Wade Nelson

An engine that's consistently running 15-20 degrees hot USUALLY has a pressure leak. Put a pressure tester on it. A single loose hose clamp / drip can be all it takes.

Here's my earlier thread about the HVAC control head unit being messed up --- and simple to repair! http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/thread45800.html BTW, the vacuum lines to the fresh/recirc vent door "motor" are black with one, and two green stripes, respectively. Here's a diagram from the FSM...

I'm thinking any Nissan distributor with over 150K miles usage needs overhaul, or at least inspection. Cars didn't used to last 150K miles, and most newer cars with fuel injection ALSO went to computerized ignition / crank / cam sensors. The 280Z/ZX is right on the cusp, with FI but still running a distributor, and since it's so collectible, a lot of cars see more than 150K miles. My gas mileage, in town, has skyrocketed since I installed a re-man distributor @ 220K miles -- and got the vacuum advance line properly plumbed. I don't track it but I'd guesstimate a 4-5mpg improvement. Complex, unlubricated mechanical devices wear out, it's that simple. And timing is very important to engine performance AND efficiency.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/75-76-77-78-79-80-81-82-83-Datsun-280Z-Fuel-Injectors-/150827663676?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&fits=Model%3A280ZX&hash=item231e07813c&vxp=mtr#ht_500wt_715 Set of injectors for $159 on ebay\ *Picking up another rock to throw at FastWoman's windshield"

I've had a vacuum leak SOMEWHERE under the dash that was causing problems with the HVAC controls. Specifically, when the engine was under load, vacuum would disappear, and the AC would blow out the wrong vents. Other HVAC settings didn't seem to work quite right, AC only worked on the coldest, recycle setting, not on the FRESH setting, and VENT didn't seem to work at all. (This was after my earlier fiasco with the rotary valve in the HVAC control head being mis-aligned, detailed in another thread) Another commenter here suggested checking the ends of the vacuum lines where they attach to the vacuum storage cannister. (Photo 1) They were OK. To CONFIRM the problem was in the dash, and not with the cannister or its integral check valve, I put an additional check valve in-line just before where the vacuum line goes through the firewall. (Photo 2) Since all the vacuum lines were attached, correctly, and the OTHER vacuum motors seemed to be working properly, I suspected the problem was with the vent motor above the main blower motor. (Photo 3) Getting to it required removing the dash lower (kick) panel, and the glove box. After removing 9 screws around its perimeter, and the screw supporting the lamp, the Damn box didn't want to come out, the mount for the glovebox light was interfering. Eventually I figured out the glove box is actually 2 pieces, hinged, with pins to hold it in the deployed position, and the top folds down for easier removal. Seeing details in black plastic is hard with 55 year old eyes. (Photo 4) Aha! There it was. The vent door vacuum motor (Photo 5) Sucking on the 2 lines, one operated the motor, the other just bled air. These particular "vacuum motor" lines had splices in them that allowed me to attach a longer hose and suck on them to confirm operation without first having to pull down the actuator. Voila, I've found where the problem is. A vacuum leak AND explains why vent operation didn't work properly. The vacuum motors on this car all seem to have TWO vacuum connections, one which gives partial "throw" and a second which completes it, so you get three positions for any particular door, open, shut, and half-way. The other problem is the main vacuum source line is just falling apart, I found it split on both sides of the 1-way valve I'd installed. Time to replace. 1/8"??? In what can ONLY be described as a miracle, Autozone actually STOCKS 7/64" (2.88) mm vacuum/windshield washer line, P/N 50209 "Armor Mark" with an OD small enough to actually fit on the barbs on the vacuum reservoir and elsewhere. The vacuum motor, secured to the air box by two phillips screws, is secured to the vent lever by a jesus clip, as in, JESUS CHRIST, where did that fall to after I picked it off. Mine will never be found, hopefully I can re-use one from the junkyard motor I'm going to go get tomorrow. Beneath the Jesus clip are some nylon washers, careful or you'll lose those too! (I attempted to hold a magnetic retrieval tool next to the clip while I removed it but didn't succeed). I'd asked to borrow a smoke machine from a shop in town, which would pressurize the HVAC vacuum lines to 1-2 psi with smoke. Look for the leak. But I found the leak before the machine arrived. Hopefully all this helps someone else fighting HVAC misbehavior. Finally -- the big picture --- having the Z-car's dash all torn apart....AGAIN! There's one extra picture there, looking back TOWARDS the steering wheel but up behind the dash, I took it just to see what was up there and where the AC vent line (the thing that actually carries cool air) plugged it.

By now you've all heard about the massacre in Aurora, Colorado. 12 dead, 71 injured, many critical. The thing I always think after these sorts of things is "Didn't the guy have any hobbies?" I couldn't go on a rampage, that wouldn't let me get my Z fixed up! There will be parts arriving next week! Doesn't this kid go fly fishing, ride bikes with a group of friends every Sunday, work on old sports cars, have ANYTHING to look forward to IN THE FUTURE that going on a rampage would prevent him from doing? I heard, after getting his college degree, (honors in neuroscience) the only job he could get was flipping burgers at a McDonalds. Frustrating, for sure. But when I found myself out of work, or underemployed, I poured my heart into fitness, biking, swimming laps, fixing the physical since I didn't have any solutions to the financial. Any "balance" in my life has been serial -- these few years I stayed fit, these few years I made a lot of money, these few years I focused on relationships. And I go to church. I know, if all else failed, that group of people would prop me up, lend me a room in their house, feed me, whatever. I also know they'd be extremely disappointed were I to go postal. Maybe I'm stupid. Maybe giving a kid a Z-car to fix up couldn't have prevented this. But my Dad, teaching me how to fix up old British sports cars, gave me a hobby / addiction for life. Something to focus on when everything else felt like it was going to hell.

Well it turns out I have a 1982 FSM, despite my car being a 1980. And the 1980 FSM has a LOT more information on the vacuum plumbing.

Copper also conducts heat better, and the more heat you can keep in the exhaust stream the better the turbo performs, since heat = energy. The manifold might get a bit hotter as a result of using a copper gasket, thus keeping the stream a tad warmer.

That's easy. They go in the longer holes. /snark

For $130 Z-owners can get their existing fuel injectors cleaned / remanufactured / flow tested. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Fuel-Injector-Service-79-80-81-82-83-Datsun-280zx-/190395955054?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item2c547bb76e&vxp=mtr#ht_2487wt_698 *picking up another rock to hurl at FastWoman's Z car...*

Where can I obtain a CORRECT diagram of vacuum hoses for this thing? 1980, NON-California, 49 state, Catalyst, 280ZX. Has anyone ordered the vacuum hose kit from ebay and obtained the diagram(s)? from that seller? Are they correct, detailed? Can my NISSAN dealer print out a correct vacuum hose diagram? No, there is NOT a sticker on the bottom of my hood. I wish... No, it is NOT in the FSM, only snippets... Does anyone KNOW what the various hose barbs on the BCCD are supposed to connect to? There are 3 or 4. Let me tell you the mess I've got. The thermal valve on the front of the motor is supposed to DEFEAT vacuum to the distributor advance AND EGR while the motor is cold. Well, I found out mine is NOT connected to the correct METAL line, in the vertical 4-pipe "GALLERY" to connect to the EGR. Instead THAT line is (currently) plumbed from EGR to the BCCD. WHERE is that thermal valve SUPPOSED to obtain vacuum from? A barb on the BCCD or one of the gallery pipes? There is nothing in the FSM about the SECOND thermal valve, up closer to the EGR itself. Does anyone know what that one's purpose in life is? Do YOU want to be the person who helps me? Great. If you believe your 1980 280Z is correctly plumbed, go out, and make a list of the 4-pipe gallery, listing where each one COMES from and correctly GOES TO. That and the BCCD connections. THANK YOU!

Awarding you one major ATTABOY! Reminder: A single "Awshucks" erases 99 "Attaboys." So be careful!

Rotary compressors are the bomb, but those old York-style piston jobs worked great at idle. Like stuck in traffic, which is when you REALLY want cold AC. I mean, SO WHAT if they sucked 16 horsepower! Idle up!

If British Leyland had given out refrigerator magnets out my collection would have caused the Earth's magnetic field to reverse.

You're more excited about getting a new (and different) refrigerator magnet than you are the part itself!

My guess would be you've got a cracked reluctor or other problem in your distributor pickup so the ECM is seeing double the # of rpm's it should. Can you swap distributors with someone just to see if problem goes away? Wait a minute, 280z....is it electronic ignition like the ZX, or points? Got your gap (or dwell) set correctly? Btw, how did you confirm they're pulsating "too fast?" Did you put a stethoscope on them and those on a similar vehicle?

I only wanna hear how it runs!!!

Great picture. Any way you could annotate that with the colored arrows like I did? 2 yellow arrows = hose with 2 yellow stripes, etc. That would make it a lot easier for the next guy.

She felt a little subdued with the new distributor so I re-set the timing to 11 degrees BTDC tonight and took her for another spin. Felt considerably peppier than @ 8 BTDC. Spec is 8 +/- 2, so I'm only 1 degree ahead of that.

I used to own a '67 Jaguar XKE and I concur with the article, the view over the hood is remarkably similar. I get flashbacks driving it.

Thanks, guys.

Put vehicle in neutral, set emergency brake. Remove skid plate from bottom of vehicle (4 x 10mm) Using 27mm socket and breaker bar rotate engine (big nut on front flywheel / harmonic balancer) until timing nick is visible. Mark with chalk line on pulley flange -- both sides. (Some of you young guys may still be able to see just the nick without the help of a chalkline, and can skip earlier steps) Remove distributor cap. Note where rotor is pointing. Remove electrical connector and vacuum line to distributor Loosen 10mm bolt securing distributor baseplate with shortie box wrench, take out using long Phillips screwdriver. Remove distributor. Note / remove any gunk / crud in pedestal. Install rotor on new distributor. Move baseplate from old distributor to new if necessary. Apply anti-seize to all steel bolts inserted into aluminum threads. Put several squirts of oil in distributor pedestal. Install new distributor, pointing rotor to location previously noted. Install securing bolt, leave just loose enough to be able to twist distributor. Locate it in the middle of the adjustment range on the baseplate. Plug vacuum line using golf-tee or other Re-install wiring connector to distributor. Re-install distributor cap w clamps Connect a timing light to #1 plug wire Start the motor and set base timing to 8 degrees (+/- 2) BTDC by rotating distributor. (FSM spec for 1980 ZX) Snug distributor bolt. Remove golf tee and re-attach vacuum advance line. Test drive vehicle. Enjoy cold refreshing beverage Go write it up for ClassicZCars.com to save someone else having to figure out what size the front nut is or look up the timing spec.

Some eBay seller has numerous 2+2 clutches / p plates for sale, cheap. Are they just heavier duty than the stock clutch for the coupe? Has anyone been down this road? Are they compatible?

There have been plenty of high idles caused by mats and parts of the accelerator pedal and linkage chafing or getting bent. Be sure and take 30 seconds to inspect all of it.

I decided yesterday to pop for a new distributor. The vacuum advance mechanism was quite sticky on my old one, and the distributor did something I've never seen any other distributor do. The body itself, including the cap, would wobble with the engine running. Almost like the shaft itself is bent. Hold downs are nice and snug, and no play in the shaft when you push/pull on the rotor. I had a spare dist I'd picked up at a junkyard, but taking it apart, the ball bearings falling out of the advance plate, reminded me of how much fun rebuilding 'em is...getting a bushing made, etc. And I have no idea where to get replacement diaphragms for the advance mechanism. So I just ordered a reman (Cardone) from RockAuto. I can send either the wobbly one or the junkyard unit back as a core, so if anyone needs XZ distributor parts, speak now.