NewZed

What kind of help are you looking for? You put everything together and the parts worked correctly, as implied by the fact that you started the engine, shifted in to gear and drove. Then something changed and now you have a problem. So you could assume that you had a part failure or something came loose. Or that you're beating yourself up with the wrong set of parts, that are breaking because they're not designed to work togther. Since it's broken three times before this seems highly possible. And what do you mean by "pivot ring was out"? And how do you know?

Shouldn't a good Hybridz member be able to look at the diagrams on the Dutch site, pick the best distributor model, then modify/fabricate to make it work? They give all of the critical dimensions.

Click on "More Reply Options", then "Browse" under "Attach Files". You should be able to figure out picture posting from there.

Re-read your post and can't tell what you changed between the time it ran well and now. The problem is probably tied to the changes.

Gasoline can go bad within a year. It loses volatility. Doesn't ignite well.

You mean the EFI, or main, relay, right? The EFI rely and the fuel pump relay are combined in the same container for 75-77. It helps to distinguish the two when troubleshooting, especially since the FSM separates the two functions. You could disconnect the wire to the fuel pump and install a completely separate relay, but you'd still need the main relay to power the EFI system.

See what they go for in the local wrecking yards, then add a premium for being able to hear it run. That's how I would see it if I was buying.

You might have the "I've done so many things I can't remember exactly what I did" problem. Still, confirming the basics won't hurt. Engine Fuel chapter in the FSM. Get a multimeter. Your replacement pump should put out about 2.5 times the pressure the engine needs.

But EDIS may not be needed, right? "megasquirt" comes in many flavors.

Pretty ingenious but there is a reason that they section strut tubes. Three and four inches of lowering seems guaranteed to bottom out your shock absorbers. You'll be bouncing down the road like a bad Honda. And how much force will those clamps take without slipping. You're depending on the friction between shiny new clamp steel and 40 years of rust, at the limited contact area between the two. Not safe at all, you could easily be dragging frame rail after a hard bump. Add a little rain water and it's even more likely.

Find out if it was a typical "ran when parked " car or if it was parked because it was dead. If it was dead when parked, you could waste a lot of time on how to start a an engine that hasn't run for years. Use the manual along with the handbook and you should be able to blow through all of the testing you need to do in a day. http://www.nicoclub.com/FSM/

I've never heard of an L6 snapping a crankshaft. I get most of my information from the world-wide web though. Do you have any examples? And I've read about quite a few L6 head gasket problems. Some pictures or links would be interesting. Always looking to learn something new.

Well, he seems to know what he's doing in the video. Maybe not.

You kind of have the "maybe I did too much at one time" problem. The engine ran with the wiring to the old fuel pump (for one day at least), assuming that it was a bad pump that caused it to stop running after one day. But now you have a new pump and modified wiring. Would have been more clear if you had installed the new pump with the old wiring, then fixed the wring afterward. But you are where you're at so the best you can do is run through the basics - confirm that you have spark, confirm that the injectors are firing, etc. Your bucket test shows fuel flow, but not pressure, so if you're not going to measure pressure all you have are the other things. Your question about what needs to be plugged in and what doesn't are all described in the FSM. Maybe your bad wiring shorted and took something else with it, like the ignition module or the ECU. Run through the basic tests in the Engine Fuel chapter and something will show up. "Have fuel, engine won't stay running" could be caused by all kinds of problems. And you forgot to identify year of car in this new thread.

Thanks for that. The RB engine seems so much more sophisticated than the L, it's weird that smearing the head gasket with sealant is recommended procedure. Seems crude, but I assume it's effective. I should probably be doing that with my L6 intake/exhaust gaskets, which always seem to leak a little bit. The two that I've done. Seems like there's a danger of RTV oozing in to critical passages on the head gasket application.

Here's your original post on the subject, and some replies, in case you couldn't find it - http://forums.hybridz.org/topic/115965-suitable-280z-fuel-pump/?do=findComment&comment=1087600 - Post #15 is you. You might still have the pump wired incorrectly. Measure fuel pressure while starting and when it dies. The problem may not be the pump at all. This is a vague description of what's happening - "I hit the switch, fuel pump fires up, I can hear it inside the car, but she wont stay running." Which switch, ignition or your new one? Check the AFM fuel pump contact, maybe your new wires aren't doing anything. http://www.nicoclub.com/FSM/

This video is easy to watch even though it's twenty minutes long. At 12:45 he shows the head gasket, then it's on the block but it's orange. Anybody know what the orange is? RTV, copper spray, magic gasket blend? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NBnDOdXzNU

"Box" does not really make sense. Have you seen this sub-forum - http://forums.hybridz.org/forum/31-nissan-rb-forum/

Modifying for a different module isn't plug-n-play, there is some wire cutting required, and probably some hole-drilling and minor fabricating. Check RockAuto.com. Click on the part number and you'll see a cross-reference to all of the vehicles that used it. Maybe you'll find a used one. Over $100 otherwise.

Your link has information that doesn't match the FSM numbers. Check 1976 and 1978 "A" cam specs., for example. Lists like this and the one on atlanticz are convenient but not reliable.

Do you have a gasket for the head? Or is the head available. Check the fit. That outlet hole looks small. Doesn't look right. I'd go out to the garage and look at mine but it's way too cold. Edit - Wasn't that cold. Here's my 81 280ZX engine housing. It uses the three bolt outlet. The engine had all signs of being original.

The stock module is in the cabin, along with a few relays. Stick your nose down by the fuse box and see what's going on down there.

The initial burning plastic smell was probably your ground cables getting hot when the battery post touched the engine block. Even the big negative cable is only designed to carry the amps returned from the starter, not a straight short. The module might have seen some stray current when the big short happened and been damaged. Electronics don't like extra current or voltage. Or it could just be coincidence.

Watch the tachometer. If it goes directly to zero while you're coasting in gear with no power, it might be the ignition module. Just one clue, it could be some other electrical component that is overheating and killing power to the ignition also.

Search the part numbers on the web. All signs are it's a standard EFI replacement pump. http://www.jegs.com/i/Carter/180/P70304/10002/-1 Edit - I should say though, that Carter Fuel Systems does a crappy job of supplying information about their products. Probably a sign of very wide specifications. Cant' be held responsible if they don't write it down. Looks like they're part of Federal Mogul. http://carterfuelsystems.com/fuelpumps/universal_fp.php http://fme-cat.com/overlays/part-detail.aspx?pNum=P70304&partType=Fuel%20Pump%20-%20Electric%20In%20Line&brandId=CF#.UqYloicW5ko