NewZed

It sounds like you had the right wires on the right sensors in the beginning,if you did all that driving around. Your other symptoms sound more like fuel supply problems. Maybe you got your connectors wrong at the thermostat housing. The extra sensor you're seeing in the thermostat housing is probably the thermotime switch. It controls power to the cold start valve so the engine doesn't flood when starting. It has the same connection type as the temp sensor and it's common to get the two switched since they're right next to each other. You can be sure which is which by testing resistance against the table in the FSM, then test at the pins at the ECU connector if you really want to be sure the ECU sees what it needs to see (corroded connections, shorted wires, etc., on the way to the ECU). The pin numbers are in the FSM Engine Fuel section, along with the resistance table. One turbo per cylinder will be new, looking forward to seeing that...

BluDestiny, the first post,last sentence, says they're using the P90 head. The resistance v. temperature curves are the same (they're both shown in the FSMs), they just moved the location of the sensor from the thermostat housing to the cylinder head (apparently after 1979). Your 79 wiring has the sensor plug up by the thermostat housing, the 82 wiring has the sensor plug between cylinders 5 and 6 above the starter. You can either extend the wiring or install a coolant temperature sensor in the thermostat housing. Tweaking the AFM is possible, I'm sure. I was just pointing out that your engine doesn't match what the ECU and control components are designed for. Why did you replace the N47 head with the P90? Just curious, nothing wrong with a Frankenmotor if that's all you have available.

I assume it's the original 1978 N47 head / N42 block engine and the original early-style 5 speed? If it has a later ZX 5 speed, I would be interested. I'm looking for a spare. That setup, even original, is still a nice swap for somebody, if the engine is in decent shape. It's a few more horses in a 240Z. Take car with the wiring harness and EFI parts and someone will take it. p.s. If you're giving them away I would take them just to add to my spare parts collection.

You need the "head sensor", AKA CHTS. Without it, it will run rich all the time. Good when cold, bad when warm. Flooded probably when it dies. I forgot to connect a water temperature sensor recently and that's exactly what the engine did. Ran good, ran bad, died, fouled plugs. Does it smell gassy? I would pull the plugs, see how fouled they are, clean them up, get the CHTS connected and try again. One problem you might have even after you get it running is poor running and low power due to low compression ratio. The P90 head with the typical dished pistons will give ~7.4 CR. Good for turbos, but your ECU is probably tuned for CR in the mid to high 8s.

Here's a place with most of the parts - http://www.datsunstore.com/index.php/cPath/203_206_357_430 I think that the owner's name is Oliver, and he's been around for quite a while. He could probably get the other pieces you'll need. Here's another possibility - http://www.modern-motorsports.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=74 There's a guy near my location with the back half of a 75 280Z being parted out. 3.54 R200. I don't think he'll ship though.

With a typical worn L6 pump you should have been able to drive around all day at under ~3,000 RPM, since they seem to start at ~15 psi and don't hit high pressure until you get the RPM up quite a bit. Was a new pump was part of the rebuild? You can take the regulator valve apart from the bottom of the pump, without removing it, if I read the picture in the FSM right. Big bolt, washer, spring, valve. Might be worth a look before you install the new pump. Edit - there might be a few more parts in there - http://www.carpartsmanual.com/datsuns30/DatsunZIndex/Engine280Z/OilPump/tabid/1610/Default.aspx

Edit - a blocked main gallery, after the oil pump, could also lead to high pressure, and take the oil filter relief valve out of the picture. Might also explain the groaning bearings.. The oil pump regulator valve should still hold pressure to ~80 psi though. Good luck.

So that's two for the oil pump check valve. So you two are saying that a good L6 oil pump will generate enough flow to overrun the oil filter relief valve with enough pressure to lift the oil filter off its base, blowing oil out, if the oil pump regulator valve is stuck or blocked? Or maybe so much flow is generated that the main gallery after the filter is a restriction, so the filter relief valve doesn't matter? Just trying to learn something. That seems like a lot of oil and a lot of pressure. Sounds interesting.

But what does this mean? At. At where? I would focus on figuring out where "at" is (why am I thinking of Bill Clinton?).

You can poke the check ball in with your finger or a soft tool with the oil filter off, I believe. EL-4 in the FSM describes service and replacement. A comment from the logical thinking perspective - if the oil is not coming through the sealing surface, where is it coming from? Blowing out through a seam in the filter? Is the filter damaged? Why are you focusing on the filter if you don't think it's leaking at the filter seal? Check the oil pressure gauge. Maybe you knocked it when you were changing the filter and it's cracked or broken at the base. A small hole at high pressure would spew.

There's not a whole lot to the oil filter and it's sealing surface. You just need to stick your head down in there with a bright light and see what's going on. The L6 has the most accessible oil filter mount and sealing surface that I've ever seen.

Yes. It screws on easy by hand, with no leaks. Take the filter off and take a good look at the sealing surface and the threads on the filter mount. Remove the rubber gasket from one of your old filters and stick it on there to see where it sits. Someone in the past might have scratched the sealing surface, or buggered up the threads.

PH8A is one of the correct FRAM numbers. TG8A doesn't sound familiar. Edit - p.s. - The Autozone guys can tell you the correct part number...

Are they the springy clip Volvo/BMW type connectors or the Nissan type with the removable wire? Pictures would be good. Are you selling at cost?

That works, but you did ask for advice in Post #12, after Tony D's comments. Seems like you just didn't like the suggestions, and followed with some thoughts that don't really fit the facts. Not sure a VG30 and an L6 are good comparisons either, plus the fact that Xnke has the cylinder 5 and 6 cooling modification on his L6. The water's getting kind of muddy here. I only got in to try to simplify things.

You blew off a good suggestion, with the assumption that "new" means "working correctly". You seem to be over-complicating a simple system. There's no magic. The antifreeze/coolant ratio, and/or the capacity of the radiator, shouldn't affect the opening of the thermostat.

The thermostat's main function is to keep coolant in the engine until it reaches a certain temperature. If the thermostat's working right, you must have a lot of coolant bypassing it. Edited.

B gets full, switched (key at Run), battery power. Make sure you disconnect the red and green wires before measuring resistance. If you're getting zero, the pickup coil might be bad. It's pretty easy to replace, if you can avoid breaking something as you pry the rotor off of the shaft, and you can get a replacement for under $20 at most auto parts stores.

Is there power to the B terminal of the module? Can't tell if that wire is even connected. The B terminal and coil positive need power during Start and Run. There are procedures in the ZX FSMs for testing the distributor. Resistance across the green and red wire should be about 400 ohms. You can also measure voltage across the green and red wire while twisting the distributor. If you don't get any voltage when the spikes inside the distributor pass each other, there might be something wrong with the pickup. Edit - changed resistance above.

Starting fluid would give you a hint and some hope. In addition to spark, the ECU has to fire the injectors to supply gas. There are lots of threads out there about 280Zs that won't start. The 280Z EFI system seems to be "use it or lose it". The Engine Fuel section in the FSM is an excellent read, full of explanations and test procedures. http://www.xenons30.com/reference.html

I've seen reports of it being done by accident before. Can't remember the details, but there was a problem with it, event though the alternator was charging. Either the engine would keep running when the key was off, or the voltage was not regulated, or there was a battery drain with the key off. You might check with a voltmeter before you go much farther, high voltage can cause some damage. Don't forget to rev the engine to see what the output is above idle. The Z alternators barely put out enough amps at idle to supply all the loads.

I missed the "replace" part in your first post. Thought you were just cleaning and re-assembling (for whatever reason, I don't question people's motives). I replaced all of my u-joints a couple of years ago and found that the new ones were looser than the old ones I took out. Seemed like a good idea, newer has to be better. Ended up in your boat, using old factory half-shafts, with a re-grease before installing.

Remove the ground wire from coil (-) to the battery negative post. Leave the orange one, if that's what the instructions instruct. Your coil is getting hot because you have it grounded all of the time, and you're not getting spark because the circuit is never broken. The ignition module controls grounding and circuit breaking, to cause the coil to spark.

Could be anything between the dry portion of the fuel line and the liquid in the tank. Is the gas gauge on E?

The Nissan stock factory u-joints use retaining clips of different thickness (denoted by color) to set the cap clearance. Probably best to keep everything matched up.