NewZed

The Holley should have worked fine according to instructions. Maybe you had it mounted too high and it was running dry. You should do more thinking on why the Holley failed. You might just reproduce the same errors, if not. https://static.summitracing.com/global/images/instructions/hly-12-801-1.pdf

You might be overcomplicating the issue. On the progression path of "work" the pump has to do, a small return line is in between deadhead and big return line. You could just add a return at the tank like Rebekahz describes and probably be fine. With a filter in front of the pump. That red Holley is rated at 97 gph if it's the one below. Might be another part of your problem. There's a bunch of calculators out there that get super specific but the rule of thumb for estimating seems to be 10 HP/gallon. Get a 40 or 50 gph pump (at 4 spi) and you'll take load off of both the pump and your electrical system. Could also be that the understandings of "deadhead" are different. No return from the carb is deadheaded at the carb. But there's usually still a regulator with a return line. If you just deadheaded the pump exit line that would be bad. Might be why it's been screaming. http://www.tanksinc.com/index.cfm/page/ptype=results/category_id=165/mode=cat/cat165.htm https://www.amazon.com/Holley-12-801-1-Electric-Fuel-Pump/dp/B00029JC5S http://www.jegs.com/i/Carter/180/P4070/10002/-1

Rebekahz might disagree about "wrong". He seems to do okay with his LS2 powered 240Z. There are very few absolutes in the world. http://forums.hybridz.org/topic/97623-280z-stock-fuel-tank-with-ls-1-for-dummies/ Fuel systems are easily tested with a container and some battery power. Fit your parts together, apply some power, measure what comes out of the return line. Put a 5/16" restriction on the end of the line to mimic the return port. Do some calculations. Modify if necessary. You might find that you're already overdoing it with your plan. Edit - and don't blend high pressure EFI fuel system knowledge together with carb system knowledge. Much of what's out there is about problems with high pressure systems on a 240Z.

Understanding the basics of an ignition system will help you solve your problem. "Dropping" new parts in will get expensive. Good luck.

12 volts doesn't mean that there will be enough current through the coil to make a spark. That's where the jumper wire on the negative post will tell you something. If you have the power to coil positive and you tap negative post lead to ground you'll make and break the coil circuit,just like the transistor would. If you don't get a spark that way you'll not get one with a new BIP373 either.

There's probably a method for testing the BIP373. That seems to where you're at. DIY says that they are the shit though. One simple test would be to see if it gets hot and shuts itself off. Touch it after trying to start and see if it's hot. You might also test the coil power circuit and spark path. Ground the coil yourself with a jumper wire on the coil negative. Be the BIP. See if you get single sparks where you should get sparks. Smart people have been known to leave the rotor off. Once you put the cap on, outofsight-outofmind. You never confirmed your rotor check. https://www.diyautotune.com/support/tech/other/bosch-bip373-ignition/ http://www.megamanual.com/ms2/bip373.htm

Leon mentioned the one thing that you didn't check, but assumed was right. Where the rotor points is the #1 cylinder, if all of those other things are set. Put the #1 plug wire there. You might find that one of your other plug wires actually shows expected timing for when it runs right.

Is it a dial-back timing light? Maybe it's not set to zero. You still have the basic problem of it runs better at 30 degrees than 10. You have two problems. When you say you're running it NA do you mean you have the NA injectors and NA EFI system? Did you have an NA engine in the car before and did it run well? You have two basic problems that might or might not be connected. Best to think about them separately.

Does it drive well, or just idle well? Seems like you have a running issue, and/or a measuring issue. Even if you get the distributor set to where you can adjust to 10 within its range, it will "run" better at 30. Sounds like you checked all of the right things, plus a few that don't really matter. Do you have the timing light lead on the correct plug wire?

It's easy to miss the L6 sub-forum. It's in its own box above all of the others in the Powertrain FAQ. http://forums.hybridz.org/forum/90-l-series/

Consider maintenance costs, after the build. If something breaks, how long will the car be down while you're waiting for exotic parts, if you go the exotic route.

Your post was funny in the way that it dramatically oversimplified the subject, and didn't really add anything of value to the thread (like this one I'm writing right now). You make it sound so easy but haven't actually done anything, that's what was amusing. The first post is very detailed and specific, with actual dollar estimates. This isn't really a bench-racing (BS'ing) thread.

There's only one that matters to the ECU. Check resistance at the ECU connector, as described in the 1980 Fuel Injection book. Your problem sounds like a broken or disconnected coolant temperature sender. 1977 doesn't have a CHTS.

I found that only the factory shims, like the MSA shims, worked, long-term. The stick on shims just didn't work.

Building not built. Airflow bottle neck problem. "playing around with porting the head, intake manifold, exhaust manifold will easily get me over 400whp, with a nice balanced power band." .. I know this and and I haven't even started yet. C'mon. This is the internet. Anything is possible. In our heads.

I used the Posi-Quiets and didn't like them. They're ceramic (hence my comment) and will keep your wheels cleaner and will last longer but they don't have good braking feel. Always felt like I had just driven through a puddle at first pedal press. Definitely;y not "more stopping power". And I love having the sponsors for the sites and appreciate the other parts they sell but you can get those pads for about $25 from Rock-Auto or Amazon. Beck-Arnley pads are about as close to OEM as you can get I think. https://www.amazon.com/Beck-Arnley-085-1175-Premium-Brake/dp/B00HFJC7SM/ref=au_as_r?_encoding=UTF8&Make=Nissan%7C67&Model=280Z%7C874&Year=1975%7C1975&ie=UTF8&n=15684181&newVehicle=1&s=automotive&vehicleId=1&vehicleType=automotive http://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/nissan,1975,280z,2.8l+l6,1209204,brake+&+wheel+hub,brake+pad,1684

In a recent thread here or on another forum somebody realized that if the little right angle tab on the top of the shim is broken off you can use them on either side. The tab seems to be for installation ease. Grim's new pad idea is a good one though. I'd go with the organic material, avoid the ceramic.

Many people have found that certain pads will always end up squealing unless they have those shims. I asked about performance because "glazing" generally lowers stopping power. If there's already goop on the pads, you might try more grease or spray-on anti-squeal and see if it gets better. I fought squealing brakes for quite a while, until I found some shims.

Do you have the factory shims behind the pads? Might just be squealing. Not sure what you mean by glazing, they're going to get shiny. Does performance change?

I see. You can see it in the drawings too. One thing that people need to do sometimes is to grind a new notch in to the other side of the sleeve/housing if they want to use their 4 speed sleeve in the later transmissions. Or you can get a 1980 ZX or later sleeve. I think I see what you're trying to do now. People have the same problem when they swap in a 1980 or later ZX transmission and try to use their 4 speed sleeve. A new notch in the 4 speed sleeve, or a 1980+ ZX 71B sleeve should work. Your 75 4 speed speedo sleeve is probably steel though, so a little hard to grind or file. But people do get it done. You can test it by installing the sleeve with the retaining notch on the wrong side. The gears will probably catch then.

What's the primary resistance of your coil? As I understand things, you can still burn up even the bulletproof ignition transistors if you have a low resistance coil, or set your dwell too long. Even with current-limiting transistor assemblies. They generally don't like stray sparks either. They're bulletproof when everything is working like it's supposed to, otherwise they're sensitive.

Finally read your reference and see that it talks about the pin and the sleeve. I checked my 1976 4 speed and it has a steel drive gear inside the transmission, not white nylon (plastic).

There's a very small roll pin holding the shaft with the gear on it, in the aluminum housing. You might be able to swap the shaft and gear in to the housing and get what you need. Looks like the roll pin is in the same spot, would not be surprising if the shafts are the same design and will swap. But the number of teeth is probably wrong (red versus black), so you might have to buy a later model gear and shaft with the correct number and swap it in to your 71B housing. My 71C had the same size gear as my 71B's I think, but mine is a 1985 300ZX 71C. Doesn't answer your question, I know. But I do have an 83 5 speed that has the white drive gear.

Seems like you have some internal dissonance. Wobbling between power, nostalgia, and money. This thread actually covers everything you're thinking about, just for a stroked engine. And the guys who've built power in the past, like JMortensen and John Coffey and others, have added to it. http://forums.hybridz.org/topic/24798-na-31lhead-camshaft-questions-no-shortcuts-max/

The other end of the spectrum is weight. You can cut quite a bit from a 280Z, apparently.