HowlerMonkey

Looked everywhere........hours of research and no pics of the quest tone wheel. The big "IF" is the quest flywheel or tone wheel. It seems the only way I will see one is to take one apart at the junkyard myself. The reason for the quest and some pathfinders is that they are OBD2 but single cam engines without VVT.

No money but plenty of time so I tied up some loose ends. Still waiting for front driveshaft from a S13 to be fitted with 280zx turbo 3n71b yoke and a distributor shaft so I worked on some details like the fan and such and ran it for 1 hour twice a day for the last 3 days mostly idling and it seems pretty ok. Zero smoke and no dead holes. I'm surprised since the pistons came out of a 90,000 mile 280zx n/a that was filled with water and rusted the bores. I hammered them out with a 3 foot pry bar right through the rusty bores and, when I realized I was sold an engine missing a few piston skirts and broken ring lands, I just cleaned them up by soaking each in carb cleaner until the rings unstuck and then I worked them until they were clean without removing the rings and honed the f54 turbo block and slapped them in.........crazy......I couldn't find even the slightest scratch on the ring surfaces after their trip through rusty bores. I realized I needed a throttle when I got in the car and stupidly stood on the gas pedal as it ran.............DoH!!!.......not much worse than a flaccid pedal. The stock L-engines use a linkage rather than a cable. I had both a 240sx and a 1992 stanza throttle body (stanza one is better for fitment to 300zx....it says "nissan" rather than "Jecs" on it) and contemplated fitting them but I have zero cash for piping to the larger diameter throttle body so I used stock 280zx pipe and I then decided to remove the cruise control portion of the throttle cam and cut a little out of it a bit rather than try to fit it to the throttle body itself. If you use it and the plastic bushing it fits over, it will slide right over the stock L28 throttle linkage in a place where the stock M30 cable only has to make a "S bend" and it doesn't bind at all. Then you just drill it where it sits (once in proper position) and feed a bolt through it. If you look close, I left on enough of the round portion to keep the throttle action as linear as possible since the L28 linkage that links the shaft to the throttle body already takes a bit of linearity away and not keeping the round portion would exaggerate it to the point that the car would not be fun to drive. Feels like stock....but bracket looks cheesy. It's one of the brackets from the VG30 that came off of the VG30 cut down and put upside down. That took an unbelievable amount of time in the burning hot sun routing the throttle cable here and there and everywhere to come to that solution but the actual work was only a few minutes. I did find out that the throttle cable still works smoothly when tied in a loose knot. More time permitting, I will make it look good. Engine running in car........sadly there are two harnesses in the bay (m30 one unused) but if I had a driveshaft, this car would be mobile. S30 fan clears radiator by 5/8 of an inch........that's twice the distance of a stock BMW 635csi. Yes, I know the mitsubishi top hose doesn't quite fit and I have years of chump ass'd hackery on both the engine and the car to undo. I guess I should work on getting the M30 harness working with the engine but still need a distributor shaft to give the 1987 300zx turbo ecu the proper crank reference it expects. Now that I have it fit, I can concentrate on building a stout L28 for it using much wisdom from this site as well as the fs5r30 tranny using austin hoke's adapter.

Newer?.........the engine management system I want is for a 2002 quest. Sadly........all of the distributorless ecus nissan makes for V6 expect variable valve timing. The reason for my wanting this is that the 2002 quest and the other obd2 ecus for quest/villager, and some pathfinders are for a non-variable valve timing engine. I don't need to bolt a plate to the harmonic balancer because I already have one and a crank angle sensor that way because they come stock on a 1981 280zx turbo. The wheel has 90 teeth but has two pole pieces in the sensor netting 180 pulses per rotation. The caveat is that, much like the 280zx turbo distributor optical disc versus the 300zx disc is that cylinder 1 or the 280zx turbo crank angle sensor wheel has the same 60 degree waveform for all cylinders while the 1984 Z31 through the 2002 pathfinder require cylinder 1 to have a wider pulse width (might be a gap). All I need to do is see if the tone wheel on a quest doesn't have a gap or a wider width tip for cylinder 1 identification. Sadly........all newer ecus expect a cylinder 1 ID pulse to be different from the other 60 degree pulses.

14.7 sounds a bit high. On a stock Z31, 14.7 volts will render the climate control and stereo inop. At 14.1 and below, they start working again. If you have a bad ground between body and engine (I assume negative goes to engine ok or car would not crank) you will get high voltages and a host of other problems.......while the engine is running only. If you can communicate with engine off but not while running, I would try disconnecting the alternator and see if you can communicate with engine running that way.

NapsZ or Z24. Worked ok in trucks and pathfinder (kind of) but burned up in the vans. Just saw one on the road that was mint in west palm beach so it probably belongs to one of the idle rich who have too many houses.

Speaking of good sounding Z cars.

It was more wishfull thinking on the flywheel teeth since 120 is 1/3 of 360 which could make sense since a three pole sensor would yield 360 peaks per revolution.........which I hope isn't the case. Best case scenario is 180 teeth on the a tone wheel meaning I can use the stock 1981 280zx turbo crank angle sensor and a 1982/1983 distributor and the OBD2 ecu would be satisfied. I haven't been in one yet to look and there is very little information on the net other than some maxima flywheels that have a tone wheel much like jeep but it is a different engine family than the VG30 or VG33 single cam engine. I troubleshooted many jeeps a week and always find either the cam, crank, or vehicle speed sensor on the 8v circuit (depends on year) to have shorted reference voltage to ground or.........starter ring gear teeth particles have stuck to the sensor. I don't want to spend the time removing the tranny from a quest just to look but maybe I can find one separated already at the wrecking yard tomorrow.

Made a standalone version of engine management with the 1981 harness using the crank angle sensor but I still need a turbo distributor shaft to make it right. That and a driveshaft to make it mobile. This means that I can at least run the engine at this time and I can stow the entire stand alone system in the trunk as a redundancy kit. More pics as soon as I make the engine compartment presentable. I won't be able to afford anything for a couple of weeks but it does run at this time.

What's holding me up? Cash...........I have none........at least none to spend on anything other than food lodging and other necessities. This is why my infiniti M30 with L28et sits needing nothing more than a driveshaft to become mobile. I lost my job as general manager of a ECU rebuilder and have zero cash to spend. The saddest part was losing all of the resources I had since we could test any and all function of most any ecu and scope/graph any signal. About 70% of my business was rebuilding and repairing Jeep and chrysler ecus (same thing) because, while quite advanced, they are made with inferior parts. If there's any thing I can give to the world from my experiences there it's telling everybody not to buy a Cirrus/Stratus or another chrysler with the 2.5 liter V-6 and that 90% of perceived ECU troubles are not the ecu.........unless it is a jeep/chrysler or mitsubishi ecu and even then it's still near 75%. I did compare the flexplates from both a 1991 infiniti M30 and the L24e from a first generation maxima and both have 120 teeth. If the nissan quest has 180 teeth on the ring gear, it's signal should be identical to the distributor or the 1991 280zx turbo crank angle sensor signal. It it has 120 teeth...............then things will be a bit more complicated and require physical fittment of that sensor to a L engine bellhousing. What I need to do tomorrow check how many teeth the are on the flexplate of the OBD2 quests as well as count pole pieces on the sensor which will tell me what the waveform will look like. I wish I had access to the waveforms that the OBD2 ecu expects to see from the crank angle sensor. I had all that information available to me at my former job.

Don't the 280zx rely on an oil pressure switch to continue running the fuel pump beyond the crank cycle? I do agree it's not good for a track car.

Thanks for the "counting ring gear teeth" information. I will spend some time counting teeth or at least look it up somewhere to see what can be done.

Ok........back from the junkyard recon. mission. The wheel in the distributor has the same slotting as earlier distributors and the same connector so it seems the distributor signal will be identical.......However........ The OBD2 quests do indeed have a crank angle sensor on the bellhousing just behind the front exhaust manifold and covered with a heat shielding material. This is because the obd2 standards and other EPA regs require a car to go a damn long way with zero maintenance. Since the distributor relies on a good timing belt, you just cannot meet the regulations concerning mileage traveled with no maintenance and still have good crank reference because of belt slop. They get around this with the very exact reference from a bellhousing mounted crankshaft position sensor and they also get a degree of redundancy in signalling. My main reason to try this project is to be able to flash the unit with calibration files simply by plugging into the OBD2 port as well as get bettter control on emissions since I may very well be moving to a state that has tight emissions standards. Money prevents me from going further with this other than trying to see the orientation the "tone wheel" (probably on the flex plate) and how to get this same signalling out to the ecu on a L28 or earlier VG30 with as little effort as possible. If I come up with anything, I will add to this thread.

I know for fact that the front runner Improved Touring guys are getting from 180hp to 208hp (sunbelt) at the crank with none of the mods done to monzter's engine above and they still have to deal with the pressure drop across the venturis as well as the much lower flow rate of the two carbs that are not linked to a common plenum.

Considering the sweetness of the sound and the fact that you are getting 231hp to the wheels, who needs a turbo? That's a lively car you've got there.

I mounted mine in the block because I really wanted it above the oil level. If the oil level is ever higher than the hole in the pan, you will surely get oil coming out if the crankcase pressure ends up higher than atmospheric........unless you use some soft of super dipstick seal and a tang like some of the automatics use. I extended the pickup using stock parts welded together but I had a few of them and used half of one for the flange for the turbo drain. It has to be tucked up relatively tight and I bent down the pan baffle to clear it.........probably would have been better to cut a perfect round slot but I wanted it done right then and wasn't about to spend a ton more time chasing every single shaving from the die grinder since they are particularly nasty and I don't have a parts washer.

The only Z31s with a L series engine that I've seen were all SCCA GT cars and I've even seen a few 240sx GT cars with L series engines..........even a few Z32s but I guess the racers have developed the v6 enough to do away with that........but for far more money. I drilled into the block at a steeper angle such that the stick hole comes out through near where one of the bolt holes would be if the front pickup boss had them but it is a little too close to the pan to keep the angle from being too extreme. I also had to drill the baffle in the pan but not a big deal. I used a Mr gasket dipstick for a ford but avoid it since I found flaking on the stick itself to the point that I sanded off the offending metal that was flaking off........I also cut the stick shorter such that it hangs out about 1/4 an inch above the bottom of the first generation maxima L24e pan. Poor product, if you ask me. It's possible that one could just drill the front boss (a some have suggested) but I just don't like the fact that it looks very much like it passes right through the oil passage because the rear sump L28 pickup boss requires the block to be drilled right past the front stick boss.........which would not be drilled in stock configuration. You can see the hole in the front boss where the stick comes out on this block that got filled with water during a hurricane. My finger is on the front dipstick boss and you can see it would have to pass through the oil passage. Care must be taken to make sure the pickup that you extend doesn't sit right in front of the stick making the stick hit it instead of going all the way down. I first made my turbo oil return system so I had a nice hole in the side of the pan to look through to make sure I had the pickup screen near....but not on the bottom of the pan.

You could modify a 1981 280zx turbo pulley to duplicate the z31 style signal (wider slot in cylinder 1 than the rest) but then you would have to rely on a part that hasn't been made in many years. Next is to check the distributor disc on the obd2 ecu vg30s single cams and hunt around the engine for any type of crank reference sensor.......maybe even today. If the waveform is the same as the Z31 distributor waveform then it should be gravy.............unless there is a true crank position sensor on engine. Off to the junkyard.

The saddest part is that the dealership pay structure reward parts changers and penalizes the true diagnostic technicians.

Going to try to clean up this old thread......the "new forum software" of a few years ago change seems to work better now. Two years ago, I bought a M30 with a spun rod bearing and just went to a junkyard and got another cap and used bearing so I could move it around without it throwing a rod and ruining the block. So......I suspended the engine on a sling I made from a 4x4 with some chains and large eye bolts with long threaded shanks so I could do the measurements needed to attempt a VG30et since I have every part to do so. In the mean time, I bought another crank but soon found the VG30et swap would not be a fun road to go down because of the already too steep steering shaft angles as delivered from the factory to the point that the u-joints are almost binding which would be made worse by trying to fit a Z31 turbo crossmember........and I wasn't interested in laying down the rack....which again makes the angles more steep. The other alternative is making one's own turbo manifolds to relocate the turbo and possibly losing power steering or A/C. I got discouraged and it sat for 2 years. Upon getting fired and my landlord putting the house up for sale, I needed to make this car mobile so I just installed what I had lying around which is a L28et and a built 3n71b. I had already converted it to a front sump by relocating the oil pickup and fitting a front sump oil pan from a first generation maxima (l24e) as well as drilling a new dipstick hole (not in the front blank dipstick boss because it goes through an oil galley which is drilled deeper in the rear sump iteration of the L28.........unless you want to shove a plug down the passage to the proper depth). Yes it will receive the proper studs at each end of the manifold. I also own a 1984 rear wheel drive maxima which is similar to the M30 in many dimensions and I also had spare engine mount brackets as well as the sump because this L28et was supposed to go in that car but I just bolted turbo manifolds onto the stock L24e and drove it 50,000 miles that way. It's for sale on this site. The maxima mounts were perfect for front to rear location but had the engine 2 inches too high so I found that S30 or S130 mounts would mount the engine (kind of) closer to the proper height and had the proper front to back location........but not ready for prime time. Time to cut and weld the S30 mounts which seem damn weak as delivered from factory compared to the S130 (280zx) mount but the tranny mount is what is designed to combat front/rear movement. Right side is actually a S130 mount but they are same dimension but with extra bracing in between. Turns out is is a lot more of a pain in the ass and requries mucho time on the grinder but I was able to drill a hole through both the stock portion and my welded pad which will have a bolt in case my welds turn out be metal caulking (not likely as I used a torch to preheat the work area) I cut them shorter and re-angeled them rather than molest the crossmember since I may want to fit the soon to be rebuilt VG30. I do have a spare crossmember that might be for sale soon. Left side mount made from s30 (no webbing between legs). On the left mount, I cut a slot in the added pad and fed the front "leg and foot" through it for an extra measure of safety should my welds suck and break. I would have done the right side that way but I cut the wrong leg off and had to end up cutting both.....Doh!! If I don't mount something to the extra bit of pad, I will probably cut of the extra bit but it does clear the 280zx a/c compressor. Next was my ghetto turbo drain I have put on many a car but this time I actually had the engine out of the car when I installed it.....but it was designed to do while the engine is in the car without removing pan. Details on this turbo drain are on this post link below. http://forums.hybridz.org/showpost.php?p=820316&postcount=30 Then it was time to mount a 3n71b tranny which isn't longer than the stock tranny but the bellhousing has to move back a few inches to restore stock L engine clearance to firewall which means the tailshaft also sits further back. Ultimately, the car will sport a FS5R30 tranny using Austin Hoke's adapter but time and money dictate I not spend the cash on a flywheel and clutch parts at this time. Now to contemplate whether to just put the 280zx turbo yoke on the front of the two piece stock m30 shaft that is designed to work with an "extra long nose" (m30 diff has 3/4 inch longer pinion shaft) r200 but I would rather swap in a standard length long nose since I would have a hard time finding another M30 diff. in case it fails and would have to send out the driveshaft yet again if I swapped in a standard long nose later. That one shiny bolt is ground such that it fits like a glove into a countersunk hole. Yes I will be tying the two individual mounts together on that one side........someday if necessary. More pics to follow of clearance between s30 fan/clutch assembly and stock radiator as well as 280zx turbo radiator which seems to fit. My plan is to run a 1987 300zx turbo ecu first since I have one and an adapter made from the connector of a m30 ecu and 300zx harness plugs but it will eventually run on a late VG single cam engine'd nissan quest or pathfinder ECU in the hopes that I can fool an emissions inspector (if I move to an inspection state or Obama has his way) by blowing clean readings and the car looking stock underhood with no shiny pipes or racer boy looking stuff. Another benefit of those late vg30e ecus from a quest is that they are obdII. I have not cut anything on the car itself other than the stock exhaust pipe just after it collects though I will cut the harness since I have a spare. The stock 280zx turbo turbo elbow/downpipe clears the steering shaft like the car was made for it. Yes that O2 adapter is bolted using the bolt holes from the heat shield and guess what?.......they aren't metric but instead are size 10 with the fine 32 threads per inch pitch. Good luck getting them out of any 280zx elbow you have without snapping them off but I got lucky. Yes, my hand is wrapped around the steering shaft between it and the turbo elbow but the egr is not as close to the firewall as the picture makes it to be.......plenty of clearance for all of the 280zx turbo hardware. Better pic of bay. So far, every part on the car is genuine nissan except for the brackets for the tranny, the adapter for the 02 sensor, and a few hose clamps. I will be lowering the engine another inch but it will require a slight denting to clear the front sway bar when suspension is hanging and fabricating a custom downpipe which turns back sooner than the factory setup to keep the exhaust system tucked up clean. It's all labor and has cost me nothing since I had these parts laying around from an aborted Z31 turbo project and the maxima turbo project.

You would also need to change the oil pump shaft. The 1981 turbo distributor drops right in on the n/a shaft but it's empty!!

Edited for strange double post.

I've been running a 1984 L24e with stock compression ratio and 280zx turbo hardware on it with the stock injectors, stock 1982 280zx non-turbo ecu and air flow meter, and stock boost for the last 50,000 miles with no troubles............but I have to run 93 octane. With an intercooler and the 280zx turbo or 300zx turbo management system, you could probably run up to 10psi on 93 octane on a non-turbo compression ratio. Keep in mind what kind of fuel you intend to run when deciding on compresion ratio.

I bought aluminum brazing rods at harbor freight and can repair a coke can bottom with a 1/4 inch hole in it. It's trade name in the old days was "aladdin rod". I haven't yet tried it for anything other than showing my buddies I can repair a beer can.

Doh.........just remeasured a f54 and it is 16 5/8 but the rivet that holds the tab must have caught when I saw 17 earlier. Now as far as mounts go, the S30 and S130 mounts end up with center of the mount even with the block's bolt holes front to back but the first generation maxima mounts are shifted backwards about 1 3/4 which ends up almost the center of gravity of the longblock. The s30/s130 mount rear bolt holes are the same distance from center as the maxima mount points. The rearward shift was necessary to mount the L28 in my M30 but I ended up cutting up some S30 mounts because it was about 2 inches too high with the first generation maxima mounts and the angles did not match the crossmember. There is more at the link below which details the swap.........I might be helpful. http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?p=993408

17 inches. Tell us what car you intend to put it in and we might have more information.