Mike

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Is the bolt sticking out enough so you can grab it with vice-grips? Be careful with that head, it's aluminum. Your bolt is steel. It's really easy to over- tighten and really mess up the threads. You might want to try and drill out the bolt with a smaller bit. Then, you'll have enough room to insert the extractor. [m]

I've never heard of a 6-carb outfit for the Z. I have a 3-carb solution by Mikuni.

Sorry, the graphics aren't working yet. I think it's a permission problem on the server. Been working on it, but, it's a low priority item at the moment. -- Mod Mike

Guys/Gals, Don't forget to ALSO post your even to our calendar section. Your event will show up in calendar format for all to see. Click calendar at the top right of your screen (5th from the right). -- Mike

So, your options are: 1) Pay your mechanic $400. Hopefully, he knows how to rebuild these carbs. If not, you might have even worse problems on your hands. 2) Pay $20 (?) for the video and DIY. Learn something about your car. Understand how to tweak the carbs if you're stuck in the desert. Know how your engine works. 3) Pay $550 and have a professional Zcar SU carb man send you a rebuilt set of carbs in PERFECT working condition. If you're not very technically inclined, I'd recommend that you use option #3. But, if you know how to tweak with things, and your car isn't your main mode of transportation.... I'd go for option #2. Practice makes perfect. Just make sure the carbs aren't totally screwed up. Or, better yet... buy the video (option #2), tweak stuff yourself, learn something... and, if they are still messed up.. Go for option #3. The $150 price difference is worth it. Believe me. You might be out $400 and still need to buy a new set. Do it right the first time. [m]

Are you speaking of the backup *LIGHT* switch? If so, it's located on the side of your transmission. Usually, it's covered by a rubber cap with two wires sticking out of it.

I would tend to agree with the point about freezing fuel. However, it takes a pretty big cold snap for the fuel to actually freeze. (that's my way of saying I have no idea what the freezing point of fuel actually is) Anyway, your venturi affect might cause condensation to freeze in your carbs. Does this happen when the car is warm or just starting to warm up? Also, I noticed that you are from San Diego.. so, I'm sure the fuel freezing problem is not the case. You might also be experiencing vapor lock in your carbs. How long has it been since you've cleaned them? Check all of your vacuum hoses and your connections on the bottom of the carbs. When it stops again, jump out of the car and open the fuel cap. Allow the pressure to release and then try to start the car again. Something to try, anyway. -- Mike

Ike, check out this site. They have a registry of many Z's on the Internet: http://zhome.com

Due to the fact that both settings are screwy... I think you have a switch problem. Have you tried taking it apart and cleaning out the contacts? If so, you might need to use a voltage meter to isolate the problem to the switch. And, if it's failing... replace it. -- Mike ------------------ Mike Gholson 1971 240z, Mikuni Carbs, Tokico 5-way Adjustable Struts, Ferarri Yellow, Stock Engine, 15x9 wheels w/50 series Falken tires, Currently being restored.

The zcar braking system operates on a hydraulic system. This means that fluid flows from your master cylinder to your slave cylinders under pressure. When you press on the pedal, you are pressurizing the system and activating the cylinder at the other end (drums, or calipers). If the system is "soft" to the feel, you might have air bubbles in the lines. These air bubbles will compress -- which feels like soft brakes. I'm not going to say that the brake problem is an easy fix. The problems might be due to a faulty master cylinder, brake line, flex line, or even the slave cylinder. But, you might also have a simple issue such as air in the lines. The fluid might need to be changed. At that time, you can inspect the rest of the system to determine if it's in good shape or not. Here's what I would do... Ask the seller to take the car into your local shop for a brake check. Ask him to get the brakes bled at the same time. Any honest shop will tell you what's wrong with the system. Better yet, crawl under the car and look for signs of fluid seepage. You can even bleed the brakes yourself if you have the patience. Anyway, there's just a few thoughts off the top of my head. -- M ------------------ Mike Gholson 1971 240z, Mikuni Carbs, Tokico 5-way Adjustable Struts, Ferarri Yellow, Stock Engine, 15x9 wheels w/50 series Falken tires, Currently being restored.

What? Are you nuts? Rust is a bad bad thing and should be treated seriously. Any rust that is seen at the surface can surely be considered bad because it's usually rotten underneath. Unless, of course you can live with the rusty areas and just drive the car. A small rusty area that shows up on the outside of the fender is almost guaranteed to come from a worse source underneath. It's difficult to get rid of rust permanently. Bondo, rust remover, converters, and sandpaper will work.... only if done properly. Don't under-estimate rust. Also, don't scrap a project just because it has some rust. You just need to figure out how much time you really want to spend on the "rust" -- rather than the engine, drivetrain, etc. Just some words of advice from someone who's been there. ------------------ Mike Gholson 1971 240z, Mikuni Carbs, Tokico 5-way Adjustable Struts, Ferarri Yellow, Stock Engine, 15x9 wheels w/50 series Falken tires, Currently being restored.

Jon, I don't really have an official write up. But, I can tell you that this particular venture is a complete pain in the arse. I did it a long time ago. All I seem to remember is a cramped neck and wet hands. I do have one bit of advice. Go buy the expensive pre-molded hoses to replace your old ones. If you try to replace those hoses with generic hose, you will be sorry (kinks and the like). I had to do it twice. If you are a "ripper and tearer"... you can tear the dash out and work on it with ease. But, that's also quite an adventure in itself.

If you're the original owner and it has only 69k miles.. Why are you selling it? If you can keep it - please do. Or at least sell it to someone who will appreciate a nice rig like this. For those of us who know these cars well, can you look up numbers such as the VIN and engine numbers? The VIN is on the dashboard toward the drivers side. And, the engine information is on the right strut tower inside the engine compartment. You should see a little plaque. -- Mike

Glad to hear that it worked out. [m] ------------------ Mike Gholson 1971 240z, Mikuni Carbs, Tokico 5-way Adjustable Struts, Ferarri Yellow, Stock Engine, 15x9 wheels w/50 series Falken tires, Currently being restored.

If you're stepping on the gas and it runs slowly (lugging down?) then it's probably somewhere in the fuel system. Try different settings with your carbs. Keep in mind that not all SU's are the same. Older ones are more sloppy and need more TLC and newer (rebuilt) ones are closer to spec. Just because someone says, "back the mixture screw out 3 turns," ... doesn't mean that your SU's will run correctly at that same measurement. A lean mixture will seem to run fine in the garage, but will sputter with a load (driving). Rich mixtures will sputter, smoke, and possibly blow fuel out the sides. Take your air cleaner off and keep it off until you get a "feel" for the SU adjustment process. Adjusting dual SU's isn't easy. But, doing it correctly can certainly be considered an art-form. Practice with lots of different settings. Always start too lean or not-enough fuel/air. Then, work your way up. [m] ------------------ Mike Gholson 1971 240z, Mikuni Carbs, Tokico 5-way Adjustable Struts, Ferarri Yellow, Stock Engine, 15x9 wheels w/50 series Falken tires, Currently being restored.

Whoa!! Both needles should be the same. I'm suspicious about those needles. If you want a good resource for needles (and someone who knows what they are talking about) then call Les or Dennis at Classicdatsun. http://classicdatsun.com [m] ------------------ Mike Gholson 1971 240z, Mikuni Carbs, Tokico 5-way Adjustable Struts, Ferarri Yellow, Stock Engine, 15x9 wheels w/50 series Falken tires, Currently being restored. [This message has been edited by Mike (edited 08-10-2000).]

Jon, I was in the same boat quite awhile ago. But, I made the decision to purchase a rebuilt master-vac from Motorsport Auto. They did a decent job (although they sent me the wrong push rod). I ended up repainting it. But, the unit itself worked great. The master vac isn't a very easy task to rebuild. It includes a fairly large spring under stress. If you aren't careful, you could release the spring and damage anything in its path. I decided against it because I didn't have the tools or the nerve to take it apart. If I did it wrong... I might be w/out brakes someday. Is that something you really want to chance? I didn't. Anyway, if you have the tools/patience/strength to take it apart and replace all of the components.. so be it. Otherwise, leave it modular and get a new/rebuilt one. [m] ------------------ Mike Gholson 1971 240z, Mikuni Carbs, Tokico 5-way Adjustable Struts, Ferarri Yellow, Stock Engine, 15x9 wheels w/50 series Falken tires, Currently being restored.

If it's a 5-speed then I'd leave it in the car and worry about something else. The 5-speed is a nice conversion (truck tranny or not). I don't have the specific details about the tranny handy, but I can bet that the 5th gear is overdrive. Since it's a truck tranny... you'll have to shift a little sooner in the lower gears. But, you're probably used to that by now. Anyway, it sounds like no harm has been done. If you want to swap out the tranny for a more genuine article... it's definately possible. [m] ------------------ Mike Gholson 1971 240z, Mikuni Carbs, Tokico 5-way Adjustable Struts, Ferarri Yellow, Stock Engine, 15x9 wheels w/50 series Falken tires, Currently being restored.

Jeff, I have also done this installation on my '71 240z because it was the only transmission available at the time. The truck and car transmissions (at the time) were very similar. This was a common swap. The truck transmission will give you lower gearing in 1-3, but the 4th gear ratio is 1-to-1 (same as the stock z transmission). I did notice, however, that my shifter was located closer to the dash. This required some modification to sheet metal around the shifter. It won't hurt a thing. However, you might want to see if you can get your hands on a 5-speed. Or, if you're doing a genuine restoration... you'll need to get a 4-speed. [m]

Thanks for the great feedback!!! We moderators like to hear it. [m]

Jon, You might want to try this. Use some carb cleaner and spray it near all of your hoses, fittings, and other various areas of concern. Do this while the engine is running. When you hit an area with a leak, you will notice that the engine will idle faster. I learned this trick from a neighbor while helping him work on the same problem. Sometimes the culprit can be a loose hose. Personally, I like to put hose clamps on the ends of my vacuum tubing. This helps eliminate any kind of slippage. ------------------ Mike Gholson 1971 240z, Mikuni Carbs, Tokico 5-way Adjustable Struts, Ferarri Yellow, Stock Engine, 15x9 wheels w/50 series Falken tires, Currently being restored.

http://www.4unique.com/battery/battery_products.htm

After all the work I've put into repairing the rusty area under the battery tray... I will *NEVER* replace a battery with the water/acid type again. The gel batteries are cool because they never leak and you can mount them in any direction. A few types are available. You've probably seen the Optima at various locations. Plan on spending at least $100. http://www.4unique.com/battery/battery_products.htm > -----Original Message----- > From: Chris Robson [mailto:robsonc@home.com] > Sent: Saturday, May 27, 2000 6:28 PM > To: JFShamus117@aol.com; 240z-club@peak.org > Subject: RE: <240z-club> electrical woes > > > -- Group Message from "Chris Robson" <robsonc@home.com> -- > > Well, My suggestion first is to pull the alternator, it may > be on the fritz, > and burning up the battery. Just take it to any auto parts > store, they > should be able to test it for free. Next if that checks > out, also check > all the battery connections, those may have a short somewhere, but my > feeling is that won't be the problem. The other thing to > check is the > voltage regulator, it is right next to the alternator and is > mounted on the > wheel well. I don't know how you would go about checking one > of these, > (maybe there is how-to out there). But that could also be > putting bad power > into the battery causing it to crack. > > As for batteries, maybe check out a solid battery as oppose > to a lead-acid. > They don't have acid in them, and only cost on average $20 > bucks more then a > good lead-acid. > > -- Chris > > '72 240 ------------------ Mike Gholson 1971 240z, Mikuni Carbs, Tokico 5-way Adjustable Struts, Ferarri Yellow, Stock Engine, 15x9 wheels w/50 series Falken tires, Currently being restored.