240z, 260z, 280z Turbo Swap Guide

[bumble zee]

So tell me if you find this helpfull. I tried to simplify it as much as possible. Basically this is a guide through the wiring of the FI harness and ignition harness without the confusing color code talk. I have put in pictures of the harness and its plugs, along with the wires and what needs to go where.

 

**THE YOUDAMNFOOL.COM LINK IS OLD AND HAS ERRORS. PLEASE SCROLL DOWN THIS FORUM PAGE TO THE UPDATED SWAP GUIDE**

 

http://www.yadamnfool.com/turbo_z_conversion/s130_zxt_to_s30_z.htm

 

Now I would like to include the 82 and 83 harnesses in here also. Anybody willing?

[GrayZee]

I have also thought of making a webpage explaining all the details but I never did get around to it. I read the info on your site and I'm sorry to say that it left me a little confused. Here is a list of reasons why:

 

1. I've never heard of a zxt using a dropping resistor.

 

2. The 6 pin connector that you show does not look like the one I've seen on turbo harnesses (they are a 8 pin)

 

3. The picture of the TPS looks like a injector plug to me (TPS's have 3 terminals even though only 2 of them are actually used)

 

4. The wire you say MUST be grounded or it won't run.. Well I never used it. It's hard to tell from the info you have but I think that is the fuel pump modulator ground. (which I never used)

 

5. When I first got my engine running I didn't have the tach figured out yet. I've heard mention of the tach resistor before and I've never bothered searching for it. I simply just hooked up the original - coil wire back up to the turbo coil and the tach started working.

 

I'm not trying to sound like a jerk here but if your info left me feeling confused I wonder how people trying to do a turbo swap will feel?

[Guest bastaad525]

yeah he's definatley showing an '81 harness/setup, the CAS and dropping resistors are a dead giveaway. However, I think the wiring for the '82-83 should be almost identical, except you can bypass the dropping resistor pack? The plug going to the CAS is the same on all three years, just that on the '81 the plug goes into a plug coming off the crank mounted sensor, and on '82-83, the same plug comes off the dizzy. I actually run an '82 harness/ECU/AFM, but an '81 CAS, they all have the same plug. And I dont run the dropping resistors.

[GrayZee]

Ok, maybe some of the differences are because of the 81 harness (I've never really looked at a 81 zxt) I wasn't trying to "throw stones" I just think that no information is better than false information. I have a good deal of knowledge on these injection harnesses and I could honestly say that alot of what I read looked really messed up.

[bumble zee]

Yeah I noticed the TPS plug also, I dont know why I out that one as the TPS, I have the right plug for it in another picture.

 

And Yes, this is a 81zxt harness, I guess I will specify that.

 

Also, I wasnt sure what yrs. had the CAS on the crank or the dizzy. I just knew the 83's were in the dizzy, and 81's were on the crank.

 

And as for that ground wire I drew attention to, the only reason I said that is becase I have ripped that wire off while driving once and the car ran really crappy and eventualy died.

 

I will fix these errors.

[cygnusx1]

bumble zee, maybe you can incorporate my wiring diagram into your webpage. Of course, I used an 83 harness, and my diagram needs cleaning up but since you have done three swaps you might be able to make sense of it.

 

http://hvmp.com/dc/TurboZ-WiringDiagram-DRAFT-1.jpg

[bumble zee]

I had to break this up due to a image regulation?? But here is is.

 

81-83 S130 ZXT to 70-78 S30 Z

Turbo Engine, FI and Ignition swap

 

by Aaron Ferguson

 

 

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

First off, this swap is very straight forward and does not require great modification to a S30 to install. But I suggest that you read this thoroughly before doing the wiring. You don't want to cut something you may need.

 

To get started you are going to need these parts off a S130 zxt;

 

Complete turbo engine (81-83)

Turbo

Turbo exhaust manifold

Turbo ECU

Turbo FI harness

Turbo Ignition harness

Most of the sensors

1. head temp sensor

2. knock sensor

3. water temp sensor

4. crank sensor (81 is mounted down by the crank, 82-83 mounted inside distributor)

5 ignitor (mounted to the coil bracket)

6 oil pressure sensor

7. If you need to run all the sensors and emissions then I suggest you get those also

Coil bracket (has ignitor mounted on it)

Downpipe

Injectors

Turbo clutch (if you are going with a manual)

Turbo Airflow meter

Turbo TPS (Throttle position sensor)

FI relay

DISCLAIMER: I DID NOT USE THE EMISSIONS SENSORS. SO I DO NOT HAVE THEM LISTED, OR PICTURES OF THEM, SO IF YOU NEED TO USE THEM, YOU WILL HAVE TO FIND INFORMATION ABOUT THEM ELSEWHERE. I AM JUST GIVING YOU THE BARE MINIMUM ON WHAT THE CAR NEEDS TO RUN. ALSO I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR ERRORS. THIS IS ALSO A 81ZXT HARNESS THAT I AM USING, 82 AND 83ZXT HARNESSES MAY BE DIFFERENT.

[bumble zee]

So to state the obvious, remove old engine. The turbo engine is a direct bolt in and requires no modification to your existing motor mounts.

 

 

 

 

 

Next, after the engine is in I did my wiring. It is very scary for a lot of people, it was for me also. But I had tons of help from hybridz.org. So if you have a 75-79 Z that is fuel injected and you took your old FI hareness out, you will understand how to install the turbo FI hareness. If you are swapping into a 70-74 Z, you will have to cut a hole in the firewall to fit the FI and ignition harness through the engine bay to the passenger cabin. But before you do, you should know what the plugs and wires that you will be needing, and where they are located.

 

Figure A

Standard S130 zxt FI hareness

 

If you have been looking at yours, your probably think, "What did I get myself into?" I did that... but after doing this swap in 3 cars, I laugh at myself now and what I had first thought.

 

I will start with the ECU end and work my way out to the engine bay, starting on the drivers side and then work over to the passenger side.

 

Figure B

These plug right into your turbo ECU

 

Figure C

This is where the Ignition harness plugs into the ECU harness.

 

We will be coming back to this plug and harness because it requires modification.

[bumble zee]

Figure D

This where the dropping resistor plugs into the ECU harness

 

Figure E

This is for the airflow meter

 

Figure F

These are your plugs for the injectors

 

Figure G

This is where the crank sensor plugs into

 

Figure H

These are your water temp sensors. The one in the back that you cant really see the wire color plugs into

the sensor on the gooseneck, the yellow colored wire is for your temp gauge. That will have to connect to your stock wiring for your exsisting temp guage.

 

Figure I

These 2 wires are grounds, they bolt nicely to the intake manifold

 

Figure J

This is your TPS plug

 

Figure K

This is the knock sensor, and the 2 wires that plug into it.

 

Figure L

This is the head temp sensor and the plug for it. Its in the same part of the harness as the knock sensor

 

Figure M

This is where the FI relay is located (not pictured, the relay itself) this is the plug for it

 

Figure N

Ok, this is in the same loom as the FI relay. There are 3 wires that you will need to cut and splice. First off, don't cut any wires that are going to the plug for the FI relay, those need to stay intact. There are 5 other wires not attached to the relay. They are from left to right;

 

-Green - Constant power (Needs to be run to a 12+ volt constant)

-Black with white strip - Switched power (Needs to be run to a 12+ volt switched power)

-Blue with red stripe - is switched power for your fuel pump relay (has 12+ volts when key is on, will have power for 5 seconds if car is not running to prime the fuel system, and will have a constant 12+ volts when car is running.)

The yellow and white wires you see bent off to the side you will not need and wont be using

 

Figure O

This plug is for fusible links. Those white wires on the left you will not be using,

but the brown and green wires go to the + post on the starter.

 

And that is it for your FI harness.

[bumble zee]

Now, onto the Ignition harness...

 

This harness is a little tricky. There are a lot of wires that are in this loom that disappear into the dash of the zxt. What you need is the loom from the coil to the plug that plugs into the FI harness. Now off the coil harness plug, there is one yellow wire that runs out to the engine bay and attaches to the ignitor, DO NOT CUT THAT WIRE. The rest of them you can cut, but leave plenty of room to work with the cut wires because you will be using them.

 

Figure P

You can see the coil harness plugged into the FI harness, you can also see the wire that runs to the ignitor on the coil bracket.

Also notice the wires you cut are being used again.

 

Figure Q

This is what the coil / ignition harness plug looks like that plugs into the FI harness.

The 3 prongs labeled are the wires you are going to be using.

NOTE: This is the coil / ignition harness plug end. This is not the FI plug end.

 

1. This is the yellow/white stripe wire that runs to your ignitor on the coil bracket.

2. This wire needs to be run to a switched power 12+ V

3. This is a ground

 

Figure R

You can see that black with white stripe on the plug for the ignitor, that needs to be run to a switched

power 12+ V, the wire next to it is the yellow with white stripe that runs to coil / ignition harness plug that plugs into the FI harness

 

Fiqure S

Here is the ignitor that is attatched to the coil bracket

 

Fiqure T

These are running from the coil, this is what your ignition harness is conssted of.

That yellow wire is the wire in Fiq. P that is running to ecu plug to the ignitor plug in fig. R

The Blue wire is running off your coil and that will goto your tach. Now on the 81 harness you need the resistor

The Black/white strip wire needs to be run to a switched power.

 

Fiqure U

That is what the resistor looks like, it is burried in the zxt dash.

 

 

Here is a little schematic to help you out

 

 

 

And when it is all said and done. It looks great

 

[Guest Miguels244]

Some years ago I put a 280zxTurbo motor in a friends 260...

Went easily, we kept the existing alternator/regulator setup

(since replaced).

 

The only thing that bit me was the fuel pump wiring.

The fuel pump ground is switched through the ECU,

I had assumed that the pos terminal was switched

and simply grounded the other side of the fuel pump.

 

Miguel

Visiting from turbobricks...

[ihatejoefitz]

 

Can somebody help me with where the CAS plugs to? (thats the cut wire I'm holding)

 

I had some help with removing the engine from the donor car and he didn't remember where this one came from.

 

I checked on and around the distributor since this is where it was on my 83 turbo engine, but seeing how this engine is out of an 81 I know the distributor doesnt have an internal CAS.

 

Thanks

joe

[240Zed]

Anybody know if 280zx non turbo injectors and 280zx turbo injectors are the same?

[autospot]

if that is the 81zxt it would be the crank sensor plug located beside the hormonic balancer

[autospot]

 

Can somebody help me with where the CAS plugs to? (thats the cut wire I'm holding)

 

I had some help with removing the engine from the donor car and he didn't remember where this one came from.

 

I checked on and around the distributor since this is where it was on my 83 turbo engine, but seeing how this engine is out of an 81 I know the distributor doesnt have an internal CAS.

 

Thanks

joe

that is the crank sensor plug .located beside the hormonic balancer

[zdrift]

i have an 1983 zxt harness and from your pics of yours it does differ a little cause there is no dropping risitors for the injectors on mine and also the igniton harness plug to the fi harness is different yours has a 6 prong were the 83 has a 8 prong but i dont think is too hard im just wondering if you kno what color wires ill nee to cut and not to cut for the igniton harness cause for the most part the wire colors are the same.

[ModernS30]

I know this is old, but why isn't it a sticky, real is going to help me out alot, calmed me down alot about the wiring. Its not super clear, but it will be a big help when I go to wire mine.

[thepicklefish]

does anybody know where else this article is posted? the link no longer works

[rags]

Just ask Dave directly. He's always on here!

[thepicklefish]

does anybody know where else this article is posted? the link no longer works

 

I guess I'm just an idiot and didnt scroll down all the way