Lightly tap...

"...the drum outwards", so the manual says. We're talking about the (rear) brake drum here.
I thought it'd be a quick job fixing the rear brake. But that proved to be a bit too much wishful thinking. Removing the rear wheel was EZ with my new wheel nut wrench, but then came the hard part. Getting rid of the cotter pin that secures the clevis bolt (which connects the handbrake cable to the brake cylinder actuating lever) was also pretty straight forward. And then I was supposed to tap the pin out with a few taps.
Not. I ended up hammering for almost half an hour before it finally started to move out. Phew. Once the handbrake cable was released, it was possible to rotate the wheel freely. I then tried to "lightly tap the brake drum outward" as the manual suggested. Of course that didn't work. The taps turned into blows, but it just didn't wanna move. Not after ten minutes, not after an hour. The drum was simply corroded tight to the steel bolts and rear shaft axle assy.
I figured that a 2 or 3 jaw puller could do the trick but then I'd need a 10"er. Simply impossible to find an affordable one over here :/ So I decided to design and eventually devise my own special tool which I can do at the workshop at work.
But fixing the rear brake(s) doesn't have the highest prio right now. The most important thing is that the RH rear wheel runs freely now. In the meantime I've also decided to install a disk brake conversion kit rather than restoring the old drum brakes. There's quite a few options, from cheap (which require you to do some milling and work on a lathe) to very expensive. Now, I did learn to do some pretty complex milling and lathing at school, and I'd probably be allowed to use the machines at work, but the instructions I found were a bit vague. Which also counts for the various types of brackets and calipers and stuff. Everything was based on US Nissan model types rather than European ones. So i could either purchase a bolt-on kit from Modern Motorsports for around $435, which includes a pair of brackets, Brembo disks, brake pads, SS brake lines and handbrake adapter kit. I'd only need to source a pair of 1989-1994 Nissan 240SX rear calipers from a junk yard. Unfortunately, the 240SX is a US model. According to some sources, in Europe it was marketed as 200SX. I did find a pair of used calipers from a '91 200SX for 50euros each, but I asked the people at Modern Motorsports first to see if these were the same as the 240SX's.
Hmm, maybe I'll just use a set of VW disk brakes and make my own bracket to install it :) Gonna check with Sierk first if he's every done a disk brake conversion on a VW Golf.
What else...i'm kinda stuck. Wanna do engine work first, but I need some more tools to do so. No money left, and December's gonna be another expensive month :/ Ah well, but at least I've got my new set of socket wrenches :)

#114

that's the colour code of my Z's original colour. Check out the pic on the left. So this explains the brown hidden underneath the interior trim. Well, at least the brown on all those parts that aren't rusted yet.
Not a particularly pretty colour so I guess I'll stick to green. #240 to be more specific, which happens to match the model no. :)

Last week I did a lot of planning and finally decided to order the Pertronix 1761 Ignitor from Car shop inc. via ebay. I also wanted to order a matching coil, but the buggers never responded :/ Ah well, their loss. I ordered a few basic tools and parts from a cheap Dutch internet shop so that I can start cleaning parts, and changing/draining oil and coolant. Can't buy too much this month so planning is all I can do for now :/ But maybe that's a good thing cuz now I'm forced to stick to the real necessities.
I've got a little problem though. I can't seem to find my car keys! Either my littly girl has been playing with them or I simply misplaced them, which is not unusual for me to do. A new set of locks for the Z costs $775 so I really need to find the bunch. I did find the key no. on the original warranty and service booklet so I'm gonna try to see if I can order a spare if it turns out that I really have lost it.
Thru the service booklet I also found out when and where my Z first hit the streets. On 4 June 1973 (that's one day after my own birthday :) in Branford - Connecticut, close to the sea. I google mapped the address and it looked pretty much uptown. Three years later the dude sold it for $6000, also in Ct. So the Z basically spent most of it's life in the Ct area, which explains the rotten floors.

Shiny tools

I had great plans for today, but things didn't go as planned. When I tried to connect the freshly charged battery I got from brother Mike, I found out that the clamp on the plus-cable was missing :/ What a bummer. So I then tried to remove the rear RH wheel in order to fix the sticking brake. With no special wheel nut wrench, I tried loosening the nuts with a socket spanner, only to find out that the lever wasn't up to the task. The darn thing bent at the slightest effort :/ So far for shiny but cheap tools.
Ah well, lots more other work to do. I took my time to figure out the emission control system (ECS) cuz that's where a number of cables and hoses are cut and some parts missing. So I found out that the air pump (pumps air into the exhaust manifold in order to dilute the exhaust gases before they're emitted) was just sitting there doing nothing. The pulley hub (which connects it via a drive belt to the engine crank) was removed by one of the previous owners and both hoses were cut thru. Well, since it was doing nothing, I just removed it. I won't be needing it (the ECS) with other set of carbs anyway.
Other parts I found out that are missing are the check valve (which prevents exhaust gas from entering the air pump) and the anti-backfire valve (prevents backfiring in the exhaust system at the moment of decelereation). The check valve opening was closed off with some sort of rubber cement, whereas the anti-backfire valve opening was just left open. So I figure they just loved the sound of backfiring. Fortunately the ECS isn't essential for the operation of the engine so I shan't be bothered restoring it.
One thing I'd planned to do actually did work out well. Removing the spark plugs, inspecting them and cranking the engine by hand to see if it moved freely. And it did. The plugs looked as they should, showing a brown/tan colour. There was some slight oil coating on all of 'em but I dunno for sure if that's because of oil leaking past worn valve guides or piston rings. The oil deposits only showed on the threads.
First thing I'm gonna do this week is order a proper set of socket spanners, ratchets and wrenches. Most bolts and nuts on the engine and body are very rusted so I'll need stuff that won't bend just looking at it. I'll most probably also order the 2 ton engine lift/crane and the engine repair stand.
By the way, it was pretty darn cold in the shed! Damn, we need that heater quickly :)