Pomorza

Update, sort of I took the Z out for a nice long drive today - about an hour - to get the tune (I have tuneable injection) nice and see how she performs. I noticed a really interesting thing. For the first 15 to 20 minutes or so the Z just doesn't really sound all that great. The idle is bit boucny (jumps about 80-100 rpms up). There's no hesitaion or anything the idle is just a bit off for a bit. But after a few nice long pulls up to 5k and nice cruising it all evened out. The idle sounds amazing and sits around 1000 (I like it there, it makes it sound glorious). Anyone else experience this or is my Z just tempermental? I know I have a rather annoying exhaut leak (which only seems to be there when the car is cold) but could that really lead to the idle being so meh? On an unrelated note, everyone I know is telling me to rent a car; parents, friends, people I talk to. I know she's an old car but why do people think she's going to die halfway down the road? Thanks all Jan

I'm going to go a step further and blame it on pure laziness.

HA you're funny. Finding a lass that's as interested in cars (and engineering) as I am has become rather challenge more then anything. TomoHawk I don't understand people these days, what ever happened to slowing down and smelling the flowers. Everyone is always in such a hurry, like their house is on fire. I rarely ever do over about 70 in the Z, there's no reason. That and once you actually understand at 75 mph you're doing 110 feet per second (yes 110 feet in ONE (1) second) you realize that maybe you should slow down a bit and take you're time. Its a road trip anyway. Last time I took a road trip it took me neary 26 hours to drive to LA from Tucson. I kept stopping and checking out stops on the way and enjoying myself. And clearly I have to take 1000's of pictures, its the only way to travel . Anyhow Thanks all Jan

Holy Crap I know who's Z that was, what a small world. I've driven it once it was a really nice drive. He had some issues with it in the past that were fixed and man is that car nice. I would have bought it from him but I'm rocking my own Z right now. Thanks Jan

Did you recently get this Z? I swear I've seen/driven in that Z before

Carl, I've had a fire extinquisher in my car ever since I got it. All proper sports cars should have them, not only for you incase a rubber hose goes but in case you run into someone in need of one, I'm sure there are other antiques out there that can light fire, or even modern cars (note Ford exploder...er I mean explorer). As for the common failures you mentioned. The heater hoses, radiator hoses, and most of the fuel lines are new. The dizzy (81zx one) and the ignition module are both new but with my luck (see older posts) this could give out any time. I have AAA card in my wallet in case. My heater is sadly sprug a weeping leak (and I mean weeping, it drips about three of four drops per couple of days) but knowing my luck it will blow half-way there. I'm thinking renting a car maybe a better options but I would rather drive her there. Thanks guys Jan

Hello all This December I'm planning on driving from my Tucson home to visit a friend of mine in San Fransisco. I'm not worried that my Z won't make it there but I'd like to prepare her for the long trip. (From google maps I'm getting that its 950 miles each way excluding day trips and such). Other then checking ALL fluids, brakes, tires and plugs is there anything I should do to prepare? Thanks all Jan

I have a friend of mine that put a large throttle body on his Z. The only difference he noticed is that you reach WOT sooner. Since you're using the stock intake manifold there is only so much air you can fit in there. As LeonV mentioned there will be very little if any performance gained. Jan

Guys, An interesting thought ran through my mind earlier this evening when I was driving home. I run a lower temp thermostat (160) in the Z as well it gets hot here in the summers. Now that its cooled off (mid 40's) the Z rarely ever runs above 160. Could the lower running temp affect the valve adjustment? I adjusted the valves about a year ago (maybe less) but that was before I swapped tstats. Thanks Jan

Here's my two cents I personally think the actual oil you use doens't matter but how often you change it. I've religiously done oil changes at 3 months or 3,000 miles (usually three months as I don't really drive that often). I was debating switching to a synthetic oil but figured since I change it so often I should just stick to dyno oil. That being said, I've used mobile 5000 (10W40) for the past couple of years with lucas oil stabil added. I've had not problems to speak of and I'm still running the original engine. I know people that use basic 20W50 from the parts store as oil and haven't had issue with it either. Just my comments Jan

Hello all I figured I'd let everyone know that I found the problem, it was in the end the switch. Replaced it and all is back to normal. Thanks for all the help Jan

Hello all This past tuesday I turned the Z on and drove to work per usual. For some reason something just didn't sound right, there was something coming from the top end that just wasn't there before. I figured today I'd pull the valve cover and take a peek under there and see if there was anything wrong. Long and behold the number 9 valve rocker arm spring was half off (Pic included). I took it off, inspected it thoroughly and reinstalled it back to its normal and functional position. So two questions, one, how common is it for these to fall off. Its not like I was racing the motor (I rarely ever rev over 5k and floor it occassionally)? Should I be worried about this, is there anything I could do to help this not happen again? I took a nice long look at everything else on the top end. All the lashpads look good, valves look good chain is under tension, cam is well oiled (and hot as hell as I did this right after a drive). I didn't check the valve clearence but will do so after I acquire a remote start button (so I can turn the motor over without the key). Thanks all Jan P.S Sorry about the bac picture quality it was taken via a phone, a non smart phone.

I am having an issue with my ignition (Key). Its very finicky, when you put it on the "ON" position it has to be in the right spot for it to engage power to everything. If its not in the "exact" spot it won't give power. This is what I mean, this morning I get in the car and turn the key to the on position. There's a click (from the relays) the pump turns on and then another click and everything is off. I played with the key for a second and "click" power again. I turn the car on and it runs fine. Could this have anything to do with it? Thanks Jan

Hello all This past weekend I installed a new battery on my Z and finally got it running properly. Long and behold I don't have blinkers for some reason. The hazard switch works (I have two, and tested both the hazard lights turn on) but when I go to turn on the blinkers (turn signals) nothing, no lights no indicators on the tach nothing. Any ideas on what could be going on? Thanks Jan

Hello again all This afternoon (~noon MST 81 outside and no humidity that's noticable). Went to test the primary and secondary resistance of the coil as suggested by Mr. Zed Head suggested. I placed the DMM on the terminals and got a reading (~0002 on the 200k setting, I think my DMM has a recently (today) broken screen). I pulled the coil wire out of the coil and measured the negative to the center resistance (6.5 on the 200k setting). Put everything back together cleaned up and started the car. Magically she ran, and didn't die, AT ALL. I sat there for about ten minutes waiting for the moment when she looses spark but it never came. I turned her off and restarted and still runs like a top. Ideas as I'm confused as hell here. Yesterday I was loosing spark every few minutes and lost of for good. Now she runs like new. Can the wire(s) be bad (ignition wires)? Do the match box ignitions sometimes work and sometimes not? If that's the case how come it didn't work at all yesterday but worked like clockworks today? Thanks Jan (who is still confused)

Zed Head, I'm running a different coil then when the problem first occured. When the car first died I was running a stock 81 ZX coil. I swapped this with a MSD Blaster II coil today. (sorry if I didn't mension that). So what you're saying is that if the resistance is the same before and after the test then the coil is the issue? Thanks Jan

Update: This afternoon I went out to look at the Z again. She started! and ran for about a minute or two and then died (no spark again). I unplugged the battery and went to work on checking fuses and wires and such. (about 15 minutes). Hooked the battery back up and bam spark!. Held the coil wire to the shock tower bolt and had nice orange spark. Car ran again for about 1 minute then died (lost spark). I had my battery and alternator tested (the battery failed to hold charge so I bought a new one). Still no starting. Could the dizzy or the matchbox (ignition module) be bad again? I just bought the dizzy a few weeks ago. Thanks Jan

Guys This past saturday I spent about two hours today rewiring my ignition system. Have a 16 gauge fused wire (20A) running to the coil through a relay that is wired to the ignition switch. When all was said and done I started said Z and it ran for about three minutes. It then had a misfire for a few seconds and then the throttle stopped responding and bam car died. Pulled the coil wire and held it to a ground (the intake manifold) and nothing, no spark nothing. The distributor is new (rebuilt unit from the auto parts store), the coil is a MSD blaster II. Any ideas would be great. Thanks Jan

Thanks guys for the replies I have a spare 81 zx dizzy so I'm going to replace it tomorrow and see if anything gets better. I replaced the old system as I upgraded my injection and needed a better system for it. Thanks Jan

Hello all This past tuesday my lovely Z (who I'm thinking of calling Christine at this point) died on my way to school. She wouldn't start (kept cranking over but not starting). Today I finally got around to working on her. I pulled the coil wire off from the dizzy and held it to the intake manifold while my friend cranked the motor. Nothing, no spark that I could see. So my question is this, what exactly controls spark on the Z, is it the coil itself or does the dizzy somehow tell the coil when to fire? I have an 81ZX dizzy (matchbox) in the car as I updated it a few months ago (great upgrade for reference). Thanks Jan

Hey guys I have a bit of an odd question to ask. Over the past couple of days I've noticed that the Z doesn't start like it used to. This is what I mean, from the day I bought the car when you turn the key over the second it hit "start" (or on which ever it is) the starter would rotate and the car would start. Over the past few days I've noticed a noticable pause, as in I turn the key to the "start" position and there's a noticable pause before the starter rotates? Any ideas on why? I have two new battery cables and a new starter (gear reduction). Thanks Jan

It should be between 35-40 psi when running (that's where mine sits at). The FSM states 36.3 psi at the manifold exactly.

Thanks guys, I found another T laying around the house hooked everything up and the car runs better (much). Thanks for the help Jan

Hey all This afternoon I replaced my distributor on the Z (long story I won't have the energy to explain). I noticed that my vacuum advance seems to be hoocked up directly to a T where one half goes to the TB (I'm guessing) and the other goes to the vacuum canister. Now this T was apparently VERY old as it broke on me. My question is, how exactly is the vacuum advance supposed to be hooked up. Is it supposed to go to the canister or to the TB fitting (or whatever that little nipple sticking out goes to)? Thanks all Jan

Do you happen to have a picture of how it looks now? I'm thinking of doing this myself if it is possible. Thanks Jan