ea6driver

I'm replacing all the vacuum hoses in my '78Z. The FSM is very helpful for showing what components attach to the ends of all the the hoses, but I'm having a litttle trouble trying to figure out how to route the hoses in the engine compartment. Two of the vacuum hoses attach to the intake manifold and run aft then along the top of the firewall (with 3 plastic clips) over to the passenger side where they (and a third hose coming out of the firewall) then run forward to the magnetic valve assembly and vacuum tank. This last part of the run is where I'm not too sure of the routing. In the FSM there is a diagram that shows these 3 hoses running forward and attaching to the engine bay with 3 more clips. I can't find these clips in my car, and I don't want to just leave the hoses dangling in the air. If you've got a 280Z with the stock vacuum hose configuration could you please post a few photos showing exactly how these vacuum hoses attach in the engine bay for this last part of their run forward? Two other short questions: What is the size of the vacum hoses? I'm thinking about ordering some silicone vacuum hoses online and just want to be sure to order the correct size. Where can I get a replacement OEM one-way vacuum check valve (the black circular one that installs into the lower hole of the magnet valve assembly)? Thanks in advance.

Went out this afternoon and bought two squeeze tubes of silicone sealer. By squeezing my arm through the holes in the panel I was able to run a thick bead of sealer all along the top of the reinforcement beam. The only part I couldn't reach was about 6 inches at the extreme forward end of the door. Even got my son out to the garage and he couldn't reach that part either. Thanks for all the advice!

Thanks beandip, that's quite helpful. The main reason I'm trying to separate the glass from the mounting plate is that I can see quite a bit of rust down in the bottom of the channel that the glass sits in. The only way to attack this rust is to remove the window glass from the mounting plate. Once I get the glass out I plan on using a wire brush on a drill to eradicate the rust. Then I'm thinking of coating the whole area with POR-15 before reattaching the glass to the backing plate. If you've got any better ideas, I'm all ears!

Ok. Thanks for all the replies and tips. But beandip I gotta ask you: How did you run a bead of silicon sealer along the top edge of that reinforcement beam? I've been lookin' at that all afternoon and there is no way to squirt it in there with a caulk gun - just not enough clearance to get the caulk gun in there. Parts of it I'm pretty sure I can't even reach with my hands, particularly in the forward part of the door (I've removed the door window and regulator mechanism).

I've spent the last 2 days applying "eDead" brand sound deadener mats in the floors, tranny tunnel, and rear deck of my 78 Coupe. Now it's time to do the doors. I've read all the posts in the archives, but still am unsure exactly how to proceed with this part of the job. Several of you have said that you installed the mats to the "inside of the outer door panel." To me that means you had to cut the mats into small pieces and stick them onto the outer panel by squeezing your hands through the small holes of the inner door panel. Even then, there are areas of the outer panel that I don't see how you can possibly reach due to no holes within reach. What am I missing here? Did you remove the complete window crank mechanism and window guide rails to complete this job? Finallly, did you cover the inside door panel (the surface that the trim panel attaches to) with the mats as well? Thanks in advance.

How do you remove the window glass from it's bracket/backing plate (78 Coupe)? I've removed the 4 fasteners that appear to secure the glass to the bracket, but I can't seem to pry the glass loose from the groove it fits into. There appears to be 5 or 6 black rubber guides that "pinch" the glass tight into the groove, but the glass is wedged into them so tight that I'm afraid I'm going to break the glass if I keep trying to pry it out. The main reason I'm trying to remove the glass is that the backing plate is pretty rusted in numerous places, and the only way to attack the rust is to remove the glass. I'm going to have to do this for both windows. Thanks in advance for any ideas.

I'm having a seriously difficult time finding a replacement "bridge" wiring harness to connect a factory Hitachi AM/FM radio to the console wiring harness. This part is specific to the 78 280Z only. The bridge wiring harness is about one foot long and connects to the console wiring harness with a large black plastic electrical connector. The other end has two smaller electrical connectors that plug directly into the stock Hitachi radio. If anyone knows where I might find one of these harnesses I'd certainly appreciate the help. Thanks in advance!