Zed Head

People often overlook the bumpstops. Strut mounts (insulators) are usually replaced when they fail from the weight of the suspension hanging from them when the car is jacked up. You might consider the basics (for that many miles), like the mustache bar bushings, the differential mount, and the inner transverse link (aka control arm) bushings. All easy to get to and easy to replace while the back end is up. Also consider the transmission mount (called rear engine mount by Nissan). All of those parts tend to get loose over time and miles.

You didn't mention the basic test for air in the system, pumping the pedal. If you can pump the pedal up, there's air, if pumping has no effect there's an adjustment problem.

"Seems sorta sluggish" is relative. Is your other car a Corvette? Exhaust leaks and vacuum leaks are not the same thing. I would do a full tune-up before going crazy on parts. One thing that often gets overlooked, for people coming from the hydraulic lifter Chevy, or US domestic, world is valve lash. It's critical to good performance. Index of /FSM/280z

They are different, sometimes, in ways that I'm not clear on. But the injector grounding circuit is the same. It might give you enough to get the engine started and get the car home. I had a 76 and 78 280Z with exactly the same ECU's, but the number on that 1975 ECU is different. I only suggest it because it's cheap, $25, and might tell you something, if you get to the point where the ECU is the only possible source. The weird thing about your situation is that the engine ran when you drove it over there and then it just sat. The ECU is in a fairly dry spot and I think that they probably go bad from usage not sittage. Odds are something strange happened like your gas tank filled of water. It happened to EuroDat and he was using his car. If your guy decides to really go for it with some time, he might run a hose from a gas can to the inlet of the fuel pump with fresh gas. Especially if the injectors click.

A 1/2" spacer to make the body fit the tube is not much. And the fact the the spring is loose at full extension just means the Staggs have more travel than the originals, or the shaft is longer. Which could mean that you're bottomed out sooner. What you really want to know is the length of the shock, from bottom of the body to mounting point of the shaft, at full extension and full compression. Dimensions are hard to find, for any shock, and not many people consider the extremes, full extension and full compression, and what it means during usage. We're all accustomed to replacing stock parts so don't do all of the math that we should. If you can see the shaft you might be able to estimate or measure travel to bottom and get an idea of what's happening. If there's a boot/bellows on it will be difficult. Search 73598 (Monroe front) and 361002 (KYB front) on Rockauto and you'll see how things can vary (although that 14" stroke is suspect). Or just go to Suspension for a 78 280Z. You can be in the travel zone at rest but closer to top or bottom depending on which brand you're using. I've not seen the Stagg numbers although they might be out there somewhere.

I notice that you haven't mentioned your fuel map at all. Makes me think that you may not understand exactly how Megasquirt works. It doesn't adjust itself, you have to give it the right starting point, then tune it from there. It takes quite a bit of work to get it tuned right. Have you been on the DIY site? Spend some time here - https://www.diyautotune.com/faq/faq.htm

Here's a cheap ECU that might be worth a shot, for testing. Should work even if the numbers aren't a perfect match. The differences are minor among the variations. 280z parts/ FREE L24 / Price drop - Parts for Sale - HybridZ And superlen has been known to loan an ECU I believe. He has collected a bunch for his project. http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/fuel-injection-s30/51601-hellfire-status-release-date-annouced-2.html#post463189

This discussion comes up often, but there are many things that affect ride, like tires (profile), bushings (urethane or rubber), shocks, springs. After a while, you'll get used to it and your BMW will feel like it's disconnected from the ground. You'll miss the road feel of the Z.

The common problem appears to be where the wires to the connector bend and poke in to their holes. They flex and fatigue over time. I think that you'll need a magnifying glass to see any cracks. FastWoman reflowed hers, she might have some tips.

I used a black Sharpie (magic marker) on mine. Don't even have to to remove them.

If the diff is available you might consider getting it also. The 79 ZX had a variety of diffs but at least it will match the transmission. Euro, I thought the same on the transmission but the FSM says that 72 still had the 3.592 first gear, not the later 3.321. It also says that it has a 3.9 diff ratio though, which would give a very low 14:1 overall first. I'm not sure the FSM numbers are right though, the 240Z guys would know for sure. Anyway, it's definitely doable. Good luck.

What car? 240 or 280? The ride was stiff compared to before or just in general? How much slack? Are the springs red (Tokico's are red and don't require a compressor)? Interesting that the Staggs have more travel. It's a new product so information is scarce. Nobody has reported anything more than minor oddities though, which is good.

You kind of went backward but still got to where you need to be. Most of the threads I've seen on bad ECU's start with people tapping them to fix them, not make them go bad. But that is the sign. Reflowing the solder joints on the connector pins in the ECU itself has fixed it for some people.

You got a lot done in a short time. Impressive. I like the bailing wire puller trick, I did similar with an adjustable pipe clamp on a two jaw puller, to break a bearing loose and pull it. I think I took a picture for the record just because it looked so bad. Found it...

In principle, theory, on paper, in your mind, it's a pretty easy bolt-in swap. You might just need to retune the SU's for the bigger engine (I don't know SU's). The dimensions of the parts are the same. In reality, you'll break a bunch of bolts and studs when removing various parts, like manifolds or exhaust pipes. So you just need to be prepared to fix some broken stuff. If you really want to be prepared you'll have some taps and tap drills waiting and just decide to replace parts that might or might not need it, like manifold bolts or studs. I'm not sure, but I think that the 240Z exhaust manifold and exhaust system might be a little restrictive for a bigger motor. I think that they're restrictive for the stock L24 even before you start. The pipes look small compared to 280Z pipes (you'll see if you compare). The 5 speed transmission will bolt right in. The shifter or shifter opening might need some work, or not, 1972 might be big enough. Early cars couldn't handle the throw of the 5th gear position. Overall, it's easy. But the broken bolts will be aggravating. And, of course, there's the "what should I do while I have it out" project bloat. Clutch, flywheel resurface, rear main seal, transmission front seal...etc.

Listen for the clicks first. With no sounds but the tap of that jumper wire, either grounding the injectors directly, or grounding the coil you'll hear if the injectors are even opening. I would do both tests, first ground the pins at the ECU as FW originally suggested to verify that the injectors have power and will work, then ground the coil - to see if the ECU can do the same job. A jumper wire, the key, a charged battery (don't forget that), and you'll know much more.

That's a good point on the vacuum leak. An old-timey mechanic might have the oil filler cap off to listen for noise or something, not realizing that that would be a massive vacuum leak. Everything needs to be buttoned up tight. Too bad the garage owner's not on the forum.

Sorry FW I thought that you had mentioned the "grounding the negative post" test but I couldn't find it when I looked back. It doesn't seem very sophisticated, creating sparks and ozone, but it does test a big chunk of the system, in series and connected. Seems like it should be an FSM test.

I threw the gas idea out there on the assumption that the ECU and injectors are actually working correctly. A big problem here is that nobody really knows if the garage owner knows how to test that the injectors are getting grounded or not. Since it runs on starting fluid, seems like there are two feasible possibilities - the injectors aren't opening or they are opening but they're squirting bad gas. Hard to say which is more likely. But the fact that it does run with starting fluid is significant, since it means that the plugs aren't fouled. Overall, it's still looking like the ECU is not properly grounding the injectors. There is a test that you can do that will tell pretty surely if the circuit to the ECU is correct and if the injectors are opening. Connect a jumper wire to the negative post of the coil, leaving one end free. Turn the key On. Tap the free end of the jumper to ground quickly. Every three taps the injectors should click, all six of them. With no engine cranking and no extra noise, it will be easy to hear the injectors. If you get a spark at the wire on every tap, which you should, but no noise from the injectors, then something is wrong. At least you'll be back to a focus on the ECU and the Pin 1 circuit.

These symptoms are similar to mine when I was testing a spare ECU. I got about a mile away, thew car hiccuped once, went a hundred more yards then died. Let it sit, it restarted, but then died a few more times on the way home. Ended up running home to get the original ECU which I connected with jumpers, to solve the problem and drive home. I reconnected the old ECU and it ran super-rich then died. (I think that's what happened I'd have to dig up my old thread to be sure). Eventually I replaced the two main transistors in the ECU and drove the old/bad ECU around the block and it worked. There have also been accounts in the past about poor solder connections on the ECU causing the same super-rich symptoms.

You know I kind of lost track of the problem and its symptoms since you switched threads. But, going back to Post 29, if you're getting some activity from the engine like it wants to start, I would pull a plug or two and see if they're wet or dry. Also, consider that the gas may have gone bad. If you're getting signs of life from the engine try some starting fluid. Maybe you just need to purge the bad gas from the injectors and get things flowing and moving again. Actually, I would probably just try starting fluid right now. Could also be water in the gas. Where has it been sitting?

SteveJ might have a thought (actually his Post #2 advice is the way to go!). 240Z wiring is odd to me, wires run to all sorts of different places before they get to their primary purpose. By the diagram, two wires should be connected together at the harness, a green with blue stripe (GRN/BLU) and a black with white stripe (BLK/WHT). Then a single BLK/WHTshould connect to the coil positive, along with the wire to the E12-80, which I assume is the big red one in your picture. And that seems to be what your picture shows. The diagram also shows a separate wire to the starter solenoid. So you may be right, you need a new switch. SO, as I've done before, I've distracted someone from the good initial advice - check the coil positive for voltage with the key turned to Start. You don't even need to disconnect anything, just stick the probe on coil +, and the other to ground, then turn the key. You'll probably see it jump to 12 with the key On then drop to zero at Start. Here's a link to a 71 diagram. http://www.atlanticz.ca/zclub/techtips/wiringdiagrams/240z/1971_240z.gif Thanks for letting me work on your puzzle and sorry for delaying you from the fix!

Stock coil? Still using the ballast? Check the connections to the module, and make sure the distributor is grounded well. The current to charge the coil has to pass through the module to ground, you might just have dirty connections. Forgot to say, to SteveJ's point in#4, if you just installed the distributor you may not have installed the two power wires correctly. One of those details. Is this a new problem on an old setup, or a new setup with new problems?

These are two good ideas. You're about to the point where it might be the ECU. The FSM and maybe the Guide Book will show which pins are the grounding pins for the injectors. You can ground those directly since the injector solenoids have resistance. I have made little copper probes to insert in to the ECU connector to make it easy to attach alligator clips, by smashing a piece of solid copper wire flat. With the key on, and power verified at the injector pins of the ECU connector, a quick tap to ground should cause the injector to click. That will show you that things should work if the ECU transistor does its job. If you do that a few times for each one, the engine will probably start and run for a second or two. A probe in pin 1 across your voltmeter leads - pin 1 to meter - other side to ground - should show a flicker when cranking the engine over. Or the christmas tree light should show it. I have had an ECU go bad to where the engine would not start anymore. First it flooded the engine then it just quit doing anything. So they do go bad. If you can borrow an ECU it might be worth a shot to just go directly to that. Seems like you've done enough to justify it. If you were close by, I'd loan you one.

Many people leave some of the original fluid in the tube or add some, for a variety of reasons, so it may not indicate a blown shock. The 3013 shock is gas-filled so if the seal was blown the natural state won't be full extension anymore. In other words, if you can push the shaft in to the body and it doesn't push back up, it might be time to get another. BUT, the 3013's are not easily found yet. Although you could get a 3038 in its place if you did not damage the gland nut, and the 3038 packages do seem to be available.