Zed Head

So it's basically just a list of Scarabs that two guys who own/owned Scarabs have. Who started calling it "The Scarab Registry"? And what is the web page that texasz (Allan?) is working on about? Does he know Trevor and Craig? The cars and their history look interesting but I hope it's not one of those cliquey clubs. I'd like to know more about them. Hopefully people will share some knowledge. Seems like combining and validating what's out there would be a good idea before people disappear with what they have. Internet information, contrary to early hopes, does not last forever.

The "splash board", as Nissan calls it, belly pan or splash pan to most of us, is kind of a mysterious part. It's not mentioned at all in the Cooling chapter, but the shroud is. I've never seen any actual temperature measurements, but beandip does say his car handled differently without it. Might be one of those assumptions that happen occasionally. Maybe it's just for splashes. Seems like Nissan would have called it a shroud and/or mentioned its importance if it was designed for cooling. Who knows. beandip, #3 here - http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/topic/21260-splash-pans/ Found this old article about overheating. Actually has some interesting stuff that was covered here recently, on temperature switches and sensor resistance charts. http://www.jrdemers.com/280ZX/overheat/overheat.html

That's a good point. 1974 is the last of that set of ratios. It's 1975 and on that has the big 2-3 jump that people don't like. A 1974 4 speed is not the same as the typical 280Z 4 speed. Might be worth putting in the title also.

Don't forget that the fan is for very low speeds and idling. Doesn't have much effect once you're moving. A full shroud would be a good next step if you don't have one.

You put For Sale in your title. Maybe edit it to For Free? To add to Patcons' comment, many of us have our old 4 speeds in the garage, From our own 5 speed conversions. And don't throw it away. Somebody will give $50 just for the front case, so they can convert a late model 5 speed (the 71C) to fit the L6 engine.

Mine's been leaking and I had a clutch slipping episode in a parking lot a short while back. Tried to squirt ahead and all I got was noise, then a bad smell. I'd been expecting it but hoped I'd get lucky. My leak takes a while to manifest after parking in the garage, a day or two, I assume because the oil is sprayed around the cavity between plate and engine then leaks down and out. Was your leaking seal just the round one on the crankshaft or the side seals also? I think I left the rear seal alone in my current used engine because it looked okay when I had the flywheel off. But it was ten years + old, three yeara ago

If you're sticking your meter probes on the cable ends you'll see what the alternator puts out but it may not be reaching the battery. So that bad connection needs fixing. Your voltage numbers look fine, it doesn't seem like you have a charging problem. The sparks and relays clicking show that you have a wiring problem that is leaving things powered up when the key is off. That's why your battery dies while sitting. You need to find that wiring problem. But the alternator and regulator seem okay. Try to figure out which relay is clicking and it will give a clue about the wiring problem.

Looks like you might be doing things on the fly. That doesn't work well for the fuel injected cars. Download the Factory Service Manual and Turbo Supplement and get things set to specification. Fuel pressure is measured in psi, and yours is waaayy high.

Did anything come though, like air, or was the line blocked? This looks like your strongest test result. Seems like there are enough clues in the thread to figure something out. If if you connected a good powerful pump to the correct line in the engine bay and got nothing through the line then there probably is a clog. If you got air you might just have an empty tank. If you could describe in detail this pumping operation you might save yourself some time. Just saying, there are small details missing that might have meaning.

"Refurbish" for old tanks often means using tank sealer to cover up rust that can't be removed and pinholes. Could be that yours wasn't fully cured and has sagged down over the outlet port. Really though, you're just going to have to do more than work with the end of the hose at the filter in the engine bay. You're just guessing at things, like gasoline solidifying in the lines. That's not going to happen, even after years. It's just a metal tank, with some holes, and some hose and metal line leading to the engine bay. You could pick any junction between the filter and tank and loosen a hose clamp and you'll know more. It will either be dry or wet.

When you connect or disconnect the negative cable at the battery do you see any sparks or hear any relays clicking? You might see the tiniest of sparks from the clock power draw but sizable sparks and/or relays clicking would show that you have something turning on that would drain your battery.

Don't forget engine movement, on rubber mounts.

Are you sure that you didn't get your vent and liquid lines mixed up? I think that there's a check valve in the vent line. There is on the 280Z's, do't know about 260Z's. And if you have an electric pump in the back it might have a check valve also. So blowing air back to the tank might be the wrong test. I'd loosen the line at the tank nipple and see if any fuel leaks out. And blow air forward.

I think that Dave WM took a switch apart and replaced the guts with a common thermal switch. @Dave WM I was suggesting that the the 280Z switch would perform the same function, just using a different ground point. Or you could replace the loop with a bullet and have the same connections. If you can find one. Good luck.

The rings should fit the groove in the piston, so 1.5mm could be right if the groove is 1.5mm. There's a spec. for side clearance. Too big and the ring will get slammed up and down as the piston moves.

Where is the Registry? Can't find a link. I'm reading different things about standard features. Don't want to load up your thread. Just asking what you're planning. texasz was last on the forum October 2015. @texasz http://forums.hybridz.org/topic/104678-v8-scarab-registrationnumberinglogos/page-2

Probably depends on the vendor and how they drilled and machined the flywheel.

Found this. https://web.archive.org/web/20110415000000*/http://www.pape.ws/allan_and_rosanne/Z-Car_Stuff/Scarab/ https://web.archive.org/web/20110601104437/http://www.pape.ws/allan_and_rosanne/Z-Car_Stuff/Scarab/ Another - http://datsunforum.com/the-scarab-legend-the-original-hybrid-datsun-z/ Good luck.

Funny, the guy in that classiczcars.com thread, texasz, who said the information would always be available because he owned the server, apparently let it lapse. Maybe one of those wayback machines can find it. Randalla, how are you going to restore the car if you don't know how it was built? Just curious, that's why I asked about specs. Looks like somebody already took your beetle badges.

Looks like fun. Do you have any specs on the modifications? Engine, suspension, etc. And no pictures of the engine? That was a major part of the Scarab conversion I thought.

Trolls trolling the Troll thread with likes. Gotta love it. It's in the DNA.

Three gallons is not much and means more lifting effort from the pump. Any tilt and you might be off the pickup. There's a test in the FSM for fuel pump "power". Don't forget that the filter has to fill.

I have a 1976 280Z and the ignition system control switch is the two wire type, but with a loop that grounds through a bolt head instead of a bullet. The wire usually breaks off and the switch becomes worthless. The're a fairly decent picture in the Emissions chapter. Included below. I found a similar picture of a 1972 thermo housing. But they only show the sender. Pyros2, does the part you're trying to replace look like the picture you posted or are you assuming that ti does? You might be able to use the later EFI temp switch. The systems all seem to run both the EGR and the dual ignition, using a relay. The FSM range is close though, 57 - 63 F. "Warmer than cold" seems to be the goal.

I'd offer - don't get distracted "fixing" things that don't have anything to do with your problem(s). Your dying problem here seems like a large clue of some kind. If it started and ran well enough to get out of the driveway then died when you gave it some throttle, it should have started and ran again. The odds of some guy at Advance Auto actually knowing something about 1973 240Z carburetors seems astronomical. I'd guess that he just turned the big obvious knobs until something happened and tried to sound knowledgeable. I could be wrong. There's an N on your alternator indicating externally regulated. One more clue that it's stock. There's a 50 and 60 amp option according to the FSM. Your ammeter should tell you if things are okay. The fact that the battery has enough juice to start the car since you've had indicate that it's probably fine. Overall though, seems like you need a new friend. Who knows old Z cars.