BillD

Thanks. I knew I had seen the specification in one of my manuals, but couldn't locate it. BILL D.

I'm embarassed to ask so simple a question, but I can't find any information about the suggested torque for the lug nuts on my 240z wheels. Please Advise. Thanks, BILL D.

I just used clear 5/8" hose from Ace Hardware. It appears to be resistant to gasoline and since it doesn't have any standing gasoline (easy to check because it is clear), I don't think it will be a problem. I've used this type of hose for similar purposes on some of my motorcycles and its worked for years. BILL D.

Thanks. Now I know which horn pad I have and how to describe the horn pad I want to a seller. (And a contribution to the general taxonomy of horn pads has been made.) Does anyone have any ideas on a temporary or permanent kludge for my current non-functioning horn pad? Bill Delaune

Agree that it's probably a 260z or 280z pad. Any way to tell them apart?

I recently bought a horn pad from eBay. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2430565931&category=33704 The pad arrived and is in beautiful shape but doesn't come close to fitting the steering wheel of my '73 240z. Does anyone know what it fits? I'd like to post it on eBay, but would like to be a little more accurate in my description. My original pad looks good but is smaller, has "Datsun" on it (rather than the "Z" on the eBay pad), and has no (remaining) internal parts. I can make the horn work by shorting across the contacts with the pad off, but I'm looking to restore function without the help of a screwdriver. What should I be looking for in a horn pad, or better yet, is there any way I can fix my original pad. I'm even willing to consider another switch on the steering wheel or column. Thanks in advance, Bill D.

After studying the situation and examining the parts of the hoses that were easily accessed in the car, it became apparant that other than the parts directly attached to the tank, the hoses were in great shape. I cut off the bad parts and replaced them with new hose sections. I spliced the two sections together inside of the car with barbed hose splicers and hose clamps from Ace hardware. After sealing the (grommet free) access holes in the floor with silicon sealant, I filled up the car and all of my leaking and gas smell problems were gone. All of this was done for less than $10 and I didn't have to lower the tank. The diagrams in the club's microfiche CD were invaluable in figuring out the hose routings and purposes. I am very pleased with this repair. Thanks for your help. Bill Delaune

"True short shifter" I've seen ads for contraptions that fit on top of the gear box and supposedly make shifting quicker and better. If I remember correctly it was inexpensive and looked like it was external to the tranny. Has anyone had experience with this sort of thing. Does it work? If so, how difficult is it to install? Thanks, Bill D.

The large one in the back is the problem, but they all look very old. A full replacement might be a good thing. As always, your advice is appreciated. BILL D.

If I top off my tank, I get gasoline leaking out of the back of the car. The fuel is coming from the (original) hoses on top of the tank. The easiest fix is to simply keep it below 7/8th of a tank -- no leaking. I'd like a more permanent fix. Are there any substitutes for the rather expensive OEM hoses? Any tips on how to do this with the lowest level of hassel? I await the group's wisdom... BILL D.

Well, my tranny problems are over. I replaced the '79 5-speed with an '83 5-speed. The shop charged me $800 for everything and did the job in one day. I'm very pleased with the results. By the way, I've attached a picture of the donor car. They replaced its tranny with a competition unit and had the original one sitting around. Really smooth shifting, close ratio unit. The L28 in my '73 240z is very happy with this box. I'm a happy camper again.:classic: I'd still like to work on one myself, but simply don't have the room. Maybe next year... BILL D.

There is a local z-shop that quoted me $1,400-$1,600 for a 5 day turn around that includes pulling the tranny and replacing whatever needed fixing up to a complete rebuild. Never having cracked open a tranny, this may not be a bad deal.

I'm not sure. I've had the car for a month and probably put about 500 miles on it. Is there a way to get the tranny out without pulling the engine? What do shops charge to do this sort of thing?

I figured that the whine in all gears except 4th was the give away. It is much less now, but still there so I'll have it checked out. I'm still worried about the right versus left side of the fill hole. The fill hole I used is on the passenger side (right) of the car just to the rear of what I assume to be the reverse light switch and on the same side as the speedometer cable. Is this correct for a '97 5-speed? One more question about draining the tranny fluid. Exactly what kind of a tool fits in to the square drive hole in the drain plug? Thanks, Bill D.

Finally got the car on some relatively level ramps and checked the fluid level. Couldn't find a sqare headed plug on left side but did find one on the right. Added three pints of gear oil to reach the hole and was rewarded with less noise and smoother shifting. I will flush the system this week. Given the amount of gear oil, is this the correct fill hole for a '79 5-speed? The square headed plug was in just about the expected location on the right (passenger) side and was to the rear of an electrical sensor of some sort. What are the penalties for overfilling the tranny if it isn't?

A '79 5-speed was recently transplanted in my '73 240z. After initially working fine with the set up, my speedometer recently stopped working. Is there anything strange about the cable or mounting I should be thinking about or checking? Bill D.

Some progress. I took off the shroud and removed the switch. A wire had come unsoldered. I resoldered it and now the dash indicator and all signals work except the right rear. There is no more interaction between the right turn switch position and the brake lights. The right rear still flashes (both bulbs) for the emergency flasher. For good measure I changed all of the fuses (two had very loose caps). It is now time for the volt ohm meter. BILL D.

I'm having similar problems in that my left signals work fine, my emergency flashers all work, but my right signals don't work at all. I have suspected a faulty switch. (In fact, to make it more confusing and electrically mysterious, if I have the turn signal stalk positioned for a right turn and I press the brakes, the brake lights don't come on.) What do you have to disassemble to get to the switch? BILL D.

I would have thought that I would be heading to a heavier fluid (SAE90) in the range because of the age of the tranny and the noise. I've had very good results with other Red Line products, so I'm more than willing to try this one, but was just wondering. BILL D.