sblake01

You'll pretty much need to eliminate the vacuum advance. Even if you drill the manifold and connect it, it won't work right. I've never done this on a L6 but on L4s with Webers or Mikunis, I used a fixed breaker plate and eliminated the vac. advance mechanism.

After reading back through this thread it's becoming clearer to me that you've been just throwing parts at this car with no real solution to it's problems so far. This is your list: You don't even know the name of the components. Did you test the Air Flow Meter (not Mass Air Flow Sensor), or the fuel pressure regulator before you replaced them? 82 or 83 ZX's get their engine temperature signal from a CHTS (Cylinder head temperature sensor) not a water temp. sensor. I really think you need to sit down with the 1982 or 1983 280ZX FSM and read and understand how these cars work. I say 82 or 83 since you've called it both so I'm not really sure which year car you have. Replacing parts that you don't even know whether or not they need replacement is the reason why you put a little more into car every payday. It doesn't have to be that way. If you understood how that car worked you wouldn't ask a question like "Does the cat do much more than clean the exhaust gas and rob the engine of power? Why would it being gone affect anything?" You can't just remove parts of a emissions system in a car that is 'calibrated' to run with those parts and expect it to run right without some other adjustment/modification, etc. I won't tell you how to do that. That's HybridZ stuff. My main point is that you don't seem to want to listen to the advice you're asking for.

Again, I would suggest you test the components before you go buy new ones. Thermotime switch is the only name I've ever know it by. Nissan still sell them at roughly $70 ea. Part number 22635-N4711. What makes you think you need a new one?

If your Z mechanic is 'very good' as you say, have him rebuild your differential. You have no way of knowing if a used one would be any better than the one you have now until you install it. When I had the noise in mine, it was more of a 'thud' than a 'clunk'. While up on jackstands, I could push the differential up off the broken insulator and stretched strap. Replacing the mount and the strap solved it on my car.

Since your 77 has fuel pump contacts in the AFM, you'd have to jumper those two wires in your AFM connector to make a 82 AFM work in your car. I could have sworn that I answered this question last week,

From 78-83 (84 if you include the Maxima) they used a gear reduction starter. It is a better starter but that's not to say that the earlier one is a bad starter. If I had an earlier S30, and I had to buy a new starter anyway, I'd go with the later one.

Bad gas mileage can be caused by so many things on these systems. The fact that you smell gas, however, tells me that you need to find the source of that first. Hoses, plugged vacuum cannister, bad evap check valve, etc. Dirty injectors or a bad distributor, i.e. stuck advance mechanism, will cause lower mileage but not to that extent. You need to do the 'system components check' as outlined in the FSM. Cold start valve, thermotime switch, water temp sensor, fuel pressure regulator, etc.

I could mail you one. PM me.

Yeah, I know. I posted these in another AC thread a while back:

Very nice! But I've always been partial to blue Zs:) Are you going to change your avitar?

Carl, you were correct the first time. On the 280Z the fan was 3 speed for dealer installed, 4 speed for factory.

The FSM says 171. Your's are not bad. Maybe a little carbon build up in the ones that are over 171 but the variance between cylinders is acceptable. What you wouldn't want to see is a cylinder or two that are much lower, say 130.

All S30s have power brakes.

Maybe you could take a copy of the Nissan Service Bulletin with you to the DMV.

Like I said in my last post, he needs to first find the power that the car is supposed to have by getting it properly running the way it was built, then look for power over stock. Removing emission equipment on an electronically controlled car, even as primitive as these systems are, still requires the skills and understanding of how they work. You can't just yank parts of they system off and expect it to run like it's supposed to.

Er, Ray, a boost controller won't do him any good without a turbo. A 60mm throttle body on a stock engine....again, no good. That leaves the electric fans. Really won't free up enough hp to worry about compared to a stock, properly opeating clutch fan. He'd be better off frist finding out why plugging in the O2 sensor raises the HC reading 5 fold. I suspect that has something to do with removing the cat. The max for HC in California is 244ppm@15 mph and 213ppm@25mph. The test can't be that different for Washington so, even without the O2 sensor plugged in it would still fail. You spoke of removing the EGR valve. If I were you, I'd worry about getting the car running properly rather than looking for more hi performance. What good does that do if you won't be able to pass the emmisions test?

The starter I mentioned is 'supposed' to have more torque. Like I said, I don't have anything to compare it to. Hopefully someone else will answer.

You might find this scan interesting. It's from the Nissan 'Outline Specifications 1975 Models' publication. Note the catagory your car falls into:

A lot of people like to use the late 280z or 280ZX starter since it's a gear reduction starter. I've always had those starters in both of my cars (the Z and the 810). Both basically stock so I don't have anything to compare it to.

IIRC, that thread wasn't my thread nor about changing the connectors. It just showed the difference between the original Nissan connectors and the BMW connectors. I have since switched to Volvo connectors because I like them a little more. I could find that thread if you want but it contained a bunch of questions and side bar remarks from our beloved Tomo and a little ranting from another member because he sells replacement connectors that are the same as the OEM Nissans and my responses kind of stepped on his toes.

Only one? I've picked up several BMW and Volvo fuel injection harnesses over the years. Thought about swapping the entire BMW or Volvo harness on to the Z or 810 but it's easier to just do the individual connectors. The color match thing doesn't mean anything to me. I've done both of my cars, sold a few sets of connectors and kept a few for backup. I actually prefer the Volvo connectors over the BMW connectors.

Use a Volvo TPS connector if you can find one. They're quick release like the Volvo and BMW injector/sensor connectors.

The way I understand it, the sleeve is the important thing as it has to match up with the pressure plate. Someone jump in here if this is wrong but my take on this is that as long as the sleeve and plate match it doesn't matter what fork you use.

Using the Nissan Fast program, and using the ZXT as the input, I come up with 30531-P0151 for the fork, which is the same as what you listed, and 30501-K0401 for the sleeve. When I use the non turbo ZX as the input, I come up with 30531-P0151 for the fork, and 30501-N1600 for the sleeve. The latter combo is what you'd want since it's for the Nissan trans. I didn't realize that the fork for the T5 would be the same but apparently the sleeve isn't

The fork and sleeve I'm using were on the 83 ZX trans when I bought it. That's the non turbo trans. If you bought the turbo fork and sleeve, I doubt if it will work as that's the BW T5 trans.