coletrain777

Hey all, I am looking for a good RUST FREE set of front fenders (minor body work needed OK, but no rust). I also would like a passenger side floor pan either new or one properly removed with NO RUST. Also, if you have any other body parts or mechanicals that are in good-great shape and you are in the Missouri area then let me know. If you have parts for a reasonable price including shipping I may be interested as well, just let me know. My name is Cole and my cell # is 573-682-4699 or you can shoot me an email @ coleandjeana@yahoo.com All parts are needed for a 76 280z. Thanks Cole

So it's OK that my car has five "34's" and one "45". It seems odd that the factory would install different bore size pistons, even if the difference in size is extremely small. Also, do N42 and P97 heads share the same size valves both intake and exhaust??? I am just wondering because I have an N42 head that is partially disassembled, and I could rob an exhaust valve from it if they are the same.

Soooo.... I found the reason for the low compression on #3 cylinder... a broken exhaust valve. The face of the valve had a 1/8 by 1/8 chip out of the edge, so of course the cylinder wouldn't have hardly any compression. The good news is that the cylinder walls of every cylinder look awesome (even #3) so wherever the piece went it didn't tear up the cylinder walls. So now the questions are: 1. What would have cause the valve to break like that? 2. I am just trying to get this together in an economical fashion so that the car it's going into will be able to move around and drive for a while (not a long distance DD or anything). With that being the case, would my best course of action be to just pick up a new exhaust valve, clean up the head and lightly lap the valves, put new valve stems in and call it good??? 3. All of my pistons have the numbers 3 and a little 4 except this number three cylinder. It has a 4 and a little 5. Whats the deal with the numbering on the pistons? It's not like aftermarket pistons that have the overbore sizing on them. Anybody know ???

Soooo.... I found the reason for the low compression on #3 cylinder... a broken exhaust valve. The face of the valve had a 1/8 by 1/8 chip out of the edge, so of course the cylinder wouldn't have hardly any compression. The good news is that the cylinder walls of every cylinder look awesome (even #3) so wherever the piece went it didn't tear up the cylinder walls. So now the questions are: 1. What would have cause the valve to break like that? 2. I am just trying to get this together in an economical fashion so that the car it's going into will be able to move around and drive for a while (not a long distance DD or anything). With that being the case, would my best course of action be to just pick up a new exhaust valve, clean up the head and lightly lap the valves, put new valve stems in and call it good??? 3. All of my pistons have the numbers 3 and a little 4 except this number three cylinder. It has a 4 and a little 5. Whats the deal with the numbering on the pistons? It's not like aftermarket pistons that have the overbore sizing on them. Anybody know ???

Good idea, I will do a leak down test tomorrow. How will I know if it's the valve or the rings (I guess if it immediately looses pressure it's a valve, and if it leaks slower it rings)???

OK, So I just ran out to the shop and checked the valve movement and roughly checked clearances... and everything looked OK. So I guess my only option is to pull the head??? Do you think it would be a safer bet to just pull the head and go that route, or should I pull the pan and pull the suspect piston/rings?

So if a valve is stuck partially open, then the valve clearance on that cylinder would be much bigger or "open" than normal correct??? That seems to make sense. I am not sure how long the engine sat without being run, but according to the PO it should have been run in the last 2 years (and it remained in the car protected from the elements during that time). I guess I will go out and check valve clearance... Keep the ideas coming, I really don't want to invest any money into this engine that I don't have to, as it is just a temp engine while I either build up an l28et or something else.

No, I am doing the compression test with the starter (just hooking up cables to battery and jumping the solenoid, pretty simple). I have the valve cover off and the valve train looks perfectly normal, springs look fine, cam looks great, rockers as they should be. What do you think it might be?

hey guys, This should be an easy question... I have a L28 in my shop that I pulled out of a parts car. I decided to do a compression check on it before I installed it in my 280z. Anyway, I have good compression on 5 of the 6 cylinders (between 148 and 158 psi) but #3 reads less than 20 psi (checked it 5 times now). From what I understand this probably means I have a burnt exhaust valve on that cylinder. Does this sound right, what else could it be (blown head gasket etc...). Just wondering what steps I should take first in order to diagnose the problem. I don't mind tearing into it as it is on the floor in my shop, so disassembly should be pretty simple. Anyway, what do you guys think?