NewZed

Run without your fan belt for 30 -40 seconds. That will take your water pump out of the picture.

Not to be a buzz-killer but don't the quench pads only "quench" on flat top pistons? With dished pistons you'll just get a higher compression ratio but without the benefits of a quenched chamber. Slow burn with possibility of detonation. Just testing out my understanding of what I've learned since getting in to Z world. I might be totally off-base.

The MSDS from CRC actually says avoid contact with aluminum and other metal POWDERS. Powdered aluminum would have a high surface are which would give a high concentration of aluminum oxide, which, apparently, can cause the tetrachloroethylene to decompose, releasing nasty chlorine. Here's the EPA's view on tetrachloroethylene - http://www.epa.gov/safewater/pdfs/factsheets/voc/tech/tetrachl.pdf. It doesn't look too bad, just don't get exposed every day for long periods of time - chronic.

I have a 76. I just looked. The yellow wire goes to the connector on the solenoid, where you have the black one. It should slide right on. Can't tell you what the black wires go to. Follow it out, maybe it's your oil pressure sensor? One male, one female?

Probably frustratingly funny. Because it does seem so simple. It's just a board you push on with your foot, and one simple looking spring that brings everything back. When I got my car though, it had a spring from the top of the throttle linkage stretched across the top of the valve cover to return the throttle. The original was broken. The linkage was all gummed up so I had to put a strong one in the original position to get the throttle to stop hanging open. I found that the stronger springs were more difficult to control, because you have to put more effort in to moving the pedal off closed throttle position. I spent a lot of time lubricating all linkage rotation points so that I could get the lightest spring possible on. It took a while to get it right but made a big difference. Try a lighter spring and a can of WD-40. He probably already rear-ended someone in stop-and-go traffic and won't be back....

I'll bite. What the heck is it?

Search "280Z" on Craigslist and you'll find a few guys selling parts, one in your area I believe and a few up here in the Portland/Gresham/Oregon City area. At least one calls out half-shafts specifically. If you don't find one down there, I have one with u-joints already removed. Might be what you want anyway. You'd have to come up and get it though, meet in Portland or close to it. I already have a spare set.

Have you considered a newly rebuilt one? Might be better off in the long run since it will have new seals, bleed screws, etc. Any brake component that's been sitting for a few years is likely to have corrosion inside which will tear up the seals when you start using it. http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/search/Brake+Caliper/03345/C0066.oap?make=Nissan&model=280ZX&year=1979&vi=1209293 Not too costly...

Which part broke? The u-joints or another piece? And did you have stock u-joints or aftermarket? Asking because there's a general discussion that pops up occasionally about strength of Z half-shafts and differential. If you had pictures that would be even better. Thanks.

Sorry about the bad link. It was just the search results from searching the words - remove pilot bushing. Interesting reading, everything from wet toilet paper to brown bread. I used a long lag bolt, screwed it in to the pilot bushing, then used a large crescent wrench as a slide hammer to tap it out. It only took a few taps.

Here is a link to a free downloadable Factory Service Manual. Wiring diagrams are usually shown for each component. Looks like the 75 files have some issues but they might help. Look in the Body Electrical (BE) section. http://www.xenons30.com/reference.html Is the tachometer in place and connected? The tach is part of the "spark" circuit. These cars won't run without it connected.

The fourth one down has a bunch of good ideas... http://forums.hybridz.org/index.php?app=core&module=search&do=search&fromMainBar=1

Is it sensitive from mid-throttle on, or only from closed throttle on (what you might see in stop/go traffic). One is driver skill, the other might be a mechanical problem. My car recently (like last week) had the throttle plate sticking in the throttle body at closed throttle, I couldn't get the throttle moving again without it popping off the closed position and bucking forward a little. It would even hang open a little when it got really warm, raising the idle to 1500. I took the AFM boot off and cleaned out the "varnish" where the throttle plate sits in the bore with some Scothbrite and carb cleaner, plus honing out the bore a hair where the plate sits (Scothbrite will remove metal), to make up for wear on the set screw (the set screw lock nut is impossible to reach). Just another possibility. I am assuming the turbo throttle bodies are similar.

Thanks rossman for a real-world example. It's good to know that my pickup tube is probably not about to fall off or disintegrate. Tony D, thanks for the detailed advice on a surge tank. The Tennis Ball Can tank description gives a good visual. With some math, I should be able to figure out how long the turn can be before I run out of fuel. Maybe I'll design it for the 217 N to 26 W merge ramp...

Your question is a little confusing... Your ZX should have a voltmeter, not an ammeter. And if you follow the main charging wire from your alternator you should find that it already goes to the battery positive terminal through a fusible link. At least according to the 1981 diagram. What year is your car and do you really have an ammeter?

Saw this the other day - http://forums.hybridz.org/index.php/topic/70721-l28-injector-spacing/page__p__669437__hl__%2Binjector+%2Bspacing+%2Bfor+%2Bfuel+%2Brail__fromsearch__1?do=findComment&comment=669437 It's close. Old link is broke. New, better - http://forums.hybridz.org/topic/70721-l28-injector-spacing-port-dimensions/

I've never dropped the tank. Overall, the fuel supply system hasn't shown any signs of problems, besides this low fuel level cornering issue. I thought of a few new search terms, "surge tank" and "sump" and looked around using those. I get the impression that, as Tony D suggests, the issue is not that abnormal, based on all of the racers modifying their tanks, and various reports of fuel starvation, usually on modified cars though. I have an aftermarket Airtex 8312 fuel pump and an Aeromotive regulator (not for performance, the old ones just wore out) that might flow more fuel (from inlet to return line) than the stock setup (I'm guessing). I wonder if this isn't emptying the fuel line system more rapidly than the tank baffles were designed for, so instead of an sir bubble I get empty lines. The Airtex is reported at 30 gph, but I don't know what the stock pump flows. Thanks for the ideas. I guess I'll just fill up sooner, or drive slower, or start modifying.

I have an essentially bone stock 1976 280Z but hope that someone with track experience may have experienced this and have some knowledge and advice. After using about 13 gallons of fuel (based on several fillups), with the gas gauge getting close to E, apparently the pickup tube in the tank is getting uncovered on wide left turns, if I am accelerating. The engine loses all power, acceleration stops, usually I'm heading straight about then, and the engine regains power. It only happens close to E. This is all just normal road driving. Is this common or do I have a bent or holed pickup tube? I'd like to get closer to using the 17 1/8 gallon capacity of the tank, but don't know if this a left hand turn issue only or if there's an abnormal problem. Full disclosure - I have a small dent in the tank right next to the differential housing where the car slipped off a floor jack. Is the pickup tube in that location and maybe I bent it up? Any ideas appreciated. Thanks.

Might be that the ECU housing needs to be grounded and yours is loose. I don't know if it grounds through the data cable or not, but if it grounds through the housing, that could be checked and easily fixed. Bump once, lose ground, bump again, get it back...

That really only leaves injectors opening for way too long, or a bad gauge, from my limited knowledge. If the gauge is mounted right on the rail as the pictures I've seen of the Pallnet rail show, then the pressure you see is what should be at the injectors. It sounds like your setup is plumbed correctly. Might be worth connecting another gauge to the inlet side of the rail to verify that the gauge on the rail works right. In your first post you mentioned tuning the ECU. Is the 300ZX ECU tunable? How are you tuning it? That information might help someone understand your issue. I don't know anything about them. I would post a picture of your rail, gauge, FPR and MAF setup and tell people how you're tuning the 300ZX ECU. Good luck.

5 minutes worth of puddled fuel. That's a puddle. Didn't think of that. I did think cold start valve stuck open though. Do you have one connected? You mentioned the thermotime switch. You didn't actually say that the gauge showed zero psi. When the car is running, the gauge needle on the rail is at zero? And you have the FPR adjustment stud backed all the way out? You should either start the car or run the fuel pump and turn the FPR adjustment stud in to increase fuel pressure. If the FPR and gauge are working, the gauge needle will move up. This would be a good test of whether or not your gauge and FPR actually work correctly and that your fuel lines are connected right.

Hey, I just re-read your first post and realized that you said that your mechanic said "buy new stub axles with u-joints". Mentally, I replaced "stub axle" with "half-shaft." You either heard him wrong or he's not too familiar with the cars. You might have him look again or have someone else take a look. The half-shafts just unbolt, remove four nuts at each end, and can be removed complete for easy u-joint replacement.

He might confusing the drive shaft u-joins which are not replaceable (without some custom work being done) with the half-shaft u-joints which are. Or he might not know that the retaining clip is on the inside of the yoke, not the outside like most domestic cars. Check out Post #3 and #6 here. Zs have Type 2 (Post #6) half-shaft u-joints. If you can get up to the Portland area, this guy has a used set of half-shafts that you could bolt right in - http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/pts/2008316276.html Or you can get new u-joints at most auto parts stores and either do them yourself or have them installed.

It looks like 280zbeet is in just a little bit over his head. He is pretty obviously relaying what he reads here to his mechanic and his mechanic is then telling him what he thinks (eg "the guy working on the car has already hooked the haltech up to a laptop and said everything looks fine"). And back and forth. So what looks easy for those with experience is not actually so easy for 280zbeet. He is translating both ways but not actually turning the wrenches or running the laptop. So in this case it is COMPLICATED. Just my impartial view. Probably doesn't help anything but gives another perspective. If the mechanic could get on here it might help.

I think I saw a similar post on another forum...? I don't believe that your car will run with no pressure at the fuel injectors. You need pressure, quite a bit, to squirt the gas out of the little holes at the end of the injectors, when the ECU tells them to open. How do you know the FPR is at zero psi? Do you mean the regulator is set to zero or do you mean the fuel pressure is measured at zero? Zero psi fuel injection doesn't make any sense.