Obie87

Just an update on my running rough- I replaced the cracked rubber diaphram from the vapor can, the local Nissan Dealer had it for $5. My car runs a whole lot better now, but still periodically not as smooth as it should be. I think I may have a fuel pump starting to fail. I've noticed that my vehicle has a real tough time running smoothly when the tank is less than 1/3 full. I'm going to check this theory a little more, but I'm pretty sure my 31 year old fuel pump is on its way out. I have not done a fuel pressure test yet, but I'm going to try that next. Water temp sensor tested ok. I cleaned the connections there, and found my thermostat housing is leaking a bit between the housing and the engine. I have the new gasket, but it looks like its going to be a total b***h pulling it off, cleaning it up, and replacing it.

I'm having a similar issue in my 76 280z. When the car is started cold, it runs great- smooth idle, no hesitation, and great power. After a few minutes, it warms up and the performance starts to degrade. Hesitation, rough idle, little bit of popping coming from the intake (i think) and loss of power, most noticeably under load especially at lower RPMs. Here's what I have done so far- Checked all electrical connections, replaced a few. New Fuel Filter Cold Air induction Replaced AFM to Throttle body boot Checked for Vacuum leaks Checked timing New Alternator New ignition switch New exhaust - Monza, sounds awesome Ran Bosch L-jetronic diagnostics- everything working like it should Found- cracked diaphragm in the vapor cannister's vacuum advance control valve Anyone know where to find this diaphragm? Nissan dealer, motorsport auto, and other parts guys don't know where to find one. Will it matter if I leave it alone? How important is this little piece of rubber? What should I use to try to patch it? I'm going to check the distributer vacuum advance soon, recheck timing, and test fuel pressure. Hopefully this will find the problem so I can fix everything. Am I missing anything else important? Thanks, Rob

Wow I wish I would have read the previous post yesterday. I just put the Monza exhaust onto my stock 280z. I noticed the pipe was a little smaller than stock, but it sounds sweet and is appears performance is a little better. The sound is great. Installation hit a little snag. For my 76 280z, the rear hanger on the muffler did not reach the vehicle's hanger. The front hanger on the muffler reached fine, but I had to insert a little bracket to make the stuff fit. I can post pics if anyone wants to see.

I am also having this problem. The car is running really strong when its cold, but one the engine warms up I get a highly noticeable power loss, especially at low RPMs. Occasionally during acceleration under any load there may be a backfire. I am a Z-idiot (but learning about cars as I go along) so please use small words and don't expect me to know more than the average joe about working on cars. Thanks all, Rob

I am thinking of installing an aftermarket ignition system in my 76 280Z and possibly a new coil. The two options I know of are the Crane XR700 and XR3000. Does anyone have aftermarket ignition with the L28 and any other suggestions, comments, or experiences?

Did you just use some scrap flat metal and some snips to make the piece which supports the assembly on the original airbox mount? Looks like you did, I'll try that and see if it it solid. Thanks

Mine was getting stuck whenever I let my foot get a little heavy, and it turns out that upon just touching the boot to try to lube it, it fell to pieces. I got a new one, but I was unable to remove the ball from the rod to get it through the boot, so I made a very small precise cut in the narrow end of the boot and pushed the entire ball through. Then I took a very small amount of crazy glue and closed up the incision. Once it dried, I made sure there was no binding inside the boot with the push rod, greased it a little, and replaced it. Now it works great. The super glue added a little bit of stiffness to the end of the boot, but nothing to be concerned about.

I have a cold air intake, but I don't have a good mounting bracket. Right now its just held in by zip-ties (yikes!) but I have been unsuccessful trying to fabricate my first car part ever out of a piece of bent metal. I have seen pictures, but does anyone have any tips for creating a proper mounting piece for the cold air intake?