I’ve been looking for videos specific to the 280z for quite a while. This whole series on the 280z is an outstanding source for a beginner/novice 280z owner. Everything is explained in terms of basic concepts and followed up with step by step instructions. Well done - keep up the good work!!
I just bought me a 1978 project 280z about 3 weeks ago and I’ve been utilizing the service manual to diagnose/repair my s30 but your videos are a perfect representation for the DIY enthusiast! I hope you continue to make more vids
I have this exact timing gun, Innova 5568. I've had it for years & used it only 1 time so I needed a refresher on how to use it on my 1991 4Runner 3VZE. Will need to use it again when I install my newly rebuilt 5.0 engine on my 1989 Mustang in a couple of weeks. I also enjoyed your introduction as to why it's important to set the timing properly eventhough an engine is running well.
Thank you for the clear and well thought out explanations is your Datsun L-series videos. Its been of great help to me. Currently trying to finish tuning my recently re-built 77' 280Z L28. I'm in California and trying to pass smog.
DO YOU NEED to remove the hose off the vacuum advance canister on the side of the distributor & plug the hose?? I've heard some say you do, others don't touch it
I just bought a 77 Z of my own! I am going to start from the beginning of your vids but so far I have done the basics (change fuel lines, spark plugs, oil, and it runs and idles great until the engine starts bogging and runs extremely rich to the point that the car will not rev when warm and will not stay alive unless I give it a little more air. Hoping for a simple fix! But your videos will surely help!
Actually I did have a question. Where did you purchase that inline fuel pressure gauge? When I try to look up inline fuel pressure gauges online, all I get is ones for carb that only show up to 15 psi. I really would like a good inline gauge for fuel pump testing purposes. I have rented one at auto zone to test the fuel pump, but I rather have a permanent solution.
I bought mine at Summit Racing. Definitely better to just buy one and have a permanent gauge installed. You'll need a few pieces of fuel rated hose and a sealer between the gauge and the fitting. Especially in the early stages we have enough problems to deal with than to skip fuel pressure and suffer with fuel issues without even knowing it.
Sorry for the late reply! Been slammed with work. You can find those in-line gauges at Summit like HMD mentioned, or I think I bought mine from ZCarDepot, but I had to buy the adapter separately.
in episode 4 you adjusted the cam gear to position 3(while adjusting valve timing). Should you add 8 degrees of advance to the stock spec. of 10, while adjusting ignition timing ,?
I have a 280zx which uses the same (or similar enough) fuel injected system and yes, the FSM says to clamp the vacuum advance and remove the electrical advance plug
@@tomgray113 Out of curiosity, what would happen if you attempted to set ignition timing without the advance clamped and plug disconnected? I am going through some diagnosis right now with mine and the information may help with process of elimination.
LOL yes you have to disconnect the vacuum hose as it gives you some advance at idle. I looked at this video out of curiosity because my online repair states to disconnect the plug in the alternator. Never heard of this in my 35 years of experience. I only know of the vacuum hose. Rule num 1
No. The marks on the timing indicator tab. The timing gun lights up the area and you can see what degree the crank pulley mark is at. In the above case, it was sitting around 12 or 13, so when he made the adjustment down to 10 degrees, thats where the timing mark would be lined up on the crank pulley as it spins while you shine the gun light at it. Some cheaper timing lights don't have a display, so you have to rely on what you're seeing in the flashing light at the crank pulley.
Nice and informative video! Question ... after you set the your timing to 10 deg by adjusting the distributor housing, you readjusted the idle then checked the timing again. In your case, the timing angle stayed the same. Had the timing retarded or advanced, what would you do then? Seems like it may be an endless loop ...
Haha thats an excellent point. Had I adjusted my timing by more than just a couple of degrees, I would have had to go back and forth a bit there. You can usually zero in on the rpm and timing combination rather quickly once you dial in one or the other. And like I said, this isnt as precise of a process as it may seem, so being 1 degree off or your idle being off by 10-20 rpm isnt a big deal. You should dial this stuff in at a dyno shop between runs.
Looks like you adjusted timing to 11 degBTDC ;) I'm just being facetious, it's hard to tell on the video. What to do next... I'd definitely run the ECU tests before heading to the dyno. Especially the AFM #1 and CTS #2. I'm curious how many feet above sea level you are and what your manifold vacuum is at 800 RPM. I enjoyed Ep. 9.5 as well. Based on your reply on Ep 9 you've got six live cylinders so congrats! Unless there's still a plug fouling problem I guess we'll never know what the issue was with cyl 5. A vacuum test would make a short and simple video fwiw.
Haha yes sir. I just wanted it to be near 10 degrees, and if I missed, I wanted to miss slightly on the more advance side since I have juuuust a bit of backfiring happening (although I doubt 1 degree of timing advance is going to fix that anyway). Yeap, a vacuum test is definitely next. I did a quick vacuum check and I have ~16.5 inches of vacuum at idle... I might have just a slight vacuum leak but I've been unable to find the source.
I’ve been looking for videos specific to the 280z for quite a while. This whole series on the 280z is an outstanding source for a beginner/novice 280z owner. Everything is explained in terms of basic concepts and followed up with step by step instructions. Well done - keep up the good work!!
I just bought me a 1978 project 280z about 3 weeks ago and I’ve been utilizing the service manual to diagnose/repair my s30 but your videos are a perfect representation for the DIY enthusiast! I hope you continue to make more vids
You're very welcome, and I wish you the very best with your Z. Stay tuned! Lot's more to come.
Very clear and easy to remember instructions. Great job, gives me some confidence to adjust my timing myself. 1981 280zx 2+2 thanks
Brilliant vid. You explained everything I needed to know for my car without the distracting music or other unnecessary inclusions
I have this exact timing gun, Innova 5568. I've had it for years & used it only 1 time so I needed a refresher on how to use it on my 1991 4Runner 3VZE. Will need to use it again when I install my newly rebuilt 5.0 engine on my 1989 Mustang in a couple of weeks. I also enjoyed your introduction as to why it's important to set the timing properly eventhough an engine is running well.
Thank you for the clear and well thought out explanations is your Datsun L-series videos. Its been of great help to me. Currently trying to finish tuning my recently re-built 77' 280Z L28. I'm in California and trying to pass smog.
awesome camera work+sound quality
Thanks!
Thank you very much for this very helpful and easy to understand video!!! Big thanks, stay safe and stay sane 🙏🏾✊🏻🤘🏽✌🏼
Awesome explanation, extremely helpful. Thank you.
DO YOU NEED to remove the hose off the vacuum advance canister on the side of the distributor & plug the hose?? I've heard some say you do, others don't touch it
I just bought a 77 Z of my own! I am going to start from the beginning of your vids but so far I have done the basics (change fuel lines, spark plugs, oil, and it runs and idles great until the engine starts bogging and runs extremely rich to the point that the car will not rev when warm and will not stay alive unless I give it a little more air. Hoping for a simple fix! But your videos will surely help!
Awesome glad to hear it. Let me know if I can help answer any questions!
Actually I did have a question. Where did you purchase that inline fuel pressure gauge? When I try to look up inline fuel pressure gauges online, all I get is ones for carb that only show up to 15 psi. I really would like a good inline gauge for fuel pump testing purposes. I have rented one at auto zone to test the fuel pump, but I rather have a permanent solution.
I bought mine at Summit Racing. Definitely better to just buy one and have a permanent gauge installed. You'll need a few pieces of fuel rated hose and a sealer between the gauge and the fitting. Especially in the early stages we have enough problems to deal with than to skip fuel pressure and suffer with fuel issues without even knowing it.
Sorry for the late reply! Been slammed with work. You can find those in-line gauges at Summit like HMD mentioned, or I think I bought mine from ZCarDepot, but I had to buy the adapter separately.
Great video, thanks!
in episode 4 you adjusted the cam gear to position 3(while adjusting valve timing). Should you add 8 degrees of advance to the stock spec. of 10, while adjusting ignition timing ,?
I dont think that would be necessary, since the valve timing was adjusted to be back to the stock position.
Nicely done
Should we disconnect the vacuum and/or electrical advance (if equiped) from the distributor before setting the timing?
Now I’m sad because I came to the comments to ask this exact question and now I can he never responded…
I have a 280zx which uses the same (or similar enough) fuel injected system and yes, the FSM says to clamp the vacuum advance and remove the electrical advance plug
@@tomgray113 Out of curiosity, what would happen if you attempted to set ignition timing without the advance clamped and plug disconnected? I am going through some diagnosis right now with mine and the information may help with process of elimination.
LOL yes you have to disconnect the vacuum hose as it gives you some advance at idle. I looked at this video out of curiosity because my online repair states to disconnect the plug in the alternator. Never heard of this in my 35 years of experience. I only know of the vacuum hose. Rule num 1
Hello, the innova run on 4t motorcycles?
How did you know your car was running at 12 or 13 degrees instead of 10? Does the LCD screen tell you?
No. The marks on the timing indicator tab. The timing gun lights up the area and you can see what degree the crank pulley mark is at. In the above case, it was sitting around 12 or 13, so when he made the adjustment down to 10 degrees, thats where the timing mark would be lined up on the crank pulley as it spins while you shine the gun light at it. Some cheaper timing lights don't have a display, so you have to rely on what you're seeing in the flashing light at the crank pulley.
What tool did you use to adjust the timing screw?
Can you give us a sale link to the timing light you use?
Nice and informative video! Question ... after you set the your timing to 10 deg by adjusting the distributor housing, you readjusted the idle then checked the timing again. In your case, the timing angle stayed the same. Had the timing retarded or advanced, what would you do then? Seems like it may be an endless loop ...
Haha thats an excellent point. Had I adjusted my timing by more than just a couple of degrees, I would have had to go back and forth a bit there. You can usually zero in on the rpm and timing combination rather quickly once you dial in one or the other. And like I said, this isnt as precise of a process as it may seem, so being 1 degree off or your idle being off by 10-20 rpm isnt a big deal. You should dial this stuff in at a dyno shop between runs.
Thanks for the reply!
Looks like you adjusted timing to 11 degBTDC ;) I'm just being facetious, it's hard to tell on the video. What to do next... I'd definitely run the ECU tests before heading to the dyno. Especially the AFM #1 and CTS #2. I'm curious how many feet above sea level you are and what your manifold vacuum is at 800 RPM. I enjoyed Ep. 9.5 as well. Based on your reply on Ep 9 you've got six live cylinders so congrats! Unless there's still a plug fouling problem I guess we'll never know what the issue was with cyl 5. A vacuum test would make a short and simple video fwiw.
Haha yes sir. I just wanted it to be near 10 degrees, and if I missed, I wanted to miss slightly on the more advance side since I have juuuust a bit of backfiring happening (although I doubt 1 degree of timing advance is going to fix that anyway).
Yeap, a vacuum test is definitely next. I did a quick vacuum check and I have ~16.5 inches of vacuum at idle... I might have just a slight vacuum leak but I've been unable to find the source.