Av8ferg

Great advice gents. As cool are going carbs sounds I think I need to try and work through this problem. I started reading the FSM and will methodically go through the trouble shooting steps. I think that was sound advice about being patient and not jumping the gun. The car hasn’t run since 1999 so I have to expect there are many gremlins to discover and then fix. Once I run the continuity checks I’ll have a better idea what happening with the ECU, FPR ect.. I’ve already cleaned out the entire fuel rail and replaced all the lines in the engine compartment. I really want to install a better rail, that doesn’t have all these small hoses on it. It’s just more places for failure . I heard 78’s have a continuous rail. Maybe an aftermarket rail is an option. I am suspicious about the fuel tank. I drained and refilled it with 3 falls of fresh gas. Yesterday when I pulled the pump out I disconnected the line exiting the tank. When I lowered one end brown dust come out of the line. I expected gas to come out because the other end was coming right from the tank. This leads me to suspect it’s clogged and or the tank is rusted. The outside of the tank looks great. I know that means nothing. New tanks are over $500 and I’m not sure how to repair the one I have at a reasonable cost. Well the bad news is I’m going to have to put this project on a 2 weeks delay. Taking the fam on vacation and then a week of work out of town. I’ll have time to get smart and order parts I need. I was tempted to tow it to a shop but then realized there are no Z experts here and they’d probable take me to the cleaners anyway.

Okay. I’d consider switching to carbs if this pain doesn’t cease. My question is what is the total cost of this change? Do I need a new intake? I guess I’m asking what does this entail? I have an person I know who has brand new unopened dual Weber’s he was going to install in his 240z. He ended up selling the 240z. He realized the rust was beyond his expertise and had all these extra parts he intended to install. He’s just a guy I ran into a few months ago in VA. I was in the market for a 240 and looked at his for sale. It was a rust bucket but he said if I ever need carbs call him. Other than the carbs, what else do I need? BTW he also has a totally rebuilt L24 long block and rebuilt 5 speed tranny if anyone is interested. He’s 70 and want to move all his extra stuff. He sold the car and still has that extra stuff. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Just checked the coil is fired by pulling the wire and cranking. I’m getting a good arc on the shock tower I set the output wire from the coil to.

I can also hear gas returning to the main fuel tank from the return line.

Well, pulled the pump out wired to the battery and ran a hose into a gas can. When I pressurized the system I had fuel spray out one of the new hoses I installed...oops. I tighened all the clamps up and did it again. The fuel press gauge went to 60 psi. I went to turn the car over and........nothing. While turning over I hear a fairly loud “psssst” about every 2 seconds while it’s turning over, seems to be coming near intake. Now I’m wondering if it’s getting a spark....or are the injectors get voltage? If the pump wasn’t getting power maybe the injectors aren’t either. Back to the drawing board. This is getting frustrating. Check out this ghetto setup.

Sorry about the long video. I like the idea of running wires to the pump straight from the battery. I just want to see it start and if it does I’ll drill down on the cause of lack of voltage to the pump. Off to Walmart to buy to wire that’s long enough to reach the pump. I also got my new radiator installed today. Making process...

I’m back and spent the better part of the day putting everything back together. Fuel rail is rebuilt all new fuel lines in the engine campartment and I replaced all the injectors (not new but ones that tested good). I put the replacement fuel pump in and tried to test it with the positive cable to the starter removed, and I didn’t hear the fuel pump humming when I turned the key. I checked the clear filter I installed in a line exiting the fuel take and it was completely dry, I also added some more fuel to the tank. I then reconnected the starter and tried to crank the car. It turns over but nothing else happens. I went back and checked the filter again and it was still total dry. So it tested good on when I had it off and jumped it with the car battery. I didn’t test if it moved fuel but it was buzzing like crazy. The old pump did nothing when I did that test. So I don’t know what’s next. I image there is a relay or something that not sending voltage to the pump so no fuel is gettting to he engine. Do you guys have any ideas of what I should do now?

Ahh, thanks just called O’Reilly’s and changed to that set of seals, thanks for the heads up!

While I’m away I ordered these stainless steel hex bolts for the injectors on the recommendations you guys made, They’re a little more expensive than the ones you found but can’t beat Amazon’s fast delivery, https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01L0E1698/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Also ordered new injectors seals from O’Reilly’s. They were $2.99 https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/bwd-3123/fuel---emissions-16775/fuel-injection-16471/diesel-fuel-injector-17271/fuel-injector-seal-o-ring-kit-12312/bwd-fuel-injector-seal-kit/274776/2583514/1977/nissan/280z?q=Injector+seal

Glad to have you and the others on this forum guiding me through this process otherwise I’d be in way over my head. Thanks! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Gents, I’m at a temp work stoppage. Got called into work and won’t be back until Thursday night. Pump almost made it in but a hose clamp broke so need to buy a new one. The fuel rail is sanded and painting just need to put it back together. Radiator arrives today so it will sit in the snow on my front porch for a day. Rebuilt original alternator will be ready to be picked up today too. I’m ordering those hex bolts for the injectors and buying new seals too. Still haven’t got that stubborn injector sure out yet either, Thanks for the fuel line and clamp tip. Lady at Auto Zome tried to sell me a non injection hose. Got 4 ft of the good stuff. After all this time and $, I hope this engine starts and is healthy enough to drive. I’ll be sad if it was all for nothing.

Okay the hoses on this rail are dry and brittle. I’m pulling them all off and replacing them all. I hope I can get this thing back together. I’m also going to lightly sand off the rust and respray it with some black rust resistant paint I think. I’ll also make sure the lines are clear. This is slowing me down but better to do it while it’s off. Going to buy some needle nose vise grips for that stubborn screw. Then buy a Dremel to go the other route if no luck. Look at this mess. Previous person didn’t use Fuel Injectors clamps, I’ll fix that. These hoses were bound to leak at some point. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Comfirmed the fuel pump is dead. The extra one I have works so it’s on it’s way in now. That fuel pump was a pain in the butt to get off. Lines were frozen on. The fuel coming out of that old pump smells aweful. I also go the fuel rail off. One injector has a screw that wont come out. I’ve put PB blaster on he screw but no luck so far. Will let it sit and try again.

AFM hoses installed. Took awhile to get the pre-AFM silicone hose cut to fit right. Moving on to the fuel pump.

You guys rock... thanks. Almost got the AFM hoses installed.

That engine looks clean. Mine....not so much. Good advice, I’ll call that yard have them pull it. Is it compatible with everything other than the intake I have. I know they changed pistons thoughout the 280z Years. Off to the garage...will report my progress.

So, I’m hoping to make some progress on the Z today. It’s 16 degrees outside and probably 20 in my garage so not sure how much will actually happen. I got the AFM hoses yesterday so hope to get them in the car. Before I left the area on Friday I pulled one injector #4 (had to cut the hose to get it past the fuel rail.) . I wanted to get an idea of status of the injectors. I tested it and pushed carb cleaner through it while applying a small voltage to it and it seems to work fine. So I wanted to pull the entire fuel rail and replace all the injectors and hoses with the extra ones I have and clean the rail up. Want to make sure nothing is gummed up in there. I’m worried about getting too deep and running into issues getting all this back together. Do I need to order any (consumables). That’s what we called them in the military (things that must be replaced, like gaskets, washers and seals). If so I want to order them ASAP so I’m not waiting around to put this thing back on. Is this a big task, or should I wait until the new fuel pul and on and see if it works without doing all this? Second question: I’ve read in the forum that I need to prime my fuel pump since all the lines are empty and I’m replacing the pump. I couldn’t find a procedure for this anywhere. How do you prime the pump after I get the replacement fuel pump in. I have about 1 gallon of fresh fuel in the tank. I also bought a fuel pressure gauge to install but need to pick up the T fitting today to get it installed. Logic tells me to get the fuel rail off, clean it, replace the injectors, put the pressure gauge in before I prime the system, that way I’ve eliminated possible problems areas to diagnose. You mentioned a stuck valve the other day. That made me think. The guy I bought the car from had it for about 6 years, he never committed to the task of getting it back on the road but told me it had a cylinder with 0 compression and thought it was a stuck valve. I may have mentioned this in my intro but when I did the compression check all cylinder were ~175 psi except cylinder 4 which was 145 psi. Is this something I need to worry about and if it’s a stuck valve how will I know. Of note, when I picked parts of that salvage yard last week that is an hour from my house the car had a complete engine, It has an N42 Head and they told me I could have the head for $100 or the entire engine tranny for $300. I don’t have room for the whole engine and tranny. Do I guys think it would be a good idea to grab that head and rebuild it, I have an N47 Head on my car now. They said once scrap metal get to $550 a ton that 1975 Z will be crushed for scrap metal, scrap metal was at $440 now. What do you guys think?

Well, I think I’ve committed to going EFI right now. I think I’m almost to a point that she might start soon. Going carbs now would delay her debut to the streets of the 21st century. The Cali plates on the car has a registration sticker of 1998. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Okay, i just got back from my trip and had about 2 hrs with the car before worked called me back. I tested the extra OEM fuel pump that was in one of the 3 boxes of car parts from a 1978 280z (paid $300 for all those parts). I didn't know if the lump was good, but after reading that when someone converts to carbs they need to get a different pump, i hoping the one he took out was good. So I plugged it into my battery with some extra speaker wires I had and she ran like a top. Good news as that saved me some $$. I will install that pump when I get back from work on Tuesday, Thanks for the info on checking the gaps on the stator. I will do that also. I think I will also pull off the fuel rail and clean that as it seems to be the easiest way to get those injectors swapped out. So I have 4 tasks on my plate. 1. Intall the new OEM fuel pump 2. Pull fuel rail and injectors. Clean the rail and change the injectors as well as inspect the wires. 3. Intall the new Champion dual core radiator and hoses. Fill with coolant. 4. Check the stator gaps and rotor alignment. From there its a hope and a prayer that it starts. I’ll report back what happens. It will be the middle of next week before I can finish ll that work, becasue of my job and family commitments. BTW, it freezing in my garage. Uggg!!

I was called in to work for an overnight trip but here’s what I got done before I left. - new water pump and thermostat installed. - with everything so easily accessible up front and because what I found in the pump I decided to pull the radiator. I took it to a shop in town and had it tested. I watched as he tossed it in a tank with air pressure on it and it leaked like a sieve. That cost me $35. So I ordered and new aluminum 2 core radiator from Champion, exact one they sell at MSA but mine was on sale for $159. - with the AFM pulled free from the intake but still connected electrically, I sprayed carb cleaner into then intake after opening then butterfly valve with the throttle. I then turned the car over. It made a big “pop” sound and then I saw a flame shoot out the intake. I don’t think I’ll do that again. When I get back from my work trip here are the next tasks on my list. - install the extra set of injectors that I’ve tested and cleaned. - pull the fuel pump, clean that smalll screen on the intake side and then put 12v to it and see if it runs I’m also going to test the one I have in a parts bin I bought. If both of the pumps are bad, I’ll pull one apart and see if something is repairable or rusted. My last resort after is buy a new pump. They are expensive. Question.....I can buy a OEM style which are in the $300 ball park range or get a different looking non-OEM from a box auto store for $99? Here are the difference in the looks of those pumps. finally I’m going to start testing the ECU connections as mentioned, the coil and the Distrutor. Good ide to check where the rotor is pointing of the #1 fire stroke. . I’m not exactly sure what Zed Head was saying but it sounds like I need to check the gap in my distributor??? Can you clarify that task? Thank again guys.....you are all awesome and I’m very appreciative. When I’m done and any of you any of the extra part I have let me know. I’m happy to make parts donations,

Well, I used your plug firing order guide and mine we completely different, so I moved as you directed. Here’s what I got now.does this look right?

Sweet, I’m on it and proceeding as directed. Will report back later. Just got the water pump off....what a mess in there. Check out the before and after I clean it up pics. I’m now pulling the radiator and taking it to a shop to have the cleaned and tested.

Gents, I’ve made progress. Here’s where I am now. I replaced the fusible links with brand now ones. I cleaned all the leads to those as well. I replaced the positive battery connection and have a new battery (Interstate group 34). I got in the car and magically it began to crank easily when I turned the key. I was very surprised. I cranked it 5 to 6 times for 6-8 seconds. No luck, no start. I wanted to see if fuel was getting to the engine so I checked the extra (clear plastic) fuel filter I placed between the tank and pump. It was completely dry. I don the know but it appears the pump is either not coming on or it’s broken, not sure right now which is the case. I read that the AFM has an internal switch that activates the pump so I sprayed carb cleaner in the intake to the AFM to see if I could get some flammable vapor into the intake. Cranked and nothing. I pulled the AFM....those hoses were ripped and cracked badly. I have the pre and post AFM hoses on order. $55 for the AFM to intake hose..ouch. While I’m waiting on those parts I want to test the pump. I have an extra set of injectors that I’ve cleaned out and tested by putting 3v on the leads (2 D cell batteries) and spayed carb cleaning through while adding voltage to leads. (Found a video on how to do this and it worked great) They sprayed nicely. I’m going to install these in the car and pull the old ones. I’ve installed a fuel pressure gauge from the exit of the main fuel filter in the engine bay. Right now I’m getting zero fuel into the system. I want to test the fuel pump but not sure what the best approach is for that. I have an extra (old) pump that I got with a box of extra parts I got from a guy in town but, I don’t know if it works. He pulled it when he installed carbs into his 78 280z. Can I put 12 volts directly from the battery to test that old pump and see ifit works? I don the want to fry it if that’s too much current. While I’m waiting on the AFM hoses, I’ve decided to replace the water pump too. $20 from auto zone. I’m assuming with all the white powder and the disintegrated (1/2 missing Thermostat) I found in the Thermostat housing the pump is probably trashed. I have new radiator hoses and Thermostat so I will get the cooling system back on line. I’m also going to replace all the vacuum hoses today while I wait on those AFM hoses. BTW I have 2 extra AFMs, is there a way to test these things? BTW, the spark plug wires were off plugs when I got the car How do I know which plug goes to the corrrct spark plug? I’m not 100% sure they’re correct right now. So what do you guys think is the next step?

Thanks all, you guys rock. I have my marching orders and will report back in a few days. Here’s my game plan 1. Clean all electrical connections in engine compartment. 2. Flush the fuel system, inspect the added (clear plastic) filter and and use that to assess the fuel tank condition, if debris comes out of the tank, take it to a radiator shop and have them crack it open and clean and refinish. 3. Check all ignition connections off the ignition switch and reference the wiring diagrams, I’ve already ordered a new starter $33 Current temp conditions pending we’ll see how far I get. BTW I found some old seats from a 75 280z at a salvage yard 90 miles away. $75 for both, I’ll grab them and some other parts off that 1975 in the yard. Anything I should look for that’s hard to find in S30’s while I’m there?

It’s been below freezing all week and I don’t want to damage the block by putting in water alone.