cgsheen

Practically everyone in here in the Phoenix area with a 240Z has swapped out their L24 for an L28. They just strip off the EFI and use their round top SU's. Easy HP bump. Every stock 280Z I've seen has been EFI.

(here I go again...) AND - there is NO reason to tighten either the drain OR fill plug on either the diff or transmission tightly! THERE IS NO PRESSUE INSIDE. Use teflon tape on the threads (3 or 4 wraps). Install the plugs snuggly (I sure as hell would NOT go 25 ft/lbs - not necessary) - ONLY TIGHT ENOUGH TO STOP LEAKAGE (of a viscous fluid that's not pressurized...). Hope that past installation hasn't damaged the cover plate threads. Next time you'll remove and reinstall these plugs without any drama.

🤣😅😂🤣

Huh? The 260Z dash design is what they carried through to the 280Z. There are major differences.

Yup, don't use Turbo injectors with a stock NA ECU. (unless you've figured a way to retune that ECU...)

Good luck with that... When you get yours in, send me a picture. I'll send you a picture of mine.

You should, the original outer metal piece of the stock bushing has to come out to fit either Prothane or Energy poly bushings. I've done several in the shop - it has to come out. I installed Energy poly in my personal 260Z (Goldie) nearly 10 years ago (and, yes, I cut that barrel out - with a sawzall (but, I'm careful) and, I daily drive my car)). Please don't hit that with a hammer anymore.

I think my trigger angle is about what you ended up with. The ECU needs to know TDC is coming BEFORE it actually happens and not just because we set our plugs to fire before TDC. It also needs time to make the calculations before the events are to happen. Like stated above the important part is not necessarily the trigger angle (as long as there's plenty of time before the event is to happen) but that the actual mechanical timing is the same as the reported timing from the ECU in TunerStudio. I don't think you need to worry as we have set up MS2 and MS3(X) boxes to run on both single coil and COP setups on l-series engines without issue in that regard. I think the trigger angle on one single coil N/A 280ZX L28E was in the 240-ish degree range. (if you think of it this way: 285 degrees is 75 degrees before the "event" if TDC is 360 degrees (or the same as 0 degrees in a 360 degree circle). 75 degrees gives the ECU time to calculate and still fire the plug before TDC even if the timing advance is 37 or more degrees.) I think DYIAutotune is pretty careful to state that 345 degrees is a starting point although I too wish they would change that figure - (and it might be based on what someone else told them and not actual experience) - but they do specifically tell you to set the trigger angle such that the timing reported by the ECU matches the engine timing shown when using a timing light. Another point you might consider. Make sure that the timing marks on your crank pulley actually match the true engine position. Verify compression stroke TDC. Easiest way is with a piston stop.

I really can't tell from either of your pictures. The mirror base should be centered in the "valley" just below the window trim and just above that final bend in the door skin (the bend that follows the front fender top curve and continues the full length of the car over the wheels on the quarter - the classic "Z shape" body line).

Did the supplier tell you exactly how to connect the new harness to your existing harness(es) wiring? Megasquirt in an S30 is never "Plug and Play". The wiring to the GM coils and/or number of wires used has nothing to do with the CAS wiring. The CAS supplies a "tach" input to the ECU - it just supplies the ECU with the engine speed. BUT, until the ECU "knows" the engine is indeed turning, it can't do anything - so the CAS input is critical. This signal is displayed in you tuner studio gauges EVEN IF the engine is not running. When the engine is cranking, IF the turner studio gauge RPM is showing engine rotation, THEN it IS receiving the CAS signal or "tach input". That's where that virtual gauge gets it's information - from the CAS. The GM coils do need power at ignition on. Normally it's supplied through an EFI relay. Using Tuner Studio, you can test each coil for proper operation (and sequence) BEFORE you start the engine. It's part of the recommended start-up procedure which is in the "Setting Up" manual. I understand that you've already seen this setup work on the demo engine - but, that was on the demo engine not yours... I'm more interested in HOW you connected the supplied harness to your 280Z.

Three pin connector on each side. Should have a Black, Green/Black, Green/White wire. It's the Green/White wire.

+1

Ya, I don't understand why he's wired the coil and electronic ignition module always hot. The stock B/W delivers battery voltage to the coil at ignition ON. Connecting the red from the electronic ignition module to the coil "+" provides power to the module at ignition ON. You don't need more than that. But. I also don't understand why wiring it that way would cause your fuel pump to run...

Here in the U.S. the 1984-1988 300ZX (Z31) with factory A/C used a Hitachi MJS170 compressor. The 1989 Factory Service Manual lists a model DKS-16H (Diesel-Kiki make). You can get the Factory Service Manuals for the U.S. model Z31 at nicoclub.com...

In Tuner Studio, be sure to set Baro to Initial MAP Reading. My L28ET idles at around 35kpa. The default settings in Tuner Studio will likely not make changes at idle. Check the "Advanced Settings" tab and see what limits are set. Autotune will only make changes to the table within those parameters which generally include a minimum engine temperature, a set kpa (load) range, and a set RPM range. I think idle normally falls outside the default ranges. There is also an Idle VE Table you can work with. If you have followed the "Setting Up" steps in the documentation, you really should have a fairly safe usable starting point. You may also want to look at Andy Whittles YouTube videos. He has some decent videos up on Megasquirt and using Tuner Studio. If you do a lot of mountain driving up there with substantial elevation changes you should probably look at a dual MAP sensor or a secondary MAP sensor open to the atmosphere for a barometric reading.

Yup... Chances are you'll need to get to a different engine management system at some point. Read my posts over the last 9 or 10 years and you'll see what we mean. I struggled with the stock ECCS for years before I decided to change. I started with an Infiniti M30 ECU swap with Nistune (much the same as a 300ZX only Infiniti - so, better - and my son's '76 280Z L28ET still runs well on the Infiniti ECU (also there used to be a bunch of M30's in the yards here in Phoenix - not anymore...). I tried a VE30DE ECU for COP at one time and ended up with an MS3X. There are any number of good options out there these days for stand-alone ECU's however.

Yes, that's the electronic ignition module for the 280Z. It needs to be disconnected (removed) as I said above. But let me simplify this: ALL you need to spark an L28ET with a stock 280ZXT coil and ignitor is: - Black/White (constant battery voltage (+12v) at IGN ON) to top of "T" (2-pin connector on ignitor) - Yellow (Y/W - who cares) to "leg" (bottom) of "T" (2-pin connector on ignitor) FROM ECU pin 5 - The coil bracket must be bolted to sheet metal (meaning it HAS to be grounded). - The ignitor -> coil wiring needs to be as stock 280ZXT (meaning: Black/White wire from ignitor to coil "+" - Blue wire from Ignitor to coil "-" That's all. The signal to the Tachometer is lost in the above scenario, but that's easily remedied. Next time you post - Pictures!

The '77 flywheel will be 225mm and the L28ET flywheel would be 240mm. There's a reason for the difference - the L28ET makes a lot more torque... I tried using a stock early Z clutch / flywheel package when I originally did my turbo swap, but the clutch slippage made me move to the 240mm turbo flywheel and an Exidy clutch package.

The "T" connector on the Ignitor does NOT have a ground. (the ignitor gets it's ground from the bracket which should be connected to the body) It should be Black/White (+12v at IGN ON) on the top spade of the ignitor connector and ECU signal (pin 5) on the leg. The ignitor then feeds +12v to the "+" coil via a B/W. There shouldn't be any another connection to the "+" side of the coil. (Stock 280Z will have a B/W in the engine bay harness that goes directly to the coil "+". The turbo engine coil is not wired that way - the B/W goes to the ignitor. The coil "+" should already be wired to the ignitor in the stock 280ZXT coil/ignitor assembly...) You can use the stock 280Z Blue wire that was attached to the 280Z coil "-" to drive your Tach - IF you remove your stock 280Z Electronic Ignition Module (which you should have done anyway while doing a turbo swap). That Blue wire originates at the stock EIM as the coil "signal to fire" and tees off to drive the Tach. The Tach signal goes through a resistor in the dash harness. If you disconnect the Blue wire from the EIM it then becomes just a Tach signal (which will run just fine off the 280ZXT coil/ignitor)...

Do you have the engine running currently (or have you had it running)? (I know it won't run without the AFM... my question is have you either verified the engine runs well with the ECCS harness that you have (perhaps by mocking it up on a temporary basis)… ) Obviously it's yours to do what you will, but I would caution against cutting anything up to make a permanent AFM mount if you haven't thoroughly tested your ECCS system and you are satisfied with it's operation.

When I had such a thing, I didn't "mount" it. It just had to be hung as part of my cold air intake. I didn't have an intercooler at that time so that made it a little easier. I feel you, the logistics are tough. You may not want to hear this but your best option will probably be: don't use an AFM.

I have to agree... I ran the stock 3.36 R-180 in my early 260Z for years (behind an L28ET) before swapping to a 3.54 R-200 - and an L24 doesn't have anywhere near the torque of the turbo motor. It is completely do-able however - a bit of a pain, but the swap is pretty straight-forward as described above.

But, to answer your original question: No, you do not necessarily need to install an aftermarket fuel rail...

Why did you install 430cc injectors? Do you have an aftermarket (standalone) ECU? If you're using the stock ECU, those injectors are FLOODING your engine and the stock ECU has no way of adjusting their pulse width for the increased flow that they have over stock injectors.