mom'sZ

If your car is a 77 280Z, here's how it should work: When the key is in the start position (it's actually cranking over using the starter), power is sent directly to the fuel pump to run it. When you release the key and it is in the run position, power is no longer sent directly to the fuel pump. Instead there is a set of contacts in the Air Flow Meter that must be open to send power to the fuel pump. In this way, power is only sent to the fuel pump if the motor is actually running. It's a saftey feature in case the car is in an accident and the motor stalls but the key is left in the on position. That way the fuel system isn't pressurized and possibly damaged and starts a fire. There is a relay (or three) involved and sometimes they go bad and owners circumvent the saftey feature and directly wire the fuel pump. (not a bright idea) When the car is not running, you should not hear the fuel pump running. If you take the boot off the front side of the AFM and put the ignition switch in the on position, with the engine NOT running, you should be able to stick your finger into the AFM, raise the flap a little and hear the fuel pump kick on. As far as the injector, get one of those little injector test light thingies, I forget what they call them, I think they call them node lights or something. They are dirt cheap (a couple bucks) go to any auto parts store and tell them what you want. Anyhow, you unplug one injector, plug the test light in the harness where it would have attached to the injector, and crank the car. The little light blinks when it gets an injector pulse. No blink, no pulse. If the injector isn't getting a pulse, most likely the ECU is bad. When the injector is fired, it is actually receiving a ground. It is powered all the time and grounded to pulse it. So it is major important that the wiring harness grounds are attached to a good ground. The fuel injection harness is a whole separate harness from the rest of the car. It has one ground terminal on the intake manifold and I think another on the fire wall. The ECU has it's own positive and negative power wires running to it as well.

mine is a 77. I bought the momo start end of last year and it is bottom mount.

you know... that's the funniest thing... that's the same exact illustration shown on the sparco web site for sparco seat mounts.

Who sells a bracket to mount a Momo start in a 76-77? Where can I order one from? Please post a source, thanks

Give these guys a call classictube.com

First.. as Daeron later in the thread states, this is wrong. That screw is the idle speed adjustment. It allows you to set the idle speed (RPMs) and doesn't effect mixture at all Then this... Is only partially true. The thermotime switch only controls how long the cold start valve can operate. The cold start valve provides extra fuel on cold starting and the thermotime switch cuts it off after a given period of time so the engine doesn't flood. The thermotime switch therefore can only effect mixture at cold start up (maybe that's what Phantom meant)The water temp sensor on the otherhand is very important for fuel mixture, both on start up and while running at normal temp. Phantom's suggestion to clean the connectors to these sensors is a very good one. Daeron also gives some good advise Although the throttle position sensor on a 76 isn't really a sensor. It's two contact switches. One set of contacts tells the ECU he is at idle. The other tells the ECU he is at a large throttle opening state. If you pop off the cover on the throttle position sensor you will see two little sets of contact points. A guy who was a nissan tech back when the 280 was a current model showed me how to adjust it. You adjust it by (gently) bending the contact point arms. (if adjustment needs to be made) He told me it was real common for them to end up both touching at once and that was bad. Work the throttle as you adjust, make the first set touch just as the throttle is completly closed. Make the second set touch when you get the throttle almost fully open, (maybe around three quarters of the way open) Allow some travel in the middle where neither touch and make sure they don't touch at the same time. I think the connections to your water temp sensor are corroded or the water tempature sensor itself is bad. It's been my experience that when it goes bad, the ECU goes full rich. The car will barely run, smoke badly and not idle. If you clean the connections and that doesn't help, replace the sensor, it's only 15 bucks and available at any auto parts store. There is an adjustment to change the mixture. It involves opening up the air flow meter. Here's a link to a member of the Texas Zcar club's tips on doing it. He's known as Blue on the Zcar.com forum. http://www.atlanticz.ca/zclub/techtips/afm/index.html Here is a link to the fuel injection bible http://www.atlanticz.ca/zclub/techtips/efisystem/280zfuelinjectionbook.pdf Download it, print it out, read it, learn it, rinse, repeat It gives procedures for testing and adjusting all these components. How to check the sensor outputs at the connector to the ECU to see what signal the ECU is truely getting using a common multimeter. Good luck

I need a fresh L-6. I spent a few hours searching the forum last night and found this thread http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=118218&highlight=rebuild+kit where Z-ya (pete) suggests a place that sells rebuild kits. Here's the place http://www.rpmrons.com/Nissankits.html The prices look good, I don't need pistons though they say they sell re-ring kits as well. I also checked Courtesy's web site and they list a very complete timing chain kit but that's about it. I have a N-42 I would like to rebuild. I would like to use the stock pistons and just hone and new rings. Does Nissan sell rings sets that are 02 over or what ever for re-ringing. Does Nissan sell any engine components for rebuilding these engines anymore? What was the standard oversize bores for these engines? +20 +30, +40? I need to use stock pistons or exact duplicates. (this is for a SCCA ITS car) Does Nissan still have bearings for rods and crank? How about stock cams, and vavle gear? Also, does anybody know a good engine shop in the South Florida area that could build an engine for me? Someone who is farmiliar with L6s? Perferably a shop well versed in race engine building. Someone who can turn the thing around in less then six months or a year.

Z-8 No you can't. A specific gravity tester will only work on a liquid acid battery. you have to be able to draw some of the acid from each cell up into the tester. You dip the hose down into the acid and use the bulb to draw acid up into the tester. The float rises inside and there is a scale to read the strength of the battery. You perform this test on each cell of the battery. They are also called a hydrometer, here's another type Both around 6 or 8 bucks. And here is a a load tester. They are a little more expensive to buy, around 30 to 50 bucks There are some wires inside the case, sort of like a toaster, and when the battery is hooked up to it (with those short cables) it causes the wires inside to glow. This uses current, and simulates the battery being used. As you do this you can watch the voltage. A good battery will hold up around 10-12 volts, a bad one will drop off like a pig.

You know what greg? That is a really good point! I agree, it's just going to get sh*t dumped on it and knocked around. So... you would trust this thing? Your 40$ one, it rolls around OK and stuff?

I need an engine stand. I've never bought anything from harbor frieght because I think cheap tools are worthless. But I was looking online and they have a folding engine stand for 99$ Here's a link http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=47304 I like the fold up option, that would make storage easier when I'm not using it. It's rated at 2000 lbs. and an L-6 only weighes about 500 lbs., so I'm sure it's heavy enough. I'm just worried that for 99 bucks it's going to be total junk. (cheap castors ect.) Does anybody have one? Does anybody know where to get a better one? What does everybody use / like? I don't mind spending money for good quality stuff, if it hold the motor up and is safe, that will work.

Just want to add my two cents. Former bodyman for 25 years and did a lot of restoration ect. Pressure blasters rock! (like number 2) gravity fed blaster is for an area no bigger then a couple inches square. If you have a large area, a pressure blaster will use less air and make quick work of it. I had a 60 pound unit (held sixty pounds of sand) and could do the whole interior floor pan of a muscle car in about 45 minutes!

I agree with Pop that you need to clean not just look at the cables. They can look fine and still not work. Jumping from another car does not prove it's the battery. There are only two true ways to check a battery - load test it (your auto parts store will do this for you) or specific gravity test (a cheap one is three bucks!!!). The first step in diagnoising any electrical problem is getting a KNOWN TO BE GOOD battery. This issue might not be the battery. But you are not going to find the issue until you eliminate the battery. (I still think this one is a bad key switch)

I agree the 76s30 about the battery and cables being important. But this sounds like a bad key switch if I ever heard one.

Correct-a-mundo 280zwitha383. It's not a true throttle position sensor. It's a two contact point switch. Using an ohm meter as you described confirms it's working as advertised, so long as both sets don't have continuity at once. The first set tells the computer he is idling, and should open (break continuity), like you said, just off idle. The second set add enrichment (adds more fuel) for higher RPM operation. About 3/4 open would be a good guess if you don't have a wide band or something. Are you working on the original poster's car? It's a stock FI setup? Just wondering, because of your user name. 280 with a 383. Where's all your stock FI stuff, wanna sell it? Check my signature.

Mopar69: I kind of figured you were a little younger then me. I don't think you can do it with 'the' stock tank, maybe 'a' stock tank, but as Chaparral2f said some modifications will be necassary. All those GMs had a rear filler configuration. Maybe with a little snooping around in the bone yard... As far as reinforcing the rear panel, you're going to have to make some kind of tunnel up over the filler neck anyhow to sepparate the passenger compartment from the tank. Chaparral2f: I see you've got the pit bull motto for your signature... hehehe... words to live by! I tell people at work that (about myself) all the time.

What year car is this? Is it fuel injection and is the FI stock? If it says somewhere and I'm blind.... sorry

The cover on the throttle position sensor? It has little plastic tabs and just snaps off. Be gentle, it's old and brittle and the tabs could break off. Pry at one side, then the other. It should come off with nothing more then your fingers. I just went out and checked on mine and the wire connector definitly doesn't have to be removed. Mine is a 77. It does look like it might be part of the cover, but it isn't. After coming on and off so many times, mine is kind of loose and I use a zip tie wrapped around it to hold it in place.

datsunlover: I think your guess is a good one. The throttle position switch is a real possibility. Driftinpinoy: Pop the cover off it. Adjust so that the first set of contacts opens just off idle and the second makes contact (as datsunlover said) somewhere above half throttle. Make sure at fully closed throttle the first set is seated, and most important that both sets aren't closed at once. Looking for air leaks in the boots is another great piece of advice although the symtoms sound more like TPS. Pull the pleats in the boots apart and look for tears.

JustinOlson, that doesn't seem to bad for a zcar. I've seen these things rotted to waste. You're lucky, yours seems pretty save-able. That being said, the rust you show in that picture is effecting the structural integrity of the car and needs to be fixed. Maybe not today or tommorow, but you need to plan on fixing it... soon. Trying to fix it in a way that isn't going to cause more rust is important as well. Seam sealing and undercoating after you're through ect.

Some where around here there is a link to an online microfiche. It's free to download. I'll try to find a link.

Try to provide more information about your car. Does it have the stock motor? If it's a 280 it has electronic ignition. Sanding the contacts inside the distributor is a no-no. What do you mean lack of power, discribe? octane of fuel shouldn't make a big differance.

It sounds like the exhaust system you put on the car may provide a lot less back pressure. This may cause you to lose some low end power. A cold air intake, underdrive pulleys and an electric fan are all things that will help your top end power. Many high performance modifications 'shift' the power band up to a higher rev range. How stock is the rest of the car? There may not be much you can do to regain that lost low end, other then putting a restrictive muffler back on it.

metal cover including filler neck posted by BJHines in another thread (hope he doesn't mind)

Yeah OK, I just checked real quick to see if one of those links was the poor man's adjustable rear crossmember thingie you two came up with. That was a really cool idea and you two (Terry & Jon) really worked it and discussed it until some great solutions were put into metal. Great thread, and the reason I'm saying this now in this thread about hacking up your stock arms to make them adjustable is some folks could do some fabrication that might be questionable. (not you BJhines either, those look great!) But the adjustable crossmember would give most people the desired effect (on car adjustability of rear suspension) with out the safety factor of chopping up your stock arms. BJhine's car is a race car. It gets inspected and maintained on a level (probably) that many street driven cars do not. (it probably gets driven a HELL of a lot harder then most street cars) For your average guy (you three, Terry Jon and BJHines are master fabricators) that could be a better solution. How bout a adjustable suspension FAQ? Hey.... and if ya do that, how about an align your new adjustable suspension FAQs? along with what setting worked in what environment and why? (now I'm dreaming)

Mopar69, you must be younger then me (I'm 43... I think) because these things were all over the place when I was younger. I think damn near every GM car had it like that, at least the full sized models. The hinged license plate frame should be a relatively simple thing to find in the bone yard. It was a simple devise, held on by two bolts and could easily be screwed to the back of a zcar. (as others have said) One thing though, I think GM got rid of it because it wasn't the safest thing in a rear end collision. A metal cover over the fuel cell or metal bulkhead separating the driver and cell is required by most racing organizations BTW. Even if you guys aren't ever going to race, makes a lot of sense. A hose between the filler neck welded to the rear panel and the fuel cell could rip loose in an accident. Fuel sloshing all over the car interior in an accident, ewww... that could get nasty. Race parts are for... well... race cars. Lifting the tailgate to fill the tank might be a pain, but it may well be the price you pay if you wanna run a fuel cell. Not trying to rip on anybody by the way, please don't take it like that. Just, as a former collision tech for twenty years, I saw a lot of ugly stuff, some of which resulted in the owner's family coming to get their departed loved ones belongings out of what was left of the car. Also, post pictures of your fuel cell installations in a zcar. I wanna put one in my... ah... race car.