Zed Head

Picture 123 here might show what you want. Seems to have all of the stock parts, including the damper weight. Browse the other 280Z listings to be sure. https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1977-datsun-280z-71/

Never mind. Good luck.

Didn't realize that the car had been at Sakura Garage already. Thought it was in the future. Still wondering how the tuning for the cam will work out using the stock EFI parts. Good luck.

Any chance it's the alternator? It's the other "new" part. Not sure what the path would be. Unplug the T plug and see what happens.

The sensor is going to pick up surrounding heat through the threads connected to the metal. It could be in a hot pocket or stagnant flow area also under the thermostat. Which hole is it in?

That guy has turned in to some kind of diamond finder. He has a whole list of nice cars sold on BAT. https://bringatrailer.com/member/adamike/

Where is the sensor located?

"It has to be something else" is the transition point? Might help to re-describe the problem. "recently the battery was draining for an unknown reason" seems to be all that's left of the original description. Age of battery, type of charger, level of charge, condition of battery terminals, details like that might help. It looks like a car that sat in a cold, probably freezing, garage all winter and now has a battery problem. Kind of common. Batteries don't like to be cold and discharged. Another cause might be mice. Urine is a good conductor.

Do you know what vehicle it came from? There are truck transmissions with similar features. It definitely looks from the 280ZX time frame. The only words you've supplied are "82 71C" though. What is the full description?

I'd watch the wrecking yards and/or look for a damaged 5 speed 71B. Like EuroDat said, the failure modes are fairly common. You could probably get an undamaged main shaft and that coupler from any "blown up" 280Z or 280ZX 71B 5 speed. Or, buy a whole junk car with transmission. People often just sell compete cars for not much more than a transmission costs. I got a complete engine and many extra parts when I did that, plus made some cash back when I junked the remains to the salvage yard.

I screwed up. Seems like the 4 and 5 speed should be the same, they have the same first 4 gear ratios, but, apparently, they are not. Make sure that that 1982 5 speed is not a Borg Warner 5 speed. The turbo 5 speed. It is very different and requires a different mounting, propeller shaft, and shift lever. Plus the ratios might not be what you want. If the guy doesn't know it's a "B" he might be confusing it with the BW. Did he supply a picture? They look very different.,

It's a collection of parts. The fact that you had a very odd failure actually works in your favor.

Not really clear what cgsheen1 meant. The cam towers have to have the ports for the spray bar. If you run spray bar cam towers and a spray bar then oil will flow to the spray bar. The cam towers have the passages. As I understand things, but I haven't actually seen it, only read about it, the cam will accept oil from the cam towers if it is drilled for it. So if you put a drilled camshaft in a spray bar head you'll get oil traveling both ways. Can't find anything on carpartsmanual because Nissan considers the cam towers as part of the head. You can't buy them separately.

carpartsmanual says they are. EuroDat's list probably also. Edit - I screwed up here and missed a "4". Sorry about that. They are not the same. http://www.carpartsmanual.com/datsun/Z-1969-1978/power-train/transmission-gears/4-speed/from-sep-71/25 http://www.carpartsmanual.com/datsun/Z-1969-1978/power-train/transmission-gears/5-speed/41

How did the focus shift from a battery drain through the starter solenoid wire (apparently a short circuit through the solenoid windings to ground) to the fusible links? I don't see a connection.

You could reuse the nut if you didn't destroy it when removing it. Just peen over a different spot or use red Loctite. You said that you have the early 5 speed, so a 4 speed should have most of the parts that you need to combine with what you have to make one good 5 speed, as suggested earlier. People have 4 speeds sitting in their garage as spares after a 5 speed swap.

People strap cameras under their cars and have good results in seeing what's happening. And if you posted a video of the noise somebody might recognize it. It's weird how the ear and brain can work together. "Banging noise" covers a lot of spectrum.

You never really know what you're getting at the typical pump. Today's cars are designed to adjust to the variation. https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/factors.shtml "Some fuels contain less energy than others. Using oxygenated fuels or reformulated gasoline (RFG), for example, can cause a small decrease (1%–3%) in fuel economy. Most of the gasoline now sold has a small amount of ethanol in it—up to 10% by volume depending upon the region. Using gasoline with 10% ethanol decreases fuel economy by 3%–4%. The energy content of gasoline varies seasonally. Typical summer conventional gasoline contains about 1.7% more energy than typical winter conventional gasoline."

Here's a new to market low number 1970 car. A bit crusty. Oklahoma. https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1970-datsun-240z-81/

The 78 sold for about what it did the first time. https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1978-datsun-280z-117-2/

Did you remove the snap ring?

The first one looks like a heat shield. Engine bay, exhaust area most likely. Looks like it has nuts attached so it would match clear holes. The round cutout probably fits around something round.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hydroscope#:~:text=Definition of hydroscope,steel tube — compare water glass

The wiring diagram shows a seat belt timer for the Manual and a seat belt relay for the Automatic. Possibilities. If you can find a really quiet place you might hear something click as you connect and disconnect the solenoid wire.

If you look at the list of things done before he calls it "rebuilt" you can see that it's not even up to the level of a remanufactured alternator. He just cleans and polishes the parts, skims the head, and puts it back together with new seals, apparently. The guy has been doing the same thing for many years. He even has newer complaints on the various review sites. I saw a few for late 2021. But, he's got a good web page and knows how to promote. Doesn't care about reputation, apparently, just making the sale. From his N42 head web page, below. The only new part is the valve seals. The heads only have a 30 day warranty. So, anyone who buys one better work fast. "REBUILD PROCESS INCLUDES: Complete disassembly, Inspection and Pressure test Deck Re-Surfaced Reconditioned Polished Rocker Arms Cleaned and Installed OEM stock Springs, Retainers and Lash Pads Full Set of new Valve Seals Stock Polished Camshaft. (Performance Cam Kits available, discount offered. call for details) All threads cleaned and repaired as needed Full Reassembly and Valve Adjustment (Re-Adjustment Required Prior to start up) 30-day warranty Trust your Datsun to a professional licensed Datsun Restoration business with over 15 years experience."