2eighTZ4me

Yes - it's definitely repeatable - from my last post. The guages definitely require the proper 12v to work properly. Now I gotta figure out why I have no power in the Run position - but do in the Acc position.....shux....

OK - now things are getting interesting. With the key in the Acc position - everything works - blower fan, wipers (and I have to think all the other stuff too). When I flip the key to the Run position - everything quits. Flip back to Acc - blower comes on - flip to run (or start the car) stuff doesn't work. I have a bunch of old ignition modules - installed and tested them (not attached to the ignition switch - flipped them with a flathead. They all do the same thing. Acc gives me power - Run gives me nothing......

Fired up the car - and everything worked. Drove around for 10min. and POOF....everything shut down. Car still ran fine - but the fuel gauge started reading half of what was in the car - as did the oil pressure gauge, and the temp gauge went completely away. No accessories once again. Sounds like a relay perhaps? I'm going to try changing out the ignition module on the back of the ignition switch as well and see if that does anything. Also going to run another ground strap from the battery tray to the engine block. Short of that - I have to think it's the Ignition/Accessory relay under the dash that I found in the FSM....????? Sheesh!!!

I keep thinking I 'missed' a wire that attaches to the battery, but I see nothing hanging down unattached. If I did miss it - then the fusible link wouldn't light up with a test light. Replaced transmission, clutch, pilot bushing - yada yada, Replaced battery and battery terminals Fuel hose repaired broken door handle (yeah - that did it!) rear hatch shocks struts all the way around cleaned and dielectric greased all EFI connections (including water temp sensor) replaced RF headlight That's basically it in a nutshell - all the other little stuff would have no bearing on it I believe. I have running lights, hazard lights, brake lights - but no turn signals.

Well - I thought it was a bad ground at the lug where the negative battery cable attaches to the bottom of the battery tray - along with a ground strap that apparently services many other things - but I hit them both with a wire wheel and polished the metal new and shiny. I also hit the bolt AND bolt hole with a Dremel wire bit. I have to think I have good ground...I have to think.....I KNOW it's a fuse/relay/something that gave out. This crap used to work....I'm really leaning towards relay. I'm an electrical idiot...first step is admitting you have a problem.....

79 280 ZXR. 5 speed. Customer car - I'm an S30 guy, and horrible with electrical issues. The car came to me fully functional. I replaced the battery amongst other things, and now I don't have; Turn signals ( but I have hazard flashers and brake lights) Tachometer Wipers Defrost Interior blower motor Water temp gauge Basically all the 'accessories' that run off the bottom half of the fuse block are dead. No power to the entire bottom section of the fuse box. The items labeled 'battery' on the top side of the fuse box are fine. ALL fusible links check good. In tracing down the wiring diagram - the only common denominator that I could surmise would be the Ignition/Accessory relay (which appears to be under the dash). But the car starts and drives fine. It's only the accessories that don't work. Is that relay somehow split into two separate sections? One section runs the ignition and the other section runs the accessories? Again - these items worked when the car was dropped to me - and now they don't. I'm in a world of hurt. I KNOW I had to have popped something during the course of repairing the car (transmission, battery etc.) - but the fusible links all test out fine. That's the only thing I can see that is between the fusible link tray and the fuse box - based on the wiring diagram. I have cleaned and dielectric greased the temp sender unit connections - so I know they're good. The other items....bah - I must have missed something..... This car is bone stock original. NOthing has been done to it. It is in factory trim - no MSD or anything at all. Car RUNS great - it's the accessories.... Anyone got anything that I should be chasing after? I'm scratching my head over this one....

Cam towers are not shimmed. Head was cut just enough to flatten it. Very little was taken off. Topside was never touched. I am going to pull it back apart and try the rockers that measured out as close to 0 as possible. Also going to check the lash pads for abnormal wear as Madkaw suggested. Ever felt like you're chasing your tail???

z-ya - I don't have the cam card. It's the cam out of Clifton's old motor - along with the rockers - all numbered. I did indeed set the lash by measuring between the rocker tip and lash pad. As an experiment - I set it to .005 and 007 hot - the car wouldn't run. Dropped them back to .007 and .009 hot and the car runs - but still makes a buttload of noise. The old cam I had in there was a regrind from Delta Cams. I called and they said the lash could be set as low as .004 and .006 COLD. I have to think the cams are different. You can clearly see the lobe difference. Clifton had some wild super long duration turbo cam. Wipe patterns were still spot on with the existing lash pads - so I rolled with that setup. In a bit of a conundrum now. Not sure what to try next....LS7 maybe??? This is driving me freakin' nutZ!

OK - so a little distraught. I replaced the cam with the cam out of Clifton's old Z. I also had the rockers - all labeled 1-12 - with minimal wear...that were run with the cam originally. The freaking noise is STILL there. Wipe patterns dead middle on all rockers. I adjusted at the lash pad and not the cam. Set them for .006 and .008 cold. Ran the car for 20 min. Valves got louder. Car is hot now. Adjusted them down to .005 and .007 (at the lash pads) and the car wouldn't start. Readjusted them to .007 and .009 (hot) and the car still makes major valve noise. Granted - I did NOT measure these lash pads with the dial indicator for flatness - nor do I know if they were making noise when they were in Clifton's motor. Next step is to replace the rockers with the ones that measured out less than .002" and also measure the rockers that came with Clifton's cam. That'll be tomorrow. I'm really beginning to think it's something with the head - but I want to rule this out for certain first - as it does not involve removing the head. There was major play after the initial cold adjustment and then went after it when it was hot - but still after the proper hot adjustment - it's making noise like a sewing machine. Jeez Louise...I think a LS motor is in my near future. And I hate to say that - as I'm a L-series purist....

Some fun facts about rocker arms,,,,, They're not all created equal....and that's all I'm gonna say about that. Measured the existing set. Pretty sure I found my culprit(s). One measured .004 off, another .005, and the worst one at .014". Even the brand new factory packaged Nissan arms - out of the 8 I got - one was .005" off and a couple were .003" off. Between the good factory ones, and the reground ones my buddy did - I've got a set that measures within .001". Wipe patterns today and install with the new cam (if I don't need to purchase additional lash pads). Will keep you posted...

madkaw - that's my scenario exactly. Have (8) new Nissan factory rockers on the way and my buddy is going to grind the last 4. Thanks for all your help guys. I really didn't want to pull that head!

I've used the Delta regrinds in the past on several different motors with no audible issue whatsoever. Granted - they were stock cams with stock lash pads. Not sure if they laid off the quality control person due to Obamacare, but after watching skirkland1980's video of him measuring their flatness with a dial indicator - I'm pretty convinced he and the others have hit the nail on the head. Even with .005 clearance at the lobe - I can still wiggle the rocker back and forth - so something isn't laying flat. Rockers are out (and while I'm at it - I'm installing Clifton's old turbo cam) and will be sent off to be measured and surfaced. I just don't trust myself. I may give it a wag on an old set just to see what's involved.

Checking at the cam lobe. Guess I'd have to file the edges of my feeler gauges to fit in that "H" groove in the lash pad??

I have a hard time believing the metallurgy changed in the cam by grinding it (Mine was a stock 'Japan' factory cam - not the CWC) such that you would need to do more than 2 valve adjustments. First one cold, second one hot to ensure expansion values are accurate. I've adjusted these valves at least 10 times - hot and cold, and every time, they're still spot on. I don't get it. I hear the noise - and it 'sounds' like extremely loose valves - but I measure and find everything is spot on. I have to believe skirkland1980's theory holds water. If the surface of the rocker where it meets the cam isn't flat, (because) it's on a pivot ball...it can rock back and forth during the wipes - like a ship in the ocean (especially since the tip where it meets the lash pad might not be ground flat either...) That could vary clearance under motion. Especially motion that gets to a 'breaking point' .... like it does when it's warm and 1800+ rpm's.... I've got a set of uncut factory rockers that have very minimal wear on them. I'm going to put them in and run them through one temperature cycle to see if they make noise. Yeah - I know - used rockers on a cam that was broken in on different rockers....this'll be an experiment....I've got Clifton's old turbo cam that I'm planning on installing anyways prior to going to the dyno (once I get this noise figured out) Not like I'm putting them in there for the long haul. That'll rule out the rockers bottom line. If indeed the rockers are the issue, I will have to create Plan B.....I have a friend that has resurfaced several sets locally and they looked really nice. In his kitchen sink.....yeah - we live in the South!

Xnke - running Rotella diesel 15/40 oil. They are stock valves - to my knowledge. TimZ - it's definitely not an exhaust leak. An exhaust leak gets louder under more load - this is definitely a metallic clatter that's the same volume regardless of load. Even at free revving. I think skirkland1980 may be on to something. I watched his YouTube video about reground rockers from Delta Cams and boy - some of those were nasty off. The thing that puzzles me is that it used to not do this....at all. Motor was quiet as Elmer Fudd hunting wabbits. I didn't take anything apart or change anything. I simply pulled the motor to fix a torn TC rod bracket and put it right back in - all in one piece. Pulling the rockers in the next day or so to check them and give the lash pads/valve tips a thorough inspection. I will probably re-check the wipe patterns as well while I'm in there..... I REALLY don't want to pull the head....uggh...

So then - it's basically a function of how much they have to take off in order to get rid of the normal 'divots' that take place with stock rockers rolling on a high-mileage stock cam. Factory tolerances could wear to one side or another and you gotta take it off to get it flat again. Makes sense...unless I'm missing something crucial... is that the theory of which you speak? And where the hell are you in Georgia, and why haven't I met you yet? How much power are you making with your current setup??

Indeed they did...and everything measured out with the wipe patterns. The surfacing on the pads were great but just a few thousandths thinner - it varied a bit from pad to pad. Had to buy a bunch of different lash pads once all measurements were taken - but it was dialed in to the T - all wipes dead center. You know somethin' I dont ??

Ladies and gentlemen - we're back in busness.... http://blog.motovicity.com/?p=1046 hope to hear reports of folks getting product soon!! OP - out..

Aftermarket turbo grind cam from Delta Cams. P90 mechanical head - original stock valves. All wipe patterns done correctly and well within spec. It just started happening. I can't specify when - but the motor only has about 1000 miles on it. Once the motor gets warm - the valve train sounds like a Singer sewing machine. I called Delta - they said you can take the valve lash down to .004/.006 on this particular cam. I went from a standard .008/.010 down to .006 / .008 and it made no difference whatsoever. Once it gets warm and you hit near 2000rpms - it ticks like a Timex. I don't know how it could happen - because the head was perfect for the first +/- 750 miles - but now it ticks annoyingly - yet the car still runs like a bat out of hell. I have to think that the problem might be something between the (Nissan factory) lash pads and the valve tip. I can't think of anything else that would cause a noise of this magnitude - nor can I think of any event that would have changed this clearance. I'm afraid to put it on the dyno in this condition....it didn't used to do this. Really don't want to rip the head off and send it back to the machine shop if there's something I could do myself without a head R&R. Unfortunately, most of the problems I post, noone has a solid answer for - so I guess I f*** things up in my own particular way, and it needs to go back to the machine shop for review and measurement. Perhaps they cut too much off the valve stem when doing the valve job?? The head is of unknown origin/mileage - so I don't know if previous valve jobs were done and if the prior machine shop(s) cut too much off the tips of the valve stems. I would have thought that my machinist (who's done these motors for over 25 years) would have caught it - but maybe not. That's the direction I'm leaning - but I'm very open to other causes, if anyone has experienced this before. I know what standard L6 valve clatter sounds like - and this is on a magnitude of 10x when the car is warm. When at idle - you can barely hear it, but anything over 1800rpm - it'll let you know 'something is wrong'.....

OK - so got mine going. Very wierd - pedal is extremely touchy. Brakes grab at the right spot in the pedal travel, and it stops on a dime, but you barely have to push the pedal pressure-wise. Pedal is very sensitive - and when I mash on it (maish if you're from the South) I can't lock them up. Did I accidentally drop the reaction disk in the booster? 78 280 - Toyota vented front/240SX rears. I 'believe' I left the valves in place - but it's been well over a year since I installed this.

Thanks guys - pulling mine today for a thorough cleaning and testing. I'll let you know. BTW - 77-78 is completely different from the late 74-76 - just like the door panels.

The one in the tank. PM or reply...with a tested and known working good unit.

Anyone done it? I need to replace the optical pickup, and there's a washer like piece beneath the rotor button and trigger wheel that appears to be pressed on. I can't get it off for fear of bending something. What's the catch here? It has to come off in order to get the pickup assembly out from the dish. Does this thing have to be pressed off somehow, or pulled with a small gear puller? I pulled the drift pin at the base of the dist. to see if the shaft would come out the top - doesn't want to budge either. I'm at a loss.....

AkRev - GREAT information and good find. So - since my EFI relay is gone - along with all the other EFI related components - is there anything I need to jumper on that 4 prong plug under the driver side dash to get the pump to kick on? I have been having a nightmare of a time with wiring on this car...

280Z - got my dash out and figured I'd replace all the gauge bulbs, and want to go the LED route. Anyone know a part number, or where to find them? I see them all over Ebay - just don't know what style/size to get.