cronoz78

Looks like there is some play in my steering rack on the passenger side basically where the boot covers. Should I just replace the rack or does anyone have any better suggestions to attack first? Is there a rebuild kit for the rack? Thanks! 20200626_160313_1_1[1].mp4

I don't believe so because the front wheels were on ramps and the rear was on the ground. Actually, the output shafts can still move if that play occurs in the diff. Right?

I have been looking for a diff clunk. I have put in a isolator bushing at the top of the diff nose and still hear the noise (you can see it in the video) Recently, I went under the car and found the drive shaft had some play at the diff end, not at the U-joint though. See the video. Where can this slop be from? Is this normal? The diff gear mesh? How can I fix this? Thank you. 20190611_180511.mp4

An update to this. I wanted to enjoy my 3 mths of summer with the Z so I decided to look for a spare motor, and whaddyouknow grannyknot found me one faster than I thought it would take. Bonus: The guy lives 5 min from my office where I will keep the motor! Got a good price and its a F54 block with N42 head. Perfect place to start. Now its time to find an engine stand and start tearing it apart! Madkaw: Turns out that megasquirt guy lives nearby. We met up and I saw what he builds (very nice) Its a good option.

Av8ferg, Yes a slight power bump is all it needs. Too much and more things need to be modified (brakes ect) I'm not getting into that. I like it how it is. Once I get this car out and the comp. test ect done then Ill have a better idea of where to go. I only get 6mths a year with this car so I want to enjoy it as well. ~Love the smell of that old school interior plastic in the air

Av8ferg - Yes I would like to keep it EFI. I drive in various temps. I dont think carbs are a great idea up here. Siteunseen - Thats a cool little trick. I never thought of that. It looks like I can get away with increasing the fuel pressure reg. But in reality looks like I need a megasquirt to make this work properly.. Worst case scenario I just do a regular stock rebuild. But until I get this thing out of storage my hands are tied. Its packed away so tight I cant access anything under the hood. Not until a few weeks The cam specs were: Stage I Intake 26-64 Exhaust 64-26 Lift 0.475 Valve Lash Cold 0.006/0.008 Duration 270 deg 0.050 Duration 222 deg

madkaw: Honestly the car runs good considering the mileage and age. Whatever I'm doing is because I have the time and space for the next few mths. The rear crank seal leaks, rear transmission seal leaks, oil pan. I'm only doing these things since I have the time and space now. what I dont want is to have that car have a problem further down the road where it is not drive able and I don't have time to really get into it. Its for convenience right now thats all. I'm the first to say "if it aint broke don't fix it" which is why Im having a hard time moving fwd with this. I hear what your saying though and very aware. What I need to do is get the car out of storage (May) and look at these things again. run these compression tests ect. I have a camera scope i can send in the sparkplug hole to take a peek as well. Facing = Decking (some people say facing) grannyknot: How fancy to meet you here as well! lol

Av8ferg - no I do not Zed Head - good point i found this: https://zcardepot.com/products/fuel-injection-retrofit-kit-fast-efi-280z-280zx Totally out of the budget lol.

I have been told that the most experienced engine builders are on this forum so I thought I might get some help and direction. I am considering doing an engine rebuild on the 78 280z this May. It is only a street car, I drive in traffic and highway. It is mostly stock except for Headers, Fujitsubo exhaust, ZX distributor. I have had it for 8-9 yrs. The goal is a cost effective, reliable, healthy bump in power and fix leaking oil seals as the ODO says 27k. Now is that 127 or 227 miles??? I've done everything else myself but left the engine work to the last, now that I have time and space to mess around with it.Reason: leaks from here and there, need fixing so why not just get it over with...This will be my first engine rebuild (it doesn't look to difficult) Yes, I have the shop manual and the 2 books.Does anyone have any suggestions on things I should change while I'm in there? (N47 head) My loose plan: - Do a leakdown, compression and dyno test so I can have a baseline. - All Gaskets (Felpro full kit)- Block to be decked/faced, honed and head to be decked/faced- Cast Pistons - Flat tops any recommendations?- Head rebuild? decked/faced, ISKY 718147 Stage 1, ********What should I change here to accept the new cam? Springs?, lash pads?, retainers?, rockers?, shorter valve seals***** Recommendations?- New bearings, rod bolts, frost plugs, timing chain kit.- Ignition plan to keep the OEM (any benefit to a new ignition system?)- ZX Turbo oil pump - Adjustable fuel pressure regulator (suggestions?) - While I'm at it... flywheel faced and new clutch OEM or Exedy OEM Replacement Clutch Kit 06009. No lightwieght flywheel as I dont want a "blippy" thottle response.Any info would be helpful if you have done this before Where should I buy these parts because there are good parts and CHEAP parts If you don't feel like typing I can call you just PM me. Thank you in advance. D.

I guess Im a tad bit late to this party. Cozye, I believe I have the same issue as you. I have pulling out my hair trying to figure it out. Im about to replace the injectors then try the fuel pump (which has been replaced but does look real old). Did you ever figure out the issue? Thanks!

I am planning in a couple weeks to lower my 78 280z with the Tokico Springs and blue shocks. I will be ordering some bump steer spacers for this as well. I will also upgrade the swaybars with SuspensionTechniques sway bar kit. 1) I have reading alot of posts regarding camber change after they are installed and that is not adjustable. How severe is the camber? What will the effects be on drive quality? 2) I have also read that I should snag a set of 240 strut mount insulators for the rear so the butt doesnt stick up in the air . My car runs straight as a pin with little vibration - no complaints. By lowering this and getting an alignment I should be back to normal after the lowering. Are there any issues that i should be aware of if i go ahead with this change? Sometime's "If it aint broke dont fix it" Thanks!

Ok, Good to know. I just wanted to make sure i dont ruin what it was intended for by trimming it or removing it all together. @5thhorsemann, yes I have seen diff oil only at the propeller shaft, I havent seen any on the driveway so the diffy oil must be low, at least to the bottom of that seal. I have no idea how to fix that one just yet or what part to get. ie I have not researched this issue yet. Funny thing is that I just got some Redline to change both the tranny and diff oil today. Gasket Seal may take priority now. Thanks All

Well that isnt helping my diff clunk for sure (even after I installed Techoversions Diff mount). I have to look elsewhere for that noise. Yes the weight does look home made, thats the first thing I thought. Regarding the space needed Im not sure how much, I just needed to know if the new swaybar will fit before I order it. I don't want it touching or being to close to avoid any interference between the 2 pieces. Maybe I will have to grind the welds of one of those blocks.

Yes i agree on the AFM for now. The incorrect FPR readings are probably a good cause for my high gas consumption Have not had time to attack anything yet, and also I am waiting to see if I can get a Nissan FPR. If not will aftermarket do? What brand? For starters I will try to do the valve adjustment tonight at wrk by pushing the car in gear as getting to the crank with a socket is near impossible especially when its hot. I will check those areas for vac leaks as well As for the EGR its has not rotted out like that guys case (very interesting thread though, thats what got me more interested in checking out my EGR to begin with) Thanks!

What is the purpose of this plate and will it affect my installing a new sway bar? It just seems to be bolted there, for protection? The Suspension Techniques 52100 sway bars are thicker and there is maybe 2mm clearance between the top of this _____ plate.

ZedHead 1) So either 5 or 7 pin will do 2) When accelerating 3) Ok but EF-37 in the manual says 36 psi but maybe I am misunderstanding it. So the pressure should never go higher than 36psi is what your saying then. I did check the Vac hose to the FPR but dont remember what it dropped to. New hose, no leaks there. Maybe I will recheck the FPR. I forgot to mention that the pressure drops to 0 overnight. 4) Ok I take that one back, I am 99.9% sure there are no hose leaks as we did spray TB cleaner around all the hoses ect. Also it was checked by me and the mechanic. 5) I plan to totally isolate the EGR this wknd. to ENSURE no leakage 6) Injectors are on order as well. 7) Hehe that was a joke, Im in it for the long haul with this car It was so hard to find in its condition. I catch what your saying though. 8) Last owner kept it in his garage, only put Nissan parts on it, Drove it maybe once a week to work in the summer, he could have had better general maintenance on it. He had it since 2004 from the original owner (I even have the original bill of sale! haha) and he was an older guy not messing with stuff really and just took it to the mech when something was wrong and he drove it like a Camry. I got last fall. I spent the winter changing hoses, cleaning connections general clean-up. It drove kinda sluggish last fall as far as I can recall. What started everything was last fall I drove it maybe 5 times before I had to put it away for winter hardly enough time to get to "know" the car. It was hard to start when hot (ie go to a store come out 20 min later and it wouldnt start or just turn over 6-7 times). This lead me to Thermotime sensor, coolant sensor, cold start injector (Everything checks out). It sat in my garage all winter (Nov-April) I started it about every 2 weeks let it get to operating temp and park it back (stored with fresh oil and fuel stabilizer). Once spring was here I could finally get it out and really work on it Fast forward to now.

Hello all, This is my first post on this site. I am having some issues with my Z. How do I even begin to explain...! Main Question(regarding my Thread title): I may have to order a new AFM, after talking to MSA there are many... I have A31-625000 which is a 4 bolt (apparently more rare) and are almost never instock. Z CarSource asked me if it was 7 pin or 5 and I verified that it was 7 pin. But here is the funny part: 7Pin on the AFM and on the harness there are only 5 actual female connectors! What the heck! Inside the AFM is a working fuel cutoff switch. I ran though the AFM tests for the pins and everything seems to check out... I really dont want to mess around with this thing b/c getting one of these up to Canada is a pain in the butt and its not like I will get it next week... SO.. What do I order? A31-625000 which is a 4 bolt with 5 pin or 7pin? I did run through the AFM test and things seem to check out ok... Background: Car: Stock 78 280z from the US now in Canada 120k miles Goal: Get this car running tight. Or tighter at least. (how tight can a 70's car be? ) Possibly a mild upgrade of headers/exhaust and cam since its smog exempt, no cat, no O2. Might as well take advantage of that! Issue: -The car idles rough (blub,blub,blub,blub - exhaust note) not a smooth idle. I going to try and video this. -Backfire is heard though under the hood (sounds like a quick pop/ crack) when engaging 1st and sometimes 2nd. Im sure the neighbors love that 6:45am ! Only happens once in a while driving but guaranteed to happen when car is cold and with in 5 min of driving. -Had the car at the shop yesterday and the mech says: "Well, the good news is that its gutless" Though he says he cant remember the last time he drove a stock Z. He used to AutoX them back int the day. "Power should be almost scary" he says as far as he can remember. My issue is that I have no point of reference regarding a good driving Z and a poor running one. But I do know there is an issue. -Take your foot off the gas and the car decelerates rapidly, slamming your head back and forth and the gas pedal too! (only sometimes) but I think this is related to the dashpot at the throttle linkage which I will adjust or replace. -This summer it just seems like it has a mind of its own, sometimes it drives nice but most of the time not. hehe. -Smells slightly rich. I will pull the plugs and take a pic once I get some more driving on the new plugs. What I have done: -last night verified that the screen in the fuel pump inlet was clear. It has a aftermarket pump and there was no screen. Just had to make sure! -Fuel pressure is 35-36 on idle and when the throttle is bliped it blips the pressure up to 39ish (PSI) and normalizes back to 36ish -Changed both plugs (NGK BR6ES gaped to 0.040) and NGK wires. -Did the ZX dist upgrade as per "Blue's" online instructions (Dist from Datsun parts LLC) Timing WAS set to 10deg @800. Original coil still there. -Timing was verified yesterday morn at ~14 deg. We adjusted the idle down to 750ish RPM which bottomed out the idle screw. (Maybe today I will try to advance timing a bit and see.) Though I am afraid to touch anything as the car seems to run better than it has all summer right now, that gives you an idea how boggy it was! Right now I can drive it with more power than usual. The last time the car was driving "nice" I messed around with the dist timing and it did not help the backfire so I am hesitant the issue lies here. -95% sure there are no hose leaks as I have replaced most of them. -PCV valve cleaned with TB cleaner and is moving freely. -EGR: Hose from exhaust manifold was never there but the hole was plugged. I finally got the rusty bolts (only ones) off the EGR to take a peek in there and found the inlet was plugged with some white stuff??? Anyways I removed it all now there is an open entrance to the EGR. To make sure that the EGR does not activate I removed the vaccuum hose from where the hose was coming from and plugged it. (Note: I sucked on the EGR hose to see if it opens and it does under vaccuum) But, essentially the EGR is deleted though I will fab up a plate to replace the EGR totally this wknd. -Ran some seafoam through the throttle body, in the oil and gas tank. Oil is slightly brown now but still relatively clear. -Im running mid grade fuel, I switched to that from premium cause it was running so crappy on the "GOOD" stuff -Throttle switch replaced with a Newused one, cleaned and set to 1400rpm -Fuel filter changed + hoses -Idle air control valve was replaced a while ago (nissan part) by the PO. -Had a leaking heatercore hose replaced them all the way to the engine. I had an air bubble in the heater core (you could hear it) dropped the coolant and bleed the cooling system for bubbles. I had an idea that the coolant was low (as i had seen in the rad and leaking from heater core hose) and due to this air bubble coolant was intermittently coming in contact with the coolant temp sensor causing ridiculous readings. I REALLY had that dream! That was the issue and everything would be fixed. Well it wasnt. BUT that can be an issue and it does happen and it would be a tricky one to diagnose! Anyways the leak was fixed. -Replaced Coolant temp sensor to a Nissan brand this week -Electrical conn's from the Thermotime/coolant temp sensor are not swapped at the bullet conn's (I chked at the ECU by unplugging one) -Unrelated: I have a clunk coming from the back when changing gears 1/2/3. I installed a diff mount from technoversions and it didnt solve that... driveshaft can be turned a bit by hand This weekend: Im going to try an valve adjustment (prolly has NEVER been done). Do a compression test I have injectors/o-rings/seats on order (the originals are still on the car with minute cracks on the surface of the hoses) Whoa that was alot of typing and remembering what I did so far. I am going to try and post a video of this thing idling. I am really tempted to rip out all this stuff and swap to a carburetor set up. hehe (Woosaaah Woosaaah Wooosaaah - Scene from Bad Boys) Any suggestions on where to go on this?