Zed Head

Does the engine run? Does the alternator charge? Or are you just examining your non-running new project? There should be two wires, but some of the aftermarket alternators use one. Maybe yours is not stock.

I don't think that 1979 used the shifter with the spring-loaded bushing, did ti? The FSM shows the older style, not the ZX style. 1979 is a transition year for many parts, it's half Z/half ZX. The transmission itself is the same as the 1978 version. Edit - question answered, above...

You might consider leaving the rubber boots and leather off when you put it back together so that you can see the shifter action. Maybe the trim pieces are getting stuck in the gaps. It's the stuff you don't think about that isn't obvious until you think about it. Did the transmission shop mention anything specific? Did they check the roll pins in the shift forks, and the bearings in the adapter plate? A really good shop would have a check list to show what they inspected, and even a separate list specific to a problem, like shifting. Just saying, "we didn't find anything" doesn't mean they looked in the right places. Sometimes the good shops have been good for so long that they think they're infallible.

Won't Zedy have the shifter hole problem? Need to make it bigger or bend the rod. Minor mod but still something to plan for. The late 1980 ZX had the close ratio also, but with a .773 5th instead of .745. Broadens the range 1/2 year. About the same but a few RPM difference on the highway. The wides have a .864 5th.

I love what Blue did on that site, site, but, big-picture-wise he's just a guy guessing like us. Just looking for some definitive documentation. Fun to talk about too.

Those are aftermarket and don't seem to have a front or back. Does make things easier though. Or are you just messing with us?

Anybody know for sure what the proper orientation of the rubber TC rod bushings is? Is it inspected at the car shows? Has anybody ever been dinged for backward bushings? Relevant thread happening now -

I wonder if the concours guys know. Seems like they should. Maybe it's been overlooked over the years and awards will need to be returned for improper bushing orientation.

My inner troublemaker can't resist posting this picture. I remember having this conversation before and can't remember where it ended up. I could go look at my car to see how I did mine, since I have also looked at old crusty apparently factory-installed bushings and made a determination. The rubber in the drawing also doesn't have the rounded look of the replacement bushings. I really don't know what's right or wrong, and the driver probably can't tell anyway, I'd think. I think the groove is there to allow the bushing to flex without side-loading the rod end, and it comes in to play either way. I'll just leave the picture from FA chapter, to ponder.

Not uncommon for the old EFI systems to run lean. A "few miles" implies that it's the first time you let the engine get fully warmed up. The mixture gets leaner as things get warmer. You might be disappointed if you drop the tank and don't find much rust. Easier ways to diagnose a problem. Just saying. The FPR is the most common cause of pressure leak-down. It's just a flat steel tube end sitting on a flat piece of steel. Any small particles or rust pits allow leak-down. I can't recall anyone actually finding a leaking CSV. It's a mystery part that takes a lot of blame, but rarely causes a real problem. The simple test for fuel system leakage is to remove the small wire from the starter solenoid and turn the key to Start. That will power the pump. No need to block the hole in the manifold, just pop the CSV out enough to see the squirting end, and run the pump.

The end of one of mine broke off (PU on both sides) and I lost the washers and the nut. Heard them hit the pavement as I was driving but I was on a bumpy city street and thought I had just run over something. Steering was loose all the way home, about 4 miles, while I pondered what that metallic clank really had been. I found a scrape mark on the front of my wheel well from where the tire had moved up and hit it after I bumped the curb when parallel parking, that gave it the coupe de grace.

The eBay link is the early two part assembly. Not positive but I think that Nissan might have went to the one piece part that covers the injector body to combat the "heat soak" problem. Or they were just cheaper to make, although they could have left them open with a one-piece design too. Something to consider. A Rebello might not be using stock injectors anyway. If you're using an aluminum fuel rail with o-ring injectors you don't need the hold-downs. The rail locates and clamps the injectors.

Check Pin 1 for connection to the coil's negative terminal. That's what the ECU monitors to know when to open the injectors. Might be worthwhile to go through the tests in the EFI book. Your fluctuations could just be the coil changing the voltage drop when it sparks.

I've thought that a person might be able to make a simple comparative manometer using a shop vac and clear hose in a u-shape. Fill the hose with water and set up a Bernoulli type system to pull the water up. Make marks and you can compare each set of ports and runners. No numbers just seeing if they pull the same. A good vacuum gauge might be precise enough to get some good readings also. Or a pressure gauge on the inlet side of a blower, instead of a shop vac. Won't show flow but would allow one to one comparisons.

There's a ton on the internet. But many of these old engines have been worked on and made to run with the distributor off a tooth or two. The best thing to do is to set the timing mark on the damper pulley to zero, on the compression stroke of cylinder #1, then set plug wire #1 in the cap to wherever the rotor under the distributor cap is pointed. Then plug in the rest of the wires in a counterclockwise direction,in the order I showed. People have wasted hours and days of time setting their wires the way the factory did, only to find that their distributor wasn't the way it was when it left the factory. If you want specific help post some pictures after you set the timing mark to zero.

153624 CCW

Are you going to measure flow when you're done? At least to balance the six, maybe not actual CFM numbers. A mismatch in flow could make tuning difficult since the ECU (CU?) assumes equal flow.

The ECCS came around in 1981 with the Turbo 280ZX's. They did call it E.C.C.S. and it stands for what you're showing. But Nissan called the 280Z EFI control systems just "E.F.I" and actually just called the control unit the "control unit". You can see a good comparison in the 1982 or '83 FSM's. I think people just added "electronic" to control unit because ECU is commonly what they're called for most brands. And Nissan still calls the box a control unit, for the ECCS. Anyway, the first few pages of the FSM's are like school books. There's a member here, cgsheen, who recommends the later 90's era ECCS if you're going to go to Nistune. It's more advanced than the 80's 300ZX systems, but not too complex like the 00's and 10's systems. The key is modifying a distributor to use the CAS wheel. The real answer to the OP's first question is probably "keep the Miata". The old EFI systems aren't known for dependability, after all these years. There will be downtime.

Not clear if you're replying to me or the OP. We both have 280Z's. Shims are the key on the Z. I accidentally threw them away on mu Pathfinder though and haven't had a problem, over a couple of new pad sets and about 200,000 miles, on the original rotors (the whole car is now a longevity experiment). Must come from the design.

But you're hoping it's the pan gasket. So, the connecting rod was #1? If #1 was at TDC it would be up and out of the way, right? Just collecting those puzzle pieces for when I have to do the same.

It's almost impossible to get the Z's disc brakes to be squeal free without the shims. They sit behind the pads. Many pad manufacturers claim to have their own shims but the Nissan shims work best. Looks like they might be hard to find though. MSA says NLA. Seems like a simple shape that some enterprising Z parts business person could have laser or water-jet cut for a reasonable cost. A handy person could probably cut their own using hand tools (of course). http://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/PROD/24-5451 Part #15 - http://www.carpartsmanual.com/datsun/Z-1969-1978/brake/front-brake

The dash pot might need adjustment. It has what looks like a game piece or vacuum fitting on the top. Screw it in toward the throttle linkage to slow down the action. When my engine was running rich I found that the idle speed would drop lower when the the pedal was lifted. Sounds more like a minor tuning problem than a loss of coil power. You can use the dashpot adjustment to bandaid it while you fine-tune the rest. Also, advancing the timing caused my idle sped to drop more on throttle lift. Lots of little things can add up. Good that you're in to the small details now though. Check the roll pins in the shift fork if you get it that far apart. Also the wear pads on the shift fork. And the coupling sleeve. And the bearing, and the nut on the end of the shaft. Check the drain plug magnet for metal "clues" and the fluid for plastic or brass clues.

Can you smell the extra fuel? What are your mileage numbers? Just looking for something concrete to work with.

This looks more like you've just noticed something that has always been happening. Your tail pipe is probably in a different position and the new position allows the residue to deposit. It's not looking like something that happened during the installation. Cars without catalytic converters have dirtier exhaust fumes than those with. These cars will spit black water when they're cold.

I thought the guy handling the R200 application only did group buys over on Hybridz. Is Mfactory selling them independently now? Easier for everyone. http://forums.hybridz.org/topic/121007-mfactory-r200-lsd/page-4 http://www.teammfactory.com/