Bambikiller240

I've been buying from MSA for over 5 years and the service that I have received has varied from good service at a minimum, to superior service on the other end of the spectrum. They should give you credit (back to your card, or store credit) for the shippng charges AND they should be the ones to contact FEDEX to solve the problem. Call and ask to speak to Sal Perno, the manager of the store. He has always been fair and reasonable when I've needed help. Good Luck Dave!

Welcome to the club! You've just bought one of the most fun cars to drive on the planet. It can even be fun to work on, if you are in the right frame of mind. Spend some time looking through our Forums and Technical Articles and you can learn a lot. You might also enjoy a look at ZHome.com Good Luck with your Z!!!! Carl

but could he afford to lose these? (give it a few extra seconds to load for full effect)

No Linkage rods to worry about on a Z car. Clutch is hydraulically operated. Most likely is that your car is low on clutch fluid, and/or either the clutch master or slave cylinder are defective. Check fluid level in the master cylinder and look for wet spots on the clutch hydraulic lines to isolate the problem.

A mixture of water AND anti-freeze has a higher boiling point and lower frezing point than straight anti-freeze or straight water would have.

Yes, wrong side, but fluid under pressure can squirt some distance. Admittedly a W.A.G. As you'all know, I don't understand electrical stuff too well but wouldn't there be some other indication of an electrical problem, like something not working, amp guage needle deflecting, melting of wiring (which should be more fragile than the S/S hose?

No such animal as a 1977 240Z. Valuation of a vehicle is directly related to the exact condition of it. Could be worth as little as $25, or as much as $15K Has it been sitting for 20 years in a storage unit without care and necessary manitainance? Brake systems, engine, electrical, body? Or is it completely and perfectly maintained, fully roadworthy, and sustantiated by receipts?

If Electrical current is involved, you should see arc/burn marks on the S/S hose from the point of contact with the electrical system. If no arc marks are seen, I would suspect a defective hose and the smoke caused by fluid spraying the exhaust. If the fluid caught fire, it might melt the hose material. The reason for the "OFF ROAD USE ONLY" stickers is that the hoses have not be subjected to Department of Transportation mandated tests. As it has been explained to me, the parts have not been submitted for the "Whip test" required for parts used on public highways. Some other manufacturers do submit their S/S hoses for DOT certification. My S/S brake hoses are not DOT certified but they have worked flawlessly for over 4 years.

Hard to tell for sure from the angle of the photo, but it does seem that the engine is sitting just a bit too "straight up". Easy to get the mounts mixed up and a relatively easy thing to fix. I had both mounts on the wrong sides of the engine while it was on the engine stand being rebuilt, and only realized my error 5 minutes before I was to install the motor in Bambikiller. :stupid:

Mark: The two photo's that you attached, are exactly the same. Same file name, etc.

Holy Schmoley! I can't imagine how the hose could get hot enough to fail. What would impart the heat? The exhaust system doesn't come close to the location of the hose on "normal" Z cars. Is is possible that the positive battery cable came into contact with the clutch hose and caused a short? I could imagine the hose failing and squirting fliud onto the exhaust system. Is that a possiblity? Let us know if you figure out the root cause of the failure. I have one of those S/S clutch hoses awaiting installation, but now I'm wanting to wait in case there is a reason for me not to do so.

Of course, I DO understand the process, it just that I am referring to auctions that I am interested in bidding on. If I were selling (and I do, on occasion), I would love the bidding wars. It is natural for the seller to like this situation, but it is the buyer's that create the benefit for the seller by being silly enough to telegraph their desire to purchase.

Only need to pay $50 if you want the OEM knob, It is getting more expensive as stock availability declines. Any other knob should be cheep to buy.

MSA sells the hoses. I would only buy the one with the 180 degree bend formed into it. For the other hoses I would (and have) use generic fuel/oil rated hose of the appropriate diameter. You can find an article in SportZ Magazine describing the vent hose replacement process. PS Here is a site with info on the job. HERE!

The constant "up'ing" of bids by small increments leads to a feeding frenzy mentality where some folks bid things up to crazy prices because they lose sight of the real value and MUST WIN. I wish more bidders would use the SNIPING technique. Rationally decide what the part is worth to you, and place your bid ONCE. If you are the one who wanted/needed it badly enough, you win. End of Story.

Well, the idea was that the u-Joints were sealed and the lubrication from the factory was sufficient for the "lifetime" of the product. I have heard that SOME drivshaft shops will remove the U-joints that are not serviceable and install ones that can be serviced. Not sure what the cost is VS a new driveshaft. Many U joints that you can buy over the counter do not have provision to grease them. Having said that............you get what you pay for. I would always spend a bit more for the ones with Zerk fittings, myself. PS Auto manufacturers stand tomake far more money on the mantainance of a car than they do on the initial product purchase.

SU stands for "Skinners Union". The Skinner Bros developed the type of carburetor used in our Z's and many other cars. Originally their business was in leather manufacture and the original carbs used leather for some of the soft parts. SU is just another manufacturer of carburetors, like Rochester, Stromburg, Carter, Holley, etc. The SU carbs in our Z's were made under a manufacturing license from SU to Hitachi in Japan.

Only way I know to tell IF you can grease them is IF they have grease fittings built into them. I have been told that the 280Z Driveshafts came with u Joints that were not servicable, but I have only owned 240Z's.

"$ ? " That would be a good reason, wouldn't it? It would be for me anyway.

Actually, I'm not familiar with the 260 and 280 horn pads in detail, but I do know that they have the "Z" where the 240Z Horn pads came with "DATSUN" logo on them. The 240 pads are also smaller in diameter than the ones that came on 260/280Z's. (but you seem to already know about all that)

Looks like you got a 260 or 280Z Horn Pad. I believe that you need to have a pad that matches the steering wheel that you have in your car. ie 240 wheel and 240 Horn Pad, or 280 wheel and 280 Horn pad.

I agree with 2ManyZs. You need to put in some new metal before doing any POR work. As is..... By the time you would finish with Marine CLean and Metal Ready prep work you would have significantly more "swiss-cheese" looking metal than you currently do. The Power Mesh fabric works good with a few small holes, but when it starts getting to larger areas like what you are facing you need more metal in there to maintain strength.

Hi Jeff: There is a 3 piece set of bushings that should be installed on your shifter. One goes on the bottom of the shifter lever, the other two pieces fit into the hole that the metal pin goes through to lock the lever into the transmission mechanism. You can purchase a set of these bushings for under $15 (maybe under $10) from MSA. The difference between having and NOT having these bushings in your shifter is like NIGHT and DAY.

There are two different sizes of Speed Bleeders needed for a 240-280Z. One size will fit the rear brake cyls, and the master cyl, and clutch slave cyl. The other will be for the Front Brake Calipers. IMHO they work awesome. I have heard that they will snap off if you overtighten them, but HEY, they are brass so......don't overtighten them!