Zed Head

Is this the Z Car Source distributor? Good to know for future customers. They're going to give a refund, right? As far as timing, if the engine is running you should be able to set static timing. The vacuum advance should be on ported vacuum and the idle speed should be below the start of centrifugal advance so nothing should be changing at idle. If you had bad springs and an advance weight flopping around you might get jumpy timing though. You'd have to pop the breaker plate out to see that. On the ZX distributor swap - it is simple to do but if your customer wants to retain the car's original functionality you'll need to stick with the stock ignition module and distributor. 1976 Federal models have two pickups in the distributor and two circuits in the module, to bump timing up when the engine is cold. I don't have it on mine anymore and barely notice a difference but it can result in about a minute of lower than normal idle speed while warming up.

Amusing CL ad in the Seattle area. $22,000. I have a "280z block", all I need is a "240z head". one of a kind 1973 Datsun240z From the ad - Garaged since 1990 when I bought it, fully restored 1973 240z. Simply put, 280z block, 240z head, balanced, lightened flywheel, Nismo headers with Flomaster exhaust, 5 speed transmission, 411 gears. Realistic estimated horsepower of 230. Only flaws are one crack in the dash, air dam has paint chip in it and some very, barely noticeable, dust in one small area of the paint that came out of the door jam when repainted. This is a car that is in the top 1% of its kind and I will only talk to serious buyers. This has been my baby for 23 years and I have over $30,000 into it. reply to this posting through craigslist

Thanks for the story. I had looked at those coils, since they look identical to the others, but found that resistance was typically 0 - 0.1 ohms, compared to 0.7 for the "right" coil. Even though the 4-pin module has current limiting circuitry it didn't seem like a good idea. Better to use the balanced system as it was designed. I can see how you would get burned though, on appearance. Those later coils are typically used with the 7-pin modules that rely on the computer to control timing and current flow. I can understand the "hated that it's not running". 1979 specs. about 0.40" plug gap so Nissan probably has similar high-energy technology in their module. Spark potential is probably just as strong. The main reason to go GM HEI is that it's cheaper, and allows you to keep your distributor timing curves. It's also fun to experiment.

If the clutch disc is not perfectly centered the nose of the main shaft will sometimes not slide easily in to the pilot bushing. That's the last part, along with the dowels in the engine block, that mate when installing. I've had loose, poor quality clutch alignment tools that would let the disc drop down when tightening the pressure plate. You need the tightest alignment tool you can get, and hold it up perpendicular with the back of the engine while tightening the plate bolts. Spend a lot of time getting that perfect before lifting the transmission up. I've also found that the scissor jack that comes with the cars is great for holding up the back of the engine. You can adjust the angle of the engine on-the-fly as you get everything aligned. Sometimes it's easier to adjust the engine than the transmission.

Only adding this so you can be sure about what lines you're looking at. Seems like the return line would be a straight shot back in to the tank. Maybe use an actual drill bit instead of a piece of speedo cable. Worth a shot before you cut a hole.

The altimeter wires must be there somewhere for CA models, but the wiring diagram says the white hanging wires are Control Unit Checking Terminals. I should have found this a long time ago, considering all of the time I've spent staring at the 1976 wiring diagram. BUT. Looking at the 1978 diagram I see that there is an altitude switch. But its wires are black. The white checking terminal wires seem to be gone in 1978. I don't see them on the diagram or on a spare 78 harness that I have. One more interesting thing. I've seen it suggested that one could put a switch on those altimeter wires and use it to get a lean tune. Maybe for highway cruising gas mileage.

Reading your two posts one thing stands out - you're building a car for you to look at and your wife to drive. Seems like a recipe for dis-satisfaction on both sides. Your wife's idea of comfort is probably different than yours. What do you two drive now? That's what the new ride will be compared to. Hopefully it's an old pickup truck. Don't forget that the lower you go,the more things will drag underneath. My car is not really very low and I still drag the frame rail on certain speed bumps if I'm not careful. p.s. To Eurodat - I cut my springs front and back for about a one inch drop and it did not really make the ride that much stiffer. I figured it was worth a shot and if it didn't work I would get some lowering springs. But the ride was kind of soft to begin with so the cutting just made it better. Plus the lowering had a big effect on handling. I'm actually now running cut stock front springs and Tokico rear springs with KYB shocks. It's a nice ride, in my opinion, but my other car is a 95 Pathfinder.

I've seen it suggested, and it seems reasonable, that tire choice can have the biggest effect on smooth road (small bump) ride harshness. The tire sidewalls act as shock absorbers. Next in line would be the shock absorber since its response rate is what lets the wheel move instead of the car body. Then spring rate, since a stiffer spring will also move the body along with the wheel. The opinion that "coil-overs" cause a harsh ride probably comes from the impression people get when they change three things at one time. Typically, low profile tires, high rate springs (because total shock travel is usually reduced), and "performance" shocks are all done at the same time. Add them all up and you get a harsh ride. And, the Z cars all come from the factory with coil-over-spring struts (aka coil-overs). What people call "coil-overs" are actually just adjustable spring perches for use with coil-over-spring struts. Typically they also section, or shorten,the strut housing so that they can lower the spring perch and use a shorter shock absorber. A person could add adjustable spring perches, keep the stock springs, and lower the car an inch or so and probably be fine. So you really need to decide what you're trying to do, and take in to account the condition of the roads the car will be driven on. The right tires could give smooth ride on a lowered car if the roads are in good condition. On the other hand, pot-holes and sharp bumps will give a harsh ride on a car with racing shocks set to a high damping rate (Illuminas on 5 for example). That's what I've learned over the years. It's the combination of parts that will determine the ride quality, not just "coil-overs" versus stock. And don't forget bump-stops if you lower the car.

There's an interesting thread on Hybridz about that. Someone's car showed up at a car show under RockyAuto's name. The impression given at the show, whether intended or not, was that RockyAuto had built it, even though they had actually bought it. It was essentially unchanged at the show, but there was no indication that it came from somewhere else. Maybe they used to build cars, but they seem to have spread in to buying and selling, and using the RockyAuto name to help sell. Fairly typical brand name over substance business practice.

Misleading title. I thought you were trying to raise money to buy a Z.

Does anyone know a good way get a big view of the signature pictures? Many users have what look like nice views of their cars but the images are tiny. All you really see is red Z, blue Z, brown Z.

There are a couple or more people on the forum who have discharged the 5 mph shock absorbers and pushed the big bumpers in. They're the same size but they don't stick out as far. I haven't seen a good picture though so can't say what it looks like.

Came across this video this morning. Shows what an old 240Z can be if it can make it through the years without wearing out or being modified. I think they call cars like these survivors. I'm not selling or advertising. This guy posts a lot of videos of his highly modified 240Z over on Hybridz.

I'm just trying to help you get focused. I can tell from your thread that you're thinking about five things at one time and not sure about any of them. Kind of paralyzed with too many possibilities. The test with the starting fluid lets you eliminate, for the most part, the ignition system. Now you can focus on why the injectors aren't spraying fuel while the engine is turning and spark is being created. Have you confirmed that Pin #1 at the ECU connector has continuity to the negative post of the coil? You haven't given enough detail to tell if you've actually done the specific tests to determine that the ECU has what it needs to open the injectors. And, no offense intended, your questions about whether the water temp switch or the AFM can stop the injectors from squirting shows that you may not fully understand what makes the injectors squirt. Even though you've read all of the right stuff. Hence my specific questions, and comment about how you just need a few more numbers to get there. I still have things on my car that would never have been put there if I knew then what I know now. It takes a while for everything to soak in.

Good luck. If you want to figure it out on your own (I'm assuming that you do since you're not really answering any questions) the best thing to do is to read the Engine Fuel chapter of the FSM, along with the 1980 Electronic Fuel Injection Guide (it covers all years up to 1980). You'll understand a lot more afterward. Pay special attention to what makes the injectors open, and how the fuel pump gets its power. Index of /FSM XenonS130 - S130 Reference

Where have you looked so far? No use going over ground you've already covered. The switches are used for either Emissions or Engine Fuel control. Look through the FSM's in those chapters and you'll probably find what you need.

There is another swap procedure out there that leaves the light on all the time, I believe. I think it's on zcarcreations.com. As you described, with the light on all the time you lose the pressure imbalance indication. If you unplug it, you still lose the warning, but you don't have to look at the light all the time. There are many ways to get messed up. If I was starting over and really wanted to do this, I would use the atlanticz procedure, then cut the yellow wire at the brake check warning lamp relay and rewire it to the fuel pump power line. That's what I ended up doing after trying both procedures and draining my battery a couple of times. I went through the hassle just for the challenge. But in normal usage you would probably notice that your brakes aren't working right at the same time the light turned on. It just confirms what your foot is feeling.

Bummer that the 71B rebuild didn't work out. Apparently they're not easy to get back to factory-level performance with the parts that are available for rebuilding. What kind of noise does the 71B make? Shifting, driving or just sitting in neutral? I have a late ZX 5 speed in my car now that needs synchros, and a 1985 300ZX 71C with the front case swap completed ready to replace it. I'd like to take a shot at rebuilding the 71B but there's only one person who seems to have really improved his 71B, and been happy with it, with a rebuild and that's duragg over on Hybridz.org. And he spent a lot of money on Nissan parts, and a lot of time on fitting the synchros perfectly to the gears.

The brake light is supposed to light up when the key is turned on but the engine is NOT running. That's the "check" part of the circuit, showing the driver that light works. Then it's supposed to turn off when the engine starts, if the brakes are okay. Then, if the pressure balance switch on the hydraulic lines moves the light will turn on again. Is that what you mean by "on and off as it should?" If your brakes are in good shape all you will see is the light on when you turn the key, then off when the engine starts. If you follow the atlanticz procedure you might find that the brake check light never goes on, because the relay always has power. You probably wouldn't notice the light but you would notice the battery draining. One sign that the problem exists is a fairly large spark at the negative post, and a click from inside the car, whenever you remove and replace the negative cable.

How are you measuring voltage at the connector when you crank the engine? I'm curious. If you're doing it with the connector off of the injector then you might really just be measuring the electrical system voltage drop that results from the big draw of the starter. If that's the case and it drops to three, then you might have a bad battery or a short somewhere. I think that a starter will typically draw enough current to drop battery voltage to between eleven and twelve volts. Three volts is way too low and indicates a problem somewhere.

You should have battery voltage with the key on, and a drop during cranking due to current flow in the injector and the starter motor. Three volts seems pretty low though. But without knowing starting voltage, three doesn't mean much. The test light flashing is a good sign though, it means the circuit is being opened and closed by the ECU. Sounds like you're close, you just need to know a few more numbers. Do the starting fluid test, it's simple and will tell you a lot. Plus it gives a little more incentive when you actually hear the engine rev.

What do you mean by weak? There's not really a pulse at the injectors. Start with battery voltage at the connections, the ECU lets current flow, the injectors open and the 38 psi squirts gasoline out. Have you tried starting fluid to see if you have compression and proper timing, both cam and ignition? If it runs on starting fluid, then you can focus on getting the injectors to open. Seems like I'm over-simplifying but that's all you need to get it to start. Getting it to run well can take more work. And to be clear, when you say it won't start do you mean it won't even pop a few times or it won't stay running or it won't stay running long enough to drive. The more details the better.

The two most basic items to check when trying to start an EFI engine are spark and injection. Spark is pretty easy using a spare spark plug, injection takes little bit more effort. The 280Z ECU's like everything to be wired as it was from the factory, from the blue wire at the coil negative to the tachometer to the inline resistor on the tachometer wire. Have you checked for spark and injector operation when cranking?

The differential is essentially completely independent of the rear suspension and the body. It floats in and on a bunch of rubber. If you crawl under the car and lift on the mustache bar you'll probably find that it's free and not levering anything. But whatever bent the bolt could have bent something else. Metal can flex quite a ways before yielding, bending other things along the way. The upper half of the control arm mounts are part of the body so if there's a misalignment with the diff mount control arm divots you should be able to see it.

I'm seeing some masochism here... Curious - are you lumping everything from Asia in to "China" or do these two products have "Made in China" labels?