NewZed

There's not a lot of benefit to the ZX distributor in a 280Z. Nissan dropped the ballast resistor in 1978 anyway. If, by performance, you mean running a wider gap on your spark plugs, then probably not much, for a stock engine. Plus, the later ZX distributors all have lots of vacuum advance designed in, probably to work with EGR. If you're not careful, you'll just get a weird advance curve and a bigger shock when you grab the spark plug wire. Plus, an expensive module replacement cost if the E12-80 module dies. I think that it's popular on the 240Zs to replace points because it's everything in one package, with just a couple of wires to connect to make it work. On a 280Z you could just replace the coil and add an HEI module and probably get the same spark performance or better, but keep the stock advance curves.

http://www.betamotorsports.com/benchracing/index.html The 240Zs must have less distance between wheel hub flanges than the 280Zs. Some people shorten their halfshafts, by taking them apart and doing some grinding work.

No experience here with coil overs but it looks like the OP is assuming that the spring has to be tight between the perches, when, in reality, to get the car lower there will be a gap, with the spring loose, until the spring is loaded with the cars weight. The gap is okay, as I understand things.

The basic facts indicate that you bent something during the jacking process, assuming that the wheel was straight before you started. No reason for anything to change just by lifting and looking.

Maybe he's just trying to save a few dollars on injectors...

I've also suggested dropping fuel pressure to allow using a high capacity injector, in the past. It was pointed out by a knowledgable Hybridz member that at low pressure you might lose fuel atomization. If you go too low on pressure, you'll get a dribble instead of a spray. That would be bad.

Thanks for clarifying. I was speaking historically, in general, not in terms of Nissan's use of lock nuts. Nylock nylon would just melt away and burn if used on the exhaust manifold.

I believe that original self-locking nut was all metal. Nylocks came later. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distorted_thread_locknut Zs have several self-locking nuts, like the transmission cross member mounting bolt nuts, the mustache bar nuts and the exhaust flange nuts. They thread on easy until the last few threads. In general, they're re-usable. The exhaust nuts and studs tend to weld themselves together though, and either break or come out as one piece.

Since you're about to junk it you might as well heat the crap out of it while pressing. The power of heat on loosening tight metal is generally underestimated. Use a MAAP torch. You'll probably toast your bushings, but those can be replaced. If you've been beating it with a hammer, be aware that the rubber bushing can pull back the gains made with the hammer if the pin is stuck in the bushing, not the housing. Cooking the bushing on purpose will help with that.

The nuts should be self-locking nuts or nuts with lock washers. Whatever they are, they shouldn't loosen. Do you have a complete seal, then the nuts loosen, and the gasket starts leaking, or do you have a partial seal, the gasket burns away, then the nuts loosen? If the sealing surfaces on the manifold or flange are screwed up you might have to get creative with a double gasket or something else. I've made a good seal with a gasket wrapped in crinkled up aluminum foil and I've also cut the center rings out of a gasket to make a double seal under an uncut gasket. Might help to torque the nuts before you mount the rest of the pipe also, if the pipe is bent. Or straighten the pipe so that everything is aligned for sealing. They're often bent from curb, rock or speed bump scraping.

The proper term appears to "differential case". The carrier is the "pumpkin".

The drawing is a picture of the intake manifold and throttle body. It's pretty clear. The BCDD is on the bottom of the throttle body. You'll probably need a mirror, or to crawl under and look up, to get a good look at it in the crowded engine bay.

There's a drawing in the FSM. Emissions.

More informative reading - http://forums.hybridz.org/index.php/topic/32313-putting-lsd-in-non-lsd-r200/ The simple route to OBX LSD with the gear ratio you want seems to be to buy an open differential "assembly" with the desired ratio (~$90 at the local Pick n Pull), then bolt the ring gear on to the OBX carrier/differential/center/whatever and re-assemble. Here's a thread about long-nose, short-nose, etc. - http://forums.hybridz.org/index.php/topic/49194-differential-cv-lsd-hp-torque-r160-r180-r200-r230-diff-mount/

Remove the right side line completely and blow some air through to the caliper end (remove it to so you don't blow crud in to the caliper). I have to ask, just to get a feel for the state-of-the-world-we-live-in: did you write that whole half page above from an iphone or blackberry or whatever? I guess I'm old school when it comes to writing but how can anyone not be embarrassed to send that mess out like that?

Actually, his question was more about how to get a specific ratio. That would require a certain ring and pinion gear set, to be bolted on to his OBX. So the link is right in line with what he was asking, and he should be happy to check it out. What's up with people using the word "center" to describe the differential? Even though the whole assembly is often called the differential, if you're going to go deeper, isn't the "center" that you're talking about typically called the differential (see the OBX page). How did "center" get in here? A little more research seems to show that "carrier" might be a more common word.

This might help - http://forums.hybridz.org/index.php/topic/54124-step-by-step-installing-an-lsd-into-your-open-diff/ It's in FAQ - Powertrain instead of Drivetrain for some reason. Hard to locate. Worth reading.

Why don't you take the mechanical one off and see if there's a hole in the diaphragm? No need to buy and hope...

Damn, I knew my definitive statement would get punished. Another possibility, apparently.

You must have one of the aftermarket solid-state replacements for the mechanical regulators. I've read that they aren't very durable. You can get a replacement or do the change to an internally regulated alternator. Both systems put out 60 amps max though, so the benefit to swapping to internal regulation is small.

I saw your thread on classiczcars. I think that Captain Obvious is right there, that you should figure out the timing issue. The engine shouldn't start at 40 degrees advance, it should just kick back and refuse to do anything. Focus on the distributor.

Gas comes through the carbs. The carb guys will probably want to know what carbs you're running on your 240Z. But that's where the source of your problem is.

That's about twice the flow rate of the stock 188 cc NA injectors. The stock ECU can't tell the difference. Do you have an aftermarket EMS?

Are you measuring output at the alternator, at the battery or at the regulator? Should give you a clue as to if the alternator is producing but the current is not making it to where it's supposed to go, or if the alternator is just not producing.

Which service manual are you looking at? The 1976 Nissan FSM doesn't show any "interlock unit" in the alternator or regulator circuits that I can see. My 76 coupe doesn't have one. The relay under the passenger seat is probably the brake warning lamp check relay.