Timing is 23 before.
I've tried it at 15, 20, 24, 32 and it ran bad in all positions. It popped much worse when retarded.
1981-82 turbos say to run 20, 1983 says 24 deg

oh, and some people say to unplug the TPS when setting the timing. The factory service manual says nothing about this or about making any changes to the engine when setting the timing so I did not change anything. I set it at 23 with the TPS plugged in.

I installed the new oxygen sensor and the first test drive seems to show no difference. It drives ok. Pulls decent in mid rpms. Pops only on occasion when initially depressing the throttle. I'll give it a few days to settle. It was a cool evening out so maybe that helped it run good. It'll probably suck tomorrow on the way to work.

 

I had this problem for a while as well it ended up being a bad fuel filter, but I know you have checked that right? I'm still assuming it's fuel pressure or maybe even injectors. If you have good fuel pressure might be time to pull the injectors and flow test them

 

My Z was doing the same thing Bleach's is doing now when i bought it. I had to drive it back to VA from OH with it kicking, popping and bucking most of the time. It would come and go based on engine load. Ended up being a bad TPS (caused most of the problems) and some partially plugged injectors. I replaced the TPS and the problem was better but it still was acting up. So I cleaned out the injectors with a little homemade flow bench and it did wonders. Car runs perfect now.

 

My car runs much better than what it used to a week ago. It does not buck and kick anymore. It just pops once or twice when you first get on the gas... but usually only in 1st or 2nd gear. higher gears just takes off smooth.
It still seems to take the boost but not really accelerate hard all the time. Some times it does... I also hear it get to 8psi and the POV is fluttering. At that point I let off or shift. I at least need the intake to have a steady boost. So I need a new wastegate actuator.

I replaced the TPS with the one from my NA car. Seems to work the same. I know the WOT position is just unused but the on/off idle should be the same.
When it idles I can rock the TPS back and forth and tell right when the switch is on and off so I assume that shows proper opperation.

I'm lacking a 1/8NPT (?) barbbed connection to go on the fuel rail in order to remote mount the gauge... so I guess I need to buy more fittings and some fuel line. It very well could be the injectors. They are all used and of course even though they came off a running turbo car there is no way I can tell if they are truely the proper size injectors. I have a second set of turbo injectors too. Maybe I should find one of those shops that rebuilds injectors for about $15 ea and have my second set rebuilt... stick those in there. Pulling the fuel rail is no big deal now with the JSK setup. 10 minutes really...

but, I dont have money for that right now anyway so if I do get them rebuilt it'll be at the end of this month or when I sell more 300zx parts

the fuel filter is new. I replaced it in April 2006 before my trip to CA. But I ran it for a while with the non-turbo engine. Do you think it remembers the NA engine's fuel flow and won't let more fuel go through for the turbo's demand???

 

Ya know...if its not that then it could be the filter bearing came loose during the trip Try reseting the filters internal memory and see if that helps.

(suppose i could've waited to see if anyone took you serious first

 

So you say for the 83 Turbo models timing is set at 24* before TDC? That would mean I'm off 4 degrees, and that might actually help my car run a bit smoother. I know the previous owner had a leaky injector on this car and said he replaced it. So I'm beginning to wonder if there's anything with my injectors. The way bleach said his car was running good on a cooler damp night makes me wonder, why would injectors or the TPS have anything to do with the car running poorly if the weather seemed to make it run differently?

 

it runs a *little* better. Still kinda funky.

Any day now my gauge pod will be here and I'll get my A/F gauge installed. When I installed the new O2 sensor, I crimped on two 'stock' connections. one from my NA and the other from the turbo car. so I can plug both the guage and the ECU connections in properly. woot!

also, I'm planning to buy this bad boy here:::
E-W-S Air/Fuel Ratio Meter

 

On my turbo, on the throttle body if you're standing from the driver's side of the car and you're looking at the pressure regulator, to the right of where the vaccum line meets the Throttle body from the FPR, there's a hole. It looks like it has threads, I don't know if something is supposed to be there?

Here's a view of how I was looking at it. It's just to the right of the wiring harness for the injectors.

Here's a closeup of the hole. Should I fine something to plug this?

Like I said, it looks like it's threaded so something may have been there before.

 

It doesn't go all the way through. Mine is like that. If you ever wonder about it, stick your finger on it while the car is idling. It should pull pretty hard at 20 pounds of vaccum... just be careful or it might suck your entire body into the intake, chew you up, and spit you out.
Or stick a small wire down in it to see if it goes all the way through.

I drove my car at lunch time today. It is driving surprisingly well. A guy in an Audi heard m POV fluttering and he gave me a BOV salute and a big smile. funny stuff...

oh, and you know how someone said the knock sensor only works under 3500rpm, well I now noticed that the engine NEVER does the popping over 3500rpm. Only under 3500. hmmm... but today once it was warmed up, no popping ever.

 

maybe the knock sensor is picking up valvetrain noise or something else and pulling your timing then.

 

that sounds alot like mine, only it seems to do it at under 2500. Then once I'm warm the car never seems to have problem.

 

maybe its the sound system blasting drum and bass?

 

Well I got my FPR woring. Apparently the first hose was too small and causing problems, then the other hose I got was too big and causing problems. So I used the hose from the 2+2's regulator and that was the right size and it works. I even took that hose up to the auto parts store yet, I guess it's still too big what I got.

 

Bleach, please don't spend $60 + S&H on that...

Didn't you already buy a narrow band A/F gauge?

If so, save a little more of your money and get one of these:

http://www.innovatemotorsports.com/x...cat=248&page=1

Wide-band O2 with REAL data logging!

 

mmm thats my baby right there l-dub!

 

FYI - all Innovate products are on sale here http://www.sasquatch-motorsports.com...ewCat&catId=80

LM-1 and LMA-2 RPM converter for $380 is a good price.

 

If the four little light thing is no more accurate than the Autometer gauge then I guess I'm good. I'll put that $300 towards a paint job.

 

ANY A/F meter that runs off your stock narrow band O2 sensor is going to be no better then the next a/f meter. Of course how well it's calibrated makes a difference but most of these meter use the exact same internals anyways.

 

After seeing your hood, you can paint it yourself!

 

That's my plan. 300 cans of 99 cent spray paint

 

LoL... I rattle can'd this 280zx... it took about 10 cans. doh!

 

its funny when people on the street as me where I got my hood painted. I tell them I did it myself and they're all impressed like its some really nice paint job.
I did it with 99 cent spray cans from WalMart. With mastking tape, the whole paint job cost me about $15.

I'll get a real paint job done on the whole car with no rising sun.

 

Little update for you folks: (car still runs bad)

So I had it running pretty good. Almost never popped or studdered under vaccum. Even under boost, it would bog a little and not go very fast but it still ran smooth with no bucking or anything. The BOV would vent on shifting even with no vaccum line hooked up so it was really boosting nice and steady at 6psi. averaging 20mpg overall... where the NA would get 25 with the 3.54 rearend I'm using.

Then I drive to Portland and back it its running like crap. I noticed my idle fuel pressure was now at 40psi! It used to be 36.
The FSM says the NA engine should be at 36 stock. It says nothing about the turbo. So I look at my two spare turbo FPR. One is aftermarket, one is Nissan. I put the Nissan one in and fuel pressure drops to 32psi which I think is acceptable.... but it runs worse! More popping than ever before.

So I adjust the AFM one tooth lean (worse), two teeht lean, even worse, can't get to 25mph no matter what.
So I richen it up 1 and 2 clicks and it seems to run a little better 2 teeth more rich.

Oh, and my boost gauge and A/F ratio gauge are in the dash pod and mounted. The boost backlight and signal line are hooked up. I ran wires for the A/F gauge but have not quite plugged them in yet. so ya I know I need to get that set up tonight.

I checked again for a vaccum leak and could find nothing. I still suspect the injectors and I'm planning to swap on my extra turbo injector set. I have a spare turbo intake manifold so I'm gonna put the whole stock rail with used injectors on.

 

You sound like you're having more problems than I am. My car pretty much runs perfect after like that brief warm-up period. And even when it's running bad, once the car gets into boost it runs pretty decent. Things that helped were the O2 sensor, setting the timing, cleaning connections, etc. The biggest help of all was when I got my FPR working. That alone seemed to really bring the car back to life. It even runs better cold, well better than it did. So I'm gonna go ahead and change my CHTS out with the one from the N/A. Have you OHMd out your AFM?

 

I have a rebuilt AFM. It worked the same as the used one I had before. but no, I have not OHMed it.

I even swapped CHTS, TPS (and adjusted), and the ECU. No change on anything. its like no sensors really make a change... so.. boost leak still or bad injectors? I also did clean the connections which did make a difference for the better. I re-cleaned the AFM connection last night but no change there. I may have deleloped a new boost leak.