deadflo

Welcome aboard! I just wanted to comment that we sure have a lot of series ones in the club. When I first started looking for a good 240-Z in my area (eastern Washington) In about 1991, I only found one series one for sale. I literally looked for several years before finding my car. In that time I saw two series ones. It wasn't until the internet and this club that I found a good car outside my state.

Here's my quick react. Sorry I have no answer on the wheel issue. I will echo the sentiment that new style wheels look bizarre on a 240-Z for sure! But to defend MSA a bit. It seems if you try to reach them in April, they are in freak out mode because of the upcoming nationals show. Plus everyone in the country is getting their Z's out of storage from the winter and needs stuff right away. So they are overwhelmed. I do agree they have some folks that aren't real helpful on the phone. I always punch through to extension #201, and leave a mesage for Sal who has been there forever. He is super helpful and will call you back. I think customer service on the phone at all businesses has declined in recent years.

Fuel pump is mechanical, I did relace the gaskets. BUT some good luck tonight. I got a remote starter and sure enoguh on closer examination it was gas leaking from around the bolt that was the culprit. After a few trials of putting the little gaskets on different ways (they have a flat and slightly curved face), and then finally pulling the fuel inlet part with the bolt and screen off of an old SU, I was able to stop the leak. I tried the various combinations while blowing through the inlet with the needle valve closed. You could just barely detect it was leaking air. OK so now no leak, but also no start yet. Remember last night I did get it to run for a few seconds. So I'm guessing she's either set too rich or too lean, or maybe as cj71 said still filled up with crud?

Cj, I will check those little hoses this wekend if I don't have any other luck. Well, I did have some luck on getting the rear carb to stop leaking. In that case, it must have been the bolt at the fuel inlet that was leaking.I got some plastic washers and that stopped that leak. I put them on the front carb inlet as well, but that carb was soaking wet again last night when I cranked her over. BUT, if it was overlowing inside the float chamber, wouldn't some of the gas come out of that overflow line that goes into the air cleaner? I havent been able to detect any from that hose. Sorry, but it's been difficult to watch the carbs and start the car at the same time. I know I saw gas seeping out of the carb top the one time I could get my wife to crank her over. But that MAY have been at a point when the floats were set too high. Remember though that I never had any leakage problem until after I first removed those inlet bolts to clean the little filter screens.OK so my Z mechanic in town suggested lightly filing the area where the washers go to make sure they make a good seal. I was wondering, I also have an old set of SU's , would it hurt to try one of the other inlet pieces on the car if that one didnt leak?? OK I did have another success, of sorts. I screwed the mixture adjustment screws all the way up both carbs first, to lean em out all the way figuring she was just too rich to start. The front carb had been set about three turns out, but the back was more like five full turns out! I guess that's an inidicator of carb wear? Anyway, I rolled both of em back out 2 and half turns, and when I cranked, I got her to run for about 30 seconds before dying. I had to stop at that point cause my car is super loud, especially out here in the country at night. My neighbors goats and horses will freak out! Stupid question time, When I've been setting the floats I have been measuring 14mm with a bolt head btween the float top and the float chamber lid. but should i be setting it where the little tab just touches the needle valev assembly, (as i have been) or where it actually makes the valve close???

Ok, I'll try to answer all your questions. I have stock mechanical fuel pump. I did clean and then check the needle valves. When I did the adjustment, I would blow through the inlet and then measure the distance between the top of the float and the top of the chamber when the air flow cut off. Good question, Enigma, regarding where the leak is coming from. I had to convince my wife to walk all the way down the garage and crank the starter while I watched for the leak. The first time I wondered why the top of the chambers were wet. But yesterday I could see fuel seep out the side of the chambers, where the top screws on. BUT, I wondered about that inlet bolt as well. On one of the carbs, when I blew through it, I was pretty sure some air was leaking out around the bolt. I will look for some plastic washers for sure. Anyway I'm still in a no start condition, what do you guys think about spraying some carb cleaner down into the nozzle from the top if i pull the piston out? Thanks for your help, guys!

So did the non-US 260-Z's have flat tops? If so, what set them apart from our boat anchors? I know our flat tops ran very lean.....

Hey Guys, Thanks for all the tips. Well tonight I tried a couple more settings on the floats, even going to what should be an extemely lean setting, with the needle valve only opening when the float is near the bottom of travel. AND..I still get gas leaking out when I tried to start her. I turned the mixture screws up a couple of turns towards the carb bodies, and she just about started (it seemed) but there was gas leaking so I stopped trying. Do you think I should pull the domes off the carb pistons and spray some cleaner in there to see if it's clogged up with junk, and maybe thats why the float chambers are overflowing? I've never taken the tops off before so I'm kind of guessing what may be going on.

I know those non-US cars dont have the bad carb issue, but didn't i see a photo of a european 260-Z and the carbs looked like the flat tops? Were they tuned differently? Don't forget the 73 240-Z (US models) had the flat top Boat Anchors as well.:sick:

I will "weigh" in on the issue by saying road and track weighed a 280 Z and a zx and said the 280 z was about 75 pounds heavier. If you can find a 240-Z in good condition I'm sure it would make a reliable daily driver. But you may want to reconsider if you have to drive in wet conditions or your area has salted roads in wintertime. These beauties RUST easily. Better to put the 240 away for the winter or keep her out of the rain. Since they are newer (a little bit,now)and there werr lots of them made you'll probably find a 280 Z or ZX in better shape. I can attest the ZX is extremely reliable. If course that depnds on how the car has been treated. But you do see low mileage ZX's around,here and there. The S30 model (240-280Z) is better for autocross duties.

It says Datsun 280ZX. The Turbo's say Turbo on the other side of the hatch. The little fan on top is to cool the fuel rail. All ZX's have em.

Is it one? I can't see the side of the engine where the turbo would be very well, but the side visible looks just like my NA ZX. What are the other clues? I see no turbo boost guage on the dash, no badges on the side, no NACA duct on the hood, no Turbo logo on the cam cover.Also does not have the Snowflake or Swastika turbo wheels.

this car doesnt look like a turbo to me: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Datsun-Z-Series-280zxturbo-clean_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ6187QQitemZ4626192995QQrdZ1 I asked for clarification and recieved no repsonse.

Great idea regarding the bolt to measure the distance. I will try that for sure! My mechanic also said try blowing air through the fuel line while raising the float to the needle , just to make sure the needle valve is indeed cutting off the fuel when the tab hits it. Just curious though, is there any specific reason the floats would suddenly be out of adjustment after the rust incident? Would it involve me simply removing the top of the float chambers, and juggling around with them? I tried to be gentle with 'em.

Hopefully someone has a better idea of what I should now look for...

Well I took the float tops off yesterday and very carefully disassembled them and sprayed them clean with carb cleaner, making sure not to bend the hinges that hold the floats on.I reassembled them carefully. When i tried to restart, i again got soaking wet float chambers. And no start as well. I checked to see if the needle valves were sticking but they appear to move freely. Any other ideas on what i should check? The sevice manual mentions fuel pump problems with the condition it calls "overflow". The pump seems to work ok, it pumped gas into a container when I cranked the starter.

Mark, She's already thinking ahead and insisting i keep a spare filter in the glovebox! I think I can still keep her locked out of the garage....

Hey thanks for all the tips guys! I toyed around with one of my spare SU's that are off the car. I see how the top of the float is setup and the internals of the brass hexagonal deal. I will pull both the float chamber tops that are on the car off this weekend and clean em up and see what happens! Will I need to cut up some of my own gaskets? Any tips on the best gasket material? BTW, I also confirmed I have gas flow to the carbs (downstream from the gas filter), and the fuel appeared clean in a glass You think I'm safe to run her for a little while by changing the gas filters a few times before I have the tank flushed?