st0878

Geeez now I have to start reading the question? If ya don't know the answer ...... dazzel them with BS...... Thanks Steve your right!

Could be a fuel starvation issue as well. Z's have alot of problems with rusting tanks. Try changing the fuel filter before doing anything else (Autozone $9). On the other hand, it could be the exact opposite and your getting too much fuel causing the plugs to fuel foul. Next time you have this problem pull a few plugs and see it they are wet. Check all of your vacume lines especially the one under the intake manifold that comes off the PVC valve. They have a bad habbit of drying up because they sit so close to the manifold and they almost always crack on the back side where you can't see it. Temporarily disconnect your thermotime switch the next time you have this problem to see if runs better. As you go from the easy, cheap and obvious things you might want to pull your injetors to see if they are all firing (leave them on the rail turn over car). These are all problems that I have had with a Z that sat too long.

Sorry that link doesn't take you all the way down. Go to the link then to Projects, Heating and Cooling then A/C Retrofit

If your going to r134 ypu will need to flush the entire system and replace the dryer then pull vacume and refill the r134. You will also need to install two new service adaptors. Buy brass and not aluminum adaptors. This is a friend on mine's WEB site. It's for crappy IROC Camaro american cars, but he's go a really good write up on converting to 134 with some good links to other AC sites. http://www.iroczone.com/newindex.htm

Black smoke is caused from a very rich mixture, especially at higher RPMs. Let me guess the car doesn't like to start when it's hot?

I had a very similar problem and turned out to be the thermotime sensor. I'd disconnect it and it would run fine. I think only the FI Zs have thermotime swithches. This was on a 75z. I just bought a 76 Z and I have this problem every now and then with my fusable links making bad contact cause I don't have covers on them. I cleaned them up and it had been running like a champ since!

It would be nice if we could put together a how-to article with where to get the parts and the step by step instructions on how to inspect and test all of the different components required to bring an old AC system back on-line. I know that MSA sells the entire conversion kit but I sure would hate to spend money to replace something that may be salvagable and functional. If there are any AC gurus out there it's time to share your wealth.

MSA has a complete conversion lit for like $650. I have a friend that is AC certified and he says that basically you only need to change out the acumulator, seals and adaptors. Don't use the cheap aluminum ones. You need to flush out the old oil first. I was thinking of converting mine, and will document the process and post it as a how-to artical.

Sorry I was confusing the cold start valve with the air regulator. I have the cold start valve disconnected as well as not to add more fuel to the fire. I live in Florida so cold starting is not a big problem. I do not see any noticable difference in starting or running when the cold start is connected/disconnected. Do Zs vary the duration of injector spray? And if so what governs that duration?

Where do you live?

I know that my thermotime switch is bad cause when I connect it I get erratic idle and cutoff. right now it's disonnected. How does that register with the computer? Is it sending rich signals to the injectors?

HMMMMM haven't swapped that out yet! Could it be that simple? I think I have an extra I'll try and jam that in tomorrow & see what happens.

I saw that there is a company on ebay that is selling "new" 3-row radiators for the Zs for $109. They claim that they are exact fits and that you don't have to use adaptors or anything. I didn't think that was too bad. I don't know how much MSA charges but they have a tendency to gouge. If you shop around you can almost always find the companies that sell to MSA for a whole lot less. You might take the good advise of the gang and swap out the cheaper parts first. This 2 cents is all I have left ...for I own a Z too.

I have 75 Z FI. I runs very good when it's cold but the engine stalls and hard to restart when hot. I know that its running rich because I blow black clouds when I dig my spurs into it, but the more I lean out the AFM the hotter the engine runs and thus the worse the problem becomes aftr warm up. I have a new distributor, wires, cap, rotor, intake/exhst manifold gasket, no appearent vacume leaks, new PVC, PVC hose good. Runs great but the time I get work (14 Miles) I'm fighting to keep it running and heaven forbid it cuts off, because it will be hard to restart. I have to disconnect all of the injector terminals, run out the excess gas and then I can usually get it running again. I've only had the car for a few months and have never driven it more than 15-20 miles but I'm pretty sure that it would over heat if I had to stop in traffic for more than 20 minutes or so. Also I'm getting horrible gas mileage (about 9-10 MPG). I'm having a rough time figuring this one out. Other: Firing order is OK. Injectors all seem to be firing. Tried changing the Coil. New Fuel Filter. Newly sealed tank. Fuel pump is hot-wired on all the time.

Sorry Ed my bad. Your knowledge and help is equally appreciated! Ed Z

Thanks everyone for the advice. It seems like whatever the option they are all pretty pricy. In the past 2 or 3 months since I started this restoration I think that I have created an ecological hotspot in Homestead Florida. Screw the five legged frogs, whats a few more chemicals in the back yard at this point? I think I'm going with the plating kits available from Caswell and that way I can coat what ever the hell I want! There's a Nuclear plant about two mile from my house ..... let them take the blame. Thanks again.

Thanks everyone for your help. I was out buying another engine for my Z and the guy that was selling it had a little warehouse that he ran a restoration shop out of. He refurbishes old vintage Jaguars at 200K a pop. But the guy works by himself and knows how to bring old things back to life. He was kind enough to show me a few tricks while I was there. I had a tendency to go pounding on the back side of a dent to try and get it to pop out but appearently that is the exact opposite of what you should do! Basically, he says to hold the dolly on the bottom of the dent and tap lightly on the highest point of the dent and to keep working it until you worked all the way out. The best part of the story is the guy had a canari yellow 78 280z that belonged to his son (who lived in another state) in absolutley beutiful condition that he agrees to sell me for $1200. Now I'm trying to get rid of my current rusty old Z. Thanks Enrique, I have read a number of your posts and you always give solid advice!

As I sit in the drivers seat looking out over the hood of the car and on the front qtr panel, I see dents that well aren't really dents that I think would qualify for bondo, nor does the dents seem like they would be the type that would pop up. I'n not real sure how to approach them? Also every time I put any weight on the top of my front qtr panel the metal pops down and back out again. I don't reallycare now because I haven't painted it yet but I don't want this happening after I paint. So how do you fix those subtle metal imperfections that come with a 30yr old car? And do you think welding some sheet metal strips on the underside of the qtr panel will stregthen it?

I saw them in the Victorya Brit. catalog for an amazing 99.00. Winsheilds can break very easy if they are not relaxed in the seals. If they bind just the slightest get out the shop-vac.

How strengent are the inport laws in Canberra from the US on used parts? I know that when I lived in Brazil you weren't allowed to import anything used and anything new had about a 50% terrif.

I have a habbit of cleaning everything that I take off my Z before putting it back on. The problem is that on some parts and nuts if you wire wheel them you loose the gold protective coating. Does anyone know of a spray like cold galvenizing spray that you can use to restore these parts to their original gold glazed appearance? If you paint them solid gold or silver they look lame! At the same time if you do nothing then they start to rust in just a few days. I was thinking of buying a powder coating machine but I don't think that my wife will let me cook the parts.

I had pretty much the same problems. I took the turn signal off of the column and gave it a good cleaning. This got a few of these problems to stop. I still have a problem with my right sinal not working.

I buy sheet metal from a automotive paint supply store then cut out the old and weld in the new. Sounds easy but welding sheet metal sucks.

Be careful not to use too much oil when reinstalling a bolt to the block/head. A few drops of oil with nowhere to go can turn into a hydraulic pump and fire through or crack a block.

Alright you propeller heads.... Here's the dreaded compression numbers from my 75 Z with 173k. I did the test with all the plugs out and a preheated block. First the good news, I blew even numbers across all cylenders. The compression dry was 130 on all 6 and 140 with 2 squirts. I didn't think that a 10 PSI jump wet was a great jump (correct me if I'm wrong) so I was wondering if there is anything else that could be causing low compression like the valves? And without looking inside would you think that a simple honing and rings would fix this? The car seems to have OK power and no valve rattle.:disappoin