Captain Obvious

Thanks again for the input guys. I've been thinking about it some more and I've come up with a problem with using the positive battery terminal... You don't ever want the sense wire connected on the far side of any fuse or link. In the event that the safety device opens up, the alternator will go full bore on trying to bring the sense wire voltage up. Problem is that the sense wire has been disconnected from the alternator output and the feedback loop is broken. I think I'll connect it close to the fusible link but on the same side as the alternator output. Like the 1995 diagram Zed posted. That'll account for the drop on the wires between the alternator and the link. Essentially it will regulate the alternator side of that fusible link.

Sent you a PM with some pics of the headlight covers. LMK what you think?

Thanks guys. Well at least it seems I'm asking the question in a reasonable way. You guys are talking the same thing I am. My timing on this is that I'm planning some electrical changes on my car and as long as I was in there, I was gonna take the opportunity to switch over to the internally regulated alternator at the same time. And I'm planning to go in pretty deep and have the opportunity to do the swap a little more elegantly than the traditional commonly used method of just yanking the voltage regulator and jumpering a few wires. That method, by the way, effectively just DOES connect the sense wire right to the alternator output right there at the alternator. It'll regulate the alternator output right there at the alternator, but doesn't account for load drops in the wires beyond the alternator. So nobody has actually found the other end of that sense wire in an original system? I'm guessing they buried a splice in the white/red wire just before that white/red gets to the fusible link block. You can tell from the wiring diagrams that the two are joined on the same side of the fusible link, so it's not originally connected to the starter or directly to the battery. Considering the above, I'm thinking the two locations that would make the most sense are right before the fusible link or at the fuse box. Would be nice to know what they originally did.

The internally regulated alternators (used on the 78 and beyond) use a sense wire to control the alternator output. If the voltage on the sense wire is too low, it bumps the voltage up, and if it's too high, it cuts the alternator output down. Question is... On the cars that came native with the internally regulated alternator, where did they connect the far end of that sense wire? My engineering sense tells me that it would be best to connect the sense feedback wire right to the "+" terminal on the battery, but that's not what they did. And unfortunately this isn't the kind of info you can glean from a wiring diagram. According to the wiring diagram, it's connected right to the alternator output wire, but in reality, it's not. It should be on the other side of whatever voltage drops are expected along the wires under load. Is any of this making sense? Does anyone have any idea what I'm talking about?? :paranoid:

Wow. I sure do! But I'm near Philadelphia...

Thanks for the additional info Matt. I think I'd pay $900 for someone to strip my 280. In the off season. Good luck with the project!!

Haha! I tried that. Didn't work. I still had to resort to other means. Not only that, but I also had to resort to prying in addition to hammering and the swearing. In fact, the only thing that worked for me was hammering, prying and swearing all at the same time.

From my experience, the typical "big day" is Saturday. Also when you register, there is a spot for your club affiliation on the registration form. Is there one club that is kinda "hosting" the Z's at the show? Last year, there was a club there (from New England maybe?) that had asked for everyone to put them down for club affiliation, and I believe there are some benefits to all of us to having everyone register with the same organization. So... After all that, question is... Anyone know if there is a club "hosting" Z's at Carlisle? Who should we list as our club when we register for the show?

Nice work Matt, Couple questions. How much was the media blasting? And what would have happened if you had delivered the car to them WITHOUT removing the undercoating first? Would the blasting taken care of that, or would the blasting have been ineffective where the tar remained? Was the rest of the car still painted when you dropped it off? I can't tell of it's stripped or silver paint. This pic of the front rad support... Is that a common rusty area on the Z's? I know some areas are common issues (like floors and doglegs), but I've not seen many pics of that front support.

I haven't decided if I'm going yet or not. I'd like to go, but I've got a time conflict with another car show that might make it impossible for me. FYI, Here's Carlisle's site for the event: Import & Kit Nats Still hoping to go, but don't know yet...

My test platform stands ready as well. Suspension is back together and she's on the road. Of course, I'm onto other modifications, but until I take the next thing apart, she's rolling!

I just put those numbers on my 77 and they fit fine without any modifications to either the inserts or the housings. Are you sure someone hasn't already shortened your tubes? Are you sure there isn't anything stuffed down into the insides of your tubes preventing the inserts from inserting all the way? Are the new KYB inserts about the same length as the old inserts you took out (assuming you took inserts out...)?

And they are pretty... In my mind, I put them in the same category as the Fiat Spyder, the Sunbeam, the MGB's, and others. Toyota made a roadster very similar as well. I'd never seen one of those before and just met a guy near me that has more than one.

Haha!! So you didn't know any more than I did and you bought one! Kudos!! I think I might have done the same thing, but I'm officially out of room.

When you're in A/C there shouldn't be anything getting through the heater core and coming out the floor holes. All the air should be coming out of the vents in the dash. Sounds like you might need some new sealing foam gasketing inside you're air box. Another option might be a vacuum problem with one of your door actuators. I don't have A/C so mine's all mechanical, but I believe the A/C equipped cars used both cables and vacuum to actuate the doors. Not sure if the door at the top that blocks off everything but the dash vents is mechanical or vacuum on your car.

I'd not heard that you could use the Sportage weather stripping on the rear hatch as well. Fits OK back there too?

Absolutely. PM me some details and timing and I'll make sure the schedule is cleared.

Awesome. There seems to be lots of roadster action in my area. Not sure why, but I'm always seeing stuff on Craigslist near me. I've never driven a roadster so I don't know anything about them other than they're pretty. Are they "unrefined" in the creature comfort category? And what's the performance reputation?

My mind to your mind... my thoughts to your thoughts... :bulb: Geoffrey and Blue, Can you guys picture today's hair brained projects? Forgot... How about some detail on those way-cool comforts? And I've got a long history with green Zs. I wish my current one was a deep green...

:laugh: Very nice. I can picture him packing: "Let's see... Got directions to customer site, boarding pass, toothpaste, underwear, list of Z owners in the area..."

There sure is. Maybe the supply side doesn't have enough capacity to provide what the engine needs under extended high load conditions and you're sucking the bowls dry at high load? You can check that by temporarily replacing the line between the bowl and the nozzle with a clear line and make sure you aren't pulling bubbles through. Another option would be to "T" that line with clear line to use as a level gauge and actually monitor the bowl level while the engine is running. In theory, that level should never change. Fire extinguisher handy... :bulb:

Wow... Would have never imagined it would be difficult to get a Fram G3. Anywhere! How about a Purolator F20118? Web research indicates it's their cross for the Fram G3 Part Detail Popup And as for two G2's in parallel... I believe the internals for all of the similar sized and shaped filters (G2, G3, G12) are all the same. So if you're doing two of them in parallel for throughput, I doubt it's necessary.

Yes, the G3 (Fram P/N G3) is the plastic low pressure filter on the suction side of the fuel pump. Cheap and ubiquitous. I wanted something transparent so I could monitor for crud coming out of the tank. I've not had a problem that I know of, but I figured I was in that deep, I might as well do it at that same time.

Here's some pics of the parts I used in the rear. Rear control arm inner bushing location: Rear inner forward side bushings from Nissan (sourced through MSA): Rear inner trailing side bushings from Nissan (sourced through MSA): Rear control arm outer bushing location: Rear outer bushings from Raybestos: I got the rear inner bushings from MSA. I got the rest of the bushings and hard front end parts from Rock Auto. And I got the KYB inserts from JC Whitney.

I used check valve Bosch part number 1 587 010 539 and a flare fitting fuel hose from an Audi A4 or A6. Sorry, but I didn't take note of exactly which Audi the hose was from because it looked like they used the same hose. They were all over the place at my junkyard, but maybe that was just me. Thinking you couldn't possibly go wrong, I didn't keep great notes there. Next time I'm at the junkyard, I'll make sure I note some models and years that have suitable hoses. I've got the pump back on the car and also took the opportunity to install a G3 between the tank and the pump. My original pump inlet filter screen was gone and I didn't want to send any junk into my newly installed check valve. Here's my install: