Zed Head

The back looks different. External Internal

That's about as good as it gets for the OP. 1972 specific.

Just a last thought - has it been confirmed that you got an externally regulated alternator? I can't remember what happens if you try to use an internally regulated alternator with an external regulator. I know the system doesn't work right though. Anyway, maybe it's all good now. There is a relay on the 76 that can cause a draw, if you still have a problem and decide to go with the internal conversion.

I did not realize that Alaska was having such a hard time. If you've watched Gold Rush you saw people quarantining and doing the things necessary to avoid spreading the disease. Looked like they had things under control. In the beginning anyway. It's still out there. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/sep/24/alaska-covid-coronavirus-rations-care-hospitals https://covidactnow.org/us/alaska-ak/?s=23391257

And, if you have "Z Car" in your name you are implying expertise in a specialty area. If you're not sure it works correctly you shouldn't put it on your web site. Right? Just saying, he's not just another O'Reilly Auto Parts.

I think it's just one guy. He used to be a Z guy. He should know better. Pretty common, you can find the stories of the guy who started selling a few parts, got bigger, and things started to go bad. I just call things like I see them. The benefit of doubt just facilitates more problems, I think. Call 'em out early so they can fix them before they get a permanent bad reputation. The instructions on the "high amp" alternator page are misleading. They lead people to buy a product, because it's a "direct replacement" that won't work if they follow the instructions that are used to make the sale. Once the part is connected wrongly, it becomes a "used" electrical part which gives the vendor the excuse not to refund the money. It's very close to being intentional. That's how it looks to me.

SteveJ, I think that he has been bamboozled by the "direct replacement" words on the ZCD site. The instructions on the ZCD site are incomplete/wrong. And you could have bought a 60 amp 1978 280Z alternator at your local parts store for about $65. You do get an extra 10 amps though. Not worth trying to get a refund. Read that atlanticz link.

I don't think that any of the 70 amp alternators are externally regulated. The only external is a 60. https://zcardepot.com/search?q=alternator&type=product https://zcardepot.com/products/alternator-reman-240z-260z-280z-510-70-77?_pos=12&_sid=673ff5c1a&_ss=r The guy at ZCarDepot is being disingenuous in his ad copy (surprise). He says that it is a "direct replacement". But it's not. Caveat emptor. Or, also possible, the guy at ZCarDepot is ignorant of how the alternators work. https://zcardepot.com/products/alternator-high-amp-80-240z-260z-280z?_pos=1&_sid=673ff5c1a&_ss=r&variant=19280584015985 New direct replacement high amp alternator for Datsun 240Z, 260Z, 280Z and 280ZX, 1970-83. This alternator is rated at 70 amps and bolts up in the same location as the original. Internally regulated. Datsun Z cars 1970-77 have an external regulator so the external regulator will no longer be used. Alternator uses standard flat male/female connectors or you can purchase the optional connector. *Optional connector plugs right into alternator. Yellow wire connects to switched 12V and green wire connects to the positive post on the alternator

It would be the F wire. Don't forget the diode. And don't forget to disconnect the old external regulator. The best way to "connect" that wire is to jumper it at the VR plug. https://www.atlanticz.ca/zclub/techtips/alternatorswap/index.html

This is a weird one. I've watched a few of this guys videos, he's mechanic who has good "content". He works in Florida and got COVID-19. Here's the one where he says he was feeling under the weather, about 2:20. Then this one right after. Never said if he got vaccinated. He's a Youtuber so he's planning to keep people updated. Real world stuff.

Or maybe they took them out later. Here is 76 below. I looked at 70 also and it shows springs.

Actually his first post shows springs. I was going to dig up a 72 drawing but figured the OP's own post was good enough, I assumed it was a 72. Just saying... John Coffey used to chime in to these types of threads about having to reset the plunger after the switch was actuated. Maybe Nissan put springs in later to fix that problem.

There are springs, you can see them in the drawing. But after 40+ years they might not be doing much. Edit - just saw EuroDat's post. The drawing shows springs but maybe they don't actually exist. I read on a Datsun 1200 forum that only USA cars have the switch. It's one of those safety features that only the US has. They got rid of it later when they went to the fluid level sensor in the 280ZX. Apparently us US citizens are forgetful idiots who don't know how to maintain their vehicle's and will let the fluid level drop so far that the brakes stop working correctly.

Could be a broken motor mount. Sometimes they feel like you ran over small bump in the road. One side of the engine lifts up and you feel the thump when it drops back down.

That type of switch was used on many different brands of car. You could probably find one and plumb it in as a surprise for a future owner. That might be fun and it would be a new part. I posted a Ford thing below. I had a pressure differential problem when I first got my car. The light stayed on but it was pretty obvious my front brakes had low pressure because the pedal went to the floor and the front brakes didn't work (calipers on the wrong sides, big bubbles). After the ordeal I realized that the switch and the light really didn't add much value. You could just get rid of it entirely and be just fine. If the seals don't seal you might also get fluid transfer from one end to the other. Another thought. http://www.fordification.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=77162

A typical battery has WAAAAYYY more than 60 amps available. "Strain" is initiated by the load not the availability. You might only run in to problems if you tried to charge a dead battery with the alternator, the charging wire might get hot. Even then you've only added 10 amps of capacity. No concerns seen.

Another thought- make sure that the actual charging wire, the thick one that connects to B+ is intact. The fusible link is one of the four in the two blocks up by the battery. Check that black link. Might be that the alternator is charging but there's no way for the charge to get to the battery and it's taking an alternate path. Not sure how that would work, just a random thought. Also make sure that the main ground cable is firmly connected at the starter bolt. And that the black wire is connected to E at the alternator. Might be that the problem is actually a ground path problem. Looks like Nissan has it labeled "A" not B+. You can see E also.

Here's one of those human interest stories. Local, I've been through all of the towns mentioned. 52 is not that old. All from the same family, some made it, some didn't. https://www.kgw.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/covid-vaccine-skeptic-changes-outlook/283-394587c2-2c23-4696-a60a-35c15e7405cd

Actually, if you had smoke I'd just take a good hard look at the wires and the connector, and the VR itself. Something should be brown and/or warped.

RTV was new space age stuff back then. https://www.permatex.com/who-we-are/history/?locale=en_us

That's a good point. Glass adds stiffness. The hatch might be warping as he moves it up and down. I'd also take some measurements just to see if those sides will ever fit in to the body correctly. And, see if the top rail can be moved, squeezed downward. Back to glass adding stiffness, and shape. You might be trying to fix a problem that won't exist.

Good luck. I predict a big number. Nice driving video, I think I saw a 56 Chevy. That's a good sign!

If you got 14.5 volts then the alternator was working. With an external regulator you can get up to 15 volts. I'd check the wires to the VR for short circuits to ground. Where did you get the VR? What brand is it?

I see the same thing as RacerX about the length of the hatch, or length of the car itself. Just doesn't look possible to get the front gap right and have the back edge match the back of the body. It is not possible. Looks like the back end of the car has been worked on and it's not right now. And it's not just the center of the hatch lid, the sides look right at the front corners, but the length of the side rails is too long for the car. The car is too short. Sorry to be so brutal. These two things cannot coexist.

Browse these listings and see how yours stacks up. Yours is kind of up in weekend race car zone, with the 12:1 CR. Without pictures, really it's just a list of parts. Good luck. Put it up on Hybridz. https://bringatrailer.com/datsun/280z/?q=280z https://bringatrailer.com/datsun/240z/?q=240z