NewZed

Still curious about the coil circuit. Were it my problem, I'd measure voltage at the plus and minus with the key on, then disconnect the negative post and measure again. Should be no change. There's typically other stuff on the coil negative circuit, like the tachometer. Any short that keeps current flowing can reduce or eliminate spark. The primary circuit's magnetic field has to disappear for the secondary circuit to produce a spark. That's just me parroting a variety of stuff I've picked up over he years, not a physics or electronics expert. Still, confirming the make and the break of the primary circuit will tell you something. No break, no spark. See breaker point ignition systems.

This looks like a short on the negative post circuit of the coil. Probably why Brad-Man suggested a bad ignitor. Could just be a pinched wire or bad connector. Should be about battery voltage on both sides of the coil until MS3 grounds the circuit through the BIP373. In other words, battery voltage with the key on but engine not turning, then a voltage drop when the engine is turning and spark happening.

Just curious - was it only a spark problem, or did you just do everything and it worked? Or only the electrical? Or did you find a specific part that fixed it?

The odds are good. Looks like the "right" wire. Surprised a fuse didn't blow though. http://atlanticz.ca/zclub/techtips/electrical.htm

Are you sure you have the forward-mounted diff? I get the impression that there was a retrofit available from the dealers if people reported vibration problems. Many were fixed. You can tell by looking at the angle of halfshaft with the wheel. If it angles forward, you have the original early position with the short propeller shaft. If it's perpendicular, it's the later version. Might save you some parts buying, or change what you're buying. Otherwise, it looks like a good plan. Make sure to match the diff and transmission ratios. Don't forget the speedo gear to match the diff ratio.

Actually, it looks like Loctite might have some good adhesives. Not epoxy, but cyano-acrylates, aka "super-glues". 401 looks like it might work. http://microfluidics.cnsi.ucsb.edu/processing/237471_LT2197_Plastic_Guide_v6_LR7911911.pdf http://www.na.henkel-adhesives.com/us/content_data/382071_LT3355_ASB_v19_2015.pdf Buy a cheaper manifold from a wrecking yard to practice on. Might not be exactly the same material but should have similar machining properties. Many later model cars have composite manifolds.

It's probably made of nylon or polypropylene, with glass fiber reinforcement. Difficult materials to adhere to. A mechanical fastening method might be better. You'll dull some tools on the glass, drilling holes.

A billion. Unshrouding the valves will enlarge the combustion chamber. Ponder that in your delirium. Beware "state dependent memory". A theory that you recall things best in the same state you were in when you learned them. Yes, but you'll probably get over your anger at him/her and things will get back to normal.

Use a meter and measure resistance through each signal light circuit, at the switch. If the switch is fine, the problem is somewhere else. Probably where the short is that caused your column to smoke.

Are the bushings the factory nylon or the brass ones?

Maybe a weld broke. Headers are just bent tubes welded in to a steel flange. Could be you're looking at the wrong spot. Have you torqued the header flange down on to something flat to confirm that the "bow" straightens out to a perfectly flat surface? Maybe it just unbows to a new bow shape. And don't forget that heads get bowed too.

Squirt some oil in each cylinder. That will increase compression.

Those washers are what clamp against the sleeve. And one has a bigger hole than the other. The small hole goes on the bottom. The urethane is held in between, sandwiched, but not compressed. You can get similar washers at the hardware store though. If he has stock rubber now though, he might find that the back of the diff is hanging low anyway, if they're old. Time sag.

The stock rubber mustache bar bushings let the diff move quite a bit. Grab a bar end and move it up and down, you'll see.

Where are you spraying the starting fluid? I think that you need to lift the pistons with SU's to get anything past them. Can't emphasize enough that the details matter. "tested the coil and it was 12v" doesn't mean much of anything.

I was thinking of the mustache bar bushings. It sits on the urethane if you have those, so you could shave the top bushing and put a big washer under the bottom to raise the back of the diff. If you have stock rubber, you'd have to grind the metal center sleeve and add washers underneath to raise it a bit since the rubber is bonded to the sleeve. Then shim up the front to match, or not since the V8's tend to need the nose down, at least when RT designed his front mount. Just thinking about moving the diff since it's attached to your problem. You obviously won't have to move it much. A set of urethane control arm bushings might also move the A-arm slightly if you still have stock rubber, or stop some of the squat.

Get a meter and and measure coil voltage with the key on. Positive terminal to ground and negative terminal to ground. Compare to battery voltage. Check the condenser, it might be shorting. Points are pretty easy to play with because you can see them, and move them by hand. You can crank the engine and watch them open and close or remove the distributor and rotate it by hand. Focus on the basics of a points ignition system.

But did it start, then not run, or not start and not run? Communication is paramount.

I just wanted to see if he had points. This is just basic engine stuff. The tach problem looks like just a bad tach, probably not related to not starting (weird that a double negative works there...). Try starting fluid. Then go to the Engine Tuneup chapter of the FSM. http://www.nicoclub.com/FSM/240z/

Have you checked the diff angle? It might need adjustment anyway. Raise it and align it. A little bushing shaving and some washers would probably solve the problem and improve the angle. Even if the angle is right, a shave and some washers would probably get you where you want to be.

Remove the distributor cap, take a picture of what's under it, and post it here.

Many would say that you have a whole set of weak links, from your 240Z hub axles, through the 930 CV's, to the R180 (small ring gear) diff (used - who knows what the PO did to it). What you're really asking is a general question about a how Type B (I just found this, see below, not an expert) Torsen type differential fails. "How do Torsens fail?". If the Sti R180 is that style (assume that you saw those parts when you had it open). https://www.jtekt.co.jp/e/products/lsd.html

You haven't mentioned desired ride height or shock travel. You can use almost any brand of shock you want, apparently, and pick your ride quality level. It's on their web site. http://www.ground-control-store.com/products/description.php/II=63

Yes, that diagram is not for your tach. Just run one wire to coil negative, forget about the tach sensor wire. Your tach is on the positive side, don't worry about it. If you're lucky it will work fine.

Not a Subie expert either, but aren't those boosted numbers from AWD cars? Divide by two?