280zwitha383

It's snowing here too (west texas). Crazy.

Well, when I put my hood back on I had to do a bit (read a lot) of adjusting just to get it to latch. I don't think trying to make it look right by adjusting it will ever work. I think it needs to be bent back. I'll play with it a little and see what happens.

I'm curious what will be suggested. About a year ago I propped my hood up against the fence where I used to park my truck. Left then came home in the truck, got out and thought to myself where's my hood. Turned around and saw one end of my hood suspended in the air and the other end had a truck on it. I just figured someday I would buy another hood from a JY. I have had thoughts of using a vice and some large blocks of wood to kind of press the bent part out. A vice might work in my situation because the bend is on the edge. I don't know about something that was bent more towards the middle.

What's gonna happen to that engine/transmission?

I hope my kids (boy or girl) will want to work on cars with me. You better watch that one though. He looks like he just bumped the timing up about 10 degrees.

I have a mostly stock 280ZX and then the 383 280ZX. I bumped the timing up about 16 degrees from about 2 degrees to 18 and noticed a nice little umph. My vacuum advance doesn't work so I figured it could use a little more timing than stock (which should have been 8 degrees I think). I also used the second setting on the timing gear (cam gear) because the chain was stretched. I think I've fixed my problem of bogging and hesitating at below 2k rpm's. There for a while I was popping at lower rpms and I thought I was just running lean but my plugs looked good so I started looking for other stuff. I remember messing with the tps during all of this and trying to take the whole thing off. I messed with the positioning of it too to see if it would change anything (I didn't know where it should be so I thought I put it back to where it originally was and apparently I did). Anyway, maybe some of the things I mentioned will help give you an idea of what to look for.

Well I was messing with this guy last night and it was dark so I never got the cover off. However, with a ohmmeter you can just as easily check for continuity. First, the two pins facing the cab of the car should have continuity at no throttle. It should break continuity as soon as you barely touch the throttle. Then, as stated, at about 1/2 throttle the second two pins (or facing the front bumper) should have continuity. So really the computer knows no throttle, some throttle and more than 1/2 throttle. Right?

I for one wouldn't go up there PLANNING on changing a lot of stuff. Sure take some stuff (as mentioned) just in case but IMO changing a bunch of stuff before taking a long trip is asking for trouble.

Thug: If you haven't already fixed it, the problem screams firing order to me. Did it just start doing what you're describing or was it after you did something to it like change spark plugs or change the cam?

Welcome. I think the reason people so willingly share information on this site is because they also receive it and then some. I think some people (me for instance) feel like they have spent a LOT of time, money and effort to gain the knowledge they have (which even then is not a lot considering some of the other people on here) and in person it's difficult to just give that knowledge away when the person you're giving it to hasn't put in the work to get it. There are also a lot of people who are not like that and maybe I'm just weird and selfish

That's crazy that it took so long for them to figure that out. It's also crazy that you can't really diagnose the problem yourself either. Almost sounds like a scam.... but they don't have anything to gain. Anyway, happy rubber roasting!

How exactly do you pop the cover off? It looks to me like the connector wants to come off with it if you were to force it off.

This is on a ZX and I currently have a mechanical fuel pump on it. I'm almost certain it is the fuel pump. I have raised the jettings on both ends with no change and earlier today I got on it and it fell flat on its face at 4.5k in 3rd after going through 2nd (then into 3rd). It would not accelerate at all until a second or two later when I guess the bowls filled back up. It was exactly like when you run out of gas. It would do this repeatedly, however if I started off in 3rd and got on it I could take it up to about 5.5k which was normal before. Regardless of whether or not you think it is the fuel pump (which I would bet some pretty good money that it is), I am simply trying to find a pump that is affordable but will do the job well. $19 seems like a steal so I guess I'll try it and return the one that I already bought. I would ASSume the Carter one would be better.

ok,.....what about this? http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?part=CRT%2DM4685&view=1&N=700+150+ It says 5.5-6.5 psi which doesn't seem like a whole but with 120gph it should be sufficient right?

I actually believe the ideal way to go if you're using that transmission is to leave the stock mounts and use some sort of strap bolted TO the stock mounts for somewhat of a crossmember. I wouldn't beat on the tunnel to begin with because after I put my transmission in I really didn't see that it would have made that big of a difference. Someone makes a mount for the th350 in a ZX (I believe) that uses the stock transmission mounts. You might look at MSA but I'm not sure. If your diff seems pretty tight I wouldn't do anything to the car. I'm still running my 383 on the stock rearend. I don't get any traction in 1st if I don't want to so I'm not stressing the rearend that much but I think it would take some mild street slicks without any problem. Good luck!

I have considered experimenting with an insert of sorts that would slide into the pipe, bolt in and have a bar going from side to side of it and maybe some sort of perforations in the pipe. People put similar inserts into the pipes on motorcycles and the difference from simply revving the engine is noticeable. I would probably make something out of some slightly smaller piping and weld a bolt or shaft of some sort into it.

You shouldn't be disappointed in those numbers IMO. That's 400+ at the crank and that doesn't sound too bad to me.

Well, it sounds to me like the guy has helped you out before with your house, projects whatever. You have his engine stand that he's letting you use. It's not like he's a complete leach. Some people see owing other people money differently than we do. Say if I was to borrow $200 from someone the next $200 I got would go to them. HE on the other hand might not see it that way. It might be to him that you have a good friendship and he can pay you back when it is comfortable to him. A few years ago I built one of my friends a pretty nice computer for the time and asked $250 for it. This was before you could go and get a brand new almost top of the line computer at best buy for $300 (after rebates). I gave hime the computer and he replied, "when do you want the money"? HUH?! I thought, I want it now! You can't pay for a computer that you just bought from me? We agreed it would be the first of the month. About 5 months past and finally we worked out a deal to where he paid for something else for me. I asked him MANY times about the money and of course it was always some sad story and something or someone else needed the money more than I did. Some people just don't see things the same. Now with this guy it makes it even more interesting because it's his girlfriend and to him it's probably more of her responsibility. I do really hate it when someone owes you something and they're talking about going out and spending it on something that is hardly needed though. That's really annoying.

good because I was worried

WELL...... 2500 bucks won't go far. Say 400 - Forged Pistons 350 - Good rods 300 - Good crank (probably could get an eagle for a little over 200) 200 - balance 100 - bore and hone 500 - vortec heads, aluminum will be 1000+ 100 - camshaft 200 - intake 200 - injectors (atleast) 250 - fuel/ignition conroller (atleast IF you do MS) ?$$ - line bore, deck, rings, bearings, seals, forget putting 4 bolt caps on a 2 bolt block that's another 500, so just say arp main bolts because your rods should have decent bolts on them already, gaskets....... ?$$$$$$ - turbo, bov, wastegate, exhaust, IC etc etc.

Well, IMO you're going to have to get new rods, forged pistons and probably a crank. Of course you will have to balance the setup so you may as well stroke it. Why wouldn't you? Also, do you think the tpi is up to all this?

I'm sorry grumpy but that post was just too long . I scrolled down to look for a java type calculator as to what it should be and no dice. Would you mind explaining roughly where it should be?

yeah, chicks dig character

We don't do smog tests here and I'm starting to sweat my inspections (3) already. They're due by the end of the month.

Wow, that is probably the first car on here that I saw and immediately wanted! Is that a piece on his hood that you can buy or is that completely fabbed?