Miles

Google "how to test a thermostat" Also, YouTube has videos on this. You will need a thermometer for this test. Go buy a digital thermometer. A belt can slip with no noise.

Could be as simple as a loose V belt if it started suddenly.

Time to stop turning knobs and read up on SU carbs while you are waiting for the video to arrive. Watch the video five times and then go out to the car and identify every external part of the SU carb including every linkage and set screw. You will need this information to tune, repair and ask meaningful questions. Go to the download forum and download the Factory Service Manual (FSM) for the Z car you have. It will be a pdf file. Take the file on a thumb drive to Staples etc and have them print it out for you. Google: "tuning su carbs 240z" 100s of how to tune/repair SU carbs on the web. Book mark the sites. Search HybridZ as there have been many threads dealing with your exact problem, some as recent as the last few weeks. Note: worn throttle shafts leak air, worn/bent needles and/or improper float adjustment make it impossible to tune a SU carb by just turning the mixture adjustment nut. You will need to purchase a "Unisyn tool" that is described in the video. Ztherapy and MSA sell them. The Unisyn is used to synchronize the twin SU carbs. It is explained in the video. There is an adjustment in the center (round disk with bumps) that is used to adjust the sensitivity of the red puck in the clear plastic tube. I usually adjust it so the red puck moves between the bottom and the first line on the tube. The carbs are in sync when the red puck reaches the same height on the tube for both carbs at idle. Note: everything on the SU carb must be working and properly adjusted before you do this. Do a Google image search for "SU carb float adjustment". There are some good graphics that explain why this is important. Until you develop and understanding of the SU carb there isn't much we can do to help you.

Buy the "Just SUs" video from Ztherapy. They also sell SU parts. http://www.ztherapy.com/

Get the low and high gauge readings and post. Don't swap, remove or change any more parts or mess with the timing or fuel system for now. You need to do a lot of reading first. Download a copy of the Factory Service Manual (FSM) for your car. They are free on-line from several sources such as HybridZ, ClassicZcars, various Z club websites. Check out a website called zenon that has FSMs for download etc. The FSM may have a trouble shooting guide for your problem. Look in the HybridZ downloads forum for the FSM. Or Google 240Z factory service manual. As long as you own a Z car you will need the FSM. Problem diagnosis requires knowledge: Do a lot of reading on radiators and cooling systems. Google terms like: "runs hot at cruise", "engine gets hot at highway speeds" etc. Post some pictures of your radiator front, back and side.

Need to sort out what you actually have: After market temp gauge, yes? Have you calibrated the gauge? You added coolant. Did you refill the cooling system completely? Did you note water flowing with the cap removed" Can you identify the radiator? Stock, after market aluminum, etc. Post a picture. Confirm cooling system is full and water flow: cold engine With the engine cold, remove the radiator cap and start the engine. Did the water level drop? If so, add water while the engine is idling until full and replace the cap. Can you see water flowing? Gauge calibration: Using an electronic digital thermometer with a probe (meat thermometer style) Record temperature off-highway speed. Take a reading off of the radiator (probe between the cooling fins) near the return hose. And note the temperature reading on the dash gauge. Write the number down. Record temperature after driving highway speed. Take a reading off of the radiator (probe between the cooling fins) near the return hose. And note the temperature reading on the dash gauge. Write the number down. Let us know what the temp readings are and the results of driving highway speed after verifying that the cooling system is full. Never rely on dash gauges - verify by doing calibration checks. So is it actually overheating or gauge calibration? I had exactly the same symptoms with my stock 240Z and V8 240Z. The problem was water flow and radiator capacity in both cases.

More information such as year and model Z car helps in answering questions. Replace them both and save a headache later. If you are not knowledgeable about Z car brake systems read up on the booster and MC change paying attention to "push rod adjustment" , "reaction disk fell out', bench bleeding etc.

Sounds like you have a good plan. Keep posting your progress.

Having the engine high and forward was probably ok as a drag car, but the car will handle better with the engine back and low in the engine bay. Next time you go to the store place a 24 pack of water bottles in the front of the basket and wheel around some corners. Note resistance to steering input. The first 240Z I bought had the SBC 350 and trans (four speed) installed which I thought would save time. It didn't. The engine was installed Scarab style like yours. After going through the car, and joining HybridZ, I decided to reinstall the engine in the setback position using the MSA V8 swap kit and replaced the Saginaw four speed transmission with a 89 Camaro WC T5. It was a lot of work to fix the mistakes the PO made, but it was worth the effort. For my second 240Z V8 project I bought a two-owner, well maintained, 72 240Z. It was much easier and resulted in a low budget daily driver based on: SBC 350 crate engine installed set back and low (not as low as the JTR) Camaro WC T5 transmission 280Z R200 differential poly urethane suspension bushings Tokico struts Stiffer springs 180 lb/in front 220 lb/in rear (AZC NLA) Arizona Z Car radiator with electric 3000 cfm fan Dyno: 240 RWHP (so it is still a 240Z!)

The engine mounts shown in your picture are based on the original Scarab engine install which was high and forward in the engine bay. You can pull and then reinstall the engine using JTR, MSA or John's Cars installation kits. http://datsunforum.com/the-scarab-legend-the-original-hybrid-datsun-z/

Motorsports Auto (MSA) also sells a SBC swap kit that includes the engine mounts and transmission support. This kit, like the JTR kit, is easy to install, but assumes that the user knows about driveline phasing, balance, measuring etc. Lots of material in the Drivetrain Forum. Suggestions: Download a Factory Service Manual (FSM) Download electrical schematics for your car. PDFs are easier to read than those found in books. Some are in color. Buy the book How to Restore Your Datsun Z Car by Wick Humble. It will save you hours of searching for "how to" info. Focus on searching Hybridz as 99% of questions have already been addressed. Start bookmarking Z car parts suppliers Remember these are 40 year old cars and will need restoration to be safe and drivable. Join ClassicZCars.com website and search there as well. Become well informed about modifications before asking questions. People will be more inclined to answer informed questions. Read the new member FAQs. Useful Links: http://zhome.com/ http://www.zcarparts.com/ http://www.arizonazcar.com/

Just pick a reliable local driveshaft shop to modify/balance the driveshaft. You will have to learn how to measure for the correct driveshaft length. Also, driveshaft angle (phasing) is very important. If you don't know about driveshaft balance and phasing your car will vibrate going down the road. Search HybridZ and google. JTR sells the the Chevy driveshaft to Datsun differential flange adapter you need. Or do a HybridZ search for the part number. Buy the JTR 240Z V8 swap manual and read it several times. Most of the answers to your questions are there.

Clean, safe cars with decent paint will sell at market value for that car. Don't waste money with cool mods.

Not all California counties require a smog check e.g., Amador County. Does California look at pre 1976 out of state cars when you go to the DMV to register the car?

After you fix the headlight switch issue, install the headlight relay harness developed by a HybridZ member. The harness is plug and play and will reduce the load on the headlight switch and allows you to use higher wattage headlights. You can order the harness from the HybridZ member (he also repairs combo switches) who designed it: http://datsun-240z-upgrades.net/ Or buy it from MSA: http://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/PROD/12-4651

For a good source of Chevy engine and transmission information go here: https://www.thirdgen.org/

I prefer gear reduction starters because......................... Advantages of gear reduction starters: lighter high torque compact new not rebuilt My local speed shop has them My experience with stock starters has been that when heat soaked they become weak making it difficult to start a hot engine. Never had a heat soak issue with a gear reduction starter.

You don't seem to understand what you are doing. In the interest of public safety I recommend that you study how your brake system works before making any more changes. Actually, all you had to do was install the Toyota and 280ZX brakes and a 1 inch Wilwood brake master cylinder and you would have been done. Plus all of the information needed to do the Toyota - 280ZX brake swap is documented in the brake and FAQ forums.

Part number: Hitachi gear reduction starter PSL100

You can also just gut the factory proportioning valve (PV) on the early 240Z that is located in back of the storage compartments. Once gutted the stock 240Z PV body just becomes a connector block and flows 100%. However, many people have done this and then later said that it did not improve rear braking bias at all. There have many threads on this subject discussing the pros and cons of variable PV vs stock vs gutting the stock PV. On the later Z cars the PV valve was moved to the firewall and it is of a different design than the early PVs. Search and/or look at the FSM for details. If you want more rear bias start with the basics such as larger diameter rotors etc.

As discussed before, your brake setup (Toyota front - 280ZX rear) will be biased toward the front. A variable proportioning valve only reduces pressure. Therefore, you do not need a variable proportioning valve. Why would you want to reduce pressure to the rear on a front biased brake system? For your other questions, do like everyone else (as recommended to you) and read the factory service manuals (FSM) for the 240Z and the 1981 280zxT that you got the brake parts from. Go here: http://forums.hybridz.org/topic/109702-hybridz-is-not-automotive-101/

I have been looking at reducing the exhaust noise on my 240Z (SBC 350, 2.5" exhaust, Flowmaster Magna Flow 14" body muffler). The noise level is fine for city driving at low throttle opening, but approaching WOT it sounds like open exhaust and driving through parking lots sets off car alarms. Here is some info I have been looking at: http://www.dragzine.com/tech-stories/exhaust/understanding-muffler-design-and-sound-absorption-strategies/ https://www.acoustics.asn.au/conference_proceedings/AAS2005/papers/34.pdf

I just searched HybridZ for the ZX alternator which returned 356 results. On the the first two pages were threads with the answers to your problem. Some of the threads include references to other Z websites detailing the ZX alternator swap. Included in the threads are pictures, schematics and tables showing the correct wiring. Persistent searching pays off. Listen to what this guy does:

Look up Scarab 240Z. Many people copied the Scarab V8 swap with the engine forward. I have seen several V8 swaps from the 70s and 80s that used 2" x 2" sq tubing for engine mounts and a 2 ft section of angle iron for the rear transmission mount. It gets the job done, but is not optimal. Again check out the JTR manual for details. The T5 combined with a 3.54 differential makes a nice daily driver especially at freeway speeds.