mom'sZ

I have a 1977 280z. It is being prepared for SCCA improved touring road racing. Currently in improved touring, there is a move afoot to change the current ECU rule as it pertains to fuel injected cars. A little history, currently, you are allowed to put any ECU in that fits within the stock ECU housing. You must retain all stock sensors and the stock harness, you may not add any sensors or wiring. The rule was made, most feel, because some guys were reflashing the stock epprom chip and there was no way to police it. It was felt that opening the rule up would at least give everyone the same advantage as the cheaters. Most in the class have felt the rule change sucked and want it changed. Some want to go back to stock ECUs only, but that would be impossible to police. Others want the ECU to be completly open, allowing any ECU, sensors and harness. The problem is that many models have a very tiny ECU housing. Some big dollar teams have figured out how to stuff a MOTEC in there box and have fully programable injection but it's expensive to do. A third camp wants to allow only reflashing the original chip or replacing the original chip but retaining the stock board. Most modern ECUs have a epprom chip that can be unsoldered and replaced. So... here is my delemma and my question, the stock 280z does not appear to have an epprom. I had originally planned to put a megasquirt inside my original box, it's pretty big and fitting it would be no problem. I had figured out how to run it using only the stock sensors. If the rule change is made only allowing reflash or rechip, how to proceed? I have search, and read what information I have. The factory service manual contains a block drawing of the circuit, and an explanation of how the components work. Has anyone tried to work on one? Does anyone have any information about it or modifying it? I know JWT supposably has cracked it and can change it. Does anyone who knows more about electronic know how to at least get started? ANYONE having ANYTHING that might help me? Sorry for long post... thanks everyone.

Pete: you are a giant among men, I can not believe you posted such pictures, I have learned more, feel so much more educated as to what the big boys would do, just.. holy $h*t man.... how did you get those pictures???!!!!??!?!?!?! THANKS thank you... 2 fing cool! I am going to try to calm down now.... thanks

I know there are services that blueprint injectors. I guess you guys are wanting to DIY?

hey rdsk8ter: here's a link to a thread I started a few weeks back. In fact the subject line was so close I thought it might have been my thread (was wondering how it ended up in the fabrication forum) Anyhow, lots of good links to harness manfacturers and discussion on install ect. good luck http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=116804&highlight=racing+harness

It's kind of funny that this thread sat for two or three hours before anyone piped up. Good luck my freind, like John said, you are about to become a Zcar man or move on to another hobby. Spindle pin removal can be as easy as a few taps though usually not unless someone has removed them recently and can be a nightmare resulting in a destroyed strut housing. By the way, the pins are available new from your freindly local Nissan dealership in case you destroy yours. They are about 35$ bucks for both including new nuts and washers. Coat them with neverseize so they'll come out easier next time. I beleive this process has actually been credited with the invention of a few new cuss words. Oh yeah John, you forgot one important ceremonial tool... the RED WRENCH... (acetelyne torch) Good luck Luke... and may the force be with you!

Jason: You can lay fiberglass over anything. You can make a 'plug' out of any material you can get to hold the shape you desire. A plug is fiberglass speak for the object you make a mold from. I've hear of folks here using floral foam (found in a craft store) covered in duct tape. I've personally used beer cans, pvc pipe, sheet metal, masking tape all smoothed over with bondo, you name it. It helps if what you create can be painted, then later waxed, so the mold will release from it. I've heard of people using PAM cooking spray as a release agent. The fiberglass store (look around boat marina) even has some green slimmy stuff called release agent you can spray or roll on, it cuts with water so it's easy to clean up.

I have been looking at some wheels and noticed a lot of wheel maker use a notation in there sizing charts of JJ. For instance Volk lists, for 15" wheels, 5 1/2JJ, 6.0JJ, 6 1/2JJ,ect. ect up to 8.0JJ. Does anybody know what the JJ means? I noticed different bolt patterns and offsets were available depending on the JJ notation. Also price seemed to go up as JJ went up. Can anybody help?

The connectors will fit through the hole. You have to juggle it a little, passing one connector at a time through, but it will go. Like mentioned earlier in this thread, the fuel injection harness is a whole sepperate harness and if the fuel injection is no longer being used, it (the FI harness) can be removed with out effecting anything else. The other connectors under the dash are for various other inputs the ECU uses to compute the correct fuel mixture. One is for the signal for the RPMs from the ignition module. There is also a switch on the gas pedal although this may be only on automatic models. Once it's out PM me if you feel like selling it. I'll buy the AFM, ECU and the harness.

New2theZ2006: I'm a big fan of the stock fuel injection. IMHO it is far more versatile, will deliver great mileage and give good performance. It's a simple system, once you learn how it works and get it in good shape it will run great and need zero maintainence. There is a huge knowledge base here and on other z sites for diagnoising problems. There are a lot of performance upgrades to help it keep up with other engine modifications. If under hood appearance is important, here in warm Florida, a bunch of the stuff can be removed. Tweaks can be made to the ECU or an aftermarket controller can be used for total control. I would never go carb if I was you. If you do however, I will buy your AFM, ECU and fuel injection harness. Just my opinion, carb guys... flame suit on!

OK... I'm just going to throw a couple things out there. Most people report the very common reaction disc issue as being no brakes, no brakes... then they lock up. Could this be the issue? From Gretchen/Jason's description it almost sounds like what he's got. One thing that makes me think it's possible was the master got changed, that's when they get knocked loose. One thing that makes me think that isn't the problem is that he said they switched back to the stock calipers and it went away. Gretchen/Jason: search 'reaction disc' and just read some of those posts and see if it doesn't seem like what you've got, familiarize yourself with that issue. Next time the master is off, take a peek in there and make sure that baby is in place. Next thing is you mentioned not being able to get the rear brakes to bleed up very hard. The stock rear drum brakes are never going to bleed hard until they are properly adjusted. Search for this issue. The stock rear drums must be adjusted out, with a brake spoon, with the drums on, until they drag lightly. By lightly I mean it's hard to turn them with just the drum on, but once the wheel is on, you can turn them by hand. I don't know about the toyota 4x4 set up, but the stock brakes will not bleed hard until the rears are adjusted. Other then that, I think an aftermarket adjustable proportioning valve is in order here. And as BJHines says, with different compounds any set up can be made to work. Oh and what spotfitz says is a good thought as well. I think the z and zx did switch front to rear line location on the master, I remember reading that. check it... good luck!

cyrus: the camber settings you mentioned, 3 degrees front and 2.5 degrees rear are for road racing and autocross. If you run that much camber on the street, you will go through tires pretty quick. Your car sounds pretty full boogey and if all the street driving you intend to do is just to get it to events, no big deal. But if you're going to drive it on the street you may want to set it up with the tires sitting closer to 0 degrees and maybe mark your camber plates and adjust it when you get to an event.

I have heard rumblings to that effect as well. But I have read and reread the 07 GCR and not found anything making this cage illegal. Don't get me wrong, I'm not thrilled about where this thing attaches. Being a former collision tech, I know the wheel houses to be one of the strongest parts of a unibody. But that doesn't give me a whole lot of confidence that in a roll over it won't punch right through the sheetmetal. I plan to round the edges of the pads to help prevent that. I'd feel a lot better if the rear stabilizers ran to the tops of the strut tower where the stock shoulder harness attaches. Obviously a lot of compramises were made to accomidate installing it with full interior (a throw back to it's showroom stock origins) When you get the whole thing inside the car, it gets down right clostraphobic (sp?) in there. The door bars are against your thigh, the foward tube is against your head and in a roll over, if the roof is crushed down any at all it will make egress about impossible. I raced motorcycles about ten years ago and considered this 'safer'. The first time I mocked it all up and crawled inside, I thought about going and buying a new GSXR. Suddenly getting thrown clear seemed not that bad. Like stated in my first post, I'd like to get through driver's school and get my license. I have another shell and will put a real cage in ASAP.

Keith: the door bars are included in the kit. The kit has not been updated to 07 specs yet for the double door bars on both sides requirement but autopower sent me two extra door bars and the weld on stubs (already fish mouthed) to weld on myself at no extra charge. At first I didn't think there was any way the second bars would work but after a quick trial fit, it looks like they will. The original door bars come off the main hoop right at the bottom, just above the mount pad maybe an inch or two up. They angle down and curve right where the seat back is and then a straight shot forward to the front down tubes. (I can snap a pic if anyone cares to see) They end up a few inches above the rocker, about thigh hieght. I plan to attach the secound bars about 4" - 6" above the first ones. This would have them originating right about where the horizontal in the main hoop is.

It just out of the picture, here's another shot

Even if you use the flares, you must repair the fenderwell lips to regain the structural integrity of the unibody. You could simply cut away the rust and weld the inner wheelhouses to the outer quarter panels. Did that car come from somewhere where they salt the roads? The battery area rust comes from acid leaking / venting from the battery.

Jon, that is not an option as the car is being prepared for improved touring and would be illegal.

I purchased an Autopower bolt in roll cage for my car. I am trying to install it and have some questions. Please see picture below This picture shows the main hoop positioned roughly in place. The seat is a MOMO start. It is FIA approved and will therefore not need a seat back brace. My problem is that the shoulder harness, when run through the holes in the seat and wrapped around the crossbar ends up at a sharp angle. Much discussion on another thread and reading mfg's documentation has come to the conclusion that the harness should be no more then around 15 degrees up or down from the holes. When I am seated in the seat, the holes line up with the tops of my shoulders pretty well. I could and may lower the seat some, maybe an inch or so, but the harness would still be at a bad angle. Compounding the problem is that I'm not a short guy, six foot, so the seat is back quite a ways and is almost against the main hoop. There will be very little room for the three bar adjuster on the harness between the bar and seat. One solution I have considered is welding another crossbar between the rear brace bars to attach the harness to. You can see one of the rear braces in the picture. What do you think of that or maybe a better idea? I don't need advice on how the cage could have been better constructed or where the bars should attach. It is what it is, and I'm trying to make it work. See below for why I chose this cage. Also please answer only if you have direct experience with race prep or cage construction. Why I got an Autopower cage I purchased this cage because I would like to get this car on the race track. It is constructed from the proper size bar and has passed tech for SCCA competition many times. I have purchased a spare 280z body shell and plan to strip it down, blast it, do the metal work and then have a proper custom roll caged welded in. The parts would then be swapped onto that car from this one. This cage is a short term solution so I can race. I will be happy to answer anyone's questions about how it fits ect. just ask

Wow... that one looks really rusty. I mean these cars are known for being rust buckets but that one is really really bad. The main problem with using fiberglass to repair rust is that steel has elasticity. It bends. It contracs and expanes with fluctuations in temperature. Fiberglass is rigid and brittle, it's very hard. So it tends to not stick real well to metal. Mosture gets up under and rust returns. What's more worrisome about that car is it looks like the unibody itself is quite rusty. This is the structure of the car. Repairing it with fiberglass will not restore the structural strength of the unibody. Do you have welding skills? More pictures would be required to pass judgement on this car but it may be to far gone to attempt conventional repairs to the unibody. How does the rest of the car look? The floor pans, the frame rails. If the inner fenders look like that I fear the rest is no better. I hate to be the barer of bad news but that one looks really rough.

The blue wire is the negative for the coil. The number one spark plug wire is the one that is located at nine o-clock if you stand on the driver's side and look at the distributer facing toward the passenger side. There is notches to locate the cap and number one is the first one above the locating notch on the left side. (standing on the driver's side facing the passenger's side) The fuel injection has a ground that attaches to the driver's side strut tower and one that attaches to the engine on top of the intake on a bracket to hold the harness. The engine compartment harness has a ground that attaches to the firewall on the passenger side. good luck!

Well I just want to point out here on the forum we've had numerous instances where guys have been going nuts trying to diagnois brake problems that in the end turned out to be defective master cylinders that were brand new. It's the last thing everybody checks because it's brand new and assumed to be good. The booster is also rebuildable if you feel like doing it yourself, search for a thread on how. PS: don't mean to point out the obvious, but you did bleed the master before installing it right?

This is a real testimony for lifetime warranty parts. The general assumtion is that if a part has a lifetime warranty, it must be of decent quality. Most the time that is not the case. good luck with your ride, and happy holidays to everyone (500th post!!!!)

If the battery is only two weeks old and the headlights work then you have a bad connection to the starter or the starter might be bad. I'd check your battery cables first.

Whew... that was close ....joking Paul JOKING.... Oliver: I concure with Paul, this guy is... well incorrect