What it cost me to own a $500 car part 15

"StudyStudyStudy" (jesterjin)
05/04/2015 at 14:15 • Filed to: 240z, project car

Now a little confession. This is my first manual, and this car was not easy to drive. The throttle seemed to snap open real fast which meant feathering the throttle was difficult. I thought it was just a bi product of a carb/me being terrible, but later found out it was a bent linkage as indicated in the first start video with the struggle we had trying to blip the throttle. Anyways, on one of my practice sessions I stalled a couple blocks away from the garage at night. I cranked it back up and it felt like the car didn’t want to start, a quick look at the voltage gauge confirmed low voltage around 12.5 volts and dropping. I now had the challenge of making it back without stalling. I gingerly rolled it into the garage and found a loose belt. I tightened it backup and stepped out of the garage feeling proud of not having to call AAA for a 300 yard tow and slipped in a puddle of oil. I looked around and found drips leading into the garage. I put a piece of cardboard under the car and went to bed.

I woke up in the morning to this.

Holy shit...

Another head in the hands moment. Jesus. I’m such an idiot. I should have just paid to have it done. Oil leaks from everywhere, the oil filter, the oil pump the starter...wait a second, the starter doesn’t have any oil, why is it leaking oil?

I pulled my head out of my hands and started feeling around (remember my block is black). I dabbed my way higher and higher and found oil flying out from the valve cover and being blown backwards and coating everything.

Removed the valve cover and found this.

I had been struggling with the gasket and it seems that I had managed to flip the gasket, being a single cam it was completely the same except for where it stepped out a bit to accommodate the timing gear. The oil had been leaking from that little hole.

Put it back together cleaned up the motor and was happy to find only one drip every couple of days (either residual oil that I didn’t wipe coming off or maybe a poorly seated RMS).

Then this happened.

I had actually made my first trip out of the garage and parked it outside for the first time, I rolled the window up and wound up to fling the door closed (new weather stripping) and realized just a moment too late that it was too hard, I tried reaching for the door, but it was too late.

A couple calls and I found a replacement. I also decided to go with the much softer kia sportage door seals to prevent that from happening again.

Then onto the fuel gauge. I had never seen it read above 3 or 4% despite how much fuel I had.

I grounded the sender and it showed

And left it unattached and it showed

So the gauge was fully functional. That led to the sender being suspect.

I called up summit and asked for any advice, and the guy told me to buy a new sender at an eye watering 90$. I mean I just put fuel in the cell for the first time a few weeks ago and I had to pay more then half the price of the fuel cell for another sender? Well damn it if I am going to spend the money, I’m going to find out why I’m spending it.

I removed the sender from the cell

And found that the float was stuck.

It was too large and was binding.

I sanded the foam down a bit until it would move nicely, and reinserted it.

Voila working fuel gauge.

I also took the time to science up the car a little bit with an AFR gauge from innovate

And decided to lower the car a little bit with a little bit of spring removal.

Before anyone gets on their soap box, I had planned this in advance. I bought 280z linear springs with higher unchanging spring rates. The car does not have a flat seat so the cut ends still cradle nicely. I followed a guide from a fairly well established individual/race shop owner who had outlined the process. The only downfall is that when the suspension is completely unloaded, I do have to seat the rear springs. Some droop limiters would solve that issue, but I have been eyeing a set of coilovers so who knows.

With the car running, driving, looking good, I put about a 1000 miles on it, even took it to a car show and an autocross, and even to a Z-specialist then it all changed.

Lessons learned:

Don’t panic, take a breath, take a step back, then come back to the problem.

...don’t wind up and slam your door with the glass up.

Coming out to your completed project car is an amazing feeling.

Costs:

150 - New used window

150 - innovate lc-1

100 - carb tuning bits (sync meter, sm needle, gross jets)

Subtotal: 400

Total spent: 12285

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DISCUSSION (16)

V8Demon - Prefers Autos for drag racing. Fite me! > StudyStudyStudy
05/04/2015 at 14:36

Coming along nicely. I’m enjoying reading about your journey. The warm weather is finally here. Time for me to get moving on my Lincoln.

Mattbob > StudyStudyStudy
05/04/2015 at 14:43

Kinja'd!!!

Kinja’d

Short-throw Granny Shifter is 2 #blessed 2b stressed > StudyStudyStudy
05/04/2015 at 14:46

Nice write-up, as usual. Are you planning on keeping the Crown Royale shift boot? It may not be stock, I think you could do a lot worse.

StudyStudyStudy > V8Demon - Prefers Autos for drag racing. Fite me!
05/04/2015 at 15:32

Get a move on! I would love to see a picture. I love builds in progress.

DAT-AS-SUN > StudyStudyStudy
05/04/2015 at 15:34

Nice !!! I took a break from oppo and Jalopnik as far as posting goes but I’ve got a 76 280z with a LS and T56 swap I daily it all the time when it isn’t giving me trouble. Cheers man !

StudyStudyStudy > Short-throw Granny Shifter is 2 #blessed 2b stressed
05/04/2015 at 15:36

Thank you sir.

Yea, the 5-speed had the result of the need to elongate the shifter hole, so the stock shifter boot wouldn’t fit anymore. I had them laying around from a university club event (school colors purple/gold, made for great stuffing bags) so it seemed to fit a need at the time. I have a black pleather boot waiting to go in once I finalize the placement of everything.

StudyStudyStudy > DAT-AS-SUN
05/04/2015 at 15:38

Sounds like a load of fun! Yea these cars seem to find ways to give us trouble when we least expect it. Hopefully I get more issues sorted out and put some more miles in.

MonkeePuzzle > StudyStudyStudy
05/04/2015 at 15:47

lowered is good, impractically low is (visually) better :D

Kinja'd!!!

DAT-AS-SUN > StudyStudyStudy
05/04/2015 at 15:54

MY Ls28E that was in my car when I got it ran fine. Granted when I got it there was ZERO oil in it which saved me a few thousand explaining to the guy I bought it from that it may not make it out of the parking lot. I ended up getting mine for 2600 running. Fixed the A/c (charged it with 134A without draining the R12) and it worked ! biggest Issue I’ve run into is the amount of heat the big ass T56 creates which comes into the cabin no matter what. If I could ever get my LSD diff installed I’d be a happy camper. For sure.

V8Demon - Prefers Autos for drag racing. Fite me! > StudyStudyStudy
05/04/2015 at 16:01

It’s more of a cleanup then a build. It runs beautifully, needs some cosmetic work....

StudyStudyStudy > MonkeePuzzle
05/04/2015 at 16:10

Visually better, but I can just hear the scrapes on my new sheet metal *shudders*

StudyStudyStudy > DAT-AS-SUN
05/04/2015 at 16:13

I can sympathize with your plight, fitting a big honking transmission in the transmission tunnel can be a real challenge in not pinching or contacting any little piece. Having the exhaust routed to the other side is quite nice as well.

Yup search still continues for the diff.

DAT-AS-SUN > StudyStudyStudy
05/04/2015 at 16:49

I broke a U Joint at night and it was really a lucky move. Sense I couldn't see the broken U Joint I thought SHIT ! My diff is blown. Got on CL and found a Clutch Type Long Nose RS200 for $350 up the street from my house... Lucky me.

StudyStudyStudy > DAT-AS-SUN
05/04/2015 at 16:59

I got a STI R180 because I thought along the same lines as my fuel line setup that I’ll never push more then 200hp. Had to sell that recently since I outgrew the torque rating before I could install it.

DAT-AS-SUN > StudyStudyStudy
05/04/2015 at 17:15

Yea a turbo L28 will do that EASY . I’ve been seeing your car lately on IG I think. whats your instagram name ?

StudyStudyStudy > DAT-AS-SUN
05/04/2015 at 17:37

Unlikely as I don’t have an instagram :P