I want a Z

[72240z]

You dont need anything special. There are a ton of guides and videos but I'll give you a summery of what I have learned and feel is most important from like 10 hours of instruction and god knows how long in trial and error. It will get you very close to perfectly tuned and will have a l24 running as good as its going to imho.

 

1 - Let the car warm up and time the engine. If you dont have a light spend the 20 bucks. I asked about the gap because I like to advance the timing a bit and open the gap a tiny bit to suite. If you do this in turn with running slightly rich your going to get noticeably more power and pep. I think I was timing at 12 degrees and the gap at like 34? dont take that to heart though its been a while now. Just gap slightly over. If you convert to a electronic ignition and aftermarket coil this tip will really pay off.

 

2 - Check the floats, this is VERY important. Take the lid off and while upside down so the float is resting on but not depressing the needle valve the gap between the float and lid face should be about .55 inch. Just run a drill bit with tape around it or a correct size hex between. Bend the tab to adjust where the float sits. The floats set to high or too low will ALWAYS have your su's out of tune regardless of how the mixture screw is adjusted. You can confirm they are correct after by taking a piece or clear tube and slipping it on the barb under the bowl. The level of gas int he tube should be level with the top of the nozzle in the carb, which would be roughly the bottom of the chamber if you look int he carb. Its a rough check and you dont NEED to do it.

 

3 - synch the carbs by ear, its way easier then people make it seem. Actually now having to do it between 6 carbs with my triples I laugh about how hard I thought it was to do 2 lol. Take a piece of hose, 1/2 works, shit even garden hose works w/e lol and with the engine running hold one end to your ear and the other to the mouth of the carb. The filters should be removed of course. Using the individual adjustment screws on the each carb adjust the 2 carbs so they match one another. Adjust the higher one to the lower one to match you can raise the rpm later. Once you are confident they are the same your good.

 

4 - Now the floats are even and they are both sucking the same its time to adjust the mixture. The adjustment screw is under each carb. Spinning the nut out is rich and tightening leans. Start at full tight and spin out 2.5 turns, thats like the universal starting point. Then on the left or right I forget which side of the carb, under at the throat opening is a pin, when you push the pin up it opens the piston slightly. When you do this listen, if the rpms go up and hold up your rich. If you do it and the engine bogs or stalls your lean. If you do it and it goes up then settles down your perfect.

 

4b - I had problems using that method at 1st. It seemed I could never get to that perfect spot. So if you find yourself having problems just get it where you feel its close then go for a ride, a couple miles of normal driving. Then pull over let the car cool a little and pull the number 1 and number 6 plugs. Read the plugs to see if your still rich or lean. Black would be rich and white lean. I like to have a rung of black around the rim but a mostly clean diode. That will mean slightly rich, which is max power on su's, especially if you took my advice on the ignition. I could type a whole other book on reading plugs but this will get you where you need to be.

 

4c - You will most likely have leaking throttle shafts, they all do by now. That means you have to tune to the leak. Where does the leak happen? where the throttle shaft is worn, not at idle were its still but during driving where its constantly moving back and forth. So when you drive to tune dont idle the car, just drive then turn it off and check the plugs then drive again and check again etc... You may seem to idle rich because of this, there wont be the air introduced at idle. Thats fine, just dont keep trying to tune it out at idle then finding your lean at speed then adjusting and being rich at idle again lol, its a never ending cycle, just tune to driving not idling. I learned this the hard way.

 

Hope you appreciate the book and so you know since I took the time to type it your obligated by karma to at least try and use it lol. The simplicity of being able to completely tune with some tube and a drill bit and your bare hands is a prime reason I would take SU's over ANY carb besides dcoe's. They are a work of art, pure simple dependable function.

 

P.S. its 1:30am I didnt proof read shit lmao

 

P.S.S. and 1st on page yaaaaaaaaaa lol

[cdub42]

12 degrees timing? that might be my problem right there. the factory service manual said 17 i think. its had its points removed and a crane cams ignition wired into it. I'm gonna follow your advice after work today after i fix the stuck caliper. can't really tell much with a brake constantly dragging. thanks for the book!

[San Maru]

12 degrees is right on for stock. My L26 with c grind cam, was rebuilt stock style, bored to 2.8, and a little more compression, early e88 head would ping under hard acceleration on 93 octane, so I retarded the timing a tiny bit, and now I can put my foot down anytime.

[cdub42]

I'll be adjusting that!

[72240z]

17 is a lot or timing lol, some manuals do call for it though your not crazy. Idk why they do though its way too much. The forums are filled with people complaining about pinging and poor running condition quoting the manual and solution is always the same, dial it back down. Some people run as low as 5-8 fine.

 

I'm running a l28 at 11:1 with triples and I run 17 timing

 

On the l24 with su's I and as San is saying others have found 12 degrees to be aggressive but safe.

[cdub42]

Dialed the needles all the way in, then two and a half out. Set the timing to 12ish. Broke off the adjustment bolt. Profanities where said. Heritages where questioned. I ended up sticking a vise grip on it to hold it in place until I can drill, extract, break my extractor, and replace my dizzy.

 

I did manage to get a test drive out of it. Much better. A lot more snappy. Not perfect. But driveable and safe. Tomorrow I'll put the interior back in it. It'll be nice to have the creature comforts, like door handles and window cranks. And put the lights and signals back in. Work out any bugs in the interior electrical system. And after I get it licensed a trip to fastenal to get all the hardware to put the body panels back on. I'll be cruising by this weekend.

[cdub42]

So, I'm putting the front clip together, and I think I'm missing some parts. Can someone post some up close pictures of the stuff in front of the radiator but behind the bumper?

[San Maru]

I have this photo where I was showing how to mount a bugscreen. Since I removed an A/C condensor, I wanted something to protect the aluminum radiator from damage from gravel and bug jam. It should be-Radiator, core support, A/C condensor, torsion bars, horns, plugs for lights, left headlamp wiring, bumper brackets, lower valance, bug screen, grill, bumper.

[cdub42]

I have this photo where I was showing how to mount a bugscreen. Since I removed an A/C condensor, I wanted something to protect the aluminum radiator from damage from gravel and bug jam. It should be-Radiator, core support, A/C condensor, torsion bars, horns, plugs for lights, left headlamp wiring, bumper brackets, lower valance, bug screen, grill, bumper.

one of these things is not like the other....

 

your is definitely much prettier than mine. right now my car is a solid 5 footer.

[cdub42]

i ended up putting on the air dam. looks pretty good. I'm not crazy about the big hole between the bumper and the dam. still seems like there is something missing. i have the underside piece of it but with the dam on it wants nothing remotely close to fitting in there.

this profile just reminds me of a mako shark for some reason. think its the big eye and the angle of the nose

i think some smoked red headlight covers would look cool too. i was thinking i might make some solid ones with some 1/4 turn dzus fasteners so i could take them off when i needed to drive at night. something i might do this winter when i take the car back apart

[cdub42]

so far, from this

to this

 

and figure out why none of the turn signals or headlights work.... damnit

[San Maru]

one of these things is not like the other....

 

your is definitely much prettier than mine. right now my car is a solid 5 footer.

aghh, believe it or not that is an ugly area of my car in person. My brother was entrusted to paint the jambs, and he did the crappiest job. Scuffed over pealing paint and dirt, then sprayed. Down there by the horn is like bedliner, like a blue beach. The other ugly spot on my car is the patched panels on the underside with undercoat hanging off here and there. Im finding it hard to get motivated to fix either!

[San Maru]

Im not sure if the earliest S30 cars had it, but that gap you are talking about between the bumper and your airdam is supposed to be filled by a plastic "air spoiler" that attached under the bumper. I dont have a part number at this time. You have a keen eye. I dont think Ive seen anyone mention that the gap should be filled, but you are correct. There should be no opening there for things to fly into the radiator/condensor that cause damage. It may have more function than a guard, like creating low pressure behind it, or aerodynamic purpose. Im missing mine too :( That is why I have a bug screen that goes all the way down to the valance. I was using a non functioning condensor to protect the radiator and it was packed with gravel and bugs. The bug screen allowed me to remove that eye sore. I do have a book by Wick Humble that shows the air spoiler. Please forgive my camera phone quality for the photo off the book. Your air dam replaces your center valance part in front of your car in the photo as well as the corner pieces. You dont need them anymore. I could use them. Want to send them my way? I can pay shipping, no problem. ;) No need to have that junk laying around.

[72240z]

I dont think I have actually seen that on a z lol. Interesting...

[San Maru]

As for the lights, It could be a lot of things. Turn your hazard lights on. Got anything at the rear? I had a bit of corrosion at the grill area connectors that caused one headlight to dim. Before that my turn signals didnt work. Power is routed through the hazard switch, so after checking bulbs and connectors in and out of the car I had to remove and clean the hazard switch. I took it apart, almost lost some parts, and cleaned the contacts lightly with 1200 grit sand paper. Anything below 1000 and your corrosion will come back fast. Looking back I should have used 1500-2000, but didnt have any around. Some people have to refurbish their turn signal switch, or replace a burnt fuse block. A weak area is that the voltage load goes through the light switch, so melting does happen. If you dont have it, headlight/parking light power relays are a smart update for your car. That yellow sheath in my bug screen picture is part of a generic headlight relay kit from black dragon. It fits a 280zx perfect, but a S30 it takes some modification to work, and your relays end up in a wierd spot exposed just behind the grill, not good. With a bit of mods I got mine in a better bad spot, like a rat nest of wires, connectors, and relays behind the passenger headlight housing. Still not ideal, but the fender liner affords them some degree of dryness. Much easier to make a custom harness or buy an application specific kit. I may transfer this goober kit to my zx, and get a better one for the S30.

[San Maru]

I dont think I have actually seen that on a z lol. Interesting...

You arent the only one. I only knew one guy that spoke of it. I was shocked that someone else knew. I thrive on obscure z knowledge. The question I have is- where did they all go?

[San Maru]

It doesn't look super hard to make. We have the basic shape from that image there. A strip of plastic, cut to fit, eyeballed to fill the gap, some ell brackets attached with panel bond/rivets at the mounting points of the bumper. It has a purpose, Nissan didn't add it for no reason.

[cdub42]

Im not sure if the earliest S30 cars had it, but that No need to have that junk laying around.

This junk?

 

 

[cdub42]

I think I'm gonna make an aluminum piece to go in there for now to keep the rocks and road kill outta there. Id like to get the original part. I like the clean stock look.

 

I got hazards, turn signals started working for no apparent reason. One head light is really dim, the other not at all. I started at the fuse panel and didn't get much further. It's a mess. There's half a dozen or so connectors not connected to anything or anything to connect them to. No panel identification plate either. I was trying to reference the wiring diagram to find out where the plugs go against the harness diagram, but without cutting the harnesses apart I might as well be staring at spaghetti. Id really like to get the fuel gauge working. That would be a handy thing to have. But I don't know if it's a bad gauge, bad wiring, or bad install of the inline mechanical fuelpump. Too many variables! Imma get a good nights rest then stare at it harder tomorrow

[Tice]

^{I've had a 91 Firebird before, and I have to say, even as a kid raised in 3rd/4th Gen Gm "Muscle" cars, I LOVE my S30 more than any of my Dozen-or-so cars I've owned before it, Just my 2 cents.}

[Tice]

P.S. its 1:30am I didnt proof read shit lmao

 

Still an awesome write up, Good work.

[cdub42]

Still an awesome write up, Good work.

yeah. saved me a bunch time and i wasn't monkeying with stuff blindly hoping for result after reading that.

 

theres been a few really good posts so far that i almost wanna print out and keep in the glovebox.

 

i got my drivers door put together last night. new regulator and i put door handles on it. i didn't put the lock cylinder in it cause i want matched keys. so i won't be leaving the crown jewels in the car unattended! doing the window regulator cut my hands and arms up pretty good. i might need a tetanus shot after i finish the passenger side. ill throw some pictures up after the coffee does its job. my goal today is passenger door, headlights and fuel gauge.

[San Maru]

I would say test the fuel sender, and clean the light electrical connectors at the grill area, but your fuse box description throws in a huge basket case variable.

[cdub42]

HUUUUGE basket case. Lol.

 

 

[cdub42]

I've followed all the carb adjustment procedures to the letter, twice. And I'm still running rich. Can't get it to lean out. I'm out of ideas. And after today I'm out if ambition and money. I'm ready for a counseling session!