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Mine showed up quick and works great. Makes tuning my sds em4-f setup easy. James

I've recently installed and sds management system in my car(83 280zxt) and re-did all the pipes to my intercooler and turbo and intake and eliminated the line from the valve cover to the intake but kept the line from the intake to the crankcase. I just put a little filter on the valve cover. Are you guys saying that I need to vent the crankcase too? I would think that this wouldn't be a problem, but if it is, can someone explain why?

I won't know till the 28th of this month. I've had problems after problems on this buildup. Got everything running and was getting ready to turn the boost back up and tank full of octane and decided to rinse the car off. Well, managed to fry my coil pack drivers. Just got the new one in the mail today. I'm shooting for high 11's and have a hope for some lower times than that, but I don't have a cage in the car, so we'll just see what happens. Anyways, I plan on running 25psi but I wanted a guage that read higher that way I knew if I was getting any kind of spikes or anything dangerous like that.

umm....what car do you have??? Also, you sure it's not a coolant hose as would typically be hooked up to the trottle body?

Definetly go with the forged pistons, I'd reccomend ross. Never used them...infact I have venolias in mine, but I won't ever go that route again (if you want to know why, e-mail me, I don't feel like going into it here). I went with ARP rod bolts, main studs and head studs. You can live without the main studs, but it's worth it to have a little extra insurance. Other than that...there isn't much you really need to do to the botom end. I polished my rods because I had the time, but it's not really needed at the 400hp level. You can go crazy and have this and that shotpeened and your crank knifedged and so on...but it's not neccissary, just a plus. I think the biggest thing is to have a good efi computer to control things and to keep fuel and ign. in check. Also, invest in a quality set of gauges. And to me autometer isn't quality. I've had good luck w/vdo and they have been very accuarte. I bought an autometer boost gauge and it's terribly off compared to my map sensor and the vdo gauge. (I kept them both installed to see how accurate it was). I only tried the autometer because I wanted a gauge that read both vacuum and boost and went past 25psi and VDO doesn't make one. James

That's basically the same exact timing curve I currently have (except mine starts at 24* but ends up in virtually the same place. As far as the map values..I was just hoping there was some way of getting close before going into boost. I suppose I can just try things with the rich knoba little on the positive side for the first low boost run and then if I'm plenty rich, zero out the knob and try again and then adjust from there. Just thought there might be a formula to get the numbers close like there was for the rpm fuel like I used when I did that. Anyways, Glad to know I'm on the right path and appreciate your help. James

I must be confused on how this works then...I thought that those fuel values only were for use off boost (rpm fuel). And then you adjust the map values to get the proper fuel values under boost. Maybe I was misunderstanding some of the old posts I was reading. Can someone help clear things up for me then? If I adjust the rpm fuel for under boost, isn't it going to be really rich when I'm at that rpm and cruising? Just when I thought I had things figured out I'm all confused again. James Just looked again and came up with an old post by you (scottiegnz). This is the info I was refering to. ---------------------------------- Do not ever change the RPM FUEL map to add more fuel under boost. Instead, use the MANPRESS map. Whatever values are in RPM FUEL is there always. If you build RPM FUEL to compensate for boost, you will also have that fuel when you are not under boost. With MANPRESS, the values for boost will only be added when under boost. So, if you are at 4500RPMs and 10psi and running lean, do not add fuel at 4500 in RPM FUEL, add it at 10psi in MANPRESS. If you are tuning for boost and adding fuel in MANPRESS then consider the following. Lets say you need to add fuel at 8psi and you increase the 8psi parameter by +3, I suggest adding +3 to every subsequent parameter. If the map causes you to run lean at 8psi, it is almost certain the same or worse will happen at 9, 10 and so on ----------------------------------- What I was wondering is how I know where to start the man. pressure curve...maybe I wasn't real clear before...anyways, help clear things up, would ya?

Well, I've read my manual sevceral times and looked a bunch in the archives but I'm having trouble figuring out how to get the correct map fuel settings on my sds. I bought it used so the baseline setting I have are from a 700hp supra with 720cc injectors. Is there an easy way (or math formula) to use to get a ballpark setting at certain areas that I then can use to plot a curve? I've got the LM-1 wideband setup and its been great on helping me get the rpm fuel stuff nailed down. I've got a pretty good timing curve nailed down too. But, frankly I'm a little nervous about getting into boost and not having a clue where I'm at for a starting point. Here's a little info on my car if helps to figure out the numbers I need. Fresh l28et with 7.7:1 comp., 52lbph injectors, hybrid t3/t4 turbo, spearco intercooler, 60mm tb. Need to know anything else? Please help, I'm very anxious to see boost pressures back up to 25psi. and see how much I've gained from where I was at with the stock ecu. Already, I've gained back a lot of the useability of the car. Thanks again, James

I bought one along with my sds and I don't know how a guy could tune accuretly without it...it is flat out awesome! Well worth the money, but buy the accessory cable that lets you enter extra inputs for it to record, it'll make it a lot more useful

I figured it out...I backed off the advance and it revs up fine...I guess it was just too much advance too quick. I know once I get used to this sds programming, I'm gonna love it.

Hi, just started up my rebuilt l28et. The mods are as follows, sds em4f standalone, t3t4 hybrid, 550cc inj. accufab adjustable fuel pressure regulator, spearco, etc. My problem is as follows. I got the car running and started setting fuel maps in the garage using my wideband to get things in the ball park before I take it for a drive...the only problem is that it won't rev past 1500. It makes it there and right before it would hit the 1750 mark on the sds it starts cutting out and missing. I've got my fuelcut below tp set to "no cut" my air/fuel shows about 12.5-13.0 on the wideband and my advance is about 29 degrees I think. I'd have to check the advance for sure. The pipes are off the turbo and I haven't adjusted any of the map values. The system was bought used from a guy running it on a supra. Only used one eason and looks to be in great shape. My hallsensor bracket doesn't seem to be vibrating or anything like that, and it happens at the exact same rpm everytime. PLEASE help me get this running right. Thanks, James

Hey, I've got an 83 280zxt with the bwt-5. Has anyone used the g-force gears in this tranny? If so, how have they held up? Any problems with the install? With my new set-up I should be a round 4-450hp to the ground...I'd like to keep my tranny together...lol Thanks for any help that you guys can give me. James

Just curious what everyone has been using for thier line-lock switches. I bought a TCI roll stop and have it install except for the wiring. I've got a 5 speed car and can't decide where to put the switch to make it useable at the track but not be in the way on the street. I looked in the archives but didn't find much. One guy used a button that locked itself so he didn't have to have his finger on the button during the burnout (leaving him open to control the car during the burnout) and then hit the switch button again to release it. One used his horn buton, but thats out for me as I'm using that for my boost controller to switch between high/low boost. If anyone has pics of where they mounted thiers or a good descritiption, I'm very interested. James

I've been using an additive made by torco race fuels. It's basically the same addatives they use when formulating there race gas but you can add it to regular pump gas to get close to the same result. True race fuel is always going to be better because it was specially formulated for race, unlike the stuff you buy at the pump. It takes 5 gallons of 93 pump up to 104. This isn't the using the point increase talked about by most ocatne boosters when they really only bring it up .xx points. I've been using it for 2 years now after switching from 100 no lead that was costing me $6.00 a gallon. It's not super cheap, but it runs $68 plus shipping for a case of 6 quarts. If you're interested, e-mail me at datsun280zxt@sbcglobal.net as I recently became a dealer in my area beacuase I loved this stuff so much. By the way, the Accelerator is made in both leaded (brings it to 112 octane) or unleaded. James

I got mine from the dealer for like $5-6...have you checked there?

I've blown a couple head gaskets in different 280zxt's. They have always deformed the gasket. Instead of the cylinder fire ring being round it would be pushed out or elongated in certain areas. Hell, In a buddies hond he actually shoved pushed a copper head gasket down into a water jacket, but I've never seen one like yours. I too would agree that there was a good chance the the gasket was either damaged or improperly aligned when it the head was installed. James

You definetly want the silicone hose...the regular type of hose won't last very long. Too much heat and it doesn't like oil and it will soften over time and then tear.

I've got an hks on my car...but I wanted to say that I've used the cometic steel gaskets on other cars and they're awsome. I checked availability of them for our cars awhle back and they didn't make one or want to make one at the time so I bought the hks. James

I sent in all my info and I hope to see it in a magazine! James Roraback

that didn't give a depth, did it? Just found out the complete specs. The top ring is 1.5mm thick and .150 deep The middle ring is 2.0mm thick and .155 deep The bottom ring is 4mm thick and .130 deep the turbo pistons have a thinner top ring than the n/a pistons..atleast I know my top ring groove is thinner than the second ring groove so I assume it/s a naturally aspirated/turbo difference.

I tried search but it must still be down. I'm trying to have custom pistons made from venolia but they need to know what the ringland specs need to be on my pistons. How tall/deep to cut each of the 3 ring grooves. I tried measuring my old pistons but they aren't near round enough to get a good measurement (atleast not one I'm willing to wager $5-600 on if you know what I mean). Please let me know if you have the specs that I need. I can't get anyone to give me a straight answer. Also, if you have the specs, could you let me know where you got them, because once again, I don't want to have 6 expensive paper weights. Please help me as they already lost my order once and that was 4 weeks ago. I expected my pistons to be done at the end of this week. I called to verify status, and they were clueless...so now I've got another 4 weeks to wait! Please help! James

I'd sure like to these pictures also!

well, I just purchased one and as soon as I get pistons get made, I'm looking to put 450 through it...I've heard of others going higher yet, but I'm not sure at what point the clutches in the diff wouldn't want to hold tho. I too am interested in anyones experiences. James

your vdo 30psi gauge...does it read vacuum too? I currently have a vdo that goes to 25 but couldn't find one that went to 30 with a vacuum side. My new motor will runaround 25-26psi so I bought an autometer. Let me know and maybe I'll sell the autometer as I prefered the vdo I had

A little info s far as boost guages, I've found similar variances when comparing them to a map sensor. My buddies honda was 4psi off. He thought he was running 15psi and was only running 11. He had an autometer guage for anyone wondering. I talked to the local dyno shop and he said approx 75% of the boost gauges he sees go through when he tunes cars are off. Just thought I'd share. James