Mark Maras

There's a lot of goodies there for $2000.00

Well, i woke up last night at about two in the morning thinking about that dirty white 240 behind the bushes and the fact that it looks like one could clean it up and drive it. It looks complete and the filth that covers it is brown and not red rust. So much,`wishful thinking`.Obviously several hours of convincing myself to let it go didn't work. I'm left with the same feeling as when I bought the last Z I didn't need. Someone has to save this car from rotting away. It shouldn't just be sitting here in the NW rain. Images in my head of the handsome prince rescuing the fair maiden from the dragon.

I didn't see 'the boy with the banjo' on the front porch of the run-down house next door but it does look like he could live there.

It's truly amazing how tough addictions are to get rid of. Case in point, I've been patting myself on the back for the last couple of years in gradually getting past the Z voices in my head that urge me to look for Zs that need more work than my back can handle and parts that I have no place to store. I no longer check out CraigsList on a daily basis and 'had' settled into a peaceful retirement UNTIL today. Today, I'm driving down a street in SE Portland (note the secrecy) when I happen to glance over at an old chain-link fence almost totally overgrown with weeds and brush. First thing I notice through a small gap in the brush is the rear of a 63 Impala. As I'm remembering the days of my cousin's 63 four-speed, dual-quad, 409 Impala, I get just a quick glimpse of a two-tier rectangular tail-light with a reverse light in the inboard lower corner on a dark background panel. My heart rate instantly doubled and the Subie took the first right turn it could to circle back and find the 240 behind the fence. I pull up and park next to a 50' x 100' lot filled with decaying cars and a locked gate. I can just see enough of the Z to tell it's somewhere between a late 71 and a mid 73. It's white and very dirty. As i was trying to get a look at it a neighbor comes out and says if I'm interested in any of these cars, forget it. He says many people over the years have contacted the owner and he has always refused to even talk about selling any of them. The neighbor states that the owner has several lots (more cars?) around Portland and doesn't need the money and he doesn't know the owner's name. Well, I thought that's good because I don't have much money. I came to the quick realization that I hadn't kicked the habit, I'd just put in a closet where I couldn't hear it's stifled cries. So, now that it's out of the closet again and in control, I'm going to (must) contact the owner but first I have to find him. In the past I've approached buying parts that weren't for sale by assuring the owner with an emotional tie to the parts that they would be going to a very good home and the parts would be refreshed and on the road again, which is the reason we all hoard parts. I'd like to hear about others experiences, ideas, and the psychology used in separating beloved cars, parts from their owners. I have a feeling this one is going to be a tough nut to crack. Thanks

These days I can't watch Joe without seeing John Belushi.

A little oil or lithium grease can be used on them. A frequent cause of nozzle binding is the small flat-bar linkage piece that pulls the nozzle down and pushes it up. The problem lies in the ends that attach with screws. The ends of the linkage piece have to be exactly parallel to their mating surfaces. I slight twist with two pliers is enough to realign it. Unfortunately I had to remove the carb to check the linkage alignment.

@siteunseen Cliff help me out here. I've never used a Float Sync but as I recall, you have. Is the 9/16" above the metal base on the Float Sync the proper height? @Jughead Let's be sure the fuel levels are at the proper height and we'll work on the mixture then. Meanwhile, are you sure the nozzles are up all the way and not being held down by the choke cables or are bound up due to twisted linkage? I'm trying to eliminate a few things but my gut feeling is you may be trying to compensate for very worn, leaking throttle shafts. @Captain Obvious I believe you had a method to reduce or eliminate the leaky throttle shafts.

Does the backfire out the carbs occur during acceleration or at cruising speed? Assuming you used the mixture (nozzle) screws to enrich the mixture, and they were pre-set at 2 1/2 turns down, how far down did you go with the nozzles?

The fact that the starting fluid affected the idle indicates your throttle shafts and or the carb bodies are probably worn and pulling air through the gaps. Before you decide that's the whole problem, describe the trouble you're having. Most SU problems are caused by the wrong float level (the primary mixture adjustment) or the airflow in the carbs not being balanced. There's a few more things that can cause trouble but those are normally caused by extreme wear or abuse. ZTherapy has a great DVD "Just SUs" that goes into SUs in detail.

I agree with the ignition switch being the cause of it shutting down when it switches from start to run however, that doesn't explain the high revs. High revs are usually caused by excessive air not excessive fuel. Example, one can't cause sky high revs by adding choke. I'm going to start with the obvious (Sorry Cap'n) Do you have both carb return springs connected. The ones that anchor to the heat shield? Vacuum leaks, while a possibility, usually affect low rpms. I've not seen vacuum leaks cause sky high revs.

It's time to test the mechanical pump for pressure (psi) and volume (gpm). The symptoms have the feel of a dying mechanical fuel pump. I remember a similar problem with my 71 back in the day.

Disassemble them and clean them thoroughly, I betting they'll be fine.

I looked at a few reviews on Eagle clutch cylinders. Some report failure in a short time. I believe we've heard about this problem across many brands usually caused by insufficient cleaning of the bore before assembly. If cost isn't part of the decision process, I'd go with the Beck-Arnley and I'd disassemble that one too.

Replacing the hose would be a good idea. If you don't you'll think about it for years.

Does Beck-Arnley offer that kit?

Gradually pull the choke on when it's stumbling. If it improves, the stumbling is from a lean mixture. Was the detonation a backfire out of the carbs? I'd also pull a spark plug to check the color.

Beck-Arnley had a good reputation for quality in the past. I'm going to assume their quality is still good. I'd go for it, but I'd disassemble both cylinders and clean the bores. Be sure to tell us if you find any swarf in them. Have you changed the valve seals yet?

Pull the rubber boots from the ends of the cylinders. If there's brake fluid inside the rubber boots, the cylinder is leaking. In the past I've found that if I only replaced the one leaking cylinder (slave or master), the other cylinder didn't last long and had to be replaced or repaired. Now I replace them both at the same time.

Hard chrome is frequently used on steel shafts, rollers, cylinders, etc. I doubt you'll see much wear, if any, on hard chromed butterfly shafts. In the past I've found oil lite bushings to be very durable as long as they are oiled regularly.

If it was mine, I'd get it running with the Webers for now. There's plenty of things to change after you've gone through your list.

They look like American Racing Vectors.

I may be one of the few that remembers good products from JCW. A loooong time ago I bought a complete wire harness and fuse block for a 1939 Chevrolet Pick-up. All wires, wire lengths and connectors were perfect. Just remembered, there was also a six-volt wiper motor that replaced the old vacuum mechanism.

4.5-9 psi seems way to high based on my experiences with OEM carbs. Am I to assume the newer aftermarket carbs can handle that much pressure?

It's also a good idea to check the clevis and clevis pin for wear.

I thought the towel bar was there to protect the front.