77 won't start

[neveragain55]

Hi everybody,

I bought a 77 280Z 4 speed with all original equipment two years ago. The only things new are the fuel injectors and new clutch that were installed just before I bought it. The car ran fine the first summer I owned it, then it sat over the winter of 2005 without being started and it didn't have very much gas in the tank. I've tried to start the car numerous times with a new battery since the weather has warmed up, but with no success. She turns really strong, and I put fresh gas in the tank (no dry gas yet) but it still won't start. I even checked the distributor, all is clean and dry, no moisture. I thought maybe the gas lines were frozen because there wasn't much gas in the tank, but I would think in this warmer weather the car would start.

Does anybody have any ideas ?????

[LanceM]

Try using some starter fluid, if it fires you have a fuel problem, no fire an ignition problem. Once you know if it is fuel or spark you can narrow your search for the cause.

[mlc240z]

well, i just got off my arse on the Z to finish my front suspension so i could start the rear suspension and brakes. she ran fine in the fall.

over the winter , i added some fuel filters to my usual large MSA parts order.

go to change the filter, decide to pull the rubber line from filter down to the hard lines and what did i find?

the entire hard line filled with tiny grains of rust!!!!!!

so now i must detour and disconnect and blow out all of the hard lines to the tank.

you just might have the same problem.

[JZM]

Check fuel pressure and flow. pressure spec is 36.3,but will run fine if lower.

Check for spark.

Check battery connections,also check the ecu power and ground wires at the battery.

Thats a good start.let us know which one has failed and we'll help get it going!

JZM..

[montoya_fan01]

so now i must detour and disconnect and blow out all of the hard lines to the tank.

you just might have the same problem.

Bart:

cleaning out the rust you found may get you on the road, but you might want to also have your tank dropped, sandblasted, and sealed. Otherwise it will continue to rust and eventually you'll be looking for a replacement tank.

As another member has listed in his signiture line:

It's more than an album title

[mlc240z]

i hear you Garth,

unfortunately for me, i believed the PO when he said he had the tank boiled out.

i'm really hoping he did and all i had was some rust already inside the hard lines, but i'm skeptical. after blowing the lines out with compressed air, i'll just have to keep an eye on it with fingers crossed.

[neveragain55]

Thanks guys, I'll try all of those recommendations on the next sunny day I get without rain. Question though....... with the fuel injected system that this car has, what line do I disconnect to squirt the starter fluid into? On Carbureted cars I used to squirt the fluid down into the butterfly’s...........

[Sailor Bob]

Hi - Does the car make any attempt to start or just a dead turnover?

[neveragain55]

Hi,

It turns really strong like it wants to start, but it doesn't sputter. It just spins...........

[sblake01]

You can pull the hose connection from the rubber duct ahead of the throttle body and spray starting fluid in that hole. But put the hose back before you start it because that's would be a huge vaccum leak.

[280z1975]

i hear you Garth,

unfortunately for me, i believed the PO when he said he had the tank boiled out.

i'm really hoping he did and all i had was some rust already inside the hard lines, but i'm skeptical. after blowing the lines out with compressed air, i'll just have to keep an eye on it with fingers crossed.

I didn't think my tank would be that bad, but when I went to clean mine out and re-seal it I had literatly a handful of rust in that bad boy! This is on a garage kept Texas car! Now I know why my car was running rough at idle, it wasn't getting enough pressure because of rust in the fuel lines.