phil280zxt

I'm swapping an 84 ECU into my 81 280zxt. I would love to be able to swap in the 300zx connector while doing the ECU swap by transferring the pins from the 280zxt harness connector to the new 300zx connector, rearranging the pins that need to be moved for the ECU swap. This way, I don't have to splice as many wires, just move the pins around. Cant' wait to look into this tonight when I get home! BTW, I found a blog which partially confirms the ability to transfer the pins. Looks like the 280zxt connector will be damaged in the process of removing them, but the 300zx connector has a couple of tabs that will allow the connector pins to be removed or inserted. http://carlosransom.blogspot.com/2011/01/z31-300zx-ecu-connector-swap.html#comment-form Good luck and let me know what you find.

I'm finally getting a chance to embark on this swap this weekend. But before I do, I have a question for those you have already completed it in past. Over the years, whenever my 280zxt is not running correctly, the problem is very quickly corrected by reseating the ECU plugs. I've been tempted to replace my 280zxt ECU connectors with 300zx ECU connectors because they supposedly grip better, but I was hesitant to start hacking up my wiring harness. While reading this and other posts regarding the ECU swap and the need to "cut open a donor connector" to get a few additional pins to complete the swap, I was wondering if the pins can be removed from the existing harness connector and transferred (inserted) into the new 300zx connector in the proper locations. This would accomplish two things, 1) not require cutting existing ECU wires because the pins from the harness can just be inserted into the correct position on the 300zx connector and 2)replacing the 280zxt connector with a better fitting 300zx connector. So my question is, does anyone know if the pins can be removed from a 300zx ECU connector without destroying the connector?

I was lucky to get in on the group build for Jeffp's 3" SS mandrel bent system a few years back. Loving it!!

I think he's looking for a Borg Warner T5 transmission, not a T5 turbo....

I've accumulated this list over several years from posts similar to this.... You know when you are a Z fanatic when……… ...you know the salespeople at the auto parts store by name. ...people can tell if you drove " your baby" by smelling you. ...you drive a Nissan with parts from at least 3 different model cars installed on it. …if you search and search the net for a plastic or die cast model of your car or any other Z …if you have a stock pile of extra parts sitting in your shop or garage …if you have tons of photos of every kind of Z on your hard drive …if when playing gran tourismo 2 you strive to get the 240 ....if you have to tell the kid at the parts store to look under NISSAN for your parts …you know where almost every Z car (and its condition) in every pick and pull is in your area …if people start talking about cars when you walk into your local barber shop/autoparts store/church...etc …your girlfriend doesn’t even ask what car you drove to her house in the summer, she can smell the differences ...you know the whereabouts of all S30 Z's in a three county area and the story behind each one because one day you will own it when the current owner just throws in the towel and buys something else.. ...the guys at the local Nissan dealer find old Z car parts that won't be sold to the public in the back of the stockroom and they just give you the parts ...you take delivery of a new base model 350Z (brickyard) and the same night you drive from Nationwide Nissan in Timonium, Md. to Lawrenceville, Ga. to buy a set of mesh wheels for your '86 300ZX hardtop; rationalizing the whole trip as a way to break in the new Z. ...since 1990 you've owned 35+ Z and ZX cars and the family wonders why you're still single at age 32 ...if you find a random bolt on your driveway and can tell exactly where on your Z its suppose to go. ...you have three boxes of bolts, nuts, and washer in your garage...all from the Zs that you bought and or parted out to make your one good 240. ...your girlfriend starts to spot Z cars for you on the highway just so she can say it first. ...every time friends see or hear of a Z car for sale they call you because they "thought you might be interested." ...if your wife answers the phone and says, "He has enough already," it's usually one of these calls ...you can estimate the build date of a Z with an accuracy of plus or minus 6 months before it gets within 100 yards of you. ...spotting the word "Turbo" on a low-mile Z at the wrecking yard elicits the same heart-pounding thrill as finding a couple of bags that have fallen out of the back of a Brinks truck. ...you actually ENJOY the smell of gas fumes ...the Franklin Mint collectibles don't seem like quite so much of a rip since they came out with the 240 model. ...when someone says "Z car" you never, ever, think they mean a Z28 Camaro. ...you get physically ill when you see a salt truck. ...you personally know the owner of every Z you see around town. …your wife complains about all the money you spend on the car …if your wife comes out to the garage and most of the time she is talking to your feet on the side of the car. …if you assure all the people you know that it is just a car that you like to have fun with to see just how fast you can make it. …when everyone you know always asks about your car. …if every time you call the auto parts store and you have to tell them this is a custom application …when you get emails from people who have been to your web page. …when you start wishing your car would get a job so you could have a little money left over for yourself …if it takes twenty minutes to relax that smile from your face from the ride to your destination ... if you're logged onto the forum at zcar.com when you're supposed to be working! ...you look at the middle of the dash for vital engine information ...someone pops the hood open on their car for you to look at the engine, and you're expecting the hood to pop up from the rear. ...people are impressed by your 160 mph speedo. ...you've ever looked at a Viper, Jaguar XKE, BMW M3 hatchback, etc., and thought " Hmmm, that kinda looks like a Z." ...you drive through the local speed trap 5-10 miles under the limit, 'cause you know they're looking for you, not the grey sedan whizzing past you. ...you've ever been beside a Semi's trailer on the highway, looked through to the other side and thought " I could make that!" ....instead of being greeted with "How are you?" people say "How's the Z?" ....you can turn a 5 minute gas station trip for a coke into 30 minutes of driving. ....have each and every extra dollar already allocated to which part it's paying for. ...you've driven more than 4 hours just to meet somebody else with a Z. ...driven more than 4 hours out of your way just to catch somebody else in a Z. ...stopped to look at cars on a lot and the dealership asks you to leave because people are trying to buy your car. ...you've considered building a shrine to Mr. K, in your living room. ...if you can't stay mad at her ...if driving without a stereo doesn't bother you ...if there's a Corvette at the light and everyone's eyeing your car, especially him ...if everyone's jaw drops when you tell them how much you paid for it …when there is NO such thing as a "destination" all you want to do is keep driving and driving …you get pulled by a deputy, for doing 80 in a 55, who asks you "What IS this?" …you know the name of your local UPS driver, and he asks. "Another part for the Z?" ...your UPS driver curses you for shipping ANOTHER differential that he has to pick up! …your mechanic refers to you as his "residual income" …your vacations are always Z car related. …you spend more on your Z than you do on rent/mortgage …when you continually get into arguments over whether its a "Zee" or a "Zed" ...you always rationalize your next upgrade with the thought "Gee if I had a car payment then I would be out this much every month" ... people you passed earlier are staring hatefully your way as you meet at the stoplight ...every rattle gives you pause and every noise a search and rescue mission ...people shake their head when they find out how much you spent but you just don't care ...you have browser bookmarks on zcar topics that outnumber all other bookmarks combined ...no matter how perfect your car is and no matter how much you have spent in time, money, aggravation, frustration, and alienation, you still have that next improvement project in mind for your car. ...you wouldn't dream of selling your zcar unless there was another one you wanted more than your "baby" …when you tell the wife after not driving the Z for two weeks due to vacation. “Honey I'm just going to go out to the garage to make sure it starts". Then don't come back for an hour …someone tells you “I used to have a car like that once.†…every time you get frustrated with the car and think about selling it. You go out to the garage and she's smiling at you, you change your mind and add another $500.00 to your almost maxed out credit card. …if you can spot a Z in someone's backyard while your just driving by. Usually the car would be under some type of shed or barely visible at all. …you smile whenever you tell a couple of friends that you can't take them because your car only has two seats. …your idea of a coffin (when your old and gray) is your pride and joy Zcar …you are getting very familiar with the way different performance cars look in your rearview …you can figure out why your car is acting up within minutes, while in the driver seat, as you limp her home …you get irritated when people get her name wrong …you have removed creature comforts such as your heater, to outfit the center console for more gauges and switches …you own more than 2 sets of wheels and tires for her …all you have to tell people your giving directions to is "just look for all the Z's" …people in your neighborhood (that don’t know you) refer to you as the Z guy. …your wife hates riding in the Z so you arrive in separate cars. ...you find you can no longer manage your money ...you have more invested in your Z than in your home ...you find something wrong with it everyday, but love fixing it and seeing those new parts shine …you have a little sticker on the bottom of your rear view mirror that says "OBJECTS IN MIRROR ARE LOSING"

My favorite is when you find a bolt in your driveway and you know exactly where is goes on your Z....

Double post, sorry....

FYI, the bushing on the end of the crank in a auto tranny Z needs to be removed when swapping in a manual tranny. Also, don't forget to permanently connect the Park/Neutral switch wiring or your Z won't start. You may consider swapping in an ECU from an 82 or 83 manual 280zxt. The auto ECU will work work with the manual tranny, but there is at least one difference that I noticed. The auto ECU drops RPM's faster then the manual ECU. The manual ECU holds the revs up a bit longer to facilitate shifting. If you do swap in a manual ECU, make sure its from an 82 or 83 280zxt. The 81 280zxt's were all auto and do not have the injector dropping resistors in the ECU like the later years.

Not from the '70s, but 1981 is pretty close.

I have a NOS EGR tube still sitting in the Nissan parts bag if you're interested. Its never been installed

I was involved in setting up the klearz lens build several years ago. Sorry to hear that they are no longer available. I bought the smoked lens all around. I'll post pictures tonight. I never mounted the taillight lens though, it came cracked. Actually, you can see them in the second picture in the attached slide show. My 280zxt is pictured on the left. https://picasaweb.google.com/philctzcc/CTZCC2011FallOuting#slideshow/5663887165630143506

Don't you love rentals... I'm sure every one of them has stories to tell.

My first Z was an 80 280zx and was my daily driver for three Connecticut winters. It was fun to drive in the snow, as all rear wheel cars are. Having grown up in Northern Maine, I was used to winter driving. The only issue was the depth of the snow. A Z sits pretty low and has a built in snow plow mounted under the bumper! My previous car was a 77 350 4-speed Camaro with limited slip diff. We didn't think anything of driving these cars through the salt laden winter back then. These were the current generation of cars being sold and all were rear wheel drive. Of course, the front edge of the hood was already rusting when I sold it in 1984....

Please let us know if this solves your problem and how much of a pain replacing the plugs was. I considered doing the same, but the thought of splicing all those wires has kept it on my to-do list.

I first installed an OEM 240mm turbo clutch when I completed my 81 280zxt auto to manual swap. The OEM clutch lasted a year or so until I turned the boost up to 8 psi and was destroyed instantly. Put in an ACT Street Performance clutch and have not looked back. Currently running 12 psi.

Phil, I grew up in Maine also and always look forward to the annual trek "home" to see family and to enjoy the red hot dogs. All four of my sons love them. Last summer we brought a case home, some of which are still in the freezer, waiting for the grill season to return. We live in Connecticut and have never seen them available here. Phil

72 Chevy Vega GT, 4 speed with air shocks!! LOL

My turbo is starting to howl so I'm starting the "rebuild" research. How did you make out on your rebuild. Any lessons learned you'd like to share?

Mike, your upgrade looks great!! Looks like you;ll be firing it up real soon. I was wondering where you picked up your battery cable terminals. I've been looking for something like that for a while now.

You'll have to remove or modify the popoff valve which I believe opens around 9 lbs on a stock 280zxt. Search for the popoff valve modification, it involves adding fender washers to make the internal spring stiffer. If you go the removal route (not recommended) you'll need a 1" pipe plug to close off the openning.

As a member of the Connecticut Z Car Club (CTZCC), I had always hoped Paul would accompany Bob Sharp to one of our club events. Unfortunately that dream has been banished this morning. Several weeks ago Lime Rock Park closed down for a period of time and allowed Paul to take a few parade lap laps around the track for the last time. You know where his heart was. A real gentleman, he will be missed.

Brad's explanation of the injector resistors, the 81 CAS will plug right into 82/83 distributor CAS harness plug. No difference in output.

Again, thanks for the update gentlemen. I'll have to keep an eye out for my clutch, which only sees a few thousand miles a year. Bo, did Act mention anything about being able to trace back manufacturing dates and identifying potential candidate clutches for failure??

Hmmm, I'm going to have to pay attention to the behavior of my ACT clutch Bo, thanks for the heads up. I think we bought them about the same time.

Any of the turbo 5 speed ECU's will work in your 81. The main difference between the manual and 5 speed that I noticed was the rate the RPM's fall off between shifts. The 5 speed ECU will let the RPM's fall off slower, making for smoother shifts while tooling around town.