s130 needs new diff+all bushes. advice please?

[stevofoxono]

i bought my 280 may 8th, Fixed all the electronics, After a month and a half of searching i finally found a panel beater that has fixed my rust so thats all sweet, my l28 is brilliant..

Apparently now the latest thing to have been spotted is all my bushes are either gone or deteriorated to the point where they're completely useless and my diff instead is basically rooted. its over to one side and i'll need a new one.

 

Question is, is this to hard to tackle for someone like me with no car knowledge? I am willing to learn.. I've got basically no tools,no garage/shelter, have access to afew of my neighbors goodies but i'm not overly close with them so it'd be abit dodgy for me to use all of their stuff. Are the bushes hard to change over?

 

Now that i'm mucking around with the diff/paying someone else to do it, is now the time to get a lsd?

 

Should i get a second 280 and use all the bits out of that?

 

the bloke who repaired my rust for afew hundred (when another 2 panel beaters told me it was a $3000 job) quoted me $3000+labor for his mechanic to fix it. apparently theres that much work to be done they'd have to close the shop for a week to get it all sorted/take a month to fix. He said it would end up being alot cheaper if i did it myself which leads me to my first question.

 

also i'll need a new  master cylinder,slave and to fix afew random leaks but thats the easier problems for now..

Any advice/help/recommendations/contacts would be brilliant. Cheers

[Roberto]

Myself and several others on here (who are not mechanics) have changed there bushings themselves.  It's not too hard, but you will find it tough without proper tools and a garage or space where it will be able to stay on stands for a while.  You will need access to a press, propane or butane torch and a tension wrench.  Good luck!

[.]

slow down, sounds like you've had too much caffein.

 

So if I understand correctly you have the following problems:

 

Diff is dead - What

do you mean "off to the side" - What exactly is dead about it? - Is your car an auto or manual?

Bushes are gone - which bushes?

Master cylinder - is it just needing replacement - how is the booster? Then you mention "slave" so are you talking about the clutch master and slave?

 

An LSD would be good but you need to factor around $1000 at the least. Versus $300 or so for an open diff.

 

Getting another 280 may help but there aren't many doner cars around these days. Most of them I have seen are $1500 or more....too much to wreck.

 

Where are you. I can help with some of the work, maybe all of it depending on the clarification of the problems. I don't have a press or torch so depending on the bushes I may not be able to help with those.

 

Happy for you to drop by on the weekend for a show and tell to get to the bottom of your options.

 

 

[stevofoxono]

Thanks Roberto

 

Galderdi~

cars a manual, the diffs off to the left or the right, robs explanation was a past owner was drifting it and the ass end hit something, its all out of line but surprisingly drives pretty well..

 

bushes~ basically its metal on metal, and from the long problem listed rwc sheet i was shown, i'll have to replace the lot

makes a weird crunching sound when at full lock doing a U turn/sharp corners.

booster i would have no idea.. At the shop apparently my clutch gave up so i'm going to stick with clutch master+slave.

 

I was thinking if getting a donor car was the way to go then i could strike a deal with quandary, Ive bought afew bits and pieces off him and i'm not after the engine so hoping thats a option.

 

I'm in Algester, in the middle of brownsplains/sunnybank. I'll see if i can borrow a mates trades plates and i could pop in on a saturday arvo without to much trouble? beer-conomy is the payment for this kind of thing right? xD lol

[.]

yup it is much clearer now. although most can't be answered without seeing the problems. Happy to take a look on Sat

[dat2kman]

fwiw try Diff & Gearbox Ind in Newmarket Rd Windsor, Steve there is doing most of the Z Car Club Qld guys diffs that then see regular use at Morgan Park.

 

For bushes and mounts, try Fulcrum rather than the red colured mob that uses a bull in their advertising.

They are at Webster Rd Stafford.

 

Unless you are looking at a bit of track use pass on an LSD fitment, exxy and no great benefit on street driven cars.

 

For hydraulic rebuild brake and clutch, try BHSS, used to be in Albion, but I think they are now all the way out east Cleveland way??

[stevofoxono]

either this weekend or possibly next?

Robs still going to try and source out some parts for me. The bloke alex that quoted me 2k for his panel beaters to fix the rust may be the guy to see about getting the new diff in, he owns something like 16 nissan/dattos, v8 s13, 4wd s13, When i was there about a month back he was swapping over the diff in his s13 so i'm thinking he knows how to do it fairly well haha..

at one point i was hoping to have the z on the road by this weekend, wishful thinking lol

 

dat2kman~

Cheers i'll track them down, I'm hoping they don't charge excessively, the amount of cash put into some peoples z's are mind blowing/scary reality for my future lol. Was thinking at one stage of doing motorkhanas, from what i've seen on youtube they look like brilliant fun, otherwise its just my a-b cruiser.

 

[Zedback]

If it's the rear subframe that's bent I've still got a complete one hub-to-hub with a 3.54 R180 diff on it you can have, it's just taking up space.  Bushes are easy to do, did all of mine on the yellow 280zx using a kit from US ebay - spanners, sockets, hacksaw, BFH and a bench vice as last resort.  I'm 15-20mins west of you.

[Zedman240®]

If you do decide to DIY the work, I highly recommend a workshop manual. First thing I remember doing was a headgasket on a early BMW in my early teens. Just read the manual several times and did it. But if you don't have tools and a good, dry area to work in, you don't want to start and quit halfway; it will make everything craploads harder..

[stevofoxono]

Zedback i think i'll take you up on that . how are the brake calipers (if they are still attached?) apparently thats not so flash in my car, just the rears so not all bad lol,

 

Zedman i'm working out a place to work on my car, i've got afew mates that have semi escent car knowledge that are keen to help, galderdi is a brilliant option. What manual is best? Mate rebuilding a fiat x1/9 recons the haynes ones are frustrating, they leave out alot of info.

 

I'm getting rob to drop off the rwc sheet so i'll list up all the problems,a little later this arvo

[Zedman240®]

The original Nissan factory ones are best, but if you can't find one, a Haynes will have to do. Just keep double checking your work and make sure everything is safe.

[.]

I have a nissan and a haynes for reference if you visit.

 

I also have a photocopier ..... but of course I would not dream of breaching copyright

 

I've also heard of this great resource called www.viczcar.com

[stevofoxono]

galderdi, your user somehow translates to yoda? legeeeend xD. would never dream of breaching any such thing lol, Whats viczcar? never heard of it before 

 

Just rang up fulcrum and they quoted me $1078 to order/fit the bushings. Thats more then i have left in my bank account atm so only option is to sort it out myself i recon xD or possibly with abit of help lol. $250 inc postage from the U.S. and i can get a kit, unfortunately its for the 280z not zx so now starts the mass emails to america 

[stevofoxono]

Ok got my check list.

Clutch slave cylinder

Clutch master cylinder

Caster rod bushes

sway bar bushes -all

engine mounts

gear box mounts

power steering pump

gear box seal

uni joints

timing cover seal

rear brake calipers leaking

all trailing arm bushes

idler bushes

bump stops x4

 

 

[Whittie]

I hate to be the bringer of bad news, or be a downer, but surely you can find a better car to start with for not much money and it will surely be cheaper than trying to fix this one. By the sounds of it, this car is nearly totalled? It certainly seems dangerous to be driving on the road!

 

If the interior is nice why not keep it as a parts car and buy a car in good mechanical condition. Surely you could find a decent car for a couple grand, less then the bushing kit alone for this thing.

[stevofoxono]

I refuse to lol, The engines by far the best out of the z's i've bought sofar. theres now no rust, the paints perfect, fixed up all the electronics. i've got a bushings kit from america in my sights for alittle less than $200inc postage. I've put to much money into this car now to give up and i'm so close to having it on the road, had so much more wrong with it before.

Cheers Whittie but i'm stubborn as 

[Whittie]

That's a good looking car there mate!

 

I didn't realise the body was in such good nick.

 

Looks like almost everything mechanical except the motor is in need of repair though. You're surely going to learn a lot about cars as you do this project.

 

In the image you attached you can see what appears to be the rear suspension offset to the drivers side. If the previous owner hit that curb hard enough he could have done some serious damage to the suspension. I'd not be driving that car at all until it was fixed if it were me. It's not me, but it just looks like an accident waiting to happen.

 

The rear subframe assembly that was offered earlier sounds like a good deal!

 

Fix the mechanicals, get some nice wheels, lose the silly seat covers and it will be one really nice car.

[stevofoxono]

lol funny that you say that, i took that picture after i drove it home, before i got a chance to remove the seat covers  After this gears all sorted i'm hoping to put some leather z32 seats in, they look really nice+its been done so shouldnt be to hard. I'm thinking some nice wires would be appropriate for rims.. all when i can afford it tho

 

I'm taking up every part/advice i can get from here don't you worry mate xD. Hoping to learn a fair bit from this Z, it'd be brilliant to have car know how. The dream for 20years or so is to have a giant shed and work on cars in my spare time. Spend hours everyday just reading what other people have done with their rides. love to do the same one day

Its already a nice car just rough around the edges lol

[.]

 

Looks like almost everything mechanical except the motor is in need of repair though. You're surely going to learn a lot about cars as you do this project.

 

 

Come off the grass. That stuff is all minor.