grantf

so what do you recommend, aside from flushing the tank and adding new gas?

new battery, starter motor cranks nonstop for more than two minutes , 13 volts across terminals. the fusible links were swapped out for fuses long ago and the car ran just fine year and a half ago.

not sure, I need to reatatch the fuel gauge. but I believe it was around 40 + without stepping on the gas, I am worried that I am getting no spark, but I do not see fouled plugs or even gas on them, arrrg this is frustrating. What is the best way to check the coil and or plugs for spark?

update: pulled spark plugs out, no fouling they look really good actually, also no sign of gas on them. I am stumped. still have not checked for spark as I need a second body to to turn the key....

Ok so I have drove my 78 280z only once about a year and a half ago after troubleshooting a fuel problem. it ran pretty good then. So now I am trying to start it after it's sat outside since 2008 and it will not start, I have a good battery half a tank of gas and over 30 psi after the fuel filter but the engine will not fire. going to check for spark next but does anyone have suggestions on what to do next? Oh and one other thing.... there seems to be a hissing sound near the fuel pressure regulator is this normal?

u-joint symptoms are usually a clunk sound, grinding noise seems to be brakes or bearings, my vote is bearings.

for the combo switch try: http://www.kamikazeracing.org/dl/ZTech/Rebuild_240Z_combo_switch.pdf blinkers are on the other side of the colum. perhaps you need new flasher units, there should be 2 one for hazards and one for blinkers the blinker flasher is hard to find inside near the firewall next to the steering collum. allso use the FSM from the xenon website the schematics under body electric are way easer to read. The rpm problem sounds unrelated to you're electrical problem, I very well could be wrong though.

I second the combo switch being likely, my 78 had the same problem no head lights or dash lights. I carfully pulled apart the combo switch and cleaned the contacts, both work now. Be carfull not to hack to much wiring trying to figure these electrical problems out, most are simple problems to solve if you are methodical.

Oh no!!!! the bumper is going to be hard to find, but i'll bet the hood fender and other bits are out there. Bummer

update: I have repaired all of the hack job wiring in my 280. the wipers work really good with the old motor! I will save the honda motor as a backup or upgrade at another time. Dashboard is back in!

south seattle, I think I met you at golden gardens at the datsun drive in months ago. If you ever see my car hold you're nose it is a work in progress. the dash is out of the car till I fix the electrical bugs. I have the honda motor (three bolts looks just like the ones pictured in earler posts).

I'm having the same trouble understanding the above diagram... I think after my dashboard is reinstalled in the car I will try the upgrade, looks like I will be figuring this out the hard way (but for the best). I'll keep you all informed....

so my question was will the above work in my 78 without adding an aftermarked delay???

so will this work on my 78 280z ????

finally got the headlights and running lights working, it was corroded contacts in the combination switch! now ont to the turn signals.

I had the exact same problem as you, the exact same symptems allmost word for word, what you discribe, and I just got my 78 running great after much $$$ in fuel pumps clearing out the lines, ect what it ended up being was rust in the fuel tank, what I did is a temporary solution: drop the tank (it's really not that hard to do) look inside with a small flashlight to asses the condition on the inside, in my case i used medium sized gravel (motor cycle trick, or use a lenth of chain)to dislodge rust then followed it up with a few flushings with gas and compressed air through the outlet tube. last after reinstalling the tank I put a small inline filter about 3 to 4 inches after the outlet leading to the fule pump. now no backfiring no sputerring and I get alittle under 40 psi after the main filter under the hood.

looks like you are correct as now that i look at the bad wiring in my car the relay bracket has been compleatly removed. the fusable links are gone and replaced with 30 amp fuses.

curious, because on my 78 the fuel pump runs always when the key is turned to on whether the engine is running or not, is that correct?

hu??? I do not understand, It dos run better! Pulsing???

buy a new fender ( obveous ) or take it to a body shop if you cannot do the work you're self. I think black dragon has some body panels and another site that had sections you could weld back in, i forget that site though. unlikely but a really good hammer and dolly job could fix most of it but a new eye socket is in order. sorry I know this is not that much help.

nothing, as my house has no garage! (driveway: 1997 dodge work van,,,,,datsun is 70 miles away :sick: )

All is well, the only confusion was on my part thinking the tank for sale was a 75 not a 77, thanks again.

i do not know if this pertains, but my dodge van was running really rough with little power until i found a hole in the exhaust manifold, for a quick fix I plugged it up with a bolt and some washers and now it runs great. I was thinking this might be a back pressure issue.

thanks but I figured that out already. again I don't know what i would do without the help of the members on this forum, THANKS!

thank you for all of you're help, let me know what you find out about the 77 78 tanks, I will make sure I am not buying another rusty tank (why go through the trouble??). looking at you're photo's has me thinking about going the por-15 route if the new tank is no good.