roger.svoboda

download the fsm from xenon and read therein the procedure

might help to know year and turbo or n/a

steering leak isn't normal (defined as working the way it should) but often seen on the older Z's. You can get a rebuilt rack for probably under $250. Not dificult to replace. be sure it isn't some of the hosing/tubing that is leaking. then you might as well replace the ball joints and bushings so the car goes where you point it. new shocks also do wonders. 18mpg is poor you should be over 20. one that is running well can get in the 24-25 range. Do a tune up. download the fsm from xenon so you know what you are working on

download the fsm from xenon site and read it. tells you all you need to know. get some deoxit and clean the connectors to the ecu, tps, maf.

you can also download the Factory Service Manual from xenons130 website. Its free and a pretty good manual. you need to learn how to put a vacuum gage on the sytem and check the fuel pressure. Vacuum leaks are the bane of a fuel injected engine and poor fuel delivery is common on a Z. replace the fuel filter but that has nothing to do with living on a dirt road. Maybe the air filter but unlikely it is plugged up ennough to limit speed to 30mph. look for any hoses in the engine room that are dangling. find a cute guy that knows something about cars and use feminine wiles. check around on the internet to see if there is a z car club near you. Most members more than happy to help out a newbie with a problem.

could be a somewhat loose belt slipping because of the extra load of the lights.

R180 tranny is about six inches across horizontally (sort of a rectangle) while the R200 is about eight inches across and looks more like a square. Easy to see when sitting side by side but not so clear when mounted. The splines on the drive shaft for the tranny output may differ between the auto and the manual. The mounting flange for the input to the diffy probably differ. you can easily put the R200 diffy in the 80 if you want. you need to reverse tHe u bolt looking piece that mounts the diffy and goes up into the car under the carpet behind the seats. Once you demount it you will see what i mean.

get a can of starting fluid. use it see if you can get a second start out of it. If so then pretty likely you have a fuel delivery issue. need fuel, fire and air to run. load check your battery and be sure your cables are clean, tight and free of corrosion on both ends. Z's don't like low voltage. you can get the amps to crank but not the voltage to run the electrics (ask my wife about the time I took her for a ride and we couldn't get off the ferry). Get a can of Deoxit by CAIG. clean the connectors for AFM, TPS and ECU with it. you've done so many other things time to be looking at very basic stuff. You say you measured fuel pressure after the regulator which is the totally wrong place. the fuel comes from the pump to the filter then to the fuel ring and then to to the FPR. your gage needs to go between the filter and the fuel ring. You really need to understand the fuel system. try downloading the fsm from xenon and READING IT.

another possibility is that the clutch fork fulcrum pin shattered. happened to me on a dark and stormy night. either way looks like you need to drop the tranny and find out what is going on.

could be a bad fpr. did you change the filter?

your perception that the dizzy has anything to do with spark strength leads me to wonder about the rest of your post. Had you said coil and ignition module I would lend more credence to your statements. the fact that grounding something makes it work would lead me to believe you have the Lucas, Prince of Darkness disease. Lack of Earthings to use the Limey phrase.

if you didn't replace the slave at the same time as the master you are just asking the car gods to strike you down on a cold rainy dark night in the middle of nowhere.

the s30 are expensive. you can get an s130 in better shape for less money. the z31 turbos are around and cheap. Depends on what you like for looks. offered my son a free 81 turbo but he declined because he didn't like the long hood. gave him my 85T when he finally produced a BA degree and he loves it. I love the long hood on the s130 but I was a kid when the Jag XKE was a neato car. z32 is the prettiest of the last century z's and you can find one cheap if you look long enough.

give a shot of starting fluid while someone cranks the engine. If she pops then you know you got spark and air. need fire, air, fuel to run so figure it out from there.