Mark Maras

@smackhq Just got back from Pick-n-Pull, Portland south. 111th and SE Foster. They've got a 77 sitting there with the running gear intact. I noticed that it still had the AC compressor attached to the engine. Injection is gone as well as much of the interior. The valve cover was loose so I looked inside. Aside from a few spots of very light surface rust on the lobes it looks good. It has had regular oil changes judging from the total lack of sludge. Dash is gone so no estimate of the mileage. Harmonic balancer was gone or I would have tried to turn it over. The hood is off, manifolds are off, everything is disconnected. The engine is just sitting there begging to be pulled. PnP engine price is $197.99 with a $29.99 core charge. Estimated time from Kent to Portland about three hours. Time to pull the engine and get it into a transporter, less than one hour, with my help, if desired. Now the sad part of the story. The body has little rust. Battery area has a small spot of surface rust. Hatch latch panel is near pristine. Floors look good. Frame rails look good. Tire well looks good. Doglegs look good. A couple of bubbles in the door bottoms. It's really a shame. I have three Z bodies and this one is in better shape than any of mine.

I think I'd try using some Caig DeoxIT on all the connection points.

Smush, Smush.

@jalexquijano DON"T TAKE THE DISTRIBUTOR OUT. Don't oil anything. For now, Just replace the distributor cap, rotor and #4 plug. I still want to know if any other plugs were sooty. If you used too much choke or left it on too long the the last time you warmed it up, it's likely that all the plugs look like #4. #1 Don't fix what ain't broke. #2 Check the other plugs. #3 Replace the Dist. cap, rotor and #4 if it's the only one that 's black. #4 Be sure that all the wires are fully inserted into the cap. #5 Drive it and report back.

@jalexquijano Did you look at any of the other plugs? It would be a good idea just to confirm the rest look OK. If they look good I'd just replace the cap, rotor and # 4 plug. I don't think I'd spray anything just yet. If five of the six plugs look good the problem is narrowed down to the cap, rotor or plug wire, assuming the compression is still good. Do you have access to an ohm meter?

@JackT Check out page nine. It has a description and the part #s used in the V-3 mod. Relay A-25235-PO100. Relay B-25230-89915

I got lost when you explained this. Can you expand on this theory? I've always believed that a precise fuel level was critical in all carbs. Now I'm wondering how large the fuel level "grey area" is. Perhaps @Bruce Palmer can help us out. I believe he said the optimum fuel level should be just below the nozzle tops at 2 1/2 turns down.

Google "oil can dent fix". Don't turn your body-work into sculpting.

Too bad he didn't take a measurement of the drop. I've been puzzling about the distance the nozzle drops below the fuel level when the choke is applied. At the tail end of Jalex's fix, the Cap'n brought this subject up when I was trying to get Jalex to set his fuel level just below the nozzles at 2 1/2 turns down. I believe that Jalex's fuel level is lower than the nozzle tops and it seems to run fine. I'mm left with the opinion that there is a grey area in the fuel level that works just fine for the street. Opinions?

Probably not too weird if you don't own the car or bought it to flip it. However, he or she states "my 1981 Datsun 280z". A true owner-driver would know the difference, IMO.

I test drove a Tiger back in the mid seventies. Already had my Z and thought I'd like to own a Tiger too. After taking the owner for a spirited drive up and down Germantown Road and scaring the pi$$ out of the owner, I decided to pass on buying it. The snap over-steer dictated that one could not relax and drive the car at speed. I probably would have bought it if I hadn't had a Z to compare to. The Tiger gave me the impression that neither the car or I would have survived for long.

@jalexquijano

@siteunseen Which one are you driving to Z Con?

I'd worry about old fuel first as well as your driving priorities.

It was 180ish psi last year. Something changed. Assuming the cam wasn't changed nor the cam timing, I'm guessing the valve lash is too tight too @jalexquijano Time to check the valve lash again if you're sure the 100 psi compression test was done accurately. Yes you have to. Valves that aren't closing all the way will be burned toast in a very short time. On the plus side, IF, the 100 psi was correct jumping it back up to 180 will feel like you slapped a turbo on it. After checking the valve lash do the compression test with the engine warm. Start with #1 and go thru all six, then test all six again to verify the first test results. A written explanation of the 100 psi compression test procedure might help explain the low numbers.

How is it doing these days when idling in traffic? Still overheating or loading up the plugs? Easy enough to add a hose but what "situation" is the mechanic trying to solve with the extended air intake? The compression test looks wonky to me. First, I've never seen identical compression in all cylinders in any engine. Second, If they're all at 100 psi, IMO, they're all low. My engine tested around 160 psi (+ or - 5 psi.) the last time I checked. is it possible the valves were set too tight?

Years ago Kathy asked me the dreaded question. Do these pants make me look fat? I, of course, said "No". She then asked, "Are you saying that just to make me feel better?" My response was, "I would never say anything to you just to make you feel better." We both had a good laugh and the question of clothes hasn't come up since.

keep in mind that "I just wish I could do the work myself" was the first step for all of us. If you have the space and time, go for it. Many of the Zs here have been rescued from becoming a parts car, most by owners who started off not knowing how to do the work and learning as the job progressed. Take it one step at a time and ask questions. You can do it.

I'd buy them. I like the idea of brass contacts too but in reality there is only one "contact" point in the center of the rotor. The precise placement of the rotor and the precise air gap between the rotor and the plug wire "contacts" are the critical factors IMO.

@Redwing

I'm sure there are other quality brands out there. Perhaps others can advise on those. I haven't bought caps and rotors often enough to know which brands are best. I do know the Bosch cap and rotor made a significant improvement in performance and may have been the deciding factor in getting the RX7 thru DEQ again. A bit expensive when compared to other brands. I did notice the Bosch rotor precisely fits the dizzy shaft. It looks like the rotor was machined to fit the shaft. I've seen a few degrees of slop in cheap rotors. I'll never go cheap again.

The plugs look pretty good. #4 still looks like the ground electrode has a bit more carbon than #2. You report that the engine is running good. Congratulations on a job well done. Re-adjusting the floats and mixture screws all depends on your curiosity level. You could end up making it worse and have to return to the current settings. That would be OK too. At least you'd know for sure. Personally, I'd drive it until I either didn't care about re-adjusting them or until my curiosity drove me to try raising the floats and mixture screws. Nice that you have the option. If you do re-adjust the floats and mixture screws, be sure and report back on your findings. The more you screw with them the more you'll learn. Did you replace the generic cap and rotor with quality parts? I still think that may be the problem with #4.

No open casket. Just an urn with a Z on it. The cremation will take place at the time of the accident.

Kathy and I will be there too.

I had to deal with Chinese steel products for around two decades. We normally bought steel wire from Tree Island Steel in Richmond, Canada and the quality was always excellent. Then about once a year the current knot head in corporate purchasing would buy a few hundred tons of Chinese wire at a discount and distribute the wire to the manufacturing branches with no prior notice. Surprise! Production plummeted when we tried to use the Chinese wire. The inconsistency was beyond belief. I was not popular with Corporate when I sent it back year after year. Might explain why everyone was smiling (including me) when I retired.