What is my Engine Bay Missing?

[Threehz]

Ok so I'm about to take out my engine and remove just about everything else in the engine bay but first I'd like to know what you guys can see that is missing or has been changed from stock.

This is my 1977 280Z, 5-Speed if that matters. When I refer to the picture driver is driver side, passenger is passenger side, back means firewall side and front means front of the car, just to make that clear. I took four pictures one of each "quadrant" of the engine bay to try and include everything.

I've already circled things that jumped out at me as not original or messed with:

The RED circle is highlighting where the heater core was connected, I'm assuming the heater core had problems and instead of fixing it they just chopped it out of the circuit.

The GREEN circle highlights where there used to be two (guessing plastic) caps. The lower one in the picture is a plastic cap (cracked) and wrapped in electrical tape. The second one is simply an electrical tape cone and they are covering two different places where wires come and connect, some type of fuse? I'm not sure what these are so if anyone knows that'd be helpful and also what part originally goes there.

The BLUE circle is highlighting that white cap which is screwed onto what looks to me like a diaphragm (which is connected to "throttle linkage/rod"? Forgive me, I don't know the technical name for that.) I'm guessing there WAS a vacuum tube connected

to that diaphragm where the white cap and it was used for cruise control? My other thought is that it's there to sense the position of the throttle and send a message to something else? I'm not sure I don't see cruise control anywhere in my car but I'm sure someone on here knows.

Anyhow I'd really appreciate some input and any more info anyone can give on what's missing or added in there or anything that looks wrong or strange? Thanks and here's the pictures.

Passenger Back

Passenger Front

Driver Front

Driver Back

[SteveJ]

Green circle - Fusible links. Covers are available through MSA and others. Fusible links available through Courtesy Nissan.

[Threehz]

Good to know, that's what I thought they were but I wasn't sure. What exactly are the fusible links fuses for?

[Gary in NJ]

Fuses protect the wires from high temperature (fire) due to over current. In the case of the S30's there is a fusable link for the main battery bus & starter circuit.

[SteveJ]

To expound upon Gary's post, fusible links are wires that are two gauges smaller than the wire in the rest of the circuit. They have thicker insulation than the other wire, too. These links will burn up a current well below the ampacity of the wire in the rest of the circuit, and if it functions properly, the insulation will not break.

[Zed Head]

The red circle is a bypassed heater core. The common leak point is the control valve, just on the other side of the firewall where those hoses used to go.

The blue circle is the throttle dash pot, to keep the throttle blade from slamming shut when you let off the gas. It doesn't take a vacuum line, it just looks like it does. The hole is just an outlet for air to pass in and out of as the diaphragm inside moves.

Must be a car you just picked up and it doesn't run? Why are you removing the engine?

[Threehz]

Just picked it up after eight years of sitting, I'm removing the engine and everything in the engine bay to clean it up and repaint the engine bay.

So I would access the heater core through somewhere on the passenger inside of the car?

So the throttle dash pot looks fine and that white cap is normal?

[SteveJ]

IIRC the best way to get to the heater core is to remove the dash. While it is a pain, it's still easier than on modern cars.

[240260280z]

http://atlanticz.ca/zclub/techtips/fusiblelinks/index.html

[Zed Head]

Blue, I'm curious - all signs point to your page with and Wayne Monteath as responsible for propagating the notion that what should be 30 amp links are actually 50 amp. From your page - (Thanks to Wayne Monteath for uncovering this rare table!).

Who is Wayne Monteath and how did he determine that the Factory Service Manuals are incorrect? Where did the "rare table" come from?

Honest curiosity. I have only seen the Brown = Red = 50 amp link on the atlanticz site. No where else.

Thanks for any insight you can offer.

[Threehz]

I do dig that fuse kit though, looks much cleaner.

&Thanks Steve I think I'll do that and get it over with as my dash is cracked and I was planning on removing it and refinishing it/patching the cracks.

Guess it looks pretty normal other then that stuff?

Thanks for all the insight and help guys!

[sblake01]

IIRC the best way to get to the heater core is to remove the dash. While it is a pain, it's still easier than on modern cars.

I changed the heater core on my 78 w/o removing the dash. Not easy but it can be done.