Mikez73

Don't worry, I'm confused too The carbs talk doesn't really belong in this thread. The main reason that came up is because the leaking has gotten to the point that I need to stop working on the electrical projects until I get the leak fixed. And I think you brought up the fuel pump. I'll go ahead and answer those questions. 1. yes, the rearmost carb is the worst but all three have gas coming out of the horns. The filter on #3 got totally saturated with gas yesterday. 2. No. I didn't want to work on the carbs yet but the leaking seems to have gotten worse so now I have to do it. I ordered service kits from eurocarbs.com last night. 3. The pump comes on when the ignition switch is turned to "on." It stops running only when the key is turned to "off" or "acc". I pulled the fuse when I was troubleshooting the ignition problem. I think I have a carb thread so I'll try to keep the carb talk in the carb thread.

There is a recent post made by someone who was given a car. The car has mucho rust and bad unibody damage. That is the kind of car I'd say is past the point of reasonable return. Sometimes people get emotional attachments to cars so my idea of beyond hope is going to be different from that persons idea of a good project. And as Arne said, there are still a lot of good s30's out there. Look on the west coast and the southwest states for good deals. Buying a car out there is worth the cost of shipping.

They're great ideas Steve...we're just dealing with an unusual car here :paranoid: You should have been around when I was wiring up the electronic ignition. I was looking around for a ballast resistor that wasn't there, then a black/white wire that should have had 12v but didn't, and then there was the black/yellow wire that shouldn't have been there but was...and had 12v. Not to mention pulling my hair out trying to figure out why something so simple that it only needed one 12v wire to work wasn't working. I still don't know how the resistor was bypassed to get 12v in on and run. That's a cool looking tool there but I just blew this month's car money on Weber carb kits I'm going to have my hands full and my brain taxed trying to rebuild those carbs and get them adjusted while trying to get the ignition timing right too.

Thanks Gary. You're right, it should be 0 not 10. That pic is a little deceptive because of the perspective. It may be closer to 35 after TDC. I'm not sure I have that much adjustment. I might not have the new fixing plate set right though.

I finally got spark in my ignition but it won't quite run. I'm sure the base timing is off because I have the new 280zx distributor on and I can't set the timing until I get it running. I put it back at TDC today. The rotor is pointed straight at #1 on the compression stroke (I think). I pulled the plugs and I believe pistons #1 and 6 are up. This car is making me crazy but I'm pretty sure that the harmonic balancer mark should be lined up with the 10 degree timing cover mark. Am I tripping or what?

That's what I'm thinking Chris. I've been getting some backfire, more like small pops, through the intake while I'm trying to get it running and I don't want any big oops happening now. My budget is too tight for a mistake like that. I'm trying to decide on the right kit right now. I can take pics of the area the relays are in but you'll need to ID them. In fact if I find out I don't need them I might be able to help you out if the relays are what's holding you back and you can't find any. As far as I can tell they aren't doing what the Nissan engineers intended on my car. I'm not a purist at all and this car will never be put back anywhere close to stock as long as I own it.

Yikes, a K&N torch That's exactly what I visualized when I read your post earlier... I had to remove one of my filters today and shake the gas out of it, then leave it out in the sun to dry out. I have a fire extinguisher handy and I know that (theoretically) vacuum will suck the flames in but I think it's time for new seals and gaskets. And maybe floats and a Carter P4070. The FPR didn't do anything. Back on topic.. If my friend Sue likes Webers does that equal things out Mr Palmer?

It's 2/73 Steve. I reckon that makes it pretty early? I've got to do something about these carbs before I do anything else. I don't know if you saw my distributor post but I have spark now. I'm having trouble getting it to start though. It's trying but it just doesn't quite catch on. I'm sure the timing is off. I almost had it going today but I had to stop today because one of the filters was saturated with gas. I hate to mess with the carbs before getting it running and timed right but there is just too much gas leaking. I know it's going to be a PITA to replace the gaskets and seals and then adjust the cabs but I think I can handle it. And getting the carbs adjusted is probably going to be complicated by the timing being off. I'm really missing EFI now.

Ok, I read that Chris. Interesting info but no help for Mikey BTW, I found references to those relays in the 74 FSM. I don't know exactly what the purpose of the wire is on my car but but it isn't connected to my fuel pump. I found out that the starter doesn't work if it isn't connected though. That kinda throws a wrench into my starter relay plans. I've come to the conclusion that I need to get my carbs right before I worry about any other projects.

With my carbs leaking and the timing off from the new distributor...I wish I hadn't read that

I was a drummer. If I still played we'd have a full band . I played for many years in weekend bands and then full time for a few years. I don't play at all anymore. I played guitar and piano also for my own enjoyment... or to annoy others

The original owner did indeed have the pump rewired. There is a red wire from the pump that is connected to the black/white wire that was originally used in the ignition circuit. The electric pump "ON and OFF" wiring is in the 74 FSM. I haven't found the black clad wire on the solenoid in the schematics yet. In the 74 FSM I see a simple diagram of a circuit with a "choke heater and electric pump cut #1" relay and an "electric pump cut relay #2". I don't think that my car has either of those relays. A fuel pump cut relay might be a good thing to have. Or an oil pressure activated cut. With the Webers I'd probably need an override switch for cold starts. I'll trace that wire down tomorrow.

901 silver is good

Thanks Chris but if that is the purpose then it isn't working. I don't have a mechanical pump. My electric fuel pump comes on when the ignition switch is "on" and it stays on. I think the original owner rewired it. The pump power wire appears to be spliced to one of the black/white wires that originally powered the ignition coil. The one that originally ran to the ballast resistor I think. I'll have to take a closer look at all that. Did you find this info in the 1973 FSM or the 1974 FSM?

Just thought I'd update this. Two distributors, 2 HEI modules, 2 e120 modules, and 5 pickup coils later I have spark The refurbed distributor I had was defective. I'm not sure what the problem was. I tried 4 pickup coils counting the one that came in the dizzy. I disassembled it down to the centrifugal weights...couldn't find the problem. I bought another dizzy. Now I have spark. Still haven't got it to start but it's almost there. Much appreciation to Adrian, who I think posts as alhbln here. We've got almost 6 pages of posts at HZ trying to figure this out. ---------------- Now playing: Peter Gabriel - Red Rain via FoxyTunes

Thanks for chiming in on this Dave. I used to make a few parts in the z31 world so I can relate. I'm on a really tight budget with this car or I'd seriously consider buying your harness. The reason I asked about two relays is because I drove z31's for years and I only remember having one head light relay. I never had to replace a relay in 10+ years driving z31's so I could be wrong. Or maybe it used a stdp relay. I'm hurt by that This is definitely a wire, not a fusible link. It runs back to the main harness so it's going to be a pain to trace it down. Thanks a lot Dave There is a dual male spade on the solenoid terminal. A picture is worth...

Checking over the starter relay wiring I found that the terminal on the starter solenoid has a two prong connector. The black/yellow wire from the ignition is connected there but also a thick black wire is connected as well. None of the writeups mention this wire and I don't see it in the 1973 wiring schematic. Any ideas before I start trying to trace this unexpected wire are appreciated

http://www.automotivetouchup.com/ I bought a can of 901 silver spray paint from this company. I wasn't expecting much but I got a pleasant surprise. It's a perfect match. Just thought I'd pass that on.

Glad you decided to stick around. Ok back to my question...NAPA and every other parts house sell several 2 part epoxies. Was there a particular type or brand you had in mind? I'm familiar with the 3M Automix. I read that most shops are using this now in a lot of jobs where they use to use welding. Great stuff but the epoxy and applicator are so expensive I'd be wasting a lot of money for the small amount needed for my project. Now when I fill in the repair do I need flex filler because of the wing material. I believe it's fiberglass but it could be urethane.

I have a question. One wing of my molded in spoiler had cracks. I noticed rust stains. After probing around I decided to remove the piece. There was fairly heavy rust underneath but it was confined to a small area. I removed all filler and paint until I found where the rust ended. I removed the rust and treated the area. What is a good way to reattach the piece?

Ok but I think what I'm doing here is pretty basic. I just want to power the head lights with a relay. I plan to do the same for the starter. And if I decide to go with electric fans on the radiator I'll power those with a relay also. I'm surprised that spst relays and sockets are so much harder to find than spdt relays and sockets. I've heard that yu can use a spdt relay by ignoring the 87a terminal but I'm not sure about that. I am curious about why people use two relays for the head lights if you can answer that. And I'm wondering why a relay isn't used for the tail lights. I'll send you a PM.

I checked out the kit that Dave makes and it looks great but...I'm a DIY kinda guy. And if you've seen my car then you see I'm not the least bit purist so I don't mind trying something new. It looks very simple but I promise if I have trouble I won't come back asking for sympathy Thanks for the parts sources GreenZZZ & jwtaylor. I'll look for your posts SteveJ. Thanks all.

Well I'm pretty sure I'll have to cut the existing wiring somewhere to install relays Chris I'm not installing HID lights and I won't be using those HID headlight connectors. I'm buying the kit for the parts. I just want the relays, relay sockets, fuseholders, etc. If RS sold relay sockets to go along with their relays then I'd consider buying everything there but they don't sell the sockets anymore. I'm curious why the relay upgrade writeups use a relay for each light. None of my modern Z cars used separate relays for each light. ---------------- Now playing: Nick Drake - Cello Song via FoxyTunes

I want to add some relays for the head lights, starter, electric fans etc. Relays are $7.50 @ Radio Shack. Then you need to source the sockets. I found some on ebay @ $4 each + $1.50 shipping. Adds up to $13 each assembly Then you need fuses and fuse holders. I'm thinking buying these and just using the parts I need makes more sense. I can't make a junk yard run anytime soon and I can't find my old z31 relay stash. Just thought I'd get some outside input. ---------------- Now playing: C,S,& N - Guinevere via FoxyTunes

The crows foot does seem just as easy and much cheaper. What I'd like to see is a more precise (and quicker) way to get the cam lobes up. I have a hard time getting them right by bumping the starter and the fan makes getting a socket on the crankshaft bolt just about impossible.