Full Ignition Rebuild
After noticing intermittent power loss and extreme exhaust temperatures that glowed the manifold cherry red, I conducted a deep dive into the ignition system of my 280ZX. Using systematic diagnostics with a multimeter, I uncovered a cascade of issues—ranging from a malfunctioning vacuum and mechanical advance to fouled plugs and faulty leads—ultimately tracing the root cause to a worn distributor and jumped timing shaft. The resolution involved pulling the oil pump, restacking the distributor drive, and designing a full modern replacement for a long-obsolete ignition system.
This was one of the most intricate diagnostic challenges I’ve tackled. The symptoms pointed to retarded ignition timing, but uncovering the why required persistence and methodical testing. With a multimeter and service manual, I evaluated every part of the system—verifying that both the vacuum advance and centrifugal weights were non-functional, leaving the engine locked into late ignition under all loads. I replaced fouled plugs, confirmed spark output, and identified degraded spark plug wires before discovering that the timing shaft had jumped teeth—a problem I resolved by pulling the oil pump and correcting alignment. Along the way, I researched and reverse-engineered early Nissan ignition systems, from Matchbox-style modules to HEI-compatible replacements. The final step was designing a clean, modern retrofit for the entire distributor—something serviceable, reliable, and forward-compatible, addressing a critical failure point in an aging but beloved engine platform.