NewZed

Looks interesting but my computer locked up on the third picture I tried to view. They are way too big. Here is a good thread to read - http://forums.hybridz.org/index.php/topic/98611-posting-pictures-please-read/

The Body Electrical section of the FSM has some good small wiring diagrams, that show connectors with color codes. You should be able to at least isolate your short to a smaller area. Pretty sure that the connections all run next to the passenger seat, under the carpet. Have you tried removing the bulbs and turning the tail lights on to be sure you don't have a short a cross a bulb socket? Get things to where you can turn the combination switch on without blowing the fuse, then reconnect things until it blows.

Related problem by tach behavior only - I recently put a Z31 coil on my 76 and found that the tach would just bounce around between 500 and 1000 RPM indicated, no matter what the engine RPM. I guessed that the circuit from coil negative was getting extra noise so I put a condenser/capacitor on the coil negative and the problem went away. I assume that the tach circuit never saw the zero part of the square wave (my understanding of how the later tachs work - could be off) so couldn't count right. Just one possibility, and an extra condenser/capacitor won't hurt anything. It might be a band-aid fix though, if the electrical noise is coming from an ignition module about to die.

You should post a picture. But it sounds like your transmission housing is broken. The tail piece is not replaceable, it's part of the housing. If the remaining pieces will hold the seal, you might be able to get by with sealant between the new seal and the chipped housing. That might be what the RTV you found was there for. Post a picture for audience enjoyment, and maybe some advice.

He just ran a bigger wire to the positive post, see Post #14 - http://www.zcar.com/70-83_tech_discussion_forum/dyno_day..._advice_899360.msg2716588.html#msg2716588

The switches don't have anything to do with the trans going in to gear. I know that the early 240Zs had to have the shifter opening enlarged, but don't know about the later years or the 260Z. Are you sure that the shift lever is not hitting the edge of the opening? I've only heard of three switches on the 5 speeds, so three on a 4 speed would be new knowledge, for me anyway.

Is that clear filter rated for 36 psi? Someone on this forum just reported on a car fire but didn't really say how it happened. Looks like you have an L28 in a 240Z so you probably have the "on when the key's On" fuel pump wiring. Smokey Bear

Get the wheel off the ground (jack stands) and spin it by hand to see if you can locate the source. Check that the drum is not rubbing on the backing plate (brake disc in FSM lingo).

Here's a thread from last year on the subject, if you're up paying for shipping, or a road-trip. At the least, you can tell the local drive line shops that it is possible. http://forums.hybridz.org/index.php?/topic/93688-280z-datsun-nissan-non-replaceable-ujoint-replacement-where-to-go-to-fix-for-just-103-in-30-minuets/page__pid__883219#entry883219

This guy does - http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?42803-Exhaust-gasses-coming-OUT-of-valve-cover Go to Post #14. I can't verify character but he seems like a good guy on the forum.

When the engine is running and the alternator turning, the battery is just another load on the alternator. I don't know enough to say what would be drawing all of those amps, enough to pull the battery down, but I think that you should be focused on supplying the loads directly from the alternator, not the battery. The battery circuit can just be a branch circuit off the main line from the alternator, along with fuel pumps, relays, etc. When lines are run from the battery positive terminal, the power is just passing by the battery through the positive terminal and all of its junctions. Many people install a terminal block, fed by the main wire from the alternator, and run their loads from that. Some also run another block for grounds. You should make sure that your alternator is well-grounded also. Just some thoughts. The main reason I'm reading this is I'm browsing dyno graphs to see where the stock 280's power typically drops off.

I had thought of this as a possibility but had not heard of it happening until just now - http://www.zcar.com/70-83_tech_discussion_forum/disintegrated_throwout_bearing_899546.0.html It's a possibility for you, but not a good one.

http://forums.hybridz.org/index.php/forum/83-drivetrain/ Topics 2, 5, and 13 are your best starting places. Hopefully, you've looked around and found these already. There's also a search option in the upper right corner of the page.

I've seen batteries boil when the voltage regulator has gone bad,letting high voltage through. A short will overheat a battery also. How long did it take before the battery started steaming? If you were working on it for a while, while it was running, then noticed the smoking, it's probably the voltage regulator in the alternator. If it started smoking right away, that's more likely a short somewhere.

Are you saying that the engine will run now, as long as you don't turn on the headlights? You can start the engine and drive around as long as the headlights are off? Or the engine ran, until the headlights were turned on, now everything is dead? One is a reproducible problem, the other is more random. Reproducible problems are easier to troubleshoot.

Post a good description of what you measured and how, with numbers. And what does a "burned/overleaded" battery look like and how do you tell? Just trying to help, there's not much to work with in your post.

It's possible that your fuel injectors are leaking. The gas pools in the intake and has to get burned off. You could install a pressure gauge and monitor fuel pressure, before you replace expensive injectors. If it happens whenever fuel pressure drops, that would be a fairly good clue, assuming that the FPR and the check valve are in good shape.

A 1979 ZX shouldn't need a longer push rod, if all of the other components are stock and unbroken. If the fluid is coming out of the slave cylinder, then the rod has to be moving, if it's seated on the piston like it should be. It's just moving too far, which it shouldn't do. Why did you put a new slave cylinder on? You might have a problem inside the bellhousing. I have read that the clutch forks do break and bend occasionally. Can you tell if yours is intact and not bent?

You might need a longer pushrod, so that the piston in the slave cylinder starts deeper in the bore when the clutch pedal is up. Your piston is starting its stroke too close to the open end of the bore, pushing all the way out of the bore, and getting stuck, it sounds like. The early 240Zs had adjustable rods. What year car are you working with?

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=e2b_1308793004

The FSM will tell you what the stock setup was. In the PD section. If the differential is out you can turn the input shaft until the two drive axles make one revolution. Mark all three with white out or similar. As long as both outputs turn at the same rate, it's pretty accurate. The input shaft will either end up at 1/2, 3/4, or almost one full turn from where it started after one full turn of the drive axles, and 3 plus turns of the driveshaft.

The hose looks like it's split, or about too. If you plan to run a functioning PCV system you'll need to replace it, otherwise you'll have a vacuum leak that will be very hard to find once things are put back together.

The point was "don't criticize the forum you're asking help from", made in an indirect way. No need for cursing either, I will assume that "ass" is the same in the Canadian and American languages. Good luck with your swap.

It might be you - http://forums.hybridz.org/index.php/forum/92-turbosupercharger/ By the way, it's bad form to misspell when criticizing.

The 280Zs have an ECU controlled fuel enrichment when starting, described in the FSM. I assume that it adds injector open duration. Maybe the 300ZXs have the same feature.