm going to assume that covering only a portion of the piston is a key design element, since two companies, at least, make them that way.

Could you post a picture of the shims? You said that they only cover half but you didn't say that they were the hanging style. Got the impression that they were stick on, from your post.

Hagerty shows the lowly 73 240Z as sitting at $35,000 for a "good" one. And their values are supposed to be base on actual sales. Must be the from the bigger auctions. Different worlds. https://www.hagerty.com/apps/valuationtools/1973-datsun-240z

Good point, I didn't make that connection. I'll bet that i don't see them for months. Not a big deal.

That's two good finds! Don't be intimidated by all of the wires on the ignition module. The ones you need are under that red strip of plastic. It's a terminal block with a spot and a screw for each wire. You'll see when you take the spare out of your parts car. Might want to snap a picture for reference of where each color wire goes. Easier than digging through eh FSM.

This is kind of funny. Rockauto says the order has shipped already. Should just be four thin parts in an envelope, USPS. But it's expected to arrive in eleven days. Do they still use Pony Express? Even that would be faster. Might be cool enough by then to try a set out. Supposed to have a heat wave next week, so no tire removal happening then. Apparently, creating a label is "Shipped!" to Rockauto.

How bad and how long? Sticky valves, rusty parts, etc. can happen if it's been sitting for years. My original engine ran better after giving it a hard run. The valve seals were worn and I think that they maybe softened up for a short while after a good beating, plus clearing out the oil in the combustion chamber. Anyway, a year sitting is a lot different than ten.

Just ordered a set from Rockauto. $4.46 shipped, USPS. Noticed that it's a wholesaler closeout though, with a 3 day delay, and that they don't look anything at all like the other shims for the other cars they're supposed to fit. Hope they're not made of cardboard. Wagner is a reputable brand though.