WattTheHeli

That is the perfect picture for this post. Thanks! If you start counting links from the first shiny link the outer plates will be odd numbers and the inner plates will be even numbers. If the last link is an outer plate it can’t be an even number. ?

The old chain did not. I had the marked links on my new chain (they were darker) but no matter how you count them they don’t add up to 42. That is the point of my post. If you don’t know that the number of ”links” refers to the pins and you count the actual links, you will set the chain one link short, as did the mechanic before me on my car. He counted links, not pins.

The instructions for installing the timing chain on the 280Z say there are 42 links between the timing marks on the sprockets. No matter how I counted I couldn't come up with 42 links between the marked links on the new timing chain I was installing. Depending on how I counted it was either 41 or 43 links between the marks. Finally, my mind was put at ease when I found this explanation in the Chilton manual. The number of ”links” refers to the pins. Now here is the kicker. I examined the old chain and the last person to work on it marked the chain where there were actually 42 links between the timing marks as the instructions call for. One mark was painted on the outer plate of the chain, and the other mark was on the edge of two outer plates. They followed the instructions literally. Now I know why I could never get the timing set right.

After 39 years of dutiful service my A/C compressor has frozen. I actually had the hood up watching the motor idle as it happened. I saw a brief post on a forum that alluded to a 300ZX compressor fitting the 280Z but the post was left unfinished. Is there a swap from another year model I can use?

Mine is a project car that is only driven on occasions. It is where I turn when the chores around the house are caught up, which is not often. I have just begun the body work which I am sure will take quite some time, but if it cleans up nicely I will then pull the motor and have it rebuilt at a quality shop as I have nowhere to rebuild one. I promise to keep it off of the drag strip until I have a worthy engine in it grannyknot! Thanks, Chris

I was thinking along the line that stock size would be best. Thanks for the info. Chris

I recently replaced the rod bearings in my 76 280Z with stock bearings. I would have done the mains but there were none to be found. An online mechanic friend of mine said I should have used over sized bearings because the engine is nearing 200K. Frankly I am confused about the difference between over and under sized bearings but what I have read said these bearings should only be used after the crank has been turned. What are your suggestions for me? Chris

…and if you are wondering, the reason I started the body work there is because whether you are behind me or in front of me when I am in the Z, you are already or soon to be looking at my rear end!

Thanks Andrew. I was referring to the taillight finisher. I found some other threads that mentioned the Dupli-Color Wheel Coating but they did not give the number. I went ahead and used the Rust-Oleum color since I already had it and I am pleased with the outcome. It is a dark brown with a hint of bronze metallic flake. Now that it is all cleaned up I noticed the trim around the right taillight is pushed down on the top so it will be coming off again when I try to fix that. I may try to polish the chrome paint with some rubbing compound to see if I can make it look a bit more realistic. The main thing is I have it protected because it was starting to pit. And since I won’t be going back with the stock color on the body I don’t think I have broken any rules.

Nice! Thanks

I’ve spent my free time over the last year breathing life back into the Z that sat for 10 years and now my thoughts are drifting to body work. Mine is a light blue 76 280. Even though the back panel has faded I can still remember a dark bronze color that always drew me in. I was burning some free time at work today and found a Rust-Oleum color that feels right. It is Rust-Oleum 248636 Metallic Oil Rubbed Bronze. Am I getting close with this color, or is there an actual color I can purchase at the auto paint store? Chris

I have very decent air flow now that I have sealed off all of the leaks but I am curious to know what year and model Honda blower to buy when mine gives out. Hopefully that will be a while because the motor doesn’t have a lot of hours on it and I pulled it apart and gave the bearings a good oiling a few weeks ago.

Thanks for the lead. It can be surprising how hard it is to find what you may otherwise think of as a common item. The upside to all of this is I knew in my gut that the engineers that designed the duct system for the heating and air more than likely had a better understanding of the mechanics of air flow than I did so I didn’t remove the afore mentioned diverters.

I rarely post because I know the answer can usually be found with some well chosen words in the search or, if I go forward with the task the answer will present itself. The latter is the case! The red flag hit me square in the face when I was reassembling the vents. Both ducts to the side vent, unbeknownst to me, had come loose in a joint behind the dash that I had forgotten about. For the time being I taped off the outlets so all of the air is directed to the middle vents. I will replace the ducts to the side vents with a solid hose so this won’t happen again. Thanks for the “air time” Chris

Has anyone done any mods to the air conditioner vent? I am considering removing about half of the diverters that direct the air flow to the side vents so I can get more air through the center vents. I went through the system several years ago and replaced the rotting foam seals with new foam and that greatly improved the air flow. Still the hole from the diverter to allow air to the middle vents is pretty small if you ask me. Are there any red flags on this or can I proceed knowing I can always fashion them back at a later time if desired? Thanks, Chris

I just went through the same thing for my 76 280Z. Autoparts Warehouse say they have one and they will take your money but they do not have it in stock. I found one on Ebay from Centric Parts. It is part #160.88031. They said it was a new aftermarket part but it was clearly a refurbished unit. I didn't raise a stink about it because I was thrilled to find anything! I have just got it mounted but haven't tested it yet. Good luck with the search. Chris

You are quite correct sir. @ olzed... when they crash there is usually a lot of damage. You have to LOVE to tinker to fly one of these things.

My heli came with a 75 MHz Tx and it was a nightmare. The belt driving the tail rotor runs through an aluminum shaft and static electricity builds up and causes the servos to twitch madly. This results in the heli slamming into the ground which means back to the bench to build it again. The Tx I have now uses spread spectrum technology and it binds to the receiver so the receiver only accepts signals from the Tx it is bound to. You gotta love technology. It is as solid as a rock in a hover now. Chris

Nice to know there is another RC type on the forum Dave. To be honest I have spent more time on the forums and the sim than I have with the real thing but I have had a blast. I bought a very cheap 400 size that was plagued with glitches. By the time I realized there was no fixing it and upgraded my Tx and Rx to a DX7 I began a remodeling project which has taken all of my spare time during the day. I am getting plenty of sim time in the evening but can’t wait until I can do it for real again. I am pretty sure I have all of the vacuum and electrical on the Z piped and wired correctly now. The FSM is a huge find. I feel like I am becoming one with my machine. I was patient and did not try to crank it until I rewired the injectors, repaired the air regulator, and with the help of epoxy putty and a soldering iron put new leads on the thermal transmitter and vacuum control valve. It cranked and ran with no back firing but is only firing on three cylinders. I checked the resistance on all of the plug wires and they are fine. The three that are not firing are getting spark but not as much as the three that are. When I pull a plug wire off of one that is hitting and put it back on I can hear the pop pop pop of the arc, but not on the three that are not hitting. I set the air gap against both sensors in my distributor but still only hitting on three. Any thoughts on the matter would be appreciated. Regards, Chris

No that is not a question. I am an RC heli enthusiast and WattTheHeli is my online persona so I figure why mess with watt works? (Promise not to do that again) I have a stock 4 speed 76 280Z that I am trying to breathe life back into and as a result I have been surfing the Z forums. I am pretty much a lurker but I am not afraid to ask a question if the answer eludes me. I join every forum I see but I am pretty sure I am going to make this one my home when it comes to posting. I dig the personalities I am seeing here. I prefer to be on a forum where questions are met with answers instead of snide comments. History of the car: The cam shaft on my Z froze due to clogged oil passages years ago and was replaced or repaired by a local small time mechanic. It froze again so I took off the head, cleared the oil passages with wire, carburetor cleaner, and any other chemicals I had on hand as well as compressed air but the damage was already done to the cam shaft bearings. The car ran but nowhere like it should. I parked it 10 years ago and decided that is long enough. I picked up a head from a junk yard that has a different oil delivery system to the cam shaft than the one before. The old head had a rail that dropped oil on the rocker arms where the new head pumps oil right through the lobes. I cleaned it up and made sure it was oiling properly. I drained the old gas from the tank and put in 7 gallons of premium and cranked it up. In no time I heard a ping in the valve cover and shut it off. Long story short the residue in the gas tank was gumming up my valves badly and quickly. I pulled the head about 4 times while figuring this out each time cleaning the super gunk from the valve stems and intake manifold with MEK. I dropped the gas tank and cleaned it with MEK too. Then beat on it with a rubber mallet to remove at least a cup of rust flakes. I then went overboard and flushed it with muriatic acid which cleaned it right down to the metal. I noticed it was rusting right back up because the metal was so bare so I have a solution of gas and oil in the tank and have been rotating it in hopes that the oil will seep into the metal and protect it. I am now going over the electrical connections. I have rewired the injectors and have verified that they are all working. The fuel line has been flushed with MEK and I am currently running the fuel from a glass jar. Well that’s me. Glad to be here and thanks to all of you for your knowledge. Chris