ok so heres the problem. my car was starting 3 days ago. and it was working fine and dandy. i would start it up like 3 times a day. but then all of a sudden 2 days ago it died on me. symtoms are strong running but stop suddenly.

what i did so far was.... changed the battery ... .

i suspect it might be the fuel pump, distributor cap, fuel filter, spark plugs, rotor, etc... i might have to replace all of them...

ok the wierd thing is that my choke doesn't work at all. there are no lines under neath. ..

how it starts up now? the engine wants to run, it cranks and all, but i think something is stopping it.!!

help please..thanks a lot everyone!! haha im starting to panic.

well i tried searching, but i wanted to see what everyones opinion on this sorry .

I had a similar problem with my '72, it turned out that the lobes on the distributor shaft were worn causing an inconsistent dwell. Do you still have contact points?

well you didn't state weather or not you are running carbs or injection. you mentioned chokes so I figure you are using SUs. I have a 280Zx using SUs and trying to start it with out using the choke when not previously warmed is vary hard. Using the choke she fires in about three revolutions when cold. Now having said this. What ignition are you running? Have you checked weather or not you are getting spark to the plugs? If not there is a clue. Go from there ,if you are using points , look there for burned or pitted points. Look at the rotor and cap. If corrosion on the contacts in the cap , scrape them clean . Look at the gap of the points as well . If I remember correctly they should be set at 18 to 20 thousands . With points , all of this looks OK it could be the condenser. it is the little silver cylindrical thing with a single wire coming out of one end . if this fails no spark at all . I hope some of this helps. Keep us informed in what you find and or what is causing the problem. Gary

thanks. im gonna go check it out first thing tomorrow morning, i dont have work or school ... ill get back to you gary and mbc. hope it works.!! haha

i agree with Beandip. When I was putting my '73 back together, I had the same issue. When I went through what beandip suggested to you, here is what I noticed: It would turn over pretty easily; It was getting fuel to the carbs; I was getting spark, but not that intense. I thought it was strange. After about 4 days removing and replacing stuff, I removed one of the wires on the retard side of the distributor and put it where it belongs on the distributor and she fired right up...Surfsup your problem could be as simple as a loose wire somewhere on the primary or secondary ignition.

Good luck and keep us informed.

yes i couldnt have done it without the help of all of you guys!!. and my dad.!! for helping me.

ok the problem seems to be the battery that i bought. it was dead a new battery thats dead? that seems odd. but yeah got a new battery.

check the sparkplugs there is a spark! :laugh:

check the gas lines connected to the carburators, gasoline coming out! great .

its cause there was no filter for one carburator! it needs to be warm. so my dad covered it and she rannnn!! like the beast she iss!!!!

im so happy. yes mission successsful.

good thing the fuel pump didnt mess up..

now time to buy the air filters for the carbs.:nervous:

If you still have the stock air cleaner , it is a tuned component for the engine. It will provide better performance than the Cool looking single filters.

  beandip said:

If you still have the stock air cleaner , it is a tuned component for the engine. It will provide better performance than the Cool looking single filters.

do you happen to have any pictures? thanks

Since your 73 has already been converted to the older SUs ( a good thing) like mine, you'll want to find an air cleaner from an earlier car like the one in the pics below. I believe it came from 72 and was added when the PO converted from the crappy flat top Hitachis to the round top SUs. You should be able to find one in a JY. If not, I'm sure someone on here has a spare they will be willing to part with.

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  =Enigma= said:

Since your 73 has already been converted to the older SUs ( a good thing) like mine, you'll want to find an air cleaner from an earlier car like the one in the pics below. I believe it came from 72 and was added when the PO converted from the crappy flat top Hitachis to the round top SUs. You should be able to find one in a JY. If not, I'm sure someone on here has a spare they will be willing to part with.

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thanks. thats exactly what i needed to see. i didnt know the name exactly. they can run on K and N filters right?

because i got confused, they sell the spongy type filters for the oval type filters, but i know k &n has the long one that goes all the way around?

Yes K & N makes a filter cartridge for the stock air box . I have been running mine for a few years now. E-2910 is the number. I found mind on line as the parts stores most likely don't carry that one . They should be willing to order it for you though . I have used K & N air filters for years on all my vehicles . Gary:)