NewZed

Looks like you should be using Pin 5. Here's a diagram from the 1982 EFEC chapter.

The "small cylinder" is a solenoid that opens to let vacuum through to the distirbutor. The wires from the solenoid go to the top gear switch on the tranmsssion. It's described in the Emissions chapter. As twofouroh says, it shouldn't stop the engine from starting, you'll just never have vacuum advance if it does. One easy way to ballpark ignition timing is to put the timing mark on ~10 degrees, then look at where the rotor tooth (the six tooth iron rotor) is in relation to the pickup coil in the distributor. It should be about directly across from the exposed brass in the middle of the pickup coil. If it's not, turn the distributor until it is, then make sure that the distirbutor rotor is pointing at the #1 wire. Firing order is 1-5-3-6-2-4 in counterclockwise order. Cylinder 1 is at the front. While you're in there check the gap between the rotor tooth and the magnetic pickup coil. It's important, and adjustable, also described in the Engine Electrical chapter.

He wants a set that are longer than stock to run around the front of the engine. Probably have to build a set. You'll need a good crimper and just match the specs. on the stock wires. I thnk that auto parts stores typically have a build-your-own kit from Accel that comes with a crimping tool. One option.

The AAR does not affect the air-fuel ratio. It just lets air past the throttle blade, but the air still passes through the AFM. If you take the hose off of the AAR you're creating a large vacuum leak, letting unmetered (Air Flow Metered) air in to the manifold, leaning out the mixture. Your rich problem isn't caused by the AAR. You're searching where the light is, when your problem is in the dark.

That's good enough for me. We've circled back to Speedhunter, from Post #51. Here's the quote from Speedhunter that implies that RockyAuto built the car - "Now working out of a brand new state-of-the-art workshop, Watanabe-san at Rocky Auto is able to churn out cool custom kyusha at an even faster pace than before! This USDM Datsun 240Z is something he pieced together in the last couple of months… …and it’s probably one of the cleanest cars we have ever seen from the famed resto-mod specialist." Here's "speedhunters_dino" in the comments claiming that RockyAuto gave the impression - "oops indeed. Seems he's not only playing the market as I was lead to believe something else..." From here - http://www.speedhunters.com/2013/04/mixing-it-up-spotlighting-necs-2013/ There's still a lot of written support in this thread (sample quote below) for the idea that calling someone ele's work your own is the way they do things in Japan. I don't believe that. But that's opinion so it's just more words in the end. From #46, Tony D - "If you sold it and walk away from the service...you aren't due the credit. That's the way it works there. If you want credit, set up shop there, and service what you sell. Otherwise you will merely be a minor footnote in the history of the vehicle." Posts like #46 are what have kept this thread alive. The statement above runs counter to my experience, which is limited, but real. Maybe the auto market is different. Just tying up loose ends. Good luck, PLATA, with your sale to RockyAuto. I hope it happens real soon.

The internet is a very difficult place to verify someone's credentials or show an error without seeming like an ass (or showing that you might actually be one [talking about me]). I thought it might touch a nerve so pet280 is entitled to respond if he's offended. No biggy. I was curious about what qualifies as "tech" or professional. It's surprising how many people post that they're professionals, or techs, but have problems with the very fundamental early EFI system. 40 versus 36.3 wouldn't qualify as "in spec." to me. 10% over. You've got the numbers, you just see something different. It would probably work okay but a little rich. But you couldn't make the EFI system work even though you're a professional, trained mechanic. It just shows why this forum and others like it are so popular. No offense, you just gave an opportunity to learn the state of the "Tech". Next time you take a course with a live instructor, bring an old 280Z in to stump the instructors. It will be fun.

Did you measure resistance at the ECU or just continuity? We always direct people to the FSM but the reality is that even the FSM tests aren't very thorough. They're just a starting place.

Backing it out lets more past the AFM vane. Making the mixture leaner because the AFM vane doesn't open as far. But the effect is tiny, it's main purpose is to adjust the mixture at idle. Adjusting it won't fix this - "insainly rich (huge clouds of smoke)". That's more likely the coolant temperature circuit or fuel pressure. If you have an ohm-meter you can learn a lot by running through the FSM tests at the ECU connector. TPS adjustment is in the FSM also, and can also be checked at the ECI connector.

Let's at least define the issue correctly first. PLATA's just here for the entertainment, he has nothing useful to say.

Posts like this are just confusing. What kind of training have you had to become a professional mechanic? Or are you self-trained? 40 psi off and 36-38 running is not "in spec". I am honestly curious. If you're getting paid for auto repair that's great, I just wonder how one gets to a position like that. Good luck with Megasquirt, it sounds like it's definitely worth doing, in general, on these old cars.

#2 is the gear set that 1980 ZX 5 speed uses. For some reason Nissan only kept it around for one model year. I have one and 5th gear does feel like it belongs there, not a big jump to 5th. I had an 83 in my car for a little while and the 4-5 jump was noticeable.

The distance from the surface of the flywheel to the surface of the collar that the fork rides on (the "ears") should be about 92 mm. Pressure plate heights vary, along with collars. The transmissions commonly used all have the same mounting point for the slave cylinder. It's the stack height of the pressure plate and collar that matters. Assuming that the parts are assembled correctly.

You're beating around the bush. It's a lie, a dishonesty, a fib, for Rocky Auto to say that they built that car. That's the issue. This isn't about the car, it's about what Rocky Auto said. It's about the words used to sell the car. Does Rocky Auto tell lies to sell cars? This question has to be answered first, then, of course, many words can be written about how "everybody lies" therefore it's okay. As far as stealing, taking credit for someone else's work is stealing. Doesn't matter if you bought the material good. Just like selling prints of of a painting tht you didn't paint is illegal. It's your paper and your printing equipment but the "thought" that went in to the work of art isn't yours to resell. To be blunt, Rocky Auto looks like a group of lying con men. If they were advertising "cars that we liked and bought and are now reselling", then everything you say about ownership would matter. But they're telling lies, so it doesn't.

Japanese business practice is similar to ours. They sue, just like us, if someone steals their creations. Check out Fistful of Dollars and Yojimbo. Reference below. Cultures are made up of individuals, some flawed. Trying to justify what Rocky Auto is doing by defining it as part of the Japanese culture may be denigrating the Japanese in an attempt to save face for one person (Watanabe). To me, it looks like what commonly happens when a business starts riding on an individual's reputation. Rocky Auto and Speedhunter seem to both be profiting at the expense of Watanabe's reputation. Pretty common. It's not about the culture, it's about making money. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yojimbo_%28film%29 "n 1964, Yojimbo was remade as A Fistful of Dollars, a spaghetti western directed by Sergio Leone and starring Clint Eastwood in his first appearance as the Man with No Name. Leone and his production company failed to secure the remake rights to Kurosawa's film, resulting in a lawsuit that delayed Fistful's release in North America for three years."

For a 0.86 5th, you need to find a gear pair that works out to .86 * .7931 > 0.682. Like 30 and 44. Or 21 and 31 (close). The last edit in my post #7 really just raises the question of what the tooth count is on Nissan part #32310-58S54. The guy says it's 22 and 37 but who knows. Maybe you can find someone out there to open some boxes for you.

I tried to find some old threads over on zcar.com by Norm the 12 second SU guy but it's pretty impossible to find anything over there. Their search engine is Google. But I did find an old John Coffey post that might be interesting - http://www.zcar.com/forum/13-car-talk-forum/244617-4-vs-5-speed-3.html Pretty sure that the 12 second guy had some threads on swapping 5th gear. Might be worth more looking. Edit - actually the information I was looking for is on Page 1 of that thread. John Coffey's post is on Page 3. Edit 2 - http://www.courtesyparts.com/overdrive-p-343102.html Edit 3 - of course there's always someone raising a question - http://sports.dir.groups.yahoo.com/group/westcoastzracer/message/8440

www.xenons30.com/reference or http://www.nicoclub.com/FSM/280z/1977/ Engine Fuel chapter. Unfortunately the 1977 FSM isn't separated by chapter. It's a pain, you have to download the whole thing.

You have a vacuum leak from the carbon canister hoses and a very rich condition from the coolant temp. sensor being disconnected. Who knows which is causing your no-start. The thing about the EFI is it really really likes to have everything connected and working correctly.

The ECU and injectors don't care about ignition timing. Pin 1 at the ECU connector is supposed to be connected to the negative terminal of the coil. One simple thing you can do is check continuity from Pin 1 to that post. Is everything re-assembled as it was before you replaced the head gasket or are you trying to start it before putting everything back together? Or did you do a few other things while you were in there?

Won't the T5 driveshaft be a ZX driveshaft and of the wrong length? Won't fit a Z body? It will need to be cut. Plus you have an early body, which causes problems. Binding half-shafts with the R200 swap. Cut driveshaft, mustache bar, 280Z R200 stub axles, shortening a half-shaft to avoid binding - getting expensive and it's not even what you really want. The very cheapest, simplest in-the-mean-time option might be back to the R180. The ZX T5 driveshaft is probably the wrong length anyway. Have a custom shaft made, with the right flange for the R180 on it, and take it easy on the diff. The Subaru R180 swap in the early bodies is popular, I think, because it avoids all of those problems that seem small but actually take a lot of work and money to fix.

Supply more information. The engine ran at one time, otherwise it would not have made it from 1977 to today. Something happened in the meantime. The ECU grounds the injectors when it detects that the coil has created a spark three times. If the injectors have power, they will open. If there is pressure in the injector, it will squirt.

You didn't mention the RPM component of your timing control scheme. Only manifold pressure. Maybe it's in there just not described. By the way, as you can see from your diagram, the 280Z sensor won't work in that scheme. It produces its own voltage as the rotor tip passes by. It doesn't have external power.

There should be a drain plug on the bottom of your radiator. Designed with a hole or slot in it to dribble slowly when loosened so that you don't have to remove it completely to drain fluid. You can reach it from the front of the car, it's either on the driver's side or in the middle. Has wings like a wing nut. For finger usage.

I think that your reasoning for motorcycle coils might be off. Wasted spark doubles the load, COP reduces it to 1/6 (six coils instead of one). So a reduction to 1/3 the load of a single coil system - 2 * 1/6. A three coil wasted spark would be 2 (the doubling) * 1/3 = 2/3 the load of a single coil system. So your COP wasted spark reduces the load to half of a standard wasted spark setup but still doesn't need motorcycle coils. Your math might be assuming that all coils fire at any single cylinder's combustion cycle. That would be a lot of wasted spark and each coil would see the same duty cycle as a single coil. The only benefit would be redundancy of coils to allow the engine to keep runing if a coil failed. I think that the MSD 7AL uses spark retard for timng control also (not positive, it's hard to find rechnical details on it). Controlled by dials on the box or programmable by computer. My reasoning or understanding could be off. Looks interesting though.

Maybe you were spinning the pump the wrong way. Should go counterclockwise, reverse speed on a drill motor.