Zed Head

Here, six pictures down, is a shot of what might be your problem (as blue 72 implies). It is for 77 to ZX but atlanticz suggests that the 240 swap is the same. http://www.atlanticz.ca/zclub/techtips/distributor/index.html

Hope I'm not butting in but I had a couple of suggestions. Using a torch on the aluminum thermostat housing will help a lot in removing the stuck bolt. Aluminum expands quite a bit with heat. I just took a bunch of spare parts off a spare engine and several bolts would not budge until I hit them with a torch. Of course, you'll have to avoid burning wires, but even a short time heating will make a difference. The other thing I see is that, even though early indications with the AFM flap are that you might be running lean, your fuel pressure reading is too high. If the regulator is working correctly it should never go over 36.3, and on a running engine,with the vacuum hose connected to the regulator, pressure should be at 30 psi or lower, depending on manifold vacuum. Maybe your vacuum hose to the regulator is split or disconnected? The 36.3 psi number in the FSM is for a non-running engine, fuel pressure with no vacuum in the manifold, or with the vacuum hose disconnected. You can test the pump and regulator alone, engine not running, by removing the small wire from your starter and turning the key to Start. This will run the pump without cranking the engine. Just one more perspective...

I am pretty sure that there is a drawing in the Body section of the FSM, of each area of the body with parts called out by name.

MSA sells the 73-83 version for $22.95. 70-72 is $39.95. Or NAPA sells a 1973 version for $12.95. You could just use the boot and keep the cylinder for emergency, or paperweight.

He should connect with those Storm Chaser guys. No tornado's going to get enough air under there to lift it. It just looks like a nice car with broken air shocks. If I saw it beside the road somewhere I would stop and offer help.

The fusible link wire colors on the NARVA site you linked to don't translate to Datsun's data in size, from the FSM's. And they don't translate to Atlanticz's estimates of amp ratings. You could probably find comparable gauge but the continuous amp ratings don't match what others are using to determine size (max amps, I assume). Courtesy Nissan has an assortment of fusible links, in standard Nissan colors - http://www.courtesyparts.com/kb_search_result.php?chassis_id=0&keywords=fusible+link&Submit_Button=Go&cat=1

My 1976 model did not need the diode when I converted the internally regulated alternator. I think that the diode is needed only for the 240s and maybe the 260. The changeover might be when they went to voltmeters, from ammeters. Ammeters pass current, voltmeters don't (at least not in significant amount, by design)(as I understand things, from my limited electrical knowledge). The advice from MSD does not sound right. You can get the 1982 manual here, if you want to dig in to the wiring - http://www.xenons130.com/reference.html

I lam lovin' my EFI! It is smooth and clean running, and starts right up in the cold. Funky-P, I was talking to a guy doing a V-8 swap the other day and he mentioned that he is using an inexpensive relay he picked up at the auto parts store to get 12 volts to his fuel pump. Since you are deep in to your wiring diagrams, it might be a simple, cheap solution for you. I don't think that there is anything extraordinary about the Datsun relays. You could probably put together something that works for under $20.

It was probably a one hour ride in a real car...

Does the exposed box look like the attached picture? It would be the Air Flow Meter (AFM) then. Not a good sign that the cover is already off, some one has been messing with it. Might be the reason it sat. And the thermotime switch is only active during starting. It lets the cold start valve open or not. You might be thinking of the water temperature sensor. The first thing I would do is to download the Factory Service Manual (FSM) for your year and read the Engine Fuel section. http://www.xenons30.com/reference.html Drain all of the old gas before firing, if it's bee sitting longer than a year. Run the fuel pump with new gas to flush out the fuel rail and tank lines. Check for rust in the tank. Check your basic electrical connections to make sure you don't have a short. Make sure that the fusible links are in place and correct (no pseudo links made of regular wire). How far to go depends on how good you want the odds to be that it will fire up and run well right away. Depending on how long it's been sitting, removing and cleaning all of the electrical connections might be a good idea. Search "slave cylinder" for ideas on the "no tension" clutch pedal. If it's gone, the clutch master cylinder and the brake cylinders might not be far behind. It's worth spending some upfront time preparing to start it before doing it. These aren't like the old barn find carbed V-8s that miraculously fire up after sitting five years. Have fun and patience...

FW, I have never heard the "exhaust manifold banging off of the head" explanation for the knocking sound that a bad exhaust gasket makes. Do you have any background reading for that? I'm curious. Cast iron or cast steel flexing that much would be an interesting thing.

How recent is "recent"? If you drove it for a week or two or more and it was quiet, then it got noisy when the bolts came loose, you might have worn something out when the bolts were loose. And you probably mean where the half-shaft is connected to the axle, not axle to hub? I don't think that you need to remove the axles to change the shocks. Some people can see a loose u-joint by sticking a screwdriver in it and prying around while it's on the car. It's easier to see though if you take the half-shaft off and examine it up close in the light. The diff mount usually clunks during shifting as the nose of the diff lifts up then drops back down on the mount. My understanding...

If it's a manual transmission car, the only way for it to slow down without losing rpm is clutch slipping. Smoke and/or a nasty smell coming from the car when it happens would be a confirming sign. If an automatic, I believe that bad clutches and/or a bad torque converter could allow the car to slow down without a change in rpm. Burnt transmission fluid would be a sign.

Find the thing in the picture with the green arrow pointing at it (throttle position switch - TPS). Take the black cover off and dry out the insides. Spray it down with WD-40 (water displacement formula #40). Start it with the cover off to make sure it's working. Put cover back on. Don't spray the engine with water again. Edit: No problemo!

I think he meant "replace" when he said "swap". He has the correct parts working in his car now and he's been driving it. A simple side-to-side eyeballing will tell him if there's an issue. Edit - Actually, a good mechanic would have already compared the new parts with the old to make sure that they will fit. I would be worried that his mechanic is showing concern over the number of springs in the clutch hub and the fact that the clutch tool goes "pop" when he pulls it out. That's either a general lack of experience or preparation for adding charges for a "more difficult than expected" job. Seems odd that the mechanic even mentioned those things...

Since you have the old clutch out, why not just compare dimensions to the new parts? Don't forget to look at disc diameter, if you got a 280ZX 2+2 it would have the 240 mm disc. And the clutch hub spring differences are not a big deal, just different manufacturer's designs. They are there to absorb some shock and vibration when you engage the clutch and when your driving. As tlorber said, the alignment tool might be tight just to give a more centered alignment. The disc hanging on the tool tends to drop the center of the disc down while the pressure plate is bolted on, making it difficult to get the transmission in afterward. As tlorber implied, the tighter the better on the alignment tool. Measure the diameter of the tool and compare it to the diameter of the end of the trans shaft. The trans shaft will probably be smaller.

I didn't see this on the classiczcars classified so assume this guy doesn't hang out here. I'm assuming that a complete 240Z dash in decent shape is hard to find. http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/pts/2058155665.html

:alien: Liquid-filled pressure gauges under the hood are apparently not a good idea, unless you only read them cold. I did this on my car for a while but was using the JEGS ~$18 liquid-filled gauge. Eventually I found out that it is well-established that the liquid-filled gauges are temperature sensitive. In my case, the gauge read low as it got hot. But my fuel pressure regulator was regulating high as it got hot. So the gauge hid the problem, for quite a while. What I thought was a 0.5 to 1 psi variation was actually about 4-5 psi. Below is a link to an article with more info from Aeromotive, a supplier of aftermarket engine products. I discovered my error after I got one of their FPRs and read this bulletin. http://aeromotiveinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/TB-902-Tuning-EFI-with-Fuel-Pressure.pdf Edit - Forgot to say that I also queried over at Hybridz about liquid-filled gauges and got some very good information from Tony D. To give due acknowledgement. It's interesting to me that JEGS and Summit will put their brand name on a product for use in an application that "they" (whoever they are) should know will give poor results. They're just distributors. Side note - Aeromotive is offering a free Aeromotive dry gauge with some of their FPRs, at JEGS.

I'm going to guess that that is the flame arrester that I've seen arrows point at the location of in the FSM but have never actually seen one. Thanks for the drawing.

These are the 5 mph damage control bumpers, with shock absorbers inside the mounting struts. I have seen somewhere, that you can either compress the shock, drill some holes and lock it in place (creating a big surprise for a future owner) or I think that you can carefully take them apart and remove the springs before locking them in place. There is actually a section in the FSM, BF-8, for testing the bumper shocks, bracing the car with wheel chocks and putting the factory jack between the wall and the bumper. It's illustrated, showing a jack, and a rag to protect the bumper rubber. I don't know how much distance you'd get, but it might be enough. Edit - I see that compressing the strut was mentioned above, but here's a little more detail anyway...

Looks like a nice car, 44,000 original miles - http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/cto/2061288479.html

I would get on to Oreilly Auto or NAPAs web site, or Motor Sport Auto (the Z Store) or Courtesy Nissan if you want to go more original (but more expensive) and check out prices. If it's been sitting longer than 2 or 3 years, it could very likely need all of the hydraulic cylinders - brakes and clutch (masters and slaves), rebuilt front calipers, new brake shoes (the front pads might be okay), probably needs tires, lug nuts, maybe u-joints, maybe an AFM, new exhaust/intake gasket, new fuel pump, the gas tank might be full of rust, maybe fuel injectors, maybe an air regulator, new clutch, alternator, voltage regulator, brake booster, wiper motor rebuild, and wiper blades. Plus maybe the water temperature sensor. And some bushings. You could be in to it a couple thousand dollars pretty quickly like cygnus1 says. Actually those are the parts I have replaced on my car, except for salvaging one wheel cylinder and one front caliper. And my car was on four wheels and tires when I bought it (non-running) but had actually idled it's way through an emissions test a year before (after having sat for quite while though). But it's been a lot of fun. And I understand how things work much better than if I had bought a running car. Edit - just noticed that the injectors are missing so you can remove the maybe from above...

Didn't mean to come across harsh. I was thinking nice. I should have put an emoticon in there I guess. bggilmore, there is a lot of information over there about what you're talking about doing. You could just RB alone in the title and you'll probably get 10 replies within an hour.

You should be on Hybridz - www.hybridz.org

Nice to now that's out there. Thanks for posting that link. I wish I had one. 1.5 times as strong as stock. I got $105 for price at today's exchange rate though. Which, coincidentally, is exactly 1.5 times the $70 that g9m3c did not want to shell out.