Forgive me... but... isn't that a connection you could just carefully solder back together?

Just solder the wire back on.

Sorry Pennyman, on my '76 that is where the thermotime switch is, just trying to help. I must be looking at the photo wrong or something.

Spdloader

The wire was brittle and that's why it broke. I don't think it'll last long if I solder it. It's the temp switch, not the gauge sending unit or thermotime. Only CA models have it.

In the future man, use smaller pictures to help eliminate getting the wrong info. Would have helped to have seen the whole T stat housing instead of zooming in soo close to that one switch. Makes it hard to tell which one is which. For me anyways

Alright, I ordered a new one from Nissan. The guys there are crooks seriously. After tax it came out to be $97.54. Holy crap. I'm poor now. I just don't even understand why my Z needs it and a bunch of others don't. Aperantly it's the sensor that tells the EGR solenoid valve to open a passage to complete a vacuum through the EGR valve itself when the car is at normal operating temp. So until the part comes in, I'll be polluting a little more.

Poor design on Nissan's part to put fragile little wires sticking out of a sensor that is exposed to constant heat, without using a larger gauge wire to help maintian conductivity over time.

Anyone else have something to say? Wanna commiserate? How did later Z's get by without this sensor? I'm confused.

..........

Anyone else have something to say? Wanna commiserate? How did later Z's get by without this sensor? I'm confused.

By having a thermal vacuum valve (77-78) and thermal switch (79 and up)

Poor design on Nissan's part to put fragile little wires sticking out of a sensor that is exposed to constant heat, without using a larger gauge wire to help maintian conductivity over time.

hehe... I have to chuckle at this comment. Datsun/Nissan did an extremely poor job with their electrical work, IMHO. The whole car is like this. You should see the roadster.

Broken connectors, broken wires, rusty connections, boots falling apart, incorrect guage, etc... It's all a part of owning a Z. :rambo:

I do have to admit it's not as bad as an MG or a Triumph. hehe...

I do have to admit it's not as bad as an MG or a Triumph. hehe...

I can only imagine. I think another bad design was putting the main interior wire harness running right beneath the area where the heater hoses and/or the heater core would leak (passenger side floor next to tranny tunnel and firewall). I'ts a wiring nightmare down there, hehe.

.. i sent ya all that info over AIM... !! Oh well.. good to get a second opinion i guess?

Well, put in the new switch and it runs ALMOST $100 better, hehe. Very smooth, and I can tell the emmisions system is working now because the car idles higher when cold with the new part installed. Yay. Not hard to put in either. Just gotta make sure you don't tighten it too far or you'll really mess stuff up. TAKES A 21mm BOX END WRENCH.

Actually it takes a special socket. I bought a set of three sockets at a tool show years ago. They are designed to remove oil pressure senders, a/c pressure switches, and items like your switch without damaging them.