monkeyman

This is the exact same problem I had (on another car) and the fix was simple. I pushed the brake pedal in, the brake lights come on as well as all the parking lights (and dash lights). The problem was that I (or someone) had put the wrong bulb into the brake light socket. The brake light bulb should have had two filaments: one for parking lights, and one for the brakes. I (or someone) had put a single filament bulb (one for the blinkers maybe) in the brake bulb socket. Being a single filament bulb, the electrical contact was large and in the centre of the base. It shorted the two electrodes at the bottom of the socket (one electrode for brakes, one for parkers). So when I pushed the brake pedal in, 12V got to the brake filament electrode in the socket, the bulb lit, but the electrical contact on the bottom of the bulb connected the 12V across to the other electrode in the base of the socket, putting power on the parking light (and dash light) circuit... so they all lit up. The two different types of bulbs are usually keyed different so they aren't interchangeable, but it happens. I don't know how the types of bulbs are arranged in the 280ZX, but check them all I hopefully you will find one that is the wrong type for the socket it is in. Good luck, Eric

I was stuffing around with a few Z clocks and found there were mostly two types. The one described above, and the one in my 260Z (a Kanto Seiki). The one I had was driven by a small electric circuit rather than a motor. I couldn't find any schematics so I got the oscilloscope out and traced it out. Of the three I got working again, one had failed capacitors, one had a failed transistor, and one had both the transistor and capacitor failed. I changed these to equivalents and presto. This was six months ago and they are still going... I think I will look at a way of putting the circuit, waveforms, diagrams (equivalent transistors will have different pin arrangements), and photos into one document and posting it. It should make a nice little article. Stay tuned.

We don't have 280Zs here, but you can tell a 240Z from a 260Z by the tail-lights. The reverse lights are separate from the others on the 260Z. The same might apply for the 280Z. Other obvious things are: badges are there rear seats (the 240Z didn't have a '2+2' model)? bumpers are different, I think, aswell. flutes in the bonnet (sorry, 'hood'), the these are not original on the 240Z but might have been fitted by the owner. monkeyman

I had this problem once, took a long time to work it out too! If you put a single filament globe in the socket made for a double filament globe, the single electrode on the bulb shorts out the two electrodes in the socket. So when you put your foot on the brake, 12V is connected via the bulb from the brake light circuit to the parking light circuit, and on go the tail lights! Definitely check the globes.

how about those plastic round covers that fit in the rear luggage compartment over the strut towers? my email: e_bettio@yahoo.com.au eric

It sounds like you have a nice arrangement there. I don’t think I would be too worried about the over-revving (though the engine is clocking up the years now) Check out the following site: http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/2824/engine.html According to the info there, you have the best engine block for the L28 upgrade. And since you don’t have a turbo head, you might have the flat-top pistons in it if you are lucky (I am not clear which ones did and didn’t have the flat top pistons here in Australia, and what the 280Cs had). The author of the above site pushes the P90 head as the best but from things I have read in the past, the N42 is a pretty good head itself (better than the 240Z and 260Z heads – E31 and E88). From what I understand, it had square exhaust ports and offered better airflow. eric

I bought my 260Z already fitted with an L28 so I was lucky. Though I have wondered where the motor came from. I have concluded that it didn’t come from a 280ZX for two reasons: no EFI (they came with EFI didn’t they?), and no oil pressure sender unit, just a switch (didn’t all the z-cars come with sender units?). I can only conclude that my L28 came from a 280C. eric p.s. I think all the 260Z 2+2s came with R200s in Australia (shouldn’t be too hard to find around the place). I think these R200s are 3.7:1. Sorry for the vague answer, hopefully someone will correct anything I said that was wrong

go to this site for a run down on what is involved by someone who has done it before. http://www.mame.mu.oz.au/salman/gearbox_conversion.html good luck eric