danman

Unfortunately I bought this hybrid and did not build it myself. I am learning a lot though, which was the point of buying the car. I am thinking of taking it to a Nissan dealer and pay an hour labor for mechanic to point out which wire hooks up to my sensor and explain what the other wires connect to and if they need to be reconnected or if they were deleted on purpose. My setup uses OEM parts, just in a creative confusing mixture. I think the unplugged sensor must be the coolant temp sensor because it lies just below the top hose of radiator. Just not sure which of two loose wires to connect to it. Any of you guys live in the Bay area of Northern California. I live in Walnut Creek, CA. I could sure use some help.

My wiring is a mess. I see several connectors on the starter side disconected. I am not sure if this is because 83 motor into 74 body or if things are disconnected and contributing to my issues. Will try head temp sensor, I think I bought one and never installed it and I have new pigtail to solder in just in case its the connector. I have been fighting this thing for months. I hard soldered in the MAF to eliminate the connector being an issue. I cleaned the O2 sensor in 99% alcohol and changed the spark plugs, they were foulded too. That helped it get out of limp mode, but then it slipped back in. I also get a little racing once in a while about 200-300 RPM in addition to running very rich. I would hate to trash a good motor, it screams when it is running right, but I don't have money to waste.

I have a 1983ZXT motor. There are two wires hanging loose on my harness near the injectors. Let me see if I can describe them. There is a large harness that runs to the injectors. In addition to the wiring for the injectors there are two additional branches. One branch is hooked to the underside of the distributor. The last branch contains two single wire connectors. Where do these go to? I can see one sensor with loose wire. It is located directly below the connection to the top hose of the radiator. I can not account for where the other wire may go and not sure which of two wires should connect to sensor below radiatior hose. I am running VERY rich. My car will foul the O2 very quickly and go into limp mode. I get many engine codes: MAF, No Ignition reference pulse, Idle switch, Air temp sensor, EGR. I have 300ZX MAF, 300ZX Coil, no vacumm to EGR valve. I am getting frustrated. I don't want to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars chasing my tail. What would you guys reccomend. I figure I could spend about $500-700 buying sensors, lord knows if the wiring is to blame. My friend pointed me to a shop where I can get S14 SR20DET and tranny installed for about $4,000. My clutch is going very shortly and tranny is not that great to begin with. So I could spend another six hundred just on clutch and install. I can replace sensors, but clutch is a bit over my head. Should I stop wasting money on an old hybrid and just save toward a new one like SR20DET or LS1??? I am tired of looking at my car and not driving it much.

Thanks for the replies. I would like to maximize performance while minimizing noise. If those two are not able to exist together than I want the performance. The car is not my daily so I won't be tearing around on the streets too often. My car is smog exempt, but I don't need to get pulled over for noise polution and have cop sniffing under hood and under car. I will get quote from local shop and how they suggest to run exhaust. Any other suggestions on mufflers to use. I was deffinitly leaning toward 3" piping though. How much louder does the exhaust get between 2 1/2 vs. 3". I would think muffler choice makes big difference. I used to have honda accord with greddy cat back exhaust. That sounded great, nice deep rumble. I used to call that car my race car simulator. It sounded much faster than it drove. Thanks

I am thinking of what to buy my Z for the holidays. I have a stock downpipe and leaking crush bent tubing. The exhaust makes a 90 and a 90 within a foot coming right out of the turbo the way it is running now. I want a cheap upgrade and think this is way to go. How much should it cost for a custom downpipe that makes gentle 45 bends with bung for O2 and exhaust temp sensor and a single 3" mand. bent exhaust. I am looking for something quiet yet unrestricted. I don't want to attract any more attention (than a thrity year old rice rocket burning out a second time as it passes through 4000rpm in first gear) needs to. Turbos rock Anyway I am thinking of going to Mel and Sons. I live in Northern California they are in Concord. Any people in bay area with thoughts on shops to buy custom downpipe and exhaust. They did my friends exhaust on his 280Z with a LS1 swap. I was impressed with the job they did. I think he paid about $700. How much should downpipe and exhaust cost??? Is this the best mod? All my turbo stuff is old, but still works. The biggest weakness seems to be stock downpipe. I would like to put on the 75 intake maniford and upgrade the throttle body at same time, but that invites redoing the plumbing and turbo swap, fuel rail, etc.. I can't spend that kind of money right now. Am looking to spend about $1,000 max. Just for background. 1983Zxt, 300ZX computer and MAF, upgraded injectors 420cc Mercedes I think, 300ZX coil, spearco intercooler, HKS boost controler, I think turbo is slight upgrade from stock, can hold 15psi well, only did once though by accident I am not trying to be a hero I usually run around 10-11psi normally using the wonderful California 91 octane. Any suggestions welcome.

1974 Datsun 260Z with 1983ZXT motor and JWT 300ZX computer and 300ZXMAF. I have been having all kinds of problems with the MAF connector. I just recently had the pleasure of driving to the gas station running great and then starting it in limp mode. Driving home in limp mode is good fun. Anyway I soldered the wires directly to the 300ZX MAF. The car no longer seems to go into limp mode. Being the kind of guy that does as much damage as good when I fix things I played with the adjustment screw on the MAF. My car has a MAF from first gen. 300ZX. There is adjustment screw behind metal plug just left of the connector. My question is what direction does what adjustment. Ie. clockwise rich, counter lean etc.? Thanks Side question is there a fuel management system that will adjust to what ever boost I set and whatever throtle position. My car feels uneven. It has slight hesitation at 3000 and then takes off. Car seems to like to either be idling or all the way on it. It also runs rich, which is where the above question comes from.

Thanks for the reply. So this should be done on a dyno then.

I finaly fixed my MAF problem. 84-87 300Z Mass Air Now I am wondering what the screw located underneath metal plug on MAF does? How do I adjust? (I know I just turn it, but what method is used to properly tune?) The screw is behind metal plug next to connection terminals of MAF. Previous owner drilled out the plug to expose this adjustment screw.

VICTORY IS MINE!!! I cut off the MAF connector and rigged some wires from harness directly to MAF terminals, started the car and what do you know it runs beautifully. In fact with all the cleaning of connections I've been doing I'd venture to say it runs even better. I think the fix leaned out my mixture, no more fuel droplets out the tailpipe. I will go to junkyard tomorow and look for 280zxt connector to do a permanent fix. Thanks to everyone that replied especially Bernardd.

Thanks for the help. I'll try that as soon as I can borrow my friends multimeter. I should buy my own with the rats nest of wires I have in the car. What about the other pins on the connector, how can I test those? Thanks again Bernardd, I wish you lived in Walnut Creek, or I lived in Canada. You would probably have the problem licked in ten minutes.

Car seems to be running in limp mode. Changed in different MAF yesterday, still running bad. How to I check to make sure the connectors are making it back to the computer. There are six wires, how do I check for continuity. The connector on the car has seven pins (only six are used). Did the 280 come with a seven pin connector to the MAF. Thanks for all the help this is getting frustrating and I don't want to have to tow to shop. That would mean admitting defeat.

You are awesome! Thanks for info, that link is great too. My buddy is coming by tommorow with Multimeter. Thanks again for help. I am complete novice, but like to fix things myself if I can. That's why I bought the car in the first place, to learn and enjoy. Still would like to know what should happen in normal car what happens when MAF is disconnected? My car runs the same.

Thanks for reply. Where are you located? I live in Northern California, East Bay. What should the voltage be? I don't have factory manual for engine yet, just the 74 body. When I unplug MAF nothing happens, runs the same. When I unplug the TPS car dies. Cold start unpluged nothing. I see trouble code printed on back of computer. How do you grab trouble codes from computer???

What should happen if you unplug MAF while car is running? I have 83ZXT motor. Unplug the MAF and it runs the same (like crap). I just got MAF from junkyard. The one on car is supposed to be from 300ZX which year I don't know. Model number on MAF seems to be same A36-000 J13 (Is this the model number???). There is second number below which I believe is a serial number 6X06D. The one from junk yard is from 87 300zx. The one on car however looks different. The right side of connector on MAF is ground off one connection leaving six. The conector spliced into harness has seven pins, however only six wires are run to the connector. The missing one corresponding to the side that is ground off on the MAF. I guess my question is which year is used when subbing in 300ZX MAF? Computer is also out of 300ZX no year printed on computer, but number is A18-638 377. The computer has a flash from Jim Wolf Technology for 82-83ZXT, mass air flow, and 420cc injectors if that helps. Also metal circle on MAF next to connector has been drilled through to expose adjustment screw.

Thinking about my problem it seems to me that my cold start idle was screwed up to begin with. Every other car I have owned rev's high when cold and then drops to normal idle. On my car cold idle is 700 RPM and then it raises to 1000 RPM. Right now the car is racing between 500 RPM and 800 RPM in pretty even quick cycles. Does this sound like familiar proiblem to anybody? So my question is which sensors are associated with this cold start idle or all??? My car has AFM from 300ZX I believe. One of the connectors on meter has been cut or chisled off (The one on far right when looking from connector side toward meter). Is this what is done when adapting 300ZX to 280ZXT?

I will try those suggestions. Cleaned O2 sensor, it was filthy, but not the problem. Need to find new AFM connector, mine is pretty thrashed. Thanks again, will repost if all you wrote doesn't work.

Sorry for long post, but I think background may help. Here's the story: My 1974 260Z with 1983ZXT motor was stumbling under boost. It would feel like fuel was cutting out. I put in fuel injector cleaner run her for awhile on freeway and put her into garage again. Read some posts saying that cleaning electrical connections might help. Clean connections this weekend and start her up. Car runs horribly. It sputters at about 600 RPM. Try to step on gas and raise RPMs car raises to about 1500 and then almost dies, let off gas and it still stumbles around 600 RPM. I let car warm up for awhile and then it all of the sudden it seems to switch to new idle mode around 1000 RPM like normal. (Car usually runs around 700 RPM till warm and then switches to 1000 RPM idle) Once car is at 1000 RPM idle runs great, take for drive. I baby it not going on boost around the block a few times, runs great. Park car and realize I forgot to clean connection to cold-start valve which I think is problem. Clean and restart car, this time I let warm up for many minutes. It never switches to nice 1000 RPM idle. Please help. Tried disconnecting cold-start sensor, did nothing. Should I bridge connection with wire to test? Does this sound like cold-start valve, coolant temp sensor? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Car not in drivable condition, will have to tow to mechanic if can't fix myself. More money floats away into the Nissan black hole.

I bought a 1974 260Z with a 1983 ZXT motor back in December. I noticed a vacumm line under the throttle body that ran to a T which was connected to charcoal canister and vac line rail on Intake manifold. This vac line rail runs to nothing meaning atmosphere. I have been cleaning up things in engine bay. I removed charcoal canister by plugging steel line from tank and plugging nipple on intake manifold. I also plugged up nipple on bottom of throttle body car seems to run ok. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Did I remove charcoal canister correctly???

Thanks for the info. I have changed all the vac. lines, (including one that runs to BOV) that I could do without going behind the dash. Two lines run through firewall to dash. I am taking car to original shop that built her on Jan. 5th. I will try and check these items you list before the shop sees it. I don't wan't to be sold something I don't need. I confirmed that they are decent shop through local Performance shop owner. I trust this guy and he vouches for the shop, but at $90 per hour I do as much work myself as possible. The idle runs at about 1000 RPM's now that I changed vac. lines. (It used to run around 1500RPM) It still will surge plus or minus 100 RPM. Also the power seems to cut out when cruising and then give gas, I have to shift to bring her around. Car is running Jim Wolf computer. The whole car sat for 4yrs. I don't know how much care was taken when put in storage. I am doing all the standard care items, drain and flush all fluids, replace fuel line, all hoses and belt, new spark plugs and wires, fuel filters, PCV valve, etc. I have a feeling that the fuel injectors might be clogged too, is there good way to test, I believe they are upgraded units. I need to check TPS, that can cause strange things to happen also.(what is procedure to test TPS, enigine should be from 280ZXT, not sure which year think available 81-83, head says P90, can't see block, but must be F54) Any thoughts on idle issue and power loss when cruise an give gas??? Will post pics when my fuel line is done and car is safe again.

Dremel tools work wonders, just need steady hand.

I took my friend for a little spin in my new car, a 1974 260Z with 280zxt swap done by previous owners (not the one I bought it from). Car sat in a garage for 4 years because couldn't find shop to do illegal smog anymore, when 2003 rolled around it was exempted in California (not bad emissions, just no cat or other smog equip. Lucky for me car is exempt now). Friend said that my blow off valve sounded strange and the turbo might be going bad. Previous owner was running 17psi boost intercooled and upgraded injectors with Jim Wolf computer controlling things. The blow off sounds a little like the three stooges (whoop, whoop, whoop in higher pitch) it is not an even and smooth sound. This is first car I have owned with Turbo so I don't have car to compare with. The car also seems to loose power somethimes when at mid throtle. When pushed hard though it is scary fast almost like it is set up to run hard and not cruise. Car runs rich. Car idles high about 1,300 RPM and will sometimes fluctuate. Stock should be around 800 RPM, don't want to mess with idle speed until I can consult with shop that did orig. transplant, but they couldn't get me an appointment until Jan 5th. I don't want to screw anything up, so until I know what was done I won't change idle speed, might have cam swap and who knows what the Jim Wolf computer is programmed to do. I will request copy of paperwork from original shop. I will check timing on Monday at friend's shop, also all hoses will be swapped many are hard or cracking. Plus I am doing other basic tune-up items and draining flushing and refilling all fluids, going to change some of the fuel line and all filters. Car is running two fuel pumps and fuel line doesn't look stock. Not braided steel, just large. Maybe these items will fix. How can I tell if turbo is bad or is my friend talking out of his arse? Shop may tell me turbo is bad. Can't vouch for reputation of shop yet, although install work looks good. With me mechanics have to earn trust, seen too many shaddy ones over the years, even at dealerships. I don't want to get hosed and be told something is broke that isn't. Guys sound good and honest over the phone. They were glad to hear the car was coming back to their shop, they hadn't seen it in many years. He said it was incredible car when tuned properly ( at low boost it was running 5 sec. 0-60 with mid 13's 1/4 mile time according to shop). It has seen a few years of neglect recently. The owner I bought it from didn't seem to care for car very much anymore. It had been sitting for weeks when I came to see it, needed to be jumped to start. Since then starts right up every time. Guy was rich and had gotten tired of his toy. Lucky for me.

Went to local Monument Car parts and spent some cash. Bought complete set of mogul bearings, reman. calipers, rotors, brake hoses, pads, new wheel cylinders, shoes and drums. All stock setup. I need to take car 30 miles to original shop that did upgrade work to see what exactly was done to car (previous owners sunk ton of money into car supposedly about $30,000 total, and all the items do add up plus very clean install when new, a little rough now but good tune-up will fix her up all compression within five pounds of eachother on comp. test) and brakes are too scary right now to risk it. My life is worth more than $300 in parts. I still would like to do a good brake upgrade and am willing to save up to do it. Best upgrade I've seen is Arizona Z car. Are Willwood brakes the best available, kit sounds nice. I would like to stop the car as well as it takes off. The car is truly incredible, cold air intake, spearco intercooler, supposedly HKS stage III ceramic turbo (yet to identify turbo to confirm) , HKS boost controller, upgraded fuel injectors, computer from Jim Wolf, the suspension is incredible, needs steering rack bushing (already ordered), and came with good tires and nice Panasport 16" and the interior looks pretty good, older custom interior job done, a little rough now, but nice when new. Thanks everyone for all the previous posts about buying car with a good deal of the work done. Now I just have to bring her back to her former glory.

I just bought a car. 1974 260z. The steering wheel shakes and it pulls to the right when brakes are applied. The right side front disk is worn down and groves are cut in rotor. The left looks like new. So I think the left caliper is not grabbing and right side is doing all work. In addition the rear shoes are almost down to nothing and the wheel cylinders are leaking. I am figuring about $350 per end for new calipers, rotors, pads, wheel cylinders, drums, shoes, etc. For about $550 per end I can buy MSM kit with 4x4 calipers up front and Maxima calipers in rear. Another option is the Arizona Z car kit for $750 per end, but have to buy master cylinder as well and plumb for proportion valve. First off if I buy Arizona kit and new master cylinder will I also need brake booster, if I do, will the existing petal linkage work? Second question, what kit should I do? The car has a 280ZXT motor and many other upgrades, making me think that I need more than stock braking. Have you guys tried any of these upgrade kits and what do you think? Also are there other options which I have not explored? I am willing to save up for Arizona kit if it is worth it. By the way I have 16" Panasports, will I have problems with any of these kits fitting under my wheels? The Arizona Z car kit is the four lug version not five lug upgrade. Also wheel bearings need repacking, when I pull off I have feeling they will need replacing, Nissan dealer's price is very steep. Victoria British has great price on them. Are they same quality? Car will be very fast when tuned up to specs, I don't need bearng problems. Are Victoria British bearings acceptable, or should I bite the bullet and pay dealer prices? Any other sites that sell good quality bearing kits? Thanks for the help, I am sure I will have many other questions down the road.

I just looked at a second 240Z with bends in frame rail and floor board in line with front door. Neither owner could tell me how this happend. There are bulges in floor pan. I will have shop look at it to see if it is terminal or still worth buying. The car is otherwise in pretty good shape, rust only near rear wheels, battery tray looks great, rear hatch only has minor surface rust near hatch lock. However these bend bother me. Is this a sign of huge front end collision that has been fixed? Did they run over a curb, rock or log?? Any one else out there see car with this kind of damage? I would like to buy this car. 1971 made in 1970 in the eleven thousands on VIN, has vents in hatch, but speedo starts at 0, (dash looked good with few cracks, but overall real nice, maybe second dash), minor rear end bent bumper in a little, said his mom backed into another car. Any help, can't seem to find straight rust free perfect restore car, will this one do.

I was asking my friend who is restoring an old fire truck about using his welder to fix weak points in chassis caused by rust. He said that you can easily burn hole in unibody, in addition area around weld could be weakened. SO I had an idea . Why couldn't you clean metal bear, sand to rough and epoxy thin sheet steel that has been pounded to fit contours. If they make epoxy that bonds metal to metal well a thin steel plate would give a shear wall type of effect greatly improving stiffness. You might have to scratch steel to get good bonding. I know this would increase weight, but welding on steel reinforcing can't be light either. What do you guys think, might be good alternative to welding already weakend chassis.