Stanley

Kind of busy today but here's a few more.

Kats got People's Choice Award for best Datsun with his Z432. Lots of great cars. I took about 100 pictures before the battery went dead (fortunately at the end of the show) but my ISP is too slow right now, so can't upload any more tonight. More soon.

Most of the time you would be correct, the keys are usually where I left them. However, the Datsun seems to have a magnet or some other force under the seats that pulls metal objects out of pockets. It's not the first time I've found my missing keys under the seat.

Vacuumed out the car at the carwash. What a bunch of junk. Not that I'm hoping to win a prize at ZCon, far from it. Just don't want to be embarrassed. About time anyway. Found a magnifying glass, a screwdriver, reading glasses, some hose clamps, and coins under the seats. Guess the radio knob is gone forever, though. When I got back, couldn't find the keys for my truck. Guess where they were.

Can't see the brackets on the side of the radiator, but otherwise it looks like mine, which is the Champion 3-row from MSA. I'm using the fiberglass or CF shroud from MSA, works fine. Might have drilled a couple mounting holes in the shroud but that's no big deal. A couple weeks ago you posted a link to the Schneider 311F cam. Did you find out that wasn't it? If that's it, or it's about the same grind, it's for racing, so you might need to set the idle to at least 1500 rpm to make it more drivable.

There's a drain plug on the bottom of the tank.

Wow. With 83 thousand miles it's still a baby. Only disagree with one thing, cheap tires are no good where it gets to 115F in the shade, especially on the freeway, since you tend to go a little faster in a Z. The radio probably has only one speaker, on the left rear side. I replaced mine with a $25 speaker from pep boys and it's a lot better, still crummy though. For cheap "AC" get a cool cushion at NAPA and a 40 ounce cold drink, park in shade if possible. Best "MOD" for the money, a 2 1/4" exhaust pipe and turbo muffler, with the stock (or copy) Y-pipe, preferably at a local independent muffler shop. What they said about changing the hoses etc.

Loose spark plug?

Since the coolant level was low, maybe check the radiator and all hose connections carefully for leaks. After a few weeks even a tiny leak will bring the coolant level down enough to overheat the engine. Also use coolant recover radiator cap and overflow bottle, Sapporo or otherwise. They also have a one-liter beer can for extreme conditions such as the desert.

Right, the washers were in the correct order, it was binding because the bracket wasn't centered. Loosened the two screws and lined it up, now it's OK. Couldn't find the silicone so put some spray grease on it.

Thank's, I'll study the links and photos before I do anything. My Combo switch is a used one, the lever is looser than the previous one so maybe that's it.

Wonder if Dave's parking light harness would assist getting current to the turn signals. Right front TS is still out, suspect corrosion in the electrical part of the switch, the little white plastic thing. I took one apart before, would rather not do it again since it's sort of fragile. Already cleaned the contacts in the stock harness, the parking light sockets, and the hazard switch. The parking lights, hazard lights and the other turn signals are all OK. Getting voltage for that TS but not enough current. It's a '73, built 9/72. Already have the headlight harness upgrade. Oh, wait a minute. If it was corrosion in that electrical switch wouldn't it also affect the right rear TS? The little teeter-totter switch in there just has three positions, left, right and off.

Ahhhh! 30 weight. Oh yeah, it's available.

Finally got around to messing with it again. Borrowed a '72 body manual but it didn't have anything. Figured out the bolt can only go one way. It goes in from the lever side, then there's a plastic washer (or two?), then through the mounting bracket with metal washer and the nut on the other side. The plastic caps snap open, they have a retaining ring around the screw. I took one out and loosened the other so the bracket could move a little. The bolt and washers kept falling apart on the lever until I put a little paper clip on to hold it together while getting it lined up with the hole in the bracket. Finally got it hooked up. But I did it wrong! I did bolt head, plastic washer, lever, plastic washer, bracket like the third photo posted by EuroDat (that setup looks way different than mine, BTW). But after trying it, looks like it should be bolt head, lever, both plastic washers, bracket. I think. Otherwise it binds. Need to redo it. Wonder if there's an exploded drawing of it somewhere. Might not have been easier to remove the console, at least on the 73.

If you warm it up with the cap off and see a good flow of coolant when the thermostat opens, you can rule out thermostat, water pump and radiator blockage. Tried flushing it? I flushed the old brass one and plenty grit etc. came out of radiator and engine. Finally dumped it though. I like the Champion Aluminum 3-row from MSA, not too expensive, looks good, and keeps it cool on the road. Plus it weighs a lot less, which affects shipping charge.

Raised the float bowls a little higher than stock a while back. Don't think it's overflowed since then but wanted to check. If all goes well (or wrong) a quick check of the Sriracha bottle will let me know if it has. Should still be plenty air for venting. Had to swipe the bottle from the coolant overflow line though. If I eat enough burgers, should have another empty Sriracha bottle soon.

Thank you, ISP too slow for that manual download today. Here's some shots of it. Will I need to unhook the choke cables at the carbs to get the thing out and back in? Looks like it's attached to the top (underside) of that cavity under the ashtray, instead of to the bottom, on the '73's (built 9/72). Those plastic caps on the warning lights in front of the ashtray don't look stock, wonder what was done.

At first I thought I broke the cable or the handle, but it's probably not that bad. When I pulled out the ashtray and some greasy jute material that was in there, and looked into the metal pan under it, I saw that the screw that holds the cable and lever assembly had fallen out. It was there along with a small nut, two thick plastic washers and a thin metal washer. Using a mirror and flashlight I can see what I think is the end of the cable, maybe a loop, but can't reach it with the lever in the way. Before I attempt to take it apart, wonder if there's a link to a drawing or photo of it. Tried the search feature but it didn't find it. Kind of difficult working under the ashtray.

Yesterday, on the way to do some work near LAX I saw this parked near the road. So on the way back stopped at the "Proud Bird" and checked them out. I'd hoped the MIG was one of those that China sold for $150K back in the 90's, in flying condition with legal lights, etc. (shipping n.i.c.), but no. No engine etc., but still cool. When Col. Chuck Yeager tested the first one captured back in the fifties, he called it the best plane he ever flew. It out-flew the F-86 in almost every respect (according to an F-86 pilot I talked to), but the F-86 was the superior war machine due to it's guns, gunsights, pilot protection, and pilot training. Also, that futuristic orange thing is the bell X-1, first supersonic plane, also piloted by Yeager. Also saw P-51's, WWI planes, etc.

Like Castrol HD-30? Getting hard to find.

OK, that helps, maybe I'm starting to get it. Richer acceleration and leaner deceleration sound like the right direction. Was re-reading Chapter 1 of the Des Hammill book today, if I understand, he says the heavier springs are for fuel economy. Also, in other sections, (I think) he's saying something to the effect that the bogging I described is normal for stock SU's, but can be tuned out, with the right combination of testing and voodoo (knowledge). Maybe ditch the 20 weight and try 10W-30, first. So easy it might work.

Finally got the floats set around 19mm down from top of bowl, new N-27's and nozzles. 3 1/2 turns down still too lean when book (FSM) says 2.5 for altitude and temp. Well don't know turns down exactly since I made a couple stop light adjustments yesterday to fix stalling problem, maybe 4. On the freeway, about 70 mph on my (optimistic due to smaller tires) speedometer at 3000 rpm or so, when I hit the gas it bogs down (lose a few rpm) before it picks up. No problem on acceleration if lighter on gas pedal. I'm guessing it's leaning out, maybe needs thicker oil in dashpot or heavier springs. I've read some stuff like this: SU Variable Choke Carburettors Explained but zero real-world experience with springs, race tuning, etc. Have some modded needles but want to follow the one thing at a time rule so I know what's happening. 73 Z running stock 240 bottom end with stock Y-70 head and cam, K&N's with velocity stacks, and 2 1/4" exhaust, '72 round-tops, otherwise stock. The Y-70 seems to have a bad-arse midrange and no top end (and the correct headers with smaller diameter primaries don't seem to be available) and feels totally different from the stock head it had before. Y-70 seems to need more gas at mid-range. The link above seems to say straight 20W-50 is too thick and gets sucked up in the engine too fast. I'm using 20 wt three in one oil with electric motor picture on container. A way to tell if it's the oil, springs, or both? US supplier for springs? Which springs would be one step heavier than stock? Over my head here, no pun intended.

If you have the hot=closed thermostat attached to the rear of the intake manifold then it will work as designed, warming the intake at start-up and supposedly reducing W.P. cavitation before the main thermostat opens. For some reason a lot of cars including mine have a corroded hose barb screwed into the manifold instead of the hot-closed thermostat, so it's like beerman said. I think those thermostats are available, seems like it would help on cold days. Otherwise, plug and cap. 1/4" BSPT thread for the outlet at the thermostat. Slightly off-topic, wonder if there's a problem with Z's popping heater cores from the water pressure? From what I've read it seems to happen to a lot of Mustangs; easily solved by clamping a restrictor like a washer or socket in the heater hose. Are those Dorman rubber caps? If so, they're no good, mine started falling apart after less than six months. I put some tapered rubber plugs from Ace hardware with silicon caps from M-C clamped over them instead.

Some great roads around Eureka and points North for a sports car, as long as you don't get behind the logger trucks.

You can plug it or hook up the heater. On the 240Z there's a Wye hose barb fitting screwed to the right side of the block that the return heater hose, the intake manifold heater hose, and the hose that returns coolant to the water inlet all attach to. Don't know if the 280 is the same. What I did was put tapered rubber plugs in the hose barbs and clamp silicon caps over them. But if I lived in PA I'd want the heater hooked up.