New 280z 2+2 Father/son project - questions

[camaro-guy]

Hello everyone,

 

             My son and I purchased a 1976 Datsun 280z 2+2 for his first car last month and it will be our father/son project car. With that said, we have been trying very hard to get his car ready for Pennsylvania State inspection on the 8th of May 2019. We have been working hard and have been reading many of the z car forums, watching youtube videos, and reading as much material as we can find. Thanks to all the information out there we have successfully fixed numerous issues, but we still have a few things to go. My son has big dreams for this car but we are trying to make it road worthy right now as all the rubber is old and falling apart. Below are a few questions we have not been able to answer yet.

 

1. The numbers on the transmission are "7425394" - Can someone decipher these numbers for us? They do not match the information in the service manual...

 

2. Many of the vacuum lines were broken and needed to be replaced. However, there are a few we cannot figure out. There is a three way vacuum line connector near the distributor. The three hoses that are currently connected to it are:

• The distributor advance vacuum line
• Throttle chamber vacuum hose
• Anti-stall dashpot

 

         From what we are reading the anti-stall dashpot, should not have a vacuum hose connected to it

 

          Additionally, the one hose from the vacuum switching valve is not connected to anything

 

          Any help getting these figured out would be highly appreciated!!

 

3. Dash lights are still not working....We have fixed all the other lights, but we cannot get these working. We cannot get our hands in there to see if the bulbs are good or not. Does the dash need to come out to get to these bulbs? I am also looking for the flashers to replace them, but i cannot find them either. We have also been trying to figure out how to get the rheostat out of the dash.

 

These are the most important questions at the moment.

 

Good to be here!

[Captain Obvious]

Welcome to the club!    

You are reading the manual correctly. There should be nothing connected to the anti-stall dashpot. Even though it looks like a vacuum nipple, there shouldn't be any hoes on it. The dashpot should just be left open. And a couple of the other vacuum lines are mixed up accordingly.

The non-California 76 cars (which it appears yours is) used a system to disable the distributor vacuum advance until the car is in top gear. Not sure why they thought this was necessary, but in 77, they decided this was not necessary and eliminated that feature.

So if I'm reading the manual correctly (pages EC-9 and ET-1), it appears the three-way line from the throttle chamber should go to:

• Throttle chamber connection
• Carbon canister control
• Timing control solenoid valve

And then the other side of the timing control solenoid valve should go to the distributor advance connection.

So where in PA are you?

Edited May 6, 2019 by Captain Obvious
Manuals are not the greatest....

[EuroDat]

Welcome to the club.

The number on the transmission doesn't mean much. It's the batch number for the transmission housing. They probably could track components with that number back then, but that information is long gone.

If it's a manual 4 speed, then you will have a F4W71B transmission. The original 5 speed is FS5W71B and often referred to a the "wide ratio" 5 speed.

Chas

 

How to identify - F5W71B Wide and Close ratio transmission (2) (1).pdf

[Zed Head]

16 hours ago, camaro-guy said:

3. Dash lights are still not working....We have fixed all the other lights, but we cannot get these working. We cannot get our hands in there to see if the bulbs are good or not. Does the dash need to come out to get to these bulbs? I am also looking for the flashers to replace them, but i cannot find them either. We have also been trying to figure out how to get the rheostat out of the dash.

You pretty much have to remove each gauge to check the bulbs.  I would find a bulb that's n the circuit and easy to reach and make sure that you have power.  Check the wiring diagram, Ithink that some of the heater control lights, or maybe others, are easy to reach but on the same circuit.  Check the circuit before checking the bulbs.

Here's that timing advance control solenoid that CO mentioned.  It lets vacuum through to the vacuum advance can on the distributor when you're in 4th gear.  There's an electrical switch on the transmission.  I think that it's really an emissions device.  It should probably have the dashpot hose connected to it.  

If those hoses are messed up. your ported vacuum and constant vacuum sources might be too. Better check.