Zed Head

Here's an old thread showing the green tape and the magnets underneath. There are six magnets. Might just help you absorb all that's been written so far. We're still at trying to get spark to happen on the #1 plug wire when #1 piston is at about 10 degrees before TDC on its compression stroke. You've pretty much covered all of the separate issues, just need to to put them together.

You could get everything aligned and set up the coil's center wire close to a ground where you can see the spark. Then turn the key on and twist the distributor until a spark happens. You'll be moving the sensor past a magnet instead of vice versa. Move it around until the spark happens where you like it and put your #1 plug wire at the proper spot on the cap. You should be close then.

You're working on a modified system so knowledge of how the ignition system works would help you a lot. Even if you installed the distributor and oil pump shaft exactly as Nissan instructs, the odd parts in the distributor will probably be off. You have Nissan, Mallory and Pertronix all combined. The Pertronix is a Hall effect sensor so you can use a meter to determine when the magnet passes the sensor. But...more knowledge required. If you remove the rotor and take a picture of the top of the magnet ring the position of the magnet might be apparent. It's important. And, just in case you bumped something, the gap between magnet and sensor needs to be right. It can cause sporadic spark if it's not.

Don't forget that the spark happens when the magnet on the shaft passes by the Pertronix sensor. One more thing to line up. Trigger, rotor, compression stroke on #1, plug wire. The magnets have been known to fall off.

Early low number Series(?)1 survivor(?) automatic 1970. Should be interesting. https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1970-datsun-240z-90/

You could probably pull from the top of the open block with a pump like that.

A big pipe wrench and lots of heat. Put it back on the control arm to get more leverage, use a long 5/8" bolt where the spindle pin would go to make it easy. Don't crush the tube.

From a chemistry perspective you'd want the solution moving in the block to keep fresh chemicals on the surfaces. It might be effective to rig up a hose loop from the thermostat outlet to the pump inlet and spin the pump with a drill or even rig up an electric motor and a belt. That would keep any sediment suspended also as it breaks free. Of course, the head needs to be on and sealed.

Today's auction... https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1973-datsun-240z-198/

Once the wheels lock up there is no "faster". Unless you go with wider tires. Then you might not be able to lock them up without more force. A bigger booster will give more force, it's a multiplier. A bigger MC will create less force it's done for volume, to get rid of the travel in the pedal. I'm just teasing out the details. cgsheen's story is a good one showing both feel and fade as concerns. But also in a competition setting. He chose pad and shoe material to achieve his goals. He also probably adjusts the system to remove all play in the linkage and air in the lines, so pedal feel is high and tight. I'd guess. I just saw a brake question on another forum and the guy was asking opinions about "caliper covers" and slotted drilled rotors. That's a whole different angle, the look.

In principle, it should work. The marks on the pulley are based on which wire is fired when they're passing by the pointer. You could also have just moved the timing light pickup to other plug wires until you found the one that was on target. Should have mentioned that. You can still do that if it makes the wires fit better.

What is the goal? Better pedal feel, less force required, racing performance? Can't say what's better unless you define what you're trying to achieve.

Put the #1 spark plug wire on the terminal that the rotor is closest to when all of your marks are linked up and the distributor is in a place which gives you adjustment range. You might get you timing light marks back then. Then you can set your timing and focus on the carbs.

The site has a For Sale sub-forum. Always good to just put your price out there. The scammers just want to make contact then persuade people. Put it out in public and you'll get a better response. https://www.classiczcars.com/forums/forum/11-for-sale/

This was after the sale ended. Garf was high bidder.

It might be worth pulling the valve cover also and lining up the notch and groove on the cam sprocket. It should be within a few degrees of TDC. You should certainly be able to see the marks then. Also possible, I think, that the rebuilder pushed the crank woodruff key through the slot during the rebuild and the damper is spinning/moving on the crank. Just a guess, based on what you wrote.

Kind of seems like the damper might have slipped and might still be slipping. You used to be able to see it, but it wasn't really in the right place. 2 degrees retarded is pretty far off, if the points were correct for the engine in the beginning. Then it was at 20, you could see it, but now it seems to have moved again. See if you can move the pulley on the crankshaft end by hand. Wiggle twist torque on it. See what happens.

Here's a 72 that's ending today. 1037 pictures. #319 shows the engine stamping. https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1972-datsun-240z-225/

Here's the link again, below, so people don't have to go back a page to see it. If the guy is in to the weeds of Series 1, 2, etc. then he probably knows if has an L24 or L28. Besides the engine serial number, the symbols L24 or L28 are stamped on the block ID plate. It looks like a pretty nice old yellow 240Z. Don't get too caught up in originality if you're looking for a car to drive and enjoy. Many people buy these cars for their collections and never drive them. Browse the BAT 240Z listings if you want to see what people are paying and what they're getting. The market decides the price, you just have to decide what it is you want to pay for. Originality, drivability, cool factor, whatever. They're all out there. https://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/cto/d/la-crescenta-1971-datsun-240z-series-15/7506539433.html

The video suggestion would work well if all of the wires and other parts are clean and intact. But bad wires, crusty cap, etc. might lose the spark before it jumps that big gap. Might get sidetracked. It's worth doing but a spark plug in the wire will give a test of the ignition module and distributor trigger. Then the video gives a spark strength test. Just saying...

If the engine has sat for 20 years it's possible that the cylinders have dried out. I had that happen on an old 1963 Bonneville. We cranked and cranked and even tried towing it to jump start it (automatic, you have to hit at least 40 mph, apparently, to get the engine to turn. It was fun.) but it wouldn't start until a farmer drive by on his tractor and said "squirt some oil in the cylinders". Fired right up. Squirt some oil in to each cylinder to help the rings seal, to generate enough compression to get it to fire. I'd probably do that anyway just to be sure that the cylinders have good lubrication prior to the first start in a long time. Might save some rings and cylinder wear.

$19,256 for a crusty old de-bumpered 1975 with an odd paint job and a rebuilt engine. Impressive. https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1975-datsun-280z-36/

2000 was a long time ago...

I found it on your profile page. You can put that info in your signature and it will show up in every post. "Zcars Owned 280z About my Cars My car is a 78' 280Z that has not ran since 2000. I purchased it from one of former student who knew my love for the car. SInce I am retiring this year, my first goal is to get it run with the engine that is in it." Here's a link to the Signature box. It's in "Account Settings". Don't know why. https://www.classiczcars.com/settings/signature/