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carby problems /new Z owner


spunkeemunkee

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:( Hoping someone may be able to give me the heads up with the seeming carby problems I have. i just purchased my Z and it was running pretty sweet, stock carby's etc. Took it to a 'professional' who told me that the original carby's are crap and that i need to change them. he done a 'tune' and the car since then has been losing power, cutting out, and when it's hot it won't start at all! It has tarnished my enthusiasm just a little as I fell in love with my Zed and i feel that someone has tampered with her! Can someone help as this is my daily driver for now. thanks. P.S i have just purchased a second hand L26 motor which has 2 SU carbs all that i know is that their stamped Birmingham england are these any better?
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Hi spunkee,

 

I've been told that genuine SU carbs are better than the OEM Hitachi copies that Z's came with, but i've never had a genuine one so can't comment. Do you have the 'flat-top' or 'roundtop' style Hitachis, as the flat-tops are apparently crap (there's plenty of discussion on these elsewhere). My 240 has the round-tops and although i've spent some time adjusting and testing them, I find they are adequate for my needs.

Getting spare bits for genuine SU's might be easier, so I guess one thing to look at is the condition both sets of carbs are in.

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If they are stamped 'England' i would hazard a guess that these are genuine SUs... and as such, probably not originally off a Zed, as from memory they had copies of SUs (except maybe very early 240s). Either way, SU's are supposed to be among the best carbies to work with, both from a point of simplicity and tuneability, and a swap may be worthwhile, if they are in good condition, and if (as I suspect with a 77 model) you have the flat top Hitachi carbs its definitely worth it. Get the SU's checked out before you fit them, recoed if need be, and they will be perfect for your needs. Only way to better them is with triple webbers/dellortos/mikunis (or even doubles of those maybe, but they're a bitch to tune sometimes.)

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I looked at bidding on the 260z motor you just purchased but had difficulty picking it up. Lucky for you as price might have went up.

 

I noticed the carbys on that were round tops so I figured they were 240z carbys, which was a bonus as the standard carbys for that 260z motor where flat tops. Now that I go back and look at the e-bay picture again I can see the float chamber is different to the Hitachi SU's.

 

So as the others said, if you have flat tops on your car throw them in the bin and put on the genuine SU's. If you have round tops, the "tuner" has stuffed it up as those carbys should run perfectly. Take it back and complain.

 

cheers

Warren

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Thanks guys for your input. What carbs are you guys running? i spoke to a z mechanic this arvo who said the 240z (i think he said Bosch) carbs are the best because they are so simple? it's a little confusing to know what to do and which 'professional mechanic' to believe.

 

For an L24/L26/L28, 240Z Hitachi carbs are the best all round choice as they are well known in terms of tuning, etc and a good match to those engines (as long as the carbs are properly setup and in good nick). The Hitachi's are a copy of the British SU as already indicated. The carbs on the L26 engine are probably from a Jag or similar and are 'genuine' SU's. They can be made to work just as well as the 240Z carb, although needle selection can be a bit more involved.

 

Sound like the mechanic didn't have much of a clue. Steve Newing in Mitcham knows his stuff (but ain't cheap) and then there's possibly Lou Mondello (Moorabbin) although he mainly specialises in Datsun Fairlady roadsters, although I know he has worked on Z's. Someone will also suggest Warren at Zworx.

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Just as a heads up the first rule is don't trust any mechanic. Beleive me I have been around and found 90% reckon they know everything yet know nothing. (took me 15 years to realise this because they all sound so genuine and beleive in what they say) It would appear this guy who "tuned" or changed over your carby's might have taken you for a ride. I would be getting him to fix the problem that he created. But by the same token I would continue along the path of seeking advise from fellow Zed owners who are in the know and try to make an informed judgement yourself. Unfortunately there are too many mechanices out there who do not understand what the owner wants a reliable driver with additional power, all be it minimal being a secondary option. Good luck.

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Just as a heads up the first rule is don't trust any mechanic.

 

While I generally agree with the sentiment, for those with less mechanical experience it's not so simple and unfortunately relying on forum advice can be a bit of a minefield - some might be offended by that, but it is a fact. My cars and motorcycles have never seen the inside of mechanics workshop, except for things like RWC and dyno tuning, but I've also have many years of self-taught experience on cars an motorcycles inc building race engines, etc.

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If you do take your Z back to get them done (and this applies to any mechanic) i'd want to be leaving the car with him overnight, so he can check cold start operation the following morning. It took me a while to get right myself, but I found (as with most carbied vehicles) that engine and ambient air temperature play a big part. A quick tune isn't likely to address this.

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