Kazuya1274

Has anyone seen Arizona Z Car's fuel injection intake manifold? It has a 2.5" TB in the middle, facing towards the engine, fuel injector mounts, and fuel rail. Putting the TB in the middle could even out the flow to each cylinder, correcting the problem of the stock intake manifold giving 1 & 2 cylinders the most air. But, I'm not much of an expert on air flow either, but it looks pretty cool ! I wonder how you would do your intake pipe with this, bring it over the valve cover?

Thanks for the responses guys. Looking back on it now, I don't feel too bad about the time. There was a Camaro SS running at the same time I was that I would have spanked had he lined up with me (his best was a 13.9, but he was mostly in the 14.2-4 range!), so I do think my first track experience was pretty good. However, I know I have barely tapped the potential of the car, so I'm using this time now to make some improvements to the existing setup. I will upgrade to 390cc eclipse injectors for now. We (I didn't adjust the thing, my friend did!) have had good luck moving the AFM gear to lean the mixture down at idle. I am also going to get a 60 mm throttle body, mildly port the head and intake, and go with at least a 3" exhaust (the downpipe will be 3"). I've heard time and again how much difference a 3" exhaust makes on a turbo car, but I was reluctant to go past 2.5" because of the limited space on the back of the T3/TO4 turbine housing. However, this time I am going to squeeze that 3" pipe on there somehow. To zcarsmakemyheadhurt, yes I do have a Walboro 255 lph fuel pump. I do tape the fuel pressure gauge to the windshield as well, but I need to do that more often that I have been. As for fuel, I run 93 octane in the car. The reason it is only 93 is because I want to keep the car as streetable as possible. Guess you can call me a "run what you brung" kinda guy. You are also right about the timing numbers that 24-30 is the sweet spot, which is where my best run was at. I do agree with those that say an aftermarket ECU is the way to go. Although I question whether that alone is going to give me any significant horsepower gains, I do know it will give way better tuning parameters, and get rid of intake restrictions like the AFM and all the junk on the intake manifold.

Finally got my car to the track tonight. Although I did pretty good, I was really hoping for at least a 13.5, instead I got a 13.7 (wanting to eventually dip into the high 12's). My 60' times were horrible, over 2 seconds. Not sure you can do much more with 15x6 wheels with V rated tires. The car seems to lose power after the 5000 rpm mark, so I think I am starting to lean out at high rpm. The plugs show it, too. I started with 12 degrees timing, then went to 14, then 16 (NA distributor). My mph dropped each time. First run was 104, then 102, then 101. What kind of timing are most of you running on your cars? My best run was with the 12 deg of timing, but that was the first run. As the temperature got cooler, I should have been running faster, but everytime I messed with the timing I got slower. My last run was a 13.8 and I got the 60' time down, but only hit 101 mph. I'm not the most experienced drag racer (never had anything worth drag racing!). I know I can do better though. The car's specs are: 81 280ZX, 83 turbo block, TO4B/T3, 13 psi, Tial wastegate, 2.5" exhaust, Turbo injectors, intercooler, Bell FPR, stock fuel injection. Questions are: Would 370 cc injectors help me on the top end? Because the car pulls hard, then kind of levels out at high RPM. Anyone have some pictures of a cold air intake setup? My air filter is currently where the A/C compressor used to be, so I know it is not getting enough cool air. Would new suspension help any? I'm running on some very worn out springs & struts. I know some of you guys with the stock T3 are getting in the 12's, so why can't I? Or am I not running enough boost??

blueovalz, I did happen to change the steering coupler with one of MSA's urethane ones. The difference b/t the RB and R&P is that the R&P has a long steering shaft going to the rack, where as the RB goes from the coupler directly to the gear box. I compared my car with another ZX with the power R&P and noticed that my steering shaft was angled further to the right than the other one. Wish I knew someone with a ZX that had manual R&P steering so I could compare. Oh well, a little more grinding should make it perfect though, just have to get a new grinding tip!

Thanks for the help guys The U-joint is binding. It is the same problem as when you use one on your socket extension and the angle is too much. The angle of the U-joint is moved too far to the right in my car's case. Using a little backyard engineering, I took an air powered pencil grinder and ground out the round concave portions of the U-joint (between where the two joints bolt together) and was able to remove some of the metal there that was causing it to bind. The tip wore down pretty quick, but I was able to get enough off to where when I make a turn and then let go of the wheel, it will return to center. Before, it would return to the bind, and I would have to muscle the wheel back to center. Kinda scary. Now I think its safe to take it to the alignment shop. I wish I could see a picture of a 79 ZX with the manual R & P to see if there is a noticeable difference between mine. The parts I got I ordered over the phone, so I didn't get to see the car.

My car is an 81 ZX which had the crummy recirculating ball steering. I got the crossmember, steering rack, and steering shaft from a 79 with manual steering (going lightweight). Everything bolted up fine, but at the U-joint that connects to the steering coupler (right at the firewall) the joint rubs when the steering is turned. It only rubs at 2 points though, so the car is pretty driveable. I noticed that the angle is further to the right than it was normally, which causes the rub. My questions are, what is the difference between these U-joints on the 79 vs. the 81 with recirculating ball steering? If there is a notable difference, how hard would it be to get the joint off of the 79? Better yet, if I had to replace the whole steering coulumn, how hard of a job would that be?

Pyro I am curious about this MSD fuel pressure riser. From what I am getting from your friends car, with this he can set the idle fuel pressure to 20 psi (which is less than stock), 0 vacuum is at 35 psi, and full boost is 55 psi? I wonder how it can "reduce" the fuel pressure at idle. I tried looking on MSD's website, and could only find part # 2222, which is a boost adjustable fpr (which I think takes the place of the stock one). If you can adjust this thing at 3 different points, it would help me out a lot becaue I have turbo injectors with the stock 81 ecu, and it tends to run rich at idle, as well as through the whole powerband at 7 psi (got a boost controller, just need to install it!).

I attempted to swap out an injector with a rebuilt one, and after putting the fuel rail back on, there is this very annoying noise that is emitted from the back 3 injectors usually after the car has warmed up. I replaced the fuel pressure regulator with another known good one, and it somewhat made the noise go away. But, after warming up the car, the noise returns! Sometimes it goes away under turbo boost, but the noise is always a constant "eerrrrrrr" that does not change pitch as the engine revs. I have tried unplugging injectors, swapping them around, to no avail. All injector bosses are good and new injector o-rings were put on. The sound is coming from the back 3 injectors. Injector replaced was #6. The car has good fuel pressure and drives normally, even under boost. But the noise is unbearable. It has 280ZXT injectors, stock fuel rail, and a BEGI adj. fuel pressure riser. I also tried taking out the new rebuilt one I got and it still made the sound. The sound gets muffled if I put a board over the back 3 injectors, so I know its coming from that region. I was beginning to think the problem was electrical (cause the noise sounds like a p/o'd relay), but when I unplug the injector harnesses, the sound is still there. I'm really running out of ideas though, my last idea is to change out the fuel rail. I had my local NAPA store test and retest all the injectors, and they do not make the noise on their injector machine (all of them work quite well, actually). But once they are on the car... This is a very strange problem becaue the car is running fine despite the noise, fuel pressure is fine at idle. (did not do this before I replaced the injector!) I'm running out of ideas so if anyone has some, I could use the help!

It's definately not a ticking noise. Its more like a constant errrrrr. Ever play with those circuit boards in an electrical class, or auto electrical class, when you move the wire to the wrong spot, and the relay buzzes? It's kinda like that, times 10. I'm thinking if it was a gasket leak of some sort, it would change its pitch as the engine revs, but it is constant. Tomorrow I will try to put on the NA fuel rail, and see if the problem persists.

I attempted to swap out an injector with a rebuilt one, and after putting the fuel rail back on, there is this very annoying noise that is emitted from the back 3 injectors usually after the car has warmed up. I attempted to replace the fuel pressure regulator with another known good one, and it somewhat made the noise go away. But, after warming up the car, the noise returns! Sometimes it goes away under boost, but the noise is always a constant "eerrrrrrr" that does not change pitch as the engine revs. I have tried unplugging injectors, swapping them around, to no avail. All injector bosses are good and new injector o-rings were put on. The sound is coming from the back 3 injectors. Injector replaced was #6. The car has good fuel pressure and drives normally, even under boost. But the noise is unbearable. It has 280ZXT injectors, stock fuel rail, and a BEGI adj. fuel pressure riser. I also tried taking out the new rebuilt one I got and it still made the sound. The sound gets muffled if I put a board over the back 3 injectors, so I know its coming from that region. I was beginning to think the problem was electrical (cause the noise sounds like a p/o'd relay), but when I unplug the injector harnesses, the sound is still there. I'm really running out of ideas though, my last idea is to change out the fuel rail. I had my local NAPA store test and retest all the injectors, and they do not make the noise on their injector machine (all of them work quite well, actually). But once they are on the car... This is a very strange problem becaue the car is running fine despite the noise, fuel pressure is fine at idle. (did not do this before I replaced the injector!) I'm running out of ideas so if anyone has some, I could use the help!

das280ZX, nice website! Did you use the modern motorsports wheel adapters? How wide are your wheels?

I forgot to mention I had Turbo injectors, a Walboro pump, and adjustable fuel pressure riser. But that would be a logical outcome had I not done any mods to the fuel system. Any engine can be turbocharged, given you compensate the fuel sytem for the increase in power. By today's standards, the 280ZX Turbo has a pretty low compression ratio at 7.4:1. I don't know what the new WRX's and Evo's have, but I'm sure its at least above 8, and they have no problem running a turbo. In my case, if the #6 injector for some reason was not emitting fuel, that should explain why only the #6 piston (which recieves the least amount of air) would be burned while the 1-5 pistons were ok. Had all cylinders been running lean, shouldn't the rest of them show some signs of wear? Once I get around to taking the fuel rail off, I will have the injectors tested to confirm.

BigE, you can also (if a turbo wiring harness and ECU are unavailable) get a turbo manifold, turbo, and bolt the turbo components onto your NA block. Advantage = higher compression of the NA block. This is how it worked out for me, because I had a complete turbo engine and did not get the wiring/ECU with it. Now I have the turbo engine in my car and still using the NA ECU. If you can get the turbo ECU and harness, I recommend it though, because you will get the knock sensor and it won't be running rich at idle. My turbo NA engine ran great, but unfortunately a fuel injector went bad and ended up melting a piston on it (reason for now using the turbo engine). But don't let that discourage you. Regardless, check out your injectors and make sure you have good connections on your wiring harness and injector connectors. Hope this helps out!

go to http://www.sporthoses.com and click under race parts then straight reducers. Has a 2 3/4" to 2" for around $30.

Speaking of 12 second runs with a 4 barrel carb, has anyone ever used a 4 barrel with a turbo? Just how much clearance do you have between the carb and the hood on a Z? I think the aluminum housings I have seen for turbo'd carbs would sit too high to allow you to close the hood. This would be worth considering for me, since I blame my smoked engine on the fuel system (either #6 injector wasn't always firing, or the injector harness coming loose under torque) and would be cheaper than buying an SDS or something. As for the air/fuel distribution issues, pretty much all inline 6's suffer from this. From looking at my stock FI intake, its quite obvious that number 6 cylinder gets the least amount of air anyways. It should be the richest running cylinder. As for putting a turbo with a 4 bbl carb, that distribution issue might calm down with the force of a turbo going through it.

240Hoke: Your engine buildup seems like a solid one. I might suggest you one thing though. Are you actually driving your car everyday? I know how it is to be working on your daily driver while you still need it to get to work/school! How about finding yourself a beater car or truck that gets good gas mileage, that you can drive while you concentrate on building your 400 hp engine. This is what I've done while building my ZXT, and I could not imagine having to rebuild the engine and not having a car to drive. You will also get a multi-car discount with your insurance. A turbo car is very tempermental, and I don't trust the reliability of it when pushing the limits. 2 or 3 cylinders went out on my engine at the racetrack (granted, God knows how many miles were on that engine). Now I am swapping in an actual turbo engine. I was using the NA block with higher compression, so after the swap I will be able to comment better on the responsiveness of the turbo engine, but I believe that the only change is that I will have to put my foot in it a little more If you are deadset on a fast and reliable daily driver, I have to suggest looking at the SBC option... Although, like you, I am not giving up on a forged piston/turbo L6!

Thanks for the advice bastaad. I think I am fine with the stock set timing I had. Not once did the car ping on me, ever (and I know what detonation sounds like from driving my dad's v6 Dakota). I do have an MSD 6AL to put in though. I've seen your earlier posts in relation to the smoke coming from the PCV. Ever figure out a solution on where to route the hoses, or did you just leave the breathers on? I had the same problem, and smoke would start belching out even more when it was on boost, and I contribute that to the oil getting too hot. I believe that was the beginning of the end, I just didn't know it yet! The bronze tube on the side of the block, it blew that thing out of there, and oil was spewing all over the engine bay A friend recommended me to get a catch can for routing the PCV into the intake, but its too late now! I've also contemplated doing a rebuild of the NA block with forged pistons, but I won't be able to afford that until after summer. The only thing I'm afraid of on using this turbo engine is that it has been sitting too long, and if I try to start it, the rings might break as did the other engine. It is the cheapest and quickest way though...

I'm pretty sure the #6 cyl. rings went south Friday night while running the car at the track. It is an 81 NA engine that is turbocharged. I do have a spare 1983 turbo engine, but w/out the ECU, wiring harness, etc. I would like to do a quick swap of the NA engine with this turbo engine to get the car running right again. There are three questions I need answered, and I hope you guys can help out. Need to know if the distributor/oil pump shaft out of the NA engine will fit in the turbo block and run the NA distributor. If the NA flywheel will bolt onto the turbo engine. The turbo engine has been sitting in my garage for a few years, and the camshaft has surface rust on it. What steps should I take to lube up the block to get it back into running condition? The car is pretty fast, and I only got to enjoy it for about a week

Does anyone have the manual rack and pinion steering on a turbo 280ZX? Need to know if it clears the oil drain back tube. Also need to know if the power R&P crossmember will work with the manual rack. Thanks, Calen

Well, most Toyota owners are high dollar spenders. Kinda like Honda guys with more performance. They usually only go for 3 cars that didn't sell well in this country, supra, mr2, and celica all trac, so parts for them are expensive. Then they have to buy most of their parts from the factory. And when you have a plan to have the ultimate street car, there is no limit on how much to spend. I know a guy like this, btw 32K and the two all trac's still aren't running!!

I just converted my 81 to rack and pinion steering. The only setback I have is I need to change to the r&p's bigger steering coupler. But, the bolts for it are too long to put in the U=joint. How do I take apart that U-joint to slip the longer bolts in? There is a ring around each side of the joint, but it doesn't have any holes to get snap ring pliers on it. I haven't tried too hard because I don't wanna break the snap rings. I know some have done this swap before, and any help would be appreciated. Thanks Calen

I have the old How to modify your Nissan/Datsun engine, and it has a section on head porting. I'm in Pittsburg, KS have you ever taken your car out to MOKAN? What color is your car? I'm in Joplin all the time, maybe we can meet up sometime. Calen

Hi everyone, I'm going to maybe (need money!) start working on my z this summer, and I'm planning out the rest of the parts. My 280zx is turbocharged, and I need a new fuel pump. I need one good for 400 hp (margin of safety). I checked on the walbro pumps, and they have a universal one @ 255lph. Would this be all that I need? I also checked out tpis, but their pump is up to 550hp, a little overkill I think. The price is good on the Walbro, so is it what I need? Thanks- Calen

Hi all, I am wanting to convert my 280zx to manual rack and pinion steering. Right now, it has recirculating ball, which is heavy, leaking, and unresponsive. My ? is, what parts from a manual rack car do I need to do the swap? My main concern is whether I need to swap the front crossmember or control arms w/ the manual rack versions. Has anyone tackled this before, or know what parts I need? Thanks, Calen

Sounds good to me Z-Gad. My only question is what are the torque specs for the bolts on the turbo?