Daniel

Keep in mind full choke is for STARTING the car.After it cranks,you want to feather it toward off.Think of how a lawn mower or chain saw acts when it cranks at full choke.It acts ugly fast as the rich fuel floods it.Its a "get the feel kinda thing"but,the goal is to use the choke as little as possible.You may have to hold the gas on a little or gentle revs as I say its a feel.30 seconds full choke is a long time.Your spark plugs will thank you as rich=foul.I think you saturated your plugs with raw fuel causing them to misfire.They needed air to burn it off.But thats just my guess.Check a plug,if its carbon black,its fouled.Carbon is a insulator of electricity.You can clean them up or replace.It probably occured over time.They just failed on a rainy day. Daniel

Use a small phillips head,punch or awl and pop the little pin in the middle of the plastic rivet down thru the rivet.Then it will come out.If you find the pin when you remove the panel you can reuse them.Myself ,I would not remove the panel until I had the replacement taillight gaskets as the fewer times you flex that panel the better off you are.It will need to be removed to remove the taillights.That is also an excellent time to check out the status of the gas vent hose that runs across that area.It causes raw fuel smell. Have fun!! Daniel

License Plate illuminator fixture.

Hi guy,I fought the fume monster for about 2 years off and on.I did all the mentioned items and never really saw a difference.I was told the rear hatch seal was the normal problem.I had replaced it when I restored my Z about 15 years ago.The car is garage kept so the rubber was still good.I reglued the seals -no help.Then about a month ago it hit me like a rock.When you open your hatch there are 2 screws on the left and right of the catch.Remove those and your tag light assembly will drop.There are 2 bolts that hold the catch.Close the hatch(watch out for the tag light)Loosen the catch bolts to where they are easily moved.Press down on the hatch and snug the bolts.Because you pressed down,the top of the latch is what seated the catch.Moving the catch down a fraction more will ensure it connects at the bottom of the latch.It is wonderful to travel without fumes!!!It's great to arrive somewhere without your clothes smelling of exhaust and your lips purple!!!I now either open a window or door before I close my hatch as the fit is so good I need to relieve some pressure or I have to slam it.Let me know your results. Daniel

Sounds like you have the correct wire.If touching nothing the gauge is at rest.Ground and it moves.Does your oil gauge do the same thing?They will not spark. Daniel

The fuelpump has in it a check valve that keeps the pressure on the fuelsystem.When they go bad they allow the pressure to gradually(overnight in your case)bleed off.Trying to start it in the morning means the pump has to repressurize the line so it has enough pressure to pop open the injectors.The rest of the day your fine because the leak is very slow.Put a pressure guage on the fuel system and check it in the morning,then during the day and odds are you'll see your problem.I don't know if there are internal and external check valves for various years.You may ask nissan about your year. Daniel

Check inside your dist. The points may have shifted.The ground wire inside the dist. may be bad. Daniel

May I also suggest replace the thermostat while the hoses are off.The 2400 engine has an oil tube that oils the valves.They split/seperate.When you remove the valve cover make sure you check/replace, again is nice.They caused the death of alot of 2400's due to underoiling.The 2800 has it in the cam to eliminate that.Check out the old threads for 59ghia as he just walked in your shoes.Sounds like he's rapidly becoming was 59ghia now '72 240Z'erLOL Another Z bug has bitten.Myself ,I would stay away for torches,cranking an old car offers enough chance of fire for me.Perhaps it was a bone chilling 74 degrees in san fran when he started his carROFL !!(sorry 59ghia I had too!!) Have fun!! Daniel

Your is very good.The changes I would add are Don't use wd40.Put marvel mystery oil in instead in all cylinders.Let it sit for a day or more.Bump the starter and load the cylinders again with marvel.Let it sit.Spray carb cleaner in the carb bowls.The easiest way is spray it in the overflow.Lift the piston in the carb.Spray carb cleaner into the carbs.Check points(new is nice)gap.Clean oxidation on connector wire dist. and coil.Clean battery connections that attach to car(as well as battery)Do the gas tank stuff and crank that baby!.I wouldn't adjust the valves until the car ran.Oh yeah,check your fan belt,also it takes about 2 gallons of fuel to prime and crank a 240.Crank it in neutral,Hate to blow a clutch line and blast off into a wall or something! Have fun!! Daniel

Glad to hear you got it fixed(almost).As far as grinding when you put it in reverse.A tip.Put the car in first gear then reverse.Reverse has no syncro gear as your forward gears.That will stop the gear spinning.Without this reverse will usually grind even if the clutch is fine. Daniel

Dan,I don't quite understand "missing wire" is it there and you don't know it location or is it not there.Anyway the 240's harness where the VR plugs has a solid white wire among others.Thats the on/off wire you're searching for.When they fail,everything looks normal in the plug.You need to check continuity across all wires with both male and female conn. together.If the test fails,you can jumper across to make create the path.You are wise not to drive like this as your battery can explode.You could disconnect at the VR and run off the battery only if you had too. Daniel

Do they both increase and decrease at the same time while your driving is constant?If so, it is the contact in the gauge.The temp and oil pressure share one. The fuel has its own.The Amp has none.The fix is replace the gauge pack or get some jeweler screwdrivers,take the face off the gauge and try to polish the contacts,Very fragile,Very nonforgiving as they say. Have fun!! Daniel

A word of caution.The #10 looking wire is a fuseable link.It's job is to fail(burn up)before wiring harness damage is done.As are all fuses.It is truly the "weakest link".To replace it with standard wire would be equal to tin foil around a fuse.I haven't ever needed one.Where would he get one of the correct rating guys? Daniel

Allow me to throw a couplemore out there. On the starter soleniod where the positive attaches .There is a wire about a #10 that goes to a connector.If that connection is bad you will stop.(Unplug that as security and no one can start that car)I would install new dist.stuff and get the corrosion/oxidation of any wire I could unscrew.It can't hurt.Check the ground inside the dist.Make note of the dist.timing mark location and the rotor position.Unscrew the single screw on the opposite side of the marks.The dist will pull straight out.It is keyed so it will only go back in correctly.Its easy!!That will allow you to install points,clean connectors etc. Again it can't hurt.A Z car tip-Gently tighten bolts just to feel a movement.Then unscrew a little move and tighten a little do that a few times during the removal.Alot of the bolts attached to the motor have a tendency to snap.That dist. screw is one of them.Don't force!!I put telfon tape on mine for future ease.It will need to work for timing.Thermo housing and water pump are other areas of caution.Do your temp and fuel hold when it dies.That would eliminate the relay you here click when you switch the key on.Sorry I got long. Have fun!! Daniel

How about fuel filter that is choking on the tank/fuel line rust.When it dies it allows the sediment to settle so it restarts?I like those glass clear units so you can see what your pumping.I would also suggest inspection and cleaning the wire connectors at the coil,ballast resistor and dist.(internal also)points,cap etc. are always nice.I had a problem once that was the battery ground cable connection at the engine.A wire brush fixed that.Some Z's had a 2nd fuel filter at the tank as well as up front.Glad to hear you're rolling! Daniel

Sometimes worn plug wires can pass power across each other through induction.It's always best to seperate the wires as best you can.Also they can leak power to ground as when laying on the valve cover,this would cause weak spark=unburnt fuel=backfire.Check for good wire seat in the dist. cap. as well as wear in the cap and corrosion in the cap where the plug wires go.I once had that happen and found the screw tip on a spark plugs where the cable goes was almost falling off! Daniel

Hey baddog,While your console is out you may wish to use jb weld to reinforce the nubs that hold the choke support screws.Incasing them perhaps will extend their life as they crack with age. Daniel

Just a observation perhaps it will help.Past post that started with light issues usually end with replaced fuse block or loose fuse clip holder or oxidized clips making poor connection.The wiper may be a seperate issue.You may have a worn/dirty switch.It comes out of the firewall beside the batterery and runs back into the "pan"where the motor lives.You could check outputs at that connector or backfeed it to test your wiper and switch.Since the lights and wiper are on the same combo switch that may be telling you something about the switch. Daniel

I would install the hose and prop the door open.My 72 air cleaner has no door,It's always wide open.I do have a flap on the front I can close but I rarely do. Daniel p.s. In your photo the carb on the left has a metal pipe attached to the overflow on the bowl of the carb.The right is rubber and attached to the air cleaner as both are on my car.My question is where does that metal pipe go?

Although Z's are cold natured .There is a foil hose that connects to the heat shield then the air cleaner.It sucks hot air off the exhaust manifold when cold.From your photo I see that missing. Daniel

I would start with the shifter in neutral. Daniel

As the saying goes you can't make chicken salad from chicken sh*t.The 73 carbs aren't worth your money or efforts,they were junk when they were new.I drove a holley Z once years ago and it seemed to do well.Thats a choice you'll have to make. Daniel

Ive used duct tape for small tears.If it is dry and rotten you can replace it with some plastic from a paint tarp or garden center weed control plastic.I have used a thick quality trash bag.The gorilla snot that attaches it is plumbers caulk.It's at home depo type stores.It looks like tar strings 12/16 inches long.That seals the edges and around the window crank etc. and allows future access without having to tear the plastic.One more suggestion.While its open I would use a foam brush or a rubber glove and a rag and put rust killer in the door bottom.NAPA calls their product Extend.Some use por15.Make sure the drain holes at the bottom of the door are clear of debris and not painted shut.With all that done you won't be back in the doors for a long time. Have fun!! Daniel

The answers to your questions are at your local community college.The classes are not expensive and will pay off forever.Welding is a practiced art.Metal types,what temp to use,what type of rod,there is a lot to know before you throw sparks.I have many friends that have been through the class and they all enjoyed it and learned alot. Have fun !! Daniel

Once upon a time I ordered from msa and nissan they were 510 choke knobs.The 240 as we know has "lobes" on each side of the choke design on the knob.The 510 has a lobe on the left,the right side is straight.It will work and few would notice.It was some time around 1985 that I was looking.Availability may have changed.Some years later in december I went into a shop that repaired Z's only.In the corner was a junkpile of parts, trannys, rearends, clutches,etc.They were piled in an"A" or christmas tree pattern.At the top, just like the star,there was the choke knob!!!You can have it if you can get it theowner said.It was still attached to the cables that were buried.That was one of the best xmas presents ever!! Daniel