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79 280zx n/a runs rich with no power after 1/4 throttle

2.3K views 26 replies 6 participants last post by  RightHandriver  
Your fuel pressure is low. It should be 30 at idle. The PCV hose on the valve cover is cracked and is probably leaking. If you have vacuum leak (you mentioned) it will run lean plus low fuel pressure will make it leaner'er. The missing vacuum hose in the second to last picture should have a hose that is "T"ed into the small hose on the right side of the intake manifold near the EGR.
That tank by the light in photo 3 is a vacuum reservoir. The two solenoids, one if for supplying vacuum to the HVAC system in your dash when you turn it on (missing hose, this is a vacuum leak). The other is for the device that increases the engine RPM when you turn on the A/C. That is the hose that is still hooked up to the intake manifold. (the other small hose in second photo).
I see you have a high performance paint job on the valve cover !
 
Why don't you have a CHTS on the car? No wonder it is running rich. The ECU goes crazy rich if it has a reading of infinity for the CHTS. I don't care what you find on the internet............don't F with the AFM! Don't even take the cover off.
 
Air filter should not cause this issue. Yes the coolant temp sensor and the CHTS are basically the same thing. You made it sound like you had nothing hooked up.
Have you done ALL the checks from the 35 pin connector at the ECU? That is VERY important as it checks the sensor/device and the wire to and from the ECU to said sensors/devices.
So you have turned the idle adjustment screw all the way and your engine idle doesn't change?
 
Engine Fuel System, page 34 is where the ECU pin testing starts. Remember to disconnect the battery before disconnecting the 35 pin.
If you lived in North Dakota I would let you barrow my Kent Moore J25400 EFI tester!
 
Some of your issues may be badly corroded electrical connectors. You need to check/clean/replace anything related to anything on the engine to ensure you have good connection between the device and the ECU.
I have removed an entire electrical harness from a 1983 to look for issue. I unwrapped the entire harness. I used tie wraps to mark where wires split off the main harness so I could wrap it correctly. The most difficult part is reinstall and getting the main harness back where it belongs where it goes thru the firewall. FYI I found no issues with the harness. my issue was bad connectors and a bad ECU. It took me 5 weeks of checking and re-checking to figure it out.
Finish the checks from the 35 pin. It is had to believe that you would have more than a coupe of bad readings. If the device/sensor checks out then I would trust the wires and be suspect of the electrical connectors unless you have evidence of mouse munching! They are evil little critters.
 
It only took me about 20 minutes to remove the entire harness. About an hour to unwrap and inspect and an hour to re-wrap. A couple of hours to re-install.