New World Datsuns...

This be my 1973 BLUE ! 240z...



She's not going to be a "project datto" worthy car since I won't be doing much do it along the way other than keeping her fresh and running as well as improving her a bit along the way with subtle items. No flashy @#@% allowed... lol. (welding a bit as well where need be !)

I've been driving this puppy around and enjoying it while replacing little things a step at a time along the way to take a bite out of the "big" picture.

She has a strong original setup L24 + 4spd + R180 3.36 currently , and hums right along on the highway like no ones business ! []

---------PLANS ,GOAL(S) , and FOCUS: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*Finish up some metal work

*Repair and freshen up interior pieces that need it.

*Pattern out and cut carpet for entire interior (old stuff is good just not matching !)

*To keep body exterior as original as I can stand...

*To keep interior as original as I can.. with some exceptions to possible improvements.

* (Bonus) --- I have possible plans to "freshen and polish up the drive-train hopefully in the near future ( all this depends on how my other projects pan out for me though and where the parts are used in the end [;)] ).

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hopefully I'll be making updates along the way for others to enjoy [:)]

Thanks for reading !

DTP

This thread deserves more pics. Love the color. Original paint?

Keep it coming pops!! Love your whole stable!

DRIVEN wrote:This thread deserves more pics. Love the color. Original paint?

It does indeed deserve more pics. Maybe I'll update tonight.
Thanks.. I like the color myself
I don't believe it's original paint.

RedBanner wrote:Keep it coming pops!! Love your whole stable!

Thanks son !
Will try to be better about updates

I'm still waiting on the machinist to return my case back to me as of present. ( a bit over-due on the timeframe I was told , but I understand how things go that way as well.)
Will transfer/update progress in a bit from my other build threads.
Slowly starting to and planning on using flickr from photobucket... so things maybe a slow transition.

For now a couple new parts that arrived in the mail today
*Wood style shifter knob.
*Short-Throw shifter assembly.


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I also completely forgot I had this B&M shifter knob from years ago... doh ! ( I like this one... very comfortable ... yet both knobs are comfy ).

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^^^ Feels just like a baseball in your hands ... just so natural !
Sure it's worn in a bit , but that is how all of them should feel.

Thanks for reading and hopefully I get ma butt in gear for more pics update

BLUE

I really like the wood shift knob! Straight up classy

RedBanner wrote:I really like the wood shift knob! Straight up classy

Thanks son .. me to !

Lame update --- Finally have an ETA on machined front trans case coming back to me.
It should be ready for me between the 19th and 22nd.
Until then the show must go on and focus on more small stuff.

Broken passengers side rear wheel stud


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Drum appears to be good shape.


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Plenty of clearance to remove and replace each stud without having to pull the hub itself.


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(rears are longer than the fronts).


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Doing a quick rough measure to verify length.


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Pounded out all (4) and zipped them back in. Found a bad wheel cylinder while I was there (sticky).

Dismantled brakes


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Pulled off and inspected the drivers side as well. Wheel cylinder ended up being good and re-freshable.

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Passengers wheel cylinder (left) ... a donor 71' passengers wheelcylinder (right)
Both are stamped "Tokico" on the bodies and I remember just a couple years ago they use to be give or take $90 a pop even from Rockauto.
Cheapos can be had for $45 locally now.
The bore was good in the donor , but had a stuck adjuster. The bore was bad in the original ,but had a good adjuster.
so... made 1 out of 2 successfully.

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71' is a (1) year only wheel cylinder (2-year only if you count 70's being a 240z model) wheel cylinder.
It has a different brake line hookup location and brake hard-line itself versus the 72-73 donor wheel cylinder I used as a donor (just switch hard-lines).

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Each cylinder was re-built (refreshed) with one of these Bendix wheel cylinder kits. I checked for any leaks after and there were none.

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Rebuilt wheel cylinder (drivers)

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Difference in 71 versus 72-73 hardline angles

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Passengers Cylinder on ready to go , and adjuster lubed up with anti-seize as well as the (8) shoe friction points.
Just needed to add the shoe retainer pins/springs and it was done (at this point)

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Donor 71 assembly

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Sweet, doing work pop, its allways great to have back breaks too!

RedBanner wrote:Sweet, doing work pop, its allways great to have back breaks too!

yup yup thanks son ! ^^^ Banner knows what's up ...

More than id like to admit lol

Blue's Z's in the house! Gettin' sh*t did..

hahahah banner ... me too ...

Thanks Micro !!! I sorta gettin shat done

^^^ haha thanks Kirden [:)]

---- Front Caliper Rebuild day ----- ( aka bad mood day ... [:lol:] )

Decided to refresh the ol front calipers today since I felt they might be a bit sticky (no brake grab just gunked).

Brakes worked fine before I got to them .. no leaks or anything [;)] (preventative maintenance [] )

As you all know ... brake calipers can work ... it's just a question of "how well" they work [:D] ...

Grabbed donor calipers from a spare set of struts.


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Fluid (wet) is from pulling them off nothing more...


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Next just grabbed my 12-ton press ... and a 200sx clutch/brake pedal assembly ... used the press to hold it so I can work while standing temporarily ... screwed in the 10mm brake fitting from the 200sx clutch master (brake line) to the s30 front caliper ... plan was/is to hydraulically push out the pistons EVENLY (yes there are (2) pistons total per caliper if you are unaware [:)] ). I was lazy in this practice as I should just bolt this to my bench ... but I wanted to be out in the sun (sort of).


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All I do next is just fill the master with DOT-3 brake fluid... and pump the clutch pedal with my hand ... [:lol:]


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10mm brake line fitting into s30 front caliper.


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This picture is showing (2) wrenches used to bottom out one piston ... while the other has a chance to push out of the bore.

The goal is to pop them out EVENLY , so I don't have to fight them to come out ... so little by little ... this is a game of patience.

Yes I realize these are cheap to just buy re-manufactured , but I enjoy doing things myself sometimes regardless []

(Note: IF you plan to do this ... use something softer then wrenches ... I was in a bad-mood today [:D] ... the wrenches didn't leave a mark though for the record. )


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Once you feel both pistons are about as far as they'll go ... pop one out ... and remove it ... then remove the other as carefully as you can (there's a couple ways of doing this).


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Once the (2) piston was removed ,... it was a mess (duh right ? [:lol:] )


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Pistons (2) didn't look to bad ( they are dirty in the pic ). Sealing surface was smooth nearly 90% or so on both.


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(still posting).

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Little bit of rust and crap on the external surface of this one , but totally usable.


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The reason you do not see a piston seal on this caliper piston ... is because the seal actually stays in the caliper bore (machined groove).


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Getting the second caliper ready.


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Second caliper to have pistons (2) popped out.


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Pumping clutch pedal (clutch master) to expand one piston outwards.


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Again using wrenches (or a wedge of somekind) to block both pistons from falling out thus losing my hydraulic pressure advantage of getting these babys out EVENLY.


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You can see the dust seals popped off in the this pic. They are held on by a little tension retainer spring steel spring.

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Dust shield and retainer spring.

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(more pics coming)

This is about as far as these pistons will come out before losing their hydraulic seal ... at this point you get to pump the pedal and (1) piston will pop out ... then YOU get to figure out how to get the other one out without harming it.

(NOTE: These particular pistons had quite a bit of gum and a little rust (none of these parts will be perfect ya know ?)


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Popped out this piston and pulled the sucker out.


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Quite a bit of gum on this one really.


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Caliper piston bore ... need a light cleanup , but not anywhere near as bad as this picture makes it out to be [:lol:] [;)]

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This bore is towards the inner side of the wheel ... you can tell by the hole in the center that leads from the brake-line straight in [;)]


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Both pistons popped out.

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This side of the caliper piston bore looked dang good ! You can see the piston seal inside there (black ring) [:)]


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I used some 600-grit sand-paper to clean up and slight imperfections or where I felt (not much if at all ... )

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Pulled out the caliper piston seal straight from the bore using a pick ! (carefully...)

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Carefully ... cleaned the piston seal groove ... and installed a new piston seal.

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Cleaned up the piston ,,, stuck the dust boot on (can be done anytime really...) ... lubed it up to get ready for install.

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I then just pushed the piston in the bore by hand (carefully ... and square).

Then compressed each piston in.

Next... I stuck the caliper in the press as a 3rd hand (just to hold it lightly) and slipped on the dust-boots + retaining rings (kinda tricky .. [:lol:] )

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The Japanese retaining ring had more tension the the American made rings.


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(more pics coming)

retaining ring on.


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Don't forget to blow threw ... and clean the bleeder valve(s) as well as there seating areas (lots of crap in them).

It's a really good idea to clean ALL hydraulic passages if you are feeling safe to do so.


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Both spare calipers are rebuilt and waiting install.


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Purty.


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Current old passengers caliper mounted.

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Rebuilt one in my hand --- versus --- old mounted

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Pulled the brake pads + hardware.

Zipped off the 10mm brake hydraulic line.

Pictured is un-bolting (2) 17mm caliper bracket mounting bolts. (currently upper bolt)

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Bottom 17mm mounting bolt (hydraulic hard line was tightened up shortly after this).

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(more pics coming).

Mounted Rebuilt caliper.

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Brake pads and hardware is all in and lubed up ready to go !

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Drivers side caliper UN-mounted , and beside rebuilt caliper.

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rebuilt drivers side caliper installed.

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Ceramic brake pads + hardware is installed and lubed up ready to go !


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That was that ! Bled it and put the wheels on ... then vroom vroooom !

The braking is MUCH smoother and even then it was before the rebuild (didn't pull or anything before... I just suspected some gumming in calipers [:)] )

With the Brake Pad combination and calipers + wheel cylinder rebuilt ... I quite like it and am satisfied !!

I do enjoy doing things myself where I can/have time to ... as it opens the realm of other possibility's or adds to my idea of what can/can't be fixed or used on cars [:)]

Thanks for reading ...

BLUE

Great job pops. Best way Keep this awsome car safe!

RedBanner wrote:Great job pops. Best way Keep this awsome car safe!

1,000's Thank-u's son

It is nice to know that the car has a sharp crisp stop (perfect) to it if need be ... like all other non-women drivers ... I try not to FRY my brakes ... did you hear me FRY !?



(lame).