Hey all
Lots of of progress on the air intake system to the engine
stripped everything air intake wise all the way through to the throttle from front right to left - intake piping > air filter box > pipe connector to Air flow meter > air flow meter > air flow meter pipe connector main body (not all the terms are "correct"
)
intake pipe : good order, no holes or problems, cleaned and "coloured" with some black exterior trim restorer
air filter box : great order, newish looking air filter, painted the wingnuts, cleaned the metal box, no major issues other than the rubber seal at the inlet side of the box is a little worm with a slight hole. Fixed with a little Q-bond and duct tape
pipe connector from air filter box to Air flow meter : good order, stripped, cleaned, clips roughly repainted, blackened as above with trim restorer
Air Flow Meter AFM : the big boy ! Thanks to Huw for the encouragement and guidance to get stuck in
- externally thoroughly cleaned
- basic operation using this link
http://xenonzcar.com/s130/afmrefresh.html# . Cleaned the terminals with some light sandpaper and alcohol spirits. moved the carbon track as mentioned in the article. My plastic door was a complete mess of multiple sealants (seepic) but knives, screwdrivers, hot soapy water, etc cleaned it all off and it's now clean
I have not yet stuck the door back to the AFM as I expect to need it sometime soon for some tuning but its safe and connected and will eventually be stuck down once engine is running/tuned a bit better
- gently cleaned the air temp sensor on the inside of AFM body with alcohol spirit and cotton buds
Otherwise it seemed in pretty good condition with all the right moving bits, no obvious bits hanging off, etc
AFM pipe to main body : A bit of a mess, wrapped in tape as there was a big hole all around it. Q-Bonded the holes, cleaned with trim restorer, clips repainted
Cleaned everything in the engine bay that I could reach while all the items were out - my engine bay is thick with years of dust, a proper pain in the rear and fingers ;(
Outcome
Running a little better immediately on turnover, I was over the moon
(I've never done an oil or spark plug change before getting this car), allowed engine to warm up without revving etc
Idling with trouble around 800rpm, so opened it a little to about 1000rpm and its much better
So, it's slightly better and definitely worth the learning, cleaning and peace of mind that I understand this part of what is going on - EFIBible is getting repeatedly read to help understand the "art" of making it run a little better but it's ok for now
other observations
fan belt needs replaced -
guys, any suggestions for replacement 280z fan belts that can be sourced in UK ?
radiator seems a mess - not much coolant in it (that's today's job) so I will pencil in a radiator replacement for winter work