Geoff's 240z

Hey guys. I have absolutely no problem with where the white Z is going, beauty. But does anyone else think we're starting to get out over our skis based on where the orange listing is going? Paint bad, lots of custom stuff to undo, riveted siding, CB removal, etc. Or tell me if I'm missing something. https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1972-datsun-240z-82/

Hi guys, checking in with an update. I had Al at Sparks Performance in San Clemente take a look. He confirmed our compression test results, and used the oil in the cylinder trick to rule out ring issues. He pulled the valve cover and completed a valve adjustment. The PO had the clearances way too tight. The adjustment helped the numbers considerably... Al's first test / after valve adjustment 118 / 127 123 / 145 180 / 195 165 / 185 148 / 175 170 / 193 The car performs much better now, including holding its idle without issue. Still, I'll need to have the head pulled and reworked to solve the issues in 1 & 2. As it is driving much better and I'm not longing for a repair bill, I think I'll hold off on head work and cam replacement for a little while.

Awesome, thanks for the quick reply!

I've been searching for an air filter housing to put onto my round top SUs, but holding out to find the mounting hardware. I have an offer for the housing in great shape, but the seller is telling me he has the mounting bolts (both sides of the wing nuts) from a flat top setup that should work. Does anybody know if these flat top wing nut bolts will work on the round tops? Thanks!

They are not for everyone, but the price reflects that!

Anybody have any interest? Can't tell why I can't get a bite on these bad boys.

Boze Fatal billet wheels. 17x7 with 215/40-17 Michelin Pilot Sport tires. Rims in great condition, tires in good condition with about 2,500 miles on them. Bolt pattern of 4x114.3 or 4x4.5. I'm in Orange County, CA. Looking for $525 OBO. Thanks!

I'm on the same page with you guys. My brother is an accomplished mechanic, but new to the Z world. We'll crack it open over this holiday period and I'll report back. Thanks again for everyone who helped out.

AK260, thanks for the support! Got back in the saddle today with new tool, and also increased starter time from 3-4 seconds per cylinder to ~10 seconds per cylinder to test. Here are the results: 110 125 160 155 140 160 So, feeling much better about things but still have something to investigate in cylinders 1 and 2. Any concern about cylinder 5? Lastly, bought a remote starter but wanted to make sure I hooked up correctly. Can you guys confirm? First, connect one cable to the smaller wire connection on the solenoid, then connect to the bolt on the solenoid that connects the positive battery cable. Do I need to disconnect any cables or can just bite onto those connections? Thanks!

Sorry about the misunderstanding. No, the car has been driven consistently for at least the last five months.

I performed the same method for all cylinders, and double checked the front two cylinders given the variance. I was more focused on the variance than the actual values given that I don't know the history of the gauge itself. Took the coil wire off, all plugs out, screwed compression gauge in as tight as possible by hand. No extension used. Full throttle and ignition for about 3-4 seconds for each cylinder. No, the engine did not sit for an extended period of time after warm. Just long enough for me to do the procedures above. I have a '79 280zx distributor. I gapped the plugs to .044, as I have a 280z bottom end. Interestingly, the NGK 11's came out of the box all gapped at .040. Sound like anything else I'm doing wrong?

Update on the continued saga... Started out today with compression test (thanks O'Reilly for lending the tool) and got bad news. Results as follows: Tested Cold/Warm 60 / 70 60 / 70 100 / 120 110 / 115 90 / 100 115 / 115 So now we have cylinders 1 & 2 to worry about. What's odd is that cylinders 4,5,6 are the ones making noise when I disable the front carb as posted in the video above. Also checked for vacuum leaks with brake cleaner and did not discover anything. Put in new plugs, results in the picture below. Seems like we're doing better on the color when compared to before, cylinders 6-1 as you look top to bottom. Good news is that the idle seems to be holding now after the continued carb tuning. I'll drive again this afternoon to confirm this is the case. Located in Laguna Niguel, CA for those local or who want to visit.

Guys, really appreciate the help. Going to check for vacuum leaks and complete a compression test today. AK260, I hope it is as easy as me reliving your experience. Thanks for comments on the cam, too. I asked MSA about how aggressive my cam was, and the guy said it was equivalent to a Stage II. I know they aren't mechanics and it isn't their exact product, so not most confident on his opinion. Anyone else's opinion on the cam given the numbers I've provided would be appreciated.

No luck on the choke, I checked both and are functioning properly.

Here are the plugs from that side of the engine.