SteveJ

The senders are available via eBay & MSA. However, they are essentially a potentiometer. Unless you took out the sender, there is little chance of breaking it, though they can wear from the float going up and down. What exactly did you mess with? Search around here. I know I've posted on how the fuel gauge circuit works. It's pretty simple.

First, I suggest getting a new fusebox. MSA sells a drop-in replacement. It isn't cheap, though. The intermittent wiper relay is in the passenger footwell. Download a copy of the FSM (link below) and look in section BE. Don't rule out the combo switch and all of the corrosion in the connectors as being possible culprits, too. Your best bet is to study the wiring diagram and start attacking the circuit with a multimeter.

Considering the OP said the lights & voltmeter came on when he tried to start the car, I feel pretty confident that there are electrical issues at play as a primary or secondary issue. I'm curious about how he answers my questions back to him.

You haven't supplied enough data to speculate. Was anything like this happening before you made any repairs, such as any other electrical problems? What all did you replace with the fuel system? Did you connect the battery properly after replacing the starter? How long have you had the car? Did you or a previous owner attempt any electrical repairs? General problem descriptions tend to get general responses. Detailed descriptoins will yield better results. If the wiring hasn't been hacked, you may want to look for wire damage in the steering column, especially if anybody ever tried to hotwire the car.

The fusible links are under the hood. Download a copy of the FSM from the link below. Also get a copy of the wiring diagram from Blue's tech tips. I have a strong suspicion that there is a lot more going on than a bad fusible link.

I've seen it on MSA & eBay. Maybe even Nissan still carries it.

Apparently he bought (or still buys) parts from Nissan and tries to sell them on eBay for a large markup. Save your money and look elsewhere. A better investment is to buy the parts fiche CD from this site and contact your local Nissan dealer or one of the dealers that sell parts online (like Courtesy Nissan in Texas).

It's not complicated. It's just time consuming. I think I recall the order correctly. Make sure you drain the tank well. Remove the wires for the sender. (You may want to get a new O-ring & locking tab for the sender in case you need them.) Support the tank. (I prefer to use a floor jack.) Take off the straps and lower the tank. Detatch all of the vent hoses, the filler hose & fuel lines. Remove the tank.

Since air conditioning wasn't from the factory, installations will vary. Please post pictures so we can see what the interference is like. Also, where is your fuel pump leaking? In my limited experience with the mechanical fuel pump, I've only heard of the diaphragm leaking, and that fuel would go into the oil. Could you have a hose going bad instead?

Some background is needed here. Why did you replace the alternator and regulator? Where did you get the parts from? Did you get a 50 Amp alternator, or did you go with a higher rating? Nissan changed from an externally regulated to an internally regulated alternator for the 1978 model year. Having an internally regulated alternatore with an external regulator is bad mojo. You can get overvoltage conditions that can damage equipment. Was the click inside the car (accessory relay) or in the engine bay (starter solenoid)? This part screams "Accessory fuse". I bet you don't have a working rear defroster, either. Anyway, start by checking the fuse in the lower right of the fusebox. Also check the upper 2 on the left. Take the fuses out of the fuse box and test them with an ohmmeter. Before you take the car out again, I suggest you check the output of the alternator with a voltmeter. Measure at the battery. If it's about 14.5 at idle, shut down the car immediately and research alternator swaps. If you're in the northern suburbs of Atlanta, send me a PM. I might be able to come over and help you if need be.

The link is in my signature.

You can download the FSM. You may also want to get How to Rebuild Your Nissan & Datsun OHC Engine. It never hurts to have the proper references.

Have you downloaded a copy of the FSM and looked at it? How about a copy of How to Rebuild Your Nissan & Datsun OHC Engine?

Yes, the coil of the defroster relay is on the same fuse as the radio. As for the relay failing, yes, the coil can fail. If you hear the relay clicking, that would support a coil getting weak before failing. Don't forget to check the connectors for failure, too.

If you are up to removing the gauge from the dash, it's not to difficult to test. I have only opened up the fuel gauge/ammeter, so I can't say for sure about all of the wiring, but if you open up the meter, you can confirm the following. If the oil pressure gauge works like the fuel gauge, you have the Yellow/Red wire providing 12 VDC+. The gauge probably works on a voltage divider with one part of the gauge wired to black and the signal wire for the gauge wired to Yellow/White. (It says Yellow/White in the FSM, but it may be Yellow/Black in reality.) Get a 0-100 Ohm potentiometer and 2 6 VDC lantern batteries and wire them up to the gauge as shown in the picture. Vary the resistance on the pot and look for movement in the gauge. By the way, you didn't use teflon tape or some other sealant like that on the threads, did you? You should only use a sealant that has enough metal in it to be conductive. Also, it's a good idea to have an ohmmeter or multimeter rather than a test light. A meter will give you a better quantitative answer.

Thanks, those images are definitely worth saving.

I believe you refer to the length of the shoulder. Look at McMaster-Carr for descriptions. However, they don't carry M10 bolts with a shoulder and 1.25 pitch.

The electrical systems in 40 year old cars is not that complicated. Most ever potential in the car is 12 VDC. A notable exception is the primary side of the coil when the car is running & has a ballast resistor. The chassis is negative in most cars, including our Z cars. Stock black wires are paths to ground/chassis. Wires are color coded in the wiring diagrams in the FSM. You can buy a reasonably good multimeter for not too much money. Learn how to measure voltage and resistance, and you can trace most any circuit in the car and know how it's doing. You can also post questions here to get you on the right path.

As you take things apart and measure them, you start to notice trends. You can also buy gauges at home improvement/hardware stores or online.

I suspect that is the same car that someone had a thread on here about a year or more ago. I think the story line was that the car had been hit & repaired and sat undriven for a long time. Edit: Here's the thread I was talking about. If it is the same car, someone sure had a lot of fun with it over the last year. Upon further review, it can't be the same car. I just noticed the C pillar badges.

Did you try what Sarah said to do? It would be good to check your fuel pressure with a gauge, too.

Now that I remember, I believe I bought some last year from a Nissan dealer.

I didn't see them on his website, yet. Go look at it. There are plenty of drool-worthy items there.

I found this picture on a 260Z for sale in France

If I were to hazard a guess, I would say those are the flat tops that the markets outside of the US received. By the way, the US flat tops don't seem to be that problematic to me, and the ones outside the US were even better.