Captain Obvious

That one is clearly faster.

I'm impressed you were able to actually get all up in there and replace those bulbs without pulling the gauges. Good work! Let us know tomorrow how your back and shoulders are.

I must be missing something, but I'm confused on the plan for your high/low beams... Are you saying that you will never latch your high beams on? And about your voltmeter placement... You aren't missing a plate next to your defroster switch. You're missing your HAZARD switch. right?

@Dave WM Haha!!!

Got it. Without the guidance, I would have probably said "you be" or just always referred it to by acronym letters "U B E".

Haha!! UBE. I like it!

Just like when you have a hammer, everything looks like a nail... When you have a cheap HF welder, everything looks like a great place for a blob of terrible looking weld slag.

What he said. If Datsun used the same pattern they typically used, then there would be an "N33" cast into the exhaust manifold.

So here's a link from PennDOT: http://www.drivecleanpa.state.pa.us/info_se.htm On there are other links to things like the list of stations in the area and "what emissions tests will your vehicle require?" https://www.ahs.dep.pa.gov/aq_apps/emissions/ Following the link to what tests are required says gas cap and visual only for 75 to 95. But the actual documentation says it needs the one speed idle test too. typical right?

Right. And about that sniffer or test... As I suspected, it's a little murky. The documentation still says you need it, but PennDOT's website says gas cap and visual only. No dyno and no sniffer. I found a list of inspection stations in the Philadelphia county and there are maybe ten on the list with a sniffer and just two with a dyno. It just seems unachievable that they would be forcing everyone in that entire are with cars between 75 and 96 to go to just those stations. Either I'm missing something, or they have given up and aren't enforcing the details as written in the regs.

I just took another look at the emissions requirements, and registering it as a classic WOULD get you out of the tests. So what I said earlier about having to register it as an antique was incorrect. Registering as Classsic would work as well. This get's you out of the visual test: ":In addition to the exceptions under § 175.4, this subsection (the visual inspection of emission system) shall not apply to vehicles registered as collectible or classic motor vehicles as defined in 75 Pa.C.S. § 102" And this gets you out of the enhanced emissions test (the one-speed idle test, gas cap test, etc) (b) Other exempted vehicles. Other exempted vehicles include vehicles operated or registered as one of the following: (4) Classic, antique or collectible motor vehicles. So that "One-speed idle test" can be an issue. That's supposed to be the running on a dyno test where they stick the sniffer up the tailpipe. The reason it's murky though is that as soon as OBD2 (1996) came out, they stopped requiring that dyno test. Not every station ever installed a dyno, and many of the ones that did... The dyno doesn't even work anymore. Not official, but I had heard (rumors?) they were having trouble enforcing the dyno test because of the lack of availability of working dynos. My Z has always been exempt from anything other than the visual test because of the mileage threshold... If you drive less than 5K miles per year, you are exempt from the "enhanced emissions" and that's what I have always had. I suspect your Z will be the same. Only complication is they probably won't give you that exemption on the first year of ownership because you don't have a baseline mileage from which to claim exemption. The issue is If they really require you to take the dyno test, you will have to find a station that even HAS a dyno and your car will have to pass the sniffer test.

I just took a quick look at some FSM's and it makes sense that your federal 76 didn't have EGR. According to the manuals, EGR was only included on teh CA versions in 75 and 76, but by the time they got to 77, everything had EGR. I suspect the OP's car is a federal 75, and in which case, there really isn't much in the way of emissions equipment on it and getting through the "visual only" PA inspection would be a piece of cake (as far as emissions are concerned).

Right. I don't remember offhand what the EGR requirements were for each year. Some of the cars were required to have them and some others were not. I do know that all 73's and 74's had it, but I also know some of the earlier 280's did not. I bet Datsun convinced the feds that the new fangled EFI system was good enough without EGR at first. I would have to look through a couple years of the FSM's to refresh my memory, of the details I wouldn't be surprised if EGR wasn't on 75 at all, or if it was only on the CA cars. I'll check when I can.

LOL. Hello? Is this thing on? Check your VIN. Is it a CA car? All this stuff I wrote here is incorrect. Registering it as a classic will exempt you from the emissions inspections. Both the visual and the enhanced. See post further down for more detail. I'll double check when I get a chance, but registering it as a classic won't get you out of the visual test. The visual is part of the annual safety inspection. Registering it as a classic would get you out of the enhanced emissions test, but that is moot... Due to the year (1975) you are already exempt from the enhanced emissions inspection.

Agreed. And even if they did, I'm not sure they know what a CA spec car is even supposed to have on it. I mean, in CA I bet they would know. But in PA or NC, I'm not so sure. I've got my PA mechanics inspections license, but back when dinosaurs roamed the earth (when I first got it), I don't even think there WAS such a thing as an emissions inspection. And I'm not sure how detailed the pics and guides are for the older cars. Unless the old curmudgeon mechanic happens to remember what was supposed to go where, I don't think much of anything would fail a visual only inspection. Pretty much everyone would recognize an EGR blockoff plate, but other than that, I don't think any freshie mechanic would know what they were looking for. Can you imagine some thirty-something at Pep-Boys sticking a head up under the dash looking for the altitude switch? In other words... I'd fail the crap out of the thing, but I know what I'm looking for and I'm clearly in the curmudgeon category.

What he said!!

That's not the altitude compensator. That's a vacuum delay device for the EGR. The altitude switch lives under the dashboard above the driver's knees. But regardless... Other than wiring harness changes, the CA differences can be pretty easily removed if someone really wants to. But according to the FSM, the CA spec should be built into the VIN.

So, first of all, if you have the car registered as a classic or antique, you don't need emissions testing at all. Second is, if you drive less than 5000 miles per year, you'll be exempt from the (enhanced) emissions test, although they are always required to perform the same visual test even if you're below the exemption threshold. I checked the dates on the current regs and it goes like this: The subject vehicles registered in counties in the Philadelphia Region will be required to undergo the following tests: 1975-1980 vehicles - One-speed idle test; gas cap test; visual inspection And the visual inspection goes like this: (d) Visual Inspection of Emission Control System. (2) Provided that the make and model year of the vehicle would have originally been equipped with the device, reject if one or more of the following apply: (i) The catalytic converter has been removed, disconnected or is the wrong type for the certified vehicle configuration. (ii) Exhaust gas recirculation (EGR)valve has been removed, disconnected or is the wrong type for the certified vehicle configuration. (iii) Positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) valve has been removed, disconnected or is the wrong type for the certified vehicle configuration. (iv) Fuel inlet restrictor has been removed, disconnected or is the wrong type for the certified vehicle configuration. (v) Air pump has been removed, disconnected or is the wrong type for the certified vehicle configuration. (vi) Evaporative control system components have been removed, disconnected or is the wrong type for the certified vehicle configuration So the bottom line for the 280's are... You need an EGR, PCV, and the carbon can. And if the car came with a catalytic converter, you need that too. The 280 never had a fuel inlet restrictor or air pump so those don't apply. But there is no functional test for anything other than the gas cap. It's all "make sure it's still there" kind of thing. So still, the biggest thing you need to do is determine if your car was a CA spec or not.

Killian, If your car was originally sold into MI, then if did not have a cat from the factory. And as mentioned above, the first easiest way to know if your car was a CA spec. And about the PA inspection rules... It's been a little while since I dug into the requirements, but last time I checked, 75 would have a "visual inspection" only. So your note about "equipment on and working" is a little more restrictive than necessary. If I get a couple cycles, I'll refresh my details on the inspection regs, but my understanding is there are no tests to determine if anything is working. It just has to be present. Some things often removed on a 280? Top of the list would be EGR valve and controls. Second on the list would be the carbon can. And that's about it. BTW - We're probably pretty close to eachother. If you're interested, shoot me a PM!

Yeah, since most of us here (including the OP) aren't running Wilwood stuff, then that datasheet is pretty much moot About the only thing that Wilwood data sheet did for me was confirm that "residual pressure valves" are really a thing, and (for me) raised the question of "Is Wilwood the only people who do this, or does everybody do it?" And after some digging "on the internet", the answer appears to be "everybody does it and have been doing it for decades." So my bottom line takeaways from all this are pretty much identical to yours... Some sort of residual pressure valve is a good idea if you are running drum brakes with return springs*. And if you are running disk brakes and have your master cylinder mounted lower than the calipers, you should also use one, but it should be a lower pressure rating. There could easily (probably?) be a difference between F and R outlets on the stock master cylinders and there could be issues if you don't account for that in some way. I think we're all on the same page! * I can get into my take about the "why" if anyone is interested, but not sure anyone wants to hear it at this point.

Haha! Yes, of course I did. And I found it completely lacking any explanatory detail whatsoever. In that data sheet there was one statement of fact with absolutely no explanation as to the WHY the situation exists. It said "This master cylinder contains internal residual pressure valves for drum brake use only which should be removed and not used in disc brake applications." Well that's great, but so what? So Wilwood puts a valve into their aftermarket master cylinder. Got it. But I want way more than that so I dug around to figure out the theory as to the WHY and I found (what I consider the best, most well explained and credible) info at that link I pasted above. I'm just trying to provide some clarity as to the WHY they are in there because I believe understanding the issue might be the first step in coming up with alternatives. So with that in mind... How about swapping the check valves between F and R instead of the hard lines? Wouldn't that fix any potential issues for the people who want a different solution other than bending the hard lines?

Haha!! Well glad that things got worked out at least enough that work can resume!

Labor disputes with management?

I took a quick look on the web and came up with this. Seemed to be the best detail of the situation(s): https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/tech-brakes-residual-pressure-valves.74978/ After reading through that, I'm not buying the "return springs" part of the theory, and I'm all in that the residual pressure is required only to prevent sucking air into the system at the wheel cylinders. But of course, I'm just a guy who read it on the internet. I've got a master cylinder here that I've taken completely apart, including the outlet valves. If I can find it, I'll see if I can determine any differences between the valves from F vs R. Of course, when I took them out, I didn't bother to mark which is which, so...

Here's another link that talks some about the internals of the master cylinder and the possibility of switching the front and rear lines. https://www.classiczcars.com/forums/topic/66168-brake-master-cylinder-identification/