supradupra Posted December 13, 2020 Share Posted December 13, 2020 I just bought a 1981 280zx yesterday. Heater doesn’t work but the coolant was empty so I thought it was just that. Looked at the hoses going through the firewall and they aren’t connected to anything. Where are they supposed to go and why might they be disconnected? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zetsaz Posted December 13, 2020 Share Posted December 13, 2020 Looks like they've been looped off? On the bottom of your first image, is that hose heading towards the front of the car cut? I don't see the point if the heater core wasn't removed to drop weight. i'm far less familiar with the ZX unfortunately, but this guide might provide some info.http://xenonzcar.com/s130/auto2manualCC.html If your climate control wasn't working there's a chance the previous owner messed with things, but didn't follow through. There's a hose routing diagram towards the bottom, but it's more involved than just that. I would also get the FSM: http://www.xenonzcar.com/s130/fsm.php Short of stripping down to the bare shell and making everything completely custom for a race car, you'll be using that a lot. The vacuum diagram might help once you get things routed properly, and if it still doesn't work it might be that the climate controls were messed with per the guide above but just not done correctly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewZed Posted December 13, 2020 Share Posted December 13, 2020 Probably a leaky heater core. Pretty common to disconnect them. There's a port at the back of the head to supply hot coolant and a line that goes back to the water pump somewhere long the side of the engine block. They should be blocked but people often connect them thinking that coolant has to flow. If you find a loop connected the back of the head to the water pump line, disconnect it and block the ports. Check the back of the head first to see what you're dealing with. Your index finger is about pointing at where it should be. Looks like this. https://www.stockwiseauto.com/four-seasons-84516-hvac-heater-fitting?fit_id=28788&Year=1979&Make=Datsun&Model=280ZX&gsID=pxf1103927f28788&gclid=CjwKCAiAlNf-BRB_EiwA2osbxcsYlFMeUJvlKgST8KcimKOTSyePLQ4SkY0Wl6X1xntg2YXW6-Ek1BoCuQIQAvD_BwE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.