PSL_240z

Here is the problem. You can sand it and rattle can it for $50. Then when the rust comes back you can just repeat. The problem is that in a few years you may find that the body is so damaged from rust that it is junk. Keep in mind that this is a uni-body and panels, doors, glass, etc all add to the frame stiffness. If panels are rusting away, your frame is getting weaker and weaker.

I bought one a few months ago. I am new to tuning carbs and engines in general. It really helped me get the fuel ratio in the ballpark and helped educate me on what I should be hearing and feeling from the engine. I would recommend buying one if you are new to the z and new to carbs. If you have tuned carbs before you probably dont need one. Scott

Since I can easily obtain a sample of the black junk, is there something I can do to test if it is fuel or soot? Light it on fire, mix it with water or alcohol? I haven't had the car long enough to know if it is consuming oil, and haven't driven it that much. I have retuned the carbs, so it could be a little rich. Since I have tuned the carbs, I need to replace the plugs so I get a better reading from them (since it was rich and lean since I first changed it) I am also glad that there is not a lot of alarm with this type of post. I dont think it is a severe issue based on the comments I have seen. I intend on a rebuild or different engine anyway, just wanted to know if I definitely needed a new one. Thanks, Scott

Okay, this is supposed to be a Z forum. So I'm guessing this may get moved. To attempt to answer your question though: If your road was flat, and the suspension wasn't really working, the only thing moving are the wheels, drive shaft, brake discs/drums, and some tranny internals. My guess is that it's the wheel bearings or brakes. If you have rear drums, then check to make sure the parking brake self adjuster hasn't malfunctioned and caused excessive rubbing. If that fails, replace the wheel bearings. By the way, never over pack a wheel bearing. I have seen some people do 100% pack and it makes me cringe. This does not help the bearing, it just causes overheating due to all the churning of the grease. Bearings should be packed to 30-40% and then worked in.

Yeah, I didn't think twice until I splattered my cabinets! Only then did it look black. Got me worried I bought a POS. I have owned and worked on quite a few cars, but this is my first carbureted car. Most questions stem from the fact that the oldest car I have personally worked on (until now) was an '88 accord, and a 89 240sx.

All this talk about powder coating makes me want to powder coat the whole car!! I found a few people talking about it on other forums, but haven't found an example of a finished product. Anybody see one?

Okay, new forum software. Lets try this thing out. I have just changed the oil on my z for the first time. After draining, changing the filter, and refilling, I backed the car into the garage (I usually face the car the other way). When I got it back in there I revved the engine one time and my wife told me that I just blew crud all over the cabinets behind the exhaust. When I got out and looked, it did look oily. When I touched it, it seemed more like black water. 1) See the poll above (oil water or ??) 2) Is this normal, or what does it indicate something is going wrong? 3) Do I need to do anything about it (engine rebuild, or something simple?) Thanks in advance! Look forward to trying out this voting thing. Scott

http://www.z1motorsports.com/product_info.php?products_id=3220&osCsid=bc5e4c941 I know it hurts, but you could drill some holes in the firewall and put these in. They would look clean and updated. Just seal the hole so it doesnt rust.

No Fuel = No Bang. Sounds like a bad fuel pump. It could also be a clogged fuel filter/strainer. Most electric fuel pumps, like the stock pump installed on the 280z turn on when the ignition is turned to the ON position (without starting). If you listen closely, you will hear this sound coming from the rear of the car, it will come on for a second and then stop. It does this to build pressure for the fuel injectors. Get a fuel pressure gauge and see if pressure is building. Check the pressure with the FSM and make sure it is within spec. If it is a little low it could be the filter. If it is very low, replace both filter and pump. It could also be a bad plug wire. To check for this, pull off one plug wire at a time from the spark plug (only 1 at a time!) and have a friend turn the key while you hold the wire 1" away from the valve cover. Check for spark on each wire. If you get a bad one, replace the plug wires, dizzy, and distributer cap. It could also be a bad or clogged injector... for that one, you will have to reference the FSM. Given your description, I vote for fuel pump. Find the FSM. http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=114408 http://www.xenons30.com/files/FSM/1978%20280z%20FSM.zip Find the Fuel Pump and fuel filter http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_Electric-Fuel-Pump-Airtex_5772834-P_52_R|GRPFUE2AMS_936382302___ Go to town!

No, I searched the forum, but didn't really find anything. Always eager to learn something new ?

Nicely done! The front carb was clogged, and no flow was getting to the float chamber. Now that its fixed, and I've re-adjusted the carbs, the idle is nice and smooth. I don't think Im done tuning yet, but I'm getting there. The learning curve is pretty steep here!!! I also checked the dashpot oil and it was low on both carbs. So I filled that up, and it is helping the fast throttle response. I can't wait to do a test drive on all 6 cylinders! I did check the ignition timing, and found it to be 15 BTDC. I know the FSM says 5 for the emissions version, and 17 for the non-emissions version. The question is, have I removed enough to be okay at 15? Currently I removed the backfire valve and the air injection. Is there anything else? You guys are awesome! Thanks for the feedback (and for listening to my ramblings).

First, thank you all for your help. I would probably be whining about wasting 1600 on this car if you guys weren't around. Well I did have some success last night tuning the carb. I am now able to start the car with only a little effort, maybe 2 turns of the ignition. This afternoon I was able to run the car around the neighborhood without it stalling out on me (you have no idea how exciting this is to me!!!). The idle when I left was 600, but around 1800 when I returned. Not sure why, but I will re-tune. Last night I also noticed that the carb that backfires reacts faster to throttle. In other words, it seems like the dashpot may need more oil to slow down the throttle opening when reved. If I use something to slow the piston down from the front, that backfire and stutter goes away. I still plan on doing the following. Let me know if I am missing anything. 1) Check dashpot oil 2) Check float level 3) Build a tool to balance the carbs, and then balance the carbs 4) Check compression on all 6 cylinders (may be why I feel less air flow through front carbs) 5) Pull all the plugs again and see if they are all the same or differnt. (Then post pics for you guys!) 6) Check timing and adjust to 17 BTDC (air pump and junk removed because it was not repairable, not because I want to pollute) 7) Adjust mixture and idle again. Did I miss anything? Let me know if there is one or two I should do first rather than last based on the info I have given. Also, bad news. I may have heard a tick, which could be a main bearing, or it could be nothing, or it could be a slight knock due to timing.

Following the guidance of the great members at hybridz.org, and using the FSM I have been able to start to tune my first set of carburetors. I know I still have lots to learn, and the tuning is not even close to perfect, but it is an improvement over the previous setting (see above). I noticed that the nozzle on the rear carb(on the bottom of carb) was sticky and didn't move as freely as the nozzle on the front carb did. I used WD40 on both the front and rear nozzle assemblies and was able to improve their ability to move after a few minutes. I then followed the FSM method for tuning the carburetors with the exception of using the balance tool (since I don't have one). I will probably build one tomorrow since it is just a differential pressure manometer. Anyway, I balanced the flow as best I could by backing off the idle screw 1/4 turn at a time on each carb until I reached the idle required (600-700 rpm), then adjusting one screw to get a smoother idle. I was then able to rev the engine and see how well it worked. I did get some good response, but the throttle hesitated if the throttle was increased rapidly. After a second of stuttering, it did rev in response to the change in throttle position. I also noticed that there was a sucking sound only coming from the rear carb when reved (or predominantly from the rear carb). I got a video of the stuttering, and a backfire from the rear carb. I don't know if this is due to the still sluggish nozzle, from airflow imbalance, or from something I have yet to learn about. Suggestions welcome!! Check out the video in my blog for the stutter and backfire (blog link in signature)