Jeff G 78

Just when we though we were done, we got hit again last night. It was 78° Sunday and it was 24° last night with 4 more inches of snow. The good(?!?!) news is that we broke the all-time snowfall record for Metro Detroit that dated back to the winter of 1880-1881.

That's a great price from Jegs. Shipping is always the expensive part of aero components.

Another beauty Guy! Congrats on the new addition.

It keeps turning. It's simply turning a disk with 5 different size holes, so it makes sense that there is no end stop.

I like that size. Hopefully, 15" performance tires are still available for years to come.

Body color for sure. Black can look good, but it is usually hiding something, so when Z experts see the black engine bay, that's what they immediately think.

$525 sounds about right to do the head gasket job. If the head is warped, only let them mill it if they know what they are doing. Milling the bottom-only will seal the head to the block, but the warp will still be in the head. N47 heads are cheap, so if the head has issues, try to find a good used one. I would expect to pay about $100 - $150 for a good used N47. I would verify that it measures flat and is full thickness though prior to purchase. The head should be 108mm tall from the valve cover surface to the bottom. Be sure to have them replace the valve seals while apart. It's much easier off the car and they are likely shot on your current head as well as any used head you would buy. Has the engine ever overheated prior to the dead cylinder? If not, it could be a simple head gasket job. Good luck.

Panasports are made in Japan. The ones made in China are other Minilte copies. Panasports are stronger and are worth more than the similar-looking Chinese wheels.

Sorry to hear about your engine. Like you said, something must have corroded/stuck during storage.

Tomzern, the way that most Z guys and gals find works best is to attach a tight-fitting 6" long hose to the MS's front bleed valve with the free end submerged into the reservoir under the fluid level. Now crack the bleeder and simply pump the pedal slowly up and down until no more bubbles appear. Close the bleeder and repeat for the rear bleeder. Using this method, I've never failed to get an air-free MC. If you open the bleeder too far or can't get the bubbles to stop, remove the bleeders and add a light coat of grease to the threads to seal them with the bleeder is cracked open.

How are you bleeding the MC? It is critical to get the MC bleed right before moving to the corners.

Glad to hear you found the problem.

$8500 will get you a nice powertrain. I paid $500 for a donor '82 F54 engine, 5 speed trans and 3.90 diff and then put another $1000 in machining and parts. You would still need an intake, carbs and a header, but for $3000 you should be able to build a nice complete engine. I'm not sure what a Rebello engine costs, but you are probably in the ballpark of your budget. I'd strongly consider going with ZTherapy SU carbs when you build your motor unless you really want triples. Triples are harder to tune, but they sound great and make better power on a modified engine.

What is your budget and what are you going to use the car for once built? There are lots of choices and there isn't one right answer. Some like strokers, some like high revving motors, and others like turbos. What about fuel delivery? Are you going to stick with SU's or swap to triple carbs? You can give Rebello a call and get anything you want, but it won't be cheap. A simple DIY build will cost between $1000 and $2000 for the engine plus whatever carbs you go with. Those will be $200 to $1500.

Obviously, the head and/or manifold has been replaced as a '76 should have an N42 with square exhaust ports. Be sure to verify that the head is an N47. It's possible that a PO replaced only the manifold and used the wrong one. Assuming they were replaced together, you should be able to find a used replacement manifold. I've probably scrapped several of them over the years. I'm not sure if I have any in storage. The problem with rust belt cars is that the outlet studs tend to twist off.

Hey Chuck, It looks like your Z will be coming to Michigan. Chris, who bought, it is a friend of mine and I'm sure he'll take good care it it.

Yes, that amount of radial runout could cause the issue depending on the reason for the runout. When you try Chas' wheels, I'll bet the vibration goes away.

See, now you are an expert and you can give others advice. Good job guys.

Looking good. Your hoist boom will be nice and long. No need to remove the bumper with that hoist.

Like siteunseen said, you need to mark the hinges because the hood has lots of adjustment room at those bolts. I have removed my hood so many times that I have the system down pat to remove it alone without damaging the paint. I pull the two bolts on one side and slide a small phillips screwdriver through one of the holes with the handle on the radiator side of the hole. I then go around the other side and pull the other two bolts most of the way out while holding the hood still. I still have a strong hold on the hood while I stand directly in front of the car and finish removing the two bolts. At that point, I can slide the hood sideways off the screwdriver blade and remove the hood from the car. Be sure to have a safe place ready to stand it with towels or foam rubber padding to keep the paint safe. Installation is the opposite of removal.

It should be pretty easy to find through a search. The mod involves moving the front lower control arm pivot points up and sometimes out. Up will help the geometry for bump steer and out will add some camber. Most people move up 3/4". I also moved mine out 1/4" which is about the limit due to tie rod thread engagement. You will also need to grind the corner off the LCA's so they don't catch the crossmember after they are raised. Once you have the crossmember out, the mods take about an hour with the right tools. You have to knock the doubler washers off and then reattach them after you drill the new holes. I used an air chisel to remove the washers and the three spot welds popped right off. Once the new holes are drilled, the washers need to be tack welded back on. Otherwise, it just requires some measuring and a drill. I didn't have a welder at the time, so I took it to a coworker with a welder to have the washers tacked on. Here is a pic of my mods. This is the only one I could find quickly, but at least it gives you an idea of the new hole location.

Depending on the hoist you are using, the reach might be too short. Before you pull the engine, roll the hoist into position and make sure that the lifting eye is at least rearward as far as the #5 cylinder. If it's close, you can pull the front bumper to gain a few inches. If it's more than a few inches short, you will struggle to get the engine back in and lined up on the mounts. For this reason, I avoid fold-up hoists and bought a fixed leg model. They have much longer booms. As for the pull itself, pull the engine and trans as a unit. Be sure to tape a plastic bag over the trans output so the oil doesn't drip on your floor. Also, tape a WD40 lid over your hood prop clip. If you don't, you will likely drag the oil pan over the clip and break it off. The lid will help protect it and give you a warning if you do catch it with the pan. Pulling the engine is a breeze as long as you disconnect everything and get the car in the proper position. It helps to put the front tires on 2x10's and put the rear up on jack stands. It makes the angle less severe. Here is mine going in.

I dropped my '78 exactly 1" and the bump steer is pretty bad. When I built my '74 race car, I lowered it a bit over 1" and I moved the inner pivots on the crossmember to correct the bumpsteer. The '74 is great, while the '78 street car sucks. I plan to do the crossmember mod to my '78 as well. I haven't used the spacers.

Pull the diaphragm and metal rod off the stethoscope and use just the hose to listen to the sounds. Many times, leaks can be detected better that way. Any airflow around the open hose will be magnified and the location can be pinpointed.

Sounds like a great deal. The '81 is a goldmine for donor parts with flat top pistons, P79 head, 5 speed, and a 3.90 FDR. The '72 is good for the SU's, pedal box, front crossmember, and other good parts even if the car is a POS.