Tony D

All I got to say is "note the placement of the expansion bellows..."

Oh, Jeff's AFR with his 720CC/Min injectos is variable with the ECU from 20:1 to richer than 10:1. When he was starting the runs and doing low load maps, the he had the idle at 14.7:1, and the L-Engine doesn't like that at all I had him drop the mix to 13/13.5:1, and the idle smoothed right out. So with the Z31 ECU and 720CC injectors the resolution is not a problem at idle. Just keep in mind that Nissan had "idle enrichment" that went away once the L-Engines came off-idle. At idle speed they always liked to run rich, and at 14.7:1 will be very erratic comparatively to one at 13.5:1 Like you mention the MS forum (and the MSEFI Forum) has a lot of duscussion about pulsewidths. Usually idle pulsewidth control becomes a problem on stuff larger than 1000 cc/min. Injector opening time and all that rot starts to close in with those big honkers. They just get dribbly and sloppy...

I had no luck with support to go from the expensive $300 WBO2 sensor on the TEC2, I can empathize completely with people wanting to convert to a $30 WBO2 sensor and run it on their TEC. I would say to send an e-mail to JeffP, he's made up all sorts of DC-DC power converters for driving things in his car, I'm sure a voltage inverter shouldn't be all that hard for him. I'm forgetting the component that does it, but there is one I seem to recall that simply biases input voltages in reverse. For a +1V input it gives a -1 V output. Using that differential you start the conversion. It's been along time since looking at those circuits. It's stuff i want to forget, mechanical is more my bag! LOL I'll watch this for the possibility of salvaging the TEC we yoinked out of our Bonneville car (and changed to the ECU882 Unit) for use in something else.

Yes, Steve Christensen formerly of nissan Motorsport informed me that the 300ZX coil is the hottest thing they made, and that it had voltage potential far in excess of most "expensive aftermarket pieces of junk"! Mine INDEED shot blue-white sparks close to four inches when driven by an Aftermarket Perlux "Flamethrower" GM HEI module. Tell the BEST part about it, though: the spark was jumping to the PCV HOSE! Who knew it was "conductive"? Every spark that landed sent up a little poof of white smoke from the hose! Cooooooooooooooooool! LOL The two connections are basically the blue wire and the brown wire. One is ground, the other is power and trigger. I forget which is which, but I can go out and look at my car in the morning and revisit this tomorrow. Basically the two screw terminals on the barrel coil just get transferred to the two spade terminals on the 300 Coil. No Great Shakes. Mine had all that crap on it when I got it, but I cut it all off and only used the connector that went to the coil itself. Offhand I want to say the "T" configuration of the connectors the "top bar" connector was "power" or "Positive on the Barrel Coil, and the "Upright" was "ground" or "Negative" on the Barrel Coil Connectors.

Absolutely, relocate the PCV valve under the manifold slightly forward. The N/A manifolds PCV's hit the turbo when installed, so you gotta move it. I used an 79 or 80 Non-EGR P82 (I think) manifold on my turbo. The Euro Turbos have NONE of the stuff we ECCS guys have. Just make a 1/4" or 3/8" barb on your J-Pipe, and connect it to the N/A idle speed control screw housing, and plumb it up to the Cold-Start Air Regulator like on an N/A and it will run just fine. No need for the Magnet Valve controlled AAR valve to control idle speed. Jsut set it like an N/A and it runs just fine. The Euro Turbos had this EXACT setup, only using a Turbo manifold with stock Nissan Blockoff Plates for the AAR, and the EGR as well. All those acronyms can be tossed...

hey hey hey hey! CORVAIRS were the ones with oil and exhaust smoke in the cab from the heaters. VW's had nice separate heat exchangers that could only get oil on them from poor valvecover gaskets that leak leak leak because the lazy mechanics never changed them at the 3000 mile interval like VW said.... Having two early 60's Microbusses, and two Corvairs (60 and 66), the first thing I thought was "This guy is an old Air-Cooled Fanatic and craves that "nice manifold heat" you get from the VAir and 'Dub!" LOL Really though, you shouldn't have oil dripping on your headers. If you do, then heating your interior is not an issue. Fire in the engine compartment is more of a concern! Making a blower and ducting wouldn't be hard, but why? Running a small water-based heater core from something like a Geo Metro will be easily managed and put out FAR more reliable heat (once the engine is warmed up) that you will efficiently recover off the headers.

That is a very neat little piece, but earlier in the 80's the same company made one that bolted directly to the turbo (before they were using O-2 Feedback on the Computers) and did away with the cumbersome cast downpipe. I believe it was a 65mm downpipe (slightly larger than 2.5") that split to twin 50mm pipes and the exact same "universal" exhaust flange. I ran that thing for close to 15 years before finally going with a different single-tube exhaust. Greddy / Trust makes such nice stuff for the JDM... they don't even let us know it exists here!

Check out JeffP's recent experiences. He is using a GM style (lucas?) injector, I don't think it's pintile style, and he seems to be having some issues with pulsewidth resolution. Get with him on what current status is, he did dyno runs this past monday, and this is where it manifested itself... He's in "troubleshooting mode" right now!

When we had several records under our belt at El Mirage, the choice was to go to 55 Webers for the power jump we needed (from 45mm DCOE's). For the price of the 55 Weber Setup (the things run 45mm booster venturis), we ended up buying ITB's, and going with EFI that served us really well. Unless the class dictates carburetion, ITB's are the way to go in high flow applications IMO. At the time, 55mm Webers and the Attendant Manifold were Price-Comparable with the TWM TB's and their manifold (with the TWM setup being cheaper, actually...) 45mm ITBs are streetable. 50+mm PHH's or DCOE's are not... But if your class restricts you to Carburetion, then they are "dashizz"...

I have to say the MS conversion is probably the best way to go. You can get all the wiring in place, as well as all the sensors, totally independent from the stock system. With the dual element TPS from the KA with an Automatic, you have both a switch for the ECCS to run, and another TPS showing position all within one body, so you can run the ECCS, with the MS running in parallell as a datalogger. You can then datalog your runs, get all the stuff working, have your "custom" harness run, and in an afternoon, swap over the final items like Fuel pump and EFI relay initiation wires, and connect the injectors to the MS from your pre-laid harness, and then go about tuning it. You then have something you can run in EITHER mode just by switching a few wires back and forth, the only real hard part is finding one of the dual element TPS units. This gets you familiar with the Megasquirt tuning, lets you get hours on the unit and confidence in that it works. Then when it comes time to go turbo, you simply remap and in a couple of hours you are running under boost. This was the way a lot of people started out when they had no baseline maps available. With the Moby Maps you should be fine as a starting point. You can actually get the MS running and do a total engine swap --- it would be no different swapping over the sensors and wiring as it is for the stock system. it is ALWAYS easier and makes MUCH more sense to start any kind of conversion with KNOWN GOOD SYSTEMS IN PLACE. This allows you to get the critica fuel and spark control running and KNOWN GOOD before changing the turbo/head/engine. Then if anynthing goes worng, you KNOW it ran before, so you only have to look over what you CHANGED, instead of EVERY possibility under the sun. If you are a masochist, you buy this in a box, that in a box, the other thing in a box...then you assemble it from this box and that box, and then try to make it run. I do that a lot. I am a masochist, I do not recomend this for college students who need their rides to make it to abnormal psych class so they understand me better! LOL

I like knowing that 1'X2" box will work, that 2X4" stuff (er.... 50 X 100mm for those Englishmen not using English Measurements... LOL!) is bloody heavy! I guess for idle setups and physical fabrication of the feeder harnesses and etc it would get those down, but make no mistake, you won't be able to do load plots on the fuel map without a way to load it down, and that adds complexity considerably. But for a "startup" and "proving" or "Run In" bench, I suppose it will work admirably. Just remember there is a lot of HEAT rejected, have a way to evacuate it (leave the shed door open or whatever!)

sure, but that's a LOT of extra work! And massive expense, for the addedcost of the AN fittings, you could simply buy the Pallnet fuel rail and have something that works. I mean, for all practical purposes, we are talking about spending $47 for three feet of rail stock and doing all the work, and I believe the last time I checked Pallnet's rails complete and warranteed were around $150 or something like that... If the goal is making it for $100, you are saving $50, but "at what cost in your own time"? I don't have a lot of time, so the extra $50 isn't going to be as big a factor for me...I either pay someone to do it, or it just won't get done in a year... Case in Point my Megasquirt Install. Bought on last "group buy" and had it installed after a year, and now almost four years later, the car still sits there...no time to trace the bugs and make it work. When I get home there are other more pressing items to attend to. So checking out Pallnets rails may suprise you!

I have to agree, do the swap, and just go to the referee to get the thing certified. This is a VERY easy swap to get legal. You already have all the chassis required items on the vehicle (Catalyst, EVAP cannister, ETC). Basically swap the ENTIRE 280ZX control system into the earlier chassis, and it will go through the inspection, providing the engine passed smog in the other chassis. You still have to pass, and the referee will put a sticker in your doorjamb that states you will be inspected to 198X standards (whatever the donor engine came from) Doing later ingine in earlier car is EASY. It's the other way round they say "no can do!" BTW, you are NOT "Exempt" with a 1975. You are not required to undergo biannual TESTING, but you are still required to COMPLY with the applicable smog regulations on your vehicle for the year manufactured. Recently the local police up north have been cracking down in some municipalities on modified vehicles, and sending people in to the referee stations if they find "illegal modifications" on the vehicles. NOWHERE in the CVC are you EXEMPTED from COMPLIANCE on ANY vehicle registered for the street. You get stuck for a referee check in a 73, and fail the sniffer or visual and you get stuck back into the smog program! (regardless of year of maufacture) There are "informational campaigns" on what the police are to clue on when checking a car at a roadside stop that would give them probable cause to check for illegal modifications. Monster Tachs, Aero Kits, etc... Call it "performance profiling"... Dirty Little Secrets of the SMOG program...

we made a bunch of these back in the 80's for various engines. Easiest way to do it is out of 2x4" box channel. Take an old crossmember from a donor car, and you can simply bolt the crossmember to it...make them long enough and you can also do the rear crossmember for the transmission. We usually only had the transmission bellhousing, and bolted it via some large shock mounts to a frame, all it needs to do is hold the starter to get it spinning. Make a small control panel to monitor whatever parameters you need to watch, use an aircraft or ground support throttle cable to control engine speed... a box or Angle Iron base to mount the battery, and of course a radiator from something to cool it all, along with a higher mounted surge tank for adding fluid. Use a BIG muffler off a truck, and duct the exhaust someplace far away. You will be amased how loud it will get especially if you have a stock fan... Which leads me to say "use an electric fan if you can" because its way quieter. it can even be a 110V fan, controlled off HVAC controls (lor a thermostat like from an oven) it doesn't need to be 12V. Now, going further, to do load plotting, you would need a way to apply a load, and that will get tricky. The easiest way to do it would be to find a hydraulic pump for the horsepower you are expecting to produce, and set up a simple hydraulic circuit with a flowmeter and some pressure gauges. You would need the transmission complete in that case, or rig a coupling to the flywheel... You can adequately put nice static loads using this technology, and given the hydraulic engineering tables available out there, figureing out how much load you have on the engine at any one point would be easy. "DIY DYNO" is probably a bit much for this project. For a simple fire-up it's just as easy to do it in-car. For a simple run up, a bellhousing, starter, battery and some friends feet to keep it from moving around on the ground is enough in the junkyard... I have a half-cut S30 laying around out back, but it's a pain draggin' it up front to do mockups, I just do it in-car. I mean, after saying all this, you are not really looking for a "startup" stand, you want an "Engine Dyno", as that is what you will need to put varying loads on the engine to set up the MS. MS is pretty much cut and dried on the fuel end of it, WOT tuning should not be a big deal and can be dialed in from scratch in a few hours tops, just making runs with the brakes applied. With all the maps available out there, there really isn't much that is that far off that it "won't run" good enough to drive around and tune it to better than stock drivability in a few hours after initial startup. The swap is what takes the time, then troubleshooting any issues on no-start. Tuning needs drive time or dyno time. Unless you have another engine to do the mockup on you will need time no matter what. For practical purposes, people have done all the install and used the MS to datalog parameters with the stock system in the car, and then did final tie-ins after they had datalogged and gotten out any "glitches" they observed. It's not a "one or the other" proposition. But like I said, the MS has a lot of maps out there that are plenty close enough to get a car running around better than most stock systems out of the box. From there tuning takes time no matter what. Are you planning some sort of never-done before engine? I know when mine was started up, I used Bruce's V8 parameters on my turbo Six, and it ran and drove just fine. Pig rich, but it ran and drove within 15 minutes. Up to that point, it was 8 hours to construct the wiring harness on-the-car. Had it been an EFI car to begin with, I could have likely hacked the stock wiring in a couple of hours and been runnning.

I missed this one earlier, wasn't looking really, but stumbled upon it nonnetheless. There is some Nissan information that is published on the S30 stating the Frontal Area is 22 Ft^2, so I would tend to put the estimations toward the upper end of the range, and nowhere near the 7 sq ft initially estimated. The radiator opening, meaning the radiator opening in the frontal bulkhead, not inclusive of the bulkhead, is right at 12" X 24" for almost 2 sq ft there alone. As mentioned earlier, choice of tires will impact Frontal Area (sorry wide tire guys), as well as choice of spoilers front and even rear if it sticks up far enough (sorry rad ricer guys...LOL). Curiously, during the dropping of the Cd of the S30 from the mid .4's to the high .3's, it is interesting to note that the G-Nose cuts the available opening for the radiator to slightly LESS than the area available in the radiator bulkhead. When watching the factory G-Noses, and not knock-offs, the tapered ducting formed by the G-Nose really lends credence that they were using the aerodynamic theories surrounding duct design to use a radiator opening as small as possible and still feed maxiumum air to the radiator at speed. I know my car runs 15 degrees hotter when the plate is up on the G-Nose, than when it is removed... There seems to be a call for "published nissan figures" for their early wind tunnel tests, and I will direct you all to the Nissan Coffee-Table book "280ZX" that was presented to dealers and buyers of the new 1979 280ZX. In the section of this book relating to aerodynamics the numbers are all published, as a direct comparo between what the Old S30 chassis and the New S130 chassis were doing. This is my source for the 22 sq-ft number (if I'm recalling correctly) and just about most of the rest. They have nice photos in there on smoke and yarn testing of both chassis. If nobody has this book, I can see if I can dig my copy out of storage and scan the pages if required. They have a nice sidebar (in grey) with the profile of the S30 in various form of modification, Stock, G-Nosed, Spoilered, G-Nosed-Spoilered-Bellypanned. They post information on each permutation in the sidebar. Hope that give you something to go on, "In Print From Nissan".

Well, we all know: Easyjet makes it Easy! LOL I'll enquire more as the dates draw near, pity the terrible torture I must endure to have to hop the channel for a day or so on holiday and see some of the south of the UK.... LOL

Oh man, I didn't mean to start something! LOL

Isn't that the oil drainback hole from the rear of the head? There is a drilled hole in the back of the head, under the last cam tower, and a matching hole in the block deck...as I recalled it dumped near the rear main cap down in the crankcase. Stick a wire coathangar through it, and see where it pops up, I'm thinking that is where the hole goes. I would deburr it, and the surrounding area, and if it's real anal time, maybe install a little deflector on it to allow the oil drainback to drain to the oil pan without impinging on the crank or crank throw winding around in that area.

That is a confident statement! LOL "I've been offered $1500 for the Package...honest!" LOL Sorry, couldn't resist!

If you can get the rail in bulk reasonably, marking the holes and drilling/reaming for injectors and fuel fittings is just a matter of careful measurement and a good drill press and vice. Basic Machinists work. It's not all that complicated, IMO the barbed injectors make it FAR easier for the novice due to the fitting placement not being "as critical" as when you use O-Ringed injectors. Just make sure you have a proper reamer. I tried making some injector blocks and did not have good luck using as-drilled holes to seal the injector. I went and bought the appropriately sized reamer and drilled the holes slightly undersized and then hand-reamed them to size, and my "leaks" evaporated. (er....no pun intended! LOL)

Then I pose this question: Why does everyone make such a big deal about "Turbo Lag" or "Boost Threshold", but the same is not done for "Cam Lag"? ********************************************************** Most N/A engines I have see on the tracks are not putting "useful" power out below 3000rpm anyway, so you have to keep the gearing low to keep the engine "on the boil". Consequently, the turbo reacts exactly the same way there is no real "useable" power below 3000rpm (though gobs more than an N/A of similar displacement)---I think the whole thing on the "lag" is just because there is so much power that comes available when on-boost when compared to an N/A coming onto the cam. Drivers able to handle the power of a turbo engine driven properly (i.e. "on the boil" like an N/A) are few and far between I think. Our Bonneville L20A N/A Engine is really scary the way the power comes on up high. I would say "on-off" switch kind of reaction. But that is the price we have to pay for having the power in the RPM range we need it to pull the speeds we need to break a record. The way it pulls above 6500 is like night and day in the drive up to that point! Just an interesting Anecdote: While at an instructional day at a local autox some years ago the instructor was severely talking-down turbos for the Auto-X application due to the "non linear power application" making the cars difficult to drive. It continued into the track walk, and then into the car. He was discussing this with me in-car on the starting gate (drive along instruction) as I had mentioned mine was an L28-Turbo. As we took off, he made a scatalogical exclamation, and after the run he was totally "this is a turbo??? I have to drive this!" After taking three runs through the course (at a very nice speed I might add) he came back all grins, and said "I normally don't like turbo engines for Auto X, but this one I like! That thing is like a supercharged car, I can't feel the car come on boost at all, you are getting full boost below 2000rpms, no matter how I lugged it! That's amazing, it acts just like a 350V8, I can't believe that's a six in there!" Key: don't get greedy, engineer for the application, and pay attention to exactly what you want to do with the chassis, and you can get a turbo seamless just like an N/A, only with bigger power. No Lag, just like an N/A, "only bigger!" LOL

The horsepower of the motor will be determined by the compressor capacity. If you look closely at compressors (doesn't matter which manufacturer) you will see the stuff in the 3 to 10 HP range is very similar. In one manufacturer's cars, you can see they use the SAME compressor for 3,5, and 7 HP units. The ONLY thing that changes on the machine is the pulley size on the driver motor, and the HP rating of the motor. in other words, the speed up the pumps for capacity increase. Chances are good if you can do an amp check or check out particulars on the compressor you have, that you will be able to put a 7HP motor, as well as a 7HP motor pulley on it, and get that amount of capacity out of the compressor you have. Truthfully, a 15scfm compressor should only require about 3HP at 125psi, so the increase to 175 is accomplished through turning the compressor slower, and running one motor size higher (5hp). On your setup you should easily be able to run a 7.5HP motor with the 5hp pulley and NEVER enter the service factor of the motor (this will NOT be the case if you install the 5hp motor!). When you check the prices on a 5HP and a 7.5Hp motor, you will see the prices are almost identical. You will NOT pay any more for electricity as the compressor will only use what it needs amperage wise. What you will get is a return on investment in a cooler running electric motor, and after it runs for a while, if you determine you need more capacity, you can do an amp check on the motor while running at full 175psi (just before cut-out) and determine what kind of drive pulley size increase you can tolerate and still be within the capacity of the motor... Just make SURE the motor you buy is compatible with the VOLTAGE you have available at your house. In many places there is 208VAC, and not the standard 220/230/240VAC! This will BURN UP a motor very quickly. If you have low line voltage, you will benefit from the larger motor as it will be able to handle the additional amperage load without the killing heat the 5HP unit would produce. I do this all day long (Work as a Field Engineer for Ingersoll Rand), so if you have any questions, PM me. You can't go wrong with a 7.5 HP motor on that frame, it gives you many options down the road, for little cost if any right now. FYI, the current I-R model 2475N7.5 has a 7.5HP motor on it, and it's specifications are 24.3 CFM at 175psi, and 24.3 CFM at 90 psi The model below it 2475N5 has a 5HP motor on it, and it's specifications are 17.2 CFM at 175psi, and 16.8 CFM at 90 psi The model belo that is 2340L5 also has a 5hp motor on it, and it's specifications are 15.1 CFM at 175 psi, and 15.8 CFM at 90 psi Those are the "upmarket V-Configuration" compressors, The models with two cylinders inline like the SS5L5 only have a 135psi capacity, so that should give you an example of what yours should be capable of with various motors and pulley sizes to drive the compressor at various speeds. Always check running amps to know if you are overloading your circuit or motor. Good Luck!

That is incorrect, in almost every compressor made, the cut in and cut out is adjustable. Most cheaper units will have a non-adjustable differential, but the point where it shuts off is almost always adjustable (and with adjustment of that on a cheapo fixed differential unit, the cut-in point will also be altered.) There are several types of AUTOMATIC drains you can install on the bottom of your tank so the buildup in the thing will not be that great. Some of the best are those that operate on air pressure differential. Basically when the tank pressure drops 10psi, the thing will mechanically blow the bottom of the tank---basically every time the compressor cycles, just before it turn back on, it will blow down accumulated moisture. The electric types are popular, but I don't like them because of the varying conditions related to condensate production. The BEST thing you can do for your compressed air system is find another 30 gallon compressor at some garage sale---one that is broken and cheap. Use that tank, linked to your base unit via a 3/8 or 1/2" braided or other air hose and connections, as a supplementary receiver. Install all your filtration and knockout devices on the basic tank, before it enters the supplementary tank. On the secondary tank install a REGULATOR and quick disconnect to your use lines. If you want to use a Deliquescent Dryer (the ones that use tablets) install it on the outlet of THAT secondary tank, it's efficiency will be MUCH greater. Depending on your capacity, the more storage you have at high pressure, the less your compressor will cycle if you are regulated down to 90 psi for usage. The key is to regulate down to use pressure at the device or at the line to the device you are using instead of running compressor pressure all the way through the tool. The second tank will allow more "residence time" so the compressed air can cool, and condense all the water vapor out of it. For every 10 degree drop in temperature you have, you halve the moisture content of the air! Most industry setups use a "Wet" and "Dry" receiver setup, letting air cool in one receiver, before running it thorough a dryer into another receiver for distribution to point of use. This gives the advantage of removing "spikes" in dewpoint of distributed air, and makes sure the dryer is not slugged with hot, wet air directly off the compressor. If you want some Compressed air tips, PM me, and I'll talk your ear off. It's what I do for a living, Field Service Engineer, Ingersoll-Rand...LOL There are a lot of cheap little things you can do at home to make a really nice air system that doesn't spew particulates and water all over your work. Probably the best is to add receiver capacity, and there are always broken compressors out there ready to be cannibalized for tanks. I run a 7hp 80 Gallon Compressor Behind my shed, then have a 100' 3/8" line that I can run up to the street, and connect to another 30 gallon old compressor tank with all the filters, regulators, and a set of wheels. I connect my 50' Air Tool Lines to that, and it easily runs everything, and the air is really nice and cool...I rarely get any moisture out of the secondary tank. I also have isolation valves on the wheeled tank, and can shut it all down with pressure on it. My wife tells me she can shoot 600 1/2" Crown staples before wheeling it back up front to refill it and complete the chicken coop! LOL That second tank is great for inflating tires, so much bigger than the "small" tanks you always seem to find. I digress...

LOL, imagine what the guy doing one for a Titan 5.6L V8 is up against when he realizes the stock intake is 8" too tall, and you end up needing to make TWO "four cylinder" intake manifolds! Hey, there IS logic behing running a Honda Z600!

Yeah, Ron, we had formerly used the TEC2, and had the Electromotive "small" crank fire wheel installed on our distributor like the setup you showed. I think it's far more practical for cam sensing. They said on the TEC2 it would not be reliable over 8500rpm, and they were right! So since the TEC2 used that damnable $300 O2 sensor, and we needed both a sensor AND to reinsall another balancer to get the accurate Crankfire sensor off the crankshaft, we converted to the ECU882 Setup. The dissy is plugges, but on the N/A L20A we are not using the Sequential feature, for the Turbo as Tim is surmising, we will probably be better off with some bigger injectors and sequential injection. Bravo on the Coil installation "Great Minds Think Alike" is all I can say! LOL Those coils look a lot like the units we got from Lance for the ECU882 Setup.