SteveJ

You can run both an electrical and mechanical fuel pump. The electrical pump should have a way to shut off if the engine is not running, such as an oil pressure signal or signal from the alternator. Many 73 240Zs received a retro-fit from Nissan via the dealer network to add an electric fuel pump. The 260Z came from the factory with both mechanical and electric fuel pumps.

As @Zed Headsaid, you need to place it in the short run between the fuel pump and fuel rail. The challenge is that the gauge should be vertical for best response. You'll need a tee adapter like this: https://www.amazon.com/GlowShift-Pressure-T-Fitting-Adapter-2002-2014/dp/B072M33C5F. It is for 5/16 fuel line with a 1/8 NPT fitting for the gauge. Make sure the gauge and tee adapter have the same size fittings. Some gauges are 1/4 NPT. You'll want no more than 15 PSI on the gauge, otherwise you lose too much resolution. If you think your fuel pressure is too low, look for the simple things: clogged fuel filter, old & brittle fuel hose, and a fuel pump with a worn/torn diaphragm.

Spotted on Facebook: Here's the ultimate Christmas gift for the wrench-turning Z Car lover - https://www.autozone.com/ratchets-sockets-and-wrenches/socket-set/duralast-10-pcs-multiple-drive-metric-socket-set/582151_0_0 The best part is you can give this to the same person year-after-year.

This post has me thinking. (And that's a dangerous thing.) I noticed that in my fuel injection conversion, the car runs fine at first, and it acts up after it gets warm. I currently have the system dead-headed. I'll try insulating it first, and then if it still acts up, I'll add a return to the fuel rail. Thanks for the inspiration, @siteunseen.

So it's not the fuel pressure. I finally set up the fuel pressure gauge (electric - not hanging out from under the hood) and did a test run. The fuel pressure read 15 PSI on the gauge. After just over 5 miles, it started doing the usual routine of acting like it's not getting enough fuel. However, the fuel pressure stayed solid at 15 PSI. I bumped up the fuel pressure to 18 PSI and tested again. Not much changed, but I started playing with the choke lever, and that did relieve the symptoms to a small extent. I have the driver for the USB cable, so the next test will be with data logging.

It's not too difficult to replace the TIU with an HEI. Search around this site.

You went all out to save weight. Colin Chapman would be proud.

The puddle of fluid could be inside the brake booster or soaking the firewall insulation.

High HC tends to mean incomplete combustion. (Look at timing and valve adjustment.) High CO tends to mean rich. (Among other possible problems, it could be the cold start valve supplying too much fuel.) Make sure you have a good distributor cap, rotor, plugs and plug wires. Do a valve adjustment. Check the timing. Change the oil before testing. Download the FSM (link below) and look at the EF and EC sections. Check the function of the water temperature switch If the car was originally a California model, it had a cat. A tell-tale sign is a Floor Temperature warning light on the center console. Since you aren't being tested for NOx, don't worry about the EGR. Search a lot around on this site. There are a lot of threads on fuel injection that might help you.

As @Zed Head said, they have a bad habit of corroding. I'm glad to hear it runs again.

I suggest that you add the year of your car.

No, John thought it was humorous.

If you look closely at the guy in the foreground, you can see the clip pulling the back of his jacket. It's a lot easier to see in the original picture. Scans of magazine photos tend to lose a lot of detail.

Should the Chinese characters be in a different color for legitimate Canadian currency?

@nix240z - Is this something you might be making in the future?

Costco has the Quickjack 5000 on sale. https://www.costco.com/.product.100460313.html It's a little cheaper than Home Depot right now. https://www.homedepot.com/p/QuickJack-BL-5000SLX-5-000-lbs-Capacity-Portable-Car-Lift-BL-5000SLX-AC-110v/307393222 The Costco price runs until Sept 23.

According to the owner's manual for 79, it does not need leaded gas.

Try and buy it. I'm betting there are some parts from it that I want, too.

Well, I found that I'm missing the driver to use the USB cable to log data. My computer didn't like the CD that the driver was on and fouled it up, so I ordered a new driver. The fuel pressure gauge should get here tomorrow. I replaced the fuel filter and took it for a spin. I am more convinced that it's a fuel delivery issue more than an ECU map issue. The car drove smoothly for a few miles and then started feeling down on power and bucking. I got it home and looked at the plugs. They looked great. I got in the car again and took it to the end of the street. I started in 1st and wound it up to 4,000 RPM. Then the RPMs started going down. I didn't cut the old filter open, but the gas coming out of it looked clean. I'm going to do another round of testing when I can collect more data, but I'm starting to lean more toward a surge tank.

Clip leads are easy to find: https://www.harborfreight.com/18-inch-low-voltage-multi-colored-test-leads-66717.html. Just drive over to Modesto. As for the ignition relay, let me check my supplies and PM you.

Okay, I looked in the FSM. I don't like how that test was written. (Mind you, I work on industrial control systems for paralleling generators, so I'm used to relay logic.) 90-91 does NOT have continuity. It will have some resistance as you're reading through the coil. If 93-92 had continuity when voltage was applied to 90-91, the relay is functioning as designed. 94-95 does NOT have continuity. It will have some resistance as you're reading through the coil. To elaborate on what I posted in the other thread, 94 is normally grounded at the alternator. 95 is positive from the ignition relay. 96 is grounded at the oil pressure switch. 91 goes to the fuel pump relay. 97 is positive only when the key is in the START position. The oil pressure switch is closed when there is no pressure. So in a "no oil pressure" situation, both coils in the relay are energized, and the fuel pump relay coil is energized if the car is starting. Once the car has started, the oil pressure switch opens up, and the fuel pump relay coil is energized from the ignition relay via the fuel pump control relay. It would not surprise me if the ignition relay is the culprit here.

I'm not sure if this works, but it comes up on Advance Auto's cross reference: https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/find/1978-nissan-280z-fuel-pump-relay.c7634 Z Car Source lists exchanges for the Fuel Pump Control and Fuel Pump relays. https://zcarsource.com/used-nissan-280z-fuel-pump-control-relay-for-the-1977-78-starting-in-august-of-1977-datsun-280z https://zcarsource.com/used-nissan-280z-fuel-pump-relay-for-the-1977-78-starting-in-august-of-1977-datsun-280z

I should add that the ignition relay is NLA. I have made replacements for people by utilizing conventional off-the-shelf relays.

You have me at a disadvantage here. I do not have a 78 280Z, and the wiring diagram does not have pin numbers from the relay. Could you post a photo that shows the pin numbers so I can verify your findings?

I'm not sure it is critical to have the baffled tank. The problem still happened with a full (and I mean FULL) tank. The baffled tank wasn't mentioned on the Patton Machine thread on HybridZ, and Rick Patton doesn't mention it on his website. Keep in mind that his primary customers are British car owners. This system also operates on a lower pressure and lower flow than the Bosch based system in the 280Z.