FuFu'Z 240Z Project! 56K warning... too slow.

[Sirpent]

This is one trip you are taking with this car Fu !

 

What did you end up doing with the leaking radiator?

 

Cheers

 

John

[fufu]

This is one trip you are taking with this car Fu !

 

What did you end up doing with the leaking radiator?

 

Cheers

 

John

 

I ended up taking it to a place in Kensington. An old greek guy patched it for $40. I'm quite happy with the job. Most of the fins have been straightened as well. It'll do until I get another radiator put in.

I just can't justify the cost of a new radiator being sold in Australia. A better quality radiator with fans can be sourced overseas including delivery for the same price.

 

Cheers,

Fu

[fufu]

Just received a parcel.

 

It contained this...

 

Hoping to remove the alternator belt and clean all the surfaces up. Pray it fixes the stupid high pitch scream issue.

It's a fairly new alternator belt.

I've tried tightening but I'm just a scrawny asian. I can only do so much.

 

[fufu]

This farken Z is cursed.

[Sirpent]

Fu

 

Relax take a deep breath................

 

If you need a hand shout out Im home at the moment and have spare time during the day.

[Riceburner]

Are you sure its the belt and not bearings in water pump or alt?

 

Try some emery paper in the pulley grooves Fu, don't over tighten the bel or you'll wreck the pump/alt bearings in no time, aim for a half inch of deflection in the belt when tensioned up. There's a product called 'belt grip' made by crc in an aerosol can, it's super sticky and helps alot......

[Zedman240®]

Sometimes you have to be careful with the belt profile you are using; some are like a deep V or the thinner wider ones. Make sure you have the right one!

[fufu]

Thanks for the input on the belt issue. I have a feeling its dirty pulleys and possibly an incorrect belt.

 

Now to more pressing matters.

 

UPDATE!

I'm writing with great anger that I failed to attain my registration today.

 

It came down to a technicality in the paper work. More specifically the engineer duplicating a certification number.

I must say the VICROADs officer (VO) was awesome, he helped me out in every way that he could. The VO called Laurie Spark and tried to get another one faxed through. However... he was on holidays and won't be back til next Wednesday, after Easter. I'm booked in again for the 3rd of May. Apparently the VO said it's not the first time this has happened with Laurie Spark VASS.

 

I'm filled with anger at the moment and am awaiting a call from Laurie Spark about this matter of a duplicated certificate number. I ended up speaking with Andrew another engineer who works for Laurie. Upon speaking with Andrew, I specifically requested Laurie to hand deliver me the certificate, after all, that is the least he can do for wasting my time.

 

On the way home from VICROADs I fanged the car hard. Which... resulted in the radiator leaking. Indicating its probably the end for this radiator.

 

On another note I had the car aligned but it didn't fix the scrubbing issue. So I'll be in need of some adjustable control arms now. As well as a radiator. I got the suspension guys to tighten up my engine, gearbox and diff mounts as I was suspicious it caused the engine to move forward and ultimately causing the fan to attack my radiator. Turns out I was on the money. A certain someone who performed the manual conversion didn't seem to know the concept of tightening bolts. All gearbox bolts were loose. I'm also missing a bolt too.

 

If you guys remember from an earlier post I found the tension control rods loose as well. If you guys wish to know who this guy is PM ME!!! Especially anyone getting some work done on their cars around the Geelong area. I'm trying to save your life. If I didn't pick up these issues, I'm fairly sure someone would have been seriously injured or worse, dead.

 

OK so going back to the radiator leaking. Yes its leaking again. But further more I think the engine is still moving because the fans starting to scrape against the radiator top end. Either that or the radiator is ballooning in size from the heat. However its nothing like before. Before when the mounts were loose the whole thing would move about 2Cm's under hard braking, careering the fan right into the core. But now its shifting about 0.5Cm's.

 

Any ideas guys? Time for new mounts? Time for new radiator and low profile electronic fans put in?

 

*sigh*

 

[benny]

is the crossmember tight?? id also throw in a set of electric fans.. stock one is annoying and noisy!! and robs a couple of horsies

[fufu]

is the crossmember tight?? id also throw in a set of electric fans.. stock one is annoying and noisy!! and robs a couple of horsies

 

Thanks Ben. I'll check over the weekend.

In the mean time here are some photos just to get the right context across.

 

 

 

 

 

[benny]

that seems super close... somethings not right im sure!!

[MaygZ]

Any chance you have the engine mounts either on the wrong sides or they are back to front??

[lightmaster240z]

Are we going to see this at the next BBq ?

[fufu]

I had the suspension guys tighten the engine mounts, gearbox mounts and diff mounts.

 

my suspicions are now on the crossmember as I did not instruct the suspension guys to tighten those bolts.

 

Sunday is my next available day to tackle this problem. I'll be occupied until then with my cousins wedding.

 

There is huge movements about 2 centimeters of travel from front to back. If I park on a slope it sits further back. If I slam the brakes hard... it pretty much moves forward and gets intimate with the radiator.

 

 

[benny]

my bet is still on the crossmember ... dont think you could have mounts wrong way etc as it make it really hard to bolt things on and linkages dont line up etc...

[fufu]

OK,

 

So my findings are as follows:

 

Tried rocking the engine, nothing. Tried putting the jack on some key crossmember points. No movement either.

 

However... going back to my previous post about a missing bolt/nut for the gearbox. I'm missing the main nut for the gearbox to the gearbox crossmember (gearbox mount). The gearbox crossmember is solid.

 

My prediction is the gearbox not being fastened down to the gearbox crossmember would allow the gearbox weight to move the whole engine-gearbox a good 2cm on hard braking? Which could cause my fan to make love with my radiator core?

 

The mounts don't look to nice either. They look more like they are moving forward. I whacked the jack under there and it does look like the gearbox moves a bit.

 

I'd very much like your input into this matter. Also if anyone knows what the nut profile/specification/details are so I can get a replacement, if you could forward this info onto me that would be great. I'll have a look for nuts lying around the garage. But considering its related to transmission I'd most probably be best to get a Grade 8 nut for this, I assume.

 

Cheers,

Fu

 

*EDIT It's a M10 1.25. Good old tap and die kit. Why didn't I think of you before.

 

[fufu]

Hello all,

 

Looks like I found the issue. Turns out I had the original 240Z 2 core automatic radiator. Yes it's that wide. Weird. However the key problem was the fan unit. I have the wrong fan unit. The replacement unit is a lot bigger/taller than the original. Which put the fan a lot closer to the engine. With the small rocking of the engine it allowed the fan to hit the top end of the radiator causing it to bend and then rooting the radiator core. The rocking was also caused by the gearbox being insecurely mounted to the gearbox crossmember. This allowed the gearbox to bounce up and down causing the top of the fan to touch the radiator. I've since secured it. But with the bigger/taller fan it still rooted the radiator care, sits way too close as the photos show.

 

So what went wrong with the first initial fan. Turns out my mechanic friend Ben which I contracted to change the water pump didn't tighten the fan at all. Which led to the fan to become unsecured and unbalanced and ultimately rattling itself to the front and causing the same result, hitting the top end of the radiator and then rooting the radiator core.

 

I've since ordered a few parts from the U.S. a new aluminium radiator with the same dimension, shroud and some electronic fans to help out with the cooling. I'm in the process of purchasing another fan unit from a fellow AusZcar member to temporarily fix the issue until the new aluminium radiator, shroud and fans arrives.

 

I'll be lining the aluminium radiator mounts with some rubber and some new stainless steel bolts to avoid the aluminium radiator getting in contact with the steel body. Trying to minimize the sacrificial metal (theory) from happening.

 

But I'm glad this was identified. It solved quite a few issues in the process. Thanks all for the input.

[reverendzed]

Well done Fu, tenacity pays off!

Rev.

[garvice]

So your engine/gearbox no longer moves around on heavy braking and when going up hills?

The amount you said it was moving sounded very large. Rubber gearbox and engine mounts still holding together?

[fufu]

So your engine/gearbox no longer moves around on heavy braking and when going up hills?

The amount you said it was moving sounded very large. Rubber gearbox and engine mounts still holding together?

 

Yep everything is holding up.

 

I was mistaken previously by the fan sizes being different. Causing me to think it was moving a good 2-4cms. It's actually quite minor with everything secured and taking into account the correct size fan.

[Scoota G]

I looked at the photo where it was hitting the top tank on the weekend and thought "why does the fan need to extended past the tank and cool that too"

[Sirpent]

Hi Fu,

 

Just reading the posts, and have to say that I also ran an auto trans radiator in mine and never had the problem with the fan as you described so I'm a bit lost as to why this is happening.

[fufu]

Hi Fu,

 

Just reading the posts, and have to say that I also ran an auto trans radiator in mine and never had the problem with the fan as you described so I'm a bit lost as to why this is happening.

 

Hi John,

 

I think its a number of contributing factors which led to the result.

 

First being the unsecured gearbox mount. Which would allow the rear of the gearbox to lift up, when bouncing around, and angle the engine down, which would mean the top of the fan would be angled as well, allowing it to hit the top end of the radiator.

 

Second mounts seem to be slightly worn across the engine. This could be a minor contributing factor.

 

Third being the radiator doesn't seem to be flat across the flat section facing the fan. Some sections seemed to be warped causing a very minor bulge to come out. I notice that it is those areas in which the fan snags on. Once a fin clips that, the only direction for it to go is into the radiator core.

 

But judging by the picture it was sitting fairly close.

 

It was my own fault for not checking the fans side by side before installing it. No one to blame but myself. But lesson learned none the less.

 

There is a slight difference which i noticed about the radiator. My one doesn't seem to have a tap. I did a bit of google search and some of them come with taps.

 

John did you have a tap on your radiator?

 

Cheers,

Fu

 

 

[zeds4ever]

Hey John, you may have the fan that is set back. Pretty sure you would know there are two types. The other type projects forward.For some reason that I am not aware of they chose to do this.

 

FuFu:  Very interesting reading & pics, enjoyed them immensely , but trying to fathom out why you didn't spray all rusted bolts etc with WD40 leave for a day then some Penetrine oil to finish off. Leave for about two hrs to impregnate then voila. You may break a couple but it works great. Thats how I removed my little buggers that didn't want to leave home. Just out of curiosity is your twin brother called Fu.LOL. Keep up the good work mate looking forward to seeing finished beauty. Sent PM too for fan unit.

 

                                                                          Regards: Alan. 

 

                                                                           

 

   

[Sirpent]

Yes Fu, had a tap, still have the rad sitting in the shed