1982 280zx getting spark, plenty of fuel, injectors clogged? weird spark? need help!

[rallyz82]

So I acquired a 1982 280zx for a great deal a couple years ago and it was a great deal because it is rusted all to hell. Last it was inspected was 2001, so I assume it sat all those years before I got it too. Pretty car but so much rust, it seems I could drive it down the road and under light braking it might fold in half? I have plans in store for more strength in that department though.
What I am looking for is some advice on where to turn next. I have had a few weird experiences with this car and I'm scratching my head now as I think I have expended my off-the-dome knowledge of how to get this thing running. Someone has definitely been in the car trying to get it running way back whenever and did some scrappy work. I've rewired everything that connects to the battery directly, it was all so corroded and rats nested, this includes the starter connections. After I redid that the car would actually turn over where it wouldn't crank before. Then I moved to the spark plugs. Getting plenty of spark even with old plugs but I threw new ones in anyways. Now for the fuel. Cant hear fuel pump kick on with key. I've read forums and looked at diagrams but cannot figure out if I have the fuel relays correctly setup. Some people say the green solenoid by the glovebox is the pain in the a**, but I looked in there and the green solenoid isn't even plugged into anything. It is mounted to the side of the compartment with nothing around it that seems as though it would plug into it. The front fuel relay is a complete puzzle too, don't really even know what I'm looking at just tried to make sure everything was connected properly. Fuel lines completely dry after cranking for a little bit. Pulled the fuel pickup out, cleaned it. Pulled the fuel pump, tested, works. Blew my fuel lines out to make sure there are no stoppages. Ended up making an auxiliary switch to control my fuel pump, and I have plenty of pressure with that old thing! So now that I have pressure and spark, I'm cranking the car and im getting nothing. Puff of starter fluid maybe for a little kick, fires off but dies immediately. Won't run without the fluid. 5/6 injectors are pushing a little bit of fuel out onto the manifold, but you can't smell the fuel fumes from the exhaust. I am wondering if I need to clean my injectors out or just go ahead and buy new ones? Any advice on the location / setup of the fuel relays?
Another thing, the distributor has a middle connector that runs to a little cylinder on the left fender well. I don't know what that little cylinder is, but one of the wires connected to it is disconnected and I cannot find what it was connected to. On top of this, the main plug wire that runs into the top of this cylinder keeps arcing with one of the terminals on the cylinder while its trying to start/running for a short period of starting fluid. What is this part and should it be arcing like that? I have the wires separated from each other well and wrapped in electrical tape, along with the rubber boot that sits on it to separate them and it still arcs.

Any help or thoughts on these issues would be awesome, thanks guys!

 

[Lin626]

I think the only two people here with this car is @trackratZ & @280driver.

 

[trackratZ]

I think the only two people here with this car is @trackratZ & @280driver.

Thanks! @rallyz82 honestly, with all that rust and neglect I would just start with a cleaner ZX, way too much work. That little cylinder off the distributor is just a resistor. Without knowing anything else about the car, unless it's the Turbo 280ZX, won't be worth much to pour time into it. You also need a fresh set of spark plug wires, the arching of old wires.

The Turbo or gold/black Anniversary Turbo are in demand already, prices going up.

 

[takemorepills]

I helped my Z-enthusiast buddy work on his 280ZX back in the 90's....so my memory is pretty foggy on these cars.

However, I do remember we solved an issue he was having by sending the injectors out for clean/balance and reinstalling them with all new seals. I forget exactly what the issue was, hard starting, maybe? Back then, sending injectors out for clean/balance was not expensive, I would check into it if I were you. Be careful about pointing the "parts cannon" at the car, you may end up buying a bunch of Chinese garbage parts, not getting anywhere, and being that much poorer!

And I also remember the MAF on those cars being finnicky, I believe it's a moving vane MAF. Yikes, his 82 Z was glitchy in 96, man 25 years later I think you have your work cut out for you. Brings back memories!

 

[280driver]

So I acquired a 1982 280zx for a great deal a couple years ago and it was a great deal because it is rusted all to hell. Last it was inspected was 2001, so I assume it sat all those years before I got it too. Pretty car but so much rust, it seems I could drive it down the road and under light braking it might fold in half? I have plans in store for more strength in that department though.
What I am looking for is some advice on where to turn next. I have had a few weird experiences with this car and I'm scratching my head now as I think I have expended my off-the-dome knowledge of how to get this thing running. Someone has definitely been in the car trying to get it running way back whenever and did some scrappy work. I've rewired everything that connects to the battery directly, it was all so corroded and rats nested, this includes the starter connections. After I redid that the car would actually turn over where it wouldn't crank before. Then I moved to the spark plugs. Getting plenty of spark even with old plugs but I threw new ones in anyways. Now for the fuel. Cant hear fuel pump kick on with key. I've read forums and looked at diagrams but cannot figure out if I have the fuel relays correctly setup. Some people say the green solenoid by the glovebox is the pain in the a**, but I looked in there and the green solenoid isn't even plugged into anything. It is mounted to the side of the compartment with nothing around it that seems as though it would plug into it. The front fuel relay is a complete puzzle too, don't really even know what I'm looking at just tried to make sure everything was connected properly. Fuel lines completely dry after cranking for a little bit. Pulled the fuel pickup out, cleaned it. Pulled the fuel pump, tested, works. Blew my fuel lines out to make sure there are no stoppages. Ended up making an auxiliary switch to control my fuel pump, and I have plenty of pressure with that old thing! So now that I have pressure and spark, I'm cranking the car and im getting nothing. Puff of starter fluid maybe for a little kick, fires off but dies immediately. Won't run without the fluid. 5/6 injectors are pushing a little bit of fuel out onto the manifold, but you can't smell the fuel fumes from the exhaust. I am wondering if I need to clean my injectors out or just go ahead and buy new ones? Any advice on the location / setup of the fuel relays?
Another thing, the distributor has a middle connector that runs to a little cylinder on the left fender well. I don't know what that little cylinder is, but one of the wires connected to it is disconnected and I cannot find what it was connected to. On top of this, the main plug wire that runs into the top of this cylinder keeps arcing with one of the terminals on the cylinder while its trying to start/running for a short period of starting fluid. What is this part and should it be arcing like that? I have the wires separated from each other well and wrapped in electrical tape, along with the rubber boot that sits on it to separate them and it still arcs.

Any help or thoughts on these issues would be awesome, thanks guys!

Check the gas tank for rust. If you find rust, there’s a good chance you have a blockage somewhere in the system and you’ll want to check/flush everything from the tank up to the injectors For clogs. I assume you put a new fuel filter in it?