Zed Head

If you do use the MSD adapter with their scheme you might insert a potentiometer in between the 8920 and the tach. That will allow you to control current through the tach. As it stands the adapter might just be a wide open low resistance path to ground. Who knows. Add the pot., and just open it up until the tach starts working. Wouldn't be a surprise either if you put the old ballast there and it worked. The adapter wiring looks a lot like ignition module wiring.

One big difficulty in working with the MSD box is that there are no good specs on what the wires and adapter actually do. Vague words about tach triggers, and outputs, and adapters. If they could just tell somebody something useful like "the gray wire produces a 12 volt square wave of approximately ___ amps for each trigger from the distributor" and "the 8920 adapter is a ballast-type resistor of ~ ___ ohms at ambient temperature" then you could match the specs to the original 240Z system specs. They do say that the Gray wire produces a 12 volt square wave of 20% duty cycle. No info on current though and there doesn't seem to be a fuse. If you can find anybody at MSD that can tell you how these adapters actually function and more about the Gray wire then somebody out here could probably figure out how to make it work on the 240Z. There are probably guys that can use that 20% duty cycle square wave info and get it done without the 8920. MSD would probably sell more boxes but fewer adapters. Good luck. Here's more info from the web. http://documents.msdperformance.com/8920.pdf http://documents.msdperformance.com/6425.pdf

Just fleshed out a thought on why the 240Z tach has so many problems with the ignition modifications. Maybe SteveJ or CO or one of the other engineering types can ponder it. The 240Z tach is designed to count current pulses, in series with a "6 volt" ignition system. When people upgrade to high energy (high current) systems, like the MSD or the ZX module, the current is too high for the tachometer. The only way to bring the current down to a useful range would be to throttle the current and go back to a "6 volt" type system. This is why the Pertronix system works but the high energy systems don't. Maybe there's a way to bleed some current through the tach on a parallel. branch. High current to the coil, low current to the tach. Not sure how that could be accomplished, but it seems like it should work. Maybe two ignition (circuit breaker) modules, one for the tach and one for the coil.

Check this out. Zoom in and you can see the spring clip. There must be something out there for the L24, 26 and 28. Hard to beat $20 for a fresh AZ pump though. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Water-Pump-Rebuild-Kit-FOR-Nissan-Datsun-1600-Bluebird-P510-L13-L16-1967-Onwards-/281852998385

Here's an informative video I found while looking for Blue's. Couldn't find his. I have an old leaking pump but it doesn't have the spring clip. 9011-12 is the number on it. Don't know if it's Nissan or aftermarket. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1x3-R2l03Q

from what I've read over the years the MSD guys will only tell you what should work. But not what does. They don't know, they're just reading the same instructions you are. Here's a collection from the site. The one where the guy says he gets tach action but it's not right kind of indicates that some signal-conditioning would help. The current passing through the tachometer is either too noisy, or too high or too low, I would think. The tach adapters that MSD sells are probably just resistors or capacitors or a combination of both, packaged up to look nice. Good luck. As you can see, many efforts just fade away with no resolution. http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/topic/45926-msd-6al-280zx-dizzy-240z-tach/ http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/topic/46852-71-240z-msd-6a-install-tach-issues/ http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/topic/11686-msd-6a-installation-with-280zx-distributor-and-240z-tach/ http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/topic/44494-msd-installation-stock-73-distributor-msd6al-and-8910-tach-adapter/

3M makes good stuff. The polish uses light oils as a carrier for the abrasive. So some of that immediate shine is probably from the oils absorbing in/on to the paint. If your dullness is from microfine scratches it will probably help. If you have a mirror smooth finish already that still looks dull, maybe not. The 3M product looks like what you'd use to get that final polish done. Not really clear what your issue is though. You said " the problem may be from prep prior to painting" which kind of implies that you're seeing a non-smooth finish, like orange peel or something. Patcon mentioned it in #6. If you're seeing something that projects through the paint film then you'll just be polishing bumps. That's a different problem. Maybe take a close-up picture that shows the defect. A smooth finish will reflect a crisp image. Get the camera in the picture as a reflection. Or your feet. http://3mcollision.com/3m-finesse-it-ii-machine-polish-05928.html#moreInfoDetails http://multimedia.3m.com/mws/mediawebserver?mwsId=SSSSSuUn_zu8l00xm8tZP8_9lv70k17zHvu9lxtD7SSSSSS--

That's a good point. I overlooked the 6AL part. The other view would be, you don't need the 6AL with the black box/module. That ZX distributor should really be looked over either way. They're not very durable, the stator magnet tends to break and the shaft bushings tend to wear out. Along with the usual rust on the breaker plate bearings. Overall, it's kind of a complex swap, lots to worry about and problems to solve. Pretty sure I've seen problems with the 280Z tachs and the MSD boxes also. There are probably more posts out there on the internet about MSD boxes and Z car tach problems than any other ignition system.

Can't tell you how to make sure that the tach works but I do know that you can drive the car while you try to figure it out. The ignition system will work fine even if the tach needle doesn't move correctly. I would look at the wring diagrams for the two cars and just figure it out if you can (http://www.classiczcars.com/files/). Other people's wiring schemes can get weird. It's just a path for current to flow through the coil, with a circuit breaking mechanism (points or module) along the way. The Atlanticz procedure seems to work well although it is for replacing an electronic module. Note the recommendations on checking the internals of the distributor. If it's not a recent reman there may be rust and problems inside. https://web.archive.org/web/20160310225616if_/http://atlanticz.ca/zclub/techtips/distributor/index.html https://web.archive.org/web/20160326030530if_/http://atlanticz.ca/zclub/techtips/distributorrebuild/index.html https://web.archive.org/web/20160307232447if_/http://atlanticz.ca/zclub/techtips/electrical.htm

I think that the bearings go bad because the seal leaks and lets water get to them. So the rumbly bearings are a sign of a bad seal. And the seal is going to leak more when the system is pressurized. Might not leak much at zero pressure differential, so hard to see at the beginning. The fluid that leaks is going to be warm and be blown back on to a hot engine. So you could get steam without blowing the radiator seal. I'd imagine that the only sign you might find is a very clean area around the weep hole. Maybe fan shaped. Just trying to figure out how you get an engine bay full of steam without running low on coolant. If the gauge was still in the right range you probably did dodge the head warpage bullet.

So what happened? The seal and bearings went bad on the old pump and you had a slow fluid leak? Out the weep hole? How did the old pump look? You didn't give it to AZ as a core did you? Learning opportunity here... And no over-temp on the gauge?

Here's some more load for Cooper's brain. You can buy the collar's separately. The pivot balls, that screw in to the transmission, are identical though. http://www.zcarsource.com/clutch-collar-240z-260z-280z-280zx-300zx_8_56460.html http://www.zcarsource.com/clutch-fork-240z-260z-280z-280zx-300zx_8_56450.html

And that's where it all goes wrong for people. They buy for a car that has probably had the clutch replaced several times. There are still kits that come with collars out there. Brute on Rockauto. At least their picture shows a collar/sleeve.

Anybody got the parts CD or fiche collection? It would be interesting to see which factory parts interchange over the years. 1974 had the non-adjustable slave rod, but it's lumped in with 1970 which has the adjustable rod. And that's the Type B and the Type A transmissions. Could be that the suppliers just don't want to get in to the interchangeability mess and are relabeling parts as different when they're not. I'd hate to be the guy on the phone trying to explain this.

Looks like a good start for a project. New parts alone add some value. http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/cto/5818405698.html Don't know the person. From the ad below. His number pops up if you click Reply at the top. Let me torture somebody - @Mark Maras " Im really sad to have to sell this, and would love to put the work into it, but with school, work, and life, I just do not have the time and I would love to see someone else get this thing back on the road or use it to repair something else they've got in the works. Its a beautiful beast and I hope someone can make something of it. Im asking $750 OBO, its got basically a new set of tires on it, and Ive replaced the alternator, radiator, many hoses, and a variety of other things. I was replacing the head gasket when our wedge slipped. The tensioner gave in and now I need to go deeper in the engine, but I dont have the time or place to do it. I need to get rid of it soon so call/text me! I may be able to figure out towing options, just give me a call. "

Here's a couple of old, somewhat rambling, threads about fitting the clutch parts together. http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/topic/53029-could-it-be-a-slipping-clutch/ http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/topic/47034-please-help-id-my-transmission-year-clutch-replacement-gone-sideways/

Update about the PosiQuiet ceramic pads - don't like them, replaced them with inexpensive Autozone Duralast organic pads. The PosiQuiets just seemed too slick, the bite didn't increase proportionally with pedal pressure. Kind of felt like they were slightly wet and never dried out. They looked fine when removed, as did the rotor. The Autozone pads were just the bare essentials, not even the cheap stick on shims on the back, just bare metal. Used the Nissan shims. Pretty much a basic, cheap brake job. But the brake feel is back, and they're quiet.

Not to butt in, but until it's seen you can't really tell which pressure plate and collar you have. Everything from 70-83 is interchangeable, and there's a lot of aftermarket possibilities. The adjustable slave rod goes with the fork with a hole in it, so he could have a 280Z clutch with 240Z fork and slave rod. So many combinations possible... The engines been modified for power. Wouldn't be a surprise to find a CenterForce clutch in there.

Mazda's on the "This part of the business..." page. Odd that they don't have a click-through to more details (found some stuff, see below). I'd only use a credit card and contest the purchase if it didn't show up in a timely fashion. Could be bankruptcy and that can take a lot of other peoples' money with it. http://www.blackdragonauto.com/ Edit - Found some stuff - https://www.facebook.com/BlackDragonAuto/ http://www.powerofthedragon.com/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=FB_Farewell_SOC&utm_medium=Social&utm_content=Farewell#welcome

Surface preparation is key. especially on cured paint. You'd want to find a good shop and let them know what kind of paint you had sprayed and what you've done to it since. If you've used certain waxes to shine it up it might not be a good candidate anymore for a clear coat. But it is done in the repair business, so the expertise is out there. Look through some of these videos. https://www.google.com/webhp?tab=ww&ei=dq5PVNe5B8j8igLU9ICABg&ved=0CAMQ1S4#q=clear+coat+automotive&tbm=vid

Most new cars today have a clear coat on top of the color coat. It adds a lot of depth and shine and holds it even as it gets dirty. So if you're comparing yours to a new car's paint job, a single coat can't really compete. A clear coat on top of what you have would help, and might not cost much. Stick a piece of clear packing tape on to a hidden spot and you'll see the effect. Hidden, just in case you can't get it off.

Don't the friction materials char and glaze after a few extreme slippages? The flywheel can heat check too. Clutch and transmission problems tend to make people angry, which leads to cursing, abuse, and more problems. The reverse problem could just be a simple hydraulics need bleeding problem.

What's wrong with it?

Why replace the HG? Lost track of the original problem. Make sure to study the dirty parts before you clean things up. Clues.

Pretty sure it's fairly easy to scale the injector duration up after you correct the injector flow rate. There might even be an auto-scale function in MS. The one thing that everyone who runs Megasquirt eventually agrees on, is that every map is different. But really, this is not a Megasquirt forum. Madkaw is the only guy on here that is using it I think. You want to be on Hybridz.org or one of the Megasquirt support forums. This site is good for everything else though.