4/75 Datsun 280Z; Leaf Green, CA market, 250K miles, Long Term Project 03/2023-

[HusseinHolland]

So, working on the switch today - I had it hooked up to the seat & powered. I figured out that the switch power & ground circuit is activated by the switched power on the secondary connector (B1) . Using a test light, I confirmed the (+) switching action (purple tracer). I tried activating the relay(s), nothing. I tried bridging the A6 terminal to the ground run of the switches (yellow tracer). I tried jumping the ground relay (3) and one leg of relay 1 or 2, and none of that activated the output to any of the 4 motors.

 

I considered hooking up one of the older power seat switches I have from >MY2000 P80 & 7/960s. Problem with those is that the motors are each powered by 2 separate wires from the switch module  - the newer motors share the ground leg at the switch module. I would have to rewire the ground legs of each motor to isolate them from each other.  I went back to playing with the stock module.

 

 

At some point in testing permutations, I bridged a circuit on the board that created a short - I heard the pop that let the smoke out of something on the board. After that, three of the 4 switches operate without issue. The fore/aft one does not. I wish I knew which chip I fried, I would do the same for the passenger switch. I'm going to try bridging the switch 4 contacts to A2 & A6, to see if that overrides the circuit that is inhibiting operation.

 

B2 & B5 connect to the seatback release switch - allows you to move the seat forward when the setback is flipped forward. That works.

 

I bridged what was formerly the heated seat switch supply, to provide power to the seat modules

 

This was the seat end - I replaced the terminals/connector with terminals that can handle 25A

 

[HusseinHolland]

Wrapped this up (finally). I tried a number of ways to connect the center pins of SW4 to the fore/aft motor (A2), without much success. I found that spiking the center pin to the adjacent power pin would bring the circuit alive - but only long enough to move the motor briefly. I repeatedly spiked the connection, to see how long I could get it to hold function. Doing this ultimately killed whatever switches the power to the switch grid, which turned out to be what was needed, as with that I added a jumper from the switched power feed at the top of the card to the switch power grid & now all the switches work. I guess I basically lobotomized the board  🤪

 

 

[HusseinHolland]

Worked on the passenger seat today.

Cut off factory mount ears

spacer for inner rear, to allow clearance for the fore/aft shaft hold down

removed the occupant sensor & pad

grid is reverse of drivers side

With the module powered, I momentarily shorted the for/aft pin to the adjacent power pin & let the smoke out 🤪. I discovered that was all that was necessary - no bridge wire was needed on this one, all switches operate as they should.

modding the seat belt reel mount locator

stripped the old upholstery

modded the outer cap/ switch retainer to clear the seat belt reel. Welded the three seat mount brackets I made in place to match DS layout

[HusseinHolland]

Tidying up the pass seat install - had to add spacers to lift the rails to allow the fore/aft drive to clear the floor seat tub.

Started on the upholstery install - the seat cushion side retainer wasn't sewn properly, so I had to stitch that up with strong thread

Fitted the seat back cover on the passenger seat back. The seat cushion is not installed here - just sitting on the frame. I went with light grey & oak, as I have grey elements in the interior, and will likely get more over time, the grey interiors were more popular than beige & hold up better.

[Zed Head]

Why so much off-topic posting?  The title still has Z in it but there's a lot of extraneous stuff.  Free image-hosting?  I can't remember the last Leaf Green Z post.  What's up with it?

[HusseinHolland]

4 minutes ago, Zed Head said:

Why so much off-topic posting?  The title still has Z in it but there's a lot of extraneous stuff.  Free image-hosting?  I can't remember the last Leaf Green Z post.  What's up with it?

It's what I'm working on. The Z has some odds & ends to be addressed before the winter, so when I get back to that I'll post it. I'm used to going off on tangents on my Fiat & Volvo forum threads, so much the same is happening here. 

[Zed Head]

 

Are you posting about the Z on the Volvo and Fiat forums?

Actually, curious, do you have three identical threads running on three different forums?  The Z, the Volvo, the Fiat, the house, all updated on three different forums?

Edited September 25 by Zed Head

[HusseinHolland]

9 hours ago, Zed Head said:

 

Are you posting about the Z on the Volvo and Fiat forums?

Actually, curious, do you have three identical threads running on three different forums?  The Z, the Volvo, the Fiat, the house, all updated on three different forums?

Not exactly identical, more comprehensive actually.  The Z has dedicated threads on my Fiat and old Volvo forum. Those are easier for me to browse to review what I've done as in each instance all the work is in one thread, rather than in different forum categories as with ClassicZ. In both cases there are Z owners who are either Fiat and/or old Volvo owners. Those sites are ad-free, so easier to spend time & not have to dismiss pop-ups & ad banners on every page.

I took the Z to a Volvo meet in PA and a Fiat meet in Ohio, they overlap in the real world, so no reason not to in the online realm.

My Fiat had a thread on the Volvo forum, as I experimented with using Volvo EMS at one time, and then I had an ongoing thread for it on K20a.org , when I converted it to a Honda K24 drivetrain. My house work has a dedicated thread on the Fiat forum. 

[HusseinHolland]

Passenger seat finished & installed yesterday. Still do have to heat & smooth the leather some more

Put the  drivers seat covers on today & installed the seat. Still have to futz with the seat module though, it doesn't stay operational like the pass. Side, I guess I didn't give it the full lobotomy

 

[HusseinHolland]

One thing I've been meaning to address for quite some time:

YT vid of Hood Vibration

Bought the Skillard "Racing" grilles. I looked around for factory 78 grilles, and besides the crazy prices, I realized they require a contoured recess that later hoods came with.

Grilles have to be set inboard, as later on I will be adding AeroCatch latches required with the VQ35DE conversion. Setback from rear edge required to clear inner frame support.

Figuring out placement, using Skillard's drill template. Rear outer mount hole is 5.5" inboard, 6.25" setback from hood rear edge

Like so:

opening in template to allow air passage

drilled & cut

Adding 1/16" closed cell foam as a gasket

The washers they provide are not appropriately sized

Fortunately I have a stash of stainless fender washers, with M6 ID

All good. That will get rid of the hood vibration 

Edited October 1 by HusseinHolland

[Zed Head]

Adjusting the hood rest bumpers and the latch should get rid of the vibration.  Looks like you're assuming that air from underneath is lifting the hood and causing it to flutter as it squeezes out.  But the vents should help with heat soak of the injectors and the hot start problem.  Some people have the hood louvered via stamping. 

On that video, the guy writes about later 280Z's and hood vents and implies that it was done for hood vibration.  Only one of them was functional.  Fun fact.  Not really clear why Nissan did the vent.  It also leaked water on the battery, I think.  Something to be aware of.  They look good though.

Edited October 1 by Zed Head
spling

[HusseinHolland]

9 hours ago, Zed Head said:

Adjusting the hood rest bumpers and the latch should get rid of the vibration.  Looks like you're assuming that air from underneath is lifting the hood and causing it to flutter as it squeezes out.  But the vents should help with heat soak of the injectors and the hot start problem.  Some people have the hood louvered via stamping. 

On that video, the guy writes about later 280Z's and hood vents and implies that it was done for hood vibration.  Only one of them was functional.  Fun fact.  Not really clear why Nissan did the vent.  It also leaked water on the battery, I think.  Something to be aware of.  They look good though.

Hmm... My hood latch & bumpers were set so that the hood was pulled tight & pressed against the (new ) bumpers - I didn't have any "give" that I could discern - and the vibration/buffeting doesn't arise until higher highway speeds. You're saying the buffeting is not attributable to underhood air pressure? 

I certainly expect them to help with heat soak!