haukenes Posted November 14, 2006 Share Posted November 14, 2006 Wow, okay so with very little engine experience, a fair bit of mechanical intuition, and a chiltons manual; i managed to replace the head on my engine by myself in a week... I'm fairly satisfied with my work amazing. you can see the pictures of what was wrong with my engine here: http://colorado.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2102576&l=c702b&id=10207714 I blew the head gasket on my 1980 280zx... and then let the car sit for a week... so the #6 cylinder hydrolocked full of coolant... bad news for my car. So now i guess its time to address everything a *broke* fixing the engine! #1 My temp gauge doesn't work anymore.. but all the electrical connections are properly hooked up to the block and thermostat housing (any thoughts?) #2 The fuse box in the passenger compartment now hummmmmms when i turn off the ignition, didn't used to do that and i have very little clue as to the electrical systems in the car (do we have an electrical forum? i'm sure we do and i'm an idiot and brought this here ) so if anyone has any suggestions, they would be *more* than welcome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators RTz Posted November 14, 2006 Administrators Share Posted November 14, 2006 Wow, okay so with very little engine experience, a fair bit of mechanical intuition, and a chiltons manual; i managed to replace the head on my engine by myself in a week... I'm fairly satisfied with my work amazing. ...And thus it begins... the never ending fulfillment of ones own work. I remember, not that long ago, a story not unlike yours... and now... many Z friends, scarred knuckles, shallow pockets, and... hailing a big grin Welcome to the 'club' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noddle Posted November 14, 2006 Share Posted November 14, 2006 Wow, okay so with very little engine experience, a fair bit of mechanical intuition, and a chiltons manual; i managed to replace the head on my engine by myself in a week... I'm fairly satisfied with my work amazing. you can see the pictures of what was wrong with my engine here: http://colorado.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2102576&l=c702b&id=10207714 I blew the head gasket on my 1980 280zx... and then let the car sit for a week... so the #6 cylinder hydrolocked full of coolant... bad news for my car. So now i guess its time to address everything a *broke* fixing the engine! #1 My temp gauge doesn't work anymore.. but all the electrical connections are properly hooked up to the block and thermostat housing (any thoughts?) #2 The fuse box in the passenger compartment now hummmmmms when i turn off the ignition, didn't used to do that and i have very little clue as to the electrical systems in the car (do we have an electrical forum? i'm sure we do and i'm an idiot and brought this here ) so if anyone has any suggestions, they would be *more* than welcome! Make sure your drain the oil, as it may have water in the sump, waiting to sucked through the bearings when you start it.. Nigel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haukenes Posted November 14, 2006 Author Share Posted November 14, 2006 yeah, i had to drain the oil to redo the timing, so its been flushed and filled twice now, i'm still leaking coolant, but i think it might be from the new lower radiator hose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schwiplarkin Posted November 15, 2006 Share Posted November 15, 2006 check for cracked wires between the temp sender and the fire wall. check the actual sender itself to see if you damaged it while removing the head. as far as the humming goes check all the wires that go to and from fuse box for cracks or breaks. it feels good to get your hands dirty huh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slownrusty Posted November 15, 2006 Share Posted November 15, 2006 Cool another Colorado Z fan! schwiplarkin pretty much has you covered. Yasin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haukenes Posted November 15, 2006 Author Share Posted November 15, 2006 Hey thanks so much for the advice guys! and yeah it does feel good to finally do my own work. The Z shop in town charges such a ridiculous amount for anything they do, i can't afford much more than advice from them. Before my Z i had a 90' accord that wasn't much worth putting any work into, so i'm glad i finally have a car that i enjoy driving/working on. Thanks again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schwiplarkin Posted November 15, 2006 Share Posted November 15, 2006 what Zshop in what town?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naviathan Posted November 15, 2006 Share Posted November 15, 2006 Hey thanks so much for the advice guys! and yeah it does feel good to finally do my own work. The Z shop in town charges such a ridiculous amount for anything they do, i can't afford much more than advice from them. Before my Z i had a 90' accord that wasn't much worth putting any work into, so i'm glad i finally have a car that i enjoy driving/working on. Thanks again! That's the joy of owning Z. It's fun to drive and easy to work on. My DD is an 81ZX. It's had lots of problems but when you sit down and figure it up, it's still way cheaper than buying something new or anything you have a payment on. Plus it looks way better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haukenes Posted November 15, 2006 Author Share Posted November 15, 2006 Boulder Import Motors in Boulder, CO. Their head mechanic worked at the Datsun dealership from 79-86 and specialized in the Z parts and install. Does good work, but takes a while... and $$$. Most of their busniess (for obvious reasons) comes from other imports, but he's darn good at what he does Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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