SteveJ

If you want to run without a ballast resistor, you need to get a 3 ohm coil. The resistance has to come in somewhere.

Since you ran too low, you could have clogged the pick up or the line going to the filter. Also, if you have the electric fuel pump in the tank, the screen could have been clogged with junk in the tank. If that is the case, you might want to consider getting your tank boiled & recoated.

How much is it above the full mark?

That is similar to what I envisioned, only with a remote door lock system instead of a pushbutton. That way, the thief has to have the remote. Finding a push button won't suffice.

Leonard, all you have to do is search for 12v timer relay or 12 volt timer relay on Google Shipping. It wouldn't be too much effort to design such a circuit. Send me a PM about what you want it to do.

I always love reading the success stories. Now I have to get my butt out to the garage and work on the car some today.

While the pedal is firm, are the brakes actuated? If you have obstructions in the lines, you could just be pushing against an "immovable object". If there isn't much air in the lines between the master and the obstruction, you aren't compressing much air.

Rust, grease, grime, dirt...yeah, that could get into all of your lines, or the two that come off the master. Another thing could be that you're not opening your bleed screws enough. Something is keeping the fluid from getting through.

So, the key details come out. From your description, it sounds like there is an obstruction in the line. The air you see with the vacuum pump is coming in between the hose and the bleed screw.

IMHO, the best wire to interrupt for a kill switch is the White/Red wire going to the ignition switch. If that one is interrupted, nothing happens when you turn the key.

Is the fluid level going down in the master when you do this? If the system is dry, or relatively dry, I like to start with a vacuum pump. Go to the left rear cylinder and with the bleed screw open, start drawing a vacuum. Have an assistant adding fluid to the master as you do this. This way, you have someone to watch the master while you're watching the cylinder. For final bleeding, I perfer the method of having the end of the tube submerged in clean fluid and having the assistant pump the brakes. This way if the assistant lets off the pedal too soon before you can close the bleed screw, you pull fluid back into the system instead of air.

Not without a LOT of modifications.

Read the FSM and follow directions.

I was going to try to find my old fusebox to show you a good meltdown. Here are my suggested solutions: Buy a used fusebox out of a 72 or 73 Z (same fusebox was used) or buy a drop-in replacement from Motorsport Auto. I think it's about $200 + tax (and shipping) for you. Sources for used parts include Autogator in Roseville (maybe - I haven't used them in well over 10 years.), ZBarn, and ZCarSource (EXPENSIVE but very responsive). Also I found this site that says it will repair the problem for $50. As for your working area, just buy a rechargable LED worklight. All of the work to replace the fusebox and replace at least the sidemarker and taillights requires only a wrench to remove the battery cable and a couple of screwdrivers to get to the lights & fusebox. I provided a list of the LEDs and a good supplier (SuperbrightLEDs) in another post here. If you have any money left after those suggestions, contact Dave Irwin (aka Zs-ondabrain) about his parking light relays. Electricity is pretty simple. You have a power source (battery or alternator), switch, fuse, load (lights, etc.) and wires that connect everything together. The car is negatively grounded, so the metal in the chasis is the same as a negative wire. Don't touch the positive to the negative or to the chasis. The wires are color coded in the wiring diagram. The 73's diagram fits on one page. Use a pencil or similar to follow the lines in the wiring diagram. Watch for color changes in the wiring when you see a dot. If you know how to use a multimeter, you have the basics down. Experiment and expand your knowledge from there. I can't spoonfeed you much more without showing up on your doorstep. I was no electrical expert when I replaced my fusebox. It's not that tough. If you can change a lightbulb, you can install LEDs. All of that together should give you a working fix.

While you are frustrated about your situation, please don't take that approach. Hacking into the wiring usually causes more problems than it solves. Instead, take careful measurements and report back to us, and you should get helpful advice. Now, let's start. I'm attaching a picture of the fusebox cover. The parking light fuse is the third one down on the right. That has been a problem area on a lot of Z cars. The circuit will have enough current to overheat the fusebox in that area, but it can be below the threshold to blow the fuse. In my 73, I have seen this fuse glow orange, and I even had a fusebox melt down. If you go back to my original response to your post, you'll see steps I recommend to reduce the possibility of the circuit melting down. You should probably inspect the fusebox front & back. That involves disconnecting the battery, removing the center console and taking out the fusebox. Look for corrosion on the back side, especially. When you check fuses, remove them from the fusebox and check them with an ohmmeter. I prefer to see a number instead of using the tone to determine whether or not the fuse is good. That's because there could be just enough contact left to allow a tone, but it's higher resistance. I've actually had fuses melt away from the cap and not blow visibly in the middle. Also take the time to clean the contact areas on the fusebox. Emery paper can do wonders. More helpful hints can be found at the Datsun Z Garage. After you have inspected/cleaned up your fusebox, reinstall it and reconnect the battery. Verify you have 12 VDC to ground on both sides of the fuse. If you don't have 12 VDC on either side, you most likely have issues with your fusebox still. It could also be the White/Red wire that feeds the fuse is the issue, but that is less likely. You'd have to inspect the connectors under the dash to see if that wire is damaged. If you have 12VDC on both sides of the fuse, start moving downstream. Check the Green/Blue wire going into the combo switch. If you have 12VDC there, with the switch unplugged, check for continuity between the Green/Blue and Green/White wires coming out of the switch when the switch is in position 1 (running lights). By the way, you can get a new headlight switch from RockAuto if you need one. It's more expensive than rebuilding the old one, but I was happy with the one I got for my 74. (They use the same switch.) If you have voltage there, and the switch is good, follow the Green/White wire downstream. (By the way, if your dash lights are on, but your outside lights aren't, that could be a sign of bad sockets or disconnected wires.) That's enough to keep you busy. Let us know what you find out.

That's a distributor from an 82 or 83 280ZX. When the car is warm and exhibiting problems, try spraying some freeze spray (or upside down can of air) on the ignition module. If that improves the situation, the module is probably on its way out. You can buy a replacement through RockAuto.com. If it doesn't help, try doing the same to the coil. Again, if it improves, replace the coil. If there is no change, I suggest that you download an 82 or 83 FSM to see what diagnostics Nissan suggested for the ignition system, unless someone else has a better suggestion.

Can you post a picture of the other end of that split loom?

The Chiltons wiring diagram is generic & therefore not accurate on some points. Look at the links in my signature and download the FSM. I haven't ever done a GM 3 wire alternator conversion, so I don't know which wire is which. I believe there are writeups online, but you'll have to search for them.

Click on the Go Advanced button below this thread on the right side of the screen. After you do that, the advanced features should appear between the text box for a Title and the text box for the message. Click on the paperclip. That will allow you to upload files.

Does it have the original ignition (points)? If so, I would suspect the coil. If you replace the coil, replace the ballast resistor at the same time. If the ignition has been changed to an electronic ignition, that's where you should start your search.

Post pictures of your engine bay/distributor. Be sure to include a picture of the distributor with the cap off, too.

Break out the wiring diagram and follow the wires. Common problem areas include the switch contacts, the connector that goes into the switch, and corrosion in the fusebox. If you search in the electrical section, you can find many posts by myself and Dave (Zs-ondabrain) describing this circuit. Once you get the problem fixed, consider swapping out the bulbs in the running lights & turn signals for LED bulbs. Also clean out any corrosion you find in the bulb sockets. If you swap out your 1157 bulbs for LEDs, you will need electronic flashers for your turn signals and hazard lights.

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Ouch. I hope it didn't cause any other problems in your electrical system.

Also, XenonS30 has the FSMs available for download.