Pete Sprenger Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 By the way I love all the pictures and love to see the progress you are making. Keep it up! Also, for the record I do not think your air dam was a waste of money at all! I think the S30 looks unfinished with out it and it will actually improve performance. Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WizardBlack Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 A great place to get quality used parts (like a distributor) is Roger at www.zbarn.com. 1-800-247-2793 He is great and ships right away. I bought tons of parts from him when I built my 3.1L stroker. QFT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daeron Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 QFT aparently, meaning "quote for truth" or in other words, +1. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WizardBlack Posted October 25, 2008 Share Posted October 25, 2008 aparently, meaning "quote for truth" or in other words, +1. Sorry, didn't know "+1" was the accepted standard here.... LOL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oddmanout84 Posted October 27, 2008 Author Share Posted October 27, 2008 By the way I love all the pictures and love to see the progress you are making. Keep it up! Also, for the record I do not think your air dam was a waste of money at all! I think the S30 looks unfinished with out it and it will actually improve performance. Pete Well, I agree. The air dam DOES complete the look, which is why I got it (despite also due to a time of lowered judgement). What I was referring to as a waste was that I bought it at a time where my main concern was getting the structural integrity of the car and broken things fixed. So far I've been pretty good at it, the suspension needed work, so I got new shocks and coils, replaced the bushings. The exhaust needed replacing (cause I destroyed the stock system with a hatchet) so I replaced it. The ignition system needs *something* so I'm troubleshooting it. The only thing that doesn't fit is the air dam, because the stock lip really wasn't doing anything that would prevent the car from getting back on the road. Do I regret buying it? No. I think its a great upgrade. I just get the little annoying voice from my concience once in a while that says it wasn't necessary at the time. The voice in my head just says I should have saved it for later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WizardBlack Posted October 27, 2008 Share Posted October 27, 2008 Well, I agree. The air dam DOES complete the look, which is why I got it (despite also due to a time of lowered judgement). What I was referring to as a waste was that I bought it at a time where my main concern was getting the structural integrity of the car and broken things fixed. So far I've been pretty good at it, the suspension needed work, so I got new shocks and coils, replaced the bushings. The exhaust needed replacing (cause I destroyed the stock system with a hatchet) so I replaced it. The ignition system needs *something* so I'm troubleshooting it. The only thing that doesn't fit is the air dam, because the stock lip really wasn't doing anything that would prevent the car from getting back on the road. Do I regret buying it? No. I think its a great upgrade. I just get the little annoying voice from my concience once in a while that says it wasn't necessary at the time. The voice in my head just says I should have saved it for later. Bah... just consider it (the better looks) additional motivation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oddmanout84 Posted October 28, 2008 Author Share Posted October 28, 2008 Well, I hope so... After replacing the dizzy pickup coil tonight I still have no spark. God I hope its not the transitor ignition box... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oddmanout84 Posted October 28, 2008 Author Share Posted October 28, 2008 Woah..... After making my last post I was about to turn in for the night when I realized my battery was still connected to the car. So I went downstairs to the garage and somewhere along the way I thought about the transistor ignition box and the last time I was troubleshooting it. one look in the passenger side proved me right; I had left it disconnected from when I tested the pickup coil! Idiot... Figured "while I was at it" I'd give the key one last turn before I disconnected the battery. Expecting nothing but a cranking motor, the Z scared the dogshit out of me when she roared. I jumped a foot! She... STARTED!! I've finally made progress in discovering my problem, which turns out ws the pickup coil all along! Unfortunately, she can't self sustain. Once the engine fires up it quickly dies, without a sputter. It could be due to the hole I left on the bottom side of the EGR (the exhaust side of the tubing broke off during removal due to corrosion), or it could be the fact the the distributor is really just a piece of junk that I'm trying to make last. Only further troubleshooting will tell. The headers are non EGR, so I'll need to find a way to plug it up anyway. And boy, those 6-2 headers sure are scary loud without the twice pipes hooked up yet. It sounds like a muscle car. I still have a long way to go, but if I can at least get the engine to self sustain I'll be almost there. Finally, I'm going to bed on a happy note. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datsun723 Posted October 28, 2008 Share Posted October 28, 2008 you are going to LOVE the twice pipes I don't regret buying them for a second....and it gives me an excuse to get my stereo up to par haha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oddmanout84 Posted October 28, 2008 Author Share Posted October 28, 2008 you are going to LOVE the twice pipes I don't regret buying them for a second....and it gives me an excuse to get my stereo up to par haha. Oh, I know I am... Ijust hope my Vet plates will keep me from getting pulled over, haha! We'll see if its as much of a bear to fit in as everyone says it is on the 280... No progress yet. The car still fires up, then dies before it can stabilise. Plugged up the EGR hole on the bottom of the intake with duct tape, and replaced the cracked vaccum lines around the disributor with no effect. I'm pretty sure whatever vaccum advance mechanism thats inside the dizzy is dorked up, but I'm hoping that's not the starting problem. It could very well be that my injectors aren't firing, i guess, and that my quick start and die is due to the fuel getting shot in by the cold start valve. Jiggling the throttle has no effect. Time to break out the noid light. With luck though, its just a vaccum leak in one of the lines that I'll soon be fixing. Or it could be something that I stupidly forgot to reconnect when I put the intake back on, my progress last night was due to finding one of those errors . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oddmanout84 Posted October 28, 2008 Author Share Posted October 28, 2008 Noid light did not flash on either the #1 or #4 injector when plugged into the harness connectors. Either I'm not using it right or its back to the EFI bible... I hate to say, but I'm pretty sure its the latter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oddmanout84 Posted October 28, 2008 Author Share Posted October 28, 2008 Checked the ign relays. Yup, they're clicking when I turn the key. I just had a thought, my battery has seen some time cranking the motor without a recharge. Think it might be that its not sending enough voltage to fire the injectors on cranking? There is enough fuel getting to the motor to make it fire for about 2 seconds, so it must be the cold start valve supplying it. I'm going to try recharging the battery to see if that's the case. In the mean time, I think I'll finish putting the rear suspension back together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oddmanout84 Posted October 29, 2008 Author Share Posted October 29, 2008 Nope... shouldn't be the battery... The car fires up incredebly quick, but it will not sustain. Something is still preventing the injectors from firing... It really pains me to think that I might have to replace more components, especially since the fuel system is expensive, but that might be how it is... So close!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S130Z Posted October 29, 2008 Share Posted October 29, 2008 I had a problm with my injectors not firing. They would stick wide open and wash out my cylinder walls. The problem was a bad ground that I thought was in a good place when I swapped manifolds. It took me 2 months and $700 worth of stupidity to figure it out. I even took it to a shop and they ended up telling me all of my injectors went bad at once. They charged me 70 bucks to tell me that and then wanted to charge me 900 to install new injectors. I ended up buying new injectors because I was young and feble minded. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daeron Posted October 29, 2008 Share Posted October 29, 2008 There should be a flowchart in the bible. Follow the flowchart; it is the key to truly utilizing the manual to its fullest extent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oddmanout84 Posted October 29, 2008 Author Share Posted October 29, 2008 There should be a flowchart in the bible. Follow the flowchart; it is the key to truly utilizing the manual to its fullest extent. Yep. Been using the flowchart. So far much of what I've tried points to the computer, unfortunately. Tonight I'll be triple checking everything and if that doesn't work I'll try kicking the computer. Sometimes violence is the best option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daeron Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 Have you been running your component checks at the ECU pinout? I am asking because a "bad computer" diagnosis and a "bad wiring" diagnosis are VERY easy to get switched around. Testing the component, AT the component, tests the component.. testing it thru the wire harness tests the harness as well. Also, don't LIMIT yourself to the flowchart necessarily.. it IS a tool, and sometimes those older FSMs need to be used with imagination. Checking a FSM for your model year *might* prove to be worthwhile... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oddmanout84 Posted October 30, 2008 Author Share Posted October 30, 2008 Have you been running your component checks at the ECU pinout? I am asking because a "bad computer" diagnosis and a "bad wiring" diagnosis are VERY easy to get switched around. Testing the component, AT the component, tests the component.. testing it thru the wire harness tests the harness as well. Also, don't LIMIT yourself to the flowchart necessarily.. it IS a tool, and sometimes those older FSMs need to be used with imagination. Checking a FSM for your model year *might* prove to be worthwhile... Yup yup... Not to sound like "I already knew that" or anything, but yes, that's been how I've been going about things. As always, I appreciate thoughtful input. I've checked just about everything I test at the 35 pin connector at the component itself as well, and they've checked good for the most part. I also can think of a much better design for the flowchart as well, or at least something to suppliment it. Something like a chart that says "If x component does not work, then y componant or system will not fuction." The chart would of course end up being much bigger... Interesting discoveries tonight though. A while ago while playing with the combination switches (trying to get the dash lights and running lights to operate), I must have crossed a wire because when I touched it there was a sharp POP from somewhere and the dash lights stopped working. Fuses were good, fusable links were good. The lights were still inop, and looking through the body electrical manual stated that it could be a bad ign relay. Tonight I popped that open, but nothing seems to be amiss. No scorch marks, nothing. And the little magnets are doing their job as I felt them clicking last night. However what I did discover, as I was working on that relay by the passenger fender, was that one of my fusable links had become frayed at the connector, most likely due to me working around the engine while messing with the manifolds and such. Its hanging by two strands of wire. Care to guess? Yes, it was the EFI/Ignition link. Dur. I think I'll try repairing that before I crack open any more relays, or maybe just temporarily connect the two contacts with a paper clip or maxi fuse (better option). That may or may not be the problem, but it still brings to mind the question of where that popping sound came from that other night. Once I get this bucket running, I'm immedietly going to replace those stupid things with the two 2 slot maxi fuse blocks that have been sitting on my shefl for the past month. I'm tired of dealing with them, as this will be at least the 5th time I've repaired them. It seems that NAPA auto and Autozone sell their fusable links by gauge size, not the amperage they're rated to take, which makes it even more bothersome trying to find the right wire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oddmanout84 Posted October 30, 2008 Author Share Posted October 30, 2008 Looks like the ignition relay is toast. If it wasn't broke before, its sure d*cked now. A small ground the stupidly installed attached to the casing was broken on disassembly. The lack of my seatbelt warning buzzer and fuel quantity confirms it. So... unless I can somehow repair it, the damage is done and I have to source a new one. Fixed the fusable link (HA!). For some reason the Z doesn't like the solder at all, and it never sticks to components, even with flux. The link should have enough contact now though. The engine will not fire anymore. One step forward, two steps back... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Sprenger Posted November 1, 2008 Share Posted November 1, 2008 Might you consider carbs? It seems like you are chasing a lot of things that could be simply removed if you installed a good set of carbs. Dual SUs work great on stock or even mildly modified engines and triple Mikunis rock on modified engines. Just a thought. Pete Sprenger 72 240Z 3.1L Stroker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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