NewZed

Did the distributor work before (see the FSM for setting gap and testing the pickup coil, if not)? How do you know the HEI module isn't working (check for spark)? Have you tested the coil + and - terminals for voltage with the key at On and Start? Have you confirmed ground from the mounting grommets on the module? Get a meter and do the basic tests.

Disconnect the battery and measure voltage again. You're not comprehending what the numbers are telling you. Forgot to say that you should not have an external regulator.

14.8 and 13.5 show that your alternator and its internal regulator are working correctly, although that's a big drop between the alternator and the battery. Check for current flow with the engine off. You have something connected to the harness draining power. If you just installed something electrical disconnect it and see if the problem goes away.

Your battery needs replacing or a good charge. Disconnecting the battery with the engine running can damage an alternator, don't do that anymore. Are you really ready to swap a motor?

Found this article on cnet.com. Kind of amusing. Might be appropriate for an Automotive 101 sub-forum. http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-34980_7-57617077/oily-bits-the-cylinder-head-and-valve-train/

These are not good criteria for choosing an engine.

Part of the Factory Service Manual. Has dimensions for "tramming", which is apparently what straightening a bent chassis is called. Good general descriptions of what's important on the body also. You can't go wrong by at least reading the first few pages. I haven't done this kind of work but if I was I would probably tie the strut towers, front and back, together with a tower brace on each, then set the body down on a level surface with pillars supporting the body at the tower tops. Or at the inner control arm mounts. No suspension. That's just a first inclination though, there may be better ways.

You can also check the Body chapter after you're done to see how badly warped things are. Or before.

From about 72 on the drivetrain is entirely rubber-mounted. Rubber donuts on the ends of the transmission cross member, so no precision on alignment. There was a thread a little while ago that mentioned the effect of the floor panels. Some said they had little effect, but one member said that their body got a little rubbery with the floor panels removed. Search the internet for monocoque chassis articles and you'll probably find a few references to the effect of every surface of the body on stiffness. They'll make you wonder if you should even put flat sheet in the floor instead of structured. It's interesting reading.

You can get easily misled if you just use the generic name for these materials. PEX plumbing tubing is polyethylene based but has very different properties than milk jug polyethylene, for example. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyethylene http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross-linked_polyethylene "Polyurethanes" can have properties from jello-like to rock hard. Nylons have a wide range of properties also. And the multilayer hoses can have very different fuel resistance, inside versus outside. Stick a piece of EFI hose in a cup of gasoline and the outside will get gooey and make your hands black if you touch it in just a short time. The very thin inside layer has all of the fuel resistance. That's why any sharp edges or nicks on injectors or hard lines should be smoothed before using. Best to choose your specs. and make sure whatever you use meets them. Any hose that doesn't come with specifications is probably not designed for extreme use. Don't choose anything by its popular name.

So you have a 78 with an empty engine bay and you're gathering parts. Makes more sense. Make sure you get the right exhaust manifold for whatever head the L28 engine has. Square versus round.

You should probably define better what you mean by "L28". Do you want a complete engine, with manifolds, injectors, water pump , thermostat housing, etc.. still attached? Do you need the AFM, distributor, ECU and other engine control parts? The parts from a 1978 long block will transfer over to a 1983 long block. Easier to find a long-block than a complete engine. Any L28 from 75 to 83 would work except that you would want square port exhaust for 75-76. Good luck. Edit - you posted while I was writing. It's not clear what you're looking for, your CL ad in #5 iists everything except the engine, you said you need an engine in Post #1. Contradictory. Good luck.

I only see one. You borrowed that picture? Doesn't look hopeless, if yours look like that. Your favorite penetrant, heat and patience might get it out. Don't screw up the stub, get a good solid grip on it before twisting. Drill a hole through it to get penetrant to the back side of the threads.

Those are flat-top pistons, your 77 came with dished pistons. They're different. You may not need new pistons if your engine has not been abused.

Here's a whole car in Seattle. Take the motor, sell the body to PicknPull, and the transmission on CL. http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/cto/4275686630.html

http://forums.hybridz.org/topic/116291-looking-for-set-of-stock-280zx-injectors/?do=findComment&comment=1090211

Check your dealer. Some of the old parts are still available. See below. http://www.carpartsmanual.com/datsunS30/DatsunZIndex/Electrical/Distributor/240Z/ForManual/tabid/1688/Default.aspx http://www.courtesyparts.com/spring-gov-p-276887.html Also, your dist. number doesn't show up as a 240Z number, close but not quite, but the list in this thread may not include them all. Your dealer might have a dist. number part reference for the spring. http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/electrical-s30/34192-280zx-distributor-advance-curve-reference.html

You had an external regulator with just one green wire running to its plug from the harness? Can't tell what you mean. L just needs to be switched, i.e. only has power when the ignition switch is on. There's another description of how to get it done at the very bottom of the page you got your first drawing from. atlanticz.ca. If you don't have a voltmeter, a test light will work. The new alternator just needs switched L for excitation, S to sense voltage, the big white wire to feed the fusible links and the battery via connection at the starter lug, and a ground (commonly though both the mounting bolts and a black wire).

It might be that your 75's ammeter uses a different wiring scheme. Someone with a 73 or 72 just had a similar problem. You could just use a voltmeter to find what the ZX alternator needs at the T plug, S(sense) and L(amp), and go from there. The only one that you really need the VR plug for is L, it would be switched power. Find L on the wiring diagram and use that for L on the alternator. Use the meter to be sure it's switched power. S just needs to be at the battery or a point on the system's positive circuit, but one of those wires is probably always hot so would work.. If your alternator isn't marked with L and S you can probably find a diagram in a ZX FSM. And as I mentioned, power for the brake check relay might also come from the external VR. It does for 1976 and it can cause problems.

Post a picture. And, to be clear, it's not the VR that has G/R wire it's the car's wiring harness. And make sure you're not looking at the plug upside down. Go by location, not color. Check the diagram in the FSM, Body Electrical. Look for blue like 1976 as an option too. When you're done, search for "brake warning lamp check relay" if your battery starts dying when the car sits for a few days.

Looks like you left a hot wire unprotected and it shorted. Which instructions?

I'm not suggesting that you replace the transistors. It's just an example of what can go wrong, and replacement is kind of difficult. Plus, an exact spec. match for the original transistors is not available. You didn't say if you bypassed the dropping resistors or not. You can measure resistance of the injectors with an ohm-meter. I don't know how much resistance it takes to cause a no-open problem. If I swapped injectors, I would try to match impedance for the whole circuit since that's what the ECU was designed for.

I've seen it described that failing ECU's will sometimes flood the engine. I had one fail and the guy that helped me push said he smelled gas from the tail pipe. I was too busy trying to figure out how to avoid a towing fee to check for sure. I replaced the transistors on that ECU and it worked, so my guess is that the two big transistors that control the injectors can fail just like the igniton module transistors do, causing erratic and excessive cirrent flow (when igntion modules fail you'll see high RPM readings and poor igntion after they get hot). What's the impedance (resistance) on those Ford injectors and did you keep the harness resistors? Maybe you're running too much current through the ECU transistors and you've damaged them. Nissan used several ECU models on 75-78 280Z's. They deem to differ by CA vs. Fed. and auto vs. manual. You just have to check the numbers. 75-78 Fed. manual all seem to be the same model.

On my 76 the instrument lights are on the same switch as the tail-lights. If your instrument lights are out, tails might be too. Save yourself a traffic-stop and check. I've seen some rusty relays over by the fuse box though on my car. A bad relay overheating and opening up might explain your symptoms. The main ignition relay is where I would start. You can't really tell that they're bad from the outside. I've attached a picture of mine, which had been bypassed when I got the car.

Decisons should be based on criteria like: daily driver, faster than a Subaru, shiny and new looking, cooler than my neighbor's car, etc. You haven't established any, not even one. So it's impossible to know what you're looking for. As for "newer", you're talking about 41 yrs. old vs. 35. Post #2 here is informative and along the same lines as your question. It's subjective, don't try to be objective. Whatever makes you feel good is the right choice. http://forums.hybridz.org/topic/52263-newb-project-faq-what-engine-swap-how-much-will-it-cost/