desperation. not for the faint of heart.

[joerocket]

so i just got this 280z, manufactured on 2/78 and it wont run. all i have are motorcycles and its getting colder. it will start OCCASIONALY if i keep cranking it, but it stalls almost immediately. the few times it ran for a second it dies as soon as you touch the throttle. ill try to describe all that ive done in detail as far as troubleshooting. starting with fuel delivery, i heard they were notorious for rust so i pulled the tank and flushed it out. i got out a bunch of debris. i also blew compressed air through the feed and return lines on the fuel tank to ensure it wasnt clogged. next i pulled the pump and damper assembly. pulled the pump assembly apart to check for debris and or wear, and found it looking new. i also bench tested it and it pumped like a champ. at the same time i checked the damper for clogs. then i pulled the line from the bottom of the filter and blew any debris that might have been in the fuel line under the car. the filter is new. the fuel rail was cleaned as well as the injectors. filled the tank with 7 to 10 gallons of fuel. im not sure that my fuel pressure is where its supposed to be but it seems like it would run poorly instead of not even idling if that were the problem. i know it also runs fine while the car is running albeit rare. i dont think im getting much fuel coming past the regulator though. should i have? would that keep the car from running? maybe low fuel pump pressure? but there is definitely still fuel under pressure in the lines after stalling. when it has run i noticed the loud click of the injectors and wondered if i should hear that when im just cranking it. doesnt seem like i hear it when it wont start. i next thought it might be the AFM, so i replaced it. no change. i also repaired all if any vacuum leaks from the AFM boot the the breather hoses above and below the intake manifold. checking the cap and dipstick as well. i also tested the TPS which checked out ok. the other sensors wouldnt prevent it from running at all once revved up. i checked air and water temp sensors and various connections and relays. ignition system started with battery connections, new cap and rotor. wires and plugs as well as timing check. it has thrown great spark every time ive pulled a plug. the negative terminal from the igniter connection is fine which supposedly aids in fuel injection fire. i checked all the fuses, the only other major component of the FI is the ECU. i havent done anything with it besides visual inspection of unit and connections. it looked fine. the ignition relay clicks whenever i try to crank it too. air filter is clean. it fires right up with a spray of carb cleaner to the manifold. injectors not firing? maybe the ECU? i am running out of ideas, not energy fellas. what did i miss?

[DatsunZsRule]

Sounds like the pump checked out OK Sounds like you have gone through all the basics.

Here is a copy of my reply to another member that had a no start issue. Don't know if you've checked this yet or not?

"what I would do next is check at the E.C.U. and make sure that it's receiving what is called a Tach Signal. This signal that the E.C.U. receives is a square wave and you'll need a digital tachometer to perform this test. Connect your digital tach to the tach lead input of the E.C.U. and crank the engine. If the tach reads anything other than 0, then that means the E.C.U. is receiving the tach signal. If you get 0 then connect your digital tach to the negative terminal of the coil. If you get a reading there then that means that wire from the coil to the E.C.U. needs to be repaired which like I said earlier wouldn't surprise me seeing that mess the P/O made Now if you still get 0 at the negative terminal of the coil, then the primary ignition system needs repair.

Best of luck"

[joerocket]

is it possible to do a similiar check with a test light at the injector connection? i might have heard it can be done at the first and fourth injector, but that would only tell me if it was sending a signal not whether it was recieving a good signal. i unfortunately dont have a tachometer to measure the tach signal.

[DatsunZsRule]

A tachometer is the only way to perform the test. Like I said above the tach signal that the E.C.U. receives is a square wave.

Check Line has some nice ones.

Here is the link: http://www.checkline.com/tachometers/?referrer=overture&OVRAW=digital%20tachometer&OVKEY=digital%20tachometer&OVMTC=standard&OVADID=734527521&OVKWID=3729191021

Again, best of luck.

[joerocket]

well im leaning in the direction of ignition timing at this point. the vacuum advance is junk and the mechanical advance is tight. if i could get some advice on tuning the distributor. including but not limited to cam to contactor, the air gap, timing starting point and adjustment. basically i need a good description of distributor setup, and any maintenance tips in general would be most appreciated.