Recommendation for new radiator and elctrical fan for 280Z

[dcoop46]

Thanks for the tip.  I will be installing new alum. rad. & fans soon.  Hate to have failure with new components.

[rossiz]

like rcb said - aluminum is different from brass in that it will fatigue and crack from vibrations and flex. rubber isolators should do the trick, you can get some rubber grommets from a decent hardware store (they use them in electrical applications for wires through a metal box, as well as in the plumbing dept. for various seals) 

 

just take care that you don't use something thick enough to push the radiator too close to the fan - the engine moves under load so you need some clearance.

[dcoop46]

Thanks guys!  I would have screwed up a new radiator, probably in the middle of nowhere..  All of you are a wealth of info.  Been a while since I had a Z and had to put up with the original stuff.  Love all the upgrades available.  It really helps to have the knowledge and experience of the people on this forum.  I also appreciate that no one tries to talk down to you or try to make you feel like an idiot.  Thanks again from Oklahoma 31-24 over Tenn.. 

[rcb280z]

I bought mine at Lowes in the plumbing department, thanks for reminding me rossiz. Couldn't remember where I got them.

 

Let me know how the fan/s work out for you. I'm looking to replace my stock fan.

Edited September 13, 2015 by rcb280z

[Marios280Z]

Hey guys. In the process of replacement. Things are not going too fast,just can't find time to get going. However, I started to drain the system. I have been reading that not only radiator should be drained but also engine block.FSM says that there is a drain on the cylinder block. For life of mine I cannot find it. Can somebody explain me where it is? My radiator is empty but there is still coolant in the system. When I spin my water pump that is still attached to the engine I can hear coolant splashing.

[Marios280Z]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this post covers it all: http://www.classiczcars.com/topic/36956-engine-water-drain-plug/, for both 4 and 6 cylinder engines

[rossiz]

block drain plug is on the drivers side by the firewall below the manifolds.

i had a ton of crud in my system (rust, old stop-leak crud, etc) so i pulled the frost plugs and used a pressure washer to blow it all out - tons and tons of nasty pudding came out.

a set of frost plugs is about $25 and easy to find online. be sure to count the ones you pull out, some sets come short a few plugs (don't ask how i know) and that's a pain.

[Marios280Z]

Quick update...or lack of it. Not much progress, just cleaning front of the engine little by little. For the second time now they sent me the wrong radiator shroud. They are on their third shipment now and hopefully it will arrive by the weekend.

[Marios280Z]

Hey guys, can somebody tell me the difference between a single terminal/pin fan thermoswitch and a double terminal/pin switch? I have seen both, but a lot of off-the-shelve fan wiring harnesses use a single terminal switch. I wonder if I could substitute a single terminal for a dual terminal and still use the harness. I have seen this sensor for 280ZX that has two terminals ( http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/CatalogItemDetail.aspx/Coolant-Fan-Switch/_/R-ECHFS140_0198968791%C2'> I'm wondering how it works on the car. Where does it screw in? In my 280Z I have the temperature sending unit for the dash coolant temp gauge with a single terminal. I'm wondering if I could replace that one with this one for 280ZX. I'm guessing it will not work because the sensor I have works on a principle of resistance change with the temperature and the switch from 280ZX just closes the circuit as certain temp is reached.

I also have a lot of plugged ports on m thermostat housing. It looks like a good idea to repurpose one of them for thermoswitch. The trick is to match the thread on the switch with the one in the housing. The one for 280ZX I found has these specs: M16 X1.5".

Guys at Blackdragonauto also have a thermoswitch, p/n 71-610 (page 73 in the catalog)  allegedly for 75-78 280Z and it looks very similar to the one for 280ZX . However, they have a separate p/n for the 79 280ZX. Any ideas?

 

BTW, I removed my water pump with out any problems. Perhaps the fact I let is sit in a PB Bluster solution for couple of days helped. The Asin pump that was recommended for me has nearly identical design to the OEM one.

[rossiz]

congrats on getting the water pump off without drama - the long bolts that double to secure the front cover have a tendency to corrode and snap (no fun).

the 280zx 2-terminal sensor goes in the P79 head by #5 plug, but the electrical gurus will have to chime in on how it alters the signal.

[S30Driver]

The sensor rossiz is referring to is the cylinder head temp sensor.  It's a variable resistance sensor (not a switch) for the ecu in the zx cars.

 

The switch in the Black Dragon catalog looks like it might be the one for the injector cooling fan on the ZX cars.

Edited September 24, 2015 by S30Driver

[Marios280Z]

block drain plug is on the drivers side by the firewall below the manifolds.

i had a ton of crud in my system (rust, old stop-leak crud, etc) so i pulled the frost plugs and used a pressure washer to blow it all out - tons and tons of nasty pudding came out.

a set of frost plugs is about $25 and easy to find online. be sure to count the ones you pull out, some sets come short a few plugs (don't ask how i know) and that's a pain.

How do I remove freeze plugs? Should I do it if I have not seen a sign of crude or rust (at least not in the drained coolant, not sure how else I could check for that)? To me they look like they are press fit.

 

Also, a newbe question, but is that engine block cavity separate and sealed from the rest of the engine internals (cylinders, crank shaft, etc)? As I think about, it it has to be because that is where the coolant is flowing so it cannot mix or otherwise leak into engine internals.

Edited September 24, 2015 by Marios280Z