Rumnhammer

My plasma cutter was about $1k a couple of years ago, you can find one of that level for for about $500-700 now. Most important thing you need for a plasma cutter is a very good quality moisture filter that you mount right before the cutter. I got one that cost $80 that has replaceable paper elements, it was expensive but without it you go through consumable tips like crazy!! and they are quite expensive. You want to have the dryest air possible going though the cutter. Like I said if I had to do over, I think I'd go a touch more powerful and get one of the dual power types and about 40amps those will cut 1/2 inch steel in one pass on 220v and 1/4inch stainless. For really thick stuff I use a sawsall, or a rotozip with a right hand cut off wheel attachment. Rob, what part of the UK are you in? My wife is English and her family lives outside of London, In Hemel Hampstead. Would be nice to see a brit that uses his garage for cars instead of storing stuff. LOL Chris Rummel

I agree, a plasma cutter is the way to go for this, You should get the most powerful one you can afford, and have wiring for, but one of the 110volt units will work fine on sheet metal. I have a cheap 110volt and it is good for up to about 3/16ths steel before it has a hard time, I keep longing for more cutting ability though, so if I had to do over again I would hold out for one that could cut 1/4inch in one pass. But for sheet metal, like on the Z, it will do just fine. Once you use a plasma cutter you will never go back to tin snips or grinders with cut off wheels again. Chris Rummel

Nobody knows? I'm starting to think the 75's fuel pump didn't have a relay, and maybe just was wired to a 12volt hot. I guess I'll just have to trace the wires back from the fuel pump and find out for myself. I'll likely just run a generic 30amp relay with separate wires anyway. Chris

hey could you do me a favor? for the trans mount, I'm going to do it this way as well using the Z trans mount and making new ears welded to a backing plate. I'm assuming that the drivers side mounting plate with the ears mounts further back in the tranny tunnel since you described perfectly how the drivers side slopes away. Could you measure how far back from the spot where the old ears that were cut out that the new mount goes? and also measure how long approximately the new ears are to get out to the tranny mount? This would save me a lot of the time that you already spent when I go to make this, probably this weekend. Basically I would like the measurement from where the stock ear ended back to where the new ear/plate starts and approx the length of the new ears from the plate to the mount. Thanks in advance Chris Rummel

Hi i'm looking for the location of the fuel pump relay in a 75 280z, is it a separate relay or the combo one that is part of the fuel injection relay that is over by the ecu? i'm doing an RB swap and want to know where to run the pump signal to. if it is the combo fuel injection relay then I'll get a genaric 30amp relay and just wire it in. Thanks Chris Rummel

I just tried to install the bushings from a master bushing set on a 75 280z and the steering rack bushings were too small! I checked the box and it said for 74-78 and the corrisponding steering rack bushing tab said same thing. I think that either Nissan had a 240 rack left and put it on here, (likely since this is an early 280) or someone else in the life of this car put a 240 rack on. the bushing with the round hole is not thick enough to fill the gap, and the oblong round bushing is not big enough to go all the way around the rack! I guess I'll try a set for the 240 and see if that works, just a bummer because it sets me back a bit. Anybody else have this problem? or could anyone conferm the bushings for the 240 rack are larger then the 280? Chris Rummel

You can weld stainless to mild steel quite easily, just use stainless wire, and you need to back purge, or more easily use some Solar flux B it is a ceramic dust that you mix with isopropl alchohol into a paste then you coat the back side of the weld area with it. It does the same thing as back purging, and is much easier. This helps to prevent burn though and also keeps the back of the weld from getting contaminated (the stainless will crystalize with black noogies) and causing a weak weld. you can get a 1 pound can from Burns stainless it works really well. Chris Rummel

Thanks stoney, mostly the different stuff I was looking for as it is for the 280 has to do with fuel injection. That early crude fuel injection is a trip, shows all the relays and stepper motors and junk that has been replaced with modern ecu programing. I dug out my old Haynes manual with the 280z suppliment and it shows the various relays, tons of stuff that is likely redundant, like the floor temp sensor and catalist sensor etc. Funny thing is with this swap it seems easier to do with a previously carbed car, since you only really need to mod the fuel system to get the injection to work. On the 280, I was pleased to find the ECU and all the fuel injection wiring (excluding the other crap sensors mentioned) to be a separate harness that goes to the same location as it is in the skyline, Excellent!! no rerouting to do, I'm going to remove the entire ecu and this harness and just replace it in the same location with the skyline stuff. Here is a new question, my friends ignition switch is buggered up, as is the plastic that surrounds it. I was going to use the skyline ingition switch, (which plugs right in by the way) but the plastic that surrounds the skyline switch is too fat to fit. I noticed in others pics that the plastic is often missing, is this plastic unavalable? should I just nix the plastic and use the skyline switch or piece his broken plastic back together and just get a new Z switch from victorias secret? Chris Rummel

Hey, no problem. I'm far from being a newbie at this stuff, just new on this board. I've done lots of other cars, in fact I've been working on Japanese cars for 20years now. In fact my first one I started on was a 71 240z that had the L28 block with the early 240 head webers, cam etc. I'm mostly a Mazda guy, and mainly known for being "the guy that made swapping a B6T into a festiva easy" Believe me coming from the festiva board, I can tell you that redundant questions asked over and over again get really tiresome, so I know where stoney is coming from. I won't be asking silly questions like give me a list of everything I need to do the swap. What I will ask is for specific info for taking the path of least resistance, ie what works. I'm not about reinventing the wheel, so if someone has info that works, I won't spend valuble time looking for alternatives. I have noticed on here, that although info seems to be freely given, there seem to be few pics and or things explained compleatly with detail. I'll definatly share all my info as I do this car, I believe that the more info given makes the path easier for those that follow. I'll be sure and post any snags I have along the way. Chris Rummel

I did a search, but only came up with the various mounts people had made, since it seems most people are doing the swap into 240's that have the boxed section the the bolts go up into, and most pics I've seen only show the mounts and still have the boxed section instead of the ears, I'm guessing that the boxed sections don't intrude on the tranny as much as the ears seem to. Here's a couple of other questions I was wondering about, The throttle, stock is a linkage so to convert to throttle cable, will any pedal and cable that is long enough work or is there a specific application you guys are using? I think I saw mention of a toyota pickup cable being used, and I think that is what I'll go with since they seem to be long enough (I have one as my daily driver). Also I saw the thread how to bypass the external regulator, but on the 280z you have a bunch of fuseable links etc over there by the regulator, can someone post a pic or link to a pic that says what most of them are for? obviously ones for main power must stay but if there are ones for stock fuel injection, ac or other redundant funtions I'd like to ditch them to free up room in the engine compartment. Thanks for tolarating my newbie questions, but like I said, most of the swaps on here are into previously carbed cars and it seems harder to find pics from 280's. Chris Rummel

Hi all, I was removing the L28 from my friends car to install the RB25DET and noticed, that the tranny mounts in a sling type mount, between two "ears" I believe the RB tranny is a bit fatter, should I cut out the ears? then make a mount that through bolts through the floorpan. would that increase the amount of room for the RB tranny? Chris Rummel

I agree, seems like a bit more stuff to add then worth the trouble, My buddy is just going to go with an electronic autometer, should be no sweat, since I looked at the directions at summit racing and the electronic ones work with most stock speed sending units. FWIW, much easier to just replace the mechanical speedo with electronic then run a couple of wires, then it would be to add all that cable x stuff. My friend actually likes the idea of replacing all the gauges with autometer stuff, so it doesn't seem to be an issue with him. Chris

Just wondering, since I'll be at this step soon, since the R33 speed sensor is electronic, you need to use an electronic speedo ala autometer as a replacement for the stock Z car speedo which is mechanical. Just guessing because it was not mentioned, but I'm assuming that you can't plug the cable drive gear from the Z car into the RB tranny. Which was my plan, I guess they changed a bit more then I was anticipating. That said, will replacing the stock speedo, with an electronic autometer work provided you have a working electronic sender? Since the main topic of this thread was what to use for a replacement for a damaged RB sender. Basically I'm asking that if I get an electronic autometer will connecting it to the stock RB sender fly? The sender I have is fine so is that the solution? Chris Rummel

I used a steering wheel puller, basically a bar that has two slots in it and a threaded center section that has a bolt in it. You run two bolts through the slots, into the threaded holes in the front of the pulley and then run the center bolt down until it pulls the pulley off. Chris Rummel

That is for per turbo, I believe that PS is slightly higher then hp if I recall correctly. My convertion table will convert Kilowatts and several other measurements to hp but doesn't have ps. Our target for my friends car is ~ 400hp eventually when it is all tuned and after we upgrade the injectors and go to using the power FC. We didn't go with a T4/T3 because we wanted the turbo to be a direct bolt on with an internal wastegate, and it is hard to find the larger Turbos that have the internal wastegate, most of the better larger ones that still have the internal wastegate have T25 flanges so for ease of install we got this turbo. Granted we are trading top end numbers for spool and driveabilty, there are guys in Austrailia that turn the stock turbo into what is basically this same turbo that are getting numbers around what we are looking for. 400hp is our uppermost limit, so although the turbo will have a harder time getting there, that is the max we are looking to make, and we are more conserned with reduction of lag and more power under the curve then all top end dyno numbers. For ease of install, this is pretty nice too, bolts right on just like stock, except you don't have to worry about the turbine impeller grenading when you go over 12psi, it also has separate chambers for the wastegate gases and came with a really nice divorced wastegate upper downpipe too. Once we get it in and start playing with it, we can see if the turbo is working too hard to get the job done, but I think it should do fine. Chris Rummel

Matt, how do the single GT2540's spool on a RB25DET? My friend got one as a replacement for his stock turbo. This was a nice direct fit replacement for the stock turbo. 0 problems, and although it is not much larger physically, the impellers are 7mm larger on the compressor and the turbine. It should be good for a solid 18psi of boost, and I figured that since all six cylinders are going though it there should not be much lag. My friend scored it on ebay for $900, which is a good deal because this turbo goes for $2K new. Chris Rummel

How much for this clutch? My friend is getting ready to buy one, maybe you can save him some cash. Chris

yes please........ chris:burnout:

yeah, sure did I'll just tell my friend to get the ACT kit for the N/A Z32 if it comes with the throwout bearing.... Thanks for the help. Chris Rummel

Hi all, I tryed the search and came up empty so I'll throw this question out there. I know that the clutch for the Rb25DET is the same as the 240mm N/A 300zx, but what throwout bearing is used? same one as the N/A 300zx, turbo? anybody know? Chris Rummel

Glad you worked it out Q, I was scratching my head with that one, I was going to say sounds like it is not getting any air. Post it again running sweet, I want to hear it!! Chris

I just did this over the weekend. when You take off the old oilpan, to put on the new pickup and pan, look further back on the block and you will see a hole plugged with a brass plug. Drift this out with a punch or a drift then drift out the dipstick, (this was kind of a bitch and you will bugger up the end a bit, but just cut off the messed up end when it is out) then you tap the dipsitick into the rear hole, and tap the brass plug into the old dipstick hole on the front. I had to flare the end of the dipstick tube a bit to get it to go in firmly then added a bit of RTV to the shaft of the dipstick tube as it went in. After I tapped the the brass plug in, I added a bit of RTV over the top and the bottom of the brass plug. That's pretty much it. Chris Rummel

Hey Q, got a wiring question, On the RB there is a map sensor that draws from the intake manifold, located next to the brake booster, the vac line is even attached to the brake booster line. Is this a sensor that is important or is it just the sensor for the electronic boost gauge? I'm asking because it is the only thing on the old drivers side wiring harness that looked important. if it is just a sensor for the old boost gauge then I'll not sweat it. Also, I got the entire wiring harness from behind the dash from the clip so I have plenty of wire to run my connections, I'm assuming the infamous "white connector" is the one that has three connections on it near the ecu, the smallest one obviously is not needed because it was headed towards the back of the car. Which of the two big white connectors has the wires I need to tap into the ignition? Just the one going to the ecu? One last question, how does the tranny/starter harness connect to the engine main harness?, is it the connector that goes forward of the maf, or did I just forget a connection down by the starter that connects it. This last one I'll probaby find out when I put the stuff back together, but I just thought I'd throw it out there. I intend to take plenty of pics of all the wire connections showing exactly what wire goes where, as I go. It makes the swap easier for those that follow. (which is why there are more then a few B6T festivas running around since I posted pics of the wiring for that) Having good info for the wiring is great but nothing beats pics of the wiring showing what goes where. Chris Rummel

Hey thanks Q, I looked again at your pics after posting that last night, and noticed the brass plug in there, I'll swap positions on it when I do the oilpan. Chris Rummel

I got the Cometic headgasket today and it is really nice. beefy steel core, I think you would have to go out of your way to blow it. Chris Rummel