Namerow

Reviving this old thread, since it deals with an issue that I'm facing right now... I'm in the process of removing the gauges from the dash of my '70 Z so that I can clean up the clear-plastic faces and get rid of some body shop dust that seems to have settled inside some the gauge cans. The dash is still in the car (I don't really want to pull it unless it's absolutely necessary), but the heater panel (and the heater assy) is out. I've been working from right to left as I remove the gauges, and all that's left now is the speedometer... I'm pretty sure I can free up the two wing nuts (I've made a slotted socket to do this). Unthreading the speedo cable sleeve shouldn't be a problem either. However, I'm not sure how I’m going to get a screwdriver onto the little retaining screw that holds the trip odometer cable in place. The FSM (I have the 71 and 72 editions) says nothing about this. Someone posted part of the BE section for a later model year (not sure which one) and here the recommendation is to reach through the tach hole to undo the set screw. Problem is that, in my car, the set screw is facing towards the driver’s door, so I don’t see how I can get a screwdriver on it by reaching through the tach hole. At the same time, the space available to get at the screw from under the dash looks ‘challenging’. Does anyone has any tips or tricks (e.g. some magic tool or combination of socket extension/U-joint/driver tip) for getting this done?

For DIY-ers, some good pix and info available here... K-D #2400 or K-D #3087 Valve Spring Compressor Photo Gallery by Ralph Scott at pbase.com

I just did this cleaning process a day ago using Windex, a soft cloth, light pressure and a couple of repeats. Just use normal care to remove surface grit/dust beforehand, and don't over-scrub. My results look fine. Recommend that you do not use anything with either solvent or abrasive content when cleaning these gauge faces. FYI, my auxiliary gauges (my Z is a low-VIN, low-mileage MY-1970) are missing what appears to have been glue-faced tape coverings over adjustment ports on the back of the metal instrument housing 'cans'. These ports were part of the OE housing design, allowing the gauge supplier to do final adjustment of the indicator-needle positioning. Once the tape fell off in service, the inside of the gauge became open to back-of-IP dust intrusion. As evidence on my gauges, there's a clearly obvious dust/grit build-up on the surface of the green illuminator bulb hood (which I plan to clean off, first with a computer-type aerosol air-blast spray, followed by Windex on a Q-tip). Also FYI, on one of my aux. gauges the little glued-on white-plastic discs that retain the clear plastic gauge cover had dropped off their peg mounts. This caused the clear-plastic gauge cover to 'lean' on the indicator needle, which in turn caused the needle to rub on and put a light scuff mark on the painted gauge face. Typical, detail-level issues for a 43-year-old car! If there are any places where the industry has really made significant advances since our Z's were designed, it's in materials (esp. plastics) and adhesives. I also used Meguire's plastic polish for the gauge clear-plastic lenses. I used a small buffing attachment on my Dremel, set at lowest rpm. Results were very good. Again, common sense prevails. Don't over-do it. BTW, I've read a few commentaries about the illumination benefits of painting the inside of the metal gauge 'cans' with white paint. FWIW, my gauges housings already have what appears to be a factory-applied (i.e. incomplete and microscopically-thin) coating of white paint.

kacrow: Did the NAPA repair item work for the heater control valve in your 76? Do you know whether it wpould work for a Series 1 Z?

GMB CORPORATION 150-3, Handa, Kawanishi-cho Phone: +81 745441911 SHIKI-GUN, NRA 636-0295 Japan

Thanks, all, for your input. Confirms my suspicions (i.e. to good to be true).

This outfit (nissanpartszone.com) seems to have a very broad inventory and some interesting pricing. Makes me wonder if they actually have all of the parts available that they list on their site. Anybody have any purchase experience with them?

Good to know. Thanks for sharing the info.

Looks like fun! I'll be making the same kind of parts order for my '70 pretty soon. Out of curiosity, how did you have BD ship your parts? What was the base shipping cost, and what duties/taxes did you end up paying as they crosses the border?