Zed Head

The things that you tried that raised the idle that made it run better all leaned out the mixture. Removing the AAR hose, taking off the AFM boot (AFM signal disappears), taking the air screw back (bypasses the AFM vane). Somehow you've made things too rich. Did you adjust the AFM spring? Accidentally knock the coolant temp sensor connector loose? Raise your fuel pressure somehow? You might also have fouled some plugs. Brake cleaner is not designed to burn, like carb cleaner is. The old brake cleaner won't burn at all, I don't know about the new "green" stuff.

You said it ran well with the hose between the AFM and the air filter removed. The only thing between the AFM and the "air" is the filter and the plastic tube to the air intake point. Did you check the rest of the intake system. Maybe you meant the hose from the AFM to the throttle body? If so, it sounds like your AFM vane is stuck closed.

Clogged air filter?

The boiling water method works. The bushing is made of nylon, which absorbs a lot of water. The absorbed water plus the heat soften it up and it will pop off. Boil it, then try the adjustable wrench method while it's still warm.

Looks like Nissan may have them, for a couple dollars more. If "insert" means seat. Look at parts 5 and 6 - Datsun 280Z Cylinder Head, Rocker Cover & Thermostat L28E INSERT-VAL :: Nissan Parts, NISMO and Nissan Accessories - Courtesyparts.com

Coincidentally, today I was looking at a few ECU's I've collected to see if they had the "altitude compensation" pins. All of them are A11-600-000 and they come from cars from 76-78. While checking the FSM's I saw that only the California cars came with altitude compensation. I wonder if the -601- ECU's have the altitude compensation circuit? Samson is in CA, Eurodat, where did your car, or ECU, come from? The switch is described and shown in the Engine Fuel chapter, it drops the fuel supply through the injector duration by 6% when the switch closes due to low pressure from high altitude. It wouldn't affect operation unless the switch was shorted, causing a lean condition. Samson, your mechanic doesn't understand how the injection system works. The injector connections have 12 volts on both sides due to the way the transistors operate (I confess that I'm not clear on why that is either, but it is). The injector solenoids don't activate until current actually flows when the transistor circuit allows it to. 12 volts on both sides is good. As I said in an earlier post, you're pretty close. I had to adjust my idle air screw and install some new plug wires on my last DEQ (our emissions checkers) visit here in Oregon. A miss will spew unburned fuel (bad), and the idle air screw can lean up the idle. I wouldn't do anything major and I would find a mechanic who knows old EFI.

Whoever suggested the AFM as the problem might have been thinking of 75-77, which have the fuel pump contact switch. Your 78 should be useing the oil pressure and alternator current to activate the fuel pump circuit. But the fact that your fuel pump has been rewired to be on with the key at On takes the fuel pump safety circuit out of the picture anyway. Here's one possibility - whoever rewired your fuel pump to come on when the key is at ON, bypassing the safety circuit, might have it wired so that it actually turns off when the key is at Start. Turn key to On, pump turns on, pump turns off when key is turned to Start, engine fires then dies because fuel pressure dropped, fuel pump comes on again when key is released, second try works. Just a wild arse guess and still doesn't really fit what's happening well. Your symptoms are weird so even the troubleshooting chart will be difficult to use. The first thing you might do is determine if it's spark related or fuel or electrical (loss of power to the EFI system). Get one of those flashing spark testers for a plug wire and watch what happens on the first start, if spark disappears before the engine dies that will tell you something. Or measure fuel pressure while starting. Or use a Noid light (I still don't really know what noid means) or christmas tree light and see if the injectors stop firing before it dies. Don't buy a new AFM or CSV. The symptoms don't fit.

I think that the ECM gets its signal from the negative post of the coil, not the ignition module. Are you sure that you're getting spark? No spark = no ECM signal = no injector grounding through ECM transistors. Of course though, the same applies for spark - no reluctor pulse from distributor to ignition module = no spark = (see previous). That's the chain of events, assuming that you have distributor-controlled timing and not a CAS (you have a ZX right?).

You can buy a complete engine with accessories (head, block, alternator, distributor, AC, power steering, manifolds, etc.) from the local PicknPull here in Oregon for $240. With a 30 day guarantee included. Electronic distributors are ~$42. That $300 is easy money IF you think you're done with the L engines. Otherwise, it's nice to have a known-good engine as a spare. http://www.picknpull.com/part_pricing.aspx?LocationID=119&Language=English&NavItem=3&SearchCriteria=partpricing

I bought a set of those. I just drilled holes where necessary. Use the plastic base a template for the holes to make sure it seats right, it shouldn't be difficult. They fit really well. I really like the way mine look. Much better than the old torpedo shape. Since we're giving opinions on esthetics. And having a passenger mirror is great, I don't know why Nissan didn't put one on originally. I did have one problem with mine when they arrived. One of the lenses was warped and gave a fun-house mirror image. I called MSA and the guy I talked to said he'd not heard of that before but they paid for shipping back and replaced it. I was only out waiting time. Check the image before installing. The one downside I found to the mirrors is that they're noisy in the wind. With the window down in the summer you can really hear it. I could cup my hand around the mirror and knock down the noise but it gets old after a while. If you have a quiet car and like to hear the scenery going by, they're a little irritating. I've had my eye out for better mirrors but haven't found them yet.

My old thread, back to life! If the rewire worked for a couple of months, I would have the battery and alternator tested, or test them your self by disconnecting either and seeing if the drain stops. A shorted alternator will drain the battery and a bad battery might not take a complete charge. And check the remaining wires from the conversion, one of them is hot all the time on the 76. It might be shorting to ground. No idea about the relays not affecting the brake warning light. Maybe Nissan moved the relays in 77. Odd. You did mention one other thing that's not quite normal - the voltmeter should be on all the time not just with the key on. But that might not matter. Assume that your car is normal and check the normal stuff for a battery drain, the battery and alternator.

The video sounds a little bit like low fuel pressure, from the fuel pump stopping when the key is let go. 78 uses the alternator or the oil pressure to keep the fuel pump running, either one. Maybe your switch is bad and/or the alternator is not kicking in soon enough. Watch your voltmeter and see if it jumps above where it sat before starting.

How much effect will there be having the same rate front and back, compared to the lighter rate front springs in the stock setup?

Could be the auxiliary air regulator (AAR), It might be stuck closed. It's designed to let more air in for a few minutes so that you don't have to hold the throttle down or blip it. It's the torpedo shaped thing by the throttle body with a large hose connected to each end.

Anybody know what's going on with the hybridz.org site?

Here's a recent thread that's relevant. Opposite of your problem. We figured out the "magic number" - http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=47279&page=2&p=416109&highlight=clutch%20collar%20height%2092%20stack#post416109 If the collar is too short there should be lots of room for the collar to move back and forth on the front cover before it contacts the pressure plate fingers. Just another thing to maybe confirm your suspicions. I feel your pain, I took a transmission back out in less than a week after I installed it because it was leaking 2-3 drops of gear oil per day. The pivot pin threads in the cover hadn't been sealed. It had to be done.

The slave cylinder has a spring behind the piston that pushes it out to a certain spot and holds the rod tip against the fork. If things are right, the spring will take up all of the play between the rod tip and the seat on the fork, so that the next stroke give maximum travel. You can actually push the rod in to the cylinder to remove it if you wanted to, if things were right. It's fairly easy to take the slave cylinder apart, you might do that before you go too far. I think that there is a simple circlip holding the piston in. Maybe there's an obstruction in your slave cylinder. You could also take the rubber dust boot off of the fork at the transmission and get a better feel for if the fork is seated on the pivot pin and held correctly by the springs. And somewhere out there I have seen a diagram of the angle of the fork when it's seated properly. If the fork is on the pin correctly, it will have a little bit of play fore and aft but will be held firmly by the springs. If it's not held by the springs you'll be able to tell. It's hard to feel with the boot on though, you'll need to pop it off (it's hard to get back on though). Just a few ideas before you take it out. And, by the way, I think that you're using engage and disengage backwards. Engage is when the clutch pedal is up and the engine is tied, or engaged, to the transmission. Disengage is when the engine is released from the transmission by pushing on the clutch pedal.

Following Tomohawk's suggestion - the first thing you should do is see if the intake valve for that injector port was or is open. If the valve is not open, then the foil piece is probably sitting there waiting to fall in if you turn the engine over. If the valve is open, it might still be sitting on the back of the valve head. With a bright light you might be able to see it through the injector port. You might be surprised. If you can see it, rig up a small diameter vacuum hose so that your shop vac pulls a vacuum on it and suck it out like liposuction.

They are self-cutting, or -tapping, and cut their own threads in the plastic when first used, I believe. Very coarse thread. Similar in pitch to the self-tapping screw shown in this link - http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/design/resistantmaterials/jointsrev2.shtml

Here's a "while you're at it" maybe - if you have had any thoughts about going to an alternate ignition or engine management system, like Megajolt or Megasquirt, add a 36-1 wheel to the damper and pulley before installing.

Sometimes the bearing will come installed in the collar. With those parts you probably need the tall collar shown on this link - http://zparts.com/zptech/articles/trans_swap%20parts/4tobear_specs1.html Did you install the parts or did someone else? I had a very similar situation, way back with one of my first cars, when I put the clutch disc in backwards. The hub springs were jammed against the flywheel bolt heads. Unlikely for you, just an example of how things can go wrong. Also, if your slave cylinder is leaking, you'll probably have some fluid inside the rubber cover. The cover seals pretty tightly and will hold quite a bit of fluid. Watch out if you decide to peel it back and take a look. I had a leaking slave cylinder (Schucks-bought) and it had your symptoms.

Have you checked the clevis assembly for play and wear? If I was installing a clutch MC, knowing what I know now, I would eyeball the relationship between the clevis pin holes and the pin hole on the pedal before I inserted the pin. The MC has an internal spring that pushes the piston out to where it should be in the cylinder. If it's pushed out too far, you'll run out of travel in the cylinder, if it starts out too short, you'll run out of travel on the pedal. The starting point should be to have the clevis pin holes lined up before inserting the pin, then fine tune it. If the pedal is at the top of its travel and the MC piston is at the start of its stroke, that's the maximum travel you'll be able to get. Easy to verify by removing the pin and seeing where things are. Might have to use a mirror. There's probably a stop screw under the pedal also that can be adjusted. One more thing to check.

Did you replace the bushings or a shop? Even after 18 months it should be fairly easy to recall the rubber piece that was burned or hacked out of the mustache bar to install the urethane bushing. To install new rubber bushings you need to cut out the metal sleeve of the old bushing that was left behind, from the mustache bar. The Rear Axle and Suspension chapter of the FSM has a drawing of the cross-section of the bushing and the washers. If you can't figure it out, post a picture of it here and someone can probably walk you through it. Edit - Thank Blue for making it easier...

What brand and model so future damper replacers can avoid the problem? Did you install it yourself or have a shop do it? Just curious about any installation problems. I know that MSA's damper is often too tight to install without modification.

I tried datsun parts, "datsun parts" in quotes and datsunparts as one word in the search box and didn't get anything worth reading. I think that Chris Z is suggesting that datsunparts llc might not have a good reputation. Probably worth checking out before buying, especially for a big item like an engine.