Dogariffic

Thanks Dave, Working on this today....What does the amplifier do....other than possible amplify the current....and is it necessary for the wiper system to operate properly.?

Thanks. I sent Zs on the brain a message a few minutes ago.....Hopefully, he has a suggestion. We have it working now but only on one speed.

I used dry ice and had ok results. I had not seen the video where they mixed the alcohol and dry ice first though....I will say the areas where I used dry ice came off easier than the areas where I did not, but if I had to do it over again....the process they used in the video is the way to go.....

I just completed the carb conversion on a 78 280. Used the Arizona intake and Holley 390. Running a Holley fuel pressure regulator and the fuel pressure gauge reads 3.5. TIming was a bit of an issue at first as it was advanced a bit with my fuel injection. It was hard to get her to idle properly.... Retarded it some and she ran well after that.....getting good gas mileage to, but she lagged badly on hard acceleration. Went back and slightly advanced the timing to find a middle ground and she took off like a scalded dog.......but still had a bit of lag on acceleration....so I changed plugs from the NGK BPR5ES-11 to the NGK ZFR6F-11. That combination did the trick for me....

Really enjoyed the read. Thanks for sharing! My son (16) now has his 280Z that we have been working on.....looking forward to him writing a similar story in 45 years, and me being around to read it!

The Beverly Hills cover looks nice.... That is the best I have seen so far....for the money. ONce I pull the trigger and get one I will circle back and pass along how it works.

Searched and could not find this topic but who has a car cover for a 280z that is s great fit protects from weather mostly heat and rain only a little snow. Felt is important. thoughts?

Searched and could not find this topic but who has a car cover for a 280z that is s great fit protects from weather mostly heat and rain only a little snow. Felt is important. thoughts?

My lights went out a couple of months ago after I clicked the dimmer switch. Ended up opening up the the switch mechanism and cleaning everything.... once I put it back together they worked great. Just a dirty connection.

Hey Everyone, i know there are several threads on the wiper motor conversation but I am stumped. Also I have looked at the FSM but electrical diagrams are beyond me. ok enough of the disclaimers and I appreciate your assistance. We have a 2000 civic motor that works and want to use it to replace the motor on my 78 280z. The original motor worked two months ago but has now frozen up. I have gotten the new motor to run in either high or low but not high and low at the same time. By that I mean with the same wiring set up. The Z has the following wires: blue/red, black, yellow/black, blue/yellow, yellow and yellow/green. The motor has the following wires: black, blue/white, green/black, blue/yellow and blue. Any thoughts on the hook up I can use to get low/high and hopefully intermittent at the same time? Also what role does the wiper amphlifer play in all this. I hear mine clicking as I turn the wipers on and with the amplifier attached the motor surges a bit. I took it off and the surges went away with no other effect. Appreciate any suggestions or thoughts. Thanks in advance....

240,260,280 are all fine and my preference over a ZX....I have a very late model 280Z Others have mentioned rust and based on my experience whatever you see will be deeper.....but...with some sanding and grinding rust goes away. Behind wheel wells, in front of wheel wells, the spare tire area, under the panel that covers the windshield wiper motor, under the front fenders and behind the headlights. Basically all of it! If you have a few holes but nothing too major there are replacement panels you can buy online to patch and repair these areas, and if you do most of the clean and prep having a professional install the panels won't cost too much in the big picture...at least that has been my experience. Mechanically the EFI can be a bear. If you want to keep it get/download the factory service manual online. Ther are fairly inexpensive options to replace the EFI with modern components now and you could even install a carb on a 280 if you like to make it more reliable. All doable with time and $. This guy has a really nice video series on YouTube I have enjoyed watching recently...Wish I had seen it a year ago! This is his first video in the series.

Starfix just sent you an email.

Yes Starfox it is. Do you have any questions about the EFI?

Thanks. Great car!! I just sent you a PM...

Possibly Consigli. I have a line on a guy who may simply buy the whole system, but if that does not happen in the next couple of weeks I promise to get back with you. I will close the loop even if he buys everything so you will know. Appreciate your interest!

Probably the Arizona intake with a Holly 390. Although we have thought a lot about dual Webers.

Truly appreciate all of your assistance and patience Zed, but at the end of the day....after a lot of soul searching and although she runs really well....we think we will have other issues in the future that are electrical, related to the EFI, that will simply keep her from being reliable enough for our particular uses. You saw the video I posted the other day and she does start and run well.....but long-term moving away from the EFI is probably the best thing for our use. I will tell you this, my son and I have learned a whole lot about the Z and respect the technology. They are wonderful cars. But he and I like to drive them and are not really into tinkering as much as some. But hopefully, this system will make someone who values the technology a nice prize. We are not looking to make a lot of money off selling the EFI. Just whatever is fair for a working system. I saw a post from October where someone pieced his out and after a week or so if we don't have a buyer for the whole shebang will do the same. Again, I sincerely want to tell you how much I appreciate your assistance with the Z. She will continue to be well taken care of and a prize that will be cherished.

I have a stock 78 280Z EFI system available. I also have a video of the car running taken yesterday to verify the car runs. Would like to sell the system as a single unit but will consider parting it out. Includes everything from and between the AFM to the fuel line related to the EFI. AFM, intake manifold and everything attached to it, fuel rail, rebuilt injectors with 2,000 miles on them, FPR, etc. new connectors to everything also with 2,000 miles on them. Complete set of vacuum hoses if needed. Additionally, the stock air cleaner and an aftermarket K&N cone system is available. Also have some new parts available. Cold start valve, FPR, temp sensor, etc. Photos available on request.

Ok here is the update. Truly appreciate all the interest, comments and thoughts. Everyone but also Zed and Chicken Yes two problems and it looks like my son and I solved one and made big progress on the other......The Crane xr 3000 solved the problem of the car cutting itself off driving the highway. We have not been able to solve the issue of why the ignition module got hot in the first place though. Chicken mentioned looking for ground wires so we looked everywhere we could and found several we had missed before. One was under the AMF. We cleaned all of these and also recleaned all of the AMF connections using electrical connector grease everywhere. We also looked into the throttle position sensor. We cleaned it and adjusted it based on threads illustrating this process. The end result is that she runs better than ever.... which I almost hate to say out loud. Appreciate everyone's support... we were days away from pulling the EFI, selling it and installing carbs..... either multiple or a 4barrel. Dont want to start a discussion on that as an option but for now we will just drive her and move on to getting the wipers to work.... they worked fine two months ago until they got wet. Now we keep blowing the fuse.... but again another analysis and thread. To summarize the flooding when starting that was an issue when this thread was created was solved by the throttle position sensor cleaning and adjustment. The cutting herself off driving down the freeway at 75 after she got hot was solved by replacing the ignition module by the fuse box with a crane XR 3000. We also found a broken vacuum advance centrifugal weight and just replaced the distributor. She drives really nicely. I will continue to hang out here and learn as much as I can and pass along details of what my son and I have learned. I am sure there will be other questions in the future as well. Thank again. Video attached 52272754832__B62799D0-8E7D-4B66-8B42-65A1B9953CA5.MOV

Thanks Chicken! I will recheck all of the grounds. I have previously checked and cleaned all of the connections as you described, but will recheck these specifically! And yes Zed the ignition module by the fuse box was very hot to the touch. With the Crane xr3000 the car does not fail on the highway anymore....She still runs a bit rich though and this nasty not wanting to start thing.

Appreciate all of the advice. Here is an update. Purchased a Crane or now FAST xr3000 to replace the ignition module which looked to be failing. During the install process I noticed a loose piece of metal in the stock distributor. It turned out to be one of the centrifugal vacuum advance weights. It had broken loose.... photos to come. Thought this might be the reason she shut off driving 75 on the highway.... loose metal touching something....anyway bought a rebuilt distributor and got it on. She started and ran well, but different. Different idle and feel... not bad , better. But she still failed After she got hot on the highway. But this time she was at a friends garage when she failed. The ignition module box was too hot to hold so we cooled it and she started right up. I then installed the Crane xr 3000 and again she started right up and drove really well. Cut her off and gave everyone a high five. Got in to drive some more and she would not start. Eventually got her started but with rough idle and she kept trying to stall as if flooding. While I kept her running another person opened the AFM and it moved appropriately. He then pulled the throddle sensor wire clip.... which is new 4 months ago by the way..... and she cleared up idling smoothly. But she won't start with the sensor unplugged. After letting her cool off about 5 hours I started her up. She coughed a bit initially and she ran like a scalded dog. So it looks like it is the throddle sensor, or the ECU reading the sensor or possible the AFM. Working to test more! Thoughts

Thanks again Zed. i read the threads. So is it really as simply as soldering the places that are already soldered? Front and back.?? after looking at the board closely I really can't see anything broken, burned or disconnected. I do see what looks like glue around a few solders that is discolored and hard to the touch. Rather than seek each broken connection I may just resent-solder them all again. May seem like over kill but at least I won't miss one. good idea??

And as a follow up z.... i planned to reopen the ECU and started the car. She idled well and I reached down and wiggled the ECU. The car almost stalled so I wiggled it back and she smoothed out some. we then took the ECU out and opened it up again looking for something. We checked every connection and path with a monitor and all of the connections checked out. But obviously we have isolated something that causes the car to have a rough idle and over fuel. Now how to fix it. I have seen you can send these boxes off to be rebuilt. Anyone ever done this? And who did you use. i will also search threads for this info.

Thanks Zed. lets hold on the ignition module but appreciate the offer. today we blew out the fuel return line in case that was the cause for high fuel pressure. Then looked at the fuel pump. It is a Carter so not original and it does not have a filter screen I can access. There has need an inline filter prior to the fuel pump since before my son bought the car though. We had the gas tank cleaned FYI but stuff keeps coming out. Change the inline filter monthly. took fuel pump out and blew through it then reinstalled. Car started and idled so we took her out. She cut off 5 minutes later and we were able to coast home where she immediately restarted. fuel pressure was 30 and the fuel pump was not leaking and was not hot. Tach locked at 1500. Now looking at the ignition module as a solution.

Thanks, Zed. The Tach has always worked to some extent. When I first drove it to "test" before buying the car the tach worked normally as I remember. Then shortly after purchase, it would go to 0 with the ignition off and then only go up to about 2,500....even though the engine obviously was at a higher RPM. Previously when the car shut itself off doing 75 on the freeway the Tach dropped to 0. Yesterday is stayed jammed at 2,500. After the restart, it worked normally up to 2,500 rpm again. You asked if the fuel pressure at 25 was with the car running and this reading was just after the car shut off...a residual reading. Once it restarted it remained at 25 though. This morning I read your note and went out to start the car and check the fuel pressure.....She immediately started but ran very rough, spitting and popping...very rough idle. I looked at the fuel pressure and it was sitting at 40. Over the past week and a half since I installed the gauge the pressure only went that high as the car was cranking to start. Once she cranked the pressure always immediately....within two seconds....went down to 32 at idle. I played with the throttle to smooth her out as she was spitting and popping and nothing worked to smooth her out until the fuel pressure began to drop....once it reached 32 she was running smoothly. I plan to test the ECU more today and the fuel relays again and also take a look at the fuel pump. This pump was with the car when she was purchased. I have no idea how old it is. I will also test some more wiring and connections. Curious of your thoughts about the pressure remaining at 40 after cranking and the car smoothing out once pressure dropped. Thanks to you and the rest of the group!