Zed Head

Have you started it? What does it do?

That's a 280Z distributor not 280ZX. Looks like the lock-down screw ins in place and tight. Were both spring clips properly in their slots when you removed the cap? They can be difficult to get in to position. I always have to use two screwdrivers, one to locate and one to apply pressure until it snaps in to place. Can't get my fingers down there. Did you check the cap for looseness when you wee removing it? This was mentioned earlier as a possibility. The cap should be rock solid on the distributor body. Pressing on it should have no affect at all.

Post #3/4 of the way down Page 3? No good?

Does it sit there stable or move up and down with driving? I think 195 is recommended for your part of the world. "Cold". http://www.carpartsmanual.com/datsun/Z-1969-1978/engine-280z/cylinder-head/41

Still waiting for that picture...

The cap should be very solidly locked to the distributor body. No wiggle at all. If you can press on the cap and see it move independently of the distributor body, that's a problem. Take a measurement across the bottom of the cap. Maybe somebody out here can compare to what they have. Kind of sounds like you have the wrong cap.

I don't even know who you are mbz. And I reserve the right to reply to other Classiczcars.com member's posts. The topic turned to the AM in AMsoil. The marketing plan. Not whatever your original question was. I think that Tupperware has a similar arrangement. Edit - forgot to say. You can use the Ignore feature of the forum, and never see my posts, as long as you are logged in. I use it on a couple of members and it works well. Just hover your mouse over my screen name and the option will show. "Ignore User".

Wiggle the cap.

I've seen the name Amsoil for years and seen comments about their "pyramid" marketing scheme but just now made the mental connection to Amway. You don't make money until you get other people to start selling for you. In the end everyone is an Amway salesperson. Then... the rapture. No offense...

That's odd. What does it mean? With ballast the coil would take longer to "charge" and current flow (voltage) would be lower, but last longer. I wonder how you could modify the tach to offset that. More loops on the back of the tach to make it more responsive to the shorter time? Interesting finding.

If I recall right there are different size distributor caps out there. I think that the ZX cap might be a hair smaller. If you put your 280Z cap on a ZX distributor it might be loose. Or if you went to the auto parts store and asked for a 78 280Z cap, but you have a ZX distributor. A possibility, I think.

$18,000 sold

37 minutes. $13,250. https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1973-datsun-240z-106/?utm_source=transactionalemail&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=bat_model_notification

I saw it. But they are the wrong photos. You need this one without the rotor. Closeup. to see if the shaft has play.

Need the same picture, but from yours.

They advance the timing based on temperature, just like the 280Z distributors do, using the ignition module instead of the two pickup coils in the distributor. It's shown on page EL-26 of the 1983 FSM. I'd post a picture but there's something wrong with the forum. Out of storage space, I believe. "Image could not be saved. Please contact us for assistance." "Upload failed". @Mike

I actually did notice that the one you took out seemed backward, in the pictures, from the one you out in. But, I trusted your experience.

The magnet is circular. It tends to break.

The kind of look like they go under the dash, inside the car. Don't know.

@Dave WM needs another engine. It's already on a Harbor Freight engine stand.

This guy needs one of these. He'd probably take the whole spring piece.

There are more sophisticated options to control spark. Lock out the advance mechanism of the distributor and it becomes essentially like a CAS on the damper pulley. Similar to what you get with the 123 except you use your original distributor. https://www.cbperformance.com/CB-s-Black-Box-Programmable-Timing-Control-Module-p/2013.htm You could also go to a crank trigger and something like Megasquirt or Microsquirt. If you want reliability and inexpensive ignition modules, convert any of your three distributors to use a GM HEI module. About $25 each.

They probably can be, but you won't know for sure until they've been sparking away on a hot engine. They have a tendency to be heat-sensitive. If you're basically starting from scratch and aren't tied to "original" there are quite a few other options for ignition modules. If you use a remote module, the distributor just becomes a triggering device, that also controls timing advance. If you think of it that way options like the 123 ignition system look good. The main problem with the old Nissan distributors is that the breaker plate bearings dry up and destroy their bearing cage. The parts are NLA and it doesn't seem like anyone makes them. I think that Cardone just tests a bunch of old parts until they find some that work, then assemble the used parts and call it "rebuilt". Has anyone closely examined the Cardone breaker plate to see if it's new parts? Curious.

I had to Google Wanda Wiggins. I was precoccupied in the 70s and missed those shows.

I thought you had a 78. Oops. You can use a different module with the 77 distributor, without modifying the distributor itself, and get rid of the ballast. But. Your 77 distributor might need a rebuild also. They tend to rust up. Distributation is getting harder these days. The parts is disappearing. Good idea to get ahead of the problem.