NewZed

You covered all of the basics in your first post. Probably why you got no replies. Spark present, fuel present, timing checked. Doesn't make sense that you don't even get a pop, unless you have zero compression...

The intake manifold isn't leaking gas, the carburetor or the fuel lines to it are. JSM's circles are in the right spots. There is a thick washer-shaped curved piece that goes over those studs to span the gap to the intake manifold and clamp it on the edges. The studs apply clamping force to both the intake manifold and exhaust manifold (header flange in your case). There's no reason for your clutch linkage to increase engine speed unless the pedal is rubbing on the throttle linkage. The PO might have run a cable linkage to your carburetor and the clutch pedal is pressing on it. Also, check the carpet down by your feet.

#24 here has some numbers - http://forums.hybridz.org/index.php/topic/57510-powerforce-harmonic-damper-install/page__st__20 I searched "damper pulley fit" just to see what was out there. Worth a look. Edit - Post #34 is even better, with an actual measurement. Of course, after reading the thread, you'll realize that yours will not be exactly the same.

I think that he might be worried about fuel pressure control response time over the length of the small diameter tubing. I've pondered it myself. If the pressure didn't build quickly enough at the injectors because the extra line between the injectors and the FPR took time to pressurize, then you could imagine a lean condition when lifting throttle or shifting down a gear (higher intake vacuum at the FPR). How lean and whether it's significant, who knows.

It might not be durable enough for the heating cooling cycles of the exhaust manifold, at the flange, but who knows. Here's one example - http://www.autozone.com/autozone/accessories/VersaChem-3-oz-Inferno-metal-repair/_/N-25hw?itemIdentifier=30671&_requestid=765970 Since you're trying to save an existing system, and can't get reasonably priced replacement parts, maybe a custom copper washer would be in order. Cut a couple of rings from soft sheet to size to fit around the pipes in to the manifold, and let them deform in to the defects.

They're not the same harness. Do a little Googling and searching and read the comparisons between the two and you'll find that the MSA/Dave harness is essentially plug-in and go, while the BD harness is apparently somewhat difficult to get installed. Always a good idea to do some research before making a WAG and criticizing just because something appears to be expensive.

I had a similar problem with my first 280Z exhaust flange. I cut the metal rings out of one gasket and doubled up with a complete new gasket. I wrapped them both in crinkled up aluminum foil to hold the rings in place and to add some filler for the gap. The reason I cut the metal rings out was to concentrate pressure in the area that needed sealing (which probably put more bending on the flange, but it wasn't working anyway). My flange and mating surface both looked flat but I couldn't get the leak to stop, like your situation, until I took these "hack" like measures. It was a small leak before but you could still hear it with the hood open and see the carbon trail it left. The hack job did well and lasted ~10,000 miles until I got another down pipe. On disassembly, there were signs that it was starting to breakthrough, but you couldn't tell from outside. Edit - that ceramic muffler sealer you can get at the auto parts store might help also. It's designed for high heat. Any reason you can't unbolt at the anti-resonator and replace just the down pipe or is yours gone?

When you mate the flange to the manifold and tighten the three nuts, do the two surfaces come together parallel and flat? On the Zs, typically, everything hangs below the mounts so you can tighten up the flange before flexing the pipe whatever small amount is necessary to get it on to the hangers. There's enough wiggle room to make sure the gasket is seated and everything comes together right. The first hanger is back on the tail shaft of the transmission, which moves with the engine as a unit anyway. The only attachment to the body is the rubber hanger way back at the rear bumper. It sounds like your system is too bound up to get the flange and manifold mating surface parallel and tight.

The FAQ page on megamanual.com answers many of your questions. On a PC you could use the Find button and search for "sequential". On a Mac I assume that you just think about it and it appears in front of you. Kidding. Sequential's benefit is mostly in a smoother idle and cleaner emissions. http://www.megamanual.com/MSFAQ.htm

Is it supposed to have a radical cam installed? Lumpy idle with a mild cam is not good. "Smoke" in the intake is worrisome. Overheating isn't good. Is there another digit after the "1 hg"? One inch of intake vacuum is not much. Good luck with it. The guys that build up the small block chevys might have some comments. I haven't had one for many years.

There's not enough information in your first post to really say anything. Did the engine get to full temperature, was it smoking while you were setting the timing, was it oil on the plugs or oil and gas, were the plugs new or old, was there so much oil that the plug fouled, did you drive the car, etc. A little wetness on the plugs of a cold engine wouldn't be super unusual. Start it up and monitor vital signs like oil pressure and temperature. Get it up to normal operating temperature. Listen for unusual noises. Look for smoky, smelly exhaust. Drive it if possible and see how it runs.

How long did it sit before you started it?

Sorry about that, my mistake. I must have figured it out from the FSMs. But I don't think that you need a later EFI car ignition relay for what you're doing. It probably has more functions than you need. You just need to power up the EFI harness through the fusible link circuit. A single relay could be used there, activated by splicing in to any switched power wire. That will power the injectors. Then jump power to the ECU through the connector or use another relay. Another relay for the fuel pump. The typical BMW Bosch style relays are simple and durable. It might be easier to think of the engine and EFI system (ECU, injectors and harness) as completely separate from the car and supply it what it needs to work. Use the car's harness only to supply power, either directly, or to activate individual relays. I'm probably over-simplifying, and may have left something out, but I did get an engine to run with just the EFI harness, an ECU, an old defroster switch (to control power to the ECU) and some jumper wires at one of the connectors. The ECU needs that inline resistor as a branch on the Pin 1/tacometer circuit also, to work correctly. I used a separate GM HEI module for ignition control with a stock 280Z distributor. Good luck.

Look up your part here - http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/home.oap - then click the Compatibility link in the part description. It will tell you which other models and years used the same part. Pretty sure yours is the same up to at least the 79 ZX, maybe farther, and back to 76, maybe farther. My 76 was hot-wired straight from the ignition switch to the relay when I got the car, because the insides had rusted away. I replaced it with a 79 ZX relay. The later relays had a separate ground pin, but the function of the connector pins is the same.

The pictures are way too big. The ones in the second post never even loaded on my system. Most photo editors have a "save smaller" or import to a certain size function.

I'm not beerman, and have only taken one transmission apart, partially, but it looks like three of the gears on the countershaft in a 4 speed are either cut as part of the shaft or permanently bonded to the shaft. All of the main shaft gears will come off, but only reverse, and the main drive gear can be removed from the countershaft in a 4 speed. Actually, in the 1978 FSM, Nissan doesn't even call out a counter shaft anymore, just counter gears and parts. It looks like they made some signifcant modifications. There is no distinct shaft just a stack of gears and a splined mini-shaft that all get stacked to work like a full length shaft. The synchro pieces are all on the mainshaft though, so if you had a 4 speed with good synchros, those might be some parts worth swapping, as a gear and blocking ring assembly. Although the different wear patterns might cause some noise. As far as ratios, the 71C transmission has the lower 1st gear and an even spread between gears. 1st, 3rd and 4th are like the early 5 speed, but 2nd has been moved to even out that 2-3 gap. One more option, but requires some work.

So you could only do half a gear set on the first four gears, and only if the ratios were the same. Is that the takeaway? It would be interesting to know what the OP has planned. My post #6 was off-topic, since it's about swapping 5th gears between two 5 speeds, not installing 4 speed gears in a 5 speed.

Here's a link to a current thread that implies the 5th gear swap is doable. No details, it's in a For Sale thread, Post #1. Maybe the poster can offer some insights. http://forums.hybridz.org/index.php/topic/105479-built-l28-and-other-goodies/page__pid__986795#entry986795

Sounds like bad battery cable connections. They get corroded. Check the cable to the connector (probably one of those aftermarket clamp-on styles) and the connector to the battery post. Including the ends on the starter solenoid and the starter bolt. Clean the battery posts. Also check you fusible link connections, under the covers, and the green ones connected to the battery positive terminal.

The 77 - 79 5 speeds have the same 1-4 ratios so the odds are good. The 80 - 83 transmissions have different ratios. The thicker gears didn't come until 1984 with the 300ZX and the 71C transmission. I've seen it suggested that 5th gear should swap easily between the 71B transmissions but never seen someone say that they've actually done it. You might compare drawings from the FSMs. If they use all of the same pieces for 1-4, then the odds should be in your favor. Of course, to get the gears you'd have the whole transmission. Might be easier to swap the tail housing with 5th and reverse on to the 4 speed case, to get a 5 speed. Sounds interesting.

There's most likely a good description in the FSM, Engine Fuel section, of how/where the ECCS gets its signal to determine when to ground the injectors. EFI uses the blue wire from the coil (-) to Pin 1 but the ECCS might use the CAS. If you haven't already looked...

Thanks, that's what I was wondering. So the Z31 axles are too long for both models, 240Z and 280Z. I can't find your install thread. I searched "z31", "280z", "install" and "build" under your name but only a few threads come up, none of them an install thread. Could you post a link? Edit - Never mind, it's linked in jm's post. Thanks. Edit 2 - Is your car a 76? For the record. I'm guessing from the turn signals.

For the sake of that last few millimeters of clarity - your comments are for the 240Z S30, correct, not the 280Z? The 280Z S30 seems to have more width between the wheel flanges than a 240Z, as shown by the fact that the R200 plus half-shafts work fine in a 280Z without binding, but the R200 with half-shafts in a 240Z has binding problems. Assuming that the body and suspension mounting points are the same between the 240Z and the 280Z, the difference must be in the position of the inboard axle flange at the wheel. I believe that the wheelbases are the same between the two models. Maybe the "thickness" of the axle, bearings and flange assembly (hub assembly?) is greater in a 240Z? If I had the right 240Z parts or a 240Z, I would go take some measurements. But all I have is a 280Z. If someone wants to measure between the flanges, driver side to passenger side, on their 240, I will do the same on my 280. Drive shafts level would be easiest, I assume. Another good comparison would be the measurement from wheel mount surface to inboard flange on both models, on the hub assembly. Something has to be different, I just haven't seen it called out anywhere. Either that or all 280Zs have binding problems from the factory, which doesn't seem to be the case.

This link has an informative chart - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_FE_engine

Looks like not much. I think that the last value is ft-lbs.