Everything posted by TomoHawk
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Sold on LEDs
What about those Can-Bus LEDs? Can we use those for the Zed? I was considering using a dome lamp bulb that had some CREE LED chips on it, and it should light things up well. 9W LED Festoon Dome Light Car Bulb 3x Cree SMD 3021 3022 DE3175 White
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A Wide Sellection of H3 Bulbs
You can ban the stuff, but people will still use it, thinking they are making driving "safer." You see it every night when you drive a busy two-lane suburban road. I have known some people who say you should use the "off-road use only" stuff because it will light the road better, because it was made for off-road use. I had considered the LED bulbs, but after reading the critique of HID conversion bulbs, I agree that you most likely can't directly swap in an LED bulb for something like a headlamp or fog lamp, because you really can't be sure that the light will be directed in the right place. For other uses, like the gauges, tail lamps, dome lamps, flashlights, etc., LED bulbs can provide satisfactory illumination. Since they claim the LED bulbs will last for 100,000 hours, I'd say the American manufacturers will get upset and redesign them to fail sooner, like today's filament bulbs, so you will need to buy them more often, so in that way, things will stay about the same. That is, unless the entire automotive parts and supply marketing system will accept selling only 1/10 the amount of bulbs they were selling. I think I will get one or two H3 LED bulbs, to use as lighting for a work light, emergencies, parties, or off-road fun.
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A Wide Sellection of H3 Bulbs
So after reading some of those Sterne Documents, I would conclude that if you want more light or brighter bulbs, buy bulbs with more watts! Maybe one day there will be headlamps that "light up" the nighttime roadway as if it was midday in the summer, but you'll probably need special glasses too- something like the infrared lighting from a SciFi movie. In the meantime, keep your alternator or generator working well, clean our connections and switches, and use good wiring.
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A Wide Sellection of H3 Bulbs
While looking for (an H3 bulb) at the AP store, I noticed all those Sylvania bulbs with the blue tint, that cost $50-plus dollars. I just said NO to those and got a cheap one. I just need to get the lamps mounted, wired, and tested. I can decide later if I need anything special, and I have all winter to get informed, but I'd thought Is start here- you get can some straight, plain-English poop here. I keep thinking, with the way companies keep tabs on their competition, if PIAA has a bulb that's bright or more efficient, then all the other suppliers will have it too, so there's no rush or reason to get one today. In stead of the white or tinted bulbs, I'd rather change them every Spring or Summer. They get dim over time, so a fresh bulb annually or bi-annually may be better for my needs than white or tinted light. Besides, I always complain about the over-bright lights other vehicles have.
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Removing Oil deposits from Inside Intake
There seems to be some confusion about this Mopar combustion chamber cleaner. A few other discussion websites stated that this product is a type of FOAM, and the main ingredient is water
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A Wide Sellection of H3 Bulbs
I have a new pair of fog lamps to install on the Zed, and one bulb wasn't working, so I looked around to see what is available: 55W Halogen, 80W Halogen, Cree LED, etc., I think I would like to get some halogen, so the light doesn't blind oncoming traffic, and it should look about normal to me. But, I read about a large variety of bulbs! Instead of brighter 80W bulbs, there were several suggestions to use PIAA 55W bulbs, as they are supposed to be as bright as generic 80W bulbs? eBay and Amazon had some Cree LED bulbs listed, but I have no experience using those for headlamps or fog lamps. If the PIAA bulbs are truly brighter than generic, for the same power consumption, then I think I would select those, even though they are a few dollars more than generic H3 bulbs. Discussion? thxZ
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Dim Headlights
Did you send him any parts from your car?
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Removing Oil deposits from Inside Intake
All I did was to use a scotchbrite disk on a drill to remove the oxidation on the outside. Plus, a l little etching mag wheel cleaner, I think.
- 280z Fusible Link Upgrade
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Removing Oil deposits from Inside Intake
Yours looked nice even before the cleaning, but mine is stock. I like the squarish edges of the stock manifold, so I would just clean it as it is, on the outside. I was thinking of putting in a reusable inline fuel filter, so I could clean it and reuse it, uinstead of throwing it away every few months.You can't even get the small cone filters with a 5/8 inch neck at local AP stores- you have to order them online. You would need an adapter from the big vent tube to a smaller hose.
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Removing Oil deposits from Inside Intake
I thought I would revisit this before it gets really cold... I don't have any carbon or soot buildup to remove. What there is inside the intake manifold, is a coating of some baked-on oil, so I don't think any of the de-carbonizing agents will work.... All the videos and how-to stuff I see is geared toward de-carbonizing the cylinders, valves, and EGR valve.
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Trip Down the "Mother Road" Route 66
If it 'looks good' then it probably not an original, so only real car enthusiasts will like it. Cobras shouldn't have much detail besides engine, gas cap, 1 or 2 seats, tachometer. I've asked people if they have ever used the quick-lift jack brackets, and they usually say, "it's just for looks." Mine is all original, so people tell me to put in leather seats, nice stereo, "nice paint" and a "new engine with turbo?"
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Trip Down the "Mother Road" Route 66
If you get a chance look up a TV series called Bill Connolly's Route 66. It's a fairly contemporary program, from 2011, and he drives Route 66 end-to-end in a trike, so the views will not be from the inside of a closed-in vehicle. You will see the same restored and un-restored places and buildings and roads, and even some of the places you won't see or read about in videos or books.
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Does anyone make replacement EFI engine room harnesses for the 280Z
If you find a supply, please share it. There are a lot of L28 owners that would want one to go with the twin-cam cylinder head.
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Changing gauge Bulbs
To me, it resembles a BA9 tubular bulb. The item name is BA9S T4W LED 2W 100lm 8-5730 SMD, which to me means: BA9s "style" (9mm base, similar to the BA9s bulb, with a single terminal) T4W = (??) 2W 100lm = 2 Watts and 100 Lumens 8-5730 SMD = 8 5730 SMD LED 'CHIPS' So the T4W part was the only unknown, and a quick 'Google' didn't give any helpful information. But if it truly has 100 Lumens, I think there may be hope for a good use.
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Changing gauge Bulbs
What do you think about this new design for the BA9 LED bulb? Is there a name for it? http://www.ebay.com/itm/201238059796
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Replaced my cargo straps with ratchet straps
I replaced my straps too, but I didn't have to make a new cylinder head for the engine! Ha ha I have been advocating for a new cylinder head and despite all the nay-sayers that insist you need a big bank account to do it. it has apparently been done. We will all look forward to the renewed performance a well-designed cylinder head will give.
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Dimmable LEDs?
Good, thanks for the note. I'll keep checking things as I put in LED bulbs. Keep in mind that some of the lights don't need dimming, like the turn signal, brake, high beam etc. indicators, so you could just use the single-LED bulb for that. You only really need those 7: speedometer (2), tachometer(2), oil(1), fuel(1), clock(1) and heater(1) so if you can leave the rest as regular bulbs, things should be fine (I think.) You just can't get those rare little things that go into the hazard and defroster switches, so maybe whatever LED you can get into those will be fine at whatever brightness they get. Personally, I don't need to see every little mark or speck of dust on the gauge face; just the position of the needle (except the car tachometer of course.) I've been getting the super-bright ones so far, but just a few. Maybe I'll look for the warm-white kind and try those.
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Dimmable LEDs?
I tried out this concept today. I installed a BA9 LED bulb (the 5 SMD type) in the heater control panel, and it really did dim with the other regular bulbs that were in the gauges. I adjusted it from fully-off to fully-on using the stock rheostat. I will get a bunch of white LED bulbs and start putting them in the gauges and indicators. Would this LED bulb work for gauge illumination? It's 1Watt.
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What's old is new again. Alternator upgrade options
I have wondered how people figure the output rating needed from the alternator. Do you just add up the values of the fuses in the fusebox, plus any loose fuses, or do you sit down with some paper and write down, in detail, every part that uses power (headlamps, fog lamps, heater fan, radio, power seat/windows, etc.) and how much current it needs?
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What's old is new again. Alternator upgrade options
because you cannot get the original parts. Even having the part, like the alternator, repaired or rebuilt is often not possible usually, because the repair shop people are gone, and the young people that have the repair shop are too lazy to repair things; they would rather just install a new part, which is easier, which you cannot buy! The same is true for classic American cars; you usually put in a modern part for the old part.
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What's old is new again. Alternator upgrade options
That's what I thought straight away. Usually, the first thing the sales person says to you is, "what car do you have" (even if you have an SUV or pickup!) So even if I tell him exactly the GM part number (or any part number even) is, they ask you, "what car do you have." These young people can't handle auto parts like the old guys did. They probably think a Spanner is some kind of computer or 'phone' application. UGH... BTW- None of the mapping websites I know of can find Podunk, KS...
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No Vacuum At Throttle Body Ports
I'm pretty sure that was the port I tested and found to have ported vacuum. The one pointing toward the TPS switch was blocked when the BCDD opening was blocked off. Plus, the PO must have re-plumbed the vacuum hoses from the manifold port. That port had a Tee to go to the FPR, and the other to go to the distributor and (another Tee) for the carbon canister. Similar variances were inside for the ventilation vacuum hoses and blower motor.
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Changing gauge Bulbs
While digging around myself, it looks like the bulbs you ought to get are a BA9s 12V flashlight bulb, which has a pointy glass envelope.
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Changing gauge Bulbs
Not at all. I usually wondered where they get those numbers, like the T-1 3/4 or T-5 for LEDs. Your rationale for the nomenclature sounds fine, and I really would like every vendor on eBay to read and comply! They use BA9 or BA 15 for just about any bayonet-based automotive bulb, and the LED "bulbs" (lamps, really) should have equally accurate nomenclature. OTOH- if you went to the auto parts store and asked for a 12V,3W BA9s-G3 bulb, the only thing that will happen is the sales 'person' will ask you what kind of CAR you have- even if it (the bulb) is for your lawn mower!