FastWoman

I was told by my local Z specialist not to buy refurbed injectors. I asked which new ones I should buy, and he said it didn't really make a whole lot of difference, as long as they're new. Trusting in his advice, I bought a set of Standard Ignition injectors off of Ebay for about $150, and so far they're doing great: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/75-76-77-78-79-80-81-82-83-Datsun-280Z-Fuel-Injectors-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQfitsZModelQ3a280Q5AQQhashZitem256274378fQQitemZ160565573519QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories The only thing about these injectors is that the pigtails are a bit too short. Plan on removing them and clamping on some longer pigtails. I probably could have reused the ring-type connectors, but I didn't fully trust them. I just used conventional clamps instead. Very easy.

I remember when a fusible link left me stranded in my '75. The car was only about 10 years old at the time. MaxiFuses are the way to go!

Really? They said a bad coolant temp sensor (or connector) couldn't kill the engine? Well, that might be true with a modern EFI that would go into "limp" mode, however there is no limp mode on an L-Jetronic EFI. A useful experiment: Unplug your temp sensor and try starting your car. It might run, and it might not. If it does run, it will be barely, and it will be billowing great clouds of back smoke. I'm still fixated on the single tap to the thermo housing instantly killing your engine. I doubt that was just dumb luck.

You're not supposed to like the bigger, floating, 5mph bumpers! ... but I do too. Hey, it's a 70's kind of thing.

Yupyupyup... It's the same type of connector as on the injectors. If it's crumbly (which it probably is), go to a wrecking yard and get a quick release version of the connector from a Volvo (?) or some other car. The quick release connector releases when you squeeze the sides -- very handy for the front of the engine. While you're at it, grab a second connector for the thermotime switch next to the coolant temp sensor.

That's pretty cool, Darrel! Thanks! Still kinda want the brass, though.

So I've looked on Ebay and found the brass shifter bushings. (Mine are shot too.) However, it's only the side ones I see. Does the bottom one tend to go out too? Maybe it's easy to make one? In my experience, the OEM bushings only hold up for several years of regular use. I've worn out a few sets. Of course that was mostly when I was younger and... er... lived up to my "FastWoman" moniker a bit better.

Phew! Glad you're OK. I think it was Mark Twain who said something like, "Humans are remarkable for their capacity to learn from their mistakes and equally remarkable for their incapacity to learn from the mistakes of others." A complete brake refresh is on my list this year. I think I'll get more serious about it!

Depends on the year, Stinky. My 1972 JD 212 tractor with the Kohler motor is a very smooth machine! But no, you shouldn't see the engine shaking all around, unless you've got some sort of performance cam in it. I'm pretty sure the straight-6 and V-12 engines are the only engines with inherently perfect primary and secondary balance. It should be a smooth running motor, albeit with a light ticking from valves and injectors.

Yeah, I kinda do... It gives the engine some personality.

By "a bit of a tick," do you mean that you can hear the valves softly ticking when the engine runs? That's normal. It's not going to sound as quiet as an engine with hydraulic lifters, no matter how well the valves are adjusted. FAIW, 5W30 is a bit thin for these engines, especially in Arizona. But I don't think that's your ticking issue. You're probably better off with 10W40.

If you have a new sensor, it's probably good. MSA is fine. Just do a resistance check on it (at the ECU connector) to make CERTAIN it's good and has good connectivity. (Note: There may be some connections inside your wiring harness that are corroded.)

Oh wow... Well, sometimes the ECU goes bad, sometimes from a cold solder joint. I know it's a PITA, but maybe you could open up the ECU and reflow (re-melt) all of the solder joints with a 30 or 40W soldering iron. Sometimes they go cold with vibrations and repeated thermal cycling. Maybe it's a stuck (open) cold start injector. Beyond that, you could check resistances at the ECU connector. For instance the coolant temp sensor might be suspect.

Might also be a weak connection to the (+) terminal of the coil.

As far as I'm aware, there's only one official Datsun publication per year. The '77 and '78 are very similar, and I don't think the differences have much functional consequence, but there are certainly a few things they changed. Anyway, the Diagram 2 looks like my '78 with regard to the air regulator plumbing.

... except the coil might have an internal short (e.g. from overheating and insulation breakdown). A spark on the primary merely means current flow.

^^^ Yeah, most likely a dirty connector -- temp sensor, maybe AFM. If I were you, I'd replace all the 2-conductor Bosch-type fuel injection system connectors with new, and clean up the throttle position sensor connector, AFM connector, and ECU connector. You can get the connectors cheap on Ebay. This guy is honest and puts together a nice kit: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/injector-connector-kit-6pc-datsun-280z-280zx-300zx-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem43a04f8954QQitemZ290452375892QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories The connectors are a bit flimsy, but at least they're fresh, and they work fine. If you ask the guy, he can put together a kit for you with the number of connectors you need.

Tapping the (-) to ground should do exactly the same thing the points do. Of course you need to disconnect any wires other than your test wire from the (-) terminal first. I admit I've never done it, but I'd be surprised if this didn't produce a spark. I suppose the "tap" needs to be a solid, deliberate tap, not a casual brushing.

Oh, that would have to be the one that got sung on almost a daily basis on the Gong Show... Feelings.... Nuttin' more than feelings.... Trying to forget that... ridiculous song.... Feeeeeelings! Whoa whoa whoa Feeeeeelings! I wish I never heard that song.... But now it's stuck in my head.... Whoaoaoaoaoooah... Oil drops... Synthetic Mobil 1 Oil drops... Lahdedah detergent... And ZDDP!

Are you talking about the "chrome" plated plastic bezel around each tail light? If this will also fit a 280, I'm in. I'd spend $90 for a pair, sure.

Nice graphic! Actually the green lenses wouldn't knock down the light from green LEDs much at all. I'd just leave them in place if I were doing it. Also I don't think it matters how much light spread there is. The light is simply dumped into the can and bounces around from there. FAIW, I've read of others brightening their panels by painting the insides of their cans white. I suppose you could even nix the lenses and paint the can innards green.

high in ZDDP and high in detergent -- heavy duty stuff for trucks and racing. Some synthetic content is good too, as synthetic oils don't drain completely off of metal surfaces when the engine is stopped. However, I don't think a straight synthetic gets you much more than a blend.

The Nutz method sounds good, but I'll mention the best way to prepare a new stud isn't by grinding a flat spot, but rather by taking a pair of sharp vice grips and completely boogering up all the threading that will insert into the epoxy (suggest JB Weld). This will increase contact area, rather than decrease it.

Dunno.... It looks nice, but the green instrument panel glow has a familiar sort of vintage feel for me. I wouldn't have it any other color than green. FAIW, my 3.4W (?) original bulbs were getting pretty dim, and my 4W Eiko 72 (?) replacement bulbs made the panel much more readable. No problem with visibility. I wonder whether it would be possible to make replacement bulbs with green LEDs -- not white LEDs filtered green. Perhaps an electronic dimmer could be made from a chopper circuit. On the other hand, I sort of like the glowing filaments too. Some day, when instrument panels are all LED back-lit LCDs, there will be something very cool about a hot-filament backlit mechanical panel. It will have the same feel to it as a vacuum tube radio or even a vinyl record has today.

See if the shop is a member of the BBB. If they are, file a complaint. They'll work hard to get it resolved, so they may eat the $$$ for the replacement part. You can file a complaint even if they're not BBB members, but they might not do as much to resolve the complaint. FAIW, they might not see eye to eye with you about fault. Sometimes parts get destroyed upon removal in old/antique cars. I agree there's no way this should have happened, but they're probably going to argue they were doing the best they could do with a rusty old car. Any third party hearing the arguments might not know better. They certainly can't justify your actually paying them for this work, but you may be up a creek with regard to the replacement parts. I'd ask the shop to simply get the wheel back on the car, so that it can be towed away (to another shop). After you've retrieved the car (and not payed them anything!), then file your BBB complaint. You probably won't get satisfaction, but at least you will have warned others. I agree with others that I would not let this shop touch my car (any of my cars) ever again.