I drove the car around tonight, and it got even worst.

1. I am not able to push it in gear easily, i haft to pump the clutch sometimes for it to go in gear.

2. While i am in first gear, i start to push the gas, the car dosen't seem to gain speed, its down at 3k rpm.

3. Brake very bad. I haft to floor the brake pedal to slow the car down, brakes are not strong enough to skid the tires.

can someone please tell me what i would need to replace to fix these problems?. And would i be better off getting a turbo 280Z engine, then fixing the 260Z and putting a turbo in it?

1974 junkyard 260Z
100% Junk Will be restored to a new car by next year.

 

cool thanks for the help. I will look into doing these tune ups. Is there any chance there can be a problem with the carb? And for #2. when i push the gas, if the clutch slipped, wouldn't the rpm jump and the MPH just stay the same. for this the rpm dose not gain either. I am not sure, it is for you guys to answer. I am clueless.

1974 junkyard 260Z
100% Junk Will be restored to a new car by next year.

 

For a car to run you need to have compression, spark, and fuel. One (or more) of these conditions is not happening properly if your car runs poorly. You need to check for all three.

 

Yeah heres what happens. I start off in 1st gear. I am going about 10mph. When i start to give it more gas, the RPM do not move much, only about 500rpm, and the MPH goes normally. This is very differen't from other cars i've driven. And if i were to floor it, it would acelerate alot slower then just pushing the gas lightly.

There is also the problem with the clutch. When i got to the stop sign, i was not able to push it back into gear, i had to pump the clutch a few times untill it would move enough so i can pop the car into first.

1974 junkyard 260Z
100% Junk Will be restored to a new car by next year. <P ID="edit"><FONT class="small"><EM>Edited by lil_racer_tony on 08/02/02 02:27 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

Clutch problem: Lift the hood. On the driver's side, lift the small access panel. There are several white plastic reseviors here. The two that are in line are for your brakes, the large one is for your windshield washer fluid, and the last one is for your clutch. Pull the cap off (it should be hard to get off). You'll probably see an empty reservior. Top it off with brake fluid and replace the cap. If you are lucky enough to not have air in your linew your clutch pedal will work better. If it does not work better, or if the reservior is full, you probably have air in your lines and they need ot be bled.

Engine: Open the hood with the engine running. Find where the gas pedal linkage exists the firewall. By moving this linkage you can control the accelerator form under the hood. See if the engine will reve freely. Try to increae the engine RPMs. If it runs smooth you're in good shape. If if caughs and sputters, you need to tune it up. After tuning it up, if it still coughs and sputters you might have problems - it might be your carb or your engine.

 

Dose it matter on what type of brake fluid i use on the clutch? i have DOT-3 thanks for the tips, i will get to the check up tonight, and if i still have problems i will get back to you guys.

1974 junkyard 260Z
100% Junk Will be restored to a new car by next year.

 

Yes, it does matter which fluid. You need to match what you've got in there, unless you want to drain, flush, and fill with all new. Good news is that unless you got some restored vehicle or a race setup from someone else, you can bet they used DOT-3 (that was stock). Though I've heard of mixing DOT5 and DOT3, it's not a good idea. Careful with the DOT3: it's a slow but extremely effective paint stripper. And who wants to repaint an engine bay if they don't have to!

 

I can attest to that statement

Jamie Shelly
kd5izq@msn.com
ICQ - 159705433
IZCC Number is #12402

 

Sounds like you are in dire need of a tuneup. Or you just have a very very clogged fuel filter. Does it rev freely when not in gear? It could be as simple as a vacuum leak preventing any advance on the spark, or as complex as ... well z's are female so i rest my case.

I might make a suggestion or three for future reference though...
if you pick up an old car you wish to restore and you know it's old and has been untouched for a while, it's a really good idea to do at least the following before you try starting it up, let alone driving it around....
- Check and probably replace brake and clutch hydraulic fluids.
- Change the engine oil and filter. If absolute sludge comes out, plan a second oil change following a flush treatment. If nothing comes out, thanks your lucky stars you changed the oil.
- Check fuel lines and around injectors for wear and tear or possible leaks - probably worth replacing the fuel filter as well.
- Check condition of plugs - put new ones in if they are fouled because all your tuning will be meaningless with crappy plugs.
(at this point - if the motor hasn't been started in 6 months, some diesel oil squirted in the plug holes is great for that first few seconds of "please don't seize!")
- Have a general check of water and vacuum hoses - you can't see as much until the engine is running with these as they need some pressure for the problems to become apparent.
- Fan belts are in good condition and tensioned right?
- Got water in the radiator? Is it rusty? fix that.

Once you have it running and before you take it for a drive, fix the damn brakes! It's nice to know if you have oil in the gearbox as well but Z's will cope with that for a few miles.

You could cost yourself an engine without these precautionary steps on an old vehicle - who knows how decrepit the fuel and oil system is.

Just my 02c and it's not so much Z specific as almost any vehicle that you are uncertain of mechanically. I'm a bit of a stickler for fixing broken parts tho, so maybe i'm being a little **** over it. Just sounds like you've jumped in, turned the key and gone for a drive without really looking under the bonnet yet.

iksteh

What Rust?

 

haha very good point. I was just over excited. I will haft to go through all thoes steps you have given me. Along with looking for a new engine.

While the engine idles, it starts to choke sometimes. And when i rev it, i am not able to floor it. I haft to push the gas lightly then more and more every few seconds. It dose not rev so fast. It takes a few seconds. WHILE IN IDLE of corse

1974 junkyard 260Z
100% Junk Will be restored to a new car by next year.

 

Just a thought, My friends car, although not a Z, has the same symptoms of you can't floor it, as it will flood the engine. The problem with his car is the carbs, so you could look at this

Alan, Australia