Zed Head

Did you wash the engine or get water on it? This is typical of a wet TVS (throttle valve switch). Also, you should describe what the car does now. It's hard to tell if it has all of the problems you described or if some of the old ones are gone and it has new ones. And add amounts of time, like "it drove fine for a week", or only an hour. You said when you bought it ran fine, then it had a problem, then you kept driving it. But for how long did you keep driving it? Minutes or days? If this is the current state - ".i literally couldn't give it any gas, but it would idle. When i would try to gas it, revs would drop low and almost die." - it might be that your AFM (that's what we call it, not a MAF) is disconnected or stuck. Is the cover still on it? At least it's running, It shouldn't be too hard to get it tuned up, but make sure that you take notes about everything that you change. Don't adjust your AFM, don't twist the distributor without a timing light. People often get lost after making random changes and have a hard time fixing the problems they create.

Here's a green one from eBay. YEC brand though, like site's. Might be another OEM. Just for looking at. http://www.ebay.ca/itm/NISSAN-240Z-1970-1971-1972-1973-DISTRIBUTOR-CAP-ROTOR-MADE-IN-JAPAN-/311024342440?hash=item486a7ed5a8

That's a lot of "Today" posts. Nice to know that there are still some good machinists out there. I notice that those 280Z valves look different from the 240Z valves, in shape. What brand are they? Are you going to measure combustion chamber volume? Looks like it might be smaller than before. Probably good to know.

This stuff looks interesting. Not sure why they split the parts up like they do unless it's to avoid sticker shock. If I added right it comes to $545 for the complete front and rear set. Click on Chassis. Goofy web site. https://technotoytuning.com/nissan/240z

Look at #8 here - http://forums.hybridz.org/topic/91330-240z-chassis-prep-reinforcements/ More good stuff in the thread. Seems like you could buy a one piece bar for the work already done on the strut mount area, and add the two bars to the firewall yourself. Customize a production bar. The firewall bars are fairly direct to design. Simple gussets to make it strong at the junctions.

Is there really a question? Either the price you paid is for the rear bar only, or you take the rear bar off and get the refund. At least they offer a refund. Apparently TEP either has a tweaked jig, or car that they use as a jig, and has for many years, or they made a load of bad product and have been trying to get rid of it for years. http://www.zcar.com/forum/10-70-83-tech-discussion-forum/123392-top-end-performance-strut-brace-not-fitting-pics.html http://www.racetep.com/zfront.html

A methodical approach is the key. As said, these same problems were described weeks, maybe even months ago. But the solutions suggested weren't addressed, random work has been done, mechanics who don't seem to know what they're talking about are consulted, and the whole cycle is repeated. Obviously, it's difficult to get good work done down there, but that's why it's even more important to keep track of what's done, and why. And the descriptions of the problem are very important. Clutch chatter and engine shaking due to misfire are two completely different problems.

This is just an aside but it might be relevant to your quest. The greenish-gray color might be indicative of an early resin formulation, compared to a modern one (black). Today's caps are probably made from a different resin due to typical cost-saving material changes over time. So the cap you buy today might have the same part number, but be of a "non-original" material. So, if you're trying to determine if the cap is "period-correct" you might do a little more research on the materials used over time, and then test a shaving of yours to see what it is. Unfortunately, the quickest test would be to have someone who knows the smell take a whiff of the vapors from burning a shaving from the cap. Sounds bad, but it's an old test and easy if you know the smells. You could also buy a cap from the dealer and compare them. If you get a gray-green one with aluminum electrodes and the same part numbers, then it's "just" a cap.

Are you asking if 4659-2700 = 22612-E3001? Or of the cap is from a 240Z factory car? You can still buy 22612-E3001 from Courtesy Nissan for $26. http://www.courtesyparts.com/cap-dist-p-277372.html Since Hitachi is an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) for Nissan, I think by literal definition, that is an OEM cap. Literally.

This is not a sign of a bad pump.

I'm in the water-in-gas crowd. If you're seeing water in the filter, then there's water in the tank. You need to drain all of your fuel, flush the lines, dry the tank out, replace the filter, refill, then add HEET or some other drying agent to disperse the remainder of the water. HEET is not going to fix that much water, if you're seeing it in the filter. Plus, the water will soak the paper of the filter, and it will swell and cause a flow restriction. But, are you sure you're seeing water? The filter can get an air bubble and still function just fine.

I've seen a few threads about detonation and those small marks that look someone used gravel as shot to clean the pistons are typical of the marks detonation leaves, apparently. Detonation can break rings so you'd want to pull the pistons at least. Not a throw it together and go short block, I'd guess. The big gouges look like foreign object damage. I've also seen in a small block chevy motor that hydrolocked, that when the connecting rod bends sometimes it twists. A piston was twisted in the bore. You might put a straight edge across the top and see if all of the piston notches line up. Looks like it has some good parts though. A 3 pulley damper, new water pump, good front cover. Might be worth parts alone.

Body Electrical has a wiring diagram that will show you how the tach works. The coil can't get power unless somebody wired around the tach, The chapter also describes how to remove the tach, No need to tear apart anything. The tachs do go bad. http://www.nicoclub.com/FSM/240z/

The 260Z came stock with electronic ignition from the factory. It was the first year of electronic. It's probably the stock ignition system. The wiring schematic and diagrams are in the nicoclub and xenons30 link provided before. Engine Electrical chapter, for one.

There's a break-in recommendation in the Owner's Manual. Looks like 1000 or 2000 miles is a common number. But those procedures were written when all oils had ZDDP, and may not even be concerned with cam lobe wear-in. So you're kind of in uncharted territory. Pretty sure I've seen higher numbers recommended, out there on the interweb, specific to the ZDDP problem, for new cams and rocker/lifters. Modern engine procedures won't work since they all have roller rockers or lifters.

He has a ZX P79 head. Somebody ran the pigtail to connect it to the coolant temp sensor circuit but didn't finish the job. Compare the image below to post 38. If he finds a meter and uses it right it should be an easy job to find the bullet connectors to the coolant temp circuit then run some wire to the CHTS. Can't get much simpler. On the engine - there should be some letters and numbers molded in to the block beside the driver's (left) side motor mount. Either N42 or F54. 1978 stock is N42, 80-83 ZX is F54. They're both good engines. http://www.xenons30.com/Engine.html

This -

Here's a picture I took long ago of my 76 wires. Your 78 should be very similar. Look for wires with bullet connectors.

You have all of the puzzle pieces now. Your stock engine had, and may still have, a coolant temp sensor right next to the water temp sender (for the gauge), in Post #39. The wires to the sensor would run right next to the wire to the sender. The sensor might still be there and it might still be connected. If not, you need to find the wires and extend them all the way over to the two white wires connected to the cylinder head temperature sensor (CHTS) in Post #39. They do the same thing. That is not the stock head that came with a 1978 car. Look at the numbers on the head up by the #1 spark plug. It's probably a P79.

Your coolant sensor is on the front of the engine close to the distributor, for 1978. The wires to it come from the same harness that injector wires do. ZX engines use a CHTS that looks just like it, but it's mounted on the back right side of the engine close to the battery. It's pretty common to find a ZX engine in a Z.

The wire to your sensor should be in the red circle in my picture. That was my point. Not where your picture showed. Think it through.

You're looking in the wrong spot, and maybe at the wrong sensor if you're over there. Or you have a ZX engine with a CHTS. Added a picture that shows where 78 wiring would be. Here's some links to various helpful sources - Guides, use the 1980 one - http://www.xenons130.com/reference.html FSM, read Engine Electrical and Engine Fuel - http://www.nicoclub.com/FSM/280z/

If you're on a budget, a wrecking yard Ford F150 pump might be an option. They're factory issue Bosch pumps. They have the long cylinder form though, like the Airtex. Late 80's / early 90's BMW's use them also. Many of the EFI sysems I've dinked with in the yards are still pressurized with fresh fuel, even though they drain the tanks. I'd rank quality as new Bosch > used Bosch > parts store Airtex. I wouldn't buy a new Airtex today although the one I have is still going strong, after about 5 years and maybe 50,000 miles.

Bummer! Hope it doesn't last for you, it gets old real fast. I made some injector insulators from old cellulose sponges (so they wouldn't melt, and because they're low heat conductors when dry) and the problem went 98% away. I understood when Nissan went to those plastic one piece injector mounts over the cool looking two piece mounts after seeing that. Might also explain some of the differences people see in addition to fuel. Later, and recently, I filled up with premium fuel over the usual 89 octane I get. So I'm back to no problems even though we've had some high 80's days here. I think that I might have been filling from the same big tank of 89 at my usual station and it was a funky winter blend. I'm sure that 89 doesn't turn over as fast as 87 and 90. Anyway, try some insulation around the injector bodies and see what happens. I had also placed some Mylar film between the injectors and valve cover just to buy a degree or two of radiant heat deflection, and found that the hole in the center of the manifold between three and four gets very hot. Enough to cause the bubble film to deform there. Your 78 probably has the webbed manifold with the little screwed-on sheet metal cover, but that's the hot spot I think.

Nice pictures. I wouldn't be surprised though if he had an aftermarket pump. Have to crawl under and see. Running the pump backward might break it free if it's jammed. Not sure if the stock pump does this, but the aftermarket pumps run fuel right over the electric motor. So moisture and crud can screw that up also. A new aftermarket pump is about $100 at the parts stores. Looks like other places are having sales though. The Airtex E8312 is a common one. http://www.amazon.com/Airtex-E8312-Electric-Fuel-Pump/dp/B000DT7Y7K