Zed Head

This is a new thread from your other thread? The 79 internally regulated alternator to replace the bad one from Autozone? http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?45187-S30-battery-boiling-over-need-reg-jumper You still haven't described which procedure that you used. Did you try the one at zhome from Post #3 in the other thread? (I glanced at the zhome article and it looks like that's the one you're using). 1973 should have an Ammeter and apparently they don't have Charge lights. The Ammeter tells you if it's charging. + = charge, - = discharge. What does the Ammeter needle do? Battery power at the white wire is good. It's supposed to be connected to the battery. The wire that goes to the cross bar on the T plug should always show battery power also. It's the Sense wire (S at zhome) and senses whether or not the alternator should be charging. The other part of the T, the bottom, should have switched 12 volts, but probably needs a diode. If you put the diode in backwards, the alternator windings won't energize and you won't get any charging. Did you install a diode? Everything above can be checked with a voltmeter before you start the engine. If you're not getting switched power at BW, you might have a blown fusible link or fuse. I'm not sure where that wire comes from but a wiring diagram will probably show you where to look for a fuse or fusible link. Check http://www.xenons30.com/reference.html in the Body Electrical section (I just looked and it looks like BW runs through the fuse box). No power at BW means no energized windings, no magnet, no charge. You mgiht have a bad fuse. Good luck.

Actually, that wire should go to ground from the condenser/capacitor shown. The factory setup connects to a bolt on the distributor. Probably to damp electrical spikes (noise) from the distributor. A good idea to connect it as the factory did to reduce the odds of damaging your ignition module or ECU. You coil setup should work, mechanically, as long as it doesn't fall out. The coil is usually matched to the ignition module though, so the new coil may not be as "Super" as the label implies. Edit - 5th, I think that they moved the lamp to the driver's side in later years. My 76 has it in that vicinity. But, as stated, it should have another length of black wire going to a distributor mounting bolt.

Sounds like TPS. It's under the black cover on the throttle blade shaft.

Looks like you could get 50 or 60 amps in 74. 76 had 60. 60 auto store rebuilt amps would probably be better than 30 Nissan amps, for sure. If the OP does decide to do the swap, don't forget about the brake warning lamp check relay under the passenger seat. It might get battery power after the swap, instead of the designed "engine running" power, and drain the battery. It's caught a few 1976 owners, including me. Basically, if you want simple, just replace the regulator. If you want to dig in and modernize your car, be prepared for a little time and aggravation.

For the record, the 280ZX alternators only put out more current at ~2500 RPM (~1250 engine RPM by pulley ratio if my math is right), according to FSM specs. At full output, they're the same at 60 amps. And the specs are for factory alternators, not aftermarket. My experience with one auto store rebuilt internally regulated alternator is that it was lower output at low RPM than an old Nissan made 1978 factory alternator. Just something to think about. In theory, if you were working with Nissan made parts, the internally regulated alt would give more output at low RPM. But in reality, your old Nissan alternator, with a new regulator might be a better bet than a "new" rebuilt internally regulated alternator. The auto store alternators are known for poor quality.

Heat will help a lot. Aluminum expands more than steel with heat so putting a torch on the head around the bolt will help the PB Blaster/Liquid Wrench or whatever penetrate. It will also open up the hole, reducing the grip on the broken bolt. You don't have to heat it to red hot or anywhere near where you'll risk warping the head. Heat it until the penetrant smokes, then try to twist it out.

I have a functional EFI system on an engine on a stand in the garage. You need the EFI harness from the engine bay to go along with the ECU, to make it easy. A few wires need to be jumped or have switched power run to drive the ECU and the injectors, but it's not too difficult to figure out from the FSM wiring diagrams. One key piece that is needed though is the resistor from the cabin that's on the "blue wire" circuit to Pin 1 and the tachometer. I think that it "conditions" the signal to the ECU. Without it the ECU won't fire the injectors correctly. If I recall, it's about 2.6 Kohms, maybe. Check Hybridz for the turbo swap in to 240Z to see what people do for fuel supply. Many run a new supply line and use the original supply line as the return. Apparently the EFI fuel pumps flow too much fuel to use the original 240Z lines and will back up, causing uncontrollable high pressure. But, as cozye says, to make it run well, you'll need to get in to tuning and modifying and it might be a pain.

After all of these posts a video would help in showing what this popping sounds like. Do both kinds of popping happen all of the time or only when cold? Here's a thought, since it looks like you've exhausted all of the more basic possibilities: a worn exhaust valve cam lobe can cause popping through the intake. It's one of the more common small block chevy failures. It's very evident when the engine is revved up. Have you done a cylinder pressure or leak-down test? Checked your valve timing (the notch on the cam sprocket)? Adjusted your valve lash? To summarize what you're looking at - the engine won't start cold and hold idle unless you open the throttle for a little while until it stabilizes. It pops back through the intake (how bad and when, low RPM, all the time or open throttle?), it pops through the exhaust (how bad and when?). When it's warmed up, do the problems go away or is this only a cold start problem? Just trying to help you clarify. The thread jumps around too much to go back and try to read all of the posts. Summarizing occasionally is usually a good idea. A methodical approach from the basics of cylinder pressure, valves opening and closing, fuel delivery and spark might uncover something.

The inexpensive liquid-filled fuel pressure gauges tend to read incorrectly when hot. I had one that did, mounted on the intake manifold, and it's also referred to on one of the aftermarket FPR suppliers sites - http://aeromotiveinc.com/2010/01/advanced-tips-for-efi-tuning-with-fuel-pressure/ Where is your gauge mounted?

I got a different number at the good old carpartsmanual site - http://www.carpartsmanual.com/datsunS30/DatsunZIndex/Engine280Z/CylinderHead/tabid/1600/Default.aspx Shows as available at $3.66 at Courtesy Nissan.

Yes it is. Try www.xenons130.com. Look in the Reference section. You'll need to download and unzip it. I would run through the tests, the E.C.C.S system is different from the earlier Zs in that it uses a crank angle sensor I believe. So the general Z things, like bad tach problems, etc. may not apply.

1976 came with an external regulator. It would be mounted underneath the metal "shelf" by the battery with all of the other electrical components. You wouldn't have an internally regulated alternator unless someone had modified your car to have one. Checking the alternator and voltage regulator for proper operation is pretty easy. Your mechanic should be able to do it before he changes the regulator. A good mechanic would have checked his work the first time.

It's not really clear what you've tried. You hooked S to power, and connected the white and yellow wires, then K to battery. ??? Did you follow the directions in Post 3 (my Post 2 link was only good for later 280Zs)? Squealing and idle reduction sounds like power generation. Why didn't you leave it like that?

I think that you have ECU controlled timing. There is no ignition module but there is an "ignitor", which is a simple transistor mounted by the coil. It is triggered by the ECU. Your ignitor might be bad, I would check that before replacing or removing any parts. There are test procedures in the 1983 FSM. Your tests would be for the E.C.C.S., not E.F.I. You should unjump the WTS also, for when you get consistent spark back. That's a resistive circuit and shorting it might not be good for the ECU.

Someone hacked my post! Actually it's a typo. Should say 1976. I just repeated what I said in Post #7, with a few more details.

Marty brings up a good point. I missed the fact that the 240Z four speeds actually have a different set of gear ratios, with a much lower 1st gear,, than the 75-79 four speeds. Negating most of what I said. It looks like some work involved to get that extra gear. Let's see if my Excel numbers will be legible if I paste them in here. Nope, no WYSIWYG. Move the bottom 5th gear numbers over one column and it works. - 72-74 75-79 80 81-83 3.592 3.321 3.062 3.062 2.246 2.077 1.858 1.858 1.415 1.308 1.308 1.308 1 1 1 1 0.864 0.773 0.745

My 1974 coupe 4 speed Federal edition had the dual pickup distributor with the water switch actuated timing advance, but no EGR. No signs that my car was not completely factory stock. It's either a leftover piece, like an appendix, or it serves some unknown purpose. Either way, all it does it advance the timing 6 degrees for the short time that it takes the engine to warm up. Described on Page EE-26 in the 1976 FSM. It's in Engine Electrical so does not appear to be an Emissions device, unlike the top gear vacuum advance switch which is described in the Emissions section. From what I can tell, the California cars with EGR don't have it, they have the single pickup in the distributor. It's a weird thing. A lot of hardware to advance the timing 6 degrees for the 5 to 10 minutes it takes the engine to warm up. It seems to me most like a patch to keep the idle up between the time the AAR closes and the engine gets warm. That's my best guess.

The 77 to 79 5 speeds have the same 1 - 4 ratios as the 4 speeds. If you don't find your self wishing that you had one more gear to shift up to while on the highways, then, yes, it would probably be everything that you're worried about. A lot of risk with very little benefit. If you're looking for different ratios, and have one of the ZX type 5 speeds with the closer 1 - 4 gear sets, then the risk/benefit ratio changes. But unless you open the transmission and look you won't know what you're installing, so you could get a noisy, poor-shifting old transmission (of course, they're all old). Otherwise, it's a pretty direct, bolt-in swap for both types of 5 speeds..

I see here that you have a 75. New info, not in the other post. The fuel pump should run when the key is at Start and the small wire off the starter solenoid. If not, you have other stuff going on. Looks like a messy situation. You're creating chaos by creating new posts on the same topic, but I guess that fits your situation overall. Good luck.

You seem to be using the forum to get advice on work that you'll be getting paid for and which you should probably be capable of completing, as a professional automotive restorer. You need to at least make it worth people's while to respond. At least do the things that they suggest, even if you don't believe that the advice is helpful. Have you checked fuel pressure yet? Some of your comments don't really follow known facts either - "The fuel injection system relay is supposed to get 12V from the ignition switch in the Start position on a black/yellow wire at the switch which I have." What really happens is the fuel injection harness gets power when the key is On and at Start. The CSV works when the key is at Start and the thermotime switch is cold. It might be grounded through the thermotime switch or it might powered through the thermotime switch. It would be a good thing to figure that out through the FSM diagrams. Many of the Zs systems are activated through grounding and have power available all the time. If you mentioned the year car you're working with, someone might have some help also. There are several full-color, detailed, wiring diagrams out there, free.

What year car is it? The bushings may have already been replaced in the past with factory bushings and the install caused some "non-factory" deformation. A picture would be interesting.

Try running your idle speed screw all the way in while the engine is running. You should be able to kill the engine that way. If not, you have a leak somewhere. I can't really remember what your current problem is, but that test will tell you something about how well the throttle body is controlling air through the AFM.

The AAR just lets air pass by the throttle blade in the throttle body. The only way it can affect the mixture is if it has a leak on the upstream hose. Which is a possibility. I had mine split lengthwise when I tried the FSM test of pinching the hose to check AAR operation.

I have a 76 280Z Federal model that came with the switch and the two pickup distributor. I am now using a single pickup distributor and the switch is not used. The only effect I notice that might be tied to the missing switch is a low idle, ~50 - 100 RPM low, between when the engine is started cold and when it gets fully warmed up. But I don't have EGR. Adding timing advance makes sense with EGR, but Nissan must have just left it on the cars without EGR, for manufacturing convenience.

I would get a better voltmeter, or borrow one. I don't think that these alternators will even put out 22 volts, especially at low RPM. I think that your measurements are incorrect. The measurements from your Town Car confirm the bad readings, and secondarily, show that your Z car charging system is probably fine. It's not the voltage causing the heat, it's the amps that you're pulling through the switch with the fan and pump. You should install some relays to run those motors.