Carb Insulator Spacer

[IZRL]

The previous owner of my 85 720 2.4 removed the carb for rebuild. He broke the Carb insulator in the process, says it was stuck. Is there another replacement option for this part that works well? Or should I keep looking for an OEM replacement?

[datzenmike]

Eventually you will need it. It's there for insulating the carb base from the hot intake and also there is a notch to allow intake vacuum up inside the carburetor to work the power valve. It will run without it but you should get one at some time.

 

This is not necessarily the one for your application. Note the notch. You'll need a gasket on each side.

[IZRL]

Thanks for the quick response. Ok, I will my keep my eyes open for an OEM one. Any recommendations on where to purchase the 2 other gaskets? So far the only ones I've seen that come with both gaskets, come in the rebuild kits.

[datzenmike]

Has to be for a Z24 carburetor. It's different from the earlier Z22 and Z20 engines.

 

Gaskets? Hell I use a dollar store hole punch and scissors. Trace it out on a cereal box or you can buy a sheet of gasket paper. I have cereal box gaskets on my thermostat cover, water and oil pumps. Saves a trip into town and back to order one and another trip in and back to pick it up.

 

 

 

[IZRL]

Thats awesome thanks for the tip!

[datzenmike]

As a 'vintage' car owner you may not have the time, money or availability of boughten parts but you can learn to never be without a gasket. Another thing is the use of a substitute Nissan part that is equal or better than the original.

[IZRL]

I do remember as a kid watching a mechanic in mexico making a gasket. I don't recall what material he was using but I thought in my head, "thats got to be temporary". Didn't think it could actually work. The way he was doing it was he placed the material on flange. Then he used a rubber mallet to tap the gasket material against the sharp edges of the flange/bolt holes. Getting a perfect scribe.

[datzenmike]

We used to make gaskets that way in auto shop using a paper towel. (just for practice) I wonder what practical stuff they teach today? Do mechanics today know how to make stuff? or dothey only know how to replace? Take a look at the oil pump gasket on the L series. Damn they at thin and contain the most pressure in the engine 60+ PSI and work just fine.

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

11 hours ago, IZRL said:

I do remember as a kid watching a mechanic in mexico making a gasket. I don't recall what material he was using but I thought in my head, "thats got to be temporary". Didn't think it could actually work. The way he was doing it was he placed the material on flange. Then he used a rubber mallet to tap the gasket material against the sharp edges of the flange/bolt holes. Getting a perfect scribe.

I make gaskets with a ball peen hammer that way.

 

Different gasket materials are used in different parts of the engine. Carb gaskets can be made of basically anything. Gaskets that seal water or oil are more specific. It also depends on the parts that are on either side of the gasket. If it's thick aluminum, you want a thinner gasket so it doesn't squish and potentially crack the part.