Wade Nelson

The "old school" turbos are just miserable in stop-and go city driving. Especially hot. I'd bore out a NA, cam it, do whatever it takes before I'd suffer with another old-school turbo vehicle. And I've owned a half dozen, Subarus, Porsche, MR2...

It's gotten pretty hot here (for Colorado), in the '90's in the afternoons. I just made the extra trip and filled up with the alcohol free gas. I'll report back on how it does vs my last tankful of "oxygenated" gas in this higher heat. I've had several ..crank 3-4x before it start episodes in the past 2 weeks on the last tankful.

The problem with the "systemic" approach is you'll end up with an AC system worth more than the price of a used Z. And one screw-up and you've just munched or contaminated expensive new components. I suggest the "get it working" and improve it "one piece at a time" approach. A couple of cans of R134 and you can see if your compressor works. Find your leaks. You can replace hoses piecemeal. Save the new dryer receiver till you install the last new part. If you've got debris, metal or otherwise floating around your system, let it destroy your OLD compressor or clog your OLD expansion valve, not a nice new one. This whole business about "molecule size" is a straw man. Sure, in 2 years, all the R134 may have bled out of a R12 system. But you're more likely to deal with gross leaks, compressor seals, pinholes in your condensor, etc. If "molecule size" were your only problem two more cans of R134 every 2 years would solve it, and that's a LOT cheaper than replacing every component in the system. If the system is working well, and isn't contaminated with air or water, you'll never notice the 15-20% loss of efficiency from using R-134 vs R12. But hey, maybe you've got lots of money you want to throw at it. I'm just suggesting "do it all at once" approach may be far more expensive than toe-dipping.

About the ONLY thing that can make an engine never warm up is a thermostat that doesn't close. Don't test 'em, replace 'em. Put in a new Stant and be done with it. Wear on the shaft, deposits, all kinds of #hit can make 'em stick open.

Make sure you don't have an exhaust leak too. That will let air into the exhaust system, FOOL even a brand new 02 sensor into making the car run rich. Areyou talking about the oil pressure sender? Yeah, those can leak. Not cheap, either.

You're way overthinking this. In many cases an R134 conversion only requires replacing the charge itself. Start by reading THIS thread. http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/thread45820.html

Take it and have it turned on a lathe. Even if you only have .002 taken off it will be perfectly FLAT then. About $15. Be sure and use brake cleaner to remove the cutting oil used. The shops leave it on because customers don't like picking up a rusty flywheel, which it will do in a matter of HOURS if it isn't oiled. As for light sanding....sure, some 200 grit, or a roto zip wheel, and afterwards wash with SOAP AND HOT WATER to remove the grit left behind. I've found, if you're not having clutch problems, none of this makes any difference anyway, and if you ARE having clutch problems....it STILL doesn't make any difference. . Clutch judder problem? See other threads.

Having recently bought a 280ZX I'd suggest the 280Z instead. You get the fuel injection, but not the crappy suspension on the ZX. All the $ in the world can't fix a poor rear suspension geometry / design.

I just had new ball joints installed on my ZX. WOW, WHAT A DIFFERENCE. The old ones weren't DETECTABLY worn, you couldn't shake the wheel and say "oh, bad ball joints" even though the rubber boots were long gone. But at 200k I figured they were probably the originals.... Driving it with the new ones --- it made a BIGGER IMPROVEMENT to the car's handling than all of the other bushings and other pieces I've replaced so far - tie rod ends, sway bar links, etc. The car is actually starting to drive half-way decent now! It has gone from homicidal (sway bar links & rear struts) to tempermental (tie rod ends, alignment, properly torque wheel bearings) to almost respectable (ball joints). I SUSPECT a fatter sway bar up front, and the prothane bushings on the rear arms are what's going to get me to home plate.

Next time, go to NAPA, get a generic piece, and find a friend / machine shop with a tubing bender. Or pick one up in a pawn shop for $10. You can bend by hand, around dowels and such, but a bender does a nicer job. After bending 3-4 pieces you'll learn how to get the lengths right.

Loose or torn engine /transmission mounts are often the culprit. And you've USUALLY got to take them completely off to see the tear in the rubber part or other defect. Failure to resurface the flywheel when you do the job can make a new clutch shudder like the old one, even a good one.

I could tell you everything there is to know about clutch judder but I see your post is 3 years old.

Sounds identical to the one I bought. Leaking oil, appears to be from the pan gasket but not too sure on that. Remove the skid plate and tighten all the pan bolts and 95% of your leak will go away. Power steering is whining; not bad though. Add fluid. If you have to add more, add some with stop leak. Idles rough; 500-600 rpm when cold, owner claimed it was the timing. Auxiliary air valve probably stuck shut. Remove, clean, test per an earlier post I put up on this website. Oil blow by, dont know how much but there was residue under the hood towards the front. My hood was a mess too, engine degreaser & elbow grease. No idea where it comes from. Runs rich -- based on what? Black smoke? Replace 02 sensor. An EFI engine should NEVEr run rich. Also another issue is sometimes it will stay at approx 2k rpm when idling at a red light or whatever; could that be a spring thats bad or something? Aux air valve again? Throwout bearing is going out atleast thats what I think, can hear it without clutch pushed in, but engaged you cant hear it. Needs new shocks and struts.

Take a jumper and apply 12V directly to the horns themselves. If they work, then it's a switch or relay problem.

I'd say the idle circuit in your carburetor is clogged up, or your float level set wrong. Your'e making up for it with either the choke or pumping the throttle. You only need enough fuel pressure to fill the bowls, this isn't an injected vehicle where PSI is critical. Another possibility is a vacuum leak that's allowing air to bypass the carbs so it's ingesting air that hasn't been spritz'd with fuel. Power brake booster with a holy diagphram, perhaps? Cracked vacuum lines? The fact that you can keep it running with faux fuel PROVES its a fuel starvation problem, not timing, ignition, etc.

I concur with an earlier post about disassemblign and cleaning the proportioning valve.

Loosen the big locknut, tighten the plug with the "X" in it with a big screwdriver, turn wheel side to side till it feels right? Is there anything else to it? Did it make a noticeable difference when you did it?

Window seals for the 280ZX. Can't find 'em on the web. Has Nissan still got 'em? Tired of listening to wind noise That tiny little light bulb (seed) used all over the dashboard to illuminate things, like the keyhole. Anyone got a part # or replacement? I bought some of those brass bushings to tighten up my shifter. Can anyone tell me a procedure for installing? Does the console need to come out? I'm not gonna pay retail for a fatter front sway bar. Anyone got a source, or one in the garage your'e never gonna install? Did the 2+2 use a fatter bar? This car sways too dang much! Next problem: My rear hatch release works, but the hatch doesn't "spring up" enough so sometimes it re-latches before I get back there, esp if I shut the driver door. What doo-dad is supposed to provide some lift to the now-unlatched hatch? Is there an adjustment or anyone come up with a solution?

I can't find any cheaper prices. I just paid $16 apiece for rear rotors.

I went ahead and wired up a toggle switch for the injector fan, timer should still limit it to 17 minutes. Much more than that and it's likely to cause battery drains. What I find peculiar is that SOMETIMES it will start right up despite being hot. Seems to be luck of the draw. Any ideas on how to CONFIRM that vapor locking is the actual problem?

Here's another Z forum thread on improving the wizz-poor handling of so many 280ZX's... Worthwhile read... http://www.zcar.com/70-83_tech_discussion_forum/improve_handling_280zx_600264.0.html

I'm going to give those of you who haven't purchased the Prothane kit (yet) fair warning. The $99 price on these kits is a smokin' deal. BUT...before you buy it, you need to ask yourself, "Do I have the 20-30 hours needed to actual INSTALL all of this?" The tools? The patience? I've gotten perhaps 30% through the box so far... and find I greatly prefer DRIVING this car to having it up on ramps, me on the ground wrestling with 2 floor jacks, one bottle jack, two pry bars, 1/2" impact gun.... ..and where is all that swearing coming from?

I think I recognize those. I'm 90% confident I saw Wiley Coyote using a pair like that.

Start by eating a can of spinach.

Here's another refrigeration tidbit I just learned: >Any excess liquid becomes stored inside the condenser – and any excess liquid decreases system refrigerating capacity. Generally speaking, a critically-charged unit should be charged within ±1-2% of the listed charge. All halocarbon-based (R12, R134, ...) automotive refrigeration (AC) systems are "critically charged." They can't just store excess liquid Freon somewhere. like ammonia-based commercial systems do. Every ounce of EXCESS freon liquid displaces vapor in the condensor that would OTHERWISE be helping cool your car. So in other words, don't OVERCHARGE your system, thinking it will blow colder. It will actually DECREASE how well the system operates. It would be great IF automotive AC systems COULD store a Dewar flask of liquid something so you could have INSTANT cold air the moment you flipped the switch, like how the Prius stores hot engine coolant for faster warmup, heat, defrost, and decreased emissions. Someday.