NewZed

On the topic - I notice that 3012 and 3013 have the same body, with the 3013 having the spacer pressed on to the bottom. Without the spacer they look identical. But one is labeled with DF2 and the other with DF3. So are the damping curves different between the two also, or do DF2 and DF3 mean nothing?

I think that he's just looking for a Z or ZX front case to do the 240SX swap. The ZX will work fine, even better than an old 4 speed because the reverse switch is in the right spot. Kind of a shame to waste the good gearing on a late ZX 5 speed though.

2. Don't listen to the person who told you this any more.

That would be a bad connection, not a blown link. A brand new link can still have a bad connection.

Could be something in the tool bin behind the seat. Seriously.

Two of them look non-stock but may be okay, the red one is stock but the insulator has just slipped up. Push it back down and it will look stock again. Check continuity if you want to be sure that they haven't burned.

So it's basically a stock 1982 turbo motor setup. I looked around but can't figure out what a VAC is. Is that the right acronym? With the stock ECCS, isn't static timing set advanced, like 20 degrees, and the ECCS adjusts it when running? Sounds like your ECCS isn't doing its job or is getting the wrong signals. The FSM says that "timing can go wrong if the crank angle sensor mounting position gets out of alignment. When this happens the crank angle sensor must be adjusted". Also odd is that your timing would retard with revving. I thought that would only happen under boost. The backfiring is probably due to incorrect AAC and VCM operation also, if I read the FSM diagram right. One more thing - are you feeding the ECCS and the AFR meter from the same O2 sensor? I don't think that's allowed. I think that a bad O2 sensor can cause a rich mixture also. Anyway, the FSM is full of diagrams and descriptions addressing idle control specifically (there's about 12 things involved just in idle control) along with all of the other devices. Good luck.

Mainly interested 'cause this looks like something I might do. Edited your post for focus. ECCS - is it for a turbo or NA? In the FSM, ECCS and EFI are too different computer systems. You said ECCS efi... RRFPR - is this to take the place of the turbo ECCS? You're running an NA ECCS with a RRFPR? If you have a turbo ECCS why do you need a RRFPR? Are you running NA injectors with a turbo ECCS and an RRFPR? AFM - turbo or NA? For the 1982 ECCS? Injectors - turbo or NA? Narrowband sensor - that's how they work, you're either rich or lean. Timing - the "abyss" is retarded or highly advanced? It starts advanced and retards with revs or vice versa? It starts "off the chart" and comes visible? Not really clear. Real numbers are good also, e.g. sits at 20 degrees then goes to 40... Just trying to figure out what you have and what's going on. Some of my questions might be obvious (for example the ECCS might be turbo only in 1982). Looks interesting.

I measured 2.3 kOhms. But I need to keep mine.

I think that I've also used a piece of duct tape. It worked better if I recall (I took the cap off eventually, it was a poor installation anyway). Tear a piece lengthwise for easier handling and put it over the lip that catches. Don't press it on to the dash vinyl too hard or it might peel some chunks off when you remove it. Edit - if I had a cap on now and had to try again, I'd probably just use a few pieces of paper, rolled in to a cone. Thin, with a good balance of rigidity and flexibility. Plus you can stack them up to make them stiffer. Just brainstorming...

That was close, had to wait until 0.40 for the obligatory shoe shot. I was worried it wasn't going to happen. Sounds good.

Just a follow-up for anyone interested - the numbers inthe FSMs don't seem to make sense for how the cars sit, by the year. The early 280Zs I've seen tend to sit lower than the later 77 and 78 Zs. But the spring rates for the early Zs are quite a bit higher for the same dimension spring. I think that means the early ones should sit higher than the late ones. Maybe I'm missing something or maybe the number are wrong. Seems odd. Not sure why WYSIWIG doesn't work, the format looks great in the editor. 1975 1976 1977 1978 5022 Front rate 103 103 103 103 185 coils 9.5 9.5 9.5 9.5 8 length 16" 16" 16" 16" 11.25" Rear rate 197 197 127 127 200 coils 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 9 length 15.4" 15.4" 15.4" 15.4" 12"

The condenser/capacitor does not allow current flow through it. It absorbs and releases electrical pulses, but is still insulates positive from negative. When you connected the two wires you created a direct short, that's why the wire started smoking. You may have gotten away with it, but won't know unless you measure voltage on that wire or use a test light on it. You'll be way ahead if you just measure voltage and resistance on the ignition components to make sure that they are right. If everything's right, but it still won't start then you can look elsewhere for the source of the no-start problem. The capacitor shouldn't be necessary for the engine to run, but it does serve a purpose in the long term. If you don't have a meter, at least do the basic tests of confirming spark and fuel (injectors working).

Yes, that's what I was leading to. Just pointing out that there might still be a problem.

Thanks! One good story and no bad ones is enough for me. Next rain-break.

I stopped watching your video when I saw that it was six minutes long and you started talking about your house. Words are good. Did your fuel pump stop working? Don't forget the FSM. It's more specific to your car than the EFI bible.

Don't get fooled thinking that red is positive and black is negative. Make sure. And find out why it melted, first.

Still unclear how your rev needle can jump about with a manual transmission without the car's speed jumping about also. May be an unrelated symptom of some other problem. Good luck with it.

I have some Tokico 5022 springs I'd like to install but don't have a full set of Tokico struts to go with (HPs, 3012 and 3013, not Illuminas). In the meantime, I have KYB GR-2/Excel-G struts. Will the higher spring rates overpower the KYBs or will they work "OK" until I get the rest of the Tokicos? I've read that KYB recommends against using them with lowering springs, but not really sure why. Any comments, from experience or theory, appreciated. It's for street driving, lots of country roads, not much city.

Did you remove the calipers during the repaint?

Wrote this while Xnke posted, still relevant I think: Here's a few links for those wondering - http://www.sdsefi.com/ http://www.racinggreed.com/index.php?section=profile For nomenclature consistency - I think that high AFR means lean, does it not? Low AFR means rich. Your AFRs are low, not high, by your charts, which should be a problem at cruising, not WOT. Air to Fuel Ratio, more air = lean, and vice versa. Maybe by "setup" the Racing Greed guy meant that your injectors are too big to control. Still seems like there would be a middle ground to get good cruising and good open throttle perfromance. Not clear why Racing Greed can't help, their web site implies that they can. But their web site doesn't really show a lot of experience either, just a dyno and some tools. I'm no expert and could be totally off-base, just trying to help with communications. Here's a Wikipedia link just to add a little more - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air%E2%80%93fuel_ratio

The problem with reverse, and 1st, sounds like a slave and/or master cylinder problem, maybe nothing to do with the transmission or clutch at all. I would replace those two first and see how the shifting and clutch performance is, before buying and replacing the clutch. Pull back the rubber boot on the slave cylinder and see if it's leaking fluid. That's a sure sign that it needs replacement. Changing the clutch requires removing the transmission. It's not difficult on the Zs, compared to many cars, but could be difficult if you're not using to working on cars, in general.

Thanks. I changed the title of the thread to what I should have asked, from drop to final resting spot. If you've seen that range then it sounds like they might end up in the ball park of the original 76 springs. The 78 springs gave that really high rear that a lot of 280Zs have, mostly 77 and 78s from what I've seen. I have 205/70-14s for tires. It's tempting to just buy the shiny red lowering springs but hard to tell if they'll offer much over cut stock springs. $100 to find out.

I've found a set of 5022 front and rear Tokico springs and am trying to determine how low the car will sit after installation. It's a 1976 280Z. The word on the net seems to be a 1" drop but the problem I have is that I've had two car here, a 1976 and a 1978, and the 1978 sat much higher than the 1976. They both appeared to be stock. My 76 sat just fine but I installed the 78 rear suspension because it was in better condition, then cut the springs. The old 76 suspension went to the wrecking yard. I should have kept the springs but didn't know better. Is anyone with a 280Z using the Tokico 5022 springs? A picture or a link would help. I would be using them with KYB Excel-Gs if anyone has comments on that combination. Street only. Thanks. Edit - changed title from "drop" to "where does it end up"

The S30 EFI cars have a fuel damper that absorbs high frequency pressure variations. S130s probably do also. They are adjustable. Maybe yours needs a tweak to match the non-OEM pump. It's in the same vicinity as the pump and looks kind of like an FPR, with a bolt on the top.