Jason81NA,82RBtt

I know that this is the very old school way of tuning a engine. But a friend of mine has a turbo motor that runs prefect but uses a lot of fuel, because it's running rich on bottom-end and perfect(tested wide band) at 2/3 or more throttle. He wants to keep it simple. I suggest he get a adjustable fuel pressure regulator and lower the base fuel pressure as low as it will go. say about 25psi or so, then use a rasing rate regulator to boost the fuel pressure the where it is now at WOT. I have had good lucking tuning with fuel pressure in the past on turbo and non-turbo projects and feel that this would work. Does anybody see any reason it wouldn't.

I read threads that say people can hook up a 280z speedometer cable to autometer speedometer. I'm installing a speedometer in my 280zx and I've noticed that the end on the factory speedometer cable is much different than the 280z cable. What I was wondering is if someone knows if a 280z speedo cable is long enough to fit a 280zx? I would hate to buy one and it be to short or want to kink.

I've got a RB20 swap in my S130 and I've replaced the factory coil packs with a set of universal Accel wires and a Buick Gran National coil pack. It's a wasted spark set-up. Been working great for years. Now my friend wants to replace the COP set-up on his J30 Maxima VE30DE with this set-up. I've gotten to the point where I need to figure out the pairing of cylinders. On the RB20 it went 1=6 2=5 3=4. But I think V6 fire differently. The VE30DE is suppose to fire 1-2-3-4-5-6 so Would this be correct way to wire the wasted spark. 1=4 2=5 3=6. Just want to confirm this is correct before I cut the wires to length.

I'm sorry I haven't been here in quit a while. I remember the N47 head being the Z N47 and know one really knew that the maxima head was any different. People started calling the new found maxima head the MN47 so I thought maybe the N47 from the Z became the ZN47. Sorry about the confusion. But isn't the N47 one of the worst flowing heads dispite the small combustion chamber and larger valves that the pre E88 heads.

I'm helping a friend of mine build a turbo motor. We are getting ready to order some stainless valves aside from where to order them from, the other question is which head would be better. He is wanting to use a very mildly ported and polished ZN47, while I'm wanting him to use the head I have. It's bone stock P90a that has soild lifters NOT hydo. Also he has a COMP CAM 280S cam he wants to install in one of these heads. Would this be a bad,good,great idea for use in a turbo motor with a upgraded turbo about like a holset. Thanks for any help and advice Jason

I've already gotten a RB20DET installed in my 1982 280zx. I did the wiring myself a few years back, but the engine was pulled from a 240sx. I bought the car with a skip, turned out to be the ECU. Bought a Skyline code BH ECU only to find out my RB20 is from a A31 Cefiro. I have decided that I needed a new harness because if the current harness has been messed with too my for my liking and the A31 and R32 have a few different pins. I've bought a 1993 Skyline computer and harness. Before I remove the old harness I would like to find out what a few of these new plugs are. There is a large black greasey plug that went under the hood. What is this for? Then there are the two S13 style plugs that went to the R32's dash wiring.Does anyone have a pin out of these? Then there is a Z31 style(yellow clips) plug that has space for 12 wires but only had 5. What is this one? Thanks for the help as always. Jason

I've been wanting to get a passenger side fender for my 280zx for quit some time. It looks like I'm not the only one needing 280zx fenders. I'm NOT willing to pay as much for a new fender as for a hood like Black dragon wants. I know there fenders are junk as I've bought one before. I paid ~$60 and I bought a $199 hood from them last year that has seams in it where they can change the dye from 79-81 sytle to the 82-83 hood. So I'll buy a used fender if I can get one for a decent price. no one on Zcar seems to have one. email me at typezx@hotmail.com

I'm needing some advice on getting a broken exhaust stud from the head of a l28 while the engine is in the car. I've never had any luck getting the drill bit to stay centered, most of the time the stud doesn't break evenly enough to get a good start. Any advice would help. Thanks.

I've already completed my RB20 engine swap into my 280zx.I ran great and I was happy. When it rained I found out the hard way the my windshield leaks, when my rb20 computer that was mounted got fried. I happen to have extra one that I replaced because it only runs as 5 cylinders. I paid over $100 for it the ecu that got fried.I also have some wiring harness problems. Nothing major just some driveablty issues. Like I accdently removed the TPS wiring during the harness clean up. And if the computer is pluged in and the engine running and the computer or harness is moved the idle will change and the engine will sometimes die out. My rb20 is from 1989 so the wiring is pretty old . I was wondering what aftermarket ecu you guys would recommend. I'm already running a 3rd gen maxima ignitor and Buick GN coil pack. I would also like to keep the stock CAS , or aleast something simple to install for the CAS.I've thought about MS but not really sure what one would be needed. Thanks for the help.

thanks for the info, that's all I needed to know.

My friend is wanting to install a set of RB20DET coil packs on to his L28. We have found out that the coils still installed on the bracket will line up pefertly with the spark plugs on the motor. we only need to make a plate that will hold that bracket to the valve cover. But here is a question. Does there need to be a bearing or bushing installed where the distributor was under the block off plate, to keep the shaft from wobblin and damaging the front engine cover?

Thanks for info I'm sure it will come in handy as we get started on uping the boost a little. What system are you running now?

I decided in a last ditch effort to reinstall the stock NA computer,harness,AFM,distributor shaft,and distributor. Guess what the motor runs great, GREAT I mean. A little lean at idle but once you step on the throttle it goes over to rich. We have ordered a Vortech FMU so that we can turn up the boost. But I would like to let poeple know that this does indeed work. I guess we will doing the fuel enrichment Ol' Skool style for now. He is going to save up and get a SDS. If we do get spark knock I will loan him my HI6-S that has timing retard built in. I have used this ignition on his brothers car when he got a SDS that only controlled the fuel. That motor ran a 13.1@113mph stock turbo and 14psi. So I know that this will work. This advice could be handy for those that can get there hands on a turbo motor but not a harness and computer. Jason Gillick feel free to email if you have any questions typezx@hotmail.com PS the motor is using the 280cc injectors.

This post is going to be pretty long because it is a last resort. I helped a friend turn his 1979 280zx into a turbo car. I sold him my L28ET, because I'm installing an RB20DET.I toasted the pistons in the L28. I then install a set of dished NA piston into the F54. I bought a HKS 1mm headgasket and a set of total seal rings from a another friends failed NA build up.This is why I didn't use Turbo pistons and the 1mm instead of 2mm gasket. Before I blew up the L28 was running fine, the only reason I blew the motor was the wastegate stuck during a race and I didn't back off(bad idea). Well now the motor has another turbo that doesn't stick, and is intalled into my friend car. Ever since the swap the motor has not run right. It will build 7psi(full)boost under no load. Here is what I have replaced water temp sensor,cap rotor,wires,plugs,coil, and intake manifold and gasket. I have adjusted the valves,tps,timing,cam timing. I have converted to the Z31 stuff and then tested with 2 maf's. I have test the motor without the o2 sensor,tps,knock sensor, and maf. Here is what the motor does.... It will not idle and will run very very rich, blows brown soot and clouds up the yard with. It has fouled a set of NGK iridium plugs. It never ran right with the stock ecu but would not run rich, after the Z31 swap the motor started running rich. If you drive the car it will read lean unless you hold it at WOT then it will slowly build power and boost on the A/F ratio starts to light up from being off the chart lean. it will run perfect from 4k until a false rev limit of 5.5k and sometimes until 6k but never higher than that, even under no load. but if you ever back off the throttle you will have to go through it all again, hold WOT and wait. If you are tring to just drive the car it will be so lean that it start slowing down. If the MAF is unhooked the motor will run off the limp home map and idles fine and will rev up under the 3.5k like it is supose to. once the MAF is hooked up the motor will stumble to a stall. Could it be that the MAF is hooked up wrong??Whats with the boost in neutral??After I checked the cam timing I set it to the #2 pos. and lost some compression, is this right??

Yes, there is a larger K on the top of the housing. Is that what I need to look for when getting the Maxima axles. Also there are no spider gears in this LSD, so that option is out of the question.

I took a gamble and bought a 2004 WRX STi R180 LSD rear end. I was hoping that a Z car's axle would fit. They don't the splines are too small and a R200 splines are to large. Here are some of the ideas that I come up with. Seeing if I can get the R200 stubs machined down to the correct size and resplined.OR, I have heard that you can get the 300zx rear CV axles shorted to fit a 70-78 Z car. Then it would seem that I could get a pair of STi rear CV axles and get them converted over to the 280zxT or the 300zxT outter CV joints. Whinch one of these sound like the cheapest and the best way of doing this. I think that if WE can come up with a cheap and fairly easy way to get this rear-end in our cars, it would be an alturnative to the 300zx's harder and harder to find LSD. PS. having taken this rear end apart I can't see any reason that this newer R180 would any weaker that the current R200.

I'm helping a friend of mine install a RB26DETT into his 280zx. He has already got the RB20DET oil pan and pick-up tube, but as we guessed the oil pick-up was for the rearward location not the front location. What we need is some more details (pictures) of what others have done about the oil pan hitting the oil pick-up tube flange, and also the making the 90* turn toward the rear of the motor before hitting the inside of the oil pan. Thanks Jason

What would be the advantages/disadvantages of each set-up provided everthing was the same? Each having the same 2mm headgasket. The7.00 comp ratio would have stock dished pistons 7.99 ratio would have stock flat tops. Disguard the ring placement. Here are some specs to play with. T3 turbo, 460cc, intercooler,SDS, automatic trans. I'm thinking that the 7.99 might be have the advantageover the 7.00 because it may have a little more bottom-end(better for auto), and about equal top-end if detonation is kept in check. Also the 7.99 would have flat-top pistons, and this might provide a more even burn. Lets say that the 7.99 could only run 13PSI instead of the other one running 15PSI. would that really be that much with the stock turbo? So in other words would it be better for me to use an N47 NA motor or a F54 motor, as a replacement while my Turbo motor gets rebuilt. I have both motors and I don't stand to loose that much if enther one gives in the to the turbo POWER. Heck! I might even use a little N20.

I posted a message during this winter about having to remove a piston from a friends 1990 Honda Accord (bad crank journal). I removed the piston/rod combo, removed the rocker arms, unhooked the injector and connected a old L28 injector to the harness, (keeps the check engine light off) and placed a hose calmp over the crank journal to keep from loosing too much oil pressure. I also removed the spark plug wire going to that cylinder. Well he put about 10,000 or more miles on this "little 3-cylinder that could". He was saving-up to get a VTEC motor swap. Well yesterday he let a 16yo friend drive the car (Owner is 21yo) and this guy wiped-out and went into a ditch and hit a driveway drain, went into the air and took out the top half of a 5ft wood fence, cleared the lower half. They landed in a cow pasture and ran over and destorying the "Yellow top" "optima" battery that somehow left the engine. Everyone is OK but the car is totaled. Moral of story: Even a weak 3 cylinder Accord can catch-air at the hands of a teenager whom doesn't respect it. Drive Safe Jason PS: I alway thought that the crank breaking in half would end the life of the motor, guess not.

What is the bast way of getting your intercooler piping past the passenger side of the coresupport on a 280zx that still has AC , HUGE Charcoal caninster, Raditor Over flow, etc. Also what did you cut the coresupport with? And does it look pretty good, or look like you made the hole with a shotgun. Thanks Jason PS: know of any 90's cars that have smaller Char. Caninsters.

I would like to buy a rear bumper cover from a Fairlady Z S130. They don't have the two protrusions that the USDM does. It looks much cleaner and kind of like the MSA aero II kit but without the 90's ground effects. I'm not wanting to have to have rear ground effects because I'll never have the clearence for my "Turbo N1". Jason

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I took my 280zx Turbo dragracing. I have not been getting the best times. Here is a review if my set-up.... stock 82zxT motor/turbo, N42 intake,no intercooler, Greddy BOV,SDS EFI (fuel control only), HI-6S with timing retard. 3500 rpm stall, James 240zTT shift mod, 235 45 17 Advan tires (slicked factory EVO8 tires (soft compound)), Tockio 5way on rear, 240sx TB, 460cc injectors, Greddy boost controller (set to stock), Elderbrock RPM muffler inplace of cat end with turndown before rear tires. Here is my settings....93+ octane added 1gallon of C14 race gas to 1/4 tank . I found a post that 240ztt posted about turbo timing map and have set my car to run base timing of 21* with 17* advance by 2500 and retard the timing to 27*@7psi. Here are my real concerns.. I'm best 60' is only 2.054 and my best trap speed is only 95mph@14.5'ish. Now when my friend had this very same motor/turbo/SDS/BOV/HI-6S/Tokico was in my friends 280zx 5 speed. He was getting 2.0 60' with higher MPH per same ET. Also at this same track I've seen a 280zxT run 14.1 with only 3in exhaust. Stock EFI, NO intercooler, Stock motor,injectors,turbo,stock automatic, 7psi, cheap tires. I'm think I should atleast get a 13.9 without raising the boost. Thanks Jason PS What is the best time/MPH you have seen a stock 280zx turbo run?

I'm need some help hooking up my new Apexi ITC. Here's my set-up I'm using a SDS with only fuel control, with a 280zx NA distributor. I also use a HI-6S to retard the timing under boost. Here's the problem I need a postive and negative digtal tach signal. I know that the Turbo computer uses a distributor that has both of these, but I can't use just a distributor without having to hook-up the turbo stock computer. Let me know if there is a simple way to convert analog signal to a digtal one. Also what is the voltage of the red/green wires that connects the NA's black box to the distributor. 12V or 5V?? Thanks Jason

The 3 cylinder motor is still going strong. I would say that it has about 500 miles on it by now. I cut the sandpaper into strips as wide as the bearing and as long as the length of the paper. I knew that sandpaper was not going to make it "as good as new" just tried to get the bearing to last longer. It seems the this boy can't get a break, since "I fixed the motor:)" the alternator has went out and the factory built in coil. Well needless to say it now has a coil from a 260Z, and junkyard altenator.