280zx issues.

[therustedgauge]

So, when does questioning the oil gauge come into play?

 

I just bought a 1983 280ZX last wednesday (5.3.2007)

and this baby is a beast as it is. Everything seemed fine when I bought the car, it is a resto project eventually going to a L28ET setup;

 

but I'm having some issues I could use advice on.

 

L28E ; Borg Warner T5; haven't check what Diff is in this.

 

My Oil Pressure Gauge can sometimes show to be erratic; going >>below<< 40lbs driving sometimes almost to no pressure at all and when i throw it into neutral it will go back up to about 60lbs.

 

Where do you question the ability for the gauge to work correctly and where do you draw the line to find out if the oil pump is actually failing under these conditions?

 

I'm mechanically inclined, but i have not rebuilt a motor. I've done just about anything else; aside from tranny work and diff work.

 

There's a rattle on my 2nd and 6th cylinders; which are exhaust cylinders; my (2nd = 2nd fire 6th = 1st fire) ;

 

an ex-drag racer told me that if I tighten down those rocker-arms that the noise should quit and i will get a little bit of compression back into those cylinders.

 

How can I check if they need to be tightened down?

 

and

 

How can I check to see if my oil pressure gauge is working; and if so, why my oil pump is not pumping under pressure in gears but seems to go back up to about 60 in neutral.

[cybermecium]

It might be the oil pressure sending unit that's going out rather than the guage itself. I think the oil pressure guage is just basicly an Ohmmeter that gives a reading based on the variable resistance of the sending unit. If the gauge is giving a reading I would guess it is working correctly so it's probably the sender. Find out the resistance range for the sender and check it with an ohm meter, or just buy a new one and try it they aren't very expensive and are a pretty common part to go out on these motors. The noise could be anything from rocker noise, exhaust lead, rod knock. Describe the noise in more detail if you can. I think what your drag racing buddy was talking about was a valve lash adjustment which means setting the valve to rocker clearances to factory specs.

 

Jake

[therustedgauge]

Would I find the range in the datsun 280zx repair

manual, or would i have to go to my local library and whip out the big, straight from the manufacturer, 2000pg book? (which those are useful as all get go) --

 

it makes sense what you mean concerning the pressure sending unit.

 

the sound is a clicking sound; that is repetetive; but honestly if I cruise at at a low-ER RPM like 2000 or so (say 5th gear in 35-40) it is quiet, no real rattling is apparent. but i'd have to keep my speed consistent. any increase in speed will cause the rattling to be apparent.

 

Also; Y-PIPE from the header; the gasket you can see is blown to peices (which you can actually see the gasket peices poking out of the connection) which I ordered today for a small 1.78 cents but i'm going to try replacing the gasket and rebolt it back together and hope for the best. I contribute that to the most noise, but with an ear over the valve cover you can hear the rattling

[(goldfish)]

Carfiche has the '82 manual for download. I would check the wires at the sending unit, broken/clean conections. If you do get a test guage to check it, the block is tapped in british pipe thread