xkeithx

i want it to be as accurate as possible though, is there a way to do it if i pulled the valve cover that would be more accurate?

i took my car in to the shop to get it to pass smog, and they said they couldnt do it because they couldnt adjust the timing. supposedly the pulley had "slipped" on the harmonic balancer, so the groove doesnt line up where its supposed to. and they wanted to charge me $220 for a new harmonic balancer!!! ive never even heard of a pulley slipping, but i thought to myself, why cant i just get the engine to TDC, and then just take white out and draw a line where the mark is supposed to be, so i dont have to pay 200 bux for a new pulley?? the only problem is, how can i get the engine to TDC without the timing mark. can anyone provide some insight into this? what do i want my timing to be set at to get the car to pass smog? its a california 78 280z. thnks guys!!

i tried the 14mm and it seemed loose, i felt like i was going to strip the nut. i know there is nothing wrong with my wrench, i just bought a set from craftsman. maybe i should try a 14.5?

none of my wrenches seem to fit the valve adjustment bolts. can anyone tell me what size wrenches i need to go out and buy in order to adjust my valves??? thanks!! also one more thing just to make sure, which way do i turn the small nut on top to loosen it? (that one is the lock nut, correct?)

how large are the file sizes on these cds? if they are not too big or if any of you have high speed internet connections, we should set up a web site where people could just download the factory service manuals. this would make it much easier for people who cant afford near $100 for a book to fix their z cars.

can i swap a newer afm from a 79 or 83 280zx (non turbo) into my 78 280z? or do you guys know of any way to test the afm in my 78 to check if it is working or not? thanks. another note.. has anyone ever tried to rebuild the afm? i am short on money and just need to get my car to pass smog, i was told the afm may be at fault.

well i remember when i got it smogged the guy unplugged the egr valve vacuum hose and tested it, and he said there wasnt any vacuum. and he manually opened the egr valve and it made the engine run really rough, i dont know if that means anything. but what is the thing called that the vacuum line to the egr valve is connected to? its something that screws into the intake manifold, he said that could be faulty but i dont remember what its called.

please excuse me if this information is somehwere else on the board, becuse ive been looking for the past few weeks and cant seem to come up with any solutions. i have a 1978 280z thats fuel injected, its a 5 speed, and it will not pass smog. i just took it in today and the HC i ibelieve it was was around 600-800. and i think it needs to be somewhere around 100 or less, im really not sure. im not a smog expert. but he said that number is way high, and whats happening is the gas isnt getting burned for some reason, and its just going out into the emissions. what can i do to get this number down, or are there any tricks like things i can unplug to make the car just get past smog? ive been driving the car with my temporary registration for the past month, and put about 2000 miles on it, and noticed that i get about 20 miles to the gallon. i used a can of stp fuel injector cleaner in the second tank of gas, and i put some fuel system cleaner in it recently. is there a can of anything tht i can buy that i can put in the tank that might help me pass smog?? one thing the smog guy mentioned was the pcv valve, he said when you rev the engine the valve is supposed to close, but for some reason it doesnt move. you can put your finger under it and move it manually, but for some reason the vacuum lines arent working i guess. he also said there could be a problem with the AFM, but is there nything else i could just fix or do to the car to get it to pass? i dont wnat to have to take it in somewhre and spend an arm and a leg to get my car to pass smog. i live in san francisco, CA. if anyone lives around this area and knows a good mechanic i could take it to, or some sort of datsun experts that live around here, that would me much appreciated. thanks so much!!

im seelling my 280zx engine on ebay, check it out. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=33615&item=2409611851&rd=1

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=33615&item=2409611851&rd=1 great f54 block for sale check it out

this may be a little bit off the topic, but what are you guys's thoughts on those magnetic "fuel savers" that attach to your fuel line? http://www.moremilespergallon.biz/ i keep getting these junk mails in my email and was just thinking if maybe anyone's tried it or if it works.

this maay be a stupid question but.. do i really have to put 91 octane in my car? gas is sooo expensive and my car is just stock, its a 78 280z. does the octane depend on what the engine compression is? what is the difference between 87 and 91? does it really make that big of a difference? i read somewhere that gas stations only have 2 tanks, one for 87 and one for 89.. and 91 is a mix between the two. is that true? thaanks for the info guys.

yah sorry its a 280z so i do have a cat. whats the resonator??

well ive been driving my datsun a lot lately, i took it on a few 100 mile trips, and well every time i get off the freeway and come to a red light i hear this knocking noise it sounds like coming from somewhere underneath the car. when i rev the engine the knocking goes faster and at higher revs it seems to go away. it only does this when im sitting , not moving, just idling at a red light, and after ive been driving at high speeds on the freeway. is this my exhaust? it seems like its coming from the cat. but im not sure. is it normal? do i need to get new exhaust equipment asap? i just want to make sure im not doing any major damage to my car. thanks guys

actually i think it is the non-turbo version. what would a rebuild cost? or could i do it myself, and what exactly does it entail? i dont think the engine is in realaly that bad of shape, does it still need to be rebuilt? thanks

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i havent done a compression test as the car its in is just a parts car, but i am told it is in good shape. i really dont know what the mileage is, its probably under 100k but im not sure. it was obviously not the stock engine, so the odometer would be wrong anyways, and it only goes up to 100k so there isnt really any way to know for sure. it looks to be in better condition than the engine i curerently have in my other z, and that one has around 150k i think. its in good shape. give me a call or email if you are interested, my number is 925-639-6970 and my email is kpoole@hotmail.com. ask for keith. thanks! i am posting pics of the engine below so take a look if interested.

i just need it out of my driveway. the engine is in the car, its got a f54 block with a p90 head. i am trying to sell the engine separately, id like $300 for the engine and $200 for the car, or you can just come get it all for $400. i dont have a title but you can apply for one at the dmv. it was just a parts car so i didnt bother with getting a title for it, however i have a bill of sale. if you just want the engine you'll need to bring a cherry picker to get the engine out, as i dont have many tools. the tires are on their last leg, but the body is in really nice shape. no visible rust really at all, its much nicer than the body of my '78. i just dont have the time to swap all the parts over. its an auto trans, the transmission slips bad and some parts were removed from the engine bay and interior. it shouldnt be that difficult to rebuild, it needs a brake vaccuum unit, distributor, injectors, and a few other various parts. it'd probably need a new transmission also. its good for parts though, if nothing else. attached is a picture. (note: the drivers door is missing in the photo, but i have just removed it, it will be included once the car is sold) there are other pics below.

recently i was driving my car, i had no problems getting to where i was going, but on the way home the engine felt like it was going to die. the idle dropped and then went back to normal about 3 times, i just thought it was a fluke and i proceeded to get on the freeway. then as i was just getting on, i had barely any power and i was pretty scared it was going to die. so i took the first exit, i was waiting at a red light to pull into a parking lot and take a look under the hood and it died at the red light. i had to push the car into the nearest parking lot, i tried starting it about 15 times and it would just crank but no go. i gave it gas and everything and i could barely get it running for more than half a second before it would die. there was a fuel return line that was a little wet with gas, but it wasnt spraying fuel or anything. i went to a drug store and got a screwdriver to tighten the clamp, then after about 30 minutes more of trying to start the car it finally started. it was running REALLY rough and i had to keep my foot on the gas or it would die. there was a lot of smoke coming out the exhaust, i think it was grey but i am not sure because it was pretty late at night. but anyways, i kept giving it gas, turning it off, looking around in the engine compartment, turning it on, etc until i just got it running rough and i let it idle for about 5 minutes and it finally started to idle smooth. i was going to just let it idle rough till it died, but it smoothed out!!! what would cause the engine to do this? has anyone experienced a similar problem? my car did this when i first got it, and one of my friends adjusted the idle screw or something and got it fixed. im not sure exactly what he did but it hasn't done this since, and its weird that it did it now. any thoughts?? sorry for this long confusing post.

i have a stock 78 280z with the n42 engine i believe it is? its just the stock 2.8L engine for that year. it makes a slight valve knocking noise when its running, its not anything bad i dont think, its very slight. but anyways.. i recently acquired a parts car which has a f54 block and a p90 head. i am told this is a turbo engine from an early 80s 280zx? there are no injectors in the engine, but otherwise its a pretty complete engine. there also is no distributor. would it be worth my while to swap my current engine for this one, and would i be able to use my current ecu, injectors, and distributor? i am told that the "turbo" engine i have is in really good shape. it also looks a lot cleaner than the engine i have. i just dont want to rip apart the (running) engine i have now, and do tons of work that i am not that experienced with, if it won't make a big difference. what should i do??