1977 280z prepup for smog check

[240zadmire]

Hello everyone,

 

I'm at the state of getting the car for the smog check and would like tips and suggestion to get the car smog check pass the first time around.

History of the car:

Long story - short and for lack of better words, I don't consider the car is restored to its glory days nor do I consider myself as car restorer.  I am at best is improve the car from a none-ops, none working to operational, working state base on my standard.  If you saw some of my posts, you'll notice I'm more of a monkey see monkey do without a brain sort of speak.  Grease elbow at best and lot of times did stuff wrong or reverse.

 

What I did to the car.

Engine:

- Replace piston ring set using Hasting parts

- Replace valve seal, valve spring set

- Polish cam, shaft, hone engine (all manual by hand, by me)

- resurface header (machine shop)

- replace all engine bearing and seals

- check engine cylinder to the specs base on FSM (primitive, cheap tools)

- spark plugs and spark wires

- thermostat

- radiator hoses

- reuse fuel injectors

- replace all fuel injectors hoses

- new head gasket

- oil pump gasket

- oil sending unit

- new fuel filter

- new connectors (fuel injector, water temperature, CSV, throttle body ...)

- cleaned and DeOxit Gold 5 for all connectors.

- Air regulator clean up

- new ignition coil

- air filter

- fuel hoses replaced

- vacuum hoses replaced

- heater hoses replaced

 

Body/suspension/brake:

- Replaced KYB Excel-G on all.

- Replace all bushing include the 2 spindles on the rear (the ones that uses index and thumb to pull out as described in the manual.  Who needs sled hammer, torque and lot of rant and foul language to get it out???! Professional does that.  Real men just use a thumb, push one end in and pull the other end ?)

- ball joints

- outer tie rod ends

- both front and rear wheel bearings

- new brake pads and shoes

- new rear brake cylinder

- rebuild front brake cylinders

- reuse master brake boost

- new master brake

- new clutch

- new clutch cylinder

- new fan clutch and water pump

 

Electrical

- All lights/gauges seem to work.  I mean, they light up and gauges movement.

- all light bulbs replace where possible.

- KEEP the Fuel light bulb as is.  DO NOT change to LED.  You're asking unnecessary problem to your list.

 

Exhaust

- Muffler probably original or at least decade old

- Catalytic probably original or decade old

- exhaust pipe show external rusting but no leak

- No white smog when start the engine even in the morning.  (Morning in Southern California is like high noon somewhere else.  Nevertheless car start up high RPM and drop down in minute or so.  Car starts every time, morning or warm)

- no foul smog smell.  Though the smog definitely stronger than modern car/sedan.

- spark plugs seem to be OK as no black powder on the tip nor white color.  I think the engine is running on the rich end rather than lean.

 

The car is mostly idling and rev up every now and then in the garage.  It ran 30 mins to an hour each time depend on what I had to do in the garage.  When the car is off the garage, at most I driven was 30-35 mph in residential area.  Since the car is back to life, I've driven approximately 15 miles total.

 

Original parts:

- 5 speed.  I did nothing to the transmission except replace the oil

- Fuel pump

- Fuel sending unit

- all the gauges

 

Differential:

- took a part, clean up, and new oil

 

Not working part at the moment:

- AC

As you can see, I'm merely replacing wear and tear parts.  The only thing that I needed machine shop involved was to resurface the cylinder head.

 

I'm sure you guys gone through this thousands of time.  Question is, what is your secrets or tips to get the car pass smog?  Do I need to do more? replace catalytic, muffler ... 

 

please share your experience

 

regards,

 

 

 

[conedodger]

Looking at what you've done, I think you have a strong chance of passing. 

I am a little concerned about you "polish"(ing) the cam by hand. Does that mean you  cleaned it up? One of the big mistakes made by guys who have to pass smog is changing out the cam for a performance cam. Trust me on this, you will not pass. Ever. 

If it were me, I'd have sent the injectors out and had them cleaned and flow matched. If they are clogged and dribble fuel into the cylinders you won't get good burn. 

So here is the process in California for older cars. You may have to get on the rollers so that will make a difference as to what shop you go to. Definately, if you go outside of the county you live in, you will have to go on the rollers. There will be a visual check so everything that was there the day it left the factory must be there the day you smog it. They will stick the sniffer in the tailpipe. Do yourself a favor and find a shop that will give you a precheck. They may charge you for it but don't complain. If you will not pass, they will tell you then and you will not have a failed test to alert ARB. I own a shop in Sonoma, (I do anesthesia not smog tech) and I pay almost a $1000 a month for equipment leasing. So you insult me if you ask for a free pretest. 

Good luck!

[240zadmire]

@conedodger

sorry for not being clear.  The cam just clean up and “feel” with the finger nails to see any groove or hill.  Just cleanup and wrap a 3000k sand grid where it meets the tower and use the shoe lace run on it a few time. I don’t think it made a dent.

 

for the crankshaft.  Same thing.  Wrap around the 3000k sandpaper, loop shoe lace a few round and pull the shoelace back and forth couple of times.  I watched YouTube and people did that.  I’m just like new believer in a cult.  Just do it whether it make sense or not.   I don’t why people on YouTube keep saying it’s a must to rebuild the engine... blah blah blah.  Take it to the shop to have actual equipment and measure the out is specs... I guess that.  Pulling shoe lace for hours on end, perhaps made some dent... The crankshaft must be 50lbs running thousands of RPM for years with direct metal bearing contact granted lube..... and it is still one piece let alone a few shoe lace pulling.  The sandpaper disintegrated long before it will made a dent.... what do I know.  I’m a new believer in a cult.  I’d do anything if I may say so.

No free pretest.  Honest work!

 

like I said, I’m it is not a rebuild/mod by any stretch.  A simply improvement to the deteriorate parts by replaced them.

regards

 

 

[240zadmire]

Another thing, for the valve job. I did put the grinder material on the lip, use the drill attach to valve stem with a rubber hose and pull the trigger for a few seconds.  Again, Religious rather than science ?

about roller, there isn’t a temporary permission for driving the car to smog test center?

[240zadmire]

look like there is a Temporary Operating Permit with $50 for a 60 days.

https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/handbook/vehicle-industry-registration-procedures-manual-2/permits-and-decals/temporary-operating-permit-top-reg-19f/

California.  Golden goose state.  Milking money when/wherever they can!

 

[Zed Head]

The place to start is to tune the engine to Nissan FSM specs.  Set timing, valve lash, etc. exactly as Nissan says.  If you have a catalytic converter make sure it's in good shape.

With the factory stock EFI system there's not much that you can do except get it as close to what the factory sent out the door as possible.  The 280Z's were designed to pass emissions.  Everything about the tuneup procedure is to get them emissions testing ready.

[240zadmire]

@Zed Head

how do you know the cat is in good shape? Shine a flashlight? Dip in water? Please elaborate

regards

 

[Zed Head]

I'd start with the Google machine.  Seriously.  I know that they get clogged if they see a lot of fuel over time, but don't really know if the materials inside change over time.

Do you know what your regions emissions tests entail?  Some states have different rules for different regions.  In Oregon all I needed to pass was idle emissions.  But even just that was difficult.

Edited September 1, 2020 by Zed Head

[rcb280z]

2 hours ago, conedodger said:

So here is the process in California for older cars. You may have to get on the rollers so that will make a difference as to what shop you go to. Definately, if you go outside of the county you live in, you will have to go on the rollers. There will be a visual check so everything that was there the day it left the factory must be there the day you smog it. They will stick the sniffer in the tailpipe. Do yourself a favor and find a shop that will give you a precheck. They may charge you for it but don't complain. If you will not pass, they will tell you then and you will not have a failed test to alert ARB

All good info here.

You will be on the rollers with a 15 mph and then a 25 mph run for a specific time. Pre-check is very important. I would be ready to replace your cat. It's what I had to do 4yrs ago. They also test the evaporative system as well in southern ca. So make sure there are no issues there. I needed a new gas cap for my 77 on my last test. 77 and 78 caps are different as you will see when you go to pay for one if it is needed. Something about a little check valve and thats all I remember. Surprised I remembered this much. 

And a tune up like ZH suggested wouldn't hurt. 

Before my last test I took it out on the freeway and blew it out, got the cat hot. Was told it helps.

Good luck!

[240zadmire]

Have you noticed I misinterpret rollers as in put car in a trailer and haul it to the smog... silly me.;) all good info.  Definitely will look for the pretest station.

 

in California, there is a regular smog test station and there is the STAR only test station.  I had the yearly reminder letter from DMV saying if I want to drive, I need to pay x amount.  It didn’t say I need smog test on the letter.   But I believer even if I pay the x amount, they will send a letter asking for the smog before issue the sticker.  I misplace or lost the letter

 

should I just pay DMV and wait for next set of instructions ? 

[240zadmire]

I drove the car around the neighborhood for a good 45 minutes.  Top speed 35mph when allow.  Took the adventure to highway and able to do 70mph for a good 2 miles.  What a rush.  Don’t tell cops I did that please.  Brought the car home and while it is idle, took a temperature at the catalytic ends.  The end from the down pipe is about 330 degree Fahrenheit.  The end to the muffler is way up to 560 degree Fahrenheit.  Right where it connect to muffler drops to 320 degree Fahrenheit or so.  The exhaust manifold from the engine is 770 degree Fahrenheit.  
 

so the cat is working as expected as it cook the smog longer before it release to the muffler/air?

can someone explain the science in layman term?

It is really interesting learning new stuff 

best regards

 

[mbz]

All good info here.
You will be on the rollers with a 15 mph and then a 25 mph run for a specific time. Pre-check is very important. I would be ready to replace your cat. It's what I had to do 4yrs ago. They also test the evaporative system as well in southern ca. So make sure there are no issues there. I needed a new gas cap for my 77 on my last test. 77 and 78 caps are different as you will see when you go to pay for one if it is needed. Something about a little check valve and thats all I remember. Surprised I remembered this much. 
And a tune up like ZH suggested wouldn't hurt. 
Before my last test I took it out on the freeway and blew it out, got the cat hot. Was told it helps.
Good luck!

I concur with rcb, your cat could be a concern.
Do the FSM tune up (if anything, tune it to run a bit leaner), and be sure to drive it on the freeway (65 mph) for about 30 minutes to get the cat warmed up... then head straight in for testing.
Cats can lose efficacy over time, that can be expedited by using engine oils with high levels of ZDDP.
The good thing is, CA emissions standards are a bit lower for these older cars.
Good luck![emoji256]


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