Zedback

WOW that was fun! ...well by the 3rd run it was. Came back from the first run wondering what I had got myself into and whether I should just quietly retire 2nd run came back wondeing why I spent so much time coasting when I should have a foot either on the accelerator or the brake 3rd run tried to practice what I'd thought and it suddenly became a lot more fun and knocked 5 seconds off 4th run was going to try and get even more off but on the second lap lost power and sounded odd Ended up just being one of the coil pack connectors had vibrated loose The downside is I want to do it again ...with better tyres, brakes and less sloppy suspension ...which means spending the non-existent s30 resto budget on the z32 :-\ [edit: remembering this is my first time ever on a track - best was 74.71 on the 1st lap of the 4th run, then did 2 laps at 75.xx on 5 cylinders, so like to think I would have dropped a couple more seconds.] Many thanks to the Qld Z Car Club for organising

Thanks Gents. Have slowed down a bit of late and devoted a bit more attention to the '73 240z and after Lakeside today the z32 is going to need a bit more time/$$'s because that was FUN Chopping up the 2+2 shell did in my body work enthusiasm for a while. I haven't got any good photos at the moment but it's up on Peter T's old rotisserie with all the rear panels removed as well as the left rear quarter panel. I'll get some photos up eventually but I'm in the process of rebuilding/recreating those inner panels in behind and outboard of the taillights. There's also a chanel that runs the width of the rear below the hatch floor behind the beaver panel that I need to repair of recreate. Trying to decide whether to use the good rear arches off the 2+2 quarter panels or just go with ZG flares and wider wheels. $$s! It's doesn't much resemble a Z so much as a chinese puzzle...

Outlook is for last of the rain to clear early Sat and be clear and cool from Sunday ...the forecasts are usually right half the time Here's hoping it's dry, it's my first time on a track

Benny, haven't tried to buy one myself yet I'm just going on what I've read. Given you are after the later longer style then asking for one to suit a 280zx should do. Take a tape measure with you when you buy it and measure it. Look at what MSA describe http://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/PROD/PCC08/21-2122

Just did a bit of research on this http://www.viczcar.com/forum/index.php/topic,7830.msg74609.html#msg74609 NSK6097 is a later style 47mm deep clutch so you will need the later model slightly longer carrier (53mm). MSA carry them (and probably most every other clutch shop). If your 240z trans has it's original carrier it will be the shorter one.

Nice work, great to see you bringing her back from the edge. I have the same to do on both sides of mine, which oddly enough is #00618 but plated 4/71.

A bit of further information that might help others who are mix'n'matching engines and transmissions. Exedy have a great site http://clutchfinder.exedy.com.au/default.aspx From this there are 2 possible clutch kits (or a 3rd if you have an s130 turbo): 1) 240z requires part# NSK-6097 - it's 53mm deep 2) 260z requires either NSK-6097 or NSK-6052 which is 47mm deep If you happen to have scored an L28 turbo you might have a 240mm diameter flywheel face instead of 225mm and you would be looking for NSK-6151 Looking through the MSA online store at several of their performance clutch kits, they indicate a requirement for a "clutch collar" when used on 1970-74Z's "Note: 70-74 Z's REQUIRE the use of a 280Z Clutch Collar, part 21-2122 below. If you have only your original 240Z or 260Z clutch collar, and not specifically an original collar from a 280Z, then this clutch WILL NOT WORK properly in your 70-74 Z." MSA list the lengths of two types of clutch collars: 1) '70-'74Z = 1 3/4" (~44mm) 2) '75+ = 2 1/16" (~53mm) So it looks like for the bearing carrier/clutch collar on my transmission I need the earlier, deeper 53mm clutch.

Doh' Zedman240 had it right from the beginning and I miissed it The two clutch assemblies I've got are about 47mm deep, the one throw out bearing and carrier I've got is 45mm deep. Thanks all.

Been trauling along these lines, from what I can gather the Clutch/Throw Out Bearing carrier combo has to match and the Throw Out Bearing Carriers differ on different gearboxes depending on year. Did either of the clutch kits you bought come with a new Throw Out Bearing carrier?

Thanks guys. When you talk about the depth of the clutch do you mean the whole assembly that bolts to the flywheel? Shaun, I'll compare the ones I've got and see what measurements I can compare then I might take you up on your offer.

Can someone clarify if the clutches and therefore the clutch kits for 240z, 260z and 280zx are all the same? Looking through the posts it looks like they should be, but haven't seen anything definite. Rang Bursons today for a 240z clutch kit and he said they've been deleted from their stock list. L28 clutch kits still seem to be around either for 280zx's and MQ Patrols. I picked up Peter T's spare parts car L26 as an interim donk. The clutch has well and truly cooked, (Peter described driving it home as like being in an automatic)! The flywheel doesn't look servicable, it's got radial cracks in the face and a lot of heat discoloration, I can use one off either the L24 or L28 I have, but where do you source a new flywheel from? Thanks, Mike

Looking for the linkage between two SU type carbs, the shaft that links the throttle buterflys together. They appear to be a later type (Hitachi?) SUs from a 260z with integral fuel bowls and a shaft length that looks about 20-25mm longer than the earlier type or about 165mm. Mike

Absolutely! Especially before you go drilling any holes in the firewall. If you get interference then drill. Do as Garvice has suggested and make sure you've got good earth from battery to chassis and block, and adding extras doesn't hurt. When I did the Megasquirt, instructions were to solder all earth connections for sensors and ECU together and then attach to a single point. Also the z32 has the ECU and sensor wires all crimped together, people have had problems when the crimp has worked just a little loose or gotten a hint of corrosion. IIRC your intereference will arise either from an external source, ie other power or signal wires; or will arise from variations in multiple earth points, ie that little bit of corrosion or someting leads to a small capacitance/resistance between earth points leading to a small and varying noise signal appearing between your equipment. Lastly none of the above matters squat if you just crimp all your connections, solder them good!

Steve if I remember correctly it's more important to earth all the audio components to the same point rather than specifically to the battery. Different earth points can lead to a bit of noise due to slightly varying voltages at each. How much practical impact this really has in a noisy old Z could be debated, but if you really want too just earth your head unit and amp to the same point on the chassis.

Had MS2 running on my 280zx for fuel and spark. Bought it all from DIYAutotune. I do recommend buying the wiring loom, makes life easier. I ran the injectors through the stock resistor pack to save fiddling with pulse width modulation. I ran full spark conrol off the 280zx distributor (no CAS). If you remove the vacuum advance and lock the mechanical advance the signal from the electronic dizzy works fine. Spent many nights reading 'megamanual' and 'ms2' sites to really understand what was going on. Also hybridz megasquirt forum, particularly for the dizzy setup. Referred to the 280zx FSM for many of the sensor parameters. Worst part was getting the right year 280zx wiring diagram. All up was somewhere around $800-900 a few years ago. Seat of the pants difference was significant BUT the engine had been modified with 10:1 compression, lightened flywheel, and extractors. Did'nt experience any of the problems others have mentioned. Go for it. It was a lot of fun and I learnt a heap.

CRAP! ummm.... ummm.... it's a multiclub not a QMC, if there's a spot for me I'll go Lakeside with the Z's. What do we need, helmet and firextinguisher? Anything else?

ScottZ, Front lower radiator support has a patch welded into the front left face and the left chassis rail looks to have plate welded in just behind the compression rod mount. Tailshaft has a sticker on it from some rebuilding mob on the northside. It has choke and throttle controls and I think one or both of them did have a shiny knob of some description. I think there is a really good probability I have the remains of your old 240z. The bloke I bought it off picked it up in around '97 then left it with a panel beater to get some rust work done. I gather it then sat in the PB's yard for 10 years before he went back and got it We'll see how I go but she's beyond being just a restoration and well into resurrection territory! Mike

Hi ScottZ, I wonder if I have your Z. It's blue, originally silver, had an L28 and should be landfill ...but I'm doing my best to save it! Did it have a fibreglass bonnet? Do you recall the chassis#? I've started the rescue attempt, it's in the members projects area. Cheers, Mike

I'm definitely interested. Mike

Galderdi should be awarded at least two informal awards for yesterday: 1. The "Order of the Bowling Ball" for such dedication to annihilating course flags (one in particular became legend). 2. The "Career-adectomy" award for bringing his boss and filming him on his first run where navigating the course was the least of his problems compared to trying to find reverse in G's s30! Some of the highlights included the surprise on spectators faces when the Fiat Nicki actually squealed it's tyres and seeing two highly experienced competitors battle each other in a worked r32 skyline only to be beaten by Ash in his automatic AU Falcon sedan. As another competitor was heard to say "it could only have been more impressive if it had been a wagon!" As G said it was hoot of a day.

Around November '06 I went looking for a 240z. Budget was vey small and I was looking for a resto job. So of course the first cheapy I came across was going to be the one. It had a smattering of surface rust to go with the last of many poor resprays that was now powdery and flaking, and only a smattering of rust bubbles, though they were in some odd places as well as the expected. After it arrived home dismantlement began and as I proceeded I started poking screw drivers into some of the odd bubbly areas... ...and it just got worse and worse as I started stripping back the layers of paint and bog, and started digging out the chucks of expanding foam filling corners and crevices where metal was no more. I even had to drill the head off one of the screws holding in the RH sunvisor, it was rusted in solid! In the end the floors, sills, doors, A-pillars, radiator support, entire tail-light area, fuel filler region, aft of quarter windows, inner rear guards, outer rear arches, spare wheel well and of course the bloody roof were all found to be either badly rusted or very poorly and nastily welded up. So by January 2007 it was rolled out of the shed and up to the carport where I've been mostly trying to ignore it ever since. In the meantime I picked up another 240z ('73) in a very lucky find and spent the last couple of years patching it's body work up: http://www.viczcar.com/forum/index.php/topic,3987.0.html I enjoyed myself so much and felt such a sense of achievement that I began to look guiltily over at the poor '71. Ignored for the last few years, but not to the point of being dumped, I started wondering if I might yet be able to resurrect it from such a sorry state. Better cars have been set to the crusher for sure, but it's an early shell, and there's still lots of good metal in there, sort of... There's no denying there is a lot of rust to deal with, but most of it is in the common areas. I've done a badly rusted Mini in the past and watched the Mull videos. So a plan was conceived, if I can fix the worst of the uncommon, odd areas where there are no replacement panels then it'll be all down hill from there. So the starting point is the roof. The skin had already been removed so the extent of damage was easy to see. A chop top or donor were the only real solutions. I seriously considered a chop top but in the end decided that repairing rust and engineering a reinforced shell would be all too hard. So a couple of months ago I picked up a 2+2 shell already stripped of everything the bloke I bought it from wanted for his project. Hard to beleive this car was registered and on the road in 2008. Got a bit worried when I got to here and found evidence of the roof already having been repaired! It was pleasant surprise though to find the rear arches and spare wheel wheel in very good condition. So with the roof skin removed I went to work drilling out spot welds until I could remove the entire windscreen frame and roof rails down each side. Unfortunately I've lost a whole bunch of pictures. Here are the 2+2 and 2+0 roof skins hanging side by side. On both cars I left the inner sheet metal of the A-pillar and roof rails to give me a reference for mating the two together. I was all to aware that I was trying to fettle a 2+2 onto a 2+0, but guestimations showed it should be workable. Here's the 240z with the outer windscreen and and roof rails removed. There's a couple of days worth of back and forthing as I would put it in place mark a bit more to be removed and so on... When it was getting close the real test came with a trial fit of the roof skin. Now this was quite a moment, for the first time since it was removed the roof skin was sitting in place where it belonged. Yes, it was just held together with lockgrips and clamps but the daunting impossible now actually seemed possible! I had to stop for a few minutes. Later that evening I tacked the frame in place. The windscreen frame has now been solidly plug welded to the inner frame You may or may not have noticed in the earlier roof skin shot that the 2+2 roof (obviously) does not have the same profile as the 2+0. The drip rails are bout 60mm longer and are much straighter with a more acute angle at the top of the door. The end result is that even after trimming, when you trial fit the roof, there is a gap... ...but it's not as bad as you might think and with a bit of gentle persuasion can be made to match. (Note that I slotted the vertical sheet metal to make the bending easier.) and made permanent. There is more work to be done, some additional fettling of the drip rails and where the a-pillar joins are, and it needs to be stitch welded along the top of the roof rails on each side. To conclude, the drip rails and windscreen frame from a 2+2 can be used as donor replacements for a 2+0 if needed. It's not simple and requires a lot of bravery and customisation but it can be done. The same cannot be said of the roof skin which is both much longer and a little wider.

What the big G is really saying is he doesn't want any more young guys (like Ash) turning up and making us look old, fat and slow!

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.

Sorry Alan, that would be one of the sections I need to hang onto as well! Zanzee, on the understanding that Christmas may well come around first, I'm happy to help out. Also depends on how much you are willing and able to have a go at yourself? As long as you're not messing with your daily driver I'm all for just "have a go"!

I'm no panel beater just a compulsive DIY'er. Take a look at my build thread in the members projects section. Buy a cheap welder and do it yourself!