Weasel73240Z

Disconnect the coil plug wire from the distributor. Put a philips screwdriver inside the coil wire, and place it about a 1/2" away from one of the 3 strut tower bolts (they are grounded). If you don't get a bright blue spark when you crank the engine over, jumping across the gap to the bolt, the coil is probably bad. P.S. - Don't hold the coil plug wire when you turn the engine over, if there's any flaws, cracks or tears in the wire insulation, you could get a good shock.

How old is you coil? Low spark, I'd look there 1st.

I thought it was useless at this point, I'll just cut it off and cap it.

You're right, the yellow wire goes to the temp sensor, the wire I'm talking about used to go the the points on the side of the old points dizzy. Where does it go now that the points are gone?

Just finished installing the ZX dizzy into my 73. The wiring diagram I was working off of didn't say what to do with the yellow wire that went to the old points. Should I just tape/cap and leave it, or is it supposed to be wired to something?

If choking it makes the problem go away, I would think that you have the carbs running too lean. I would try backing the mixture screws out 1 turn, and see if there's any change.

I was thinking the same thing Jeff.... You cannot find a Z anywhere in the Northeast, even a junker. I can't tell you how many boneyards I pass, since I drive around MA, RI, CT all the time for work. I stop in whenever I can, at any boneyard I see, while I'm on the road. Maybe 1 out of every 10 has any Series 1 Z's, and whats there is almost always complete junk. I guess we should be glad to own Z's in parts of the country where they are so rare, but what a bitch when you need an unavailable part. I got lucky and found a 79 ZX last week right in my hometown, so I grabbed the E12-80 dizzy ($50), but he's got nothing from 1970 - 1978.

I'm getting ready to install a new stereo into my 73 this Winter, and I don't want to cut into my original console to make it work. Does anyone have an extra one in good condition, and one for a mock-up in poor condition, that they're looking to sell? My plan is to mock-up the install outside of the car in another junk console before trying it on mine. I want an extra console in good condition so that I can go back to 100% original if I need to. If so, shoot me an email: sidneydal@comcast.net

I might be partial, but Persimmon red is the best Z color, IMO. :nervous:

I'd replace 'em just so you aren't pulling any extra engine fumes into the cabin. Unlikely I know, but there are already enough avenues for fumes to get in to our Z's without adding another. JMO

It came with everything, module, wiring, base plate. Even had a new looking cap and rotor. I'm running a stock 73 2.4L motor with the stock (rebuilt) E88 head, only thing not stock is the new ZTherapy carbs. The new dizzy also came out of a 79 ZX with a 5 speed. I'm thinking I'll try about 12 degrees BTDC and .44 gap and see how it runs.

Just got back from the boneyard. I got the E12-80 for $50 (good deal?). It looks like new inside, the vacuum advance even still works.

I'm planning the Winter upgrades, and getting rid of my points dizzy is job #1. When I first got the car, a guy i bought a header from threw in this dizzy with the sale for $25. I didn't know what it was at the time, but now I know its not the E12-80 that everyone seems to agree is the best Z ignition system. However, I installed it while I was still getting the car running this past Spring, and it seems to work great, throws a bright blue spark, way better than my points dizzy. I kept my original points dizzy for this year because I was trying to stay as stock as possible, but I'm ready to upgrade. I have found an E12-80 dizzy in a local boneyard that I can probably get cheap. So what model did this dizzy come from, and is it as good as the E12-80, or should I buy the E12-80 I found at the local boneyard? Should I still run it at stock (7 BTDC) timing with the new dizzy? Also, once I upgrade the dizzy, what spark plug gap should I go with? Thanks.

I wanted to remove my heat shield because it just looks like s**t, but figured it might be a bad idea. I live in New England, so it doesn't get real hot here even in Summer. So can I ditch the shield with causing fuel problems? If it makes a difference, I don't run coolant through my SU's, I eliminated that system when I rebuilt, and I have a 6 - 2 header.

I took off the air pump, and all the stuff on the balancing tube. When I first got the car running, I had on all the balancing tube stuff on, including the throttle delay. When I took it all off, I didn't notice any difference at all in how the car ran. I run new ZTherapy 3-screws. Heres a pic of the carbs/balancing tube with it all removed. I still need to permanently close off some holes on the balancing tube, it looks kinda hacked right now.

3 votes for the L28 swap, no matching numbers, no need to stay original. But if the motor you are thinking about putting in really is an L28, it can't be a 1972. There were no L28's until 1975, unless I'm mistaken.

Obviously the old line about a deal thats too good to be true applies here, so I would have "head for the hills" when I heard the $250 initial price tag. But still, that is without question, just about the worst work I've ever seen. Look at it this way though, at least they didn't ruin an S30.:nervous:

Congrats Flash on working the spark issue out. Nothing better than figuring something out and hearing that 6 running again. As far as the ribbing about Macs, I'm just saying, I've used Macs exclusively since the first computer I ever owned, and I've never said the words "my computers broke", or "my computers out getting fixed". Once a year a Mac freezes, you unplug it, and its fine. Just my experience, and no I don't have my whole retirement tied up in Apple stock, before anyone asks.

Or you could all just get Macs, and they'd never crash...:nervous:

I found a 79 280ZX in a local boneyard. It has the E12-80 dizzy that I want to install this winter to upgrade from my original points ignition. The car has been sitting without running for about 12 years. The owner of the yard (who I've know for my whole life) says the car was driven to the spot that its sitting in. Any concerns with these dizzy's "going bad" from sitting too long? Also, can I use my existing coil/ballast resistor set-up with the ZX dizzy, or should I buy a new one meant for the E12-80 ignition? I know this isn't electrical, but....... The parts car also has a 5-speed that I'm thinking about buying. Its a NA 1979 280ZX. I don't think this is one of the really desirable Borg-Warner tranny's, but if I can pick it up reasonable, it would still be a major upgrade over my original 4-speed, correct? BTW, I am planning on doing a rear diff. swap this winter also, to either a 3.70 or 3.90, so I need to do the 5 speed swap. So do you think I should wait for a BW 5-speed to come along, or go with the one in the parts car?

Hey Rick, I bought the only 2 they had on the shelf. I would've bought more if they had them. So I guess no, I couldn't ship one to you, sorry. These have full exhaust, working steering, and the hood, hatch and doors all open. Interior detail is very good as well. But the suspension is not active, no plug wires, etc. So they seem to be a step down from the Franklin mint ones, but still very cool, IMO. I'll check out some other Ocean State Job Lots in the area and see if I can grab a few more for anyone one here who wants to buy one.

Found these 1970 240Z 1:18 diecasts at an Ocean State Job Lot in Massachusetts today for $14.99 each. Very good quality (heavy) and detail. If there's one nearby you, check it out.

The video from ZTherapy is excellent. I had never worked with SU's before, but after watching the video, I had mine tuned perfectly in less than an hour. It's well worth the $20. You'll need to get a synchronizer to balance the carbs also. As Gary pointed out, you only need 3 things to get the car (basically any gas-powered car) to run. Fuel, spark and timing. You know your getting fuel and spark, correct? Based on the little bit of info we have, and assuming you have good compression, I would be looking at timing if it were me. Getting the #1 cylinder to Top Dead Center with the finger method Gary talked about gets you close. But you need to get yourself a good timing light, because if your off by just a few degrees it may not start. Without proper timing, all the fuel and spark in the world won't make the car run.

That was my point also. I recently had a chance to buy a 72 but the owner had lost the title, and since died. I was talking to the owners kid, who had no idea where the title may have gone. It would have been a huge pain in the arse to get a new title so the car could be registered, so I passed on the deal. But, if I had those tags, I may have bought it. Technically illegal, but isn't that better than allowing a roadworthy 72 to rust to the ground because theres no title for it?

What year is your Z? The flat tops were only on 73 240's and 74 260's.