Zed Head

The vacuum source for the vacuum advance is what they call "ported" vacuum. The port to the hose is closed when the throttle blade is closed and open as soon as the throttle blade comes off of the idle position. So with a timing light, at idle, you might see ten degrees. As soon as you open the throttle a little bit the timing will advance due to the vacuum advance, then as you rev it, the timing will advance even more due to the centrifugal. If you want to test the vacuum advance completely separately from RPM, connect the hose to manifold vacuum. The timing will jump up as soon as the vacuum is applied and drop back down when the hose is disconnected. Leave the hose disconnected and rev up the engine and you can see how the centrifugal is working. If you want to get really specific and measure how much of each you're getting, set your static timing to zero (you'll have to bump the idle up to keep the engine running), then measure vacuum as described with direct intake vacuum and centrifugal by RPM (rev until it stops increasing). You have to set static to zero to use the timing scale, unless you have a dial-back timing light. Vacuum is typically about 15-18 degrees extra, and centrifugal about 20, depending on your distributor parts.

Hey FW, that's a good idea but I think that the AAR is on the fuel pump power circuit. So if he takes the wire off of the starter solenoid and holds the key to Start, he should hear the fuel pump run and the AAR should get power. It does take a little while to close. But that could definitely be part of the high idle problem.

The Z31 master cylinder might not really an "upgrade". It is used to increase pumping volume for use with calipers that require more volume, I believe. If you don't change the calipers, you'll just be increasing pedal pressure to get the same braking force. For what it's worth, the brakes on the 240Z are pretty good. Many of the "upgrades" are more for show, or perceived benefit (these have to be better!) than actual benefit. You might browse through the forums and read up on brakes before spending the money and time.

You can buy straight lines already flared with fittings from most auto parts stores. Then bend them to shape. If the car is down, remove the line and take it with you to make sure on the fittings. Use a piece of string to get length. One option. Why are you asking about master cylinders and upgrading to fix a holed line?

How long has it been running since you replaced the filter and pump? Did you replace them because of a problem? Spark plugs don't go bad all together at the same time, so plugs is unlikely. Timing almost never changes dramatically enough to kill the engine either, unless the distributor breaks. Sudden death is usually electrical, like a bad coil or shorted wire. A simple check for spark by removing a spark plug, sticking it back on the plug wire, grounding the threads, cranking the engine and checking for spark will tell you a lot. Or use an old plug if you have one and do the same. Are you still running points in the distributor or do you have electronic ignition?

How about more information? Is it a 76? Did it run before, or did you just buy a non-running used car with clipped wires that you need for work? Have you checked for spark and fuel? Those are the two basics to look for if it turns over but doesn't fire.

How to properly torque a bolt can raise a lot of discussion. I've read that anti-seize is not recommended on the threads of critical fasteners because it's too slippery and will result in higher than designed tension on the bolt. Bolts that turn without tightening are quite often in the process of breaking (think about the last rusty bolt you thought was coming out then it broke instead). I hope that's not your case. As for retorquing, I think that it depends on the gasket. Some are called out as "no retorque". Here's a description from an actual anti-seize manufacturer on torquing fasteners- http://www.saftlok.com/safteze/antiseiz/index.htm Another interesting page - http://www.mechanicsupport.com/bolt_torque.html Google brings up a bunch on just "anti-seize" and "torque".

How is your ignition timing; static, vacuum advance and mechanical? Have you checked the breaker plate in the distributor (it allows the vacuum advance)? Maybe it's stuck. You can get a good idea of if things are working by watching a timing light and disconnecting the hose to the vac advance canister with the throttle off-idle (to open up the port), then leaving it disconnected and revving it up (to move the centrifugal advance). Retarded timing would cause a power loss. I would spend some time verifying things are working in the distributor.

How did you decide to put the thick side of the rubber bushing facing forward, or on the inside of the assembly? I looked at several used parts I have laying around (came with the salvage yard TC rods I bought) and it looked like Nissan had the thin edged part on the inside. I couldn't really "logic" out a preference and don't really know why they're designed that way, so I put the thin edge in the cup and left the thick edge on the washer, like the salvage parts.

The Harbor Freight 1,000 lb moving dollies are about perfect for holding an engine. Add a few boards cut to width on the bottom, and a couple of 2x4s to hold it upright. The wheels on mine don't swivel as easily as they could but I've had an engine on one for about 8 months now, just fine. Easily rolled around and in to corners for storage. I got the wooden one when they were only $18. http://www.harborfreight.com/material-handling/dollies.html

The diameter was too big. Probably just a plus tolerance in a minus hole. I just mentioned it as an example, sometimes things just don't fit. The second one tapped right in to the proper depth. By the way, the depth is important but it's not super-critical, it doesn't have to be perfect. The end of the mainshaft extends through the bushing, so a mm either way wouldn't matter.

I had one that was too big to go in as far as it should. I had to break it out with a chisel, get a different brand and try again.

They don't go bad that often, so a wrecking yard piece would probably be fine. Plus, you can pick the advance characteristics you want, by vacuum level and total advance, assuming you find the year of car with the right one. Most of the new ones I've seen don't have any specs. so you have no idea what you're getting. Later engines with EGR tended to have a lot more vacuum advance than early engines. Specs for the Nissans are in the FSMs.

Yes, it does look you've covered all the right tests. You might try to figure out why the CSV is on all the time, or run the tapping test without it connected (Edit 2 - looks like you've already done that by trying to run the car without it). I know the ECU has a CSV circuit, but can't remember how it works, I think that it only gets power at Start. I wonder if the CSV was shorted externally to the ECU, if it would cause the ECU to stop firing the injectors. Just a thought. You could unplug the CSV to remove the power and try the tapping test again, or check the CSV wiring for shorts. Check at the ECU pin to ground from the CSV pin, key Off. But the CSV spraying all the time and the injectors not firing is not a good sign for the ECU. Edit - if the CSV is on all the time, it seems to imply a short in the ECU or the ignition relay. If I understand my own notes, the CSV circuit in the ECU only gets power through the ignition relay during Start. But I don't know if it's a separate circuit to Pin 21 or if Pin 21 is a branch off of another ignition circuit. Worth a look. Check Pin 21 for power with the key at Run. Note that these are off the top of my head. The FSM wiring will tell you the CSV works in detail.

No need for pictures of your other cars. The excitement of a 240Z with an LS1 engine should wear down soon enough. Numbers from the LS1 240Z would be more interesting than pictures anyway, 1/4 mile times, track times, etc. That would be the point of the conversion, otherwise it's just a Z with a different than stock engine.

Be careful - Z-Whizz only has two likes so far! http://www.facebook.com/pages/Z-Whizz-Complete-Auto-Repair-and-Sales/154673671235685 From the autotrader ad, for the money invested, and the asking price, you'd think there would be more described. Like is the ZX diff an LSD, what kind of springs and struts (new Gabriels from 1980 or new Illuminas), maybe some HP and Tq numbers, a dyno chart, etc. Money spent doesn't guarantee quality made.

Waiting might be the ticket, if you can. I had the same thing, with a rusty stub sticking out of the block, about two vice-grip jaws worth. Over about two days I heated it, sprayed it with PB Blaster, let it cool, gave it a few torques to test it, then heated and sprayed again. Eventually one of the "torques" started it moving. Mine was broken because of coolant leakage and rust. The rust will fill every crevice over the thousands of heat cycles it sees, so the penetrant takes quite a while to penetrate through that.

Not even a weep. I think that it's a factory original 1978 engine, looks like it's never had work done on it.

I don't think that you'll be able to use the turbo distributor since the turbo ECU uses a Crank Angle Sensor (CAS) to control timing. No vacuum or mechanical advance in the turbo distributor, just spark distribution (and maybe the CAS, depending on year of L28ET). You might have to change the distributor drive shaft from the turbo motor oil pump also. I believe that it's different and fits the turbo distributor. Fairly simple to do, as I understand it. The turbo engines work well enough with low compression when off-boost so it should get you by with the 240Z distributor and carbs. Tuning the carbs could be a challenge. Don't forget to remove the adapter from the crankshaft if the turbo car was an automatic.

My heater control lever goes from cold to full hot within about 3 mm of lever movement. I've considered a better setup also. Maybe a ball valve with a cable (like a throttle or choke cable) run to the control lever. Really, the whole vacuum-operated AC control system could probably be removed and replaced with a simple set of cables. None of the settings really blow the right air at the right temperature to the right places. I spend about as much time adjusting the AC controls while driving as I do shifting gears.

No offense Hardway, but I wouldn't squirt any brake cleaner through the lines unless you know that you can get it all back out, which is unlikely with all of the twists and turns. It has a much lower boiling point than brake fluid and might screw things up if traces were left. Plus, the seals in the system aren't designed for brake cleaner. Seems like a good idea in concept, cleaning the lines out, but, kind of like engine crankcases should only have oil in them, brake systems should only have brake fluid. Brake fluid is actually a really good solvent itself, as many have found out when they got some on their paint.

Oliver at zspecialties.com knows all about them. Rebuilds them too, but only if the tube is intact. He usually answers e-mails. I think that you're right about its purpose as a control device. The idea is probably for BTU or calorie control, limiting flow as temperature (heat content) increases, so that you don't have to move the heat control lever as the engine heats up. The concept probably looked great on paper.

Are you sure it's not the slave or master cylinder of the clutch linkage? Reverse, since it's not synchromesh, is usually the first gear set to show the effects of bad clutch linkage.

If the voltmeter shows 12 or more volts but drops to zero when you turn the key to Start it might just be dirty battery cable connections. Pretty common.

You have to loosen the bolt in the center of the pulley also. Then you can tap on the top of the adjustment bolt to knock it down.