My new 1976 280z project

[wheee!]

As expected... looking forward to your future posts!

[Captain Obvious]

Cool, and good luck with the project!

You know your user name is wrong now, don't ya?    

[Koop's 76' 280z]

Cool, and good luck with the project!
You know your user name is wrong now, don't ya?    [emoji4]

Yeah but I don't mind


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[Koop's 76' 280z]

Update: got new battery cables and now it turns over fine, but now the interior lights don't work (running lights, gauge lights) but the parking brake light does work. The Volt meter isn't getting power so I'm stumped

 

 

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[Zed Head]

I am fairly sure that 1976 wiring diagram is close to 1977.  There's a nice one available on the site.  And the FSM has small diagrams in the Body Electrical chapter and the Engine Electrical chapter.  Take at least a glance, some people pick up wiring quick others have to work at it.  But the answer's in there.

What are you trying to do now?  Get it started or just get everything working, or both.

 

[Koop's 76' 280z]

I am fairly sure that 1976 wiring diagram is close to 1977.  There's a nice one available on the site.  And the FSM has small diagrams in the Body Electrical chapter and the Engine Electrical chapter.  Take at least a glance, some people pick up wiring quick others have to work at it.  But the answer's in there.
What are you trying to do now?  Get it started or just get everything working, or both.
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Trying to get it running, the engine turns over fine but the fuel pump isn't so


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[siteunseen]

I catch hell for this I know but pull the hose off the fuel filters bottom and put it a gas jug. Straight wire the pump. Speaker wire with alligator clips on the pump works great straight to the battery. Bypasses all the safety stuff so be careful and don't burn it up. The Bosch oe pump has a small cone shaped screen on the inlet port that could be clogged. 

I've had to drop two tanks acid wash the inside and then coat with red-kote tank liner. The old Zs weren't coated from the get go. 

[Zed Head]

I would do what site says but also disconnect the hose before the fuel filter, in the engine bay away from any sparks, and catch what comes out in a 2 liter bottle or gas can.  Check the quality before you pump it through your filter and fuel rail.  If it smells sickly sweet and is orange let the pump drain your tank and refill with fresh fuel.

Also, read up on the fuel pump contact switch in the AFM.  It's a simple check of the power circuit for the pump.  Open the vane.

[JSM]

Quote

 

 

24 minutes ago, siteunseen said:

I catch hell for this I know but pull the hose off the fuel filters bottom and put it a gas jug. Straight wire the pump. Speaker wire with alligator clips on the pump works great straight to the battery. Bypasses all the safety stuff so be careful and don't burn it up. The Bosch oe pump has a small cone shaped screen on the inlet port that could be clogged. 

I've had to drop two tanks acid wash the inside and then coat with red-kote tank liner. The old Zs weren't coated from the get go. 

I would change this a little bit. Before removing any fuel lines, just jumper the fuel pump.  If it doesn't' work, get a new one first before removing any fuel lines.

[Zed Head]

That is a cleaner, neater approach.  Just don't let it run if it does start spinning.

The car has been sitting for ten years though (2007, first post).  So a person could argue that if he just wants to hear the engine run that he should probably plumb up a suction line to a clean can of gasoline and bypass the fuel tank completely.  The odds of 2007 gasoline being run-worthy are super-slim.

I don't see any mention of new gas or new parts.  Getting even more basic, if one of us was looking at this car the first thing we'd probably do is pop the gas cap and smell the filler hole.   "Eeeewww,..that's not going to work" is my guess.

[Koop's 76' 280z]

That is a cleaner, neater approach.  Just don't let it run if it does start spinning.
The car has been sitting for ten years though (2007, first post).  So a person could argue that if he just wants to hear the engine run that he should probably plumb up a suction line to a clean can of gasoline and bypass the fuel tank completely.  The odds of 2007 gasoline being run-worthy are super-slim.
I don't see any mention of new gas or new parts.  Getting even more basic, if one of us was looking at this car the first thing we'd probably do is pop the gas cap and smell the filler hole.   "Eeeewww,..that's not going to work" is my guess.

The first thing I did was drain the gas tank and put fresh gas in it


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[Zed Head]

The basic fuel pump test is to remove the small yellow wire from the starter solenoid and turn the key to Start.  That should provide power to the fuel pump.  With the engine not spinning noisily the pump is easy to hear.  You'll probably hear the pump relay click also.

The EFI systems are a collections of sub-systems.  Each needs to be checked for function.  It looks complex but if you just start running through each you'll be done pretty quick.  They're not like the old carb'ed muscle cars, where you just need power to the coil and a screwdriver at the starter.  All of the electrical stuff tends to get a little bit of corrosion that causes problems.  The headlight switch, turn signals, maybe the Hazard switch, horn, various relays.  But there's probably a thread about each one in here somewhere.

Almost all people new to the 280Z EFI try to jump ahead but in the end we all had to work through the electrical systems, one by one.