From Smoker to Sssssmokin’!

AliK

AliK

Vehicle Dating Officer
Staff member
Club Member
The rain lashed like even God himself has never seen!!

Noah was on the horizon waiting to set sail.

It was time for “maximum effort”.

Rain DOES NOT stop play in this house!!! Weather 0, Ali 1 !

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A couple of the club members suggested this should go in next year’s calendar!! [emoji1787]

Having repainted both sides of the engine bay, I set about flattening it with 400 and 2000 grit, followed by some rubbing compound and polish. It’s all very shiny now. It is very far from perfect or smooth but a shed load better than before with all brake fluid leak marks and damage taken care of.



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So that allowed me to put back the newly formed brake lines - I just hope to God that my novice flares seal well. The passenger side was an absolute beast to bend, cut and flare while sitting inside the wheel arch. That’s the flare I am most concerned about.

Brake callipers are on both sides now and all bolts triple checked for torque.

I also sorted out a tonne of other small issues like a leaking block to catch tank breather pipe etc etc.

I do love the look of my Z story manifold so I have been rethinking the large and very effective heat shield that obscures it. But that is really not helping me get the car back on the road.

A fun week ahead but I shall prevail ...


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AliK

AliK

Vehicle Dating Officer
Staff member
Club Member
Another few days of slow progress but progress nonetheless.

The rest of the items went back onto the front axle and here’s a sight not seen for the last 6-8 weeks!!! My car has four wheels again!!!!

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I did the tracking by eye as the toe out was laughable, but I will employ the neighbours’ special tool on a flat surface before driving out to have it done professionally.

Just as I was tightening compression rods while the suspension was loaded and thought I was about to walk away from the front, I discovered that the brake fluid leaks of old had caused further damage!!! After taking this photo to zoom into and see what I couldn’t while under the car, I got more aggressive and peeled back all the blue you can see. Fortunately in most places the undercoat was rock solid.

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While it isn’t a lovely finish, i went straight for the POR15 to give it more protection for the future and prayed over with blue and lacquer. This is the POR shot on its first of two coats. The red reflection is my Super Mario overalls!

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Checking the other side, I discovered my suspect flare was leaking. Having to reflare while the brake fluid was pouring out of it was an utter delight!! But at least it has good flow and emptied the reservoir in no time.

I found the new flare to also be leaking and now I suspect that the flexible pipe may have issues. It was the only one of four that didn’t have the full packaging and has not been plated. Either way, I’ve given it a lot more torque now and it’s stopped. I will observe it for a few days and after a first drive with lots of braking. RockAuto won’t accept returns if the return postage is over a certain amount, you have to pay for the return yourself - so beware people.

Having the car on the ground, I fired up the engine to get the oil round and gave it a few blips of the throttle - God I love that neighbour pleasing very aggressive race car sound with the carbs naked!! I will make a video of it next time.

Finally, up went the rear and I was about to make a great start - except that two boys trying to kill each other before bedtime meant Super Mario had to dash in and support wife.

I fell asleep on their bedroom floor and by the time I woke up (21:00ish) I had lost the light, enthusiasm and time to be doing noisy work.

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So instead of doing any work I went under the car with a flood light do some recon and planning. What started out as investigating the steering and replace shocks all round has already mushroomed but it’s about to reach new heights!!!!!

It looks like the entire back end is coming off.

I can see surface rust that I will be able reach and can’t possibly walk away from.

Does anyone know how these fuel lines are supposed to route around the ARB? I can’t imagine they were ever supposed to be tight against the ARB, killing them softly with its song!!!! [emoji15]

Also that bracket is surely missing some rubber. [emoji848]

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I am VERY TEMPTED to drop the fuel tank and replace pipe work I can’t get to and deal with rust I can see on the surface of the spare wheel well poking through where the under-seal has come off.

Then there is the new diff mount insulator and the R200 3.9 diff that’s been sitting there winking at me forever. Ideally I would leave it winking and do a Huw with an LSD but that would be at least 2-3 years away, so I may as well enjoy it? I do like taller gearing of the 3.54 for traffic light races but a 3.9 would be a much better suited to the new engine’s characteristics, especially around the country lanes.

I also have NOS bushing for the moustache bar - would be rude not to, right?

We are planning to be in Devon with the in-laws for a few days in the summer, so I really have to get the car back together soon. I may HAVE to scale back my ambitions.
 
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toopy

toopy

Club Member
Your doing great work, I'm very jealous that my lazy ass can't be bothered to do all that on a driveway at the moment!

It's great to see the front end on the ground again, me personally, i would enjoy the car on the road for now, collect my thoughts on what you want to achieve with the back end and go from there.
Also, you can concentrate on sorting out any niggles at the front, considering whats been apart and done, and not have the added complication of worrying about something going awry at the rear. :driving::thumbs: :D
 
Rob Gaskin

Rob Gaskin

Treasurer
Staff member
Site Administrator
That fuel pipe routing is awful. I thought it went from the tank to metal pipes above the nose of the diff. and then down the trans tunnel. My pipes on my track car were corroded in the plastic clamp! replaced just in time.
 
MaximG

MaximG

Well-Known Forum User
I agree with Rob, something not quite right about the fuel line. If that’s the ARB it shouldn’t be touching it.
 
Albrecht

Albrecht

Well-Known Forum User
Rob Gaskin said:
That fuel pipe routing is awful. I thought it went from the tank to metal pipes above the nose of the diff. and then down the trans tunnel.
Click to expand...

MaximG said:
I agree with Rob, something not quite right about the fuel line. If that’s the ARB it shouldn’t be touching it.
Click to expand...

[DoctorKildare]I concur with the opinion of my esteemed colleagues.[/DoctorKildare]

That looks to be something of an abomination carried out by a previous owner, and a little bit vulnerable to damage. Perhaps done because the original (steel) main-run fuel pipe and return pipe were corroded/blocked/damaged?

The correct routing is way up in the tunnel, running near the body as they go over the diff area, over & around the rear brake line's right-to-left run, and ending just after the body crossmember in front of the tank. Is any of that original piping still present?
 
Rob Gaskin

Rob Gaskin

Treasurer
Staff member
Site Administrator
Your car Ali is a classic example of an old car that has over the years been 'messed with' by people who are not engineers. It's common to see and most have come across it on our cars - it's one of the things that gives us satisfaction when we correct faults or dangerous situations.

This is why original cars fetch such a premium. I am attracted to old houses/cottages far more than new houses but you have to be prepared for the remedial work to sort out bodger's efforts.
 
Turn & Burn

Turn & Burn

Club Member
Let’s have more pictures of the brake pipe routing, I don’t think it’s wrong for a 260z. They run along side the floor rail, not up in the tunnel, and form a tight curve over the top of the ARB. It looks like they’ve been replaced by rubber which is wrong and this is making them sag onto the ARB. I’ll try to find some pics for you.
 
Rob Gaskin

Rob Gaskin

Treasurer
Staff member
Site Administrator
Turn & Burn said:
Let’s have more pictures of the brake pipe routing, I don’t think it’s wrong for a 260z. They run along side the floor rail, not up in the tunnel, and form a tight curve over the top of the ARB. It looks like they’ve been replaced by rubber which is wrong and this is making them sag onto the ARB. I’ll try to find some pics for you.
Click to expand...

It's fuel not brakes.
 
MaximG

MaximG

Well-Known Forum User
Turn & Burn said:
Let’s have more pictures of the brake pipe routing, I don’t think it’s wrong for a 260z. They run along side the floor rail, not up in the tunnel, and form a tight curve over the top of the ARB. It looks like they’ve been replaced by rubber which is wrong and this is making them sag onto the ARB. I’ll try to find some pics for you.
Click to expand...

They are fuel pipes not break, not good either way mind.
 
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