studioti

Hello everyone. I have a 77 280z. She's running fine right now, but I do notice that after a long drive and i park the car (lets say to run into the supermarket for 15 min) i come out to start the car and the temp is way high and she runs rough. In about 60 seconds after I start the engine she cools down to a moderate temp. For the most part, this is what i figure: Car is driven...engine heats up but while in motion or still running, the radiator is being cooled by the fan or air speed of driving. Once i stop, the engine is still hot, but the air speed is zero and the fan stops because the engine stops. This in turn heats up the water temp, hence the high reading when i get back in the car minutes later and restart the engine. I was just wondering if there are any resolutions to this...ie, an electric fan that will turn on regardless if the engine is running or key is in the ignition. or especially turn on after a long drive and the car is parked. Thanks for any advice.

Thanks everybody for the input. I'll check the plugs and fuel pump. I'm guessing it's the latter. I'll post back once i figure this one out.

I have a 77 280z. She had been running perfectly fine for the 6 months i've owned her. Took her for a 20 mile drive one morning into work. When i came out at 5pm to go home...the engine would not start. Simple question is "which parts should i start with to problem solve?" Some notes: -80k miles on engine -L28 fuel injected -spark plugs are 2 months old -has new spark plug wires -new fuel injectors -battery is new -NO, i did not leave my lights on -NO, the battery is not dead -Yes, i can hear the starter trying to turn the engine over -Yes, the car has gas in it -No, i do not see an fluids pooling underneath the car -alternator was replaced 2k miles ago -engine had been running strong up until...and averaging 20mpg -Known issues: i might have a leaking head gasket, because my coolant level keeps dropping and i'm having trouble passing smog. Wondering if i should: -check the fuel pump -ignition coil -distributor cap Any direction to start is much much appreciated Thanks

Don't mean to bring this thread back to the head gasket, but i wanted to ask Stevef1972z a question. What tools did you need to pull the head off and how did you assess any issues with the chain, since my biggest concern is the timing chain as well. Thanks

Oh, one more bit of data. I currently get 20mpg. I thought this was pretty good relative to what others on the forum are getting, but apparently its still running rich. Thanks once again.

Just got back from 1st smog check. My 77 280z failed. Here are the numbers: MPH / HC-max-meas / CO-max-meas / NO-max-meas 15 / 214 - 269 / 1.36 - 6.39 / 1364 - 209 25 / 181 - 256 / 1.16 - 6.39 / 1224 - 197 More data input about the car: • New afm • New fuel injectors • New water temp sensor • New thermostat • 75000 mileage • Has cold air intake • Timing is set at ZERO (which needs to be fixed) The guy at the shop basically said that i'm running too rich. Are there any suggestions on where i can start problem solving. Any help is much appreciated. Thanks

hahaha, sblake01... thanks Such are the joys of rebuilding a classic. Labors of love, some might call it. But none the less I will replace the thermo switch, cold start valve and fuel press reg (in that order)... I recently replaced the fuel injectors.

thanks for all your input. Moritz and Joker, your cars look great and seeing your rides will help me out, but i'm still pretty head strong on the sportmax 002. Clindayag, thanks for the info. I plan on using tokico struts and eibach springs that i will cut down even further to get the perfect wheel tuck. I also have means to shave out any inner parts of my fender to get the wheel to fit. Does anybody have any more specifics about this wheel fitment? Thanks

I definitely want the Sportmax 002 but can't decide on 15s or 16s. I've seen many pics of 15x8 with 225/50 series tires on them and they looks good, but haven't seen too many 16s and don't know what tire size i'd run on that. Here's a pic i found and i actually really like how it looks and fits in the wheel well. Can anybody tell me the exact wheels size and tire size of this pic? Thanks

Changed the water temp sensor and the car now runs with the water temp sensor plugged in. it will idle and drive under hard acceleration just fine. i can tell that it is still a little rich, but hopefully this is something a little tuning can handle.

Just bought a new WTS from MSA. Lucky for me i work only 1 mile away from their warehouse. Can you figure out where i spend most of my lunch time? None the less, i'll plug this new baby in and report if it helps out. If this doesn't work the guy at MSA suggested a new Air Regulator.

slbake01 thanks, i double checked and the new and current AFM that i have both have 7 pins. There are still a few more threads out there that i can search. But here's a little info to put a twist on things. When i bought the car a few weeks ago, the car looked to run really smooth and strong. But after more than 20min of driving, i noticed that the car slowly started to get sluggish and darker smoke became visible from the exhaust in between shifts. At first i really didnt think too much into it, but then while changing the oil, i noticed a wire connector that was not plugged in. Turns out the water temp sensor was not plugged in the whole time. So i decided to plug it in and guess what? the car idled like crap and under throttle or acceleration, the car putters, like it was choking. then i herd a type of "pop" from the front AFM area. Backfire? So then i read posts and threads. Is it safe to say that by not having the water temp sensor plugged in you get an overly rich mixture when the car is warmed up. My question, is... What advantage does someone have by unplugging the water temp sensor? Thanks

Thanks. Just checked the plugs on the bottom, and 'yes' they do run all the way across. So i guess the AFM is not the culprit. I'm running out of things that could be the "running rich/rough idle" problem. So i guess i'll take it in to a professional Datsun mechanic and have them figure it out. So far i've replaced spark plugs, new injectors, fuel filter and AFM. I'll admit, i'm not a mechanic, but i learn quick and read a lot of threads. Thanks everyone for all your help.

To anyone whom can answer, I have a 77 280z that das a broken AFM. I was able to track one down on Ebay in great condition for pretty cheap. Once it was shipped to me I installed it immediately, but with poor results. The car runs even worse than with the failing AFM. The car is running super super rich and barely wants to idle. So here's where we can get technical. The serial/product code on the AFM that was originally on my car had this designation: A31-605 000 But the item i purchased has a serial/product code of: A31-604 000 I was hoping that they were close enough, but i guess not. I noticed on Motorsport Auto that if you buy from them they have a whole long list of different serial/codes to choose from. So i am guess that it really is year specific. I've done some searches on the forums and found out that 78 and later have AFMs that need some wires to be "jumped" but no threads specifically identify which exact serial/code can work with what year. Any info on this detailed subject would be much appreciated. Thanks

thanks for the info. sorry about repeated threads. i tried searching, but sometimes the search engine doesn't pull up everything. Ebay has one used for $10 right now, but i'm sure the bidding will go sky rocket once it gets close to the end time.

Title really says it all, but here are more specifics. Found an AFM on ebay for cheap, but its for a non-turbo 1982 280zx. From what little i've gathered they are very similar parts to my 280z (1977 to be specific). Just wondering if i can buy this unit and use it in my car, which has a broken one. Thanks for any info