Jeff G 78

Great. I will look up the P/N using my handy dandy microfiche and order one up. Thanks Stephen.

You guys suck. I haven't seen a Z in a Detroit area junkyard for over ten years. The best junkyard I ever went to was in Atlanta back in the early 90's. It's probably long gone now, but it was a Z-only JY and had what seemed to be hundreds of Z cars. It was right across the street from a Porsche-only JY. I was able to find a few things I needed, but most were too big to take back to Ohio.

I have the BD parts in my engine, but I got mine about ten years ago. The chances of their piston supplier being the same after ten years is slim. I wasn't overly impressed with the parts I got, but they were way less expensive than anywhere else.

Where exactly is the check valve and what does it look like? Is it part of the pump or between the pump and the metal fuel line? Mine has been losing pressure as well and I haven't taken the time to look around for the check valve.

There is one quick test you can perform, but I can't remember off-hand where it is on a '78. The diverter flap in the heater box is controlled by a vacuum diaphram under the dash. When the diaphram gets vacuum, it closes and moves the lever that shuts the flap in the heater box and diverts air to the heater core. On my old '76, the diaphram was under the driver's side of the dash. I could actually reach it while driving to close the flap (I had a cracked hose and wasn't getting heat). If you reach with your right hand while seated in the driver's seat WAY up under the dash, you can fish around and feel that there is a canister with a lever on the bottom. If you push that lever up, it will simulate vacuum and close the flapper in the heater box - giving you heat. On my '76, once I pushed it up, it would stay there until I pulled it back down. If you follow the cables from the heater box, you should be able to find the vacuum diaphram. It will have a vac hose going to the top and a lever and cable going to the bottom. Again, this is from memory of the '76 I had 25 years ago . I don't know for sure where it is located on a '78. If I get a chance, I will look at my '78 tonight and let you know. While checking the vacuum lines, be sure to check the rubber fittings on the RH side of the engine bay where the vacuum hoses connect to the vacuum solenoids near the fusible links (look for the once white square plastic domes that are now probably cracked and discolored). Those fittings can crack as well as the hoses. Good luck.

Understood TomoHawk. I'm just thinking that all of the cars were photographed, so the only trick would be to match the photos with the owners. Since the majority of the Z cars at the convention are owned by people we don't know by name, it's tough to figure out who's who. If they were all members of this board, it would be easy, but the majority were not. I don't mean to sound like I'm complaining, because I certainly understand the effort that went into the convention. I just think it might be something to think about for next year. Congratulations to all the winners and participants!

I saw that Michael. You deserved it. Nice car!

It loaded right away on mine Chris. That said, I was a little disappointed that it only listed each class winner's name with no car info or photos to go along with it. There were only a few names that I recognized in such a way that I could picture their car in my mind. Otherwise, I really don't know which cars won. The professional photos didn't appear to have any names either, so that can't be used as a cross reference. When I took my own photos, I didn't take a close-up of the entry card. I wish I would have known and I would have done that.

Due to the age of your Z, you should buy about 15 feet of vacuum hose and replace every vac hose under the hood. I found that they crack most often on the RH side of the engine bay between the vacuum solendoids and the firewall, but they can and will split everywhere. With the info you have given, you have found the problem and now just need to replace the hoses.

If my memory is correct, he died while riding his Vespa scooter.

When the control lever is set to floor, does the air come out of the floor vents or only out the center vent? You cannot get heat from a Z unless the air comes out of either the floor, or defroster vents. The center and side vents are only for either unheated outside air, or A/C. If you have it set to floor and only get air out of the center vents, then the problem is with the vacuum system - most likely a cracked vacuum hose. If you get cold air from the floor vents and defroster vents, the problem might be the heater valve. If you look at the firewall behind the engine, the two heater hoses go through the firewall and directly into the heater valve. If the cable is broken or way out of adjustment, the valve might be staying closed. Look under the dash and find the valve (it's not easy to see and you might have to remove the glovebox). When you can see it, move the temp lever back and forth to see if the valve opens and closes. If it does, then you might have a clogged heater core. This is unlikely, however. Do the tests in order and let us know what you find.

No, the lock pull move coincides with the redesigned latch mechanisms in '77. I learned this back in the mid-80's when I tried to swap a '77 door panel onto my '76. My '72 and '76 panels would swap, though were different due to the door pulls.

No, the lock pull is not in the same location and I believe there are other differences as well. The lock pull moved forward in '77.

At least they were in a 350Z with airbags and real crash protection rather than a classic Z. It's good to hear that they are both okay. Hopefully there are no long-term injuries.

I hope he's able to patch everything up in time. Tell him we're all pulling for him!

That is a really cool project. It should be very light with the mods you are making. I can't wait to see the finished product.

I think you will be in trouble with a -4 offset. A +4 to +6 offset works much better unless you go with narrow (205ish) tires. I rub the same as Jeffrey with zero offset and 225/50R16's. Even with the fenders rolled, it still rubs.

Why would Florida want a thropy??

Thanks for the update Greg. Good luck on Friday! Be sure to upload the pictures when you get home! We can't wait to see them.

Every Z I have owned has puked its original clutch slave cylinder at one point or another. I haven't bought one in many years, but they were always really inexpensive at a good import auto parts store. I think I usually paid less than $15 for a rebuilt slave. Replacing it is very simple as well. Put the front end up on jackstands and crawl under the car. Remove the rubber hose at the slave after you verify that the hose is not leaking. After the hose is off, remove the two bolts holding the slave onto the trans. Install the new slave in reverse order and crack the bleeder screw. Fill the clutch master cylinder reservoir with fresh brake fluid and SLOWLY press the clutch pedal a few times. Refill the master and tighten the bleeder while it's dripping fluid. Depress the clutch pedal and see if the clutch moves. Due to the short distance and height difference, I rarely need to bleed a slave. If I do, it only takes a few bleed cycles. That's it. I could replace a bad slave in less than 15 minutes. The master isn't any harder, but does require a bit more work and some contortionism to get the rod off. I have found that the slave is the culprit almost every time though.

Sweet picture. Thanks for posting it Mark.

Oh crap! That really sucks. I hope Mike and his wife are OK. What car were they driving?

Hmmm, I think they are the same, but there were some floor changes between '77 and '78 as well. I don't think it affected the tank though. If I remember, I will check the parts microfiche when I get home. Make SURE the tank is perfect inside or you will be in the same boat. Nearly every tank that hasn't had constant usage will have some rust inside. My car is extremely clean and rust free yet had a cruddy tank due to the car sitting for years in my garage. The rust was all surface, but was bad enough to make a mess and constantly clog the filter. Have the seller take a photo of the inside via the filler hole. It isn't easy to get a good photo, but it can be done. Here was my tank before POR and after

My tank looks perfect after 2-1/2 years with the POR treatment. I haven't heard of any long-term failures. There have been a few cases of the coating not sticking, but that can be attributed to improper application and prep. I am confident that the '75 tank will not just bolt up. It MIGHT fit with mounting mods, but will not be easy. The whole rear floor changed.

From what I remember, they are quite a bit different. I had both tanks next to each other and they didn't look much alike. You might be able to make it work, but it will not be a simple job. Your best bet is to do the POR-15 treatment on your '78 tank. It costs about $60 and works great, but it does take a few days and the directions must be EXACTLY followed for it to work properly.