NewZed

I have an engine sitting in the garage with distributor out, all stock parts, probably 150,000 original miles, and I can reach in and grab the tang that drives the distributor with a pair of pliers to give it a twist. I get ~ 1 degree of play if I don't let it move up and down. It has about 1.5 mm of play up and down, and twists about 1.5 degrees on the gear face as it moves. No noticeable bushing/bearing play. Surprisingly tight considering the mileage and condition of the rest of the engine. A point of reference for you.

Try the tests here - http://www.pertronix.com/docs/instruction-sheets/1141.pdf The Pertronix modules are an old design without the protective power-cut features of newer electronic modules. If you left the key On for too long you might have overheated it. A stray spark will damage even the newer modules.

http://forums.hybridz.org/forum/35-nissan-v6-forum/ Your 85 has a VG30ET. Your 77 is an S30. Your 85 is also a 300ZX, not a 280Z.

Then intercooler only removes heat produced when the turbo pressurizes the system. Otherwise there's no heat to remove, it's at equilibrium. ambient to ambient.. All of your measurements at low or no load (no boost), and with the throttle closed are the same that anybody with an NA engine would see. At zero boost there is no way for the temperature sensor to get hotter than the surrounding metal. The energy just isn't there. It's phyicsally impossible (I left that S there on purpose). So the turbo has little to do with what you're seeing. When you close the throttle but don't disengage the engine from the drivetrain, you might be pulling hot gases from the crankcase in to the intake manifold. There's no air flow to purge them and the pistons are moving faster, compared to idle. One possibility. It might be telling you somersetting about your PCV system, or condition of your rings, but probably has little to do with much. 215 degrees is a pretty weak skyrocket.

Open up the PD chapters and take a look - http://www.nicoclub.com/archives/nissan-300zx-factory-service-manuals.html

Do you have power to the injectors? Have you tried starting with starter fluid? Is the engine flooding with fuel and the wait time is for things to dry out (pull a spark plug and see if it's wet or dry), or is it not starting because it's too dry. You were on the right track, confirming spark and fuel pressure. Now just figure out if the spark is strong enough, and if the injectors are opening when they should. You have to get under the hood with a meter, and a few other tools.

Amusing. Curse words, watch the sound. short crash at 12:40 but lots of D-baggery along the way. Ends appropriately.

Single coil or wasted spark?

Did you get propeller shaft u-joints, or half-shaft u-joints? They're different. Post the MOOG part number,

It's a vent. In a low pressure area to pull air from the cabin. The badge pops off and you'll see the hole.

I just browsed through that section and have to admit it's not very clear. I'd guess that "air pipe" means throttle body port, based on the diagram and port locations. So, even based on your picture, the EGR and vacuum advance lines shouldn't change at all with throttle body. They're connected to the TVV. The canister has it's own ported vacuum line. Called "vacuum signal line' in the second drawing. So it looks like you could have a T off of the MSA port, with one hose going to the top port of the TVV, and the other going to the cap on the canister. Usually the cap is labeled, and the vaccum line is a small one. You should check your old throttle body though to see why there are three ports. It may be that they all actuate at different times which would mean you won't be able to match it exactly with the MSA TB. You can usually see the ports inside the TB, by the blade, Nissan really regressed in 1982, in FSM quality.

Get in to the FSM and figure out which hoses need ported vacuum, which need full time vacuum, and which need switched vacuum. Then figure out where to get those vacuum sources, using tees off of the MSA TB, or making new holes. Not sure what you mean by "vapor valve", maybe the charcoal canister purge line?, but there are no vacuum hoses that should ever pull raw fuel. Could be that you've confused your hoses and you're actually looking at the FPR vacuum hose, and your FPR is damaged and leaking fuel. At the least, figure out the right names for what you're looking at.

Your comment about the sensor location was buried, and in parens. Missed it. Follow the wires. You should really do the conversion work, if you want more responses. Most of the forum members work in Farenheit. (1.8 x Celsius) + 32 = Farenheit, for anyone who wants to do the math.

Where's the sensor and how is it mounted? You might be measuring heat transferred from metal at low air flow.

Congratulations. You're ahead by -10 days.

You won't see a tiny voltage drop from low current flow unless you have a good meter. Try measuring where the power should be going when you turn the key. The starter solenoid, when you turn the key to Start.

Turned to where? And where are you measuring?

You can use the small diagrams in various chapters from the Post #6 link, or this giant one - http://www.atlanticz.ca/zclub/techtips/wiringdiagrams/78_280Z_wiring.pdf At least you have a meter. You could have used it to determine that you had power to the coil, for example, beofre using the starting fluid. You have the basic tools, and some knowledge. You just need to use it in an orderly fashion. Instead of checking the relays, check what they power, for example. If it doesn't have power, check the relay power source (the ignition switch for example, or the power wire to the EFI system at the battery terminal with its green fusible link), then check the relay. You'll be surprised how easy it was when you find the one thing that wasn't getting power that should have been.

There's a black 280ZX, looks about 1979, in Repo Man.

Close maybe, at least on names. Maxima calipers, 300ZX rotors, on the Z cars. Scroll down here - http://www.californiadatsun.com/brakes/brake-conversion-upgrade-kits/ The KE is there, and the shapes look similar. This guy used to be Datsun Parts LLC. Changed the name. Same parts, same guy, though.

That's a good point. Considering the extra mounting holes in the front of the long nose that aren't used though, and the modifications to the bar end bushings after a year or two in the 240Z, and the big chunk of iron they strapped on to the bottom of the cross-member later, I'm still seeing a cobbled together system that they never really got right. If a person has never been under a Z, like I hadn't when I got mine, when you first get a look at all of those parts, there's a lot of time spent thinking "what the heck were they trying to do here". I'd bet the first prototype cars had a more solid mount but the diff howling and clunking inside the unibody tin can was just too much to stand. Then they started cobbling.

I'd go with you picked the wrong shop to work on your diff and they screwed it up.

Looks like automatic uses a different bolt. http://www.carpartsmanual.com/datsuns30/DatsunZIndex/PowerTrain/TransmissionCase/Automatic/FromApr-71/tabid/1705/Default.aspx He probably has the swap done already...

Are you swapping 5 speed for 4 speed, or 5 speed for automatic? The manual transmissions are almost identical. Don't know about automatics. The local Nissan dealer might be able to get them. http://www.carpartsmanual.com/datsuns30/DatsunFairladyZIndex/PowerTrain/TransmissionCase/5Speed/tabid/1702/Default.aspx http://www.courtesyparts.com/bolt-p-234686.html http://www.courtesyparts.com/bolt-p-234688.html

Time for basics. Power to coil, etc. You just installed a completely new electronic fuel injection system, MSD ignition system, and electronic distributor (assuming the Mallory is not points). Some meter work should be a piece of cake. Seems like you're in denial that one of your new parts might have broken. Could just be that a wire fell off.