my steering has the strangest problem. The steering response is sharp and precise but there is a bit off movement vertically (i.e. looseness in the steering wheel). Is there a bearing or something like that in the steering column that could be worn or loose.

The looseness isnt affecting the cars handling, its just annoying. If anyone has info about this, or has a fixed a similar problem, I would be much obliged.

Kolts

Perth - Western Australia

 

Well, yes. There's a "steering column clamp" (in Datsun parlance) which holds the steering column up. That's got a bushing in it. It's possible that the screws fixing that clamp to the rest of the car are loose. Easy enough to get to under the dash, especially if you remove the column cover. Warning on doing that: there are about a half-dozen *different* sizes of screws that hold on the column cover. Be sure to make yourself a little map or sketch of where they're supposed to go and tape the screws to it. This seems like overkill in disassembly, but you really don't want to try and refit those screws by trial and error. While you're at it, inspect the rest of the column down to the rack, just to make sure everything's in there and looking good, and the rack mounts themselves. Bonus of the early Z: easy access to all this stuff for inspection. Not like those rotten front-wheel-drive rat's nest engine compartments. Good luck!
Dave

 

I wish I had heard about the different sized screws earlier. I messed em up when I removed the column cover a few weeks back, and ended up replacing the lot with new self tappers. Thanks too, for the help with the steering column. I will check up on it this weekend, and hopefully be able to fix it



Kolts

Perth - Western Australia

 

Good luck! Hopefully it's just a matter of tightening the clamp/bearing hardware. I think everybody's required to mix up those cover screws as some sort of "Welcome to Z's" ritual. If you happen to need to remove the mount clamp, be very gentle with the now-unsupported column. The features that allow the column to collapse, preventing driver-kebab in an unplanned date with Newton, also make it easy to break it when it's not fully mounted. Wick Humble has a little passage in his _How To Restore Your Datsun Z Car_ book about it. I can only imagine who got to discover that the hard way. It would be an expensive "oops".
Dave