PhaTTy

I will throw my .02 in here. I have a 280zx NA that I finished a Microtech LTX-8 system on using a L28ET Dizzy wwith 300zx electronics in the dizzy. First time I wired it up - thought the dizzy was bad until I manually tested it. Contacted MT australia and ended up having to send the unit back as somehow the CAS signal had been programmed for a RX7 instead of a L28ET .. which btw I got charged for like $200 as though it was my fault. although the wiring diagram and everything else on the ECU indicated it was for a L28ET. Got it back and sat for 6 months or so and then hooked it up to a newly rebuilt engine and the MAP sensor is now reading -04hg with the engine NOT running (kinda funny). It still functions and I can tune around it. But unless they changed something with the "new" S models, I would stay away from MT.

I think I will go ahead and try a Victor Reinz gasket from the local NAPA. Can I pickup the copper sealant there as well or where would I get that from? Thanks for the help and I will let you know how it turns out.

Its N/A as of now.. the turbo setup will have an entire new engine built from the ground up. I torqued to spec in three increments finally ending at 68 ft lbs i think (not sure but its whatever the FSM said). I had it around 5000-5500 rpm in 3rd gear when I heard the pop and water started dumping. Keep in mind I have been thru 2 different blocks and 2 different heads. First blown gasket was with my first F54 block w/ P90 head. This second one blew on a second F54 block with a N47 head. I checked NAPA and they have the Victor gasket for $70 something but it has to be ordered and I just don't have enough time to get it all done before I move back to Cali from AZ in 4 days Aaron

thanks for the responses. I will probably go with a 1mm metal gasket once I get around to it. I don't think it is a head/block problem since this is a completely different F54 block and different head model than it blew it with before. I contacted AutoZone and found out that Fel-Pro is no longer selling the gasket for the L28 (at least for '76 and '83 that I checked) and cannot be special ordered either.. maybe Fel-Pro got smart finally and realized their products are trash NAPA makes good stuff, but I figure nothing would be better than a metal except for a copper o-ring setup which is insanely too much overkill. Keep the ideas/comments coming guys. thx edit - on second thought.. how good is the NAPA Victor Reinz gasket?

Well.. 2 out of 2 fel-pro head gaskets.. both blown and passing water thru the exhaust via a hole in the gasket between 4 and 5 cylinders at around 5000-6000rpm. This time though the gasket lasted an entire day before it blew while tuning it. Any suggestions? I am running a F54 block with a N47 head (previous head was a P90 that it blew it on). I am getting very frustrated with this cursed car and need something that isn't going to blow.. at least not in the first 50 miles of driving.

Yes.. it is wasted spark setup. The coils all have +12v supplied to them via the red wires, and the MT ECU controls the grounds, which come straight from the ECU. They are batched in groups of two. 3,4 on bottom. 2,5 middle. 1,6 up top.

Got the FPR from a local parts store.. did some digging online and found nothing at all. The company "Pro-1" is translated from japanese as it has japanese writing all over the box.

Hehe, I think I will have enough sparks with this setup (for my '83 N/A 280zx to go turbo eventually) I have a Microtech LTX-8 system in the car, and this seemed to be a logical way to go since the coils were only $16 each. Reason I did this is because we were having trouble finding a workable coil pack setup that we could actually have work and look good. (No we didn't want to spend a ton of money on bosch dual tower coils or mess with a mount for the GM 3.8L dual tower coils). All the wires are even length, and they will not have to go over top the engine since the coils are going to be mounted on the passengers side. Should clean up the look quite a bit. So, what do you guys think of the idea?... probably way overboard but hey, if one or 2 of the coils fail it will still be able to run. Here are the pics! Eat your heart out, hehehe Pro-1 Adjustable FPR w/ guage - $90 brand new Super professional weld job ehh... With equal length taylor 8mm spiral-core wires

Ooo yes. I planned to have a custom driveshaft made with much larger ujoints. I had a feeling the stock one wouldn't handle much at all. Thanks for the input though!

Well.. I forgot to take the tranny into effect. The tranny most likely whether I go with a T-5 , T-56, or TKO2 will probably be about $3000 by itself LOL.. Clutch and flywheel should be around $900 on the high end. So altogether I will probably be looking at closer to $5000-$6000, which considering still isn't that big of a deal for what I will have when I am done. I just need a lot of suggestions and help deciding what to go into this monster. Thanks so far, Aaron

Budget for the drivetrain can probably be anywhere under $3000 for everything. Budget is not really an issue actually. As far as the timeframe. It will be a work in progress and I would like to see the 2nd higher horsepower (550hp we hope) in the engine with the drivetrain complete within 6 months or so.

Is there a clutch type that would work well for both street and the occassional drag (I might take it to the strip 4 times a year just to have fun) ? I want something that will work well on the street since it will be driven almost daily, but I do not want to keep replacing parts. Thanks for the input so far.. Keep em coming!

Mainly a daily driver with plans to take it to the strip or track on the weekends.

OK.. I have looked over several threads dealing with these issues and need some guidance. What I have is an '83 N/A 280ZX. I am having a turbo engine built that will put me up around 400hp, and am having a second engine built that should be around 550hp (we hope). I need some help on what I can do with the clutch, transmission, driveshaft, rearend, axles, etc.. to beef it up to handle the extra horsepower and torque. My ideas so far to throw out there: Clutch: ACT 4-puck or 6-puck Transmission: T-5 or T-56 beefed up by G-Force or 5speeds type kit Driveshaft: Custom made? Differential: Open to ideas. Probably R200 or R230. Axles: custom billet 4340 280ZXT stub axles and billet companion flanges possibly made by Ross C. Suspension: Front/Rear Coilovers by Ross C. maybe Open to your thoughts and ideas.. Post away! Aaron

You may find that your engine will actually like having the backpressure from the muffler/cat installed. But feel free to do some testing and see how it performs

I would suggest talking to Alex Costa. He deals with several manufacturers and can probably pull you a pretty good deal and help you out. His HybridZ username is "zcarsmakemyheadhurt".

Do some searching.. Someone on the board has a 300zx w/ a LS1 in it I believe. But for a $1200 budget I do not think you can hope for much. If you could gather up some extra money, the turbo option would involve buying at least the turbo, intercooler, wastegate, BOV, exhaust manifold/header, and piping it all together. If you went with a LS1 or SBC engine, you would need engine mounts and tranny adapters(maybe).. Do some searching for LS1 and Z31 and see what you find

I would be intrested in these as well if they will work for the 280ZX and if they can be shipped out. Let us know!

I love Blaupunkt to death.. just wish they could make some higher powered amplifiers. If you want a nice sounding system, the best price you will find for blaupunkt is here: http://store.yahoo.com/discountsonline/blaupunkt.html If you want big bass and big boom from subwoofers then I recommend HiFonics amplifiers, which can be found at a decent price here: http://stores.ebay.com/wwwaudiovibrationzcom_Hifonics_W0QQcolZ2QQdirZ1QQsclZallQQsotimedisplayZ2QQstorecachemissZwwwaudiovibrationzcomQQtZkm

wow.. brings back memories.. and why the heck are you still playing that game? Now you got me in the mood

Does anybody know what the differences are between the 84-89 300zx distributor and the 83 280ZXT distributor? All I need to know is if they both rotate the same direction and if they send the same signal for the crank sensor. Thanks! P.S. - My dilema is I have a Microtech LTX-8 being programmed right now and the engineer needs to know whether to program the crank sensor input for a VG distributor or a L28ET distributor. I am using a 83 L28ET distributor with 84-89 300zx electronics in it and the pickup disc/wheel from the 300zx in it. Wouldn't this essentially make it a VG distributor then?

Have you heard the Borla XR-1 yet? Do some searches on google and you can find some audio clips of what it sounds like. Below is a link for a good deal on the muffler. http://store.yahoo.com/hopup1/bosproramu.html