Zed Head

$16,000 for the black 78 four speed. Looks like a dependable ride, no worries about using it. https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1978-datsun-280z-88/

@KONI Lee @Joseph@TheZStore @James@TheZStore Just notifying the guys that should know.

I have read about this same thing happening. I think it's on the site somewhere. Search around. I'll post it if I find it. Found it -

It might be that one of your wires came loose. Check for voltage on the purple and cyan wires with the key on. One is the Sense wire (for the internal regulator) and the other energizes the windings to allow the alternator to charge. Might be that you lost one of those. I have read that some of the adapters can fail. That would be the most likely place to look if you don't have voltage at the purple and cyan wires.

Not really clear what the problem is. You mentioned voltage from the alternator, but said that something "is not holding any charge". Is the battery dying? Does it die right away or overnight, or over a few days?

It should just drop right in to the same spot the old one comes out of. The Pertronix conversion is all under the distributor cap. The one ohm coil would be a match for the ballast resistor. Like madkaw says it should tell you if the distributor is the problem. Set the points gap and it should work just fine. I don't think that you need to worry about the other condenser. That's the radio noise condenser, not the points condenser, which is already installed on your new unit.

But a silver 77 takes its place. 5 speed. Looks survivorish. https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1977-datsun-280z-54/

$30,000 for the crusty silver 71 240Z. https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1971-datsun-240z-171/

$31,000 was not enough for the yellow 510.

First thing to do might be to just measure resistance from the mounting point of the Pertronix module back to the battery negative. Ignition modules usually ground through their mounting points and since the Pertronix is a points replacement it would also. Then keep your meter connected and wiggle wires and move things around and see if the number stays low. I think less than about 1/2 ohm is a good number, over that distance. Check all the points TerrapinZ showed for sturdiness. Check your positive connections for problems also.

Another 510. Looks pretty clean, only one license plate (see the blue 510 above). I'm going to say it get's within $1000 of 40K. Very original, minor mods. https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1972-datsun-510-48/

You should do a youtube account for us "anti-joiners". Too many things to sign up for. Not a fan of instagram.

I'll throw a wild guess out - check your grounds. Distributor to block, block to battery, etc. Might be that when people are messing around with the distributor that they disturb a bad ground and it gets better for a short while just from the movement. Good spark is all about a good circuit, good current flow, through the coil, and that goes through the ignition module or points. Since it ran well once, and the good stuff happens after somebody messes with the distributor, and others have focused on it, that seems possible. That's why Nissan adds a separate dedicated ground wire to the distributor body, even though it's already bolted to the block (actually the timing cover). Grounds are the secret cause of many problems.

Seems like you have your solution, that's a lot of years, especially in a rainy humid part of the planet. Might as well jam the brake pedal a few times to go ahead and blow the seals in the master cylinder. Do the clutch too.

I'd try to add your post about the whistling and clicking at the intake manifold but multi-post quotes on this site are difficult. Your symptoms still sound like the "lean problem", just for carbs. Don't know if it's your throttle blade shafts or intake manifold gaskets but it seems to fit. The SU's might be even more susceptible to vacuum leaks because of the way they use vacuum to raise the pistons. Anyway, everything else looks pretty good. Don't know if your oil pump shaft is off or not but you said that ignition timing was correct.

Oops.

Are you sure the fuel is good? Your cold start valve should also be supplying fuel for starting. This won't solve any problems. Good luck.

Funny how the less defined the question is the more discussion it generates. "wondered thoughts on "best" head" >>>> go!

The owner values it. It didn't sell.

I would do this first. Sounds like you have the lean AFM problem. Don't adjust the AFM, adjust the temperature circuit. It's easy and cheap. https://www.atlanticz.ca/zclub/techtips/tempsensorpot/index.html

Seems like your injectors are opening as they should. They need 36 psi behind them though in order to squirt. I don't see any fuel pressure information.

@Derek built his own head, among other things. https://forums.hybridz.org/topic/119641-twin-cam-head-for-the-l6-from-derek-at-datsunworks/ http://datsunworks.com/

Something I found. Has some cross-references. Seems to be based on paint chips. http://paintref.com/cgi-bin/colorcodedisplay.cgi?ditzler=60636&rows=50&syear=1970&smanuf=Nissan&smodel=Datsun&sname=Orange And another link, with more links inside. Looks like Wick Humble's book writes about it. https://www.zcar.com/threads/where-to-find-datsun-orange-paint.74424/