SteveJ

Mike, would you stop killing off EVERY half-decent idea I come up with? About all I have left is to get a cable tracker, detach the wire from the starter, and trace where it runs to. (I've had to do this at work to trace miswired equipment.)

Mike, What's the build date on your 73? I'm wondering if it didn't get some of the 260Z wiring changes.

It's true. I'm only as rude as you want me to be. It's actually only matter of fact. Case in point, another user on this forum posed a vague description of an electrical problem. It turned out that he lives near me, so I went over to his place. With a lot of patience, we were able to track down the problem. It wasn't even close to what people (including myself) were guessing. However, the owner didn't know how to describe the problem. I told him in person pretty much everything I typed to you. Also, developing good searching techniques helps a lot with getting better answers quicker. I had a problem last week, and I found the answer on here much quicker by searching than starting a new thread. There is a goldmine of information online, especially at the links in my signature.

You might want to consult a 75 280Z FSM with that late build date. What are the first 3 letters in the VIN?

Did you verify the plug order? (1-5-3-6-2-4 counterclockwise) Did you verify the fuel with a pressure gauge? If yes, what was the pressure? If not, how do you know you have fuel? What are your compression numbers? Dry? Wet? Have you consulted the Fuel Injection Bible? (I think Blue's tech tips has a copy and possibly XenonS30 as well.) What do your plugs look like? What type plugs are you using? I know...all questions & no answers. However, you'll get better suggestions by answering those questions.

Mike, The previous owner may not have used the factory wiring. The 240Zs had wiring for electric fuel pumps even though they used mechanical pumps. The dealers used this wiring for fuel pumps for the service bulletin on the 73s and 74s with the flat top Hitachi carburetors (see Wick Humble's book). Steve

I'm back from the final day of The Mitty. It was nice meeting Vince, Ron & Carl. I'm glad you guys came out and showed off your cars. I put a bunch of parts on order this morning because trying to get my cars ready for The Mitty made me realize how much deferred maintenance has caught up to my cars. At least the 260Z kept running today. If any of you come up to Road Atlanta, please send me a PM. I live only half an hour away. (I really lucked out with where the house is located that my wife liked. )

You can figure out your build date by 1. Looking at the plate inside the driver's side door frame. 2. (if your door plate is missing) Posting your VIN and asking people for an idea of the build date. I agree with what OldHemi wrote. Please also post the wire colors. That can help with tracking down the function.

If you don't want to do a search, purchase or download a repair manual or FSM. All I needed to know to do the job was in there. Don't forget your flair nut wrenches.

I'm at a loss, Mike. It doesn't look anything like my 240Z. I'll do some looking around tonight if I have the chance.

I will look at mine tonight. Glenn, could you post the build date of your car? Sometimes that helps to track down information.

Mike/Dave, I looked at my 73. I think Mike is describing the fusible link. Steve

It was another great day at the Mitty. I'll be posting pictures on Facebook soon. I will link it to the Classic Z Car page on FB and the BRE Datsun page. I had a couple of Mitty posters that I was fortunate enough to get Peter Brock to sign for me. He was admiring the 510s at the time. My nephew gets one of the posters. I'm trying to convert him from pickups to cars. Of course, pickups are nice for tow vehicles...

Those coolant hoses go to the intake. They are on my 240Z, but not on my 260Z. If you don't see the lines to connect them to the intake, I would just short circuit them.

I posted pictures from today on Facebook. I put a link to them on the Classic Z Cars group and on the BRE Datsun page. Enjoy!

Heck, I'm happy if the place carries NGK plugs, period. AutoZone & Advance around here don't.

Yes, it is basic. It's just a matter of knowing which wires go to what. If you know how to read wiring diagrams, you're probably in good shape. The 240Z's wiring diagram is pretty simple. 87a is the normally closed contact. Just make sure the wire on the relay socket that goes to the 87a pin is not able to touch ground. Put some electrical tape on it, heat shrink the end, or put on a butt splice. Just don't leave it exposed. You need two relays because you need a normally open contact (87) for the lowbeams and a normally open contact (87) for the high beams. if you look at the circuit diagram that is on the Zhome website, it might help clarify things for you. Basically, when you turn on the headlights with the combo switch, it completes a circuit through the dimmer switch on the other side of the steering column. The low beam wire from that switch will energize the coil on the low beam relay, and the high beam wire from the switch will energize the coil on the high beam relay. There is nothing stopping you from adding relays for the parking lights. Dave even has an upgrade package for that. Steve

You can also find various parts at Amazon.com, too. I can also personally vouch for Vintage Connections. I bought a bunch of connectors from him a while back, and I love using them. Mike, before you start cutting wires, send me a PM so we might have a chance to talk about what you want to do. It could save you some headaches later on.

You have to be picky with Harbor Freight. NEVER buy cast aluminum tools from there. On the other hand, I have many tools from Harbor Freight that are 12 or 13 years old.

As I mentioned in another thread, Rockauto even has replacement headlight combo switches that work for 260Zs. Those switches should work for some late 73 240Zs and 75 280Zs.

That site is what I used nine years ago as a starting point for integrating relays into a 240Z. My description is hosted by Carl Beck over at www.zhome.com.

Mike, Search this site, and you'll find links to where my relay modification resides. Given the choice, I would do an install like Dave's (Zs-ondabrain). His is plug and play. Yes, it costs more, but you have less risk of messing up something.

Well, I would say that somehow you got the wires crossed between the low beam and high beam circuits on the passenger side. Take another look at the wires coming off the relays and going out to the passenger side.

Well, we tracked down the problem with the car. The ammeter had given up the ghost. I put in a shunt for a temporary fix. The car won't be on the road anytime soon, so the ammeter can be replaced in the future.

Tumblers aren't that bad in price. I can do all my small parts in this. I didn't think it was that bad. If you have all of your parts stripped off, though, I think going through Zeddsavers is smarter.