SuperPickle Posted December 21, 2006 Share Posted December 21, 2006 Yes, I've searched, but I guess the knowledge is so well known that it's just assumed everyone knows where it is. I know that it's on the exhaust manifold, but where? There are a few 'doo-hickies' that it could be hidden inside, but I need it for a trip tonight, so I can't just start ripping things apart. PLEASE spell it out for me, as I'm a n00b. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naviathan Posted December 21, 2006 Share Posted December 21, 2006 Need info...What year? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperPickle Posted December 21, 2006 Author Share Posted December 21, 2006 It's a 1977 280z california model (basically, just more emissions stuff) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naviathan Posted December 21, 2006 Share Posted December 21, 2006 The O2 should be pretty obvious. It's on the drivers side in the exhaust manifold right after where all the exhaust runners meet. I have a 77, although not a cali model it does still have an O2...I think. it's currently in monster reconstruction stage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperPickle Posted December 21, 2006 Author Share Posted December 21, 2006 That's really wierd, because I've been staring at it for helf of the day, and I can't see it. I'll go look again right after I post this, and I'll try to get a picture of the area too, just in case it's like looking for the 'remote control'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naviathan Posted December 21, 2006 Share Posted December 21, 2006 I know I hate that. Looking for the remote and it's right in front of you. It will look like a small cylinder that steps down in size then has a single wire coming out of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperPickle Posted December 21, 2006 Author Share Posted December 21, 2006 here's a close-up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperPickle Posted December 21, 2006 Author Share Posted December 21, 2006 ...and a not-so-close-up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetleaf Posted December 21, 2006 Share Posted December 21, 2006 it's not even in the picture. That is your intake manifold. The EGR is right on the upper right corner. Look down below your intake at the exhaust manifold and you should see it. Cylinder looking with 1 wire comming out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperPickle Posted December 21, 2006 Author Share Posted December 21, 2006 could someone please take a picture and point to the thing? I'm sorry if I sound frustrated, it's just that my car insurance runs out at midnight, and I'm literally just waiting to get on the road to Boston. I looked again, sweetleaf, I even felt around, but I don't know what the hell I'm looking at with this car yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mario_82_ZXT Posted December 21, 2006 Share Posted December 21, 2006 Wasn't there no O2 till like 79? Or was it 80? My 78 280z doesn't have an O2 sensor... Mario Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetleaf Posted December 21, 2006 Share Posted December 21, 2006 Mario could be right, I can't remember what year the cali spec cars got their 02's .. If you can get a pic of your actall exhaust manifold we could tell you for sure. Also, why do you need to locate the O2 ??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators BRAAP Posted December 22, 2006 Administrators Share Posted December 22, 2006 Just curious, why do you think you need to find this supposed O2 sensor? If your Z is a stock ‘77 car, it does NOT have an o2 and never did, unless someone installed an aftermarket EFI with O2 sensor or late model OE EFI system, (not likely). . Hmmm.. I get the impression your car has an issue, and you may have mentioned said issue to someone at work/friend and they in turn told you it was your O2 sensor, so now you are on the o2 search? Am I right? You are amongst some of the most knowledgeable OE EFI L-6 people in the country. Just give us the “details†of what is going on, when, and under what conditions and most likely we can help you diagnose the fault. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperPickle Posted December 22, 2006 Author Share Posted December 22, 2006 [Edit] Sorry but I jump around a lot and the writing looks a bit rushed. Please bear with me.[/Edit] Well, here's the whole story. If you smoke, now's the time. About a month ago, I was on my way to work in a cabinet shop in Fort Worth, Texas. I was running a bit late, so I was laying on her a bit. I passed a bank with a clock on it, and realized I had plenty of time, so I slowed down. Well, this Civic comes up and does the whole "Race-me" bit, and after a while I give in and leave his sorry @$$ behind. Well, after I calmed down again with the speeding I noticed that the car had an entirely new sound. The same sound that my old Buick had when the exhaust cracked in half. I checked the exhaust, and at the flange gasket between the header and the front exhaust tube I felt air coming out. *Whew* I thought, and bought the gasket. Now, you should know that after I got out of the Marines, all of the jobs I had lined up dried up. So I left California for Texas to pursue a career with Lockheed Martin. Once I got there, however, they didn't even want to return my calls anymore. Thanks. Now I'm in Texas, don't know anyone, and had no job prospects (I'm an IT guy). So basically I was flat broke. Eight bucks an hour was barely enough to pay rent, let alone food and smokes. I actually had to go a few days with no food. So, a car problem is not what I needed at the time. But I digress. I had the gasket, but I didn't have the tools or the time to change it out. The engine backfired now and then, and there was a general loss of power. Fairly consistent with an exhaust leak, I thought. Well, My roomate decided he wasn't going to be able to cover his half of the rent. Just like that, I'm homeless. So I packed up my stuff and drove off to Boston by way of Virginia, where I have cousins. 200 bucks should've been more than enough to get me all of the way, but when I showed up at my Uncle's house, I had 20 bucks left. Not good. I stayed for two weeks to help build his new shed, and in turn he paid me decent wages (say, 13-15 dollars an hour). Also, he let me use his tools. Now we're in business. I fixed the leak, but still had a lot of issues. So, I looked under the hood again (not sure what I was looking for, truth-be-told) and noticed a vacuum tube that got disconnected somehow. Score, I thought, maybe this was the problem the whole time. The Battery must've pulled it out when it was loose. I found where it went to and plugged it back in and drove it around. There was a slight improvement (possibly only imagined). So I packed my stuff up, said my goodbyes and thank-you's and headed out. I made it five blocks. When I hit the gas, the car hesitates. I press it more, the car damn near stalls. It backfires like crazy. Absolutely no power. Now, some other stuff that may have caused this is that the car burns oil. A lot of it. I'm thinking worn piston rings. I put in thick oil 20w-50, and added some Lucas to it for good measure. Someone stole my gas cap at a club on Halloween. More than one person (some mechanics) told me that a bad o2 sensor would account for a lot of my car problems, so I got one. Then I read my Chilton's to make sure I knew how to put it in. I looked for hours. My nucle looked. The dog even gave it a once-over. I couldn't find where I was supposed to put the damned thing. That's why I started this thread. I'm poor, homeless, unemployed, and now my car's all messed up. The first three things are ones I can take care of on my own, but the fourth I need help with. The car has trouble starting up, which could be because of the thick oil and colder weather. It hesitates pretty bad at both cold and normal operating temperatures. It backfires like crazy and has almost no power. Also, it does this when in neutral as well as when it's under load. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperPickle Posted December 22, 2006 Author Share Posted December 22, 2006 Well, now it's not saying that I put up a post, maybe this'll fix it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naviathan Posted December 22, 2006 Share Posted December 22, 2006 Sounds like a bad TVS or it's running super rich. You need to check the fuel pressure. If you have a harbor freight around they have a fuel pressure test set for $6.99. I just bought one last week and it works great. Also try changing out the fuel filter. Run a can of Seafoam through it as well. You might have carbon build up on the valves from the exhaust leak. The burning oil could be caused by a bad PCV valve, it's under the intake, has a rubber line running to it from the block. Check it out. Of course check the plugs for color and report back on what you've got. Look for white, tan, grey, black and wet. Next on my list of questions for you, what are you interested in doing and what was your job in the Marine Corps? You said IT, but there's lots of IT MOS. Are you opposed to Camp LeJeune? Horrible place I know, but..Could be worth checking into. I work for General Dynamics IT out of Camp LeJeune NC and there's always positions opening up here. I'm looking at a job in Charleston SC that should be filled before the end of January so there might be a Field Service Technician position opening up here real soon. Email me, naviathan @ gmail.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom'sZ Posted December 22, 2006 Share Posted December 22, 2006 OK, please help us with the symptoms again. It's hard to start, hesitates when you accelerate both cold and warm and back fires sometimes correct? You say it burns oil, why does it smoke? What color smoke, could it be running rich? Pull a plug, tell us what the plug looks like. Will the engine rev up above 2 or 3 grand? If your broke you can't go throwing parts at it. Check for vacumn leaks very carefully. Check every vacumn line on the motor. Check the boot between the air flow meter and the throttle body very carefully. Spread the pleats and look for cracks, it will be easier if you remove it. If you find any, tape them up as a temporary fix. Tell us what you find. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperPickle Posted December 22, 2006 Author Share Posted December 22, 2006 I'll go check it now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperPickle Posted December 22, 2006 Author Share Posted December 22, 2006 Would ya look at this thing!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperPickle Posted December 22, 2006 Author Share Posted December 22, 2006 Would ya look at this thing!? I've never had a car do this before, but considering all of the circumstances, it makes perfect sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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