NewZed

I've had a 95 Pathfinder for 18 years. 221,000 miles on the engine and it still runs great. The main problems with them that I've heard and/or experienced is: - the driver's side exhaust manifolds tend to crack - they break exhaust manifold studs. Watch traffic for a while and you'll probably see several 90's PF's farting by as they accelerate. - the early engines uses a timing belt that required replacing at 65,000 mile (I think). They changed the tooth design later to go 105,000. It's an interference engine so when it goes, the vehicle typically ends up in the junkyard (check the yards and you'll see many in nice shape with no apparent reason for being there). It's crowded in the engine bay so replacement takes some work. - the cam seals leak at high mileage, as does the water pump. Both are behind the timing belt. Courtesy Nissan has actually put a kit together of all of those parts to do in one big job. - I've heard that the auto transmissions aren't very good and tend to give problems. Many of the nice PF's I've seen in the wrecking yards also had auto's. Otherwise, the rest is pretty durable. Mine only went in to the shop twice, once for the cracked exhaust manifold and once for a busted power window motor (I hit the automatic roll-down with the window frozen shut - my fault). Mine is an SE 4x4 with 5 speed and the auto hubs. But I haven't really used them much. I would ask specifically about the timing belt. If it's not within the 65,000 mile window or close, it's just a self-destruction waiting to happen. Check the front of the motor for oil and water leaks, and abuse the transmission in a test drive.

You could try removing the line to the calipers, pressing the pedal and seeing what comes out. You need to isolate down to sub-systems. Don't forget also that the "pressure" when using the Mighty-Vac method is atmospheric. It's everywhere. So, for example, if the bleeder on the other caliper was open, or if there was a leak there, the vacuum method would pull from there instead of the reservoir. Wherever is easiest. When you use vacuum to pull, it's not exactly the same as using pressure from the MC to push. As for isolating components, I've fabricated small rubber plugs to fit under the fitting for pressure checking. Just stick it in there, tighten the fitting slightly and that caliper or cylinder is locked out. You can use that to test the MC. You could also rig up an old piece of brake line and run it directly from the MC in to a container if you want to see if the MC is pushing any fluid. Or use the bench bleeding ports, that's what they're for. Again, taking the calipers out of the picture. In your video, you have everything in the brake system connected, and you're trying to figure out what's wrong by watching fluid run through a tube out of a caliper. Too many things interacting at one time. Isolate down to something manageable and visible.

Start your own thread. Pick a forum in which to post your new thread that has a title related to the topic of your thread. Read some of these threads before going further: http://forums.hybridz.org/forum/68-new-members-forum/ p.s. Never use "lol" again.

Clue attached.

Didn't Rebello have some advice? What did he have to say? They're doing the 9 yards, right?

ECU's do go bad sometimes, though not often. They use similar transistors to the ones in the ignition module to drive the injectors. I had one die on me while driving. I got two or three restarts out of it to get me closer to home then it was dead for good. And, recently, someone on another forum has reported the symptoms of a dying ECU. It happens. That's probably where you're at on FSM troubleshooting, "if all these tests pass, replace the ECU".

Don't know if he has stock or thinks he can get them - http://www.datsunstore.com/lowering-springs-74578-tokico-linear-rate-p-1706.html http://www.datsunstore.com/lowering-springs-7074-tokico-linear-rate-p-1824.html

Does the tachometer show engine RPM while trying to start? Or while it's running on Starting Fluid?

Nissan calls both heating and cooling of the air in the cabin "air conditioning". The Air Conditioning chapter of the FSM describes all of the odd pieces that have to work right, like the magnet valves (solenoids) and the vacuum reservoir (the big white bottle). Pretty common to lose the vacuum line to the bottle and get no heat.

Jwwinsrt might be confusing Modern Motorsports with Chequered Flag Joe. CFJ has both web sites in his sig but nothing showing that they are two separate businesses. That plus the Canadian spelling is a problem.

Who did the convertible work? You might have more body flex than a typical Z. And typically it's the rear end that sits extra high on the stock 280Z's. You said the fronts of the spring set you'll be swapping in have been cut 1" but what about the back? Lowering made my 76 feel more stable, so that won't hurt, but I cut the backs more than the fronts.

Seems more likely that you knocked some wires around when you were swapping rails, or the stock rail was damaged. The stock rail should flow plenty of fuel unless it had a bad dent or crimp in the tubes from being removed and replaced many times. Or you had a bad FPR and that was swapped along with the rail. Something's not right about your solution. (Sorry Pallnet, this post was probably worth 10 sales).

Pretty common question. Frequently asked. There's a thread for it - http://forums.hybridz.org/topic/52263-newb-project-faq-what-engine-swap-how-much-will-it-cost/ Suggestion to get more responses - get rid of the avatar.

We moved past that in to philosophy...

Stop beating around the bush and just say what you know. Are the cross member bolts 3/8-20 or not? I know something you don't know is just a kid's game.

So, you're implying that the JIS automotive standard is not based on the metric system? Are you saying that the OP's bolts could actually be 3/8-20? I'd love to learn something new, and that would be an interesting odd fact. No expert myself, but all of the threaded pieces I've looked at on my Z were based on the metric measurement system. Seems like a good, general, starting assumption that would probably help the OP in the long run. I'm still a troll...

Bernardd's post kind of illustrates the dilemma of interest vs. availability. Many might be interested in using an RB26 or M30 ECU but how many will be able to get one, within their price range. Maybe the Z32 is the way to go. You might generate some interest by spelling out the benefits, even before getting in to Nistune. Sequential injection at idle is smoother, fuel cut based on speed for low/no gas smell when coasting, MAF-based for better fuel regulation over a broader air flow range. Stuff like that. The AFM-based Z and ZX systems are so primitive that even without re-tuning the 1990's systems might run cleaner on a stock or modified L6. That's been my thinking. But that's probably what people doing the Z31 swap thought also when they started. It would nice to have an intermediate choice between the Z31 swap and Megasquirt. Interesting topic.

This may be an entirely ignorant question for the guys that know the M30 ECU work - but do you mean the M30 ECU used in the 1989-1992 Nissan Infiniti M car, or the very popular M30 ECU used by BMW? I could see both being used, with work. If it's the 89-92 Infiniti M, why not go with something lie the 90-95 Pathfinder instead, or mid-90's Maxima. There are many, many more Pathfinders out there than Infiniti M's. Just asking for clarity, for me and others. I've been looking at the Pathfinder setup for a while, partly because I have one, and the wrecking yards are packed with them.

10% better gas mileage from retarding timing seems odd. Tuning your engine with a vacuum gauge is not common, you only see what's happening at idle. Popping from the intake can be a sign of a lean mixture. You should be able to make it run smoothly within a pretty wide range of initial timing settings, like 5 to 20 degrees, so using the shop's setting and focusing on carb tuning might be your best option. Learn more about your distributor's advance characteristics - how much centrifugal advance (check the weight stamps,see if the springs have been messed with, make sure it works smoothly), and is the vacuum advance working (if it's used, some carb people don't like it). Also, are you using a stock cam or performance-modified? If the head's been swapped,who knows what's up there. If you're short on money, troll the used book stores for books on tuning Holley carburetors (they exist), and basic internal combustion engine principles. Or do the same on the internet. You're missing a lot of basic knowledge, in addition to the tools you need for tuning. Did the Holley 390 come with the Arizona Z Car package or were the two parts pieced together? Here's some text from the AZC site - maybe you're in this boat - "The recommended carb is a Holley 390CFM (model 4160 part# 8007) , normally NO rejetting is required on these. Use a brand new one (about $300) as a rebuilt one will NEVER run right, cause nothing but aggrevation, and cost you many many times the $100 you thought you were going to save in trying to trouble shoot it." Just some basic thoughts. You're starting from way down the knowledge ladder. I've been there and you can do damage if you're not careful.

If this is a Nissan 240Z or 280Z, it will most likely be metric thread. They were made in Japan. 3/8 20 is not a metric designation. Sorry, I seem to be trolling. Hard to resist.

Pardon me if this post is poorly structured, I typed the entire thing from my phone. How much did the "shop" cost, and what did you get for the money (besides an engine that doesn't run right)? Curious - what are you studying in college? Left the phone part in just because it's amusing.

I put "u-joint alignment " in the Google box and got a few good links. This one seems really well-done, nice pictures and good explanations, with some important small details, like the fact that some u-joint movement is necessary for the health of the bearings. http://jniolon.clubfte.com/drivelinephasing/drivelinephasing.html

I was joking. When I saw the cellphone comment, and the jibes at "hybridz" (the site owners and moderators) it seemed like a perspective check might help. You were deviating from asking for suggestions to pissing off the moderators. Didn't seem like a good way to go. Hybridz is still much, much easier than the other two Z forums I've posted on, classiczcars.com and yorgo.com (AKA zcar.com). You have to jump through a bunch of hoops on those sites, although they might have better linking to image hosting sites. I'm going to guess that the site operators have to choose between site security and user convenience and have chosen the safe side. SuperDan just spent a couple of weeks tracking down problems with Avast security notifications and the moderators still have to battle the Uggh boot spam poster every week or two. Good luck with it. Maybe start a separate thread specific to linking images. Since the site has evolved there might be something new out there.

You should complain to your tether holder. Seriously, we all need to be able to do more from our cell phones. Seriously. OK, not seriously. It's amazing that people are so integrated with "cell phones" that they get indignant when they can't do what they want from the phone. Apple, and their followers, have done an amazing job of creating a horde of people demanding their cell phone rights. Incredible. They've trained millions of people to believe that life with a cell phone is "normal" and anything else is weird and primitive. Step back and throw off the Apple/cell phone yoke and you'll have to agree. It really is amazing, especially for someone who's been hanging ten (old surfer term - Google it) on the technology wave, from rotary phones (those old phones with the circular dial and ten digits to choose from) to today.

I'm running a 1978 engine that sat for over 10 years, outside, in the car. It runs great, has even compression across all cylinders, and blow-by is so low that the inside of the valve cover PCV hose is as clean as when I replaced the hose. The guy I bought it from got it running again before I bought the car for parts so who knows what prep work he did before hitting the starter. Probably none. What do you mean by "open it up"? And "shaved"? A shave won't do much for you and will probably just make problems. You could just take the valve cover off and check for rust and squirt lots of oil around and in the cylinders before turning anything, if you're looking for the least expensive re-start. Rusted metal, on bearing surfaces like the cam and rocker arms, or in the cylinders, is probably your biggest concern. If you're going to take the manifolds off, you can check for rust on the valve seats and what you can see in the cylinders. A few of the valves will have been open, exposing the cylinders to moist air. Some of the seals are easy to get to and cheap, like the rear main seal, if the engine's out. Check the manifold studs for breakage or corrosion, it's easier to drill them with the engine out.