SleeperZ

I used the wiring diagram out of the Chilton's manual (the '70-'89 Z and ZX book). It is electricaly the same as the 280ZX turbo, using a power transistor as a current amplifier and signal inverter. Personally I'd get the coil and trigger with wiring out of a scrap Z31, and wire the whole thing in according to the Chilton's wiring diagram (or the FSM if you can find a copy-I found all models of Z FSMs at my public library). I've been using the Z31 coil for two years now after running the original 280ZXT coil. I've not had any trouble, and no misfiring under 16psi boost with a 0.035" plug gap.

No Zs??

Ceramics have excellent wear and heat tolerance properties. Making an entire engine from it is not practical though, as it doesn't have good impact resistance or tensile strength. It's main uses in an engine would be in piston coatings and cylinder linings, to protect the metals from heat and reduce wear. Something tells me we will not see a ceramic connecting rod or crankshaft in the future. A ceramic piston would have issues holding up to rpm stress and detonation.

The n/a intake manifolds off the early FI Zs work well for a turbo setup as well. I'm using the N42 on mine, and there is very little difference between it and the turbo ZX intake.

Short answer - fuel injection. It might not be the most cost effective for your application, but it wins in driveability and power, especially with a turbo. I'm using a factory EFI, consistent 12.5:1 a/f ratio at WOT, and 27 mpg cruising 80mph. And it's a pussycat around town, except for the 4 puck clutch.

If you are using stock engine' date=' pistons, rings and such, that makes the setup much more dependant on [b']good fuel management and tuning![/b] Don't be messing with this water/alcohol spray systems - that just makes things more complicated. Just tune a safe air/fuel ratio, keep the intake cool cool cool with a good intercooler and an optimum turbo, and you will have a simple, reliable setup where there are fewer things to screw up and cause damage. Alex is throwing together a kit?!?! You are talking about zcarsmakemyheadhurt??? What is to be included? I thought you had all you need to proceed; what is Alex selling that you think you need?

I have a set of E.T. drags, 22x8 on my 15x6 wheels (factory Nissan turbo).

Double check your ignition. Plugs, wires, cap, rotor, coil. If you can rule ignition out, move on to the fuel filter and fuel pressure checks.

I've always used Felpro gaskets, never a problem.

I hear Shane on this too. The L28ET is an unbelieveable engine. I'm running 16psi at a mile altitude and put down 419ftlb of torque, rock stock motor and Felpro headgasket. And 27mpg cruising on the highway.

Yeah, what on earth would your teacher have you do to make the power?

If you get that tuned, you'll get close, and possibly hit 400rwhp. You'll easily get that at the crank. Shane ran 11's on a very similar setup.

You will completely flood out your engine. 450cc units are more than double the flow rate of stock, so if you were running a cruising a/f of 14.7:1 you will now be running an a/f of 7:1 or less. Unless you are willing to convert to a stand-alone fuel management, or perform radical modifications to your factory EFI, you cannot use injectors that large.

I previewed the table of contents, and the Z centerfold is the same 260Z on eBay now for $9500. Too cool! (more than I can afford, but nice) Vote early and often!!!

None of my suspension angles changed significantly when I installed my springs. BTW, unless you have offset bushings or adjustable camber plates/tension rods, all you can adjust is the toe.

Very sorry to hear about the latest problem. Like moby said, any engine can have problems, so I doubt very much your problem is directly related to anything in the turbo engine design. Before you throw in the towel, just take a few days to cool off and consider options. My opinion is any car you get into will take a lot of work to make it right, unless you are giving up on the home mechanic thing completely. I've been chasing problems in my '78 Benz since July whn I bought it, and every other week or so something else turns up. I've been fortunate that the only recurring problems are due to cold weather, a bad battery, and a poorly designed glow plug system that keeps burning out. Good luck.

Do you need a second tank right away? The gasoline tank should work fine. I have a 6 gallon marine tank I'm installing on top of my spare that I will use for starting/purging fuel. I'm not familiar enough with diesel injection pumps to know exactly how they are cut off when the key is removed. It should be a simple solenoid wired to the "ignition" key. For a cheap glow plug solution, just wire a switch and relay off the ignition circuit with a light to show the relay is on. Then wire a >50A fused battery connection to the plugs. It will take some experimentation to determine the optimum glow time to make the start as painless as possible. I imagine the existing radiator will do fine as well. It's not like the diesels make mad power - they are more efficient engines to boot.

If you find a turbo ECU '87 or later, and intend to use the O2 sensor (it's a good idea - makes good MPG), it can be expensive - it's different. The other years and types of Z31 ECUs can use the original 1 wire, or a universal heated sensor.

Nissan T5 is the turbo 5 speed. B&M Ripper for a Mustang T5 bolts right up and is an excellent shifter. You can get them used off eBay sometimes for less than $100. It also compensates a little for the forward position of the tranny in an S30.

I agree the Z31 would be overall a better solution, but you may get good results just using an MSD FPR and AFM adjustments. For the price, you may get good results. Good luck with what you decide to do. And, BTW, I only start arguing when my spider "BS" sense starts tingling.