mentalite

I let it run for ten minutes and finally turned it off. I crawled under and couldn't hear the pump running. I wonder if there's some suction in the system once the engine is running. I was thinking that there was a problem with the cranking part of the fuel pump circuit, but the signal from the AFM was good, thus allowing it to keep running once started. Not hearing the pump run killed that idea. I'll just start at the beginning of the diagnostics as suggested. This should be fun.....electricity and multi-meters seem like some sort of dark art. It just never makes sense to me! Anyone know of a photo or diagram of the engine bay showing what's where? The FSM doesn't seem to have one and wires and vacuum lines run to all sorts of interesting contraptions.

I couldn't say, Zed. I had to turn the adjuster in all the way to provide the necessary space to get the pad in place. I have to imagine the PO just left it alone. I can't understand running with that loud tick on purpose. Heck the lash pad only cost me about $7. There certainly couldn't have been much valve lift in #6.

Hi guys. This is the first of probably many threads and questions as I work through some of the issues on my newly acquired '77. The previous owner installed a fuel pump switch on the center console and he reminded me to use it especially upon shutdown so the pump didn't keep running. It looks like crap and I can't abide by a rigged up system that could be a safety issue. The strange thing is that the switch doesn't always have to be on for the car to run. Here are some of the details from a cold start condition this morning. The switch must be on for the car to start. You can hear the pump buzz as soon as you flip it. The engine idles roughly and smokes like hell, but it will continue running with a slight lope. The engine will rev fairly smoothly. If I flip the switch off after the car is running it smooths out, quits smoking and continues to idle at around 900 rpm. Attempting to rev the engine with the switch off will immediately stall the engine, but this can be staved off by flipping the switch quickly back on. All plugs are badly fouled and the tailpipe is sooty. Running extremely rich? I find this quite perplexing. It seems that switching off the fuel pump should kill the car right away under all conditions. Any thoughts?

Well I forgot to take your advice, but there was nothing very interesting to see anyway. The good news is that I got the new lash pad installed, the valves adjusted, and the tick is gone! Now I can move on to other issues. Thanks to everyone for the help and advice.

Well, now. That doesn't seem so bad after all! That's a relief. I'll poke around more thoroughly to look for it.

The PO attempted a valve adjustment himself. That's all I'm aware of.

Quick question: Is it acceptable to turn the engine using the bolt on the end of the cam sprocket? Crank bolt isn't very accessible.

Thanks! I'll have to research and investigate.

Uh oh....that ain't good. The source of the ticking was easy enough to find. The intake valve on #6 (closest to firewall...is that #6?) is missing the little guide that the rocker sits in. This has also caused the rocker to bash against the spring retainer. The big question: where the hell did it go?! Now I'm stuck on what to do. Repair it or move up the timeline on a rebuild? Think I should try to replace that part and maybe the rocker to see what happens? The valve is probably bent, too, I'd imagine.

Thanks for the welcome, everyone. I'm looking forward to playing with my new toy. I spent most of the evening going through the stack of maintenance paperwork. It goes back to 1990, so I'm guessing the previous, previous owner resurrected it then. There is plenty of evidence that the previous owner was chasing driveability issues with the injection. New AFM, new TPS, then $1000 at a mechanic to diagnose it back in 2008 and it still isn't right. I'm intimidated by it but I'll do my best to dig in. Great advice on downloading the manuals! The FI manual is very informative. All advice on the tick will be taken. I'll be investigating pronto. I won't get too carried away because I'm strongly considering a rebuild by Datsun Spirit anyway. Thanks again.

A video of it going into it's new home. Quite a tick, ain't it? I'll have to take the valve cover off and see what's what. The sound seems to be coming from #6. I'm hoping that it'll just be a valve adjustment. I haven't driven a manual trans in almost 20 years, and it shows! VID_20161222_112753429_(1).mp4

Hi all. I've been on the hunt for a Z for a while and finally brought one home. I live in the mid-atlantic where good cars are scarce so the net was cast far and wide. I ended up finding a decent car within an hour of home. I'll call it driver quality and a project that I can drive while I work on it. It's got rust as you would expect, but in places I consider fairly minor. Rear quarters, left front fender over the wheel well and minor spots at the bottom of the doors. Frame rails, floor pans, and battery tray are solid. It's been repainted once with a custom color over the original wine red #611. The PO included a NOS left front fender and the replacement panels for the other rust areas. The engine is the weakness of this car. It feels tired and low on power, smokes, has a tick in the valvetrain, and the fuel injection is finicky. It starts right up and can be driven, it just needs some attention. I plan to leave the body alone for now and just monitor the rust since it's not too bad. I'll replace suspension bushings and tinker with the fuel injection while I plan a rebuild and shop for a 5 speed. I'm a very happy new Z owner! My first one even though I've pined for one since I was 16 and just starting to drive. I've got a few photos of bringing it home. There'll be tons more taken soon, I'm sure. I took the opportunity to check the underside even more thoroughly. Solid on the bottom!

The meaning of this statement must have changed and I never knew it. I see it used a lot. Here is an example how: "This vehicle is pretty much completely original except for the following. 1. Repaint in 1981 (Lincoln Continental Silver). 2. Factory Electronic Ignition from 260. 3. All Front Engine Components, Timing Chain, Oil Pump, Fuel Pump, Water Pump and Distributor and have been replaced. 4. Wheels with Z Spinners. 5. Rear Window Louvers & 280Z Window. 6. Front End Bra. 7. Still has original SU carbs and all emission control (air pump). 8. Interior completely original and carpets have been replaced". Please tell me I'm not the only one that laughs out loud when I read that! I may post more of these for entertainment purposes as I see them.

I'll have to be patient and keep looking. The option of another member being able to check out cars should help.

This is good to know. I may have to employ this method. I don't much care for the idea of buying a car sight unseen and getting into a situation like RS02 is experiencing. The water cooled Porsche is just an idea at this point and I think I'll also look around for twin turbo 300ZXs. I really liked those when they came out and they're price competitive with the 240Z. I hesitate to do this just in case the seller is a member here, but here's a nice looking 240 a couple hours away from me. Assuming it really is in the condition it appears to be, does anyone have an opinion on the price? A fun car to drive. I like tinkering with minor repairs, but not at all into a major project. I have a soft spot for old Zs, but so far they aren't fitting this idea on a working man's budget. Both. Being a pain to work on is definitely a consideration. I like the simplicity of an old Z. I like the idea of 300HP too! Maybe I need to find a nice 240 with an RB26 in it! No, can't to that....back out of budget again.

Here's a representative example that didn't take long to track down: http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/ctd/5876156526.html

The search for a new to me Z seems to be an exercise in futility here in the mid-atlantic area. Not many come up for sale and the ones that do seem overpriced. I want a car that I can drive right away and tinker with a little, but not have to do a restoration. I've looked at cars priced in the low 20's expecting that these would be well sorted and need very little. Wrong! I've found poorly concealed rust in this price range, too. It seems that with the rise in value, people are painting any rusty piece of crap they can find to make a quick buck. Blatant shoddy work is everywhere, regardless of price range. In my frustration I started widening my search and discovered that the 996 era Porsche 911s are dirt cheap, relatively speaking. If one is willing to spend in the high teens/low 20s like I am, you can find a well maintained, moderate mileage cabriolet which has over 300HP. If you're willing to drive a 'chick car' you can do even cheaper with a Boxster. These cars have no rust issues, no cracked dashes, no undercoating hiding trouble, and are fun as hell by all accounts. They do have their issues, like a bearing that tends to fail and takes the engine with it. Google Porsche crate engines if you want a shock. A Porsche mechanic tells me that $3K will get the bearing replaced with an upgraded version and a new clutch assembly as well. Cost of parts and repairs is high on a Porsche so one still has to be diligent, but every Z I've looked at was looking for $3K or more to be spent on it, too, usually on time consuming body work. Porsche purists apparently don't like this particular era ('98 - '04 I think) because they are the first 911s that use a water cooled engine, the headlights are ugly, and are seen as the first mass produced model. This is keeping the price low on what seem to be incredible cars. Any Porsche guys out there? Any other potential Z drivers seeing the same thing?

Thanks, Chuck. No particular year, though pre-73 would be best, I think. No preference stock vs. modified either. Though I admit to be leaning toward modified. The difficult part is that I have no desire for a project so am willing to spend the extra cash so I can just get in it and enjoy it. I'd go into the 20's for the right car. SO many cars have fresh paint jobs without any photos or documentation of the body work and I don't trust those. All one has to do is watch some YouTube videos to see that there are some real hack jobs going on out there. There's a nice modified one down in Virginia that has my attention so we'll see where that goes.

Hello from Pennsylvania! I joined this group back in 2010 when I had the urge to get a 280Z but the dream never materialized. The urge has re-awakened so here I am. I have a long love affair with Z cars starting when I was 11 years old in 1978. My father asked me to take a ride one day in New Philadelphia, OH. He was an impulsive person so it didn't surprise me when we pulled into a car dealership. I assume it was a Datsun dealership, but I don't remember if they had stand alone dealerships at that time. Well we walk in and my dad, who was always a car guy, trips over his tongue when he sees this beautiful black 280Z sitting in the showroom. "How much are you asking for that car?!" he asks the salesman that materializes out of nowhere as they tend to do. The salesman's response is as clear in my head today as it was in 1978. "I'm sorry, sir. That car isn't for sale. It's a special edition that we take around for promotion purposes." Since I'm 11 years old with a short attention span, and I just heard the guy say the car wasn't for sale, I walk outside and roamed around the lot while he and my dad talk. Some time later I'm surprised to see the glass doors on the showroom slide open and that beautiful black car some out into the sunshine. It drives right up to me and my dad says "Hop in! Let's go!" The conversation ensued where I voiced my confusion and he assured me that he has just purchased the car. I didn't know if the salesman was just doing a salesmany type thing when he said it wasn't for sale, but if so, it sure worked on my dad. I don't remember for sure, but I think he paid around $9500 for the car. He loved that car, and I loved that car. Everywhere he went I was asking to go along. My mother drove a 77 Trans Am Bandit edition at that time, but I only had eyes for the Z. Again demonstrating his impulsive nature, we took many trips on a whim. Basically leaving the house and ending up in places like Myrtle Beach, SC. Yep, he was impulsive, but he was also not the most responsible guy that ever lived. We had moved to Florida in the summer of '79 and the car disappeared one dark night. Yep, the repo man came and took it away and I was crushed. I had a few close calls with Zs after that. A copper color 240 for $3K that my dad talked me out of when I was 16 (probably wisely). A friend of my brother had a nice blue 260 which I had asked for first chance at before he sold, but that didn't happen. The dream faded away for many years until I got the aforementioned urge back in 2010 when I joined this site. It was then that I learned that my dad's car was known as a Black Pearl that was, in fact, a special edition. I have still yet to see photos of one that looked just like his because it had wheels that looked like a turbine with splines radiating out from the center. I wish I had photos of the car, but having only had it for two years I guess there wasn't time with all the road trips going on. Nostalgia should dictate that I want to find a Black Pearl, but my taste runs more toward the sleeker looks of the 240 and the BPs are hard to come by. I can't believe the increase in value. Pristine cars that were going for $15K back in 2010 are now closer to $30K. Man did I miss the boat! Wish me luck in my search! Bill.

Someone with some ambition may like to rescue this one. Information is hard to come by. Can't even tell if there's a motor in it. Must be an early '71 'cause it appears to be Series 1. https://abetter.bid/en/36949336-1971-datsun-240