NewZed

It's an old car that looks cool. Some people buy them just to have them in the garage, and never actually drive them. If you're looking for a daily driver, read through the many threads on this site to see what's involved in keeping them running. Looks like you should plan on having two cars for a while. Ideally, the other will be a truck so that you can haul parts, like engines and transmission. And expect to spend some money. Nickels and dimes will add up quickly. If it didn't need time and money he probably wouldn't be selling it. Lastly - do you like your neighbor now? Because you're going to find all of the "previous owner" stuff he did. Or he might be hanging out all the time pining over his old car.

Make sure that the original module is disconnected. And think of the MSD box as the make/break circuit on the grounded side, the negative side, of the coil. The coil gets power, the MSD box lets current flow, the MSD box cuts the current when the trigger wires tell it to...spark happens. Break it down in to the basics.

L = Blue

MSD has a wiring diagram and instructions. Probably better to use that. The first diagnostic test is to measure coil voltage with the key On and at Start. No power, no spark. Coil power doesn't come through the MSD box. There are two power wires for 1976.

I think that that type of thought process is what started his problem.

Odd, somebody must have started from basics but overlooked the old system. And never finished the job. Beware, there's a problem with the 280Z's that drains the battery after the Atlanticz method. The brake warning lamp check relay stays on after the swap. 1976 for sure, not sure about 75 and 77. There's another wiring scheme out there but it leaves the Charge light off. There are a few threads around the internet about it. Good luck.

Here's some good stuff. Diagrams are farther down and S and L are ID'ed. The alts are all similar. http://www.atlanticz.ca/zclub/techtips/alternatorswap/index.html

He said he doesn't have a charge light. You do. So it can't be exactly the same. Dig in to S and L and forget about wire colors. Use a meter.

What year 280Z? And do you know if the alternator is internally regulated (it probably is but you never know)? Internally regulated alternators are actually super simple to wire up. S connects to battery/charge wires. L connects to the light in the voltmeter. Sounds like the PO got his S and L backward and rigged some things up to try to make sense of what was happening. Some of the alternators actually have S and L molded into the alternator case. I'd start over and focus on those two wires. The light nthe meter is not an LED. It's just a bulb behind a red lens.

You seem to have too many "lights". A bulb and an LED. Where did this wiring scheme come from, it's odd? Sounds like the "S" wire is not connected. It Senses charge voltage and the regulator uses it to regulate voltage. Your "bulb" must be connected to the L circuit. When it's disconnected the windings lose power and charging stops. Not clear why the gauge has a red LED. Is it the stock gauge or some aftermarket gauge? Is this a new problem or has the wiring scheme never worked? You have some wrongness going on.

No. ZX's don't have mustache bars. The R180 mustache bar is different from the R200 mustache bar. It's possible to stretch and oblongate and torque and pry a variety of parts in. Get the parts and start installing. That's what most do. There's always some part you'll have missed or some modification you'll need to do. Good luck. Don't forget the speedo gear.

You'll need an R200 mustache bar and cross brace to replace your R180. The T5 needs some custom work as Sleeper noted. The propeller shaft from the ZX won't swap over and your 240Z one won't work, you'll need a custom length. The T5 doesn't really offer much more than a stock 5 speed. "T5" is a name for hundreds of different types of Borg Warner transmissions. It doesn't mean super-strong. The T5 swap is where the fabrication and cost is. Find a 71B 5 speed and the swap will be bolt on/straight swap parts, no fab required. Many people use the 71B behind the turbo engines.

The thin wire is probably soldered to the bottom of the well where the actual sensing element is. Follow the yellow wire back in to the harness until you find a break. I don't think it goes all the way to the gauge. Probably a bullet connector somewhere.

I tore my coolant temperature sensor apart like that on my 76. Oops. The coolant temp. sensor has a well like yours. Somebody might have repurposed one on yours. Not really sure what to tell you now. You might work your way back on the yellow wire and see if there's a bullet connection in to the harness. Take it apart there. Or you could just buy a new sender. One problem for you though is to be sure you have a spot for in the T-stat housing. Nissan used several different bore and thread sizes. I think that all four holes are different. Looks like you're n the right hole though. Not sure what a PO put in there. Flip the picture 90 degrees in your head...