Ben's Z

OK finished! I had to have the exhaust manifold milled down because the #5 runner had literally a divot missing from the face from the exhaust leaking so long. I put it all back together. I retested and my fuel pressure did not change, HOWEVER my intake backfire is now gone. Why would this happen? Also when taking it all apart this spring came out and I am not sure where it came from. Anyone know? Car drives a lot better and seems to make better power. It is amazing how smooth these inline sixes are when they exhaust actually goes through the muffler and does not leak out at the manifold. Name that spring!

I have this same issue on my car. Same year and transmission. However when I depress the clutch this "whurring" noise goes away. Transmission was professionally rebuilt by prior owner. Although I know my tailshaft seal is leaking because the passenger side of the transmission tunnel is wet. However it never leaks a drop parked.

I have put in the heli-coil...Anyone use locking nuts with a shoulder on them instead of using the washers that go between the nut and exhaust manifold? I dipped the studs in chemdip and cleaned them up pretty good, so I plan on reusing them. I do need new nuts though.

What if any do you guys use for garage cabinets? I just moved and I am working on creating what will be my dream garage (budget of course). So far I have seen some at Sears in the craftsman line, that look ok. Home Depot has some Husky that looked reasonably priced and are American made. Any have any suggestions, ones to avoid? Recommendations? How about the Rubbermaid FastTrack cabinets?

Actually the steel broke before the aluminum threads put out or stripped. Turns out my Dorman, part does not fit. I already contacted the product manager about it....

Changed again! http://www.weather.com/weather/today/USTX0482

Thanks everyone for the help... I am taking a lunch break now. (Actually used one of my vacation days to do this). I ended up taking off the thermostat housing and distributor out. I bought some extractors, but believe I am past the point of no return and will be going with the heli-coil. If I was not going with a different engine within the next 6 to 8 months, and less than 1000 miles I would probably take the head to the machine shop, I need new valve seals too, but that seems to be pissing away money I can use on my 280zxt engine. Looking back I should have taken out the distributor and thermostat housing before I attempted to drill out the old stud. The busted stud was actually seated deeper than the face of the head, but I still could have gotten a better angle on it. I busted a bolt off on doing the timing belt on my Tacoma timing tensioner a few years ago(in the aluminum) and used a heli coil and it has never given me any problems. I went to XL Parts here by my house (they are my customer, I am the rep for Dorman Products in Texas) and got some Dorman HELP! exhaust studs part # 03104 on the way from the other stores. Supposedly they should work according to our website, just an FYI incase anyone is ever in a pinch... Because of my bad valve seals the tops of my intake valves have crap all over them. I found some "Guaranteed to pass emissions" snake oil in my cabinet, I poured it in the intake runners to soak the valves. Before I am done I am going to pull the spark plugs and cycle the engine to blow all that out. Does anyone see any adverse affects of using any brake cleaner to blast the tops of the valves before I put the intake back on?

Let me throw a curve ball into all of this. If you were going to replace with the engine with a 280zxt swap within 5 months, would you still take the head off and take it to a machine shop or try the heli-coil first and just see what happens. I have a 280zxt engine that I will be putting in around May...

While investigating my intake backfire I noticed out of the cylinder closest to the firewall I have exhaust coming out. I decided to do the gasket. Anyhow I got the intake and exhaust manifold off. The exhaust manifold stud closest to the radiator was finger tight, turns out someone had previously busted the stud off flush with the head; it was basically laying in there. I tried my best to work around the distributor to drill out the remaining stud but I think I am getting into the aluminum head some. I was checking myself with the new gasket as a template and using my magnet to pick up the shavings, definitely mostly steel. I actually have a heli-coil from a previous f/up that threads into the good holes in the head. I no longer have the bit. What are your thoughts on using a helicoil? I can't really drill directly into the bad hole without removing the distributor, should I take out the distributor? If I do, I have never messed with a distributor or resetting it, if I don't move anything should it go back in with no timing issues? Also, the two middle studs, one stud came out on the other the nut backed off and the stud is still in the head. Both nuts are fubar'd, any problems with this as long as I get some new nuts? The only other stud that stayed in was the rear where the hook for pulling the engine is, all the other studs came out instead of the stud staying and the nut backing off.

Going to check prefilter screen tonight, and I bought an intake/exhaust gasket to replace this weekend. Time to snap some studs off I presume.

Sarah, What is the yogurt cup vacuum leak intake procedure again?

Would have loved to know what you wrote... Anyhow are you saying that having the vacuum hose attached while getting my readings could be the reason for the low value? Or just need to check it with the vacuum hosed removed to attain the correct factory pressure readings?

I am about to pull the Turbo motor from my 280zx. All I need is the harness and engine. 160k. Car is an Automatic. Has T Tops, one is cracked, all other glass is good. Digital dash. Does anyone need parts? Just looking to make a little cash not get rich on the deal. I live in the Houston, TX area.

I couldn't make it anyhow, this works out great... I will be in for the spring.

Man, sounds like slight head gasket leak. Any of the plugs look different?

My POS has an intake backfire. Cold, or hot, doesn't matter, happens between about 1100 and 2200 RPMS. I thought it might be the coolant temp sensor, of course not. Someone prior to me removed all the egr and cold start crap, so I have vacuum lines with bolts in the ends of the hose clamped to block everything off. A real hack job, car idles and runs like **** cold. I robbed some of the missing stuff off of ZCurves parts car but have not installed it. I slapped the fuel pressure gauge inline between the rail and the filter and I am getting about 24psi at idle. Revving the engine via the throttle shaft doesn't really change anything, it maybe goes as high as 26 to 28 PSI. Replaced fuel filter earlier this week. Some asswipe told me one time to open up a propane torch and wave it around for intake leaks, this is complete nonsense. Same guy must have made up the spraying WD40 to identify intake leaks, I just have WD40 all over the place now. Pulled thermotine wiring harness, didn't change ****. None of this is going to really matter when I put the 280zxt engine in, but I'd like to still see how weak this motor is even when running close to 100% when I pull it. I owned a Toyota Land Cruiser with an Inline 6 EFI with almost 2.5 times the mileage this engine has and everything about that engine runs circles around this piece of ****. Uses oil, slow, runs like ****.

Went 114MPH on SH 249 between FM 1960 and Louetta on Thanksgiving Day. I was in 5th. I had my foot in the well, I don't think it had anything else left in it, does this seem normal?

Zedy, Frank lives close to me up here on the North Side. Maybe I can give him the cash.... Your efforts and time are appreciated.

Andrew, was going to call you. Stopped by your brothers shop to rob some ebrake cable clips yesterday and saw your car at Deerbrook collision, didn't look like they had got to it yet. I too am not going now. Got my daughters freakin Christmas pageant that Saturday. I am totally bummed. Was hoping to formally meet and join the Z community. I still have your rear calipers for the 280zx disc conversion. Give me a call.

Can you get vice grips on it? I did the same on my rear lines, I don't even bother with line wrenches anymore.

Medium for Ben's Z my friend...

Not sure if I will be banned from a shirt but my wife informed me our daughters Christmas pageant at school is on that Saturday, we might not be coming now. Are we even sure Jesus was born in December?! I'd still like a shirt.

It says on the webpage significant modifications are required to mount the fiberglass bumpers intended for the 240 and 260 cars on to a 280z. Have any of you successfully mounted those fiberglass bumpers on a 280z? If so how "significant" were the modifications?

I adjusted it. It helped some but the pedal is still very stiff.

I downloaded the file but it says it is corrupt and I can't open it. Do you have the information on what the coolant temp sensor resistance parameters should be?