cgsheen1

That's an aftermarket A/C unit so there isn't going to be any wiring diagram in any Datsun Manuals. If you don't understand how that thing works or how it was wired originally, you're probably going to need to take it to someone who does...

Derek over on HybridZ was correct... That's a micro-switch for the A/C. The capillary tube goes to the evap core - it just "senses" the temperature of the core. It has a connection to switched power (the inline fuse is a giveaway...) and then this is the first in what could be a series of switches on the way to the compressor clutch. So, power in -> micro-switch -> out to (eventually) the compressor clutch. (There may be other switches in the path such as high-pressure switch, low-pressure switch (prob not), fan switch may need to be engaged, etc....)

The L28ET has an oil temperature sensor in the back side of the oil pan. The 280ZX Turbo also had a corresponding gauge. While I'm sure someone has done it, I've never seen a turbo swapped early Z car with an oil temperature gauge... My oil temperature sensor is there, just not connected to anything.

Oh my... You have a few different options when working on the hatch lock/latch mechanism. You don't have to close the hatch to test if it works or not. You don't have to leave the lock cylinder OR the latch OR the "hoop" on the body that the latch grabs when the hatch is closed. (Just saying that you don't have to crawl back into the back again when you don't actually fix the problem.) With the lock cylinder removed and the hatch closed, you can put your finger through the hole and press down the latch mechanism to open the hatch - as long as the latch mechanism works. You can unbolt the latch mechanism from the bottom of the hatch and test it. Get a phillips screwdriver, push it sideways into the "jaws" of the latch. Does it grab the screwdriver? Does it let go when you press down on the latch lever? Clean and lube it while you have it out. Make sure the lock cylinder is complete, has the "arm" and adjustment screw. When it's in place, make sure it contacts the latch lever AND pushes it far enough to open the latch. You can close (activate) the latch and use the button to open it while the hatch is open. Just use something to move the jaws up and closed while the hatch is in the air. Lastly, make sure that the "hoop" below is adjusted properly so the latch doesn't bind. It has adjustment up and down and even a little side-to-side. The latch itself can be adjusted so it (the jaws) can be properly "centered" on the hoop below.

Yup. Then figure out why the button isn't pushing down the latch like it's supposed to. There's an adjustment screw on the arm - if there's an arm... The lock cylinder simply moves that arm into a position where it either CAN or CAN'T contact the latch.

I'm with you. In the second picture, it doesn't look like the coil is properly located in the bottom perch. The coil needs to be rotated so the spring end fits into the perch correctly. The top is correct, bottom doesn't seem to be from that picture.

And it is indeed missing something on the end - the lever that connects to and actuates the rod.

I kinda forgot about Red Tek 12a. We charged Patrick's 280ZX using 12a and it worked very well. He didn't want to convert and found the 12a online. It comes in 6 oz cans (rather than the 12 oz. that you buy 134a in) so it is more expensive than 134a here in the US, but it works well for systems already using R-12. On an essentially new system with a Sanden compressor I'd still clean the mineral oil out and convert to 134a...

Ya, sorry - in the back of my head I knew this was an aftermarket on an early and here I am comparing it to stock and creating confusion... I actually love that you mounted the Sanden on a stock A/C bracket. I'm gonna do that!

My 260 was converted to 134a nine years ago when I got it back on the road. Stock condenser, Phoenix Arizona - I think you'll be fine in Idaho (I was raised in Idaho Falls BTW...). My A/C is completely stock except the 134a and Kia blower motor.

Ya.

The wraps that we've seen here in Phoenix just don't last. I don't quite get why not (i mean other than the harsh climate...). There's obviously a difference in material - my wife bought a G35 Sedan in 2007 and had a "clear-bra" product applied by the dealership (or contracted by the dealership) to the front end and other common "chip" points. It's held up remarkably well to our desert southwest conditions. But, we had an RX-7 in the shop last year. The owner had it wrapped a few years prior to avoid repainting. It scratched easily and our Arizona sun was really hard on it. It stuck well - some of the underlying paint was pulled off the car when they removed it... All of the wrapped cars I've seen here have very obvious surface scratches. We see a lot of kids here going to ASU driving wrapped GTR's. A few corvette's. The only really nice wrap I've seen was on a McClaren that pulled into the Pavillion's one Saturday night. I'm sure there was a LOT of money in that wrap - it was clear, and it was perfect. I guess I'd want to protect the paint on the McClaren too, it was awesome... Which brings me back to scratching my head about my wifes 11 year old "clear-bra" that still looks very good... It's probably just like paint - you get what you pay for.

There's a "flash-to-pass" circuit in that diagram. The Swiss 260Z we had in the shop had that feature and I've heard that the Fairlady's did too. Check that circuitry and it's associated relay. The USA models only have the HI/LOW beam selector (switch) associated with the turn signal lever. Maybe something is mis-wired so the turn signal switch is setting the flash-to-pass relay.

NO! Stop giving these kinds of ideas - someone might actually try that... Rolling with a bat IS a thing. And there are certain cars you could probably get away with doing it that way. Not on a two sheet, spot welded Z rear wheel arch. And not on a flimsy Z front fender unless you are the miracle man. Pie slicing... Dude, never do that... At first glance, it doesn't seem like taking a body hammer to those flanges would be the way to "roll" a Z Car's fenders but I've been doing that in the shop for almost eight years now. That's how Goldie's fenders are rolled and her arches are still perfect (Of course it's a little easier to do that BEFORE paint...) Patience is the key to joy.

OMG... Please don't do that...

You're swapping in a slightly newer version of the engine that that was already in the car. You'll be able to reconnect or reuse everything that has to do with your gauges.

Best of luck with the fender roller. The rears of an s30 are stiff and the curve above the arch gets in your way. Be patient. We end up pounding them...

Oh, I'm sorry. I made it sound easy? I guess that comes with over-simplification. You'll find out.

You really just need the engine harness itself. I usually keep the EFI Relay and Fuel Pump Relay intact (simpler than the 280Z circuitry) and sometimes use the 280ZX fusable links (that have to do with the ECCS and injector power). There is a small harness on the 280ZX that comes from under the dash, up the driver fender, to the coil and ignitor that I find useful but it's not completely necessary. There are several other wires in that harness that have nothing to do with the coil/ignitor so I strip them out if I use it. (No point really - most of the wiring you need for the turbo coil/ignitor - and your Tach - is already there on the stock 280Z. You just need to add one wire from the ECU to the Ignitor to make the whole thing work.) If you're going to use the stock harness: Get yourself some DeOxIt (made by Caig) and AFTER you clean each electrical connector on the harness, engine, ECU, AFM, sensors, (well, you get the idea - EVERYTHING!) use DeOxIt on the connections before you put them together! There are specialty tools made to clean the oxide and corrosion off the brass connectors. I would say that over 90% of the problems people generally have with these early EFI / ECCS engines are electrical - most having to do with wiring and connectors. These old harnesses were never weatherproofed (and never meant to last this long). EFI/ECCS is dependant on reliable signals from sensors to function properly. Oxidation of the wire and connectors creates increased resistance which skews the signal from the sensors. Eliminate as much of that as you can. In reality, most of us have had to abandon the stock harness. After months of troubleshooting, my stock harness worked pretty well and I drove my turbo-swapped 260Z for years with it. When I went to a different ECU and built a new harness, I came to the conclusion that I should have done that in the first place. Live and learn as they say...

I can't believe how straight your 280 is Derek. Someone has taken very good care of it! Looks great. Best of luck and if we can help in any other way, let us know.

The height adjustment in these struts are in the threaded adapter tubes - NOT by moving the spring perches! (as I've stated elsewhere:) Generally, the spring perches should never be adjusted. On this strut cartridge you would only change the position of the lower spring perch (at the bottom of the spring) to add pre-load to the spring. Most installs do not want or need any pre-load on the springs. IF the spring is loose between the upper and lower perch, the lower perch should be adjusted so that the spring is just snug. The upper perch is not adjustable. A quote from the Stance USA FAQ site: "When adjusting the height, do not adjust the height by the spring perch. All height adjustments should be done through the lower mounting bracket.Adjusting the spring perch will change the spring preload and should only be done when corner weighting and balancing the car." You do not, will not gain any "height" (additional length of the strut cartridge) by adjusting the spring perches. If you installed a longer spring, you would have to move the lower spring perch down on the strut cartridge to complete the installation. You would not gain additional length in the strut cartridge. That "rod" you see coming out the top of the cartridge is at the maximum range of it's travel - it simply cannot extend any further upward. The "no loss of travel" comment on the website refers to being able to move the strut cartridge up and down in the threaded adapter without affecting the damper travel in any way. The damper is fully contained in the cartridge and can't be affected by moving the cartridge up or down in the threaded adapter. (Certain other coilover setups use a stock-ish damper cartridge whose range of motion is affected when the ride height is changed.) Albatross knows what he needs to do to get his install where he wants it. My response is mainly to clear up any misconceptions or misinformation.

It the rust (dirt, crud, water deposits) wasn't enough, I've seen several that were "mushroomed" internally on one or both sides of the Lock Bolt. The spindle is "softer" than I would have originally thought. If it's out of place, or the lock bolt is over-tightened, or installed incorrectly, it can deform the pin in that area - making it even harder to remove. Besides the anti-sieze, use caution installing the spindle pin and lock bolt - and don't over-tighten. To remove, I use impact. A couple of old lug nuts on the threads of either end (or both...). If I can get the spindle pin to turn, I can always get them out.

AFAIK, the 1971 FSM was a supplement to the original Datsun 240Z Sports Service Manual. Available in 3 parts on the Nicoclub.com website http://www.nicoclub.com/datsun-service-manuals . I have it. It shows the 1971 wiring diagram and whatever changes they made elsewhere from the Series One.

That looks way too red to be the stock Datsun #110 "Persimmon Red" to me. The stock 110 single-stage paint starts out kind of a deep red-orange and fades to a almost more orange-than-red over the years. The paint oversprayed on the interior is definitely 110. The exterior doesn't look 110 to me - but that may be your camera - or my old eyeballs... (This showed up when we painted Patrick's Late 260Z. He wanted Orange "like his car was" - but when I showed him the original mostly unaltered paint under one of the side markers - which was WAY too red for him - he decided against the stock 110 color and we used a GM Orange for his new paint. Lucas has a 280Z with the original, never been repainted, Datsun #110 that he drives into the shop every day.)

I solved this years ago using 3/8" plastic tube. I'm a Journeyman Plumber, so this is stuff I have lying around practically everywhere - you civilians can get it at any Home Depot, Lowes, Ace Hardware, or any hardware store. Used to be Poly but now it's probably PEX - it's cheap, plentiful, easy to get, the correct thickness, and easy to cut and install. It's pretty tough too, but adds a little cushion to the latching mechanism. Just grab a piece of 3/8" tubing, cut about 1/4" off the end (whatever is the width of the oblong lobe), and make a slice down the side. Spread it out at the slit and you'll have exactly what the OP did in metal above. Don't take the latch out, just roll it around until you can see the oblong lobe on top (hold it with a screwdriver if you need to) and install the "C" shaped piece of plastic tube on the lobe. Lift the door handle to get the latch back into proper position. Close your door without slamming. I did mine years ago and haven't had a problem. If it breaks or falls off, I'll just get out the utility knife, cut another little piece of tube, and replace it. If you buy a foot of 3/8" tube at the store, you'll have enough replacements for the rest of your life... I keep a piece of tube in the car. I've fixed dozens of doors for the other Datsun guys in town. When they show up to a meet and are slamming their door, I just cut off another little piece or two.