Zed Head

Remove the distributor from the engine and do the same thing with the coil main wire, but spin the distributor instead, with the key on. If the distributor and module are working you should get the same weak spark.

The part that many people seem to have the most difficulty with on these cars is the need to do lots of measuring and adjusting or fixing if the measurements are wrong. At least you have a meter and are using it. You just need to go deeper. You didn't mention pickup coil resistance or the air gap setting. The electronic module won't work right if it doesn't get the correct signal from the pickup coil. Your coil and wires seem fine, it's the triggering system that's not working.

Your wiring seems right. " 12v at the + and 12v at the - " is correct, the voltage is the same because the ignition module is not grounding the coil circuit. You didn't give any information about the distributor. You might have a bad module or a broken stator magnet. Pretty common with the old ZX distributors. Read the swap and rebuild ZX distributor links here - http://atlanticz.ca/zclub/techtips/electrical.htm

Forgot to say, those carbs are probably full of old fuel. Take a sniff. Your next move kind of depends on if you like to do things in small steps or one large one. I like to mess around so I'd start it to see how bad things are. But you can waste a lot of time messing around that way.

You have one of those PO puzzles. Each finding raises more questions. Why did the core plugs have holes in them? Was he planning to remove them? Why? Maybe it had an overheating problem? If it overheated, is the head warped? Is a warped head the real reason he decided to swap to a V8? Etc.... RossiZ highly recommends purgng the coolant channels. He did his and was shocked at how much crud came out. The water pump is probably fine since it's in a moving fluid zone. The crud drops out in the dead spots. If it was mine, and things aligned, I'd start it and run it for a few seconds to see how it sounds. I don't think enough heat will be generated to damage things. But that's me, others might recommend against. You're on the edge of just tearing things way down to check them out. Water pump, valve cover (timing chain and cam shaft), cylinder head (gasket and warpage), oil pan...

This one works well, with an extra board lengthwise for reinforcement - http://www.harborfreight.com/material-handling/dollies/movers-dolly-39757.html Not positive on plug size. Your local Nissan dealer might have them also. http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/search/Freeze+Plug/02267/C0367.oap?year=1974&make=Nissan&model=260Z&vi=5142642 Here's the head plug. Nissan uses the very proper term of "welch plug" - http://www.carpartsmanual.com/datsun/Z-1969-1978/engine-240z-260z/cylinder-head http://www.courtesyparts.com/?p=catalog&mode=search&search_in=all&search_str=11021-E3000 #9 here is the block plugs - http://www.carpartsmanual.com/datsun/Z-1969-1978/engine-240z-260z/cylinder-block-fitting http://www.courtesyparts.com/?year=&make=&model=&search_str=01648-00084&p=catalog&mode=search&scat=&search_in=all

You can run down and get core plugs at the OReilly or Autozone. Sorry ZStore. Get a cart from Harbor Freight, bolt up a transmission and starter, and you can get an idea of what shape the engine is in. Looks like it was in running shape when removed. People often remove perfectly good engines when they get V8 fever.

If it's still assembled you could clean it up and start it. Put it on a cart, crank it up and see what happens. Are the core plugs rusted or removed? Is there a head? If there's no head, is the timing chain held in place with a wedge? The short blocks are known to be very durable and last hundreds of thousands of miles. The heads tend to wear or get warped from overheating before the short block has problems.

That part is a capacitor, AKA condenser. The one wire units ground through the case and mount, the two wire units have a separate ground wire, as yours does. But they both do the same thing. If the engine starts that's not likely to be your problem. If it was shorted, you'd know it because it would short whatever it's connected to. I wouldn't worry about unless you've measured continuity and know that it's shorted. If the car sat for ten years, you'll need to give many many more details on what's been done to it before you tried to start it. The gas tanks on these cars aren't well sealed and tend to get rusty after just a few years, let alone ten. The fuel pumps get rusty, the injectors get clogged, the filter could be full of water. Who knows. But since it does start and run for a short while, describe what happens as it dies. Does it just shut off quickly, or does it slowly lose idle speed and die? Will it restart immediately or do you have to wait? If ti won't restart, does it not have spark or not have fuel? The more detail the better. You can't just replace parts one at a time on these cars, you need to do lots of testing. Check the forum's Download section and get the 1978 Service Manual and the 1980 Fuel Injection Guide.

Hope you haven't left yet. Forgot to say that the guy at the counter could't find it, but I think that he might have been faking computer literacy. He couldn't find any cars earlier than 1978 either, but there were about 10 out there. It's on Row 30. White.

Good luck, They seemed to be having a 50% off sale. I saw a bunch of flyers but didn't read the dates. Just collecting or looking for particular parts?

I mentioned this in the novel I wrote in Post 24: the coating has what's called a crosslinking agent in it. The solvents (MEK, acetone, etc.) that carried it in to the tank will be gone pretty quickly but the chemistry might take a little bit longer. I'd keep it somewhere warm so that the crosslinking chemistry (curing) can complete and make the coating durable. Put it outside in the sun and let it bake. If it's well covered inside I wouldn't put another coat in, the strong solvents in the second coat might cause the first coat to swell and come loose from the tank metal. Then you'll have a big floppy balloon of Red-Kote in your tank.

Are you sure it's the pump? Your picture shows what looks like an electric pump on the fenderwell, feeding the mechanical pump. It's too high to get a proper prime. Electric pumps generally should be at or lower than the fuel level in the tank so that they don't have to pull the fuel. They're designed to push. You could probably just remount that pump lower if you find that it actually works. Your mechanical pump should also be enough to get you going. You have a lot of wrong there.

Went out to see if it had its gas cap. It did, doesn't now (figured out why my tank doesn't "whoosh"). Has some parts left, no engine or transmission (automatic), TC rods, steering gear, front and rear suspension (one drum left), glass, doors (no handles), R180, halfshafts. Bumpers and rear lights are bent up or gone.

A plating shop would probably just do a degrease then a plating dip. Electroplating is all about filling cracks and crevices for corrosion resistance, usually. You'd have to see the service description to know what they were offering.

I would take a look inside before buying a rebuild kit. Sounds more like a broken part, than something a rebuild kit will fix. Along the same thought direction as EuroD, 2nd and 3rd usually show the signs of wear. Not 4th, for sure. If it has high miles it probably needs a new clutch anyway, before you grind the rivets in to the flywheel.

The pump parts can get stuck after stopping. It's essentially a set of roller bearings in a cage. Some rust, wear, or debris can jam it, then a tap can break it free. A mechanical problem, not electrical.

Seeing that wire, and considering that it';s a 240Z, you'll want to check your points. Looks like a 240Z distributor. Best just get new wires, plugs, points, etc. Even better, check that distributor isn't shot (the breaker plate bearings) and decide whether or not to just swap up to something better. You're already off of original.

You used the synchros on different gears, not the ones they started on? Many say that the synchros and gear cone wear down together and you can't do that. But it seems like wear would be similar since they all start in the same tolerance zone. Aren't 3 and 4 on the same coupling sleeve and shift fork? Might be part of the problem. Just to simplify - is the clutch being replaced because of the 3-4 grinding problem or because it has problems anyway? A relevant anecdotal aside- you can shift a good transmission without the clutch once you get moving. I drove my old GTO all night that way back when it was too early to go home (high school weekend) and my clutch linkage broke in the early evening. Started it in first gear, then just matched RPM to keep going. Timed the traffic lights, etc. No racing that night though.

486!

Search EuroDat's work. He has many posts and at least one good thread on rebuilding. Maybe even some download material. The 5 speed references are good for you too, they're the same transmission, just with an extra gear. Word is that the aftermarket synchros are sketchy. You need to decide hwo much "rebuild"ing you want to do. Bearings, bushings, seals, synchros. How do you know it needs a rebuild? Many of us have solved synchro problems with better fluid.

Looks like your firing order might be off. I can only verify one wire from your picture and it looks wrong. What should be 2 is 4. Here's a couple of good references. http://www.classiczcars.com/topic/15211-firing-order-at-head-did-search/ http://www.classiczcars.com/topic/28399-firing-order-with-photos/

How's the old fuel smell? Some of the newer fuel systems are pretty well sealed. The tank might not be in bad shape. If it has that sweet smell, you'd probably want the external tank and pump for the short trip. Don't forget the return line. Your pump will suck a 2.5 gallon can dry pretty quickly. On the other hand, you could remove one of the outlet lines and see what comes out. If it's not wet and rusty, just draining and replacing what's in there might let you use the stock tank and pump. Zip tie all of the loose lines and wires, and seal everything up well. You won't have time to jump out and extinguish a fire if the pump is running full bore. I get nervous just running my setup to test injectors or when I had an engine running in the garage. OR. Just get a friend to tow it the old-fashioned way. A rope and a tire. 1/4 mile is nothing.

Just a note - the socket and hammer are done with the valve head free, no compressor. That breaks the retainer free from the keepers. Then the spring compressor should easily press the retainer down so that you can remove the keepers. Your writing implies that you're combining the steps. Maybe causing binding. As I understand the various tips and tricks.

Yes on the hammer drill. It's all about high inertia, low amplitude. There are also hammer drivers, for driving screws in to wood. The impact keeps the heads from stripping and pushes the screw in while turning. They come with adapters for sockets. I have a hammer drill, for concrete drilling, so if it was my problem I'd rig up a socket drive on the end and give it some spins. I've not read of retainers being so stuck that head removal is necessary but would be surprised if it happens. 150,000 miles of heat cycles and vibration.