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thats a very good point i have a 77' 280z. the damper looks like it would match up pretty close if the timing tab was on the other side. maybe that is the case and someone just put the wrong one on there... However, can i still run that same damper without any problems?

generally when the damper moves that much they just brake apart dont they? also damper really shouldn't matter as far as assembly goes righT? as long as the timing it correct and the distibutor shaft it close, the motor should run and i can fix the timing with a timing light? I can't for see and problems if that it the case or am i all backwords?

The factory make on the damper has never alined on to the tab or TC even even before the motor was rebuilt. So needless to say before i put the head on and found the true TC and installed the front cover, the mark on the tab did not alined with the marks on the damper. there about 45 degrees off. also are you saying to alined the marks I made on the damper to the timing tab, because if i turn it to the stock on im not gonna' be on TC anymore.

ok ill check...how much play am i looking for, any?

This engine did run for me...just the number 5 cylinder had no compression. No the the timing mark on the dampener never lined up with the front cover tab. In my book "how to rebuild you datsun motor", it said if the the timing marks on the dampener dont agree with TC you can make adjustments now or later.....So i made me own mark and kept going on this the rebuild hoping that it would tell me later on how to fix it but it never did. So this is where im at. also, yes i am taking the rotation in to account when putting the distributor drive shaft in....

does anyone know how to make the factory dampener marks move back on the rubber seal? Or do i just have to replace it?

so thats that...anything come to mind?

Before i put the head on i found the true TC at the cylinder #1 with a dial indicator and temporarely installed the front cover and dampener to mark it for future reference in case it happened to move it through out the motor build. So i put the head on, assembled the timimg, put the valve cover on, also the frontcover and while i was trying to assemble the oil pump/ spindle I couldn't get the spindle to line up at the 11:25 angle that is disired...so i turned the crank a little and i realized the the crank made the spindle mover to the 11:25 position. So i was looking at the dampener and the marks on it from the factory are like 45* degrees off from where my marks are when i found TC. I realized the crank it on a key so theres only one way it could go on and theres only one way the crank can go on. SO where did i Go wrong? How did the factory marks on the dampener get so far off at TC on the #1 cyclinder? is that why my oil pump spindle is not finding the 11:25 position? Also i would like to add the bought a new timing assy and timed it to the#1 notch. The mark on the oblong groove is only a few degrees off the thrust plate notch when the dampener is at TC on the marks I made, not the factory notch. What do i do? i had to have gone wrong somewhere. I hope i made myself clear and you guys can underlstand what im saying. Thanks for your helps guys.let me know if i need to explain myself more clear.

Before i put the head on i found the true TC at the cylinder #1 with a dial indicator and temporarely installed the front cover and dampener to mark it for future reference in case it happened to move it through out the motor build. So i put the head on, assembled the timimg, put the valve cover on, also the frontcover and while i was trying to assemble the oil pump/ spindle I couldn't get the spindle to line up at the 11:25 angle that is disired...so i turned the crank a little and i realized the the crank made the spindle mover to the 11:25 position. So i was looking at the dampener and the marks on it from the factory are like 45* degrees off from where my marks are when i found TC. I realized the crank it on a key so theres only one way it could go on and theres only one way the crank can go on. SO where did i Go wrong? How did the factory marks on the dampener get so far off at TC on the #1 cyclinder? is that why my oil pump spindle is not finding the 11:25 position? Also i would like to add the bought a new timing assy and timed it to the#1 notch. The mark on the oblong groove is only a few degrees off the thrust plate notch when the dampener is at TC on the marks I made, not the factory notch. What do i do? i had to have gone wrong somewhere. I hope i made myself clear and you guys can underlstand what im saying. Thanks for your helps guys.let me know if i need to explain myself more clear.

very nice my friend... You should check out my thread. "77 280z restoration project". I wish i would have started out with media blasting.

So if the chain is stretched and you use the number 2 or 3 mark on the cam sprocket, Can it still be timed off the number one piston at tC?

I just got done putting on my head and I assembled the timing assy. I reused the stock chain guides,tensioner, sprockets and chain. im not sure how much slop I should have in the chain but it seems to me that its a little loose. I know I'm probably just gonna' get alot of buy it new responses, but the motor was already rebuilt once and its has slight groves in it, with no chunks missing or anythink. Anyways i want to know how much slop i should have in the chain without being to loose. IS there anyway to measure it? thanks guy Joe

Thats what i though, but i didn't know for sure...let me tell you what though once you put swaybar in on one side it it hell trying to put it in the other...the best way i found to do it was use a visegrip clamp underneath the trasferlink and on top of the swaybar and compress. Also found that getting the shock on when the ball joint isn't mounted to the bottom of the shock was pretty tough as well, but if you take some channellocks and twist the part that the tie rod mounts to...you can control it pretty easy.

incredible work man... your just not gonna' miss anything are you?

Here is a few pic of my girlfriend, truck and me liven life in alaska

I was wondering if the swaybar bushing should be twisted as shown in the pic below...let me know thank joe

So here is a few parts that I picked up...i put all the bearing and raices in the hubs today and the only thing that standing in my way of assebling the hub/rotor assy on the perch are my spacers that i order from MM. BTW thanks for all the complements guys!

i will be painting the car with pepper grey metallic, with high gloss black racing stripes.

BTW everyone i found out that its normal and that the weight of the vehicle will compress the spring.

btw the part # on my springs were 5022 and the shocks are the same as yours.

i have a 77 280z as well and i was wondering if when you put the springs on the stock perches if the spring was really loose after tighting the nut? thank joe

i don't know if there are lowered springs or not. I just bought them through motorsport auto and thats what they gave me. if even if they were lowered spring they should be snug on the strut right everyone?

i bought the tokico hp set up from my car and i put the springs on without any spring compressor tools and i have a finger gap as you can see below in one of the pic's... Since it saturday i can't call and confirm that these are the right springs, but is this natural to have such a hung slop with that spring? i can't go any further until i know that these are the right springs and what i have to do. thanks for the help guys.

thanks Z-ya, Thats what is did and i had the cam towers marked before i took them off and put them back on in order, but there was still binding on two of the towers. I read im my book and it said if it didn't alighn than hit it vertically with a soft mallet, but that didn't work so i think im gonna' try it again and if it doesn't alighn than im guess i will just have to bite the bullet and get it alighnbored.

reallY thats nice to know...and yes mine is a first generation. Where cheveron in soldtona?