Mark Maras

Have you tried beermanpete's advice about swapping pots (and pistons) between carbs? You'll be able to tell which part is bent, Piston or pot. IMO I'd start looking for replacement part(s) ASAP. I doubt if it's worth the time and money to try to straighten it. Whatever "it" is.

If the needle isn't 90 degrees, I think it would rub the inside of the jet (nozzle).

Oh yeah, I've dropped them too. Now I place a rag with a small hole on the cowl and set the piston on it with the needle protruding thru the rag and into one of the cowl slots. The piston sits securely on the rag and the needle is protected from my clumsiness. To be sure the needle isn't the problem, blacken the needle with a Sharpie pen and slide the piston up and down. If there is contact, the black ink will be scraped off revealing the brass contact point. This will also work for locating interference between the piston and chamber. The choke is activated when the handle is pulled into the up position. At the carbs., the choke cables pull the fuel nozzles down. This temporarily boosts the amount of fuel in the mixture. Virtually the same action as dropping the nozzles down with the adjustment screws.

Easier yes. The tunnel is thinner material than Charley's floors but are you going to lose needed clearance for the exhaust? Just a thought.

I like the onion analogy. Layer upon layer of corrosion. Patience is the key to removing stuck fasteners. Wire brushing exposed threads, plenty of soak time, a rap with a hammer, heat and last but not least, I usually try to tighten the screw or bolt before loosening. Often times there is enough clearance in the threads to break it loose. gwri8 Is it possible when relating the extent of your "intimate" Z knowledge, you referred your car as HER? It might explain the look you received.

Needing the choke when the engine is warm is a sure sign of a lean mixture. Inadequate fuel supply, wrong float setting, are a couple of the more obvious reasons. They may need the mixture adjustments opened up 1/4-1/2 turn more, however, the overflowing carb and the sticking piston have to corrected first. Does the piston stick at the bottom of it's stroke? If so, it is likely nozzle misalignment. When aligning the nozzles, adjust them to the top. That way when you drop the nozzle screws down 2 1/2 turns later, you'll have a little extra clearance to ensure the needles don't stick in the nozzles. If the piston is sticking higher up, carefully inspect the damper and chamber for scratches and or dents. Not only is the piston supposed to drop but it should drop at the same rate as the other carb. The overflowing float bowl is likely caused by a defective float, float pivot or too much pressure. (You already replaced the needle and seat) One way or another the needle and seat are not closing the fuel off when the float raises.

Given the limited description, I'd say everything is just fine. Timing chains are supposed to run tight and 8" of leverage on the crank nut isn't much leverage to turn it over. Especially a new engine.

Wow. Not even close to any Z. The car on the box does look like a Toronado. The actual model looks more like a new Camaro with an old chrome Pontiac Judge grille.

How in the world are you inspired (motivated) by rust. Please share your secret with us. I get depressed when I have to deal with it. Why do I feel like I've climbed a mountain of rusty scrap metal to ask for wisdom from the sage at the top?

Not impossible to find but very spendy. If it's a clean break, epoxy might be the answer.

Thanks, That explains why I had no problems with mine.

I experienced the same symptoms once. Car wouldn't go over 45mph on flat ground. Less on a hill but would rev to 6000 rpm just fine. A partially clogged filter was the culprit. The engine uses a lot more fuel under load.

Chickenman or anyone else, were the 70 & 71s plagued with vapor lock and or percolation as much as the later SUs? Having driven an early 71 for years and never had a problem with it, It seems to me, every time they "updated" the SUs the problem became worse. Any truth in this theory?

As I recall, your floors came from Charlie. Looked on ZF's site to compare 240 and 280 pans. A lot of difference. I've only dealt with ZF 240 pans. Mine needed a lot of massaging on the tunnel side. The outboard side is vertical and welds to the rockers. They were too wide too. (better than too narrow) I fit mine from the inside. Seat mounts were out. I measured from the outboard side of the floor to the bottom of the inboard radius about every two inches. Drew a corresponding line on the new floor to match the orig bottom of the radius. Bending them to fit was a PITA. I bent them cold. If I EVER do it again I'll heat them with a flame. Pulled the overlaps together with sheet metal screws and started cutting both pieces at once. Got a good amount of it cut in place, some places had to be cut separately. That said 240 pans don't have the holes near the sides. To get the floors oriented in the proper location, I think you'll have to massage both sides.

Ready to cancel the BRE request yet?

The only solution I'm aware of to pretreat the overlaps is weld-thru primer or zinc-rich primer. Theoretically, one could galvanize the overlaps with a flame (before and after welding) and just enough heat (around 420f) to rub a zinc strip on them. I doubt any of these areas would be affected by the heat. (Zinc strips are avail. at your local welding supply store.) The overlaps would probably last longer than everything else. There is also the possibility of taking your preformed floors and rails to a galvanizer before assembly. Yes, I'm obsessed with zinc. 40+ years fabricating and welding galv. steel. Zinc is still the best bang for your buck when it comes to protecting steel, especially around salt.

I like it better in the gun metal gray. The tribute paint is nice but I think the gray would appeal to a greater number of buyers.

Don't be afraid to adjust the mixture screws. They're the mixture fine tune on SUs. I'd start by dropping both 1/4 turn and check the plugs again in a few miles. Light tan is what you're looking for.

Interesting thought. I'll put that card up my sleeve. Could be useful.

Yeah, I feel like i've already shown most of my cards. (Lesson learned) However, he is a "used car salesman" and their goal is to move cars and they LOVE cash. He already knew he had something special before I "appraised them". What I don't know (yet) is why he still has them. (240 & 280). He's interested in talking more about them. I think there is some middle ground to be found concerning the price. Could also be that he just wants more info about the current market. I'll know more in a few days.

If you're going to pull the main harness from the area above the right rear tire, attach a line (fish tape) to the end first. You'll have a way to pull the harness back thru the body when you reassemble it.

Haven't forgotten the Deliverance Z. New priority. Discovered a 70 Z. Stored 30 years. Haven't been inside or under the hood yet but can't find any serious rust anywhere on the outside, even the floor pans. The dash is uncracked. Might be a cap but I doubt it. Original US alum. slotted wheels. This one looks really good. Got into a conversation with the owner about Zs. The conversation was about escalating prices. When we finished that subject, he drops the bombshell on me. "I have two Zs. A 240 and a 280. Neither have run in years." Me and my big mouth. I may have added thousands of dollars to the price. This one is going to be a long tough negotiation. He is a used car dealer.

Flames erupting from the rear. I like his sense of humor.

What are ya gonna do? Some people just won't play by the rules. They'll just take their Z and go home.