datsunlover

Well, it's desicion time now... Got all the info together and started adding it up. Grand total is gona be somewhere around $1700 to; rebuild my L28 w/mild cam, head work, ect and get a 5 gear/clutch. This is basicaly a stocker too, so 220Hp is probly not attainable with this setup. (more $$$ required) Now.. To buy the whole T-bird, rent a trailer and drag it home comes in UNDER $1000. I'll have to fab mounts, driveshaft, and figure out the FI wiring, as well as install a higher presure fuel pump. (running a 4 psi carb pump right now) And a custom exhast is a given (this is one of those "need it either way" things) BUT; In the end, it looks like the turbo 2.3 swap will be cheaper, AND have more power. Also, it seams more power is not hard to squeze out by cranking boost a bit, and there is still a pretty good wealth of knowlege and aftermarket parts out there for these engines.. Now I just have to decide weather or not to "bastardise" a Z by sticking in a Ford motor.. (some of my friends are giving me flack for even considering this!) hmmm....

Oh.. something I just thought of.. you say the dizzy WAS advanced all the way?!? Could it be that when this engine was re-built, the timing marks were not lined up properly by the builder? Like, a tooth out maybe.. I've seen it happen on other engines, and they run, but need to have the dizzy fully advanced, and ussually you cant get any revs out of them.

To update this.. according to my VB mag, the ammeter was replaced by a volt meter in 1976. (explains why my 75 has ammeter.. ) So 76-78 would be the ones to look for if you wanted to scoop a volt meter split guage.

Sounds to me like it could be an ignition timing problem, or ONE carb has something amiss... Are you running stock timing settings and a vac. advance? Could be the vacum line is shot, or the diaphram has ripped.. Could try advancing the dizzy.. Im running mine REALLY advanced (lowest idle I can get is 900 or so) not using the vac advance, but it pulls hard up to 5500rpm. When I got the car running this past summer, I had the timing set close to factory spec and had simmilar issues. Almost seams like a badly adjusted/sticking carb though, if those three cyls are getting black. When it idles/revs in nutral does it run well? IE; does it strugle/pop/spit black soot/ect? You say the carbs are tuned.. are they balanced properly? (it'll run unbalenced, but not well at higher rpm.. trust me ) Also check to make sure the choke isn't sticking on.. and are you sure there is the same amount of damping oil in them?

I forgot to mention that A; I was planing on boring out my SU's a bit, and B; I have come across some paper work on my car (from the previous owner) that suggests the cam is NOT stock. I'll have to see when I tear the thing down. Also, I was talking about HP AT the engine, not wheel HP. And considering MY engine says it's rated for 170 (which I know is not at the wheels) AND my engine is.. well, hurt.. Anywhere near 200HP is gona be a BIG improvement. Ok.. 200 or so horse isn't "a lot" of power.. but I figure my 75 moves ok as it is.. and my guess is it's only puting 120-125 down to the wheels right now.

Dude.. if it's not turbo, it should be a fairly simple swap into a ZX.. Only thing to make/check clearence for would be exhast.. Basicaly, I'd stick the motor/trans in the car (with maifolds and Y pipe attached if possible..) where you want (back fairly far I guess..) and fab mounts for that.. keeping in mind angle of the drive shaft.. who knows maybe some Nissan stuf would 'bolt up' and depending on where you placed the engine/trans, you could make a driveshaft easily.. Figure out the wiring.. that will be the hard part.. I'd bet most of the guages would plug into the V6 engine/harness, or could be made to work easily (I find going Nissan to Nissan, or.. ford to ford, ect is always easier that Chev to Mazda, ford to Volvo.. ect.) Hope that helps a bit.. I dono about anyone who has done this swap though..

Well, I'm gona be building something like this, cause I can't affort an L28ET right now.. From what I've gathered, I can take my 75 280z's engine, install 240 rods and flat top pistons, shave the head slightly, and with port matching of the intake/exhast manifolds as well as a 2.5" exhast.. And I'll be running my 72 SU round tops. This will suposedly put me at 225 or so HP (taking this from a few sources) and with a 3.90 rear gear and 5 speed, I'm assuming this will make my car fast enough to pucker my arse just fine. Im not sure if the N47 will flow better that mine.. (?) and I honestly don't know what I'm gona do for a cam yet, (might use my stock one, just polish it) but I guy here I've been talking to seams to know his stuf when it comes to N/A motors. Goes by ZR8ED. Seriously, he's said something about an 8000 RPM 300Hp N/A motor. Maybe drop him a PM.. or maybe he'll see this post and get involved.

Umm.. honestly, I don't know for sure.. Those Maximas were FI right? I'm gona say I *think* it will.. but I'm not 100%.. anyone else?

I'd do that, AND befor starting, pull off the fuel feed line and let the pump push any crap/old gas/varnish out befor firing the car up.

http://hybridz.org/nuke/modules.php?op=modload&name=coppermine&file=displayimage&album=180&cat=0&pos=1 Thats not a great pic, but hopefully will give you an idea. I took off my FI and put those SU's on. .. you might run into problems with the carb intake bolt holes not lining up with your head.. If so, I'll give you more info if you need it.. As it says, I had to 'pinch' off the return line.. The FI lines are TOO BIG trust me. You need to get the 240/260 fuel lines (easiest) or adapt something so the line that feeds the carbs is smaller. On the 'outside' of the carbs, those are just float bowl vents. I just left mine like they are (no hose conected or anythin) and its fine. The other two (off each carb) are the fuel lines. And the big conection on the intake will be for the PCV, from the front of the engine block.. you'll see it once the FI intake comes off. Hope this helps.

Thats funny... My 75 has an amm meter...

Ok.. its Legal.. If someone gets in your car and steals it, and then crashes it because the brakes are bad, LEGALY the car theif can sue you. And he can win. It's legal... does it make it "right"? Hmm...

Well I didn't 'totaly' wreck anything, but I hurt the tranny in my 93 King cab a bit.. 2nd day I had it. Pulled in to a parking lot to show a friend my 'new to me' truck. I pull up as he's walking away from his car... he didnt see me right away, cause he didn't recognize the truck (I used to drive an 85 Audi 5000t before this one) Anyway, I back up a few feet and yell "Hey! " at my friend. He stops and stares.. So I stop, (I was movin pretty good in reverse) and thought I hit drive.. nope, nutral. Truck revs, and goes nowhere. So I look down and go "Oh.. oops" and click it into drive.. with my foot still WAY into the throttle... BANG!!! SCREEEEEE..... Yup.. it didnt like that.. ever since then, it takes a few seconds to 'drop' into drive now.. Oh yah.. I lowered a lift the other day with the front right tire NOT bolted on a vehicle (as in, it was lying on the floor beside the truck!).. I noticed in time to bring it back up, but it was close! Kinda weird to see the back tire starting to go back UP as I'm lowering the lift..

Yah, just ran across that yesterday as a mater of fact.. A bit of work involved to make it work, but WOW there's silly power that's posible with JUNKYARD parts!! If I do this swap though, I'd just used it in stock T-bird form for a while.. drive for a year or so, then do the 16V conversion/bigger turbo+FMIC later down the road... I don't want too much 'project creep' or 'while Im at it' to happen.. there's enough work needed on the REST of my car anyway!

Yah, and prone to head gasket/head cracking issues. Also not very well suported by aftermatket from what I hear.. And If I could find a zxt cheep, it'd be the easiest.. but in these parts, they are all gone, so definatly would NOT be cheep.. A guy in Toronto (1.5 hours from me) has one, but he wants $1000 for the BLOCK.. another 4-500 for the harness/ecu and another 5-600 for the trans.. So I figure for $700, a whole car is a good deal, even if I have to fab some stuff for mounts/drive staft/ect. If I don't hear from some ppl soon, I may just ditch the Z engine plan entirly and pick up that TBird..

Holy stink Batman!! That little things GOES!! I don't think I'd pull off a 10sec 1/4, but maybe high 12's are doable.. either way, it would be silly fast for a mainly street driven car, and my Z would finaly GO like it LOOKS! I definatly could have fun with this, and I think it'd be a nice swap.. I just have to wait now.. need pricing for the Z engine/parts so I can make a decision on which way to go...

Could be you have one or two bad/sticking injectors.. Sounds JUST like a priblem I had with my old 81 zx.. Black smoke, sputtering, ect. Sometimes (towards the end) it'd stall and not start for a while.. Try pulling one injector clip at a time (when it's sputtering) and see if it changes anything..

Uh.. yah.. Im sure your 240 is probly a little rusty to beguin with.. Personally, I'd look for a $100 or so beater for the winter.. You know, something with fi, a 5 speed, and something so boring/ugly it won't be a big deal if you crack it up this winter. If you're set on driving a Z through the winter, I'd say get FOUR snows.. My pick would be Blizak's, or the knock off brand of them (cheeper, and you don't feel bad tossing them after two seasons!) Oh yah.. a few bags of cat litter in the rear for weight, and to be used as traction when you get stuck.

Cool site.. thanks tim. Do you have your 2.3 motor yet?

Yup, same motor and trans. SVO Stang made 205 horse.. guess they tweeked it a bit, AND the stang was lighter than the Bird.. heh.. 3400bls was LIGHT.. I've seen stuf on the net and from other sources about pushing 300+ horse using STOCK turbo/engine internals/injectors/ecu by just opening up exhast/intake and cranking boost! If I do it however, it'll remain fairly stock for the first while..

Ok.. Due to some unforseen... circumstances, my planed V8 swap has been scrapped. Anyway, I am now down to two options as I see it. The first one, I think I'm ok for info; Build up my N/A L28 using 240 rods, a cam/valve job, su's and a 5 gear. Going to shoot for around 220hp.. OR... A 2.3 Turbo w/IC and 5 gear BWT5 from an 88 T-bird. Stock is 190hp, 240 lbs torque. Till I crank the boost.. heh heh.. I'm waiting to hear from someone on pricing for the L28 stuff I'll need.. basicaly I have a good block and head.. maybe. Really it'll come down to which one is cheaper to build/buy/whatevr in the end. (and yes I've looked into a turbo L28 and it would seam a little out of my price range right now.) FWIW, I can grab a whole T-bird for $700 that runs AWEsome, and has a fairly new clutch. Judging from the bird, my Z rad will be up to the task, engine/tranny mounts shouldn't be too hard to fab, and a custom drive shaft is all I can see I'd need right now.. The exhast ends up on the passenger side, but seeing as a lot of folks can run duals from their V8's, Im sure I can squeze somethin out of there in the Z. I would be getting a bigger/better exhast anyway either direction I go. I looks like I can set the thing back a fair bit, most likely NOT have to cut my hood, and I'm sure it's a lighter motor that the Z L6. I looked at it yesterday, and I was impressed..(well, with the drive line anyway!) Only reason the owner took it off the road is the frame.. Front passenger corner/floor/crosmember is dissapearing, and the rear is ugly too. Also has a nasty fuel leak out back (apears to be a return line, cause the engine puuuurs.) Cars been sitting for 6 months and BAM fired right up with a boost. Reved nice, and that turbo sound is somethin else.. I did a search last night, but couldn't find much on the 2.3 here... Would this be a first on Hybridz? If anyone has info on this engine, or expirience with it let me know! Wow.. that got long..

This might sound kind of 'hack' but when I put in my subfram conectors, I suported the front of the car with jack stands just behind the T/C rod bracket, and cinder blocks/wood at the rear suspension.. I cut through the factory 'rail' under the floor (leaving the sides of it spot welded to the floor) and put my subframe up inside it using a floor jack. This also helped to 'flex' the car a bit (it was saging a little to beguin with).. Basicaly I just jacked it up till the car rocked front to back a bit, off the stands/blocks (Im talking a tiny little bit.. maybe 1/64" if that..) and welded evrything up.

Ok.. well, for starters... use the search function. Look for a member here by the name "ZR8ED" and you should be set..

I'll just go and dissagree here... I'd upgrade the FRONT and just make sure the rear drums/shoes are in good shape.. It's a street car right? I can't remember exactly, but isn't it something like 80% of the braking is done by the front disks? You could always use an adjustable proportioning valve if you don't have one already...?) to get the rear's to work 'when' you want. Plus if you upgrade the front, you could sell me your spacers/calipers!

Hey man, good to hear! I was thinking about giving you a call tomorrow and maybe hooking up, but I had a call about my truck for sale, so I have to stick around here.. got some cleaning/organising to do in the garage to.. Anyway, I still want to get down there sometime to meet you and talk Z's, ect. I think I will try to get a hold of that zx turbo, cause well... circumstances make my V8 convo kind of impossible/not do-able, and the turbo will be fun to crank up.. Hope your zx hangs in for ya! I'll be in touch...