rejracer

Ray, The AAC is controlled by the ECU to control the idle speed. To my knowledge it's not a on/off device as it controls idle speed in a variety of conditions. It only operates when the throttle switch on the throttle body senses the throttle plate is closed. The system and how to adjust it is described fairly well in the FSM. According to the FSM the ECU controls idle speed based on CHT, A/C request, Engine RPM, Throttle valve switch and neutral relay (auto only). There is a chart in the FSM describing what each sensor reading does to the idle speed at the ECU's command. The air regulator on the other hand is fully open when cold and the internal heater element causes a bi metal spring to close it as it warms up. If I were to do away with one of the devices it would be the air regulator. I would keep the AAC system. Idle control seems to work well on the car. I am thinking of doing away with the Air regulator, pop off valve, and the blow off valve. That would clean up the plumbing on top of the manifold quite a bit without any significant downside. I will have to plug the air regulator and run it for a few days to see if I like the cold start behavior. As far as the blow off valve, is concerned I would go with a more modern style that vents boost from before the throttle plate to just before the turbo. The stock system is annoying in how long it takes for the engine rpms to fall off after getting into boost.

I'm going to use some of the guides that are online as a starting point. In my mind they translate to something like this: Down pipe boost controller Inter cooler re-adjust boost controller FPR re-adjust boost controller Standalone re-adjust boost controller upgrade fried turbo re-adjust boost controller Intake manifold Concerning the couplers, I've used Fernley plumbing couplers from the likes of home depot before. Very cheap, but those are probably the units that you are referring to that explode.

AAC valve is what controls the idle speed. This system only works when the throttle switch is closed. The other device, the air regulator can be done away with. What do you mean by MPG hike at cruise? EDIT: The other device shown in the pic is the EGR vacuum modulator. I was referring to the other device on the intake manifold that controls air flow into the manifold.

My setup for now is bone stock, I'm still running the stock "blow off" valve, the one that vents pressure from the jpipe to the manifold. That is the one stock component I would like to ditch in favor of a modern BOV vented before the turbo. I've thought of the RB25 det valve, but I need to determine what I am going to do with the rest of the plumbing before I make purchases. Do you have any Sac trips planned?

Ray, Both of those devices are controlled by the ECU. I just went through my L28ET swap. My advice, keep both of them, EGR is a good system that does not hurt performance.

Thanks Tony, I did not know about the home use compressors not having to meet the same certification. JSM, I've been very happy with the ingersol rand gun. I don't use it commercially, but I've been using it for 11 years without a glitch. The particular gun I am referring to is rated at somewhere around 600ft lbs of torque. The reason it uses less air is that on high you pull the trigger and bolts are off before you know it. I usually use it on it's lowest setting. The other guns I use take much more time and thus more air. The actual rate of consumption may be higher on the ingersol.

I've run my impacts on 5 hp and 2hp 30 gallon compressors. As was stated before, get good plumbing, it makes all the difference in the world. The only tool I have a problem with is the die grinder. As far as an impact gun I am using the craftsman branded ingersol Rand unit. It is rated at 600ft-lbs if I recall correctly. I've found that I use far LESS air using a good gun than with the other far cheaper and less powerful impacts. My cheaper craftsman gun is virtually useless. It's good for taking off wheels, but honestly anything where there is more than 100lbs or so it's just not worth even trying. I pull it out once a year or so to oil it up and get minimal use on it but other than that it stays in the drawer. Another trick in increase the torque output is use short impact sockets. As slight as it may be, the deep well sockets dampen the impact in that they act as a spring. Far more than a deep well socket an extension really reduces the effective torque. An 8" impact extension feels like it reduces the effective torque by 50%. Before you start buying the expensive stuff, make sure your using the best of what you already have correctly. As far as Scuba tanks go, you can put a and they will not explode. But be turned into a rocket pack they certainly will be. I would not bet my life on the scuba tank not exploding, but it shows how a properly designed and inspected tank being run within it's design parameters handles a breach. On air compressor tanks watch out for rust or physical damage that may compromise the strength of the tank if you go for a used unit.

Good find ray. I got mine for 500, but was in a bit better condition than that.

Any of the compressors will work as all they do is compress gas, but be aware there may be physical mounting differences, pulley offsets, hose fittings or electrical connectors. Those are the things to look for when doing this type of retrofit. You can make any one of the work, it's just a matter of how much else you will need to swap out to get it right. Sorry I don't have the answer for you.

On the new bolts get stainless if you can. If stainless is not available then at least go for class 10.9 bolts. You don't really need the strength of a 10.9 bolt, but they are more corrosion resistant than a class 8.8 bolt due to the difference in the alloy they are made of.

I used the stock wires when i did the 280zx distributor upgrade. To get my tach to work I had to get a 280z tach and swap out the guts and I think I even had to break the link between the GW wire (tach signal) and start/crank voltage. It's been 15 years since I've done it, so I can't remember if I did that part of it or not.

I used the 81 as a guide to do the l28ET swap of an 83 motor. I am also in the process of doing a writeup and outline the differences. Rejracer's 83 L28ET swap guide. Hope that helps. -Robert

Time for some pics: Harness installed. The routing is mostly stock, as in I've not yet hacked into it and routed like I want. The Passenger side. I was trying to get it running, not make it look pretty. Im thinking about getting the constant power and ground from the starter and using the new passenger side harness to route the wires. It would make the harness have less contact points to the chassis. The ECU mounted. I ran the wire through the old choke hole after drilling it out to 1 3/4" Shortly before the the carnage began the harness was thinking "what are those wire cutters for. If it had only known... If you ever try this, start at the ECU end, and get the length right there first. Then modify the rest. All gone now. Notice the stainless steel bracket. It's where I wanted to route the harness. Lots of excess means lots of time, solder, heat shrink and a sore back. The idea coming together: ..and then I change my mind: The perfect length for the ECU location. Injectors done This is close to the final routing. I think it's clean and easy The major bits of the harness removed from it. Not shown is the excess wire from the injectors. That's all the pics I have for now. It's getting there. If anyone has suggestions on routing the harnesses, I'm all ears.

I've done the beta version of my writeup. I still need to add pics, but this outlines the differences between Aaron's writeup and mine. Rejracers L28ET swap guide Hope that helps. -Robert

Try evapo-rust to clear the lines. I'm running some in my cooling system now, when I drain it, you can have a quart of the solution. If your coming up to sac in the next 2 weeks give me a holler.

Yes that is the sending unit. Pull the boot off it and you will see the oil leak out the terminals. I've had to replace them before. They are cheap at rock auto, look under oil pressure switch. Also you need a S130 service manual. You can download them free, just search for xenons130.org.

The car is now roadworthy, I've driven it last night and today. Progress was slower today. Here is the list of the work done: 1. Plugged vacuum leaks in boost-o-meter port, Cruise control port, and some other small 1/8" port. 2. mounted the ECU 3. Wired in the Tach 4. Flushed the cooling system 5. Installed hood. The ECU was mounted in between the steering column and the heater assembly. I ran the harness through the old choke hole, but I enlarged it to 1 3/4" to match the OE grommet. With the ECU mounted in this location, it gave me 18" more length to play with in the engine bay. From the Grommet to the ECU, there is only about 13" of wiring, It works out well in my opinion. Once the engine harness is completed there will only be 3 connectors connecting the engine to the car. 1. Constant power 2. Ground 3. 8 circuit metri pak connector which has the following: A. Ignition B. Start C. Coolant temp D. Tachometer signal E. Oil pressure, F. Oil Temp, G. Alternator Excite, H. Alternator sense wires. The letters corespond to the Delphi Metri-pak 150 series cavity location on an 8 Cavity plug. Items in green have not been done yet. So with 3 connections the engine is electrically disconnected from the chassis. Left to do: 1. Tidy up and route the harness from firewall to engine. 2. Tidy up Chassis harness 3. Install Voltmeter 4. Mount Evap Canister 5. Put interior back together 6. Get pics and writeup. Basically it's just pretty up work, the swap is done and in.

Another L28ET swap hits the road! I had a setback yesterday evening when I found the fuel pump was leaky, I bought a Carter replacement. Here is a list of things I did to finish up the 1.0 version of the swap: Done today: 1. buy/fix fuel pump 2. cooling system - mount radiator, install hoses, fill system with distilled water 3. Connect driveline and shifter / boot. 4. Fix clutch rubbing issue 5. Fill transmission with fluid 6. Attach exhaust 7. Swapped fan clutches To do: 1. Mount ECU 2. Install Voltmeter 3. Mount evap canister. 4. put interior back together. 5. Get pics and writeup done. Initial impressions of driving it: I'm impressed for a stock setup. .

The Z has been running hot lately. The cooling system needed a good cleaning, so I drained the coolant and began a flush cycle. I used the prestone heavy duty cleaner, the one you run for 3 to 600 miles. After a few days I noticed the coolant was spewing from the overflow tank while driving and it was consuming a lot of this stuff. I assumed the loss was due to it spewing. I also noticed a miss upon startup that lasted maybe a minute or so. Come monday a week later I attempt to start the car and I hear a very solid click but no engine turning. I immediately pulled the plugs and cranked it over and #6 was hydrauliced. Upon tear down I found that #6 chamber was badly cracked. Thus begins the actual L28ET swap! It's only been 3 1/2 years. After pulling the engine I put the new engine on the stand and started collecting all the swap parts that made it into the corner of the garage and in the shed. The engine had one broken exhuast stud so I opted to pull the intake and exhaust off. Surprisingly all the other studs were in good shape, and the broken one came out so easy, I should have attempted to extract it with the manifolds intact. Lesson learned. The old manifold gasket was in good shape, so I did not need to do it for that reason. After putting the engine back together and bolting up my alternator I had to also replace the inlet water neck as the one on the turbo engine had eaten all the way through the casting. The old water pump was also showing signs of leaking, so I replaced it as well. I slid the engine in with little headache. Once the power plant was in, I started by connecting the harness. I notice that there is a difference between the 81 (based on Aaron Ferguson's writeup and the 83 I am using. I also went about it a bit different, but used Aaron's writeup as a guide, very helpful writeup, THANK YOU. Differences between the 81 and 83 setups that I am aware of: 1. 81 uses a crank mounted CAS 82-83 used a Distributor mounted CAS. 2. 81 uses a ignition harness, 83 "ignition" harness is integrated into the main harness. 3. 83 does not have dropping resistors. 4. The connection between the main harness and the EFI harness is via a 6 cavity connector in 81 and a 8 cavity connector on the 83. All the critical bits were covered in Aaron's writeup, and could be figured out with the aid of a FSM. I plan on modifying Aaron's writeup with the information I've collected and post it via Google docs. I hacked apart the main harness to get the coil connector, fuel pump relay, fuel pump wiring to the back of the vehicle, tach signal resistor, and several other tidbits as needed. I am now wiring all these bits into the injection harness to make a true engine harness that only requires constant power, ground, switched 12v signal and start signal. I also added ground wires, one to the ECU ground and one to the airflow meter / manifold. These grounds are 16ga wire that I am running back to the factory body ground which is connected directly to the battery. So what I've accomplished so far: 1. Fixed wiring for EGR system I had to replace the electrical connector, used a metripak! 2. Hooked up EGR and AAC to vacuum and clean air ports. 3. Added 2 new ground wires, one from the ECU and the other from the air flow meter to the factory ground point on the passenger frame rail. 4. Soldered the coil trigger signal wire. It no longer goes through the 8 cavity connector. 5. Enlarged the choke cable hole and ran the harness through. Used 1 3/4" hole saw to drill it. 6. Messed with the routing of the harness. 7. Clocked the port and connected the Brake master vac 8. Started simplifying the wiring and harness on the passenger side of the engine harness. 9. Completed intake plumbing 10. Finished mounting fuel pump (thanks Bill!) To do tomorrow: 1. Mount ECU (mounting it between the hvac box and steering column). 2. Run fuel pump wiring through the chassis. 3. Finish simplifying the wiring and connect fuel pump to fuel pump relay. 4. Install Drive line and shifter. 5. Fix clutch rubbing issue (I will most likely remove the clutch dust boot) 6. Fill transmission with fluid 7. Attach exhaust 8. cooling system - mount radiator, install hoses, fill system 9. Install Voltmeter 10. Mount evap canister. Here are the most recent pics I have (from last weeks tear down). I'll get more pics up when time allows. Overall I think I have 65 bucks into this swap so far. (neglecting the cost of the doner). considering the parts i've sold, I've actually made 135 or there abouts. Notice how clean # 6 is. Dead head: Feed meh: Dessert? Right side Left side, pre rat's nest (harness)

Go to Rock auto and look up the parts by vehicle. Once you have id'd the part click on the part number, it will tell you what other vehicles that part is listed for. Based on that, the 82 maxima rear caliper is used on the following: NISSAN 810 1981 NISSAN MAXIMA (1982 - 1984) So the caliper is not the same. Now for the rear rotor: NISSAN 200SX (1982 - 1988) NISSAN 280ZX (1982 - 1983) NISSAN 300ZX (1984 - 1986) NISSAN MAXIMA (1982 - 1984) Rock auto's listings are not perfect, but it's a good start in finding parts quickly.

Having the ignition retarded will cause the exhaust to glow. Ensure both the mechanical and vacuum advance are in tip top shape, set the timing to the correct setting, then play with the carbs.

1. In CA they adopted a new fuel pump nozzle that will not stay in the car while fueling on our older filler necks. (not that you in OR would have to deal with this) 2. Gas caps are more readily available at any parts store 3. Locking gas caps are much cheaper with a known Stant cap. Thanks, Robert

I just went to the junkyard and bought some N/A diff companion flanges. After considering the time it would take to find parts online, it was cheaper than buying the plugs. Those axles are easy to pull after all

I have a 240z and I want to convert the fuel filler cap to the newer 280z style. The item I am looking for is the part that the gas cap will lock to. To my knowledge this item is different from the 69-76 Z's and def different than te 280zx style. Please send a pic if you have one. Thanks, Robert

The 280zxt T5 will not work for this swap. The case is completely different and cannot be used as you've found. The difference in the NA transmissions is negligible as far as the swap is concerned, feel free to use any NA 280zx bell housing. There is no difference in any of the clutch slave cylinder mounting. A bit off the op's topic here are the differences between an early 5spd and late: Different ratio's for 77-79, 80, and 81-83 79 and earlier 5spds have a Porsche servo style 5th gear synchro, while 80 and up have a borg warner cone type synchro. 81-83 boxes are identifiable by only 1 ear where the exhaust mount is. early 5 speeds and late 5 speeds have the speedo cog locking slot cut into the cog body 180* apart from each other. The speedo cog mounting hole is 180* out on the housing to match the new cog body. 81-83 5speeds have taller shifter mounting ears making the use of short throw shifters easier. 81-83 boxes were intended to be used with 3.70 or 3.90 diffs. Earlier boxes are intended to be used with 3.54's.