Restoring 280Z Fuel System... advice?

[zdorantes]

I'm trying to do a full fuel system restoration, and I have

a few questions.

1) where should I start? (I figure fuel tank)

2) which components should I upgrade (e.g. I want to upgrade the fuel pump)

3) Is there anything I should let a professional do?

[racerx]

_{First of did you do a comp. check on the Z.  If I recollect, you had issues with overheating, right?  No sense of putting a new fuel pump or doing the fuel injection unless the engine is good to go.  This means it should be up to spec. You also asked what should a professional do..more than likely, unless he's a trustworthy mechanic, he'll see you coming a mile away and charge you up the ying yang to get the car fix.  Don't know exactly how much he'll charged since we don't really know what is really wrong with the car but typically they charge about $125/hr. If you are going to take to a mech. find one that really knows about this car.  If it's your lucky day and you find a mechnic that has integrity, he/she will probably tell you to donate the car or find a rebuilt or decent engine and he'll install it for you.  These are getting harder to find because most mechanics will bleed you.  You hear it all the time:  Sears got sued because they were over charging their customers, Jiffy Lube or Speede oil change are not doing what they are supposed to be doing and a lot of times they will mess up your car.  My nephew works for one of these outfits and they are pressured into producing not so much taking care of their customers.}

 

_{Then you said what should you upgrade, again this means that when you upgrade the engine should be good.  It goes back to the engine.  have you even registered the car, will it pass smog.  You live in Calif. and most cars need to be smog that is 1976 and up. Unless of coure you got the car from an immediate family and smog is not necessary.}

 

_{I have not seen the car or hear it but I will stick out my neck and assume that it may not be worth fixing because of issues you have had with the car.  The engine is the core, if that does not run okay then why bother and try to upgrade..unless, of course, the car runs good and you are very certain that it is your fuel injection system...at any rate, really think this through.}

[zdorantes]

The compression check showed bad results all at low pressure. The over heating problem continues.

 

So the car(1975 280z) has four major problems it overheats,(bad water pump maybe?), it has a really rough time turning on(cold start valve or sensor?), it turns off after running for about 5 minutes or so(has to be fuel injectors becomes sometimes it won't even idle and has to be turned on with starter fluid), white steam comes from where the valve cover meets the engine(bad head gasket)

 

I wanted to upgrade the fuel system while I rebuild the engine (which would take care of water pump, head gasket, and fuel system). I recently was given a junk 280zx and I'll be rebuilding both engines and stealing components off the zx.

[zdorantes]

_{I have not seen the car or hear it but I will stick out my neck and assume that it may not be worth fixing because of issues you have had with the car.  The engine is the core, if that does not run okay then why bother and try to upgrade..unless, of course, the car runs good and you are very certain that it is your fuel injection system...at any rate, really think this through.}

 

Racerx I really appreciate all the advice, and for the most part I think the car in its current state is definitely "more trouble then it's worth" but I am very stubborn and I'm taking this car all the way. This Z is giving me alot of technical experience and knowledge, and that's why I bought it, for it to teach me everything I need and want to know about cars and honestley love that it's not coming easy. I was just given a 280zx that is junk that engine is basically the l28 with turbo stock so I am thinking of using that engine instead but not without doing everything first for this engine.

[racerx]

you answered your question....no sense of kicking a dead horse.  okay to be stubbron but you said it yourself that "it's more trouble that its worth",  now move on..and like I said find a good running z motor but do your homework and do a comp. check before you buy.  Then work on the upgrades if need be. You are putting the carriage before the horse.  When you learn, its not only the tech/mechanical aspects but most important you are learning about yourself, how you react to ceratin things.  It's called EQ or emotional quotient. Look it up and you'll see what I mean.  Maximize your wins not your loses.  And when you lose don't lose the lesson...next time do a comp. check, that's it,no more, no less.