Walter Moore

Things really get ugly when someone uses the "*actory *estored" phrase... (No I am not going to say it!) Have a wonderful day everyone.

It could be a U-Joint. It could also be that you have a wheel out of balance. The clicking noise, I am not sure...

Stick a 10A fuse in inline holder that had a blue wire on one side and a red wire on the other. Now that you mention that detail it seems like the fan circuit had some strange color code deviations from the drawing.

You actually drive your Z when it is below zero?:paranoid:

Try these: http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/search.oap?keyword=multimeter http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_Digital-Multi-Meter-Dorman_5760112-P_N3389_T|GRP2018____ http://www.harborfreight.com/7-function-digital-multimeter-92020.html Any of those will help considerably to track down the problem.

I have a L24 (stock SU's understand) with a ZX 5 speed and 3.36 differential. My experience is that if you do a lot of 70-80mph cruising, 5th is great. But if as you say you typically run 55 you will never be able to use 5th. I generally ignore it completely below about 60mph. A different cam setup, or FI might change the equation a little, but from what I have read, the L24 isn't a torque motor no matter how you set it up. For low speed torque you need more displacement with a longer stroke. If you keep the L24 and go 5 speed, particularly if you never get above 55, you need 3.9 or 4.11 final gears or you will just have a 4 speed with "that other gear" as a tag-along. Just my opinion. (There are people in the local club that keep "suggesting" I use a 4.30 or something even more radical, but I have been holding out so far.)

Personally, I gave up on Ebay years ago... It just seems like there was nothing available there that I couldn't get cheaper somewhere else. (typically on the exact same part.)

Nice paint job. I assume from the ride height that the engine is yet to be reinstalled? I will have to park my car away from yours to keep people from comparing them.

Properly applied you would never know the difference. It is the "proper application" part that causes me concern. There will be a lot more involved in installing one of these systems than just bolting it in and hooking up the motor. In principal the electric steering assists work by monitoring steering wheel torque and trying to keep it within some range. Generally the motor drives a worm gear that is spring centered and rides on a spline. When you turn the wheel you "push" the worm gear in one direction, and the motor turns the worm gear to bring it back to center. (An over simplification I am sure.) However the control systems typically are speed sensitive, meaning they need an input from the anti-lock brake controller, or some other system that knows the vehicle speed. Some may need to know engine speed as well. Many newer front wheel drive vehicles use the electrical power steering to "neutralize" torque steer. Consider the full implications of that sentence before trying this.

Are you using the distributor from the Z, or the ZX? The ZX distributor's center shaft is different somehow. I noted that when I installed a ZX distributor on my L24 I had to pull the oil pump and advance the distributor drive by one tooth to get the timing set. If you put the earlier distributor on a ZX motor you may have the opposite problem. Reading further I see that you have a 78, which may be different than my 71, which had a points distributor. Have you actually checked the timing? (You said you had it retarded at one point, but didn't give a specific number.)

It might work, if you can get the motion controller for the power steering system, and make it work without the rest of the computer system from the G35. Most "electric power steering" systems actually use a manual rack and pinion steering rack with a servo motor to "boost" the steering mounted under the dash. Like any servo system however there is a motion controller somewhere to control the motor. The only two concerns that I have are: 1. Can the motion controller be made to work independently of the original car's computer? 2. Does the S30 have the electrical power to run this unit? (The servo motors for electric power steering typically have a high power requirement.)

Congratulations! That first drive is a major event, proof that the long hours weren't in vain. See you in July I hope.

I wonder how much that will cost Austin... (just saying, no offense intended.)

I am curious about why you chose a battery that puts the positive terminal under the fender. Did it just work out that way, or was there a plan? (It would keep me up at night is the reason I ask...)

First off, the static timing with any ZX distributor should be set at 10 deg BTDC unless the vacuum advance is totally disabled. (Not that timing is causing the trouble.) If the timing isn't changing, but the car is surging, It doesn't sound much like an ignition issue. The high static timing worries me however because the ZX distributors are infamous for producing too much spark advance when fitted to the older cars.

Does anyone still make the collapsible mini-spares? I haven't seen one in years.

Well, you have to take the engine apart, clean everything, and have the cylinders checked for roundness. Then it needs to be either honed, or bored depending upon how round the cylinders are. To install the rings you will need a good ring expander to get the rings onto the pistons, and a ring compressor to get the pistons and rings into the block. I recommend downloading the Factory Service Manual from here: http://www.xenons30.com/reference.html And reading up on the details.

Try these two links: http://www.datsunstore.com/product_info.php/cPath/44/products_id/330 http://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/PROD/SP/50-5352 I have never dealt with Z Specialties, but others here may have.

Yep, Courtesy has door seals. Interestingly I tried to buy the seals from a local Nissan dealer, using the part numbers from the parts CD, but the dealer could not get them. Courtesy sold me door seals, which were genuine Nissan parts, but they had different part numbers than what were in the older catalog. I suspect that Courtesy is substituting a different part that they know from experience will work correctly. I was able to buy the rear hatch seal from the local dealer however. The door seals also had a different construction for the driver's side than the passenger side. (The passenger side seals better.) The doors are now very hard to close, but at least the wind noise and door rattles are gone. Both sides had to be trimmed with a hack saw by the way. I did not use the gasket sealant for the doors because they have a metal clip to hold them in place. (The rear hatch is a different story.)

The real question is how "twisted" is the frame? Does it track straight, or chronically pull to one side? If you measure the distance from the front wheels to the back wheels do the measurements match from side to side and diagonally across the car? If you say it is twisted I will have to take your word for it. The pictures you posted do not look particularly unusual for a 40 year old car, but then I don't know how you would show a frame twist or bend in a photograph anyway. One thing that I will say, is that in our post "Cash for Clunkers" world of today, ANY car that will reliably start, move under it's own power and stop properly is worth more than it was just a couple of years ago. IF the car is safe to drive, has good brakes and tires, and the frame isn't bent to the point where the handling is compromised or the tires wear unevenly, it is probably worth $3000, regardless of the make or model. (Go try to find a usable "beater", they just don't exist any more.)

How old is the door seal? If it is original, or fairly old try replacing it first. If it is relatively new, you might try adding some home weather striping to the inside of the door to "assist" with the seal.

Just unbolt the six or eight bolts that hold the pressure plate to the flywheel. The clutch alignment tool is fairly cheap and available from MSA, Nissan, etc. I know that there are people in the Indy Z car club who could loan you one... Like me for example.

At least it was the bell housing, and not the dash. I have known several people who had mice chew up their wiring harness.

You mean this message? Yep I get it also. Mike or Arne would have to explain why the certificate is expired.

I finally have my windshield tint installed. ("New" windshield was required first) I thought I would post a picture as a tribute. Thanks for the hard work.