Everything posted by Zed Head
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'78 alternator question
Seems like you would lose voltage regulation without the S wire connected, and get maximum output. You could connect a rheostat to the S wire and vary the voltage it allows through while watching a voltmeter. That would avoid damaging spikes and just look like lots of load to the regulator circuits. When my OReilly auto parts rebuilt alternator was going bad, the charge lamp started to glow very dimly, even though the voltmeter showed normal voltage output. Eventually, the charge light brightness increased with RPM, like some sort of "RPM by brightness meter", while the voltmeter needle sat steady at ~14 volts, which made no sense at all, by typical "how things work" knowledge. While I was being fascinated by the weird behavior I think it destroyed my ignition module.
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76 280Z fuel delivery issues
There's a drain plug on the bottom of the tank. Disconnect the fuel line to the filter and run some extra hose to a spare gas can or two. Use the fuel pump to push the fuel out through the fuel lines (disconnect the starter line and use the key at Start or hot-wire the pump), then drain the remaining gallon or two through the plug and see what comes out. The pump will either stop pumping due to debris buildup while it's running, or you'll find some crud when you drain through the plug hole. You'll need to do this any way before you remove the tank. If the pump runs fine while draining the tank and no crud comes out, you can always change your mind. As far as the ignition module goes, when mine was failing (1976 car like yours), I could bring on the failure signs by running over ~3,000 RPM. It was okay below there, but as soon as I went above that number, the tach needle would start bumping around at a higher number than the engine was at, and the engine would start missing, stumbling and wouldn't idle. My alternator was in the middle of its failing process and I think that the stray voltage spikes hurt the module. As Blue suggested, the tachometer will give some signs of ignition module failure.
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new to z need some help with experience z owners! please
If you post more results from your tests, you'll get more feedback. So far you've only shown cylinder pressure numbers (which looked pretty good to me). Have you been driving the car, or has it been sitting in the garage since 3 days ago when you noticed the white smoke and the gassy oil smell??
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need help please - engine died will not start - i am at wits end
Oops. Didn't re-check the details of your setup. At least the E12-80 ignition module is close, on the distributor.
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need help please - engine died will not start - i am at wits end
Just realized that you could also disconnect the negative post of the coil. If the lights stay on, the short is on the positive side (and negates my proposal), if they go off, it's on the negative side. Gets you closer.
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need help please - engine died will not start - i am at wits end
Double.
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need help please - engine died will not start - i am at wits end
Actually it sounds like you might have a short circuit from the negative side of coil circuit to the running lights circuit. If that is the case, power would always flow through the coil to the running lights, the coil-charging circuit would never be broken and the spark would never happen. The short could be anywhere from the negative side of the coil to the ignition module over by the fuse box. It could also be the wire to the tachometer, and Pin 1 on the ECU, since they both have a branch off that line also. The wires from the negative side of the coil are blue. Wiring diagrams are in the FSM. That would be a new one. Good luck finding it. Edit - I was typing while Zs-ondabrain was posting...
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need help removing the steering wheel!
I like this idea, if it's really stuck good. There's enough slack in the steering shaft linkage that the shot with the hammer will knock the steering shaft down away from the wheel, while you have the wheel pulled up with your knees. Once it breaks the bond from being on there so long it should come off pretty easily. A few hard taps would probably get it done. If you don't have a brass hammer, using a punch in the center of the shaft or an old bolt, to avoid damaging the threads,would probably work too. Even using a puller, this is still worth doing. The shock will get it started.
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What Do You Think My Z is Worth?
I don't want to ruin anyone's Thanksgiving. I agree, times are tough and I can see the need to sell some possessions while you can, before economic conditions gets worse. For future reference, and maybe it will help you in your sale, if you have already decided on a price, and you're actively trying to sell the car with a classified ad that has the price in it, don't post what looks like a sincere question about a car's value. Especially if you're going to link to the ad. The post looked like an attempt to get viewers to look at your classified ad, not a genuine question about what the car is worth. That was the initiative for my post. If you've taken the advice of the people here and lowered the price to $5 - 6000, then you got some value from your question, and will have a better chance of selling it quickly, before the foreclosure. Good luck. Happy Holidays everyone, sorry to expose my skeptical nature during the holiday season. I'll try to keep it under wraps until the new year.
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What to buy? 1972 240Z vs 1977 280Z
Yes, apparently, you can get to the latch through the rear panel, with some contortions. I've read a few accounts. I see that you're in California. I hope that there aren't a bunch of fees to be paid to get the car licensed. Good luck, nice car, I like the white.
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Help with U-Joints
I used the cheaper, ~$20 Precision u-joints from O'Reilly auto a couple of years ago to replace all four of my half-shaft joints. I noticed that they seemed to have a lot of play in the bearing when I was installing them, and found that they were very "clunky" while driving, which is the main reason I was replacing the old ones. I ended up taking them all back for a refund and using two old half-shafts from a parts car instead, which still had the original Nissan u-joints in good shape. Nissan spec'ed out tight tolerances on their factory u-joints, using the retaining clips to get the perfect fit. The Precison joints might have been durable but they certainly left a lot of slack in the drive-train.
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need help removing the steering wheel!
I've managed to pull and wiggle two steering wheels off, once I removed the horn button and nut. It did take some effort though.
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new to z need some help with experience z owners! please
It's a 280Z with EFI. Running rich is a typical problem, usually caused by corroded sensor connections, or bad fuel pressure regulators or AFM adjustments or leaking cold start valve. If you use the search box and look for "running rich" or "fouled plugs" or "bad gas mileage" or similar you'll find a bunch of threads dealing with tuning up the 280Z EFI system. It seems like any 280Z that sits for a year or more develops a "running rich" problem. Gas in the oil often comes from excess gas in the cylinders leaking past the rings. 125 psi is not that low. There's a lot of variability in the gauges that are out there. Consistency between cylinders is what's important, and your numbers look pretty good. You should spend some time fixing the small stuff to get it running right before diving in to head gaskets. The EFI systems seem to go downhill pretty fast if they're been sitting for a while. Tune it up and put some miles on it. If the gas in the oil is a small quantity, the PCV system will clear it out if it's working right (hopefully a PO hasn't disconnected it). A poorly working PCV system could actually be the source of the gas-in-oil smell.
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What Do You Think My Z is Worth?
It's a touch of cynicism on my part. The ad that snevil linked to made a point of mentioning the kindly old lady that he bought it from, apparently after working on her for years (see below). But then he held on to it for 12 years, doing nothing to it. To me, it looks like he bought it solely for investment purposes, and is using the image of kindly old Mrs. Chin to help him sell the car. She should get paid for the use of her image! I'm a cynic at heart. Notice that he's also selling a Firebird and an El Camino. Nothing wrong with keeping your eye out for classic cars as good investments. His ad just looks a little disingenuous to me. Why would anyone looking for a 240z care about a "gentle old Japanese lady named Mrs. Chin"? "IT WAS PURCHASED FROM THE ORIGINAL OWNER IN 1999 - A GENTLE OLD JAPANESE LADY NAMED MRS. CHIN WHO PURCHASED FROM CANOGA DATSUN IN 1972. I ORIGINALLY NOTICED THE CAR SITTING IN HER DRIVEWAY, AND AFTER A COUPLE OF YEARS, EVENTUALLY CONVINCED HER TO SELL IT TO ME"
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need help please - engine died will not start - i am at wits end
I would check for power to the E12-80 module, check the ground from the distributor body to the block/negative post, and open up the distributor and make sure the stator magnet hasn't broken. If you have power where it should be, and ground, and the modules are good, then the main thing left is the signal from the VR coil. I haven't been in to a ZX distributor so don't know exactly how the six pointed wheel generates the pulse, but the module won't trigger unless it gets the voltage pulse from the magnetic coil. There is probably a test for the it in one of the ZX FSMs, Electrical section. I've seen several broken magnets on ZX distributors in the wrecking yards. Typically, there is also play in the rotor, allowing it to touch one of the "points", probably shocking the magnet assemblyand breaking it (my WA guess). Here is a link to a picture of what I'm talking about - http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/search/Ignition+Pickup!s!Stator/C0417/C0334.oap?year=1982&make=Nissan&model=280ZX&vi=1209350&keyword=ignition+pickup!s!stator If it doesn't work, just search ignition pickup stator on one of the auto parts store sites, for a 1982 280Zx.
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Clutch Release Bearing
The adjustments are to the clutch linkage. After it's adjusted correctly, the hydraulics are self-adjusting at the master cylinder and will take up disc wear, which is a tiny distance anyway.
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What Do You Think My Z is Worth?
You bought it from gentle old Mrs Chin in 1999, never drove it and now are selling it? How much did you pay for it in 1999? Tack on your expected investment gain and ask for that. Don't forget to share the proceeds with Mrs. Chin.
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Slight Groove In Cylinder Wall
Isn't it likely that the scratches are from a broken ring or ring land? And how did the head crack? It might be warped also. It sounds like you're either planning ahead or trying to decide how much the whole thing is going to cost you. A replacement head, or welding and machining on the one you have to fix the crack, plus a new piston or two, and rings, and other rebuild parts could get expensive. Might be cheaper to find a used L28 without major problems and either rebuild it or just run it. They're out there. Just an alternative perspective.
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help
Have you measured fuel pressure? The PO might have installed a low pressure system for the carbs. Check your TPS for the smoke, it might be mis-adjusted. Better yet, you should sit down at the ECU connector with an ohm-meter and the FSM, and check all of the circuits for proper resistance. That will tell you a lot about the state of your re-installation and whether all of the wires are still connected properly. It won't take that long and you'll know a lot more when you're done. The PO would not have needed to rewire the fuel pump circuit since 78 uses fuel pressure and alternator to check if the engine is running, but might have done it anyway. It's not supposed to run all the time when tyhe key is on, only when the engine is running.
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Make a fuel rail
The fins are great for transferring heat from hot to cold. In the engine bay, hot is the engine and cold is the fuel rail. The fins will result in hotter fuel not colder. Just something to think about.
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HELP! Cars not charging after 3 alternators.
What did you do with the original wire from that alternator post? It's still hot, the other end is just not connected to what it should be. If you've replaced it with the new wire, you might as well disconnect it before it shorts out.
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HELP! Cars not charging after 3 alternators.
I don't know the details of 1970 240Z wiring, but if you're reading 16 volts off of the alternator then it is working. I'm with EScanlon's last comment, the problem is with your regulator. You should change the regulator, not the alternator. If the wiring is stock, and it worked before, just leave the wiring alone and replace the regulator. The pictures in your first post are borrowed from a different post, right? That's not your wiring? Edit -totally missed all of the relevant facts in Post #3. Never mind.
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Brake Cylinder Retaining Shim
I got new retainers with the one 76 wheel cylinder I bought a couple of years ago. Try the wrecking yards and the Craigslist parts cars. Most old wheel cylinders are shot anyway so someone would probably be glad to get a few dollars for a piece of scrap metal and old rubber. Try O'Reilly auto to see cross-compatibility. Pull up the part for 76 then click the Compatibility tab.
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'78z clicking sound then engine dying
The clicking sound was probably a relay turning off as the oil pressure dropped when the engine RPM got too low. The "standard starter clicking" sounds a lot like the "standard dead battery". You should provide more information like - how far away is "just"? In other words, had you been driving it for weeks, days or hours before it died and won't restart? By won't turn over, you mean the engine does not rotate? (People get crank, turn over, start, etc. mixed up all the time). That would be a low battery, most likely, if it was running recently. Was the Charge light in the voltmeter on before it died? The first thing you might do is charge up the battery, make sure you have clean battery terminals, and see if it will turn over. It might start right up. Of course, make sure that you have gas in the tank also. It doesn't sound like a problem that needs a professional mechanic.
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73 240z rear drums won't bleed.
If it is a low pedal from too much travel on the rear shows, it might be fixed by setting and releasing the parking brake multiple times. Each pull ratchets the shoes a little wider, if it's working right. Worth a shot, if you don't want to take things apart again, plus it's a good test of the mechanism. And it will tell you how loose the back shoes are. If the shoes are loose, the lever will come way up. When they get close to proper tightness, it will only come up a couple of inches.