Aaron's 75 280Z

[Aaron Datsun]

I know I have been slacking. I did get some work done today.

 

Spindle pin still isn't out I am going to look for a replacement strut housing. I talked to Jeff Winter who builds race Datsuns. He suggested not replacing that bushing around the spindle pin. Just leave those alone he said. He suggested replacing the inner bushings not the outer. I wish I would have talked to him a week ago and just left these spindle pins alone. This car would already be back on the road.

 

Let's be honest though I wanted to update the suspension. I subjected myself to this because I wanted to.

 

I cleaned off some of the built up crud off of my diff as well as put the one side that has the spindle pin out back together and put it back on the car. I did it mainly so I could work on the exhaust it was way to loud for my liking. It is nice to see her just waiting really on the spindle pin removal once that is done an afternoon of putting everything back together and bleeding the brakes and I will be back on the road.

 

I got the new exhaust built. I still need to add the hangers, and an exhaust tip to make it look nicer. You know what I have noticed there are not a ton of great spots to add hangers to these exhausts. The resonator sounds really good just a bit quieter. Nice deep tone. I might try and work out something with the hangers tomorrow. I should have some pictures of all of the work I have been doing lately pretty soon I might take a few tonight.

 

OK I snapped a few pictures real quick.

The Crud I cleaned off of the diff.

The evil Spindle that won't budge!

[Aaron Datsun]

Spindle pin still isn't out. I am looking at just replacing it honestly. I am going to try a couple more things here to see if I can get it out. Finished my exhaust I went ahead and just used piping I already have rather than mess around with some sort of chrome tip I fired it up and it is pretty quiet at idle. I didn't really rev it up that much as it is past 10:00pm and I try to be nice to the neighbors. I am very excited. I am going to add another hanger in the middle section somewhere but the exhaust is in there pretty sturdy right now. I will take video when I get this darn car back on the ground.

[Aaron Datsun]

Well no luck on the spindle pin, so I have ordered a "new" used housing I am going to have to transfer over my hub so I went ahead and ordered the rear wheel bearing sets those are way to expensive. I was going to replace those at some time so I guess now is as good as later. This part of the project has really gone WAY over the very small budget I gave it. The good news is I have purchased some more tools and my car should be really nice when I get done.

[Aaron Datsun]

Well I decided to strip everything I would need for the new hub. That means I needed the axle as well as the spacer in the middle. So I rented the slide hammer and this whole little project it actually went better than I thought it would for once. I started by cutting the peen ring (If that is what it is called) off of the old nut. I then tried to break it loose with a breaker with no dice. So I went at it with my harbor freight air wrench still nothing. I heated the nut with my little torch for a couple minutes and hit it again with my harbor freight impact wrench and it came loose like there was no real problem in the first place. Needless to say I was very happy.

 

I then attached the slide hammer and put the housing in my vice facing down so I could use gravity and these guns I call arms to break the axle loose. No go I tried for a couple minutes and decided if heat worked for the nut, and since Blues Tech Tips mentioned heating that back flange, I would try. I heated for about 5 minutes and went to town with the slide hammer it took around 25 hits to finish it. Seeing that axle move that first centimeter is a great feeling. Now it is all apart.

 

I have already ordered everything I have the bearings already, just need the "new" housing to get here and the axle nuts. So question to everyone do I have to press the bearing onto the shaft before pressing it into the housing? Or can I have them both pressed into the housing then use the axle bolt to pull the axle into the outer bearing? I see blues shows it going onto the shaft first, but I don't see why one way matters over the other. Well I hope you enjoy the photos. Also do you think it is possible to get them all pressed in with minimal tools or am I better off going to a shop and have them do it?

Still no movement on the spindle pin I gave up.

Here is where I heated the flange. I would let it sit and then slowly rotate.

 

[Aaron Datsun]

I took plenty of pictures I think I got the car put back together today. I went ahead and changed both sides rear wheel bearings. Everything went really well today. If any one is wanting to replace the rear wheel bearings on their Z here is what I suggest you do. First you should go to atlanticz.ca and use Blues Tech tips I did however find some things I liked that I did differently than Blue.

1. Take the housings out of the car (Springs, struts, the control arm all of it).

2. Cut the old peen ring off.

3a. Use an air wrench and take it off (I found heating the nut worked on one side, not the other).

3b. (If 3a doesn't work because you have a crappy harbor freight air wrench like I do.) Take it to the closest tire store and have them remove the nut.

4. Put housing in vice with lugs facing down.

5. Attach the slide hammer going down

6. Using a little torch and heat the back part that attaches to the half shafts (I showed a picture in my post above)

7. Smack the crud out of it with the slide hammer. On the first housing it took about 25 hits on the second it only took about 7 or 8. I heated the part for a bit longer on the second one.

8. Use some device to knock the bearings out of the housing.

9. If the bearing is stuck on the hub axle like my second one was and you can't press it off (Because like me you don't have a press). I used a dremel and cut off wheel to cut the outer metal, then took out the actual ball bearings then very carefully cut the inner metal almost through on 2 different spots, then drove a screw driver into the channel I cut and split the ring once the ring splits just a little twisting pressure from the screw driver in the channel and it will slide right off.

10. I did not freeze or heat anything like blue it might have gone better if I did. I did antiseize everything. Using my vise set just wide enough to let the shaft pass through I hammered on the middle of the outside of the hub using a impact socket to sit in between those fins. Make sure your vice is set just wide enough to let the shaft go through, but still have the inner part of the bearing resting on the metal surface. Every few hits I turn the shaft to make sure I wasn't just beating on one place.

11. Once that is on pack the bearings (that one on the shaft and the other just by itself) and the other as well as grease the shaft and the spacer that goes inside the housing.

12. Drive the new bearing into the back of the housing I found the old bearings good at this, you might want to set them in a baggy or something to make sure it doesn't contaminate your new bearing.

13. Put the new seal it I greased the inside liberally (I greased everything liberally)

14. Put the axle back in and bolt it all together I used the old nut to draw them together (since it wasn't a lock nut) then took that off and replaced it with the lock nut and tightened it back down to the 186 to 220 ftlbs. I did this by using my vice to lock the housing and using a long 2x4 between the lugs I propped it up against me and pulled with the torque wrench to tell me how tight it was.

15. Put it all back in and enjoy.

 

I was getting so frustrated by all the little things I had to do to finish this. I am glad it went so smoothly today. I took it around the block and it needs the brakes bled again they have to be pumped in order to work properly and the parking brake seems like it needs adjusted now because it isn't really working. She seems so much firmer and I still need to tuck the exhaust up a little higher in one spot, but she is back on the ground. I didn't take any rear ride height measurements tonight I will try and update with pictures sometime later this week.

**Edited for photo dump**

 

I know that some of the things were explained in other posts but sometimes it is nice to see the pictures with text as well so there is some duplicate information.

 

The first few pictures are the grade 8 spindle pin with nylock nut replacing the spindle pin. I got all that hardware from Fastenal cost about 28 dollars total.

 

ZX Lock nut rather than the older peen style I used the old nut to bring the whole housing together then tightened up the ZX nut to finish tightening it the rest of the way.

 

Pressing on the new bearing to the shaft I used blues advice and added antiseize it was mostly cleaned up when I got the pictures.

DONE!

 

How I removed the axle after liberal heating of the rear flange.

Apart! I ended up having to carefully cut this bearing off because I could not press it off myself.

Just drive that old bearing out.

The spacer that does in the middle. I have read that these need to be matched to the housing both the housing and this part were stamped with B so I think I am ok. I cleaned and regreased it before putting it back in.

Rear Flange no axle!

 

On the side that was already done I added the ZX nut then tightened by using a 6ft long 2x4 and a torque wrench.

[Aaron Datsun]

Alright went back out and bled the brakes today MUCH better. My emergency brake still needs adjusting it isn't working now. There was some air in there I thought I caught the reservoir right at empty, clearly I did not. I lost the exhaust coming back into my driveway after taking her around the block I must have only lightly tightened the exhaust clamp. Luckily I didn't run it over I only went about 3 feet when it fell off because I was going so slow. So I tightened that back up. I then decided it was time to fix my starter I don't know how many people have ignition switch problems in these Z's you should just wire in a relay to run off the key and it should fix it. I started it today with the key for the first time in years (I have been using a push button).

[Aaron Datsun]

I took the car to work today and parked by a co-workers 370Z. Yes I crowded him on purpose. Also I believe that is my neighbors vette in the background, I didn't realize that when I was taking the picture. Nothing fell of today. I remembered when I got home several bolts I forgot to tighten up so I tightened them up, I have a very short commute to work. I still have to repair the dome light switch and put the column cover back on but other than that she is looking good. Also she could really use a bath.

 

 

[I'm BLUE]

Youve done an excellent documentation and description of details! !! .. thankyou looks great :thumbup:

[Aaron Datsun]

Youve done an excellent documentation and description of details! !! .. thankyou looks great :thumbup:

Thanks I am just happy to be making progress.

 

I added pictures to my previous post.

 

Tonight I took off a rear wheel and looked at the drum brakes again trying to see if I could figure out why the emergency brake wasn't really working. Here is a pro-tip. Don't have your wife press the brake pedal with the car running to see what the rear wheel cylinder does without the drum on, and definitely don't have her press it twice because then you end up with a brake cylinder pushed out of its housing. Good news I got to clean all the 30 year old rust from it then pressed it back into place. We will see how she does tomorrow. The wife and I are supposed to take it on our fancy date on Wednesday and I want to work out all the bugs first.

 

 

[I'm BLUE]

:lol: ... is Ok... the best lessons are learned from our own mistakes :cool:

 

I know i make plenty of them ... i try not to but it happens :o :lol:

[Aaron Datsun]

Took her out for the first time since last summer more than 3 miles from my house tonight. The Mrs. and I went to the theater :D. We saw Beauty and the Beast. The car handled amazingly, and I even got several thumbs up and compliments. Here are some pictures remember this is my wife so no crazy comments or I will have to come through this internet and make you apologize.

 

 

 

[Aaron Datsun]

Guess what I found today I will give you a hint, there is a picture below :D

 

Yup a Competition hood scoop

[darrel]

Alright went back out and bled the brakes today MUCH better. My emergency brake still needs adjusting it isn't working now. There was some air in there I thought I caught the reservoir right at empty, clearly I did not. I lost the exhaust coming back into my driveway after taking her around the block I must have only lightly tightened the exhaust clamp. Luckily I didn't run it over I only went about 3 feet when it fell off because I was going so slow. So I tightened that back up. I then decided it was time to fix my starter I don't know how many people have ignition switch problems in these Z's you should just wire in a relay to run off the key and it should fix it. I started it today with the key for the first time in years (I have been using a push button).

 

 

Manually adjusting the rear brakes should make the parking brake better. You want the rear brakes to drag a bit.

[Ratty260z]

Guess what I found today I will give you a hint, there is a picture below :D

 

Yup a Competition hood scoop

 

I recognize that yellow, that came off a 260z that was on craigslist a long time ago good find those are getting rare.

[darrel]

Aaron, was that a transfer case he was selling too? It looked like he had 2 240z bumpers, maybe 70-72.

[Aaron Datsun]

Yes he had a transfer case, a whale tail and the 240 bumpers. He gave me the bumpers with the hood. He still had the transfer case It looked a lot like a Datsun one but I didn't closely inspect it. You could probably pick it up off him really cheap. I will PM you his number

[Aaron Datsun]

SO now that I have the scoop I am trying to decide. I don't want to go through the trouble to match the beat up hood to my car's current paint scheme.

 

Question Time:

DO I bite the bullet and get the hood and scoop matched?

Get the hood matched paint the scoop black?

Paint the whole hood black including the scoop and have a gloss black hood with racing stripes over the rest of the car?

[Aaron Datsun]

I think since I have the crappy hood on hand I will go ahead and shoot it black and see what it looks like before I cut into my hood. The old hood was not cut, it is now :D.I will get a photo of the scoop sitting on my car, it will sit up a little high though since the mounting studs are inlayed into the hood scoop.

 

[Aaron Datsun]

My buddy dropped by yesterday he is much better than me at fiberglass and is going to take the scoop and make sure it is structurally sound. From everything I can tell this is not a reproduction piece it is in fact an original. I should be sanding and getting rid of the rust on the crappy yellow hood in a few weeks. I will also be looking into putting some sort of mesh over the giant gaping hole in the hood. Work is going to keep me from working on the car for the next few weeks, but when I get back my scoop should be as good as new, and then I can get it set up.

 

I will tell you this I have done more work on this car in the past 2 months then in the past 7 years she feels so good to drive. The only bushings I have to replace are the TC rods and rear mustache bar. I am going to wait on the TC rod as I have heard bad things about poly bushings on there, and now that I have some more space and all of my jack stands aren't being used on the car I can do the mustache bar.

 

The car still needs to be finely tuned, but she runs really well.

[Aaron Datsun]

Well instead of enjoying the car for the next few months like I was going to I started cleaning up some wiring. Tonight started with me just wanting to get the little switches on the door to cause the dome light to turn on, then I looked at the dash and thought hey why don't I just take that out I have always wanted to any way. Well I went out to the garage at around 11:00pm and it is now 4:40am and the dash is out. My lights worked should I leave them alone? Or should I upgrade to the 4Watt bulbs that MSA sells? Link http://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/PROD/45-4330 . I am tired but I think I will watch the sun rise then go to sleep. This is what happens when the wife and kids are out of town I can't sleep so I work on my car. I probably shouldn't have pulled the dash, but you know what they say about curiosity.

 

I haven't had an AC since I did the turbo swap just been carrying around dead weight I will be removing the rest of the AC parts.

I have no idea what these are this whole thing somewhat started when I saw those and was pretty sure I didn't need them.

Heater Core vent stuff I think I am going to try and find a good replacement for that foam all along the outside of the housing

Just some empty space

When my car sat for 5 years in a shed at my family's farm mice got into it this is some of the junk I got out

Some Shots of the back of the dash I will post some pictures of the cracks in the dash that the cap covers in a few days.

[Aaron Datsun]

No real pictures today, I cleaned up the wiring on the passengers side if you look at the first page the interior shots under the dash is a big rats nest of wires once I got the dash out I worked on getting that all back clean and not 5,000 wires hanging everywhere. It was a successful day. I set the dash back in place, I have not bolted it in though. I will try and get that done tomorrow. I am not pulling an all night work on the car-athon tonight.

 

I am hoping that since I took out some wiring it wasn't feeding something that it wasn't originally as I went by the FSM and took out things I didn't need like the AC relays and things like that. I found out why my heater and other parts never worked I took out some stuff years ago in my high school days that I thought were emissions type stuff it was my vacuum parts I need to switch from vents to heater and such. I still have them stored in my parts cars back on the parents farm I am going back in May I will try and pick them up then.

 

If all goes well the car will hopefully be fired back up again tomorrow and I won't have screwed anything up.

[Aaron Datsun]

Well the car has a dash again. I also fixed most of the rats nest under the dash. I don't have everything hooked back up and found out it is pointless to hook back up the vent and heater controls since I took out the other parts long ago, so they are just sitting there. I will be fixing this in the future. My hazards aren't working they haven't since I owned the car I do believe it is because of the flasher being bad. I will be picking up a new one and seeing whether that fixes the problem. I didn't do everything I wanted to under the dash, but I now know I can take it out and put it back in and that is what I really wanted to find out.

 

Here is the reason I started on Friday I was just going to clean this that way the dome light would work with the doors. They are working now, again something that hasn't worked in the whole 10 years I have owned the car. It is crazy all the things left to do on this car. I love it!

 

Some spaghetti.

 

The back of the fuse box I eliminated 2 things that had fuses. That means I have 2 free spots on my fuse box for things later.

 

Started to button it back up.

 

All finished on the passengers side

 

 

Around the megasquirt unit is cleaned up.

 

I realized I havent got the after video for my exhaust or the after shots for my ride height I will try and rectify that today.

[Aaron Datsun]

Old exhaust. Skip to 1 minute 23 seconds sorry I am terrible at embedding videos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NCiCWdvjQ8&feature=youtu.be&t=1m23s

 

New exhaust, yes it looked like it spit on the floor. It was water. Also I hope you like my BCGs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REEhVutlB1w&feature=youtu.be

[Aaron Datsun]

Got the dash back in and was finishing up the wiring when the dash lights stopped working and I started melting fuses. I had hooked up some wire wrong, problem solved, but didn't get to take her out this weekend like I wanted to. I really don't have any more plans other than continuing tidying up wiring and other small bits to make the car more enjoyable. Some day I will tune her where she purrs like a kitten without the coughs.

[Aaron Datsun]

Well did some more tinkering yesterday. I got my hazards working. I have owned the car for 10 years and the hazards have never worked. I took apart the hazard switch and cleaned all the contacts and it started working. I also found several bad bulbs in some of my warning lights, so I will be trying to find some replacements. The car is getting so much nicer. I have been thinking I might even put a stereo in it, but it isn't very high on my priority list.