KDMatt

I thought it was implied that one'd d/c the VR if he/she installed an internally regulated alt :laugh: As for the 220 amper? ... Nope, I was being serious, I've seen 'em! The intended market probably being someone bizarre enough to put 1200 watt subs, tons of extra lighting (i.e. neon under-lighting), and electric windows on their Z's ... No, no and no! Ugh, and let's not forget imitation Knight Rider lights!

Oh no, I wasn't meaning to imply that I'd continue to drive with the "frozen" clutch, I meant a cheap, aftermarket one... but yeah... I guess paying 70 dollars for an "OEM" one from ZcarParts.com isn't sooo bad... Also... should I be looking into taking on the the thermostat as well? As far as I know, that's something that gets checked/replaced when the radiator is replaced... I can make assumptions, but what are the official differences between 192/180/160 degree thermostats?

Hey, I'm just going to play devil's advocate here for a second (or something like that), so please excuse me... If he had an internally regulated alt, how would that cause overcharging? I mean, the only difference beside the internal/external regulation is that the later alts produced around 60 amps instead of 50... Are you trying to imply that those extra ten amps are what could be causing the overcharge? I'm just wondering, because then what would be entailed in installing a "high-output" 220 amp alt?

What a story! Holy shitake! ... Yet another testament to how resilient these cars are...

Indeed, the '79 is widely considered the least collectable Z-car ever produced, but it really all comes down to what you want. If you're just looking for wheels that'll get you around and look good doing it, then the '79 ZX is definitely a good candidate (especially since it sounds like you're not short on cars that are already fast). Know that the drivetrain from the '79 ZX is basically unaltered from the '78 Z (except with a few, aforementioned "emissions goodies" tacked on), and that the ZX is significantly heavier, which results in a lot less throttle response. My experience with the '79 is that while it is responsive and comfortable (probably even accurately described as 'luxurious'), it is certainly not "intuitive" as many others will describe earlier (and possibly later) Z-cars to be. The one fun thing about it though, is that it's very rear-end heavy, so the minute you accelerate hard, the front end will rise up very noticeably. I'm not crazy about the '79 as a matter of principle, but hey, it's still technically a Z-car, it still looks cool, and it might even be fun to drive. So I say check it out if you're interested. If the price is fair, and the mileage is respectable, it might be worth seriously considering.

HLS30-286119 I think the closest so far has been one of daddz's cars: HLS30-299394

Thanks for the ebay info guys, but it's a little late now. :dead: ... Actually I think the 280's had their own special fan clutch... though I believe a number of 260's got 'em if they were manufactured near enough to the end of '74. Well.. budget aside, I know you guys are right... OEM Fan-clutch looks like it'll run me about 91 dollars Whereas a "Hayden" brand one from Checker is 49.99, with lifetime warranty... other brands are things like "Ready-Aire" and "Flex a Lite" for 48.99 and 74.99 respectively... I think I need more info before I get into this... and from the looks of things (examines the thermometer), I have lots of time to figure it out... Minnesota isn't Arizona or Florida or Cali... it's very rare that the temperatures get much past 100 degrees during the summer... in this regard, would having a "botched" fan clutch be as big a deal? ...and before someone reiterates, I really don't want to rebuild the current clutch and here's why: The workspace I'm going to use isn't my space to begin with... and this fan clutch thing is coinciding with a radiator drop 'n' swap... (actually it's more of a radiator 'lift' I suppose...) I basically need to be in and out of this garage in a day, and I think, for a newbie, trying to include a fan clutch rebuild on top of a radiator project could be pushing my luck... Actually that reminds me, where exactly is the drain plug for the engine coolant on the block itself? Haynes manual doesn't show it.

DZR: Just for the record, I do agree with you that Nissan OEM products are clearly superior to other, aftermarket brands, however, you must understand that my budget allows for anything that works. The less money I have to shell out for something that does the same job, the better. I mean, I can afford new, OEM stuff, but I try to keep a really tight budget for trivial stuff like this because I can't turn my back on my car... I have always be ready for some major, money-sucking repair to come along and require my attention. I mean, if I buy 3 new things from Nissan for 50, 80, and 120 dollars respectively, instead of opting for aftermarket stuff that could cost 20, 45, and 70 respectively... that leaves me with $115 less to play with... which could be the difference between an OEM -part- and and aftermarket one. You have the angle of having a perfectly original, mint 280Z... mine's been significantly modified in the past, and is not even close to "mint," so using anything other than Nissan parts in your case would probably border on sacrelige, whereas for me... if something is broken, the only quality that really matters to me in the replacement part is that it does its job, and does it as good or better than the part it's replacing. You also have the angle of having a (presumably) larger budget than I do. I can only do what my budget permits, nothing more. Whew. Anyway, that's not an attack or anything (as you said, it's just your opinion), I just wanted to state my standings as well and include the "why" reasoning. Now, about that fan clutch... Heh, there are a lot of things robbing me of power. Bad fuel injectors and lousy oil I'm sure are just a few. Not to mention I'm pretty sure that the lubricants in the transmission and differential are probably low...

mlc, thanks a bunch! I'm looking into new a new fan clutch now, seeing as a rebuild seems a bit too tedious for my taste. I'll likely do that when I replace my radiator. 240ZX ... yeah, I just have some qualms about it is all... I overloaded my alt once by having the stereo too loud + windshield wipers + headlights + turn signal + brake lights ... granted it was a flakey alternator and bad VR, but still... 'makes me nervous to think about more stuff using up electricity. Anyway, I'm opting to grab a new fan clutch from Checker (the best auto parts store ever IMO), for about 50 dollars, vs. the 100 to 130 I would likely spend to go electric.

Hey, This thing with my Z has sort of intrigued me since I bought it. I'm wondering why my engine fan is so loud? It almost had me tempted to upgrade to an electrical setup... except I'm not certain if I feel comfortable putting yet another load on my electrical system. You can hear me coming from a half block (or more) away, because my car sounds like a semi-truck. I'm told that it's loud(er) because it has so many blades displacing air, but I somehow doubt that Nissan intended for it to be quite this loud... any suggestions? Bent/dirty blades? Worn belt?

Wow, what a story. I can't help but wonder if the seatbelts were changed at some point. I mean, 72 to 76 is a lot of room for changes (especially for Nissan it seems like). I'm curious, were your belts like mine... like, were the motion-lock mechanisms (or whatever you officially term them as) so sensitive that you could scarcely pull the belts over yourself without locking them? Or are you talking about the buckling mechanism itself attached to the seat? In either case, how big of a hassle is it to install four-point restraints?

Carl, Alfa: Thank you for the links guys. Everyone else: your thoughts and blessings are always helpful. We're all over the initial shock now, as well as my father's grief over losing his favorite car (ya can't blame the man, he's never driven my Z). Carl, that link was especially instrumental in helping me breathe a sigh of relief. Being as naive as I can be at times, I was completely unaware that collision tests of that magnitude were required in the 70's. Thank you. I now feel a lot safer about driving my car, and I think I'm going to hold off on my clutch project in favor of addressing the suspension and brakes. Reading about collisions and accidents has made me realize how instrumental good handling and stopping power can be in avoiding an accident. Your guys's input has helped me realize that while safety equipment and technology may have changed over the years, the basic formula for staying safe has always remained the same: fastening your seatbelt and being a good driver. Peace.

Heh... Yeah I suppose I did allright given that I'm typing... granted though, my right hand (particular the joints in my thumb) hurt a bit... I was clutching an empty Dr. Pepper can when the airbags went off. No injury came to anyone involved, just some minor bruising and such. Anyway, Arne, thanks for that info about airbags, that does make me feel better... though I've always thought that modern seatbelts were designed to be used in conjunction with airbags, and weren't really meant to be standalone (at least anymore). The seatbelts in my Z lock up so fast, sometimes it's tough just to pull enough slack out to fasten them. However, I still have a major question... Has anyone ever been in a wreck in their Z? What was the experience like (other than heartwrenching)... Looking at their design, are they safer than you'd expect, as safe as you'd expect, or deathtraps? I just kind of want to know now... I realize that statistically, my odds of being involved in another serious wreck are somewhat low, but yeah... it's sort of got me thinking now. I'm a paranoid driver... it's just the other guy that's got me worried...

We just got into a car accident in my dad's Escort ZX2. Another driver didn't yield on a green light, and turned in front of us, at ~40 mph. The front end of the 'scort took 85% of the impact, and is now, almost undoubtedly, a total write-off. Inevitably, this has led me to thinking what would have happened if it'd been my Z instead. I know that the 280's (and later 260s) have somewhat beefier (albeit, uglier) looking bumpers, but the question remains, in a thirty year old car, lacking airbags, would I have been allright? The three-point seatbelts, I know, are touchy, and lock very fast, but surely this cannot take the place of an airbag. Four-point seatbelts? What are some things I can do to the Z to make it as safe as possible, or things I shouldn't do or neglect when I "revive" her in the spring? Thanks in advance guys, I always appreciate your input.

Ahh... right-o then, thanks for that bit of advice. :knockedou

I still haven't gotten around to getting a suitable replacement for my crapola regulator... Will this do the job? http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Datsun-Voltage-Regulator-70s-vintage-NEW-IN-BOX_W0QQitemZ8014391787QQcategoryZ33577QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Awesome link Lance! Thanks man.

Bah, that's what I was afraid of. Is it even worth it to pull off the head to just replace the seals (and guides)? (the thing that initiated this whole 'let's-pull-off-the-head project'), since it might take me a bit longer to amass the financial 'cushion' to finance a machine shop trip than to just acquire the parts and do my own (supervised) labor...

Thanks. :classic: ...If I changed the valve seats wouldn't I also have to look at how the valves fit to them? Isn't it possible that the current valves and seats have somehow 'contoured' to one another and that replacing both the valves and the seats at the same time could be a good idea? I'm just curious about that, since I've heard hearsay of people resurfacing their seats so that the valves fit to them. 'Glad to know that the spring thing is just an oddball rumor I picked up though. Saved me an extra 100+ dollars there, heheh.

Right, okay... I shouldn't lose sight of what I'm really striving for here... I'll cross the new valves and seats off of my list and, add, in their place, a new headgasket. ... and I was under the impression that the N42 was designed to take leaded as well as unleaded gas, and therefore had softer seats? ... N47 on was strictly unleaded from what I'm told. Actually, I'm looking at my VB catalog... it looks like a headgasket set comes with valve seals... is that right or am I just hallucinating? :stupid:

Hey again folks, I've done some research since last post, and I'm beginning to map out a winter/spring break project for my car now. (A friend of a friend is a big Nissan enthusiast and is going to graduate soon from... UTI is it? So I may be able to get professional grade help with this one.) Here are the things I'm going to replace in the head: Seals (of course) Valve Seats (in favor of the premo/hardened ones) Valve Guides (again, in favor of the premo ones) Springs (... they're supposed to be replaced every 25k miles or so, right?) ... and perhaps even the valves themselves? I remember reading something about seats and valves having to "match" each other or something to that effect? Well, anyway, from where I'm sitting at this particular moment in time, I figure that if I'm going to replace the seats, it's probably also wise to replace the valves themselves. I might also, possibly, maybe... look into a new headgasket... since... well... that's another one of those since-I'm-in-here-this-far projects I was warned about from you folks after I bought the car. I have some questions about head removal though... since I can understand that it would be very, very easy to f--- up the cam/valve timing... Is it possible to return the engine to the TDC position with it still in the car, attached the drivetrain, etc. or is it more realistic to just be very careful in removing the head? (i.e. taking careful note of the position the cam is in and just making sure that when the head is bolted back on that the cam matches my notes/pictures) Any more input from you guys is, of course, appreciated. EDIT: I think I might have spoken too soon... Replacing the seats would be a very involved project... one perhaps best left to a machine shop at a later date... so I think I'll nix that from my to-do list for this project.

You can't take it too personally, it's one of those things that the older generation is pretty much obligated to do... I'm pretty sure it stems from some kind of dissatisfaction in regards to how they handled things, so they try to use the next generation as a frustrational outlet.

Amen to that brother!

What's involved in replacing the valve seals? (I don't have an FSM just yet, it's on my to-buy list). Since I don't know all that much about engines just yet I'm just going to assume that I'd need to remove the cylinder head, correct? Would it be wise, in the mean time to just put some gas in it and run the engine every now and then? ... Perhaps even adding some Oil "Stop-Leak" stuff? Actually, it's sitting outside (covered at least), which is not to my advantage, I know, but I've really got little choice about it. Both. I think my injectors might need to be replaced. If they were backed up with gunk it would make sense that the fuel flow would be restricted and that, all of a sudden, the increasing pressure of more fuel trying pass through as I opened the throttle more would cause a sudden jump in rpm, right? You guys have been a tremendous help, and any more ideas you can put forth are always appreciate.

Is it possible that you've got the wrong alt. or v.r.? I would think that if an alt that was already internally regulated was run through yet another regulator there'd run the risk of some kind of loss there... eh?