Racer X

No, I take them off, and they go in a drawer in one of my toolboxes.

OK, a quick and dirty cell phone pic. The long one with 2 holes bolts on the right front side of the cylinder head just behind the fuel pump. The small one with one hole goes on the last exhaust manifold stud on the left rear of the head. My engine sling has tabs on the ends of the chains, and I use a 5/16” bolt, 2 fender washers, and a wing nut on each one to attach to the lifting fittings.

I'll try to get some photos soon. I also promised @Captain Obvious photos of the underside of my 72, but have been working lots of overtime lately, and can't seem to budget time for that, so bear with me.

I have a set of the factory lifting brackets that I use for engine removal and installation. Used them dozens of times swinging engine and engine/transmission in and out of my Z cars. After use they go back int the tool box to be used the next time they are needed. Never had a bit of trouble with them.

Chrysler used ATF in manual transmissions from the mid 1980’s up to when they stopped offering manual gearboxes. It works just fine, and helped raise fuel economy numbers.

I guess I should also mention that the poll needs a third choice. “Choose the method that best suits the goal. If only the engine or transmission need to be removed for repairs, remove that item separately. If the reason for removal includes repairs to both, or work on the chassis requires the removal of both, pull them as a single unit.”

Having worked as a journeyman mechanic for 30 years, I have changed out hundreds of engines, transmissions, and differentials, in all manner of machinery and vehicles. The process is pretty much the same, be it a tractor, car, heavy truck or trailer mounted equipment. Most important is good planning beforehand, selection of quality tooling, and having enough room and an organized work area. Reasons for removing (and subsequently reinstalling) an engine or transmission separately might be that one requires repair or maintenance, while the other doesn't, or, when performing a full restoration of a car. Then it makes sense to join the engine and transmission before installing them in the car. I even dress the engine fully before dropping it in to reduce the amount of time spent bending over the fenders afterwards. I lost count of how many times I have removed and replaced the engine in my race Z, but the last time was after the crankshaft broke. Nothing wrong with the transmission, so I rigged up a way to hold the front of it, and pulled the engine only. Soon, I will be pulling the engine and transmission from my brown 72 Z. I will be pulling them together, as the engine needs a rebuild, and the transmission (an automatic) won't be going back in. And when I reinstall everything, it will most likely be as a unit. So there isn't really a right or wrong way to remove and install these things, provided it is done safely.

Years ago, at a party, a biker showed up. He would walk up to a gal and say, “I’ve got your name tattooed on my d***.” One gal challenged him, so he whipped it out. Sure enough, “Your Name” was tattooed on his unit. What an idiot.

Looks like that ZX has a scoop on the front, and would be perfect in Death Race 2000.

The defroster lines on my 72 (11/71 build date) are vertical.

$2,000? That’s what I paid for my brown 72 Z 28 years ago.

I bet he doesn’t have problems with exhaust gases in the passenger compartment, eh?

When browsing the site I encounter many broken and dead links.

Don't leave out John Paul sr and John Paul jr.

Nice to see you're makeing headway Ryan. It can be challenging dealing with bonehead "repairs" by other people, and undoing poorly executed work trying. Is that a Monaro next to your Z? Oh, and best wishes for the soon to be addition to your familial unit!

Where I work the engineering guys rapid prototype 3D printed plastic tools all the time. The material isn’t brittle, is quite strong, and endures in a manufacturing environment. The plastic is machinable, can be drilled and tapped. 3D printers have become pretty affordable too, so much so that the average Joe can afford one, and print whatever they like. The only limitation is their imagination. My only complaint is the 3D printed parts have that look, the lines of each pass by the print head giving items that 3D printed look.

Thank you for the comprehensive and informative reply. I have been collecting license plates for about 50 years, and have learned quite a bit about the details, but just now learned something new, so it is appreciated that you took the time to compose such a great reply. I recently reregistered my 72 240Z, using the original license plate as “year of manufacture”. It is now permanently registered, although use is limited to test drives after maintenance or repairs, parades, travel to and from shows, or for pleasure.

What is a Q plate?

Spent the last week after work harvesting parts from a 77 280 I picked up from a neighbor about 15 years ago. The clutch and brake pedals for converting my 72 240 to manual, the seats to rebuild and reupholster, maybe for the 240, and all the usable interior, possibly for another 280 I have intentions of building up.

Did someone forget to start a "What I Did To My Z Today" for 2020? *Edit* Never mind. Didn't see it way down below all the pinned threads. Carry on, nothing to see here.

I know. But I need to get the 77 stripped down and then move it back outside, and free up the lift.

Been too busy to take pictures, but I've been working on the 72, sort of. Determining what I need to replace before driving it, then sourcing everything. Still need to decide on what hoses it needs (all of them), and work a weekend of overtime to pay for that and a new set of tires. The seat foam is 48 years old and needs replaced, but I could drive the car some before spending time and money there. Prettymuch got everything else. I need to make a fixture to hold the engine and transmission, with a radiator and exhaust so the condition of the 'temporary' L28 with SU carbs and a 5 speed can be determined. This week I harvested some parts from a 77 280Z I have. About 15 years ago I bought a set of Panasport wheels from my neighbor, and they came with this car. It ran, but the local "Z" shop had been working on it, and the short rubber hoses from the fuel pipe to the injectors leaked badly. I had offered to fix it for him, but his experience with that "Z" shop soured him to having the car, he just wanted it gone. It has sat out behind the shop ever since I bought it and drove it there. So far I have the clutch and brake pedals, and may use the tach too, as my 72 has a distributor from a 280, and my tach doesn't work now. Next up, the alternator. I also pulled the plastic trim panels, as they are in decent condition, and I may need them for one of the other 280Zs I have. The car has lots of other good stuff, but is a rustbucket. I will try and get some pictures up this weekend, including the pictures of the underside of the 72 for @Captain Obvious

Thanks Ryan!

Looks fantastic. What paint was used? Acrylic enamel, like original? More modern base coat clear coat?

I feel the need to comment on your process. It appears that you are going to do a complete restoration of the body and paint. But. The car isn't completely stripped of everything. The glass needs to be removed. The fenders need to come off. The wiring harnesses, brake and fuel lines gotta come off. Anything that can be removed must be, to protect it from damage by the stripper and sanding. And when you start cutting out rusty metal to weld in new, you won't want anything in the way that will be ruined by cherry red slag balls flying from the welding splatter. You mentioned the tube nuts on the hydraulic and fuel lines were damaged, so you just bent the lines aside. Get a double flaring tool, tubing cutter and new nuts, and repair them. In the meantime, remove all the tubing from the car so it doesn't get damaged. If any of the lines need related, they can be used as a pattern to build new ones. Good luck on your restoration. Racer