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Help - car not running right


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I've been up for 25 hours now so this might not make sense. I know its not the correct placed to really be posting this but I can't post in the other sections.

 

 

I bought a lovely 260Z today, did 180 miles to the ferry perfectly, ran like a dream and was really nice to drive, getting off the ferry at the other side I'd done about 30 out of 170 miles I had to do to get homw when I started having problems.

 

 

Basically I would be driving along in 5th gear (or any gear) and it would start to run badly and loose power, it would have died out had I not taken it out of gear, the first time it happened the rev needle was jumping about and the voltage meter was a bit too so I'm thinking its an ignition problem. It is intermitent, the only way I could get it running properly again was to take it out of gear and let it idle for as long as I could or pull over and let it idle for a while, after doing so it usually ran ok for a bit before starting up again. Also going up hills seemed to set it off far more than anything else.

 

 

 

 

 

It wasn't much fun having to do such a big distance when I had to keep slowing down or stopping, I was just lucky it was after 2am so there was next to no traffic, I was really worried I wouldn't make it home in my new baby.

 

 

 

 

I'd really appreciate any help or advice anyone can offer. Its been a mixed start to Z ownership for me, loved the car and had a great drive but now I'm really worried about it.

Edited by EF Ian
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Sounds ignition related, especially the going up hills bit. Another possibility is a fuel pickup issue. Perhaps the pump can't move enough fuel to keep the carb full unless you idle for a while.

 

I had a carbed Oldsmobile years ago that would run fine on level ground, but die on hills. Turned out to be a collapsed hose to the fuel pump.

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I had a similar problem with a 260 that had been sitting for several years when I bought it. I filled up the tank and drove it but it would sort of "run out of gas". I kept tools in the car and would stop and clean debris out of the carbs then it would run good for a while. I did this several times then it cleared all the junk out of the fuel tank. The rev counyer jumping around will happen when the point gap it too narrow. Ymay have more than one problem.

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Thanks for the suggestions.

 

I'll clean the fuel filters and clean the carbs and see if that helps.

 

 

 

It can't be a problem with the fuel lines as they are new, the tank seems in very good condition so I don't think there would be much rust in it but I suppose its a possibity.

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What were the conditions you bought it under? like was it sitting for a while, was it daily etc...

 

People are jumping ot the conclusion that its rust in the gas tank( which it more than likely is, regardess of how it was being driven) but you also stated that it had the ZX dizzy, so the PO could have done some poo wiring that could have been near something hot or moving that burned/chewed it up.

 

It could be highly probably that he just wired up the dizzy wrong, and now something else in the wiring burned up as well.

 

Also if you had mentioned that it has the flattop carbs( which you imply when you say its all stock) I'm amazed someone didn't just say throw those carbs out.

 

Just playing devils advocate.

Edited by BluDestiny
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What were the conditions you bought it under? like was it sitting for a while, was it daily etc...

Its was on the road but not driven much, done less than 1k in a year.

 

 

 

 

People are jumping ot the conclusion that its rust in the gas tank( which it more than likely is, regardess of how it was being driven) but you also stated that it had the ZX dizzy, so the PO could have done some poo wiring that could have been near something hot or moving that burned/chewed it up.

 

It could be highly probably that he just wired up the dizzy wrong, and now something else in the wiring burned up as well.

The wiring looks fine and I can't see anything that damaged. I'm going to change the fuel filter and clean the carbs out and see if that helps, if not then I'll change the dizzy and se if that solves it.

 

 

 

Also if you had mentioned that it has the flattop carbs( which you imply when you say its all stock) I'm amazed someone didn't just say throw those carbs out.
It had triple dellortos on it but the stock carbs were put back on it before I bought it because the dells needed re jetted and balanced so getting it home on them would have sucked.

 

 

 

 

 

How much difference does the manifold heatshield make? because it doesn't have one and the carbs get really hot. Can you heatwrap a cast manifold?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Heres some photos of her:

 

http://forums.hybridz.org/index.php/topic/105890-my-first-z-car-260z/

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Manifold heatsheild is now on, yeah, it still has the stock cast manifold.

 

 

I've fitted the heatshield, changed the fuel filter (which was filthy) filled her up with fuel so I'll have to take her on a long run to see if the problem still exists. Next step is cleaning out the carbs, if its still happening after that then I guess its probably ignition related.

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I'm a little skeptical of the heat soak idea just because you stated that you could let it idle and that would resolve the problem. Was the temperature showing high? If the engine/exhaust was getting hot enough to vaporize the gas while cruising (i.e. good air flow in the compartment), I just don't see idling on the side of the road cooling off enough to make a difference. But I hope I'm wrong.

Have you pulled the plugs to see if they're particularly fowled? Might give you some clues as to whether it's fuel related or ignition related.

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The way I resolved the problem was to just shift into neutral and roll, therefore less heat from the exhaust manifold and still good airflow through the bay.

 

I however don't think this is the problem as I did 186 miles to the boat and it drove fine the whole way, I also did about 20 miles at the other side fine before this problem started.

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Zounds like a heat problem to me too. another test is to grab some foil and wrap your fuel lines. if it's too hot then that should temporarilly prevent it. If it's actually boiling the bottom of your carbs then your temp gauge should be high or broken. Do you have the air cleaner on there? Could be dirty carbs too. I remember sucking a leaf into my engine in my old 260z in HS, ran like crap till it burned and blew the crud through the engine. but yours will idle so that's maybe a clue on fuel flow. maybe get a 2nd filter that you can see through and put it in yout engine compartment. Watch it and see if it empties out (Bubbles?). Could possibly have a air leak in the tank pickup. Just because the take looks nice on the outside doesn't mean it's not full of crud on the inside.

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The problem seems to have been sorted, I haven't done a long drive, as in on a motorway, but driving about town for 25 mins with and revving her out a few times and I didn't have any problems. I think it may well have been a dirty filter as the one I took off was filthy. The filter I have on is in the bay and clear and I can see its getting dirty already. Defintly some dirt in the fuel tank, I think it may need replaced, I stripped all the paint of it this week and found loads of rust spots, managed to get most of it back to clean metal but I'm sure it probably won't last.

 

 

My carbs have filters so it can't be sucking in any dirt.

 

 

The temperature is fine, if anything I'd say its running too cold, but I'm guessing the old guages aren't that accurate anyway. The intake manifold still gets roasting but that can't be any differnt than any other L series, its just the bad design, on my Civics engine I've made sure the intake manifold stays as cool as possible so its quite the opposite to the Z's one. Guess that another reason why it makes 122hp per litre and the L26 only makes 63hp per litre.

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