tanny

Yeah I'll definitely borrow a pin puller if the pin doesn't come out easily. I did buy new pins and bolts. Thanks people. Victor.

I've already tried the penetrating oil, heat, and pounding the locking bolt out with a punch, but the thing must have become one with the spindle pin. May have to take to a machine shop and have them give it a try. Hopefully they can maneuver the assmbly into a press and give it a shot. If they can get the bolt out, I might as well have them get the pin out also. Thanks, Victor.

Of course I have snapped off the spindle pin lock bolt nut and have researched on these threads to see how to push the bolt out of the spindle. Having no luck with sledge and heat. Any suggestions on getting this bolt out? Thanks, Victor.

Thanks for the confirmation. You'd think they would put a little note with their springs describing which was which. I did try emailing them, but never received a response. Hope the springs function better than their customer service. Thanks again, Victor.

In looking through the threads pertaining to this topic, apparently the springs with the number .001 go in front and .002 go in back. However, my set has the .001 springs, but the rears? have the number .202. The ones that go on the front are about one and a half inches longer free height. Does this sound correct? Really don't want to install these twice. Thanks, Victor.

Thanks for the reply, The strut cartridges are new and all tie rods, ball joints, ans bushings will be new. Definitely will need an alignment after I'm finished. From reading some of the threads, it seems like you said, that the 1" drop isn't large enough to cause a problem. I'm not a wild driver, so unless an emergency maneuver pops up, I would never be testing the limits on my suspension anyway. Too old to drive fast, might have a coronary from over-stimulation. Is the Z wasted on me? Probably, but maybe when I croak, my son or some other young buck can thrash it and test the limits. Meanwhile, I can cruise mellowly along, and get that pinched, superior look when a Boxter pulls up beside me at the light. Unless of course it's a nice looking woman at the helm. Then I'll give her that seemingly harmless, smiling old fart look. But I digress. The only reason I'm putting these springs in is because when I bought the Z, the old springs were shot, so I got a pair of brand new stock OEM front srings off Ebay, hoping at some point I would be able to find a new pair for the rear. Well, I looked high and low but never found new ones(unless I wanted to pay about $400 for a whole set). Consequently, my Z looks like a DC-3, a real tail dragger with those worn out rear springs. I wanted to maintain the stock height and ride, but I finally caved in and bought the Eibachs. I hope the ride isn't too stiff, my kidneys are in bad enough shape already. Good luck with your springs. Victor.

I will be installing a set of Eibach Pro springs and was wondering if there are any adjustments or modifications I need to make to the suspension(such as bump steer spacers) to have the suspension function as normal without excessive tire wear, etc. Thanks, Victor.

Thanks for the reply. Then it looks like I can probably use the stock heat shield. All I have to do now is find one. I am taking off my triple weber set up and putting the round tops on instead. The problem is that I have been unable to get my webers to work really effectively below about 2500 rpm. At my altitude of 6500 feet the air is too thin for the venturi to work effectively at lower rpms, stumbling when accelerator is opened up quickly. The accelerator pumps are working fine and have messed with all kinds of jetting, but the bottom line is that I still have to open the butterflies slowly on takeoff so that it doesn't cough and sputter. So, since the rest of the engine is stock except for headers, the engine is not utilizing the potential of the webers(I am fairly certain I could solve most of my problems by installing a higher performance cam, but am not interested), and I would like to not have any more driveability problems and get better gas mileage, I will be installing the 3 screw round tops. Victor.

Will the stock heat shield for 3 screw SUs work with headers? If not, can the stock heat shield be easily modified to work, or is it easier to fashion one from scratch? Thanks, Victor.

I have seen references to replacing the stock tach with an Autometer 3990 tach, but cannot find any description of how it is fitted to the stock housing and wiring. Has anyone done this? I would like to install one in my 1973 240z. Thanks, Victor.

Actually I put the 5 speed in to get the higher 5th gear to get my gas mileage up, my differential being a 3.90. I was getting between 18 and 19 mpg with the 4 speed, am now getting between 22 and 23. This is highway mileage. The cabin noise was significantly reduced with the lower RPMs. Could undoubtedly get even better mileage if I replaced the 3 webers with the SUs. but I do like the looks of the triples. Victor.

Just finished rebuilding my 1980 ZX 5 speed that I have in my 1973 240. Was able to get the rebuild kit on Ebay for $50 which included all the bearings, drive shaft bushing, seals, and gaskets, and purchased the synchros for $60. Fortunately I had the help of my brother in law who is a professional old car mechanic(from 1900 to very early smog years only), otherwise I would probably still be flailing away at it. So nice to have access to all the tools you could think of and the experience of an excellent mechanic to draw on. The tranny now works very smoothly with no bearing noise. Drove it back from CA to CO with no problems(quite thankfull I didn't break down in Ludlow CA or some such hell hole, especially with no air conditioning). Victor.

How many synchro rings are needed for a 1980 280ZX 5 speed? Vic British says 4 and that's what their illustration shows, but a parts place on the net says 5 are required. I see that the 82-83 turbo requires 5. I believe Vic British but just checking. Victor.

The ride height of those European springs looks quite close to the height when I installed brand new original equipment front springs on my 240. Lots of space between tire and wheel well. Unfortunately I was never able to find OEM springs(for less than a Bill Gates price) for the rear, so the lifeless 32 year old springs on the back give the car the look of a DC-3 tail dragger. Eventually will have to give in and buy some performance springs(didn't want to lower the z or have a stiff ride, but I can buy almost two complete sets of performance springs for the cost of two OEM rear springs). Just need to find a bag of money somewhere.

For either choice you'll need a hard charging straight six(or better) to make it worthwhile. :classic:

It's called "Mutton Ruttin". Victor.

I think as you get older the urge to whup a** on any guy who pulls up next to you and dares to think he's going to beat you off the line or to the next corner diminishes rapidly. The combination of declining testosterone, experience with "assigned risk" insurance rates, realization of mortality, need to stay alive to support your kids, and lack of enough spare change to be able to afford to make your car into a credible threat at the stoplight, all conspire to make you a Walter Mitty driver as you enter your brittle artery stage of life. :sleep:

No worries mates! When you figure in the the 240z's accellerating ROR(Rate of Rust) factor, the supply should be shriveling like the dessert tray at an Overeaters Anonymous convention buffet. Then the people with Zs in vacuum storage will rake in the bucks! Victor.

Just avoid those sleeper Pintos and the Yugos with NOS stickers, and you shouldn't get whipped too badly. Just kidding, just kidding! Hate to admit I don't know squat about drag racing, so I actually do follow the preceding advice.

Here is a fairly simple explanation on how to test the grid: http://www.ifsja.org/tech/electrical/defroster_repair.shtml

No question but that you should trailer it. My z had been stored for 20 years and there was no way I could have driven it home without spending about 2 or 3 thousand dollars having someone get it reliable and safe enough to drive it home. New tires, all new brake parts(essentially completely new brake system except for the steel brake lines), all new rubber hoses, radiator clean out, valve job(sticking valve), flush block water jackets, clean out gas tank and lines, carb rebuilds, all new fluids, new fuel pump(pumpS) in the case of my 73), new water pump were the minimum repairs that needed to be done before I would have even considered driving it. And this car had been stored all twenty years in a garage and the rest of the car was in great shape interior and exterior. If you have money to burn, go ahead and pay someone to restore it to at least safe and driveable condition. Otherwise rent the trailer(probably around $125-$150) and bring it home to do the restoration. Have fun, Victor.

280z, Glad to see you aren't afraid to give your opinion. You might want to couch it in a more palatable format though(maybe dispense with most of the four letter stuff), so that people don't respond to you with angry knee jerk reactions. Just don't ever let anyone intimidate you(the erroneous "I'm older so that makes me extremely wise and at 18 your views can't possibly be as valid as mine") into keeping quiet. Your views are as deserving of respect as the next man's, but that also applies in reverse. Spout on. Victor.

I just scrubbed out the painted areas with a toothbrush and dish soap and then some isopropyl. Then just painted with a fine brush. Seems to be holding up alright. The plastic chrome is beyond me, but I think I remember some others here have used foil, etc. Good luck, Victor.

The sentence where you say that "it will be mine" says it all. When you restore it yourself, it has to mean a lot more to you. But then again, if you have the money, it would be nice to avoid all the hassles and buy one already done. Let's see: she loves me, she loves me not, she loves me............. :classic: Victor.

Stevemasum, I was exagerating a bit, but your sugestions are right on. I do have some spacers installed and my seat is pretty much totally collapsed, so I know I would benefit from re-strapping and re-foaming, but can't spare the moolah at the moment. But it's on the list along with re-upholster. Thanks, Victor.