ZCurves

So my 1978 parts car is needing to go away and I thought I would offer the good parts up for sale, trade, 'pay it forward' or whatever. I say good parts because the body is..well crap, but I know that the block and suspension are usable - heck there may be other misc. parts that are good but that is up to the taker. The interior is gone, some body panels might be usable -again that is up to you. The car is in Humble Texas, PM me if you are interested...

So, I took my Z for a spin today, zipped around for a bit and topped off the tank will 5 gals of fresh fuel. When I was done at the gas station I hit the frontage road (feeder road here in Texas) and just as I was going to enter the freeway - NOTHING, no bang, no pop AND no ignition. The engine just quit.:mad: So I coasted to a street that enters my neighborhood and found a shady spot to figure things out or wait for a wrecker. The engine would crank strongly, but no ignition. So following the same advice I had given to others here on the forum, I checked the fuses, fusible links, cable to EFI -all good. The fuel pump is working well, because hear it and after much cranking I could smell fuel at the tail pipe. After about 30 mins, I cranked her up and she started as if nothing was wrong. I drove her the 3/4 mile to the house and scolded her with a sponge bath. So, as I ponder the EFI Bible to debug what I think is an ignition problem, I am open to your suggestions. I am hoping that some of you have already encountered this problem and can lend a hand. Below is a picture of the misbehaving wench after her bath. btw: '78 S30 Coupe - Stock.

Inspect the intake from the Air Filter to the Throttle Body. Look for splits in the boots or anything that is loose. I once knew a guy who found a Rat in his air cleaner - great for induction. Check the usual suspects: Spark, Fuel, Timing, Fusible links, EFI connection to battery - time to start checking off the simple things... BTW: Have you downloaded the EFI Bible, Factory Service Manual and Color Electrical Diagram for the '77 ??? If not, please do so (search the forums for links) these documents will help you in more ways than you can imagine...

Sorry, I have been lurking on this thread for a while...I don't know if this was covered before, but have you checked the Continuity between the wiring harness/ECU and Temp/Thermotime respectively? You have replaced/inspected them but if there is a broken connection, the ECU could still be kicking up the fuel...

Ben, I would reconsider. In my 25 years of S30 ownership, I can safely say that the brakes, especially the front brakes are crap, crap crap. Particularly when we look at how well the rest of the S30's were engineered. I wish that I had known about the Toyota upgrade back in the 80's when I was younger (and stupid) and regularly raced around town- brake fade was common place. You are half way there already AND getting ready to go turbo! But on the other hand, you could 'gift' me your remaining uninstalled parts;) ...

Yep!!

SEM is the ticket. A place called Tabco sell paint supplies in Houston (not much help in Fulton, sorry). You can try: KolorPro 1129 Somerset Avenue, Beltsville MD 20705 (301) 595-9183 OR- FinishMaster 5049A Branchville Rd. College Park MD 20740 (301) 474-3200

You could lightly paint it, but no sanding. You could use a soft wire brush and wipe down the fins to remove loose debris.

Negative! I believe that the latches are different. Look closely, the hardware is noticeably different.

Couldn't you get an angle-mirror and see what the condition under the battery tray really is? Then you could media/soda blast with one of those cheap kits from Harbor Freight. Treat with Phosphoric Acid, clean, prime and paint. I have a touch-up gun you can use.

Fantastic! High-Five!

Ben, get out of the habit of laying parts/tools on the fender! You're making dings, dents and waves that will have to be dealt with as part of your paint project!!

You missed a spot...right ...there.. Looks like licorice. It will look great inside the clean, repainted engine compartment.

Check the Fusible Links. Sounds link you have one that is going bad.

I am looking for a set of chrome screws from the Luggage Bar, behind the seats of a coupe. There are five of these dudes and of course mine are somewhere where I cannot find them. I really want to stick to OEM parts rather than making a trip to the hardware store for some make-do stainless. If you can help me out, please PM me. Thanks in advance.

Try using the .exe in XP Compatibility Mode... Find Compatibility Mode in the Properties of the file (Right Click).

Post the year and model of your Z. In the meantime, has someone (PO) fiddled with the fuel system, specifically the Vapor Tank in the back? Have you inspected the fuel AND evap lines around the tank? Is your cap in good shape? I am sorry to just throw things out for thought, but we had to start somewhere.

I may have one on a '78 parts car... You have been Power Sliding with the LS1 haven't you??

Ben, the only practical way that I have found is to replace with a OEM style and then use an electrical fan. The electrical fan will push more across the condenser even when the car is sitting still, this lowers the compressor head pressure and makes the system get super chilly. That is my approach, you can check out my setup when you help me with my new compressor.

I found that a giant pair of red panties stretched across the steering wheel works very well - except at church, don't do it at church . BTW, giant red panties are available at any dollar store/Wally World.

I remember that the later S30's had an engineering drawing of the drive shaft in the FSM. Do the earlier FSM's have such a drawing?? It could come in handy in finding a replacement.

Sweet!, I am going to do it! Thanks for the advice everyone.

You can get a brand spankin new one here: http://www.driveshaftspecialist.com/Import%20html/Nissan.html They run around $279, but they are premium, speed balanced and have replaceable U-Joints.

OK, great. So what are you guys using, the version with the little black insulator or the GM mount?

Has anyone installed a TechnoVersions Differential Mount?? Do you have any pictures?? Please see their web below... http://www.technoversions.com/DiffMountHome.html I am thinking about this upgrade...