Z still wont start

[slo929]

Ok... I have been trying to get my 72 240 started and i am definatly taking the long road. Work wont let me spend enough time with her but here is where i am at. i have replaced all fuel lines, fuel filter ect. i dropped in a battery after flushing all fluids and new plugs. car was turning over but no start. I was getting fuel, but no spark. in order to try and avoid wasting time i ordered NGK 8m wires, point, and new crane ps40 coil from motorsport. I installed the wires first... no spark. Point next, still nothing. Coil next and we have spark but no start. I installed the resistor that came with the coil just like the original one was wired and it started smoking after a few start attempts:eek:. I removed the new resistor and put the original back on and no smokey. My distributor looked extremly advanced so I tried retarding it a little. still nothing.

I am very inexperienced in electrical matters... and this is my first datsun so any ideas or advice is appreciated. I did alot of searcing on the board but came up with nothing i could use. If there are any how to's on timing, setting the points or anything else i should do but cant find, please let me know. I really want to hear the car run:love:

thanks in advance

[slo929]

so... long day framing walls at work and still no replies?? Do i not have enough info in my original post or should i go over to my garage with the car in it to take some pictures? I was pretty confident that the car would start with new plug wires. Could it be something completly stupid?

I am at a loss and could really use some sage advice..

Thanks again

[beandip]

OK, lets start at the beginning. Has this Z been setting for a long time, like years? If so have you drained the gas tank? New clean gas in the tank? Are you getting gas flow to the carbs when you spin the engine on the starter? Are you sure the new plug wires are in the proper sequence corresponding to the firing order? 1 5 3 6 2 4 . To make sure of the engine timing . Remove at least #1 spark plug. put your finger over the plug hole and have some one turn over the engine with the key , do this in little increments. You will feel air pressure when the piston rises on the compression stroke. When the piston is at the top of its stroke on compression. Check the front engine pulley and see if the timing mark is at the marks on the pulley. Also look at the rotor in the dist. It will be pointing to the contact in the cap. This is where #1 plug wire is to be connected to the cap. The rotor turns counter clockwise, and the next plug wire is to #5 and so on.

[beandip]

this is all basic I know . But some times we pass on some things when we are involved . If you are getting good spark and fuel to the carbs and it is good gas , the timing is correct . The engine should start . Must be one of the three that is not right if the engine will not fire. All the best. Gary

[WarrenZ]

I know how you feel as I had similar problems a few months back, started but would not rev. There are only 2 things here, spark and fuel.

You say you have spark so I assume this is at the spark plug, if you are not sure take out one of the plugs and with the lead connected hold it on the tappet cover while someone cranks it over.

If that is OK do you have fuel, some serious cranking on wide open throttle and no start should show as wet plugs. Can you see fuel in the fuel filter? Is there fuel in the float bowls on the side of the carby's? (you going to have to take the top off). If all looks OK then buy a can of Aerostart and lift the SU pistons with your finger and spray some in the throat of the carby's. Then quickly crank it over, it should fire on the Areostart and then drag the fuel through. If it fires on the Aerostart and will not continue to run then you are not getting fuel to or through the carby's.

When I had the SU's fitted and the car and had not been started for a few weeks then Aerostart was the only way I could get it to start.

Hope one of those does the trick

Warren

[Carl Jr]

I had some of the same issues with mine a while back. I had replaced cap rotor points wires and plugs. No start. I know I had them in the right order cause I did them all one at a time. Tried several times to get started nothing. Took plugs out and they were black and wet. Cleaned them up with wire wheel put them back in still would not start. Put old plugs back in car. Started right up. Weird I know but they have been in the car since. Another thing that I found was that I was not getting enough fuel so I replaced the pump and that helped with starting too. I took the lids off my SU's and found I was not getting enough fuel to the rear carb and that was causing it not to start too. Start with the plugs I used NGK's since that is what I have grown up with and the Z's like them then. If it still does not start get on the carbs they too may need adjustment. If you do not know how to adjust them ask before you try. There are a lot of people on this list I know can help you with this. I will not try since I still need mine done a little more.

Hope this helps a little

[slo929]

thanks to all! I still have not been able to get her to fire, but am not giving up. Had some issues with work and such but am going to have some time for my little lady this weekend. I fear that it has something to do with the adjustment of the carbs as i have pretty much followed the info i found on this site to a tee. My father s going to come help me mess with the distributor on sunday but if we cant get adjusting that to work, do you all have any advice on tuning the carbs? Maybe an old thread that has good info that you could point me to.

Again, thanks so much in advance

[Weasel73240Z]

The video from ZTherapy is excellent. I had never worked with SU's before, but after watching the video, I had mine tuned perfectly in less than an hour. It's well worth the $20. You'll need to get a synchronizer to balance the carbs also.

As Gary pointed out, you only need 3 things to get the car (basically any gas-powered car) to run. Fuel, spark and timing. You know your getting fuel and spark, correct? Based on the little bit of info we have, and assuming you have good compression, I would be looking at timing if it were me. Getting the #1 cylinder to Top Dead Center with the finger method Gary talked about gets you close. But you need to get yourself a good timing light, because if your off by just a few degrees it may not start.

Without proper timing, all the fuel and spark in the world won't make the car run.

Edited September 19, 2008 by Weasel73240Z

[blk-jack]

ck under the driver seat for safety belt plug !!! yea i know it sounds odd, but do some reserch on this , and you will see that it maybe the problem .

[slo929]

well, i tried all of the above and i have a new question... got the car to "almost" fire up finally starting fluid almost got it to work so i assume fuel is getting to the carbs but not through them. my big question is, when i was checking for the gas getting to the carbs, it took a few revolutions of the starter to get fuel to squirt out. After trying to start the car for a bit, fuel would start to drip out of what looks like little weep holes in the fuel pump and soak the alternator:eek: is this some crazy overflow valve in the fuel pump or should i replace it? gas on an alternator just doesnt seem like a good idea to me, but then again who knows.

thanks in advance

[sblake01]

After trying to start the car for a bit, fuel would start to drip out of what looks like little weep holes in the fuel pump and soak the alternator:eek: is this some crazy overflow valve in the fuel pump or should i replace it?

The fuel pump diaphragm and/or gasket are likely shot. I'd either rebuild it or replace it. Might be part of the reason it won't start.

[Mike]

I agree, it sounds like the fuel pump is shot. You can always test this by running a small hose from the fuel pump into a bucket. Try to start the car and note if gas is coming out of the pump at all...

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