Zed Head

The wire size and color are shown in the Body Electrical chapter of the FSM, in diameter not gauge. The capacity of the links commonly referred to for the fusible links "upgrade" is apparently based on estimates. Not trying to stir up old discussions, it's been discussed in depth before. It's just the state of the situation, anyone modifying their car based on internet information should verify veracity and is ultimately responsible for any problems incurred.

Not sure why there's two threads now but the video worked great in this one. Your engine sounds almost exactly like mine did when I installed the plug wires in reverse rotation order. Then engine will start, even though, by firing order, it's only running on two cylinders. Maybe another cylinder or two gets enough timing to fire also. Anyway, I would re-check firing order and rotation - 1-5-3-6-2-4 in counter clockwise fashion.

Your video is in mp4 format, which my computer won't play. Is the problem no load, or while driving? What year car? Is it stock or has it been modified? Why did you install a thermostat housing? What all did you remove when you were working on the housing? Just a few questions that might help in figuring out the problem. Idling funny and "farting" sounds like a miss, which could be vacuum leak related or could be low fuel pressure or misplaced plug wires. Edit - actually Windows Media Player did open it and play it, but without the sound. Which doesn't really help.

I screwed up way back when I said that I had 5020's for my 280Z. I have 5022's, which are the 280Z springs. Sorry for any confusion.

There are many possible combinations of pressure plate and release bearing collar, some work and some don't. Can you describe the collar and pressure plate that you are using? Your hydraulics might be fine, it could be the other parts.

The mass of relays and square metallic objects and wires and connections near the VR can be confusing. It sounds like you or someone else might have installed the wrong alternator on your car or you have the right alternator but should have replaced the external VR instead. 75 used an external voltage regulator. If you use the internally regulated alternator you have to disconnect the old VR AND install some jumpers at the VR connection. You should get 10% more sure, to 100%, of what you have. There are drawings of the VR in the Electrical chapter of the FSM. The location is shown in the Body Electrical chapter (use the 76 FSM if you need to, the 75 xenons30 link doesn't seem to have that chapter). Also, your ammeter will tell you if the alternator is producing. + is amps going in to the system, - is draining out. The atlanticz link might help you help you out too, with pictures from a 77 280Z - http://atlanticz.ca/zclub/techtips/alternatorswap/index.html

Diode. But if they installed the late-model alternator in a 240Z without installing the diode, they may have also installed it without disconnecting the external regulator. Better check the whole charging system.

Many manufacturer's offer a cheaper part but give a shorter warranty. That is probably the main difference. The cold start valve's only purpose is to squirt some extra gasoline in to the intake manifold when the key is at Start and the engine is cold. Many people remove theirs to remove one potential problem. I've removed mine and don't even notice it's gone. I live in Oregon where it rarely gets below freezing though. If you live in Minnesota, you might want to keep it.

I can't really tell which car has what parts in it and where they're going, with a 70 and 71 240Z and a roadster, but I think that you can easily identify the forward shifted differential in the 240Z with the short drive shaft by looking at the angle of the half-shafts to the wheels, from the side of the car. The later 240s, 260s and 280 half-shafts will be perpendicular to the wheel and side of the car, the early 70 cars have an obvious forward angle. I seen it with my own eyes, in the wrecking yard. Might have to remove a wheel but it seemed obvious when I was looking at them. Or you can measure from u-joint cap center to u-joint cap center (easiest measurement if it's installed). The short one's are ~21 1/8", the longer ones are ~22.1/4".

Cleaning can cause problems by stirring up material that would otherwise not do any harm. If you're putting an engine together from parts then cleaning everything is important. But if the engine's already together like yours, you're probably better off just adjusting the valves, putting the cover back on, and cleaning only the outside. If the engine runs well why mess with the internal parts? The brown on the camshaft base circle doesn't matter because that's where the clearance is that you set when you adjust valve lash. In use, nothing rubs on it. It will just come back over time. Edit - In looking back, the OP said it's a project, and he has no mechanical backgorund. So, it comes down to what the goal of the project is. If the engine is in a car and he wants to get it on the road quickly, then cleaning the internals is probably not the thing to do. If the OP wants to learn how things work and has time then maybe a complete tear-down is the way to go. Just clarifying...

This is probably the most popular thread on installing the ZX distributor, a link the OP could use anyway if he decides to go that way (with attention paid of course to the fact that the writeup is for rewiring a 77 280Z setup). It shows pictures of the two different mounts also. The problem is in the position of the lock down screw. http://atlanticz.ca/zclub/techtips/distributor/index.html Looks like he has plenty of choices. Wonder where he went...

I think that your HC numbers are pretty close. Small changes will probably get you there. Do you have the vacuum hose connected to your fuel pressure regulator and does the FPR work correctly? Fuel pressure should be ~36 psi with the hose disconnected and 28-32 psi with it connected, at idle.

Kind of confusing, I went back and see in Post #9 that you had measured 180 and 100 with the AFM removed. Was that the replacement AFM or the old one? Now you're at 204 and 126. Is that the connector or at the AFM? Post #9 suggested that your AFM was fine but that you had bad wiring connectins. For the temperature sensors higher resistance adds fuel. The spec. from the FSM is actually 3.25 kOhms to 4.15 KOhms, so your 1.5 kOhms is actually reading a little lean. If the leanness isn't causing a miss then it shouldn't hurt the emissions. A lean miss can hurt emissions though. The TPS is just a three position switch that tells the ECU if the throttle is at idle, mid-range or open. The continuity measurements need to match exactly what the FSM calls for. More fuel is added at idle and at open throttle. In the middle the ECU uses the AFM. Your failing the test at the mid-range so the TPS could be the problem. Did the PO do any other "mods" like a different camshaft or bigger injectors? The "big-throat" throttle body doesn't add much without them. You might check the other engine parts to see if they are stock. I think that FastWoman was right and you'll just have to keep fixing the PO's "upgrades". Looks like you're making progress though.

These numbers are more then 20-30 ohms off. Looks like 40 and 45 off. I'm not positive but I think that it's the ratio between the two numbers that matters most since it's a voltage splitting device. I think that the ECU uses the ratio between what goes out and what comes back to determine where the AFM vane is. The spec. ratio is 1.8 (180/100), your ratio is 2.2 (321/145). What is the number on your AFM? The guy that put the big throttle body on might have also installed the wrong AFM. Should be A31-060-001 I believe.

For the record, I wasn't trying to jerk anybody's chain or confuse the issue (for some reason there seems to be a time limit on editing posts, hence the new post). I think it's fair to respond to the statement that the 79 ZX is a simple "remove and replace" operation. It's not. The ZX distributor requires a mounting base for an electronic ignition distributor. The 240Z points distributor base will have the dist. clocked incorrectly if the correct mounting base is not used, making it difficult or impossible to set the static timing. If the OP buys a rebuilt distributor from any auto store he will not get the base, he will have to source it from EBay or CL or a salvage yard. Kind of another illustration of my point that there's always something else to think about when you get in to these kinds of upgrades. I'm a big fan of more information than I need when I start a project. Getting the perfect amount is almost impossible, and the only alternative is not enough info. to do the job right.

The screen in the pump inlet can be hard to see since it is cone-shaped. I don't know why you think that pump might be clogged, but measuring the fuel pressure is almost always a good thing. It's one very important measurement that is good to know is right before getting too deep in to other stuff. As far as the 1000 RPM idle speed, that's what my tachometer shows also. But I have measured my actual RPM with a meter and my tach is off by 200 RPM, so my 1000 is actually 800. I wouldn't worry a lot about it. If you have a multimeter that will measure DC frequency you can calculate your RPM off of the coil pulses.

Getting a little meldramatic, aren't you. Let's assume, then, that "easiest" means the least amount of wrench work, with the lowest potential for complications. I think that Pertronix wins in that scenario. Take the "distributor" cap off, remove points, install Pertronix unit. Tach works, car runs. I think that all you need is a Phillips head screwdriver. Pertronix is the easiest.

Not really clear what you're saying there. Maybe you meant that distributor is a misnomer, or a misleading name. The "thing" called the "distributor" by most that work with it, contains the spark triggering device and the timing control mechanisms for doing that at the appropriate time based on engine conditions, along with the spark distributing hardware. It just comes down to how far in to it you want to get. You can go simple and "slap" any old combined spark distribution, triggering and timing control device (aka distributor) in there or go a little deeper and think about the other functions. That was my intended point. The 79 ZX probably has a decent timing curve. But the later ZX's have some radically different curves. There are ways to make things worse. No good reason not to consider it.

Distributors on the older engines (pre ECU-controlled timing) do more than just distribute spark. The vacuum and centrifugal advance mechanisms are built-in and curved for the engine. Something to consider. Race engine builders spend a lot of effort on their timing curves.

No problem, I've had the exhaust leak frustration, and the broken studs that had to be drilled out (thermostat housing) frustration, and paid a shop good money to remove a stud (one of the three for the flange to the pipe) and resurface the sealing surface (before I knew that undamaged manifolds are relatively easy to find). Did you check the manifold for straightness, across all of the ports, and good sealing surfaces on each one? Good to know that the Seafoam showed something, another trick for the tool box. Good luck.

I was the only one that suggested head gasket. Because you said "may have blown my gasket out", not "certainly blown the manifold gasket". Heads warp and head gaskets leak, it happens, more so with aluminum heads. It seemed worth checking while the engine was together, rather than after the manifolds are off. And you didn't mention the state of the water and oil in your first post. siteunseen just suggested a way to check it. Even so, that's just two people. Just being thorough in my response. I try not to waste people's time, although this post might contradict that. Did smoke come from the leak in front or are you still working from noise? A piece of heater hose to your ear works well to find noise from a small area. And, sometimes, you can actually feel the hot gas leaking with a hand or finger, if you can shield the air from the fan.

I've heard that blown head gaskets make that noise also, along with cracked exhaust manifolds. I've also read that Seafom is a good way to find an exhaust leak from all of the smoke it produces. A leakdown test should confirm the head gasket. You might also check your spark plugs, one could be loose and on its way out.

It could be considered insurance for that day you end up driving at high speed over a bumpy road for a very long time. Can't hurt. Just leave the old oil in if you're replacing stock with the HP's. Edit - the question of why or why not isn't answered but KYB says explicitly to leave the tube dry in their installation link - http://www.kyb.com/service/installationtips/installationtip08.php For what it's worth and further discussion, if anyone wants to go there. The KYB's and the Tokico's are essentially identical as far as form and installation go.

You don't need oil. The HP's have their oil inside. You can search around and find lots of threads about it and/or read the FA chapter in the FSM to see how the original inserts used the oil. If you have stock factory inserts in the tubes now, you'll understand when you take them apart.

Congratulations. Better keep an eye, or ear, on them though, if you pressed on one race to get the other race to seat, you might have damaged the races. It's called "brinneling" in reference to the Brinnel hardness test, where a metal probe is pressed in to a piece of metal and the size of the dimple measured to scale the material's hardness. http://www.dynaroll.com/excessive-force.asp Don't shoot the messenger, please...