Okay guys, heres the deal... I gots me a 82 ZX running a rebuilt L6 and a 83 5 speed manual. I have no idea what year the motor is as the guy who sold it to me didn't have any paperwork. But that's not the point.

It ran like a champeen when I bought it last July. It had an automatic that was in the process of going out. The guy told me it was a rearend problem. (he also told me that the coil was part of that California smog sh*t and if I took it off it would run a whole lot better)

But that's not the point. It ran. I had the '83 motor put in with the tranny and I brought it home and it never started again. Finally after about a month, I got sick of the damn thing and put the original motor back in.

NOW IT DOESN'T RUN AND I'M ABOUT TO FLIP OUT!!!

But anyway. It ran when I first got it in before I put on the gasket on the back side of the exhaust manifold... I put that gasket on, and then it would idle but I couldn't give it any gas.

So I got to messing with the vacuum to the intake and the idle screw. Now as soon as it tries to start, it dies just like that.

I don't believe it's the vacuum as I got about nine underhood pics from here.

Any ideas???

 

Sounds like you've got no fuel or are very lean. Could be the intake is not tight enough, but probably not.

Unhook the rubber hose from the throttle. Open the throttle by pressing on the linkage and spray in a good amount of starting fluid. Then slide the boot back on. Don't bother tightening it yet. Crank the engine over and see if it fires a lot more than usual. It might even run for a few seconds. If so, you've got good spark. If it doesn't fire up then it could be the coil or spark plugs, or the spark plug wire locations.

I'm thinking you should make sure the throttle position switch is plugged in and the air flow meter. Make sure the computer is plugged in good and run a separate ground wire to ground it extra good to the car.

Try swapping air flow meters if you have two. Try a new fuel filter. See that you have fuel pressure if you have the tools to do so. Or just listen to see that your fuel pump is pumping.

 

hmm. could be that the intake is too loose. I had my fiance tighten those as her hands are smaller. That and theres no chance of getting a torque wrench up in there. any ideas on how to tighten those without removing the entire engine?

But just to be sure, I'll shoot some starter fluid up in there... the air box is gone on mine, could I just shoot it up on the inside of the radiator support?

still no one knows where the other connector on the condensor goes?