FastWoman

FSM = Factory Service Manual It's available also at www.xenons30.com. You'll find complete debugging procedures and data there. Possible problems might include: -- no power to ECU -- no signal from ignition coil's (-) terminal to ECU's #1 terminal -- bad drop resistor assembly (or connections). The drop resistors are located beneath the brake and clutch masters. It's probably easier -- or at least much cheaper -- to repair your harness than to buy a new one. I don't even know whether new ones are available. You can buy new Bosch-style 2-conductor connectors here: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/injector-connector-kit-6pc-datsun-280z-280zx-300zx-/290452375892?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item43a04f8954 (vender's name is f0rrest). You'll need 10 of them. There are a few other connectors, but that's most of them. The wires themselves will probably be fine.

I think that was pretty generous of you, Randy. Perhaps they don't need the lime 240 scene that much after all. ;-) Maybe the budget is large enough to make a cardboard mockup. The actor can "drive" it around Flintstones-style. :->

I have no idea whether this would be helpful, but I de-rusted and repainted the air cleaner box on my 280, which I realize is totally different. I replaced the gasket on the clamshell with adhesive-backed weatherstripping. I applied some contact cement to both surfaces to get a solid stick. So far it's worked great.

Is there any varnish in the engine? Varnish can cause your valves to stick. Flushing your engine with Gunk Motor Flush will resolve that problem. It can take a few flushes, and the first flush can actually cause the problem to worsen slightly, as it swells the varnish. Chemtool B12 added to the gas tank can also help dissolve varnish off the lower ends of the valve stems. Unfortunately valve stems are the hardest part of the engine to get clean, hence the multiple flushes. A more gradual approach can be running Chevron Delo motor oil, which is very high detergent (a diesel formulation). Alternatively, you can add Rislone (detergent additive) to your motor oil.

Not even food and lodging? Geesh! Ask if their film crew works for free, or whether they are simply reimbursed a few of their expenses. It's sad that everything these days is expected for free. Hey, I'd barter for that ______ (insert name of desired major part upgrade) I've been drooling for. I'd send an email with “Use of YOUR NAME’S 240z in exchange for THAT THING YOU'VE BEEN WANTING TO BUY” in the subject line. Seems fair: If you benefit from the car, then contribute somehow to the car.

Well, it's difficult to actually SAY "@#$%ing." The pronunciation is quite difficult. Anyway, sorry to have scared you and Godzilla. :classic: From my notes: "The Bosch/Nissan part (17014-N4225) is NLA. The functional equivalent is the Bosch/Volvo part (1 583 386 011) for the 1976 - 1981 Volvo 240." Good luck, and let me know what you find. Jazfe, how did the generic check valve work? Inquiring minds!

Good lord, I'm bummed. I just saw "Whose body is it anyway?" It's about a sculptor who hops into his 280Z ('77 or '78) and drives it underneath an out-of-control truck. That leaves him paralyzed from the neck down. He ultimately wins a legal battle to be allowed to die. [sigh]

Having replaced my oil pump once, I wouldn't recommend it. It's a pretty simple and robust design, and I can't imagine it wearing out or breaking. Besides that, it's a bit of a PITA job, at least for one person. I agree with others above. FAIW, the problem with my car (my '75 from long ago) wasn't the oil pump, but rather the oil sender.

You might not have gotten a reading because you weren't pushing the probes firmly enough into the metal of the connectors. Use sharp points and edges! ;-) It's possible the connector on the temp sensor isn't making contact (old and corroded), but I would think you'd be blowing black smoke out the exhaust if that were the case.

NOOOoooooo! This invokes images of the ugliest car ever made: http://www.google.com/search?q=citroen+3cv&hl=en&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-Address&biw=921&bih=823&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=pqaATv6PDa7_sQLK4t3_BA&sqi=2&ved=0CCcQsAQ

Dave, I couldn't manage to drive my '75 Z's mpg all the way down to 12 mpg even when I was young and stupid and knew only two throttle positions (WOT and closed). I agree that something else must be amiss -- maybe leaking fuel or dragging brakes, as you suggest. Plugs show firing of all cylinders at a good mix. Fingering the AFM shows proper mix. Question about how to measure resistance: I know nobody reads instructions, BUT there should be some instructions handily enclosed with the multimeter. You have to plug the two electrodes into the indicated sockets, and turn the selector to resistance. You'll want a range of maybe 5 kOhm. Touch the two probes firmly together, and you should get a reading of 0 kOhm. Hold the two probes apart, and you should get an infinite reading (however that's indicated on your meter). If you get these two readings, then you have everything set up right. Now touch the two probes firmly to the two points you want to measure the resistance between (e.g. the two connector blades on the coolant temp sensor), and take the reading. These are very general instructions. Every meter is a bit different, so it's hard to get more specific.

In addition to the brake booster issue, your engine is running too rich (which is why it runs faster when it gets extra air).

Airplane remover will strip the paint pretty well. If yours is like mine, there will be a lot of surface rust. Dilute muriatic acid can remove that, followed by phosphoric acid (Ospho), that will neutralize any flash rust and give you a paintable surface. I just used an epoxy primer and topcoat (appliance epoxy), but POR15 is probably better.

If the intake manifold were on an aircraft engine at 10,000 ft + on a cold winter day, then maybe. However, I think your carbs would ice up first. Your intake is sitting right above a hot exhaust manifold, stuffed into a barely-large-enough engine compartment. I've never heard anyone complain that their intake manifold is too cold. Quite the opposite!

Welcome! Congrats on your '78 (the best year... although I might be biased)! The "T" circled in red is some modification of the original plumbing. Originally, you should just have that one small line circling around the firewall to the HVAC vacuum stuff on the passenger fender. The doodad circled in yellow is controls the EGR valve. You can download a free copy of the Factory Service Manual at www.xenons30.com. That will describe all the emissions spaghetti for you and show you how it's all connected.

I also forgot to mention rust/corrosion. That will be the biggest difficulty you will face -- rust holes, frozen bolts, etc. On the plus side, you can actually SEE the engine and reach its working parts without taking half of the engine compartment apart. I think your decision to pass on the 2+2 was a good one. Keep your eye out on CL. These cars do come around.

You ask about maintenance costs. I owned a 2001 BMW Z3 2.0i prior to my Z. It was a very nice/fun/cool car, but it was quite complicated. "Complicated" doesn't necessarily just mean "hard to diagnose." The bigger part of "complicated" to me was that there are more parts to break. I could theoretically have had a malfunction with a common safety device I'm legally not at liberty to mention [cough, cough], and that could theoretically have caused a lot of damage and costly repair. Near simultaneous to the theoretical malfunction, the steering angle sensor (component of the dynamic stability control) went out. That would have been another $700 if I hadn't shamed the dealership into fixing it gratis. (The car was in the hands of their mechanics when the SAS went out.) Add this to the list of $1.25 TINY little NOTHING caps that cover the screw heads and must be destroyed everytime a screw is removed -- and the $60 pieces of rubber and plastic -- and all the "because-we-can" price gauging. I simply had ENOUGH! What I really wanted was my old Z that my ex made me sell back in the '90's. I did my research and found out that parts aren't really so bad. I already knew the car from bumper to bumper, so diagnosis was easy. The car is solid, reliable, and SIMPLE (meaning fewer complicated systems to break). Moreover, even scarce antique parts for the antique Z are cheaper than the BMW parts -- by FAR. They might not be as cheap as parts for a Chevy, but it might be like buying parts for modern Japanese cars, for the most part. Most major working parts (e.g. alternator, distributor, ignition components, brake components, and other stuff you'd expect to find at an auto parts store) are actually available for the Z. Gaskets are common and are still made for the car. I'm not worried they'll disappear, because I could still get gaskets for my 1932 Chevy coupe if I owned one -- or any other really old car. So really these cars are quite ownable and practical as a daily driver. Here's the catch, though: Like any old car, any Z you find will probably not be in the best running condition. You'll put in a lot of time and perhaps even a bit of $$$ turning it into a properly functioning car. And then you're there! Maintenance will be similar to -- or cheaper than -- maintenance on modern cars. These old cars ARE a bit fussier than modern cars because of the way they're designed, so you might have to mess with idle speed settings a bit more (for instance). They're also not nearly as efficient as modern cars, nor are they as powerful, in general (although they can be modified for a LOT more power if you have the $$$ and time). But if you're OK driving old technology and paying more for fuel (approx 19 mpg combined city/highway), these cars are GREAT to drive. There's definitely a "cool" factor about them.

Sand left in the casting?! Wow! Maybe some of the sand DID get sucked down the intake. If you want to know whether your hole leaks is an intake passage, find a way to seal up the intake orifices (e.g. hands held over the mouths of your carbs?), and blow into the intake through your brake booster vacuum line. It will be easy to tell whether the intake is tight, vs. gushing air out through that square hole.

Of course ask yourself whether you want to drive from the passenger side of the car! It could be difficult/dangerous for passing, particularly if you're following a truck. Think carefully about that! It sounds like a lot of little things need attention, and that could add up. For what they're asking, I'd expect a 100% functional car with very little rust. (Just because they say there's no rust doesn't mean it's so. Look carefully.) Also the 2+2 thing -- less desireable, but more rare. I don't know how that plays out in the value of the car. I personally hate the hump in the roof line, but a few people really like it.

PROBABLY heat, yes. Aluminum expands and shrinks faster than steel with temperature fluctuations, so the steel plug in the aluminum hole should fit more loosely when they're both hot.

You can also use one of my favorite tools -- a big rubber mallet. Just bonk on the end of your wrench handle in the desired direction. You won't be able to bonk your car off the jack stands, but you'll get quite a lot of torque out of a good bonk.

If it's body work you need, I'd get the work done closer to home than Tidewater Z. It's not like there's anything unusual about working on a Z's body, vs. any other body. I don't know who's good in Chesapeake, but on my side, I can highly recommend Auto Haus -- nice work, very reasonably priced. That's probably where I'll take my Z when I get around to some small rust patches.

I love your reference!

If idle drops when you finger the AFM either direction, you have the optimal/best mixture already. Maybe your cylinders aren't all getting the same fuel delivery, or perhaps you have an ignition problem with one or more of the cylinders. I'd recommend pulling and reading the plugs. Do they all look the same? Are they all reading a nice mocha color on the insulators? Also, try pulling injector connectors off of each cylinder, one by one, to see if removing any particular injector connector has no effect on idle speed (which would indicate a dead cylinder).

Also, from which well known online Datsun parts supplier did you get your head? I can think of a couple of them that are well known in a way that's not so good.