Zed Head

I would check for power to the E12-80 module, check the ground from the distributor body to the block/negative post, and open up the distributor and make sure the stator magnet hasn't broken. If you have power where it should be, and ground, and the modules are good, then the main thing left is the signal from the VR coil. I haven't been in to a ZX distributor so don't know exactly how the six pointed wheel generates the pulse, but the module won't trigger unless it gets the voltage pulse from the magnetic coil. There is probably a test for the it in one of the ZX FSMs, Electrical section. I've seen several broken magnets on ZX distributors in the wrecking yards. Typically, there is also play in the rotor, allowing it to touch one of the "points", probably shocking the magnet assemblyand breaking it (my WA guess). Here is a link to a picture of what I'm talking about - http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/search/Ignition+Pickup!s!Stator/C0417/C0334.oap?year=1982&make=Nissan&model=280ZX&vi=1209350&keyword=ignition+pickup!s!stator If it doesn't work, just search ignition pickup stator on one of the auto parts store sites, for a 1982 280Zx.

The adjustments are to the clutch linkage. After it's adjusted correctly, the hydraulics are self-adjusting at the master cylinder and will take up disc wear, which is a tiny distance anyway.

You bought it from gentle old Mrs Chin in 1999, never drove it and now are selling it? How much did you pay for it in 1999? Tack on your expected investment gain and ask for that. Don't forget to share the proceeds with Mrs. Chin.

Isn't it likely that the scratches are from a broken ring or ring land? And how did the head crack? It might be warped also. It sounds like you're either planning ahead or trying to decide how much the whole thing is going to cost you. A replacement head, or welding and machining on the one you have to fix the crack, plus a new piston or two, and rings, and other rebuild parts could get expensive. Might be cheaper to find a used L28 without major problems and either rebuild it or just run it. They're out there. Just an alternative perspective.

Have you measured fuel pressure? The PO might have installed a low pressure system for the carbs. Check your TPS for the smoke, it might be mis-adjusted. Better yet, you should sit down at the ECU connector with an ohm-meter and the FSM, and check all of the circuits for proper resistance. That will tell you a lot about the state of your re-installation and whether all of the wires are still connected properly. It won't take that long and you'll know a lot more when you're done. The PO would not have needed to rewire the fuel pump circuit since 78 uses fuel pressure and alternator to check if the engine is running, but might have done it anyway. It's not supposed to run all the time when tyhe key is on, only when the engine is running.

The fins are great for transferring heat from hot to cold. In the engine bay, hot is the engine and cold is the fuel rail. The fins will result in hotter fuel not colder. Just something to think about.

What did you do with the original wire from that alternator post? It's still hot, the other end is just not connected to what it should be. If you've replaced it with the new wire, you might as well disconnect it before it shorts out.

I don't know the details of 1970 240Z wiring, but if you're reading 16 volts off of the alternator then it is working. I'm with EScanlon's last comment, the problem is with your regulator. You should change the regulator, not the alternator. If the wiring is stock, and it worked before, just leave the wiring alone and replace the regulator. The pictures in your first post are borrowed from a different post, right? That's not your wiring? Edit -totally missed all of the relevant facts in Post #3. Never mind.

I got new retainers with the one 76 wheel cylinder I bought a couple of years ago. Try the wrecking yards and the Craigslist parts cars. Most old wheel cylinders are shot anyway so someone would probably be glad to get a few dollars for a piece of scrap metal and old rubber. Try O'Reilly auto to see cross-compatibility. Pull up the part for 76 then click the Compatibility tab.

The clicking sound was probably a relay turning off as the oil pressure dropped when the engine RPM got too low. The "standard starter clicking" sounds a lot like the "standard dead battery". You should provide more information like - how far away is "just"? In other words, had you been driving it for weeks, days or hours before it died and won't restart? By won't turn over, you mean the engine does not rotate? (People get crank, turn over, start, etc. mixed up all the time). That would be a low battery, most likely, if it was running recently. Was the Charge light in the voltmeter on before it died? The first thing you might do is charge up the battery, make sure you have clean battery terminals, and see if it will turn over. It might start right up. Of course, make sure that you have gas in the tank also. It doesn't sound like a problem that needs a professional mechanic.

If it is a low pedal from too much travel on the rear shows, it might be fixed by setting and releasing the parking brake multiple times. Each pull ratchets the shoes a little wider, if it's working right. Worth a shot, if you don't want to take things apart again, plus it's a good test of the mechanism. And it will tell you how loose the back shoes are. If the shoes are loose, the lever will come way up. When they get close to proper tightness, it will only come up a couple of inches.

Interesting. I looked at the wring diagram in the Emissions section (EC-16) and it looks like the relay supplies power to the ignition module when the key is on. Maybe it's a dual function relay. I don't really understand Nissan's relay drawings though, it shows the ign. module circuit as closed and the EGR solenoid as open, but both are on the water temperature switch control circuit. Maybe it disables the advance circuit n the automatic transmission module when the engine gets hot, and they just forgot to describe it in the FSM. It looks redundant. Is there actually a wire there in a manual transmission model, or is it only shown in the FSM? Re your second paragraph - yes, that's what I meant. You can save a lot of money, but you lose the use of the second pickup coil.

Essentially, but you left out the dwell control function. I think that Nissan calls it "duty cycle". When they went to the computer controlled timing they also transferred dwell control to the computer. That's why you can replace the big bulky 260Z and 280Z Nissan ignition module with the small GM HEI module, which also does dwell control, as long as you don't need the pickup coil switching function. $25 instead of $300+ (for a 1976 module at O'Reilly Auto). The 75-77 (maybe the 74 260Z too) manual transmission cars also had a water temperature controlled second pickup coil in the distributor, usage controlled by the ignition module.

280 could include the 280ZX. They went to computer controlled timing with the 280ZXes that came with the Electronic Concentrated Engine Control System (ECCS ) (I think it was for turbos only but could be wrong) and the Crank Angle Sensor (CAS).

Good points about the master cylinder. Did the fluid level ever drop to the bottom of the reservoir during bleeding? That could have introduced a bubble in the master cylinder. You have to keep the fluid level off the bottom of the reservoir during the whole process, once you start. Also, apparently, the master cylinder seals can be damaged by the bleeding process if they run over crud at the bottom of the bore. But if they pump up, it's more likely air n the system. The brake light in the dash turns on because of the pressure imbalance between front and back. It's a warning light that something's wrong. Pumping the brakes balances the pressure. Good luck, brakes can be time-consuming to get right.

Are you sure the fronts are good? How can you tell that they're perfect if the pedal goes to the floor? Did you do any work on them while you were working on the backs? The rear brakes can be weak for a while until the shoes get seated in the drums. You might have weak back brakes because they're new, with air in the front calipers causing the pump-up problem.

There is one adjustment - the idle air screw. Maybe that's what you meant by screw? It will affect your CO and hydrocarbon readings. Turning it out leans the idle mixture. I've seen somewhere out there that five turns out from all the way in is a good starting point. It's supposed to set using a gas analyzer. Does it run rich all the time or are you just trying to pass emissions?

Doesn't one or both of the magnetic switches also release to atmosphere so that the vacuum can let go? When you turn the key off, you're de-energizing the switch. Find out why that switch still has power when you're telling it to let go.

Was the "dry" test on a recently run, warmed up engine? That's what you want. You might have been too dry and too cold. If you used the long open tube adapter that comes with some gauges, that will drop the numbers. The adapter adds its volume to the combustion chamber, resulting in lower pressure. I had some 180s drop to about 120, with the adapter (if I recall correctly, I've posted the numbers in the past).

Better to take a spark plug wire off, put a spark plug in, touch the spark plug electrode to ground or ground it with a jumper wire, then watch for spark across the spark plug gap while cranking. With a screwdriver, you have to be more careful with the gap. Too big and no spark, too small and you miss the spark. With a spark plug you can be more sure. Plus it gives you a reason to take a plug out and see if it's fouled. You can also test the coil in a similar way, using the main coil wire. If you get coil spark, but not spark plug spark, look inside the distributor cap. Maybe you just need a tune-up.

Your car has a hydraulically actuated clutch. Check the slave cylinder (down by the starter, on the side of the transmission) and the master cylinder, for leakage. You'll have to peel the rubber boot back on the slave cylinder to look for fluid. Check the reservoir on the master cylinder for fluid.

Could be a shorted water temperature sensor circuit. The lower the resistance the hotter the engine looks to the ECU. Low fuel pressure is a possibility, on the hard starting and the lean intake popping. Have you measured it? The low RPM after it starts could be a stuck closed AAR.

If 5th is correct, then your engine might be running at the proper temperature, you're just not seeing the true engine temperature on your gauge. You might see if the Healey sensor and the Nissan sensor have the same resistance versus temperature characteristics and adapt the wire to the Nissan sensor, or see if you can adapt the Healey sensor to one of the holes in the Nissan thermostat housing.

Could be the ignition module. More details about before, during and after the shutdown would help. Tachometer behavior, is it a dead stop shutdown or are there a few sputters? Automatic or manual? Etc.

I was in the Lynnwood area this morning and saw a 1971 240Z in the PicknPull. It still had the engine in it, with carbs, and there were some odd good parts still left. Rear brake drums, some front end pieces, etc. The bumpers were bent up and there was some other body damage, but there might be something there for a restorer. It is incorrectly labeled as a 1971 280 on their web site - http://www.picknpull.com/check_inventory.aspx?Address=98037&Lat=47.841953&Lng=-122.288181&Make=Datsun&Model=280&Distance=20