FastWoman

I don't know the value of the resistor, but you should be able to buy a replacement at Radio Shack. If your connectors are trashed, you can wire in an inline fuse holder (for the plastic fuses with the tabs on the side, not the glass ones). Just bend back the resistor's leads in a loop, and insert into the fuse holder with a pair of pliers. Then put the rubber cap back over the top of the resistor. You can also get M and F 2-conductor Molex connectors at Radio Shack. Just build the resistor into one of the connectors. Do you have the old resistor? Can you read the color bands painted on it?

Imagine having all of that leak-sealing gunk stuck in all your engine's moving parts! Replacing the head gasket is a LOT easier than rebuilding the engine.

That's not bad. Are there any particular brands to avoid? Any that are particularly good?

Hi all, Following advice I read elsewhere (common Z problems), I checked my vacuum advance. It's frozen up. (You would think I would have found that out when I checked the timing with my timing light, but my light only worked long enough for me to confirm it was 10 deg BTDC, and not long enough to goose the engine. I guess that's something else I have to fix/replace. :disappoin) The breaker plate does move a little bit, but not as much or as freely as it should -- not by a long shot. I also checked the play in the distributor shaft. I get a wobble of approx. 0.010" from side to side. Is that OK? It's not TIGHT, but I wouldn't think that little wobble would create problems. Or would it? So supposedly the design of the vacuum advance was somewhat cheesy. Is there a better fix than replacing the vacuum advance with NOS parts? Thanks! Peace, Sarah

... and several days later... You were right, Steve. I only have about half the vacuum I should. Apparently the leak is not at the vacuum accumulator, but rather in the dashboard switch assembly (i.e. heat, A/C, vent, etc.). That's a job for another day, but at least I've narrowed down the problem. Thanks! :-)

Or put it up on Ebay for some lucky Delorean owner.

Thanks, Don. Yes, I'm a hacker. ;-) I went ahead and ordered the Mopar board, though. Considering the savings in time, the $75 price tag is relatively easy to swallow. If necessary, I can mount it on the exterior of the can in its own clamshell project box, but hopefully it will go inside.

The device is probably a sensor if: (1) There are 4 wires total, with two being large and two being fine. (2) There is connectivity between the two fine wires and between the two coarse wires, but not between any fine wire and any coarse wire. Of course the part looks a bit toasty, so there could be connectivity where there shouldn't be and no connectivity where there should be. ;-) If it's a sensor, it's not hooked up to anything, so you don't need it. If it's a choke (not likely, because the windings are too fine), then you also don't need it, because there is no reason to protect a dome light bulb from electrical noise. I'd just remove it.

Bee, If you had a 30A fuse in a 10A slot and were blowing your fusible link, be sure to check out the wiring leading away from that fuse. It and/or adjacent wires might be cooked. If enough insulation melts, allowing enough wires to short to ground, that could result in your blowing your fusible link. Don't be afraid to unwrap the wiring harnesses for inspection. You can always re-wrap them with fresh electrical tape.

Thanks, Vince. :-) There's no grinding noise, and the starter cranks the engine just fine. I guess the bearings in the starter are getting sloppy, then? In any event, is there any hazard to the ring gear, as long as I don't hear any grinding noises?

Another vote for the one-tooth-off hypothesis, which is correctable from the oil pump side (although it is a slightly frustrating exercise -- did it on my old '75). You asked: "BTW- which mark to use; the one on the pulley or the balancer? Maybe one was filed in by a PO?" It took me a while to find the timing mark on my own '78, but it is a punch on the outer margin of the pulley on the opposite side from the belt groove, rather than a notch that cuts across the pulley. I suppose they did it this way to keep the timing notch from wearing the belt. Nothing about it looks filed. Perhaps it was drilled instead of punched -- or at least on mine.

Hi all, I'm still working out the bugs in my "new" '78 as free time arises. Er... Maybe I'm working out all sorts of vermin, as I just replaced the air filter, in whose housing I found the remains of a family of mice, but that's another story. The engine runs very well, overall, but I'm still not quite there. I have new vacuum lines throughout. Timing is correct. Engine vacuum is very steady, but a couple/few PSI low. Then again, it also has 160K miles on it. I've been running B12 in the fuel to clean the injectors. My remaining problems are: 1. After I've left the car sitting for 2 or more days and then have started it, it hesitates on start-up, often with a very mild/brief backfire within the first fraction of a second of running. I never have to crank the engine very long before it springs into action, but this is the pattern after I've left it sitting. If I start the engine after the better part of a day, or even 24 hr later, the start is rather uneventful. It bothers me very much to have any backfire with this design of airflow meter, so this is a priority for me to fix. My two hypotheses are: (a) check valve out of the fuel pump is bad, allowing fuel to drain out of the fuel rail, and/or ( the injectors leak pressure and eventually allow air back into the fuel rail. Or possibly © the cold start injector sticks if it's been sitting too long. The backfire suggests to me that i'm running too lean on startup. The stuttering and hesitation suggests not all of my cylinders are firing, perhaps because I'm initially injecting air instead of fuel (which would also make conditions too lean). The injectors seem to be original (i.e. 160K mi). Are they due for a change anyway? How about the cold start injector? Any thoughts as to what "usually" happens and what are the most obvious things to do? 2. Although my idle is more-or-less smooth, the exhaust puffs sporadically as cylinders miss. This happens maybe twice per second on a random basis (i.e. not attributable to any particular cylinder). My plug cables read in the neighborhood of 30kohm and appear to be in good condition. Should I "absolutely" be using coil-core wires instead of the resistive core? NGK plugs? Or are my problems likely elsewhere? My engine vacuum is very steady, suggesting to me that I don't have sticky intake valves, but the motor probably needs a flush anyway (on my to-do list). Perhaps a worn/sloppy distributor? Again, what are the most obvious/likely things I should consider? Thanks for your advice! Peace, Sarah

Well, I was originally going to suggest the vacuum reservoir for the HVAC system (Eli, the translucent white thingie shaped like a very fat submarine sandwich). However, I misread Eli's post, not realizing the hissing sound occurs when the ign is on and the engine isn't running. That brought me to suggest that he's hearing normal fuel flow through the fuel lines -- possibly with some turbulence somewhere. If there's nothing dribbling to the ground and creating ghastly fumes, it's not a fuel leak. It's also not a vacuum leak, as the engine isn't running (i.e. no vacuum). HOWEVER, Eli, if you have an engine compartment full of old vacuum lines, you probably have a few vacuum leaks. Replace your vacuum lines, and your engine will probably run much better!

Hi all, I just got my '78. I've been a bit concerned about the starter. It cranks the engine just fine, but it doesn't sound like any other starter I've had in any other car, including my old '75 Z. When the engine starts, and I turn the key back to IGN, disengaging the starter, the starter "groans" as it winds down. This lasts maybe a second, maybe less. I had hoped this noise would go away with a bit of use and general de-cobwebbing; however, it hasn't. My old '75 280Z's starter sounded like any other starter I've had, in that it didn't groan after I let go of the key. (Or at least I don't remember it having done that.) Is a groan normal as the starter winds down? Do the '78 and '75 280Z models have different starter systems? Thanks! Peace, Sarah

OOps... Replied to old post. Sorry...

I think you're a victim of coincidence. The bypass shouldn't have caused this problem. However, you'll get better coolant flow to the radiator if you cap the heater hose outlets, rather than connecting a bypass hose between them. The temp gauge system isn't very complex. Find the water temp sender (front top of engine), and see if you might have accidentally pulled the wire off while working on your car. The connection might also be dirty or corroded. The wire might even have corroded through where it enters the connector. (I'm guessing you get a bit more snow and ice up there in Canada than we get in Southern Virginia -- and probably lots of corrosive road salt to go with it.) FAIW, my old '75 quit on me one day at a mere 10 years of age when a fusible link wire corroded through. That was a Central Texas car -- no snow/salt. I'm still surprised at that one!

I have a nice '66 Mustang that HAD nylon braided sleeving on all the major hoses and plastic sleeving on all the wiring. It was really pretty, until the decorative blue aluminum fuel filter popped apart and dripped fuel on all the decorative sleeving. Once on fire, the sleeving spread the fire farther than it should have travelled, including downwardly via flaming drops of plastic that would stick to decorative sleeving below. I extinguished the fire before any damage was done (thank the gods!), but my hoses and wiring were a mess. I replaced with stainless steel braid. It's both pretty and flame proof. I of course ditched the pretty, decorative fuel filter and installed a sealed disposable one. Silicone rubber vacuum lines don't collapse, as long as you get the thick-walled ones. I just replaced a lot of rubber on my "new" '78 Z with silicone rubber. No problems. I used tubing like this: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/VACUUM-HOSE-SILICONE-VACUUM-HOSE-KIT-BLACK-3-sizes_W0QQitemZ280358982236QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMotors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories?hash=item4146b2925c&_trksid=p3911.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A12%7C66%3A2%7C39%3A1%7C72%3A1171 It comes in a variety of colors. New upper and lower radiator hoses are still plentiful. They cost about $10 each from AutoZone. The AZ manager tells me aftermarket hoses are still manufactured for most cars from the 1950's and even for the most popular automobiles from much earlier (e.g. a Ford Model T). You can get a SS braiding kit for $50 to dress them up. Securing the ends is not a problem, as the kit comes with decorative stained aluminum fittings for doing that. It looks sharp. I haven't done the decorative braiding on my Z, as the rest of the engine compartment isn't all that pretty. However, it looks really great on my Mustang! FAIW, you secure the braided ends by wrapping them with electrical tape, trimming any loose ends, and then clamping over the electrical tape. It looks neat, even without the special fittings. I found the large vent hose from the valve cover to the throttle body was rather unslghtly, and it was overly floppy, as it was really a 3/4" heater hose. I replaced mine with a 1/2" copper pipe, turning a right angle, following the fuel rail towards the front of the engine, then turning a right angle, slightly ahead of the throttle linkage, and then pointing downwards the throttle chamber. The connections on the two ends were via short lengths of rubber hose. I suppose the fitting could be chrome or nickel plated or painted to dress it up. It could also be SS braided. Clearance is an issue in the engine compartment, so you have to keep the pipe pretty tight to the engine. I have a clearance of about 3/4" in the tightest area over the throttle body. I've not found any NOS brake vacuum hoses -- only junkyard stuff in supposedly good condition. I have a silicone rubber hose running the short length from the engine to the check valve on the firewall. (Again, no trouble with collapsing, as it is very thick-walled.) I'm thinking of stringing a small steel rod through the interior of another silicone rubber hose to create a "form" for the second hose to the vacuum booster. I can keep the ends from wandering into the respective parts by bending loops in the ends that are slightly too big for the orifices. Of course it's also really important to make sure there are no sharp ends, especially with silicone rubber (which I suspect can rip rather easily). All in all, the engine compartment is pretty easy. It's all the weather stripping and seals that cost! Peace, Sarah

Thanks, Steve! I'll check that tomorrow.

Hi Mark, I live near Yorktown. It's a bit of a hike across the bridge tunnel, but the ribs sound inviting. I might show up! I'm already familiar with Tiedwater Z and do need to connect with them. Part of the reason I was motivated to watch for a Z to buy was my wistful feelings when driving by their location and seeing all the pretty Z's out front. (I had sold my '75 back in the 1990's. My ex made me do it.)

Hi all, My mostly uncorrupted '78 Z has a factory A/C. The high idle dashpot does actuate when the compressor clicks in, and it will hold a high idle when I let off of the throttle. However, if the engine is idling, and THEN the compressor clicks in, the dashpot is not quite strong enough to increment the idle. I've already disassembled, cleaned, lubed, adjusted, and reassembled the throttle linkages, and they're working very freely. Any thoughts as to how I can solve the problem with the dashpot? It's not a hugely big deal, but I'd still like it to work right.

Thanks, Steve. The LM2907 seems like a good starting point. However, all things considered (including my time), the mopar 67-74 tach board I linked to looks very promising. I've confirmed with the designer that it is very broadly adjustable to fit a variety of applications. Its diameter is just under 3", so I'm guessing it will fit. (I haven't pulled and disassembled my tach yet.) Can anyone confirm whether a 3" dia board will fit in the can? Thanks!

I'd worry about galvanic corrosion between the aluminum, copper, and steel on the exhaust side. Exhaust gasses are acidic and hot, and any differences in the galvanic properties of the interfaced metals is going to result in rapid corrosion. I *think* the steel in your exhaust will probably corrode away, losing electrons to the copper. I don't know about the aluminum (head) side, which would of course be the greater problem. FAIW, we just replaced the gas filler neck on our boat. It had corroded off, and we ended up dumping about a gallon of raw gas into the bilge. The problem was that a galvanized iron pipe was screwed into the brass deck fitting -- courtesy of the previous owner.

Any thoughts as to whether one of these could be used (probably with modified output)??? http://rt-eng.com/mediawiki/index.php/RTE_67-74_Tach_kit The firing frequency for a 6 cyl at 8000 RPM would be the same as that for an 8 cyl at 6000 RPM (the upper end of the scale these tach boards are designed for). The board is actually supposed to handle higher RPMs too.

Thanks, guys! Mark, I've emailed EScanlon to see if he found any solutions. Thanks for the referral. Yes, my tach is a negative wire hookup. According to my service manual, it has a +12 supply, gnd, and the signal off of the coil ground. I presume the noise picked up off of the coil ground triggers one-shot pulses. Yes, the 240Z tach does seem to be a completely different beast. Steve, I think you probably gave me the info I needed. I'm surprised the circuit used a custom IC. Nevertheless, the tach movement would be a galvanometer just like any other galvanometer (right??), and it should be possible to construct a replacement circuit board to drive the thing (should it not?). Hopefully I'll hear back from EScanlon pretty soon with those answers. How often do these things go bad? In your opinion, would there be any market for a replacement PC board? Perhaps I'm just cheap, but it seems excessive to throw a few hundred dollars at a junkyard part that might also soon fail. The most common failure mode would seem to be the board, which by some reports seems to go funky with higher system voltages. (My system charges at 15.1V. That seems awfully high, but I remember my old '75 car also having a 14.5-15V spec range.) Thanks for your help! Peace, Sarah

That happened to my old '75 back in the mid '80's. It was a rusted fuel siphon tube in the gas tank. When it got to 1/2 empty, the fuel pump was sucking air through the rust hole.