Everything posted by Zed Head
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Weird Residue Inside coolant Passages
Hot tanking is no longer what it used to be. Nasty chemicals are being regulated. Do a search on it and you'll find stories about today's cleaning processes. You might do more damage trying to clean it than just doing the minimum needed. It's just going to get dirty again anyway. Kind of looks like old antifreeze residue. Whoever told you the block was "done" should not be listened to in the future. If the passages aren't blocked it will probably be fine.
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280zx 5 Speed Won't Reverse
Pretty sure the switch (not a sensor) is a straight thread, not a tapered pipe thread like the plugs, and it has proper flats for a wrench. 17 or 19 mm if I recall right. Should come right out, your biggest worry will be damaging the wires which will be rock hard after 40 years of baking. Heat will have a big effect. Those plugs have been bathed in transmission fluid on the other side for years and are steel in aluminum. If they've never been out then they still have Nissan's super sealant on the threads. Heat will loosen the sealant. Heat. Heat. Heat. When I was removing my diff fill plug I could only get it to turn after heat. As it cooled down it tightened up again.
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Z's on BAT and other places collection
I wonder if the door is complete. That would be worth some money.
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280zx distributor upgrade in 280z, tach now doesn't work
Paint the factory coil red and put a Blaster sticker on it? Or just save the blaster for use with the 6AL. Thanks for coming back with the solution. Nice when a guess turns out right. It is odd, really, that the Blaster doesn't work. A condenser on the negative wire might get the Blaster working but, why bother?
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COVID-19
Consider the source. Looks like just more distraction. Essential part of the shell game. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/trump-announces-rudy-giuliani-has-covid-n1250163
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280zx distributor upgrade in 280z, tach now doesn't work
And, I don't think is your problem, if you do get it working with the Blaster coil, see below. https://www.summitracing.com/parts/msd-8202
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280zx distributor upgrade in 280z, tach now doesn't work
One of the basic rules of torubleshooting a new problem is to go back and look whatever changes were made before the problem showed up. A coil swap is simple and will take that possibility out of the equation. As far as the coil goes, factory parts are almost always of better quality than aftermarket. MSD is not even owned by MSD anymore. It's a brand name, owned by Holley. And Holley was purchased by private equity back in 2012, after they went bankrupt a couple of times. Private equity firms are all about profit. Basically, MSD and Holley and most of the big auto names many of us grew up with are really just brand names now, parts are manufactured wherever the cheapest labor is. Sorry. Hate to be a downer... https://www.holley.com/brands/msd/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holley_Performance_Products
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280zx distributor upgrade in 280z, tach now doesn't work
Those wires, the red and green, actually went to the old distributor and the ignition module under the dash. They are the trigger wires. Not used anymore because all of that is contained in the ZX distributor now. If the engine starts and runs properly and the tach needle is twitching then odds are the connections are correct. The blue wire supplies both the ECU and the tach with the spark signal, to fire the injectors and run the tach. They're on the same wire. Might also be that your new coil is "noisy". Might be worthwhile to swap the old coil back in, just to see. The coil is the other thing that is different now.
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280zx distributor upgrade in 280z, tach now doesn't work
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280zx distributor upgrade in 280z, tach now doesn't work
No, I'm talking about a new condenser that wasn't part of the original setup. Edit - actually your engine wouldn't run if the blue wire was not connected. So, ignore the words below. The blue wire needs to be connected to the coil negative terminal. That might explain both why the tach doesn't work and why the ignition system worked with the old module plugged in. Not really clear what you mean by "coil wires" though. What are you using to power the ZX distributor?
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280zx distributor upgrade in 280z, tach now doesn't work
If you have a spare alternator condenser/capacitor around you could connect it to the coil negative post. I don't know exactly why (my logic is not of the professional sort) but it worked for me. Won't hurt anything.
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COVID-19
Liverpool fans. If you follow soccer you know that the games are almost more about fans singing and shouting than actually watching the game. Probably the best place to catch the virus in an outdoor setting. Standing in one place surrounded by shouting singing men who don't realize that their nose is involved in breathing.
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280zx distributor upgrade in 280z, tach now doesn't work
It's a bulge in that taped up wiring harness somewhere in or around your picture. Find the bulge, peel the tape back, it's an odd looking plastic thing with two bullet connectors, small than a quarter. Signs still point to the ZX E12-80/match box. Nothing bad about learning more about where all the parts are though. You've also confirmed that the ignition system will work even though the old ignition module is still plugged in. I've wondered about that in the past.
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Wire Harness Question
I think that you might have to ground the potentiometer (dash light dimmer) circuit to get the lights to work. It might ground through the dash frame. Gotta have a ground. Last thing - measure resistance through the circuit from power supply to ground before you apply power and you'll know if you have a dead short before you even blow any fuses.
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Wire Harness Question
Put one of these in the power supply line from the battery. A 20 amp fuse (or 10 if you want to be really cautious) should protect any of the wires in the harness. If it blows right away you have a short. As you turn on various lights and gizmos and it blows you'll have a clue about which device has a problem. The 240Z owners manuals have good wiring diagrams in them. https://www.autozone.com/electrical-and-lighting/fuse-and-accessories/bussmann-atc-fuse-holder-with-cover/32415_0_0?spps.s=4180&cmpid=LIA:US:EN:AD:NL:1000000:ELC:71700000060662503&gclid=CjwKCAiAn7L-BRBbEiwAl9UtkHW6xyqKPANG2FaYsa9znpvCznDnG5GjjBuOLa2uPpPq0ebehc1UzBoCzqQQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
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saturday night music thread
I think this is actually faster. Definitely different.
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I found a metal tube in the oil pan
It would need to be brazed back together after taking things apart. You might find an aftermarket solution. I did a quick internet look but didn't find anything. You definitely need to fix it though. Check your cam shaft carefully. If it's been that way for long then your cam lobes have not been getting lubrication. If your cam shaft is shot then you'll want to get an internally oiled camshaft to replace it.
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I found a metal tube in the oil pan
Take off the valve cover and check the spray bar. I think that your guess is correct. Hopefully there are no damaged cam lobes. Also possible that it is left over from some past catastrophe up top.
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COVID-19
Watching a soccer game in England. They decided to let fans attend under "strict" rules. Must wear a mask, must maintain distance, no singing or shouting. What could go wrong? https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20201205-premier-league-tells-returning-fans-to-avoid-excessive-singing "Chelsea's game against Leeds at Stamford Bridge, which starts at 2000 GMT, will also have 2,000 fans present. The Premier League issued advice on safety measures on Saturday, including a warning for fans not to get carried away when their team scores a goal. "Fans can celebrate but should remain socially distanced from people outside their social bubble," said the advice. "Hugging of other fans and high-fives should be avoided and fans are asked to be respectful to those around them, including avoiding excessive shouting or singing." Look at all of the noses. I have a friend who calls that kind of mask a chin diaper.
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Z's on BAT and other places collection
If it has the indents I'd guess that they were smashed in there when the car was dragged through the field. And the front end might just be smashed and rusty 76 parts. JUST SAYING!! (Why am I even writing about this turd...)
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Ruined Wheel Hub?
You can "hone" the inside of the bearing race also. Good that you figured it out. SPC wasn't huge in the 70's. Nissan either made out of spec parts or maybe the spec was different then. Read up on Six Sigma if you want to be bored about how to make stuff.
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Burnt Oil In Valve Cover: How Dirty is Too Dirty
Engine Mechanical chapter. There's a lot in it you can go through it many times and always pick up something new. The bright link is not really needed if you have the notch, and the ignition timing marks on the damper. Get Monroe's "How To Rebuild... book. https://www.amazon.com/Rebuild-Your-Nissan-Datsun-Engine-ebook/dp/B006VUICHG
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Z's on BAT and other places collection
I actually avoided commenting on the blue car just because it seemed like a messy discussion. Thought I had the easy solution with the VIN posted from Beverly Hills. I had found that jdmjunkies chart too but couldn't read it. I don't think I'd buy a car from those guys. They're like the opposite of BAT. As little info presented as possible.
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Ruined Wheel Hub?
Maybe ZCD got a "deal" on a batch of wheel bearings. Counterfeit wheel bearings is a big problem, apparently. Regardless, they don't fit. Racer X's suggestion to take a measurement is a good one. The proper dimensions are in the Timken link. I looked for an article on counterfeit bearings and found a lot more than I thought I would. Here's a few, below. Besides counterfeits, off-spec. parts can go out the back door for resale. Overall, Tweeds should let ZCD know that the bearings didn't fit the spindle. He would save ZCD bad press and problems in the future and he might (should) get a refund or proper replacement parts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2wg3EXqlKM https://www.machinedesign.com/mechanical-motion-systems/article/21835371/the-dangers-of-fake-bearings https://www.nskamericas.com/en/company/counterfeiting.html
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Burnt Oil In Valve Cover: How Dirty is Too Dirty
The FSM shows the "Okay" range as pretty much across the groove. The notch starts at one side and as the chain wears it ends up at the other side. If you're in the middle, you can't make it better. And I think you're still in the "1" hole, see picture. Your engine seems to be in good shape. Almost disappointing, nothing to work on. Something will crop up...