Breeze77z

I was thinking about turbo-ing my '77 280z also. And i was wondering two things: 1) my car runs rich at WOT as is, will this help me retain stock ECU or should i still try switching to the turbo one? 2) How do i know for sure i am running lean after i turbo, any gauges, warning lights etc to mount inside to monitor on the fly? Thanks. Pat.

TomoHawk, About how much did the radiator shop run for fixin everything up? I want to get rid of the A/C, and now that it is freezing! out, i'd really like heat/defrost too, but i dread adjusting those stupid cables (i hope that's the problem) especially with no garage . Speaking of which, is there anything i can easily check that would say one way or the other that it IS the cables that need adjusting and not something worse? Thanks for any help. Patrick

You might try just getting a quote from another body shop, it probably won't be quite as reputable as the one you mention, but you also might be paying a premium for the award winner's precious time (not sarcastic, time IS money especially in that line of work). hope this helps a little. Patrick.

My '77 280z consumes break fluid...It hasn't really done it in a while, but i went to go somewhere today and i backed out and the pedal almost went to the floor, not all the way though and i did have some brakes, but no where near what it usually is. I'm not happy with the fluid i've been using most recently, but they didn't have what i usually get and it was the only dot 4 in the place, and i wasn't sure mixing dot 4 (what is in there) with dot 3 or so on. It's really clear fluid compared to the more golded color of the other stuff, its Prestone and i used to use the white bottle with blue label and red top (sorry i can't remember the name). There were no puddles of ANY fluid on the ground under/around my car, no wet looking spots near any major connections that i could see, is there anywhere inside that might leak? Thanks for any ideas. Pat.

HA, i wish. So my car won't get off the line as quick, but shouldn't be doing 3000rpm at 70mph on the highway? hmmmm...i don't mind either right now, but the clunk during shifting and 1/4-1/2" play in the back end of the transmission i have now is no good. need to ask him how much for a chevy and transmission , and then some how come up with the cash Thanks for the help. Pat.

Be a little wary of Dyno readings, a dyno is like any other scale, in that the reading you get is only a percentage of the max weight (or power in a dyno's case) the scale can hold. So if your friend with the Miata is using a 2000hp (common) or even just a 1000hp (equally common) dyno, and is pulling say 200 at the wheels or flywheel, 6hp is not even a 1% discrepency on a 1000hp scale. Then take into account engine temp, exterior air temp, humidity and who knows if the gas octane was the cause of the increase, or say a little cooler air temp or more thoroughly warmed up engine oil? I'm not trying to start an argument, just trying to save people a few bucks whose engines don't ping on even the cheap gas Pat.

Sorry if a little off topic, but didn't seem worth making a new topic for. Anyway...i'm missing one of the little paper-like ducts that goes from the heater blower to the defrogger opening, so i get all the air right into my feet instead of onto the window where i would really like it. Its all cold air at the moment anyway, but where can i get one/what else can i use etc. to replace that ducting? Sorry again, and thanks. Pat.

Hi, I can't help with the first half of your question, but i have a partial answer to the second...In one of the last few Hot Rod magazines, they had an article on bolting on a Vortec (i think) supercharger kit meant for a 350 chevy to a 4.3 V6. They said, basically the 4.3 is 3/4 or a 350 (lop off two cylinders from 350 and you have the 4.3). They had to go distributor-less i think, because of clearance problems with the big air inlet over the carb. Oh yea, it was one of their new Supercharged-carb setups by-the-way. I'll look around the house for that issue and give you an issue #, month, or just more info if you want. Hope thats useful. Pat.

Good point, i'm assuming (hoping) its the FPR. It runs rich, even before the Big Bore Throttle Body was installed, but not enough to foul plugs. It does shoot flame out of the exhaust on full-off throttle decceleration though (still working on a pic or mpeg), but i think my header leak helps that because it never did that until the leak grew more pronounced (read: obnoxious). Either way i'd like an adjustable FPR to maybe help reduce the richness of the air/fuel mixture, but the lack of a port was throwing me off. http://www.msdignition.com/fuel/2222_big.jpg Here is what i have. Any thoughts on how to install it? I could just put a hose to bridge the gap the old FPR would leave and mount this somewhere close to where the feed line and return line both run, right? ok, thank you for the info and clearing up my confusion. Pat.

Ok, my '77 280z's FPR is dying, so i called summit and ordered an adjustable FPR from MSD (PN-2220) hoping it would work because it didn't specify if it had a bypass or not. Well, it just had two ports, so no bypass (right?). I called them, told them what i needed and that i could get a bosch one from Top-end to work on my car, so i shouldn't need the Aeromotive one that he recommended (twice the price), but he said they didn't carry bosch, well the MSD one i just sent back was bosch so he looked into it a little harder and told me that MSD PN-2222 had a bypass and was boost referenced too. Well, i got that today, and it has the same two ports, plus a little one coming out of the bottom, so i'm thinking, no, still no bypass, just a vacuum line now. Am i wrong to think that there has to be three ports (inlet, outlet, bypass)? and am i wrong that what i have won't work? I tried bosch's webpage, but they don't even mention FPR's, i tried MSD's and they have crap for info on both FPRs, i tried JWT because i read they sell a bosch adjustable unit that some people on here are using on their early Zs and i didn't even find early Zs listed for part selection. I'm at a loss and getting frustrated, so any help would be great. Thanks in advance. Pat.

I remember my dad telling me about an engine Summit Racing was making for a showcar/dragcar Minivan (he used to work for Trick Flow). I actually got to see the guys turning some wrenches on the short block build up, but i never got to see it run. I'm not absolutely certain, but i think it was an aluminum Chevy 350 block, aluminum heads/intake, bored out to 427 or 454 (yea, a lot!), pretty sure 454 now that i think about it. And just an obnoxious amount of power, that would easily fit into my 77 280 as my dad pointed out. I can't tell you where they got it, if they sell them or anything. But I'd call Summit Tech/help/order line and see if that gets you anywhere.

I want to get rid of all of my A/C stuff under the hood too (not internal ducting), so if somebody wants it, its free for pick up or the cost of shipping (NorthWest OH). I'm not sure what works and what doesn't though, i just know the Nissan dealership said it was fine, just needed refilled, and it was cold for about a week, then nothing. My heater doesn't work either, so probably heater control cables not adjusted right. its a '77 280z, and i don't care about A/C and i'm sick of working around it under the hood (i hate clutter haha). I haven't taken it off yet because i don't know what to do with the vacuum lines, and i'm not positive what all i can take off? any suggestions? thanks. Pat.

Oh yea, i have a header gasket leak, possibly bringing in enough fresh air to help ignite? Can i fix that without a new header? Pat.

haha, its funny you ask. I've been wanting to make mine STOP doing that for several months now. I can't tell you exactly why mine does it though. I have a '77 280z that i think is running pretty rich, but not fouling out plugs or anything. It pops, gurgles and shoots flames (my girlfriend has followed behind and seen them, and i can see them light up the night behind me) whenever i do full-off-throttle decelleration from 3000rpm or higher and sometimes when i push the clutch in. Here is what i have that might be the cause...Big Bore throttle body, headers/2.5" exhaust, missing BPT valve and unplugged EGR, all other emission crap is on and working (i think), possibly faulty fuel pressure regulator running too rich (or could just be too big of a throttle body?), XR700 electronic ignition, 8mm plug wires, electric fan, stock cam and head and short block. Oh, and no unnatural ignition (exhaust mounted spark plug), its just the hot headers doing it. it doesn't do it so much now that it is colder out. i've been wanting to post some pics, but haven't gotten someone to drive with my girlfriend so she can take a digital pic. and i have no way of posting movies, sorry. Hope this helps. Pat.

Sorry if this is irrelevant to the 289, but my dad used to work with Summit, TrickFlow more specifically. And their test-mule GT mustang equipped with Twisted Wedge Heads, FPP E303 Cam, TrickFlow Street Upper and Lower FI intake, and 60mm TB was pushin 360hp at the flywheel (in house dyno...nice:)! ). 347 Stroker put it into low 400's, and small 6-10psi supercharger boost put them into the 500's. Oh, it had a MSD ignition box too (the common one, the name slips my mind right now). I don't know any numbers for a carb setup, but if anybody wants more specific numbers for the FI i will be happy to ask my dad again. That mustang GT was runnin 12.75 in the 1/4 (with blower i think? but maybe not), so i'm sure a Z would do just nicely. Pat.

Speedo said 140mph, but i'd say closer to 135 with my not-stock, but not real hopped up '77 280z.

yea, firearms is cool, but even with the T3 i could hardly ever find a server with a decent ping, and it was frustrating dying by lag, so i stuck with counterstrike and teamfortress.

The one thing I miss about living in the dorms, my T3 and playing CS until 3am

LOL, i work at UPS . But before you all get the bats out , its not really the loaders (what i do) fault. When i started i was makin 8.50/hour, and loading around 1800 boxes into 2 thirty-foot semi-trailers...by myself. Now, with boxes up to and including 150lbs, averaging around 50lbs, 8.50 doesn't cover super great care of all 1800 boxes. Then add to that the sheer stupidity involved with some people's packaging (yes you DO need packing foam in with the Reese Hitch!!!) and some boxes just self destruct on their own. As for things not always coming on time, or with things ordered at the same time. We (loaders) don't set the pace for getting boxes to load, so sometimes (quite often) we are a little rushed, so maybe a MI goes into a NY trailer, and oops...that'll take a few days to come back around. Plus, not all labels are scannable, so tracking might be an issue...(Tip: bar codes can't be read unless they lay flat and unobstructed; example: we get many that are wrapped around cylindrical packages, and therefore don't get scanned.) I can't say for certain about theft. I work in the third largest Hub in the country (whoopty doo Toledo) so security might be a little better than the little rinky dink hubs, but the whole place is fenced in with barb wire, and there is one guard house everyone enters and leaves through, passing metal detectors on the way out (in too, but i don't think those ones are ever on). Well anyway, my area gets 8500 packages for 10-12 people a night, the building as a whole gets around 140,000-170,000 A NIGHT , so sorry if not all of your guys' stuff is pristine. Oh yea, my area gets all of TireRack's stuff going to New England area, and OMG why do you need so many tires ? NY,NJ,MA,ME,NH,CT,VT,RI get about 400 tires a night, and thats low since it started back in october when it was around 700! Sorry so long lol. Just got off work, Midnight Shift, 10pm-4am. Hope this is informative i guess.

you may have tried this, but when my car was having similar issues with changing gears, after i did it i was good to go. anyway, check the adjuster nut on the pushrod going from the clutch master cylinder to the clutch pedal. mine was not giving enough throw so that i was hitting the floorboards with the clutch before the clutch was disengaging fully. hopefully its just that simple (i know i sure was happy i didn't need a new pressure plate that a Nissan dealership quoted $700 for parts and labor on ).

the transmission in my '77 280z is shot, and i found a '81 280zx 5 speed in a local salvage yard, and i just want to make sure that it is compatible. he wants $150, which sounds good to me, but let me know if i'm getting taken . thanks, a lot. Pat.

doh, sorry, AREN'T exact numbers. 4:30am, after work, with a head cold, be lucky i could spell my name

obnoxious, thats how much . no but, every place i've seen, tokico illumina(sp?) 5-ways are $125 per corner, and the ground-control are $399 for the set. so roughly $900 , and i'm still dreading the cost of and engine swap . hope that's some help, those are exact #s or with shipping of course. Pat.

Great, thanks a lot. Patrick

My 77 280 is running rich and giving off a gas smell, and so i figure i have a dying fuel pressure regulator. Anyway...i found an MSD adjustable and boost referencing FPR at http://www.overboost.com/obs/product.asp?pid=2628&cat_id=13&cat_name=&sc_id=&sc_name= and i was wondering if (1) adjustable between 36-45psi was too high for the mods i have (headers, 2.5" exhaust, 60mm TB, cold air intake, electric fan, electronic ignition); and (2) If a boost referencing FPR would not work on a NA car (i plan to turbo or supercharge later, so instead of buying two FPRs, just get the boost one now). If i get this, i'd like to have it by this weekend because i'm going to my parents to make use of their 2.5 car garage, thats why the subject title. Thanks for any opinions/help Patrick