Guest Anonymous Posted June 10, 2002 Share Posted June 10, 2002 I'm at the point in my V8 project for my '77 280Z where it is time to do the wiring. Wheels, tires, brakes, suspension, and fuel delivery are already done. The wiring diagrahm pages in my Clymer Datsun manual are pretty old, yellow, and really small, so they are really tough to read. The JTR manual is helpful, but the wiring instructions are really for a 240. Can you guys point me in the right direction? I've already unbundled all the wires and removed all brackets in the engine compartment, so what I really need is a chart that shows the color and purpose of each wire that comes out of the bundle by the battery. Choice "B" is to go the Painless Wiring route, but I'd rather spend the $300 on something else I have to buy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgia Flash Posted June 10, 2002 Share Posted June 10, 2002 Welcome to the site, You know brother I am at the same place as you and like you have stated the JTR manual, although helpful, is certainly geared towards the 240 swap. I would like to have an idea of what to keep and what to throw away. Right now I have successfully separated the headlight and parking light wires away from the other wires but that is about as far as I have gotten. I have looked for the other wires mentioned in the JTR manual but they seem to be eluding me. For instance I have about 400 big thick white wires that go to a little box on the passenger side of the car inside the engine bay just beneath the two fusable links. Do I disgard all of these wires? Do I keep the fusable links? My Chevy 350 only has 6 wires that came from inside the Camaro leading to the engine, the JTR book says you will have 10! Ok where does the other 4 wires come from? Also I will be using after market gauges so I think that will be easier than trying to get the Datsun gauges to work with the 350. I will just order Chevy 350 gauges from summitt. They will look nicer too in my opinion. If anyone has a simple way of wiring the 280Z, not 240Z, with the 350, please let us know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted June 10, 2002 Share Posted June 10, 2002 Good to hear I'm not the only one who is a bit confused. I've decided to relocate the battery to the rear of the car, so I'm planning on using the space where the battery used to be to mount the fusible links, MSD ignition box, and wire loom. Help with sorting out the fusible links and what is up with the thick white and thick white & red wires, plus some advice on whether it is okay to remove all wires that were going in and out of the fuel injection control box is what I need. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike kZ Posted June 10, 2002 Share Posted June 10, 2002 Hey, Todd, where in Atlanta are you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted June 10, 2002 Share Posted June 10, 2002 Marietta. Not too far from you. Do you go to the Georgia Z-Club meetings? There wasn't a single V8 Datsun owner at the meeting last week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgia Flash Posted June 10, 2002 Share Posted June 10, 2002 I used to be a member of the Georgia Z club when I owned my 80ZX. I joined at the all Z car show that they had at the Hooters one year. I was amazed to see all those Z's in one place. I soon learned that the club didn't care too much for shows and only wanted to do ralleys and track days and the such. There is nothing wrong with the two aforementioned items I just thought that the club would have more All Z shows because that is what hooked me in the first place. Me and the misses did enjoy driving down from Rome to the meetings though. When I get my Z running I plan on visiting them again, who knows maybe I will become a member again. Oh well off to work I go, I will check back tonight and see if anyone has offered any easy way to wire up the 280 and 350. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted June 10, 2002 Share Posted June 10, 2002 Georgia Flash. I was hoping you would find what to do with all the double back big white wires so you could provide me with a solution. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike kZ Posted June 10, 2002 Share Posted June 10, 2002 Todd, I couldn't make the last meeting, but will probably go to the July meeting. I'm not a member yet, but I think I may join. A friend of mine has a 260Z w/327 and is a member, and I've seen other V8 Zs there. Also the Prez has a nice one, but only brings it when there is a show. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted June 10, 2002 Share Posted June 10, 2002 You're correct about Henry's "beast" show car. It is awesome, but usually stays home in the garage. His advice was to go the Painless Wiring route, but I'd prefer to spend the $300 that would cost on something else that I must buy for the conversion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patzky1 Posted June 10, 2002 Share Posted June 10, 2002 Well, I know you keep the big white wires and that the big white/red wires go to the big white wires via two fuseable links, just like the original setup. hook up the white wires to the "big" terminal on the starter like it was on the Datsun engine. ALL of the White/red wires can remain and are basically just power to the car's systems such as headlights, turn signals... The fuel pump wiring setup is well-explained IMHO. That leaves the tach wiring... I have a question, what do you do with the ignition transister? You need the black/white wire and the blue one from it, but do you just get rid of the transister somehow(thats what the book VAGUELY says)? I broke out the multitester and found out the blue wire from the ignition transister is connected to the thinner same-color wire that goes to the tach. So then I just got confused. This is my second conversion and a friend of my father's wired up the first one but, unfortunately, neither the car or he is around anymore so I'm kinda SOL on this one unless someone can help out. Pat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted June 11, 2002 Share Posted June 11, 2002 Thanks, Patsun. Your information helps a bit. I've traced and separated all the non-engine wires that go into the engine compartment for headlamp, horn, etc. But that leaves over 20 wires unidentified. The two green wires go to the transmission and the Yellow/black wire is for the oil pressure sending unit, but what are the other ones for? And what is up with Datsun using the same colored wire for different purposes? Did they get a good deal on "blue" & "blue/white" in 1977? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Posted June 12, 2002 Share Posted June 12, 2002 Go to www.zcar.com. They either have it on the links page or someone on the sight can point you to the company that will sell you a shop manual for your 77. They aren't cheap but they have all the wiring diagrams in them at a size that can be read. You can also call your local Nissan dealer and ask them for the US company that provides the older shop manuals that are no longer in print. If they don't know they can give you a number for a regional or national Nissan office that will know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Craig280z Posted June 12, 2002 Share Posted June 12, 2002 I am at the same point as you guys. We just set the LT1 engine in the car today! I have a mechanic friend helping me with it (he is doing it and I'm helping him) Anyway, I'll write back when I figure out what he does with all the wires. I am going to use the Datsun oil and water temp gauges and hope to get the volt gauge working too. I am going to get an electronic speedo some time later. I assume you already took out the fuel injection wires. Is there anything connected to the Datsun ECU that you have to keep or can that whole harness come out? Craig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted June 13, 2002 Share Posted June 13, 2002 Hey, Craig280Z. Real interested to hear what your guy does with the wiring. I've gotten lots of advice, and the JTR manual is pretty straight-forward (IMO) on what to do once you identify the wires. But, it appears that the only way to get the wiring figured out is to have the Datsun factory service manual that identifies each wire color and where it is connected in the wiring box. That will require pulling the passenger side wiring into the interior of the car in order to be able to view the connections. I'd hoped I wouldn't have to mess with that, but it appears to be unavoidable since multiple wires are the same color. What I THINK I know for a 280 Z V8 wiring job, prior to pulling the wiring, is the following: 1) Keep the fusible links and run the thick white wire to the big terminal on the starter. 2) Run the thick red/white wire to the alternator. 3) Use 2 green wires for the transmission. 4) Yellow/black wire is for oil pressure send. 5) Black/yellow wire is for starter solenoid. 6) Blue wire goes to air condo (this is the only wire I labelled when I took the engine out, so I can't tell you which one it is.) Once I get the wires pulled, I'm hopeful that some of the other wiring instructions in the JTR manual will become clear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patzky1 Posted June 14, 2002 Share Posted June 14, 2002 Just wondering..... Craig, did you and the mechanic get the wiring done? Looks like I get to take all the wires into the car and out of all the harnesses to wire it correctly. Hoping I wouldn't have to do that. Pat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Craig280z Posted June 14, 2002 Share Posted June 14, 2002 Not yet Pat. I'll let you know. The car is at his shop and he lives about 45 minutes from me. I'm not sure if I'll get a chance to make it there tomorrow but I'll talk to him for sure this weekend. I couldn't get him on the phone today. I should have my Griffin radiator, throttle cable, tranny cooler, and headers tomorrow so I'll have to deliver those. He was looking for the caprice tail housing so I'm not sure if he has made any progress on the wiring yet. I will let you know though. Craig What are the green wires to the tranny for? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patzky1 Posted June 14, 2002 Share Posted June 14, 2002 The green wires are for the reverse lights' activation. Nothing more, nothing less. Pat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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