Afshin

Hi, well I went back to my old pile of supra stuff to make sure I remembered the numbers correctly and was able to dig up the original article along with lots of dust. This is from Turbo magazine in the July issue 1988, pre electronic files and internet (yeah, I’m getting old), so I will straight type out parts of the article: “When we ran our first dyno tests on the supra, (Turbo Jan ’87) we thought the restriction at higher boost pressures was actually in the turbo, but in conferring with Cartech, Spearco and HKS it was found the stock intercooler itself was a major contributor to the problem. Testing at Cartech showed the stock intercooler to have a 3 psi pressure drop at 6.8 psi and a whopping 4.3 psi pressure drop at 9 psi……At stock boost pressure we found a 11 hp gain between the stock and Cartech intercooler (8psi)….The Cartech intercooler showed a 7/10 psi drop at 6.8 psi and 1.1 psi drop at 14psi which basically agreed with our dyno runs. In addition to the pressure drop, Cartech testing of the intercoolers showed 89% efficiency vs. 68% for the factory unit. †Now this testing was at Cartech, so they may have chosen the highest number and try to flow too much volume to exaggerate the pressure drop…, but the dyno test was done by Turbo mag, and 11 hp gain from one intercooler to another at only 8 psi shows that the Cartech numbers are far from complete BS. Almost any intercooler from a 6 cylinder car will show great gains on a Z, I just think that there are much better choices than the one that came on my beloved old supra.

Hi 240ZinTN, did you insert a new pin into slot 34 of ECU connector then connect it to the + coil terminal or to a ignition postive line. Make sure the pin and connection are good. If so then try connecting it directly to a + wire or + terminal on the battery (just to test) and see if the ecu powers up.

I agree with Yasin. I used to own an 90 supra turbo and am quite familiar with them. When people started tuning those cars they initially thought that the first restriction apart from the stock exhaust was the turbo. As in turned out, it was the intercooler. On an independent test the intercooler was noted to have a whopping 3 psi drop at only 9 psi. You can imagine what happens with more boost. Off course all intercoolers work and are much better than having none, so no surprise that clifton has been happy with his. However, if you have the option of getting a better flowing and more efficient intercooler, I would most certainly do so. It does make a very real and noticeable difference (increase efficiency, less heat and stress on engine and turbo unit and increase in power output). I would not try to save $100 on on item that has so much effect on performance and lasts as long as the car does.

This is from an older write up I had posted: All of these dampers/insulators performance are measured by their ability to dampen vibration. The unit is called Acoustic Loss Factor (ALF) which is the same as Damping Loss Factor (DLF). The range extends from 0 to 1, with 1 being the best. Regular dynamat ALF is about 0.14, dynamat extreme is about 0.4. Brown bread is 0.39, B-quiet is about 0.20 and the stuff sold at McMaster is rated at .1 and .13. So the best two materials are dynamat extreme and brown bread. . Now on price : Dynamat extreme is way overpriced and hence out (about $5 per square foot) Brown Bread is about $2.35 per square foot (I used 70 feet for my car) The Mc Master product which is similar to the regular dynamat (ALF of only .13) is $2.50 per square foot or $1.20 for the one rated even lower at 0.10 ALF/DLF. I personally would not get any of these. B-quiet with ALF of 0.20 is $1.40 per square foot So when looking at best effectiveness of the material and price per square foot, Brown bread appears to be the best product. B-quiet is best priced for budget application, not as effective as brown bread, but still a little better than regular dynamat and priced very cheaply. You can check this site: http://www.b-quiet.com/

I agree with the others, if you are getting fuel and spark and it does not start it's most likely ignition timing related. Errors during reassembly are so so common, specially when related to cam timing, spark plug wire reconection(Even after having double checked I often enough have found a silly mistake on my part). You can quickly get a ball park by pulling spark plug one out and then put in a long scrwdriver rod... and confirm that as you manually bring the crank to 0 timing position that the piston comes to top dend center. I would do this even if you double checked the cam/crank position. Next remove the distributor and check and see if the rotor is at the number one spark plug position at about 0 timing on the crank. Then make absolutely sure that all spark plug cables are in the correct order. After confirming those two then I would go back and clean and recheck all connectors specially for head temp sensor (car won't start, too rich), AFM and all connectors to ecu. Good luck and keep us posted.

Beautiful work!! Talk about engine envy

The high impedance can cause the low impedance injector coils to overheat (~12 vs 2.5 ohms) and fail. I initially used 370cc SVO injectors and after 6 months 4 out of six of the injectors failed. They overheated and started to leak between the plastic injector base and the metal core. All works great since using the resistors. JWT also instructs on using the resistors. I know Bernard's have not failed on him, but he does not run open track events were the injectors would be working at high capacity/duty cycle for a prolonged time. ALso he is using larger injectors than I initially did, so was probably running at lower duty cycle and generating less heat. I also now use 440cc injectors. It's easy enough to put the resistors in and it was no fun ruining a set of newly rebuilt SVO injectors. My guess is that the non-turbo resistors would work and I don't think that you could use one on the common positive (both oem and aftermarket applications use six).

Hi Mike if you have spark jumping at the coil before and after replacing the coil than either the wire is damaged (you can check the resistance for the wires), not inserted properly or the cap/rotor is faulty (inspect closely). I would suggest you replace any of those items that are not new (off course new parts are often enough defective, so if problem persists consider replacing with new cap/rotor & cables or try an different/older set if you have them laying around in the garage...).

Sounds great, as long as I'm not working that day, I'll be game. Curious to get on the dyno. BBQ also sounds good.

Yup, neat conversion. I have always been a mini fan since my parents owned one back in the seventies, unfortunately I did not have a license in my early teens. However, I would much rather get this for the same price. http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail.jsp;jsessionid=F0TNBJGXVNJHBLAZGKPZPRA?tracktype=usedcc&searchType=21&paId=131064153&pageNumber=0&numResultsPerPage=50&largeNumResultsPerPage=0&sortorder=descending&sortfield=PRICE+descending&certifiedOnly=false&recnum=12&leadExists=true&criteria=K-%7CE-%7CM-_12_%7CB-40000%7CD-_156_%7CN-N%7CR-10000%7CI-1%7CP-PRICE+descending%7CQ-descending%7CZ-07076&aff=national

Interesting, I just connected my voltmeter to the wire going to my O2 sensor (after disconnecting it from the O2 sensor) and it also reads a steady 0.3v when the ignition is on (0v with the ignition off). Once the car runs, I get proper closed loop operation with my AFR gauge fluctuating back and forth as you do. My car has an rechiped (courtesy of Bernard) 88 na 300zx ecu. I don’t have time to play with the car for a few weeks, but this is what I know regarding the 300zx O2 wiring, it’s a 3 wire sensor as you know: -Black shielded wire is the voltage output signal (pin 24) -There is a blue ignition + signal wire -Third wire, which by default should be another ground for the heating element which comes from pin 115 (yellow wire) on the ecu to the sensor (it also goes to the 300zx fuel pressure regulator module). My best guess is that you need to ground pin 115 to complete the circuit. You should however first test and make sure that 115 is indeed a ground on your 300zx by testing it at the O2 connector, before grounding it from the ecu in the 280. Keep us posted to the outcome.

Thanks guys, I certainly never expected my toy to be noticed (no body mods, big tailpipe....), it's strange to see it in a magazine. Unfortunately, this may add fuel to my Z obsession (all guilty members say ay) and take me deeper into the automotive geekdome abyss.

As you can see, the tires do not bulge out in the least bit and are not rolling over during a hard turn at high speed. I have not compared 215 to 225 on my rims to let you know if 215 perform better because of potential better fit on 7" rims, but I can tell you that on my set up, the 225 perform very very well and are not too wide based on both subjective track performance as well as objective tire temperature reading (both Z and R rated compound) . 215 or 225 will both be fine for 17x7's. By far, much more important, will be the quality and performance of the tire you buy.

225/45 is the limit for proper seating of the tire. I use 225/45 on 17x7's and they are working out great. I also checked tire temperature with my pyrometer after track runs and no sign of tires having excess role over. However, would certainly not go any wider.

I really doubt that the rears would fit in. I have heard of some of the Xterra folk using the 87-89 R200 lsd from the 300zx in their front diff. case. or get the new ones such as from the site that is already posted. This would suggest that they can't use rear ones for the front or they would, and also suggest that the new 4x4 front lsd units they sale may fit in the 300zx r200 case.

Here is a very long summary about brake fluid from my files that I posted a long time ago: DOT 3,4 and 5.1 fluid are all glycol based and generally compatible. However one may offset the benefit of the better fluid if mixing it with lower grade, so it’s always better to flush the whole system with the newer fluid. Also some are more different than others despite the same DOT rating, ie synthetic, different viscosities and different amount of hygroscopic (water absorbing) properties causing them to absorb brake system moisture, and over time the boiling point is gradually reduced. The Dry Boiling Point is the temperature at which a brake fluid will boil when new in its non-contaminated state and the wet boiling Point is the temperature a brake fluid will boil after it has been fully saturated with moisture. The requirement for wet boiling point minimum is 284F for DOT 3, 311F for DOT 4 and 356F for DOT 5.1. These numbers are the minimum and many of the better brands far exceed the minimum requirement (e.g. castrol SRF has wet boiling of 518F, dry boiling of 590F). Difference between Dot 4 and 5.1: DOT 5.1, albeit confusing in designation, is effectively a lighter viscosity synthetic poly glycol fluid with DOT 4 performance parameters. It was developed for use in mechanical ABS systems that require a higher cyclic rate to better deal with pulsations. It is not a “higher “performing fluid. DOT 5 is a silicone based synthetic fluid originally designed for use in military and government vehicles where regular maintenance could be problematic. It is non corrosive and is marketed as a “lifetime†fluid often used to preserve brake systems in antique vehicles and those that sit for long periods of time between use. It was never intended for high performance application. DOT 5 fluid is not hygroscopic, so it does not absorb water and may be useful where water absorption is a problem as one of the reason for its development (military equipment and tropical environment..). However and perhaps ironically this brings up another serious concern as moisture enters the system (can not be prevented), it is not absorbed by the fluid, and can result in moisture collecting in the calipers which can very easily boil causing vapor lock and system failure or can cause corrosion where the water collect (it has to collect somewhere since it is not absorbed). DOT 5 fluid is now most used/best suited for show car applications where its anti-corrosion and paint friendly characteristics (does nor ruin paint) are important. DOT 5 is not compatible and can not be mixed with other fluids since it can result in slugging. I think previously some race teams used to use DOT 5 it because of it’s higher boiling point, however the new poly-glycol synthetic fluid have the same or even better boiling point along with better pedal feel (dot 5 is more compressible and has spongier pedal feel) so DOT 5 has fallen out of favor. Personal recommendations: DOT 3 is outdated and not suited for aggressively driven cars, dot 5 is problematic and should be avoided. DOT 5.1 is good and best suited for ABS systems which leave us with dot 4. -Castrol SRF. amazing fluid, (wet/dry 518/590F) very low hygroscopic affinity (does not absorb much water) and the highest boiling points, and the most expensive by far (actually it is a silicon ester not a glycol based fluid, but it is not the same as the dot 5 plain silicon which can't be contaminated with glycol based fluid) -Castrol LMA. (LMA=low moisture affinity) cheap, available at most stores, not race fluid but very good as low maintenance and high performing fluid and is actually suitable for most aggressive street applications and can still handle occasional track days with vented rotors.. (wet/dry boiling 325/490) -Motul 600 one of the best race fluid(based on wet/dry boiling point of 421/585F) along with Neo (identical) but is also very well priced, can be used for daily street/track cars. Does absorb more water (more, but not extremely hygroscopic like most race fluids which need to be changed very very frequently).Great choice if car goes to track often, if you don't leave fluid in over 8-12 months and if live in a dryer climate. -Ate type 200 also known as super blue and super gold (wet/dry of 392/536F). Outstanding fluid good for race and street, can last for two years (not racing off course). This fluid is possibly the best for aggressive street as well as track use type of car/driver. It is also cheap, best found online, has a wet boiling point of 100F greater than the Ford HD or AP 550 fluids (AP 5.1 matches the Ate but is much more expensive) and works well on the track for me. Also with the different colors for this fluid (blue and gold), when flushing your system you can tell when the new fluid comes in by the color. One last point, while technically the different non DOT 5 fluids are all compatible, it is not advisable to mix them since people have reported poor performance, spongy pedal feels and so on when doing so. It is best to flush the system when upgrading to a better and new fluid.

The title of the post is: Z31/300zx ECU/MAF to 280ZXT swap guide I will also reload some of the pictures

pin 5 is indeed a ignition signal. Do you have pin 34 out of the ecu (the slot is empty in the original 280zx harness, you have to put a pin in ) getting positive power from the positive coil end as I wrote in the now lost "sticky" . You can actually just provide positive power to pin 34 on the ecu from any source. If this was not done, the car will not get spark and hence won't start. Let me know. If that is not the problem, make sure you check the ecu error code (it's described in the manual) as yo2001 suggested.

Hi, do have any idea why it won't start, in other words are you not getting spark, fuel...is the ecu light on? is the fuel pump turning on.....?

the turbo outlet is 2" and the throttle body at it's narrower section is closer to 2.5". I'm using 2.25" going in (close to outlet size) which also maintains good air velocity, and 2.5" from the intercooler to the TB to match size. 2.25" is certainly good for 350hp and can also manage 400hp without too much restriction to flow. I also would strongly advise against having the air filter post radiator, sucking hot air, especially in a turbo car will result in signifcant power lose.

Welcome to the forum. The general plan for the car seems pretty good. Mid 300's on a stock motor is easilly attainable with the upgrades you suggested. 400 RWP is also achievable, but is more difficult, specially if you want to maintain long term reliability. I would rebuilt the bottom end and use forged pistons.. for that kind of goal (that is not as a one time dyno run with race gas). If you do a search you will see the topic of power on stock l28et discussed many times. Regarding fuel manageent systems you probably heard that there is no best choice, and that is true. Almost all of the will achieve the same results once properly set up. Regarding reliability after the initial set up and potential headaches at that time, most of the known companies see to be fairly equivalent. I would argue that the most important factor aside from cost is product support. If you know of a local dyno shop that is good and comfortable with setting up Haltech's, I would use that, or any other brand they like. The issue at hand is getting the right tune, if you are able to get it yourself great, but if you do get stuck (happens often enough to competent people), having a resource to troubleshoot and fix it will be priceless and ensure a good experience. I have no direct experience with these units, but have looked into any of them from what I can gather: -Motec, the best and you pay for it -SDS easiest to set up, least features. People who actually have them love them more uniformely than any other unit, I think because in the end a easy and reliable set up which in the end is more useful than unused options. They also have one of the best customer services bare none. -Haltech, very flexible, been around for a long time, a little long to get initial set up, but works great after, flexible and well priced with many people being familiar with them. -Accel new model DF gen 7 complete unit about $1600, many options, seems to be a highly competent and comprehensive unit and my personal choice in that price range -Microtech, very well priced, not to hard to set up, many options. Problem is that there customer service is terrible, so if you get one, make sure the place you are getting it from can support you (as opposed to the australia headquarters). Alex costa is a HybridZ member and a dealer for them who is supportive and knows the l28et very well, I would give him a call. Also I believe the ltx8 supports 4 ignition drivers, if you want direct ignition you will need the ltx12 unit. also it is cheaper then the price you got. -Tec 3, I know the least about the , but obviously heard that they are quite good. -Megasquirt, there is a fantastic write up by Mobythevan on it in this forum, you may have already seen it. You can get the whole set up, relay board, stimulator pre-built for under $500 (http://www.rs-autosport.com/) which will then make it relatively easy to set up as opposed to building the whole thing from scratch, getting the parts...more potential problems, delays.... the list is longer, Autronic seems quite nice,has an auto tune feature and much more, but also a litltle more costly. Wolf 3d also seems nice the 4.0 plus is full featured and the main distibutor Chris (916 648 8000) certainly seems most supportive and wanting to expand by developing a solid reputation ($1500 for full unit, $1650 with hand controller) here is a list of some of the various units and features all on one page http://www.adaptronic.com.au/comp.html Hope this helps

Here is my full injector info file and more info on the mustang injectors: The mustang injectors are Bosch 0 280 150 400 and Bosch 0 280 150 401 and flow 437cc as Bernard correctly pointed out. I have them on my car as well. I was also able to buy them from : http://www.injectors4u.com/fuel_injectors.htm The guy Howard is a little hard to reach but nice and well well worth it for the amazing price he sold me the injectors,under $20 each, fully blueprinted, no core needed Here is an extensive and valuable list of injectors (very nice) listing cc/min, brand, vehicle, ohms....and it includes most if not all of the dicussed injectors http://carsoft.co.il/page3/Electronic%20Fuel%20Injector%28EFI%29%20Flow%20Data%20Table.htm Nice info on injectors types, impedance... with some other good links http://www.stealth316.com/2-injectortypes.htm Rc engineering with a great link with automatic calculator for estimating injector flow requirement for your specific application. http://www.rceng.com/technical.htm for junkyard injectors (I get mine cleaned/blueprinted for cheap,$11.00 per injector, from cruzinperformance.com) Conversions rules/guidleines • 500cc per minute is approximately equal to 49lbs per hour which is equal to approximately 90-100hp. • lbs/hour = cc per minute / 10.2 • lbs per hour = HP / 2.04 • cc per minute = lbs per hour x 10.2 • cc per minute = HP x 5 • HP = cc per minute / 5 • HP = lbs per hour x 2.04 Hope these help

So "vacuum control valve" glad you remembered Tony, I was trying all night to recall the silly name and I couldn't. I also did not think about/realize the secondary benefit related to manifold vacuum spike and oil consumption... Good to know. (So far I have no oil consumption with my supra BOV , even after a full day at the track, however my valve seals are relatively new)

I second what Sean just said. 27 btdc at idle, while being way fun for initial response, is way to high for that set up. On my set up with 440cc injectors and a nicely reprogrammed ecu by Bernard and BPR 7 plugs I most certainly get pre-ignition with 26-27 degree timing. I need to set mine at 20-22 btdc to avoid all pre-ignition and be safe (e.g. hot day, racing engine and california 91 octan gas). So this is more likely a problem of too much timing for the boost set up as opposed to fuel. My guess if you where overly lean with that timing and boost the engine would have blown by now. Personally I would not exceed 23 btdc even with better gas...