Zed Head

Sorry, thought it hadn't started since the last problem. So you have a sporadic problem. You can still tell coolant leaks from over-fueling and/or oil by examining the plugs. Several to many people over the years have described a random problem with their ECU where it will start adding way too much fuel, running very rich. Then they tap or beat on the ECU or wiggle the wires to the connector and the problem fixes itself. But, I guess the real problem here is finding someone to do these tests for you. Aren't there some kids in the neighborhood that need something to fill their time, and have internet access?

People get screwed up on smoke "color" often. If you haven't seen most of the possible colors and known what causes them you can be mislead. Better to use other clues, like smell. Coolant leaks smell sweet if you're running antifreeze. Too much fuel smells gassy, of course. Oil leaks smell like oil, again, of course. If the engine dies and won't restart, checking the plugs is a good idea. A coolant leak will look different than over-fueling. And, typically, a coolant leak due to a head gasket will only affect one or two cylinders. Usually the engine will start but it will run poorly. So blown head gasket seems like stretch. The fact that yours won't start at all leads more to the fueling/flooding problem. Which is common when the ECU goes bad. Checking the plugs will tell a lot though. I wouldn't give up on it yet. Pull all six spark plugs and examine.

I shortened your story to the most basic stuff. You never said if it ran well before it was stored or even if it was you that stored it. It sat for at least a year, did you drain the fuel or add new fuel? Could be just bad gas. You haven't mentioned the most basic thing, checking for spark at a plug wire. But you did say that it tried to start with fluid, which is a sign that there is spark. But you're not using the starter fluid correctly, it needs to be sprayed in to the manifold, either right before or during cranking. You also haven't confirmed that the firing order is correct. Rough running after working on the plugs and wires is often caused by installing the wires incorrectly. I don't want to short-circuit (pun) everyone's suggestions but it seems to me that confirming firing order, and using the starting fluid correctly while cranking the engine would tell you quite a bit. And/or checking for spark at a plug wire. You're about to dig deep in to an engine that, apparently, was running okay recently. Might be getting ahead of yourself.

I was one that said I had removed my CSV, and the engine does start okay, but is slow on days when the engine bay is cold. Pretty sure it's all about vaporization. If the morning is foggy and it's cold out, the best starting routine is to crank it for a few revolutions, let it sit for about 10 seconds, then start it. Otherwise I do get extended cranking time. On a cold morning, but with sun on the hood of the car, it will start right up. The only decent explanation, to me, is cold metal hindering fuel vaporization. I also mentioned holding the throttle open while cranking as a way to get it to start faster, hence the discussion about clear-flood mode. "Vapor lock" doesn't happen on the EFI cars, they're high pressure systems. Plus the fact that vapor lock is a heat problem, and yous is a cold one. I can understand wanting a quick start like a modern car. Just not sure it's easy to get to. Note also, that the fuel manufacturers change the formulation in the winter time for faster vaporization. This may be applying in your case. New fuel blends start flowing in September, apparently. About time for more "hot start problem" posts. Here's some articles. It's a fun topic. Couldn't find any Iowa specific pages. http://newsroom.aaa.com/2013/06/what-is-the-difference-between-summer-and-winter-blend-gasoline/ https://blog.gasbuddy.com/posts/U-S-moves-back-to-winter-gasoline/1715-584804-2663.aspx http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2015/09/gas_prices_to_be_pushed_lower.html

To the post #1 point - I think that Nissan had the in-flow hose passing through the water-coks, then the heater core, then out to the pump inlet. Yours looks like it might be straight to the core then exiting through the coks to the pump inlet. Have to see what's in the cabin to know for sure. Maybe yours is that way just for convenience or confusion. All it's done though is reverse the flow path through the cabin heating system. The whole system gets pressurized so it doesn't matter much. Probably bothers the engineers out there though.

Wasn't sure which are you were working on. Maybe you got a 280Z mount. The parts manual shows two numbers, before and after 8/73. Regardless, shaving some rubber won't hurt anything. Just more work. http://www.carpartsmanual.com/datsuns30/DatsunZIndex/Engine240Z260Z/EngineMounting/ManualFromCHLS30-46001,RLS30,GRLS30/tabid/1595/Default.aspx http://www.carpartsmanual.com/datsuns30/DatsunZIndex/Engine280Z/EngineMounting/tabid/1629/Default.aspx Sorry about your hair...

#9 #9 #9 #9.... Edit - added a better picture.

Where's the u-shaped piece that keeps the engine from moving forward and backward?

I had the same problem a while ago. If I remember right, I left the mounting bolts loose so the mount could "rooster" a little bit and allow the various bolts and studs and holes to align. Once the engine weight was on them the rest was easy. Edit - actually, I think that I had to use an awl to shift the mount over to get the bolts through the holes after the stud was in the hole. They didn't drop in to place. I think I did the same with my transmission mount.

Done. Dude.

Done.

Done.

Did you bleed the system after you installed the new parts? You have to get the air out. Also, tell a little bit about the car. Was it working fine, then stopped? Did you take it apart for some other reason, like a new clutch? Has it been sitting for 20 years and you're just trying to get it running? Did you just do a transmission swap? Each of these can have a different solution. Need details.

You have to pick one - righteous indignation, or, you see my point. You should thank me for clarifying your situation. There are strange people out there on the internet, trying to find out where people live so that they can express their opinions in person. You might be one of those. You're just a stranger on this forum. Probably easier to find the guy than the car. The government keeps track of people much better than it keeps track of cars. Have you tried the place you worked? Didn't you know other people there? Facebook? Still, considering that you don't know why the guy disappeared, and because we don't know you, and you might be angry and looking for retribution, we might be leading an irrational person to somebody who was just trying to help a friend. Your first paragraph above makes me nervous. That's my point.

What are the lost title laws in Ohio? Could be that he just moved, lost track of you, and had it retitled. Still lots of weirdness here. Who loses a car?

Thirteen years ago (that's a long time) you left a car with someone you didn't really know. He was the only person you knew in Mishawaka? You didn't know any of his family or other friends or have a place you hung out where people knew him? You were both unknown to the community, invisible? Weird story. I'd worry about sending you towards anyone out here with a 78 Z. You might both be ex-cons. Maybe you left to serve time.

Forgot to say - be courteous if you send a message. Business is business but maybe they can roll things back a little bit.

If Courtesy decided to remove even the weak references to the older cars from their site it's probably just a matter of time until they remove all support from the company. Search "280ZX" on their new site and it's not even recognized. Send Courtesy an email. If you've been brand loyal to Nissan, make that point. Tell them that you want full-service not just easy money service. Since they're in the middle of change it might not be too late to get better service instead of worse. customerservice@courtesyparts.com Where's Mike? Is Courtesy a sponsor?

That makes sense. In sum, the essence of my question is "what's the difference between a head that's bent down to flatness using head bolts and a head that's milled to a flat surface". The answer I get is "not much". Especially when you look at how each cylinder has its own fire ring. Full disclosure - I work in R&D, where questioning the status quo is how you justify your job. Of course, better and cheaper is the end goal. Part of cheaper is no wasted effort though. I could be missing something. Open to criticism/discussion. Edited for too many "thoughs".

I may try the test. I ran in to one problem with a head bolt though, it wouldn't thread correctly (the one opposite it was fine). I had already reinstalled the sprocket and chain so didn't want to take it off again. But winter is coming and I will get bored so it will probably happen. I have the starting numbers so why not. I'm not sure that aluminum sitting in its elastic region on the stress-strain curve will relax to flat with no heat-cycling though. It would be odd if it did.

That's the interesting part of the whole question. When the head was bolted on at the factory everything was flat and in-spec. and turned freely, unbent. But when the head is unbolted from the engine, that's when it will warp, due to internal stresses. It certainly wasn't warped sitting on top of the engine, unless the deck was warped also. Then it's planed/milled to flatness, but the cam tower surfaces are still warped. That's the factory way. The second way is to mill top and bottom, and remount the cam and towers. But then your valve guides and valves are slightly akimbo. Seems like to do it "right" you have to remachine every surface, including valve guides and seats. And it f you're not going to do it right, you might as well just bend it back to where it was when it left the factory, using calculated torque values. The whole milling/planing/flattening head thing has always bothered me. You always end up with something that's not quite right.

I'd go with an OEM style with compressible steel fire rings. Nothing fancy. You can spend some time looking at heads and head gaskets and how they work. They're really three gaskets combined in one assembly.

Good point on balancing torques, for even pressure, down the length of the head. Measuring the amount of torque required, with a torque wrench and working down to it, on the center bolts to get to "flat" could give a number to be added to the final torques. And turbo head bolts to allow the increase without overstretching a bolt. Some day I'll probably try it. The main reason I put much effort in to looking at it was because the engine ran fine, and the head gasket showed no signs of leakage, at the cylinders, or at the various fluid passages. Logic says it worked before, why mess with it. I can see planing a blown head gasket head, to be sure you have good sealing surfaces, but this one would seem a waste.

Back when I had stock ignition components I found that the ECU would not fire the injectors if the resistor on the tachometer line was not in place. So the ECU is sensitive to the quality of what is coming through on the blue wire from the coil negative. I wonder if there's a combination of coil and Unilite that would work. It seems like I've seen people with 280Z EFI use the Unilite. I'll have to do some Googling. Maybe it's stock coil + Unilite + EFI that doesn't work.

That's interesting from MSA, but the explanation doesn't quite fit. The ECU doesn't see the distributor trigger mechanism, just the make and break of the coil current, on the negative post. They're different sides of the ignition module. So the problem would be more about the ignition module side of the Unilite. Maybe it doesn't cut it cleanly, so the ECU doesn't get a good sharp signal. Interesting issue. I wonder if a GM HEI module in between could "translate" the Unilite weirdness. Use the Unilite to run a GM HEI module, just like using the ECCS to do the same.