Zed Head

I can't find firm documentation but some Googling suggests that it's a 1975 ECU. The 050 on the AFM looks like 1975 also. It will run the 75-78 systems, just not sure what changes Nissan made along the way. People like the square port exhaust manifolds also, which 1975 would have. Is that part of the package? http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/detail/MPE0/ECC1447/01599.oap?year=1975&make=Nissan&model=280Z&vi=1209204&ck=Search_C0396_1209204_-1&pt=C0396&ppt=C0334 http://www.ebay.com/itm/75-76-Datsun-280Z-Engine-Control-Module-ECU-A11-000-050-OEM-/142309814346?hash=item212253704a:g:66IAAOSw5cNYc8qG&vxp=mtr http://www.zcar.com/forum/10-70-83-tech-discussion-forum/104601-bosch-ecu-replacement.html

The FSM shows 1975 CA cars with EGR. California got all the good stuff early! I had a 1978 parts car with a fuel pump contact switch in side. Looked all original, a survivor. The 1978 wiring diagram shows the pins and switch and labels them "useless".

Maybe it's a Series I manifold! Seriously, maybe it's just really old. carparts suggest that there was a manifold change in June 72, but doesn't show a gasket change until July 73. You have a puzzle. http://www.carpartsmanual.com/datsun/Z-1969-1978/engine-240z-260z/manifold http://www.carpartsmanual.com/datsun/Z-1969-1978/engine-240z-260z/exhaust-tube-muffler/to-jul-73

That's typical of dirty battery connections, or fusible link connections. The corrosion heats up when current flows and the connection opens up. It's not a short, it's an open circuit. Clean, and maybe give a little extra crimp to the ends of the fusible links, and the battery connections. If you have clamp-on cable ends, take them off and clean the copper wire, or just get better cables. Pretty common. I almost replaced my starter once, even though I knew all about the cable connection problem.

Hey Mike, that looks like a 75-77 system. The intake manifold is the non-webbed N42 intake (very desirable, for some reason). Nissan started using the webbed intake with the N47 head, I believe, which was mid-1977, apparently. And there's the three piece fuel rail which is also pre-1978. 1978 used a one piece. The ECU and AFM numbers would clear things up. Also, if the ECU and AFM are factory stock or aftermarket (like MSA) that would be important. Looks shiny and in good shape.

CO noticed the bumper rubber and the hood vents, signs of 1977. My comment was about the major changes in the body parts from 76 to 77, but confimring what CO noted. For example, if you buy 1976 door parts for your car they probably won't fit. Many other parts aren't' the same either. You probably looked at the stamp on the door jamb, that had a 1976 year on it. But that's the build date, not the model year. Nissan, and most car makers, start building their model years ~6 months ahead of the actual model year. Anyway, your car is probably a 1977 280Z. What does the title show? We're not trolling, just steering...

An important distinction indeed. 77 is the year of change in 280Z world.

I'm pretty sure though, that the "good" gaskets have a metal crush ring around the hole. MY 280Z gaskets do. I assume that it's good, the ring has to add cost. That gasket in your picture looks of lower quality. Here's two other options from OReilly - http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/search.oap?year=1973&make=Nissan&model=240Z&vi=5142641&keyword=exhaust+pipe+connector+gasket

I think that munters was right there and with a few more rifle shots would have solved it. My shotgun blasts just hit a lot of things. If you write enough words some of them are bound to be right. I do feel good when a problem gets solved though. And I get to practice my words on the internet. Thanks for the kudos.

Will the head pipe tube ends fit in to the manifold? Detail A. The gasket is kind of a secondary seal, it doesn't affect flow. If the tubes fit in to the casting, you're good.

Sounds like your Ignitor is damaged. There's a test/check procedure for the Ignitor. Ground is important also. https://static.summitracing.com/global/images/instructions/pnx-1281.pdf

Final thing - actually, what you need to do is get a meter or a test light and measure voltage at the coil terminals while at Run and Start. You might find that you have power but that the Ignitor is damaged and not breaking the circuit correctly. You'll always get at least one spark when the power to the coil is cut. That's how coils work. Don't know why you'd get three but anyway... Use a meter or light and verify power.

I should actually step out of 240Z world. It's confusing. Still, there's a Start and a Run.

I think that the diagram is a little misleading. I don't have a 71 but on my 76 the wires are connected at the ends of the ballast resistor itself. One at the end that passes through the resistor and the other one directly to the end that then goes to the coil. So, in the vicinity of the coil and ballast you should see the green/blue and the green/white wires. Your green/blue might not be connected, it's the Start power. You didn't say what happened when you tried munters suggestion. Just that you tried it.

Stop replacing parts. There are two circuits to the ballast resistor and coil. One for Start and one for Run. Sounds like your wire for the Start circuit is either not connected or connected incorrectly. Here's the diagram showing the ignition switch wires. Green with a blue stripe would be the Start wire. -

Who put the headers on it? Was any other engine work done? Might help your sale. The engines are very durable but 250,130 is a lot.

Seems like a lot of extra work to disassemble the half-shafts just to powdercoat them. The rubber boots and nylon bearing spacers might not handle the heat for a normal powdercoat material. "Suspension" covers a lot of parts. Coating choice really depends on why you're coating them, for rustproofing or looks or durability.

I'm pretty sure that I got a 1985 300ZX 5 speed for $20 because the PO couldn't get the drain plug out. I used the gears and back half as a 71C with a ZX 5 speed front/bellhousing swap, then tried to get the plug out of the left over front case using all kinds of crazy techniques; torch, solvents, breaker bars, etc. Ended up drilling a hole in it just to show it that I could use it if I really wanted to. It's available if somebody needs a 1985 300ZX front case/bellhousing.

Might also be possible that the shop that did your head enlarged some of the spray holes, screwing up the pressure distribution. One more thought...

Still thinking low flow out of the spray bar. Maybe a tube is coming loose and leaking, depriving some of the 12 holes of its oil? I'm not sure you would test besides maybe submerging in something like gasoline then holding it so that all 12 holes drain equally. Break it down in to sub-systems - oil pump, oil passages, head passage, cam towers, spray bar, etc. Even check that the the spray bar holes point and will spray/drip the correct way, on to the lobes. Just because fluid comes out doesn't mean it's getting where it needs to go. Somebody could have rebrazed your bar after it fell apart and got the holes pointed weird.

Seems reasonable. Or maybe they swelled after installation, after the machine work. Should be easy to see by eye. We need that picture. How many miles on the "new" head?

They don't look good. If you had lash set too tight what would happen is that the base circle would get shiny from the rubbing of the rocker arm (the base circle is where the gap or lash is and normally only feels the light pressure of the anti-rattle spring), and you would burn the valves that are set too tight because they wouldn't close completely and would over heat. As I understand things. It does look like you just have low volume of oil passing over the lobes, causing overheating. Lucky that you stopped quickly, the cam looks saveable. I might check the oil pump. The way the system is set up the head gets low flow, controlled via a small orifice in a plug in the head's oil passage, and most of the oil is routed to the crankshaft, where the forces are much higher. That's my guess - oil pump going bad. Or the orifice in the block itself is clogged. Actually, I'm going to change my guess to sludge in the spray bar. The spray bar is a piece of cake to remove. Maybe you already took it off. Just noticed that you blew air back in to the cam towers. Anyway, jumping to "remove head" seems premature.

Could be that you just need more RPM to get the oil volume up. Higher oil viscosity will result in lower volume (edit - actually that's a general statement. The pump likes high viscosity if it has loose clearances. There's probably an optimum viscosity for max flow). Start the engine with the valve cover off and see what happens. But a clogged oil restrictor in the block could cut flow also. The later FSM Lubrication chapters have great pictures and descriptions for the oil spray bar system. Try 1976 EL-2.

Is kijiji a Canadian word? Don't y'all have craigslist up there? Spring and summer are a good time to be looking. People clean out their garage and realize that it's time to keep that space open.

Do you have more information on the engine? There are so many different varieties of Chevy 350 out there. A picture of the engine might be nice also. Brakes are for slowing mass from speed, not really much to do with the power to get to that speed. Bad brakes are just bad brakes no matter what engine.