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Don't assume that because you smell gas from the exhaust that you are getting enough fuel in the engine. Its not starting, so even a little fuel gives a lot of smell, I agree with woldson, check for spark by pulling a plug... matter of fact pull all the plugs, they may at the very LEAST need a good cleaning. Check cap and rotor condition. Check for spark at the coil... OH, and go download the FSM, its got troubleshooting section that will do you wonders. I understand you have little time... but if you want the car bad enough, you'll find the time.

wait, so what was the problem? You gotta leave the conclusion for searchers!

That video link was a joke right?

Yep, all the light sockets are able to swap between any other lense too, so that made the conversion EASY.

Being a new guy to SUs when I bought my 240z at the beginning of august, I must admit I HATED the carbs, I tuned them over and over and over, but never could get them right. I'm on a low budget right now so there was no other option for me to drive my car... So I reseached, spend several hours just reading, then reading some more, then watched some videos on youtube of a MG guy who teaches you how to tune them... no avail. So broke down and pulled them off, CAREFULLY, ripped them apart. DEEP cleaned them using gasoline and a toothbrush plus aerosol carb cleaner for all the little holes and crevices. Made new gaskets out of bulk gasket paper tedious and but cheap and works great. Reset the float height (they were not the same, one slightly off the other way off), and checked that the needles were set properly. Lastly, after reassmbling, I started experimenting with the oil... at one point the car ran WORSE than EVER, how?? The oil was wrong, so I went with a lighter weight oil and out of everthing I did I found out that THIS has the MOST effect on how SUs opperate! Download the FSM, it even states symptoms of low/high/wrong oil being able to cause practically every driveability/runnability/power/smell you may experience, an WAS the cause of every problem I was having. Now I love the carbs, they ROAR! Its great.

lol, yeah, normally on US models the light in the bottom of the housing in for the parking light, and the two in the top are brake/signal, when I saw the way the taillights are wired (shown in my thread), I figure making the simple mods I did was the ONLY way to improve the wiring. Not only is the system better, but now the car will be much more easily seen by cars from behind, and the brake lights are BRIGHT, when I let my wife test drive it I got to see it in full summer sun and the brake lights were VERY visible. What a difference.

For those with brake light problems, check out my build thread, I made it look simple, and it IS. As stock the brakes and signals have power passing through the hazard switch... so that when the hazards are on nothing else works. The hazard switch usually isn't the problem since it doesn't get used very often, also power for brakes and signals both pass through the signal switch, so that when you use the signals the brake light on each particular side blinks even when brakes are pressed. This is all too complicated, and the EURO taillights (half red, half amber) a much better in this regard, what I did was retain the stock all red lights and make them operate the way the euro lights do. http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=153150

Unless, he removed the plugs wires and re-oriented them according to what he 'thought' was number 1 based on where the rotor was pointing. Not that I think the OP is stupid, its an easy mistake, but he may have it pointing at A plug and assume that its number 1 (doesn't mean it will run). I know you know this stuff... so I am just mainly trying to be helpful here. I can't count how many datsuns I've fixed in the last 10 years because of this. I had a 510 that was built for autocross earlier this year, the guy who owned it before me took it to a place called "Rally Round" in seattle for some repairs (brakes, suspension bushings and tune up with pertronix unit), well car never right to me... so I pulled the dizzy and the dizzy drive spindle was off a tooth, with the adjustment settings MAXED OUT to compensate (both the 10mm and the 8mm), fixed 'er right up I did. 521 earlier this year 180degrees off, the guy fought with the thing for 6 months thinking it was the carb, so he sold it to me cheap, took me all of 30mins to figure it out and fix it. The 240z I have now was off by 90degrees when I got it, the plug wires were re-oriented to compensate, as well as the timing adjustment maxed out.

hey BRAAP, you forgot to mention the 11:28 position. With the distributor removed, you see the drive spindle, it has an offset 'tab', the smaller of the two half round shapes should face forward and the 'tab' should be pointing to about 11:28 o'clock. Borrowed this image from here http://www.geocities.com/inlinestroker/

The smaller countershaft bearing (56mm) has a tendency to fail, which is why nissan upgraded to the larger (62mm) bearing for newer models. We did in fact swap that bearing using just a plain old 3 jaw bearing puller, but the shift rod holes were the same size. Here is the tranny all assembled, you can see the location of the bolt holes matches the KA tranny, the L bells holes are rotated about 15degrees clockwise when looking at the back of the tranny. here is the two next to each other... L on the right Z on the left. This is the front of the tranny (obvious but just to be clear)

Convinced the wife to give her a test drive... she was reluctant to drive the "old beater". Well off she went, with one simple instruction, "floor it!". Well here she comes around the corner, about 5mins later, shes got a big smile on her face, "it stinks and its dirty, it rattles and clunks, but its fast". I was happy with that.

Thats a baited question... I don't believe anyone said that at all. If you are still talking about bell swapping, then no I don't think so... unless you are using the exact same parts me and my buddy did, which is 85 720 5 spd bell (Z-series bell is identical bolt pattern to the KA) and an 83 280zx 5spd. I can't confirm that all years have the same size bearings or what years have the larger bearings. We ripped the bell out of a truck at the local Pull-a-Part, and paid $11. For my swap, I am using a 280z 5spd, and KA, its will not bolt in, the tranny will sit normally as if it had an L6 motor, the engine cradle will be custom anyway so what do I care about fabbing motor mounts, and the oil pan on MY motor is flat whereas most KAs have an angled oil pan... but I wouldn't mind fabbing an oil pan though. I just don't want to pull another tranny apart in the wrecking yard... However, if you only mean, will the transmission bolt up and work? Yes absolutely. Use the clutch kit and all clutch parts that match the transmission... ka flywheel will bolt to a L and L flywheel will bolt to a KA (except L16 and L18 they are 5 bolt)... there are 3 different clutch diameters though, 200mm, 225mm, and 240mm, I am using a 225mm, I think its a good compromise for to size and centrifigul weight, but thats my opinion, most seem to like the infamous 200mm 'roadster' clutch.

you just don't even bother reading anymore do you... I wasn't arguing with you, not at all. You're trying so hard to be right, you don't even realize we're talking about two different things. To answer your question YES, I have, we have a 280z, 280zx, and 240z trannies here, the 280zx has a Z-series bell for my friends truck (necessary for his install), mine is 280z and will retain the stock bell (doesn't really matter for mine), and we have 2 KAs, 1 L16, and 1 L24...

I know the thread title thats why I am saying... using the L28 tranny, in its normal position, and then bolting the KA to it and making the brackets suit the opposite tilt, CAN work, its not impossible. As far as the oil pan its possible to using the L6 pan + the KA pan and make one that works properly with the newly opposite tilted KA. MY oil pan doesn't require it to be reworked, the OP probably will if he is not using the same pan, OR he will have to avoid hard cornering since the oil will be 'sloshed' to the side all the time. You said; thats why I said that the engine does NOT sit straight up and down, and thats why I refered to the KA tranny and how using it positions the motor. I'm not saying you're full of crap, just saying your not completely correct either. I did not say the transmission is tilted, but without modifying the trans crossmember, and bolting the KA to the L tranny, the engine WILL tilt the opposite way it normally tilts, the shifter won't move, because the transmission is not moving... the engine is tilted the opposite way to avoid modifying these areas. Do you see what I mean now?

Yep, thats how they fix wrecked cars before selling them too!

What are you saying no to? The picture is of a ka bolted to a ka tranny with ka brackets. Its tilted to the drivers side... just cause I'm new here, doesn't mean I'm new to datsuns. The only real issues, as stated by Tony D are the oil pan, This is a non issue for me since the motor I am using is from a 4x4 frontier, the pan is flat on the bottom instead of angled like the 2wd frontier and the 240sx, and the brackets... but in a 240-280Z chassis, its not gonna bolt to the L6 crossmember anyway, so again... non issue. I'm not theorizing here, just stating facts. As far as bellhousings, the normal way of doing it is to use the Zseries bell, which is identical in bolt pattern to the KA (KA being a newer version of the Z-series block). Later Z bells require larger bearings and a bit of modding, early ones don't. This pic is of a stock 240sx engine bay... Its tilted... to the driverside.

The stock KA doesn't sit straight up and down... its tilted, and with L tranny will tilt it to the opposite side. I know this for a FACT, I've owned several 240sx's, and am helping a friend with an install in his 620 with a 'KA' tranny. The L tranny tilts it more like 15degrees. I am also doing the same combo in my 240z... 280z 5spd and KA24de. This pic is of a KA with its normal 5spd... tilted.

Looks like a nice car... whats the possibility of sharing more info about it? Yes I did see the other thread, lots of info there, but I'd love to see maybe some build pictures, I'm sure other would as well.

Couple of nice cars there... good taste!

WTG, its nice to have working taillights! HA!

Now throw an RB in there... Tokyo dRift FTW!

I don't buy clothes based on name brand... and I don't buy (or like) cars based on name brand. Function over fashion. I'm not a rapper, or a hollywood actor, so when you can buy the same fun or more (doesn't matter the car or make), for a LOT less money, then you'd be stupid not to. Bad example for you guys... 04 WRX STI is cheaper than an 04 Audi RS4, but the STI is faster? Which would you buy? I'd buy the STI, its more reliable, cheaper to maintain, easier to get parts for, has more potential for upgrades too... Now the Vette may be dime a dozen, one on every corner, BUT with the money you saved you can build one that is NOT average, and could potentially make ferrari owners stare...

I may have overstated my opinion... I wouldn't really slap my kid, or shoot myself. Truth of the matter is that I don't posses the amount of patience that a kid like that probably requires. Which is why I was given kids who are just roudy as heck... that I can handle. I wish no ill on the kid... congradulations to him even. As strange as it is to me.

In todays dollars the corvette is a steal... considering it smokes euro 'super' cars costing twice as much and more.

BMW 2002 and Rabbit GTI... NO Datsun 510??? WTF?! Seriously?