the_tool_man

It idles well and revs when parked. I won't know more until I can drive it.

Or I could unhook the alternator and run off the battery. It wouldn't be the sketchiest thing, considering the 5-gal gas can in the back for a fuel tank.

Thanks for that info. I assume https://www.atlanticz.ca/zclub/techtips/alternatorswap/index.html is a good how-to (though it uses a 60A 280ZX alternator instead of the Frontier 70A). I'd planned to drive the car this weekend to do more diagnosis. Is there any risk to driving it before correcting the voltage issue? I don't plan to drive it much, just up the road and back a few times to see if my fuel delivery issue under throttle comes back.

From what I'm reading, they switched to internally-regulated alternators mid-year 1977, and it wasn't a clean switch. So I'll have to take a look this weekend. Finding a stock regulator looks like a challenge. And I found a replacement internally-regulated alternator for about the same money as just a regulator. So I may just swap to that if mine isn't already.

The EGR looks like it's open because I had to reinstall the EGR spacer to get it sealed. The mounting studs aren't fully threaded and at the time I couldn't get them out. But there is a block-off plate and gasket under that spacer.

I started redoing the brakes yesterday. To begin with, everything inside was pretty rusty. To make matters worse, whoever worked on them last used white lithium grease behind the shoes and on the adjuster mechanism. It had turned into chalk over the years. I got everything apart and cleaned everything up with solvent and wire brushes. the good news is the cylinder shows no signs of leaking. I sprayed the backing plate with black paint just to make myself feel better, and moved on to the adjusters. They were completely frozen. With some penetrating oil and effort, i got it cleaned up and working smoothly. I used a dry film lubricant on the pivot and proper brake pin lube on the threads, so hopefully they'll not lock up again. The boot tore, so i have a pair on the way from Z Car Depot. I let the painted plate dry overnight and started reassembly today. That's when I discovered the anti-rattle spring hats in my hardware kit are wrong. They are deeper than what was on the car, and don't tension the springs. I decided to just clean up and reuse the old ones. Getting the brakes back together was frustrating. It had been a minute since I'd done drums. I struggled for over an hour getting the return springs installed. Then I came here, found this thread, and used what I now call the "book method". That worked like a charm. Driver side all done... ...except that when we used the puller on the passenger side, one of the anti-rattle spring hats broke. I need to source a replacement if anyone has one.

I haven't swapped rails yet. @Patcon and I are working through EFI and other diagnoses of the stock system at the moment. But I do plan to switch to an aluminum rail at some point, at which time the later style FPR would be desirable. Having not found any recent discussion on the subject, it seemed like a good time to ask for ideas. Lots of good ones here.

I looked up some other images without the plug in the female thread. It does look like a pipe thread, so probably JIS, which is interchangeable with BSP threads. Finding a hose barb, or even an adapter to thread it onto the end of an extruded fuel rail should be no problem. The unanswered question is what the pressure rating for this FPR is. I tried to look up the specs, and even found a table to cross-reference a dozen equivalents. But none of them go beyond listing what cars they're a direct fit for. EDIT: After some more digging on Toyota forums using the OEM part number, I'm seeing the expected fuel pressure at idle around 36psi, which is correct for our cars.

I was wondering about that one myself. It turns out the one Zed Head linked on Rock Auto (post #2 above) crosses to that same part number.

Thanks Zed Head. That part number looks promising. And it seems to be widely available, too. I'd read your thread about alternatives that @HusseinHollandreplied to. But that evolved into temp sensors and fuel curves; way above my head. I was hoping that as "hard to find" became NLA, someone would forge ahead with a workable solution, whether that be an FPR from a motorcycle, or some other part(s) that had been shown to work.

Fuel pressure regulators for these cars are getting harder to find. The '77 and earlier EFI cars use a different design, with two regulated fuel inlets, that remains somewhat available. But I can't find the single-inlet version for the '78-83 cars anywhere. I'm looking because I'm considering an aftermarket fuel rail for my '77, which would eliminate the need for the dual-inlet type. The usual sources I'm familiar with are out of stock for the later FPR. Some owners have retrofitted aftermarket adjustable FPRs. But only a couple use vacuum reference like OEM. Also, most aftermarket FPRs only go down to 3.0 bar (OEM are 2.5 bar). And they leak down during shutoff, making starting prolonged and aggravating. I figure you '78 and ZX guys would have seen this sooner, and may have found a fix. TIA.

The rail is two piece. I installed a new FPR when I got the car running years ago. After encountering drivability issues I let it sit. So while it's not new, it probably has less than 2 hours run time on it.

I remember looking for one of these in a junk yard and finding one. I balked when they called it a "fuel rail" and wanted a bunch of money for it. They were used on the Rodeo SUV IIRC. Do you remember what year range these came from? I can't find the info on it any longer.

Yeah, plain ones like that are around. But mine had plastic "washers" of sorts trapped under the nuts that looked like they were intended for a cover to snap onto. Sorry I wasn't more clear (edited original post to clarify).

Hi all: I've been under my car off and on for the past couple of years redoing the fuel system. When I disconnected the wiring from the OEM pump, the terminals were covered in what looked like polyester body filler (Bondo), which I had to chisel/sand off. Beneath that were plastic washer-like pieces that appeared to be meant for a cover to snap over after the wiring was connected. I'm thinking that Bondo wasn't factory, lol. What did the factory use for a cover? I looked for some sort of rubber boot, but didn't find anything that looked like it would fit. I could glob on some RTV. But I figured I'd ask here first.

I think the rack is $50 extra: https://www.harborfreight.com/wheel-dolly-storage-rack-64496.html

Those are nice! I hope I don't use dollies often enough to justify $600 for a set though. We just had Charles' cheap wheel dollies and my cheaper ones. Mine were nearly useless, as they were taller and had no side guards. They would squirt out from under the wheel if they ran over a hairline crack in the pavement. Thankfully, even when one got trapped between the body and tire, no apparent damage occurred. Charles' were better, remaining steadfastly in position. Honestly, I don't think any dollies would have been without issue, as we had to move the car over a 1/2" step from driveway to garage floor. It took an abundance of ingenuity (mostly from Charles) to get it in there. Mine were these: https://www.harborfreight.com/2-piece-1500-lb-capacity-vehicle-dollies-67338.html Don't buy them. They're awful. Like I said, I'm lucky it didn't dent the fender when it squirted out.

When I first noticed them stuck, they were only dragging. It was possible for two people to push the car. I disconnected the cables and with the help of a friend, pushed the car back and forth to try and free them. No joy. Unfortunately in the intervening time since then, they have become too stuck to push. I hired a tow truck to move the car to my new house, and he had to literally drag it out with a winch. No lawnmower I have access to is going to free them up! I'm in the process of moving, and may not get to it for a week or two. But I'll have another look at the drums to see if I can execute the process in the FSM. The key will be seeing if I can apply enough torque to rotate the drums into position. BTW, this seems like a good time to give a shout out to @Patcon, who came to my new house that cold, dark night to help me push the car into my garage. Not only were the rear wheels locked, but we couldn't get the ignition key to free the column lock (this car hates me). He was able to remove the column lock through an elaborate, technical process I've been sworn to keep secret under penalty of death. Even so, it took wheel dollies, a jack, and a tow strap using both our trucks. But we got it in! Thanks man!

Hi all: I made the mistake of leaving my '77 parked with the parking brake for a few months. When I released the handle, I found that the shoes were stuck. I had planned to free them by driving the car once I got it running. But I need to get them freed up before that now. I tried disconnecting the cables, which did nothing. I don't see any access to the interior to adjust or move anything. What have you tried that works? I did pick up a spare pair of aluminum drums. So if I have to cut them off, I will. But I'm hoping for a trick that gets them freed nondestructively. Thanks in advance.

Thanks! Actually, I reached out to, and got a reply from the Upstate Z Club (Greg). He gave me two names. One is Japanese Auto Specialties in Greenville. They have a first-gen expert to does one car at a time. I'm on his waiting list. Second guy is retiring, and referred me back to the guy at JAS. So that's encouraging. Charles is asking around for me, too.

Hi all: I bought my '77 in original, but non-running condition several years ago. I sorta got it running, but it's never really run well, either due to fuel delivery issues, or possibly a bad ECU. My latest round of effort was basically a total overhaul of the fuel system, from cleaning the tank, to replacing everything else. This dragged out over years because I'm sick of working on it. Now I'm moving, and will lose the one-bay garage space I've been keeping the car stored in. At this point I'm ready to acknowledge that I'm just not cut out for a project car. I need a running Z, and want to find someone who can get my car roadworthy again. Any recommendations?

Evaporust FTW. It does not remove material like acid would.

Rarely is so much effort and skill expended on such an ill-conceived concept. I simultaneously admire it and hate it.

I had an opportunity to get a close look at some gas pumps being installed a few months ago. With the covers off, I noticed there were only two supply lines for the gasoline side of the pump. I asked about it and was told they mix regular and premium at the pump to make mid grade. Indeed, another station confirmed they only have two fuel storage tanks. I don't know if this practice is pervasive (I'm in the SE US). But if so, mid grade has some ethanol in it.

That's almost certainly the same car. Same wheels and paint for sure. I think the wing and air dam are the same. He had louvers on the rear glass, which I think I see on the car. Anderson is small now, and was much smaller then. The odds of two identical Z's, so heavily modified, in the same town has to be nearly zero. That's cool that the car still exists. I always wondered what happened to it.