Wangan Zeto: An Introduction

[Colin G.]

Hey Hybridz Members,

 

Was in the process of writing a formal write-up of my progress so far, but unfortunately I hit the back button and erased all my progress. Therefore this edition will be straight to the point. Here is an introduction and update of my project so far, a 1973 s30z in the process of receiving an L28ET. I had a lot of difficulty with uploading photos off of photobucket (hence me erasing my last draft) and decided to simply upload them under the attachments section. I will give you a description of the photo along with a corresponding attachment. I find this to be the simplest way to explain my goals.

 

 

First off, here is my 240z as it sits in my driveway today. All I've really done to the exterior was add the ZG flares and clean up the rubber on the outside using acetone to remove primer.

 

 

This is my 240z shortly after purchasing it for $3,000 from a gentleman by the name of Jesus in Compton, CA. It came with 16x8 XXR wheels, a harness (attached to the back of the seat with a screw ) and various other stock parts. Shortly after I went to my friend Keith's and began maintenance on the vehilce, along with rolling the rear fenders and installing ZG fender flares (also came with the purchase).

 

A photo from the interior of Keith's shop. If you couldn't tell from the G35 and the race preped 240sx s13, Keith is a speed fanatic. He is has received his SCCA certification and is in the process of becoming a professional driver under his label REVelation. Without him, my project would not be where it is today nor would it have the same standard of perfection and attention to detail that it receives now in it's restoration and modification. So what better way to thank him than to present some car porn of his sexy, sr20det powered race car...

 

 

Another shot from the interior...

 

 

If you would like more information on Keith's 240sx, please visit http://rev-elation.blogspot.com for an extensive write-up of his project.

 

 

So over the past few months, a few things have changed. I managed to do a rear disk swap using 280zx rear disks and rotors. Although it was a bit difficult at times (I had to take the brackets I bought and have them machined at the last minute in order to fit the calipers properly), I think the end result speaks for itself. The clearance between the caliper and rotor is even and the pads fully cover the rotor. It is also noteworthy that with patience I managed to do all of this for roughly $280, which included front and rear SS brake lines, ATE super blue brake fluid and caliper/bracket machining. Here is a photo of the rear wheel, what a beaut!

 

 

Now that I was a little more confident with my stopping ability, I decided it was time to start looking into boosting that 150 horsepower that came stock in the L24. However instead of using the L-series as a foundation, I decided to try something else after Keith decided to drop a NA 2JZ in my lap for free.

 

 

For a short period I was set on building an NA monster. I intended to run the 2JZ with triple carbs, using the intake plenum from the stock NA intake and welding flanges onto it. The thought of an NA DOHC 3.0L with triple carbs kept me motivated and dreaming, however after calculating a rough cost for motor mount modifications, transmission and drivetrain, I came to the realization that it was simply beyond my budget. So the 2JZ received a good cleaning and sat. Then one day I came across this...

 

 

I managed to purchase a L28ET from a 1982 280zx for $260 (I could've gotten it for $250, but I didn't have change and felt that the seller deserved it anyways for the favor he was doing). Shortly after getting it into my garage, I began removing the A/C condensor and power steering accessories. At the moment I am in the process of trying to refresh the motor making adjustments here and there. My goal is to shoot for around 250HP while remaining cost efficient and goal orientated. Therefore a lot of the stock parts are being cleaned and restored instead of being replaced by expensive, more flashy after market goodies. The intake manifold and stock fuel delivery system is not pretty, however I simply don't have the extra money to spend on a nice Pallnet fuel rail or a 280z intake.

 

 

Therefore, I am cleaning the current piping and replacing all rubber. 3/8 rubber will be used for the feed line while 5/16 rubber will be used for the return. The stock fuel pressure regulator is being removed and a fuel pressure gauge will be put in the same location on the stock fuel rails. I will use an aftermarket fuel pressure regulator mounted on the firewall earlier in the feedline. I figured that while using the stock fuel injectors and ECU, this is my best option for fuel management. As far as the intake itself goes, I am filing down all the unneccesary brackets and smoothing them out. While I know that I can made block off plates using aluminum, I am still searching for a way to cover all of the other unused vacuum holes that currently exist. Any suggestions?

 

 

Sorry for the sideways and excessively large photo, but these are the stock injectors after being removed and sprayed with intake/carb cleaner and some 409. All connections were cleaned as well. As mentioned above I will use these up until the time comes for NIStune when I will probably use a newer O-ring style of injector, possibly from a Toyota Supra or other easily available vehicle. As you can probably already assume, I am going the Z31 300zx ECU route for my engine management, considering it's effeciency, MAF sensor and compatibility with NIStune software (Keith recently purchased program rights to NIStune for his 240sx, therefore he can assist me in the tuning of my vehicle when the time comes ). So basically the build will go as follows:

 

L28ET BUILD

1982 L28ET with stock internals

Stock fuel rail with 3/8" feed and 5/16" return, 0-100 psi FP gauge and aftermarket FPR

260cc Fuel Injectors

Stock intake manifold cleaned up with unnecessary accessories removed and ported to match 60mm 240sx throttle body

Gasket overhaul set

Stock exhaust manifold cleaned and treated with flat black high temperature paint

Custom intake, intercooler and piping (no BOV so far)

300zx Z31 ECU and MAF

Oil cooler and possibly relocating oil filter to remote plate mounted on side of engine bay.

Rebuilt stock turbo (done by Keith and myself)

3" Exhaust & MSA downpipe

 

If anyone has an suggestions about this build list, your advice would be greatly appreciated. As you can see I have focused on the ECU, intercooler, exhaust and fuel delivery as my main priorities. This is because my first goal is to simply get the engine up and running while running as effeciently as possible stock. Once I have that foundation, I will have the freedom to do more intensive modifications. If I am as lucky and patient as in the past, I should be able to have all this done in the near future and still remain, dare I say, under budject as long as I stick to my habits of constantly browsing craigslist and Ebay until an opportunity presents itself.

 

 

 

A picture of the interior of my Z. Currently going through the process of re-wiring the entire harness. While tedious and challenging, it will be well worth the time and money in the long run. As you can see, or not dependent on how these pictures load, I have replaced the center console with a piece of dry carbon that will hold all of my toggle switches. These will control everything from ingnition to rear window defroster. Instead of using the stock fuse box, I decided to go with individual push-reset circuit breakers mounted above each toggle switch. Although the $200 investment seems steep, the Klixon circuit breakers I intend to use are very high quality and will make it much easy to isolate each component for future ease.

 

 

Lastly, the picture that captivates the motivation for this build. What initially began as an obsession with the Devil Z from the Wangan Midnight series (I hate to admit it, but it's true), developed into a need to create something both unique and personalized. My goal is to create a fun daily driver with a lot of racing influence doing into it's design. While attention may come with such a unique vehicle, only a few can truly appreciate the blood, sweat and beers that have gone into it's creation. This project also symbolizes my transformation from a teenager who liked fast cars but whose mechanical skills peaked at an oil change to an inquisitive student of tuning performance vehicles.

 

For those of you who have made it this far, I thank you for taking some time to read about myself and my project and hope that you got some joy out of sharing my experience with me. I would also like to thank the Hybridz community as a whole, considering that it is the Library of Alexandria when it comes to Z modifications and also is a good resource to use when you are feeling a lack of motivation (simply search Big Phil 280zturbo on YouTube and watch him spin his tires in the first 3 gears to get you back on track). With that being said, I hope to keep you updated. I just started winter break from my teaching credential, so I have a little over a month to work on my Z. I hope to have it at least up and running by the end of the break. With or without the L28ET installed depends on my commitment and my luck lurking through craigslist and junkyards.

Edited December 16, 2011 by Colin G.

[Tx1021]

Looks like you're off to a good start

[Dee]

Excellent project, you're on the the right track and seem to have your priorities in order. Question though where did you find that L28ET for so cheap? I've been looking all over L.A for one and haven't had any luck.

[Colin G.]

I am constantly searching craigslist for parts and try to make it a habit to capitalize on good opportunities. That was the case with my motor, which I managed to purchase from someone who was unfortunately going through a divorce, in need of money and desperate to sell. Just keep searching and be ready to take advantage of a deal when it presents itself. If you can't find a motor by itself, try your luck with guys parting out their 280zx's. Keep trying and you will eventually get lucky. Hope this was informative.

[Dee]

I am constantly searching craigslist for parts and try to make it a habit to capitalize on good opportunities. That was the case with my motor, which I managed to purchase from someone who was unfortunately going through a divorce, in need of money and desperate to sell. Just keep searching and be ready to take advantage of a deal when it presents itself. If you can't find a motor by itself, try your luck with guys parting out their 280zx's. Keep trying and you will eventually get lucky. Hope this was informative.

 

 

damn I was hoping that wasn't the guy you got yours from, I saw it earlier on CL and left a message but he didn't respond. It was advertised with the differential and engine stand too! You came up on a sweet deal! congrats. Just out of curiosity did you get the AFM/ECU and stuff too?

[sileightygx]

Good to see you are well motivated! Sounds like you have everything planned out well, and wish you best of luck. Keep us updated with how its going with your new L28ET

[GOTHALOSISM]

What steering wheel is that?

[Dee]

What steering wheel is that?

 

 

Looks like the 'Momo Mod 7' wheel.

[lowrider]

Its a Grant formula GT. First clue was the grant horn button and 5-bolt hub, Momo uses a 6-bolt pattern!

[Dee]

Its a Grant formula GT. First clue was the grant horn button and 5-bolt hub, Momo uses a 6-bolt pattern!

 

 

Doh! yea you're right I was looking at the picture of his buddies interior.

[Colin G.]

Dee:

 

To answer your question that was the same craigslist ad. I knew it was an opportunity I had to capitalize on so I arranged to pick the motor up as soon as I contacted him. I did receive a '82 turbo ECU, but no AFM. I am still searching for an engine harness as well as the AFM and some sensors that I'm missing. I also discovered that the MSA down pipe that I intended on purchasing was only 2.5" in diameter instead of the 3" I was looking for, therefore a different aftermarket/custom down pipe is also needed.

 

UPDATE:

 

I am currently in the process of stripping apart the engine and replacing all of the gaskets and repainting the block, exhaust manifold, heat shields etc. I finished removing the EGR nonsense on my intake and just have a few more block off plates to fabricate. I also removed the coolant lines running to the throttle body, seeing as they were rusted out and I don't find it necessary to operate. I also decided to stick with the stock 50mm TB considering that I already have a 280zx turbo ECU. So if anyone out there has a wiring harness they would like to get rid of, I am all ears.

 

I am currently stuck on removing the cylinder head thanks to my confusion of trying to get TDC on #1 cylinder without removing the front cover. However after further research or some assistance from Keith I shouldn't have a problem with it. Tonight I will most likely remove the oil pan and get that cleaned and painted before attempting to remove the cylinder head again.

 

I am very optimistic about my original goals of having the engine refreshed and rebuilt before I return to school for the final stage of my teaching credential. That is when all hell brakes loose and I begin working 35+ hours a week without pay, resulting in very limited time to work on my Z. Therefore I am trying to have the engine assembled and swapped into my car before the end of January, that way I will be left with wiring the vehicle which can be done with small work intervals at a time.

 

I will upload some more photos when I get a chance and, as always, I am grateful for any feedback, suggestions or recommendations related to getting a stock L28ET up and running.

 

-Wangan Zeto

[Colin G.]

Alright, so as promised here are some quick photos.

 

 

Here is the stock TB after removing the coolant accessories. The pocket and lines were filled with rust, causing me to worry about what the rest of the cooling system of the engine looks like. I intend to create a block off plate out of aluminum to fill that ugly void.

 

 

Next is my EGR manifold with a lot of the junk removed. In the process of plugging some of those wholes and making another block off plate for where the EGR canister previously was at the back of the intake. I am leaving a few of the stock accessories, including a valve which releases pressure during shifting and a back-up valve that will open if boost exceeds ~9 PSI. The reason for keeping these items are because of the fact that I am running a stock engine without a BOV. I felt that with the small stock turbo, the lack of a BOV would reduce the turbo spooling lag in between shifts.

 

 

Now on to the timing situation. Here is what I believe to be TDC on cylinder one. The main reason for my confusion earlier was the Haynes jargon, but after some observation I believe I figured it out. I have the #1 timing position on the cam gear in the center of the shiny chain link. The #1 dowel hole is aligned with the "cam thrust plate" timing notch. Am I at TDC on the first cylinder now?

 

 

Here is what the cam gear looks like, just another perspective of the alignment of the timing notches. Once again, if you are familiar with setting up timing, please let me know if this appears to be TDC to you.

 

 

Cam lobes in the rabbit ear position. After a visual inspection and viewing into the side of the cylinder head I believe that both valves are sealed.

 

 

 

 

Today I primered and painted my valve cover and motor mounts. I also baked my exhaust manifold and intake heat shield: 30 minutes at 200 degrees, 30 minutes at 400 degrees and 45 minutes at 500 degrees. All in all I think they came out nice, but time will tell if the good looks will hold up. If I my timing is all in order, I will move on to removing the cylinder head and oil pan before cleaning and painting the block. Once the block is painted, reconstruction will begin using a full gasket set from Northern Auto.

 

More updates will come, but in the meantime it is time to clean up and get ready for the evenings festivities.

 

Happy New Years Hybridz Members!

 

 

-Wangan Zeto

[Colin G.]

Finished sanding the valve cover and painting the block. I think it looks great. You can never have too much black, right? Anyway, following the painting I reattached the motor mounts and the alternator. Loosely sat the valve cover on top just to get an idea of how it would look. Now just waiting anxiously for my gaskets...

 

 

First off, this was how the block looked before painting:

 

 

Valve cover after being sanded down, primered, painted and sanded with 100, 400 and 600 grit sand paper to polish lettering and border:

 

 

Lastly, the finished product. Once I get those gaskets and I put everything back together and start getting ready to swap it in.

 

 

Now back to sourcing a fuel pump, fuel pressure gauge and adjustable regulator, AFM, wiring harness, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera....

 

Bye bye Christmas money

[turboHLS30]

Nice build, I kinda went through the same motor problem as you did. I started of with a triple carb'd turbo'd L24, then a 2jz, then a L28et, and now I got so tired of not making up my mind, so I'm running a built L24 with SU's and a header lol. Good luck with the build, and amazing Z

[Colin G.]

I started of with a triple carb'd turbo'd L24, then a 2jz, then a L28et, and now I got so tired of not making up my mind, so I'm running a built L24 with SU's and a header lol. Good luck with the build, and amazing Z

 

Seems like you went from extremely complicated and difficult (triple carbed turbo) and began to work your way back to simplicity (L24 with SU's). I envy you for trying the triple carb turbo, simply because of how bad ass it is. But im assuming it was an expensive experience given the cost of triple carbs, HKS surge tank/custom intake, turbo etc. Did you have any issues with the motor mounts switching back and forth from a 2jz and an L series? Lastly, what made you decide on switching the L28et for the L24 and do you miss not being boosted?

 

 

PROGRESS

 

Yesterday I had the joy of removing the oil pan. Never before had my wrist been so sore after removing so many bolts! After enjoying a PBR (Pabst Blue Ribbon a.k.a. project fuel) while "icing" my wrist, I cleaned the pan and sprayed it with some hammered colored paint. I figured it would be overkill to go with black again and it ended up resulting in a nice balance between black and metallic coloring. While doing this I also removed the...where's my Haynes manual...ah yes, the oil strainer; rinsing out all of the little pieces of gunk that had built up in the filter and giving it a good soak in degreaser.

 

 

Next I tried to do a little wiring, seeing as my car is still electrically gutted except for the radiator fan (which ironically I will have to redo anyway when I replace the current setup with a new radiator that comes with dual cooling fans). I focused mainly on the placement of the bracket that will hold my low/high beam headlight relays. I decided to use my '82 turbo ECU that will eventually be mounted to make sure that I had the ideal location for both. This is what I came up with:

 

 

Has anyone else mounted their ECU on the side instead of directly on the firewall? Is this a good spot or will I run into issues when I install the wiring harness? I would figure it out for myself, except I am still saving for an engine harness (pathetic, I know, but my life as a coach results in a meager budjet).

 

Next comes the timing issue. As mentioned before I wanted to remove the cylinder head so that I could replace the head gasket. After my last attempt, I went through again and managed to align the timing marks on the crankshaft pulley with the "0" mark on the timing plate as seen below.

 

 

When this was achieved, I also noticed that the #1 dowel hole on the camshaft gear/sprocket was aligned with the mark in the camshaft thrust plate. However, the brass chain link lines up with the #2 mark on the outer periphery of the cam gear. The camshaft itself has both lobes pointing upwards on the first cylinder and the rocker arms are loose enough to be wiggled side to side, leading me to believe that the first cylinder is at TDC.

 

 

So is it irrelevant that the brass link is aligned with the #2 mark of the outer periphery as long as I make sure that it is in the same position when I reinstall the head? If so, then I should be able to just remove the camshaft gear, remove the cylinder head bolts and remove the cylinder head.

 

This is where I need your help fellow Hybridz members! Am I on the right track or am I risking offsetting my timing? If the later is the case, then should I even bother replacing the stock head gasket given that I will be running the motor as stock?

 

Seeing as I'd hate to leave those of you kind enough to read these posts in the same suspenseful state as I currently am in, here is a look ahead of the color scheme I am thinking of going with. It is close to the original paint my car came with, therefore I find that it is both a restoration and a tribute to the cars original state that ties into my overall objective of having a Z with classic styling with modern performance enhancements.

 

[turboHLS30]

You're going to envy me even more, because I got the triples and Cartech turbo kit for free with a '72 240z that I also got for free Then I sold everything for ~$2,000 and then that's when the 2jz idea came along. I got a 2jz an W58 trans for free, then I realized it was way out of my budget (like you). Then that's when I wanted to get a L28et, instead I made a L28et intake fit the L24. Then I got burnt out on that and just bought carbs and a header and it should be running soon. This is all over a course of 4 years. I never even got to put the 2nd in before I changed my mind. The only boosted car I've ever driven was a '94 Supra and I fell in love. I was young and reckless then and now I've got my head on straight and know what I want to do. If I wasn't so young and reckless when I first started (I was 14 when I got my first Z) I would have turbo'd the L28 that was in my 280z and called it a day. Now I've sold all of my valuable turbo goodies and I'm back at the beginning

[Gollum]

Considering where you started and what got you into zcars I'd say you're doing rather well.

 

Rewiring from scratch is a daunting endeavor and I understand the pain involved. Rest assured, you seem to have your head on straight. I love that you're going with circuit breakers btw. I've wanted to so the same thing but have been looking for a more economical solution. I'll be following for sure. Keep it up.

[Colin G.]

Running out of time with still so much to do! Here is how the engine is currently looking now that it is reassembled. I still need a couple of various rubber tubes, as well as a fuel pressure gauge for my stock fuel rail as well as a fuel pressure regulator. Will update with photos of the modified stock rail once it is completed.

 

[Colin G.]

Considering where you started and what got you into zcars I'd say you're doing rather well.

 

Just going over this thread and couldn't help but laugh at this after a re-read. I assume you're refering to the Wangan Midnight crowd when you say "what got you into zcars." While that is indeed where I first came across the 240z, rest assured that I am not a 17 year old that intends on having a midnight blue replica. In fact I am beginning to become more and more annoyed by those who make similar comments on turbo'd Z videos, including "OooooHHHOOOoooo, ItS tHe DeViL Z!" or "nice 240z, but paint it blue already like the one from Wangan midnight." While at one point I may have been as excited and ignorant as the authors of those same comments, my intentions for this project are to create something that pays homage to the original Datsun while giving it an upgrade in certain areas (i.e. L28et, rear discs, LSD and eventually custom coilovers). More importantly this project is a journey though which I will invest a piece of me into my vehicle, which I am beginning to view as a living entity itself. All of the effort and commitment I have put in so far has resulted in a solid foundation to build upon, and while I am upset with the fact that my car is still sitting and not running, I have realized that it will pay off in the end with a classic vehicle that is unprecidented on the freeway.

 

As far as the progress so far, the turbo motor is semi-complete (still waiting on the funds for wiring harness, AFM, distributor cap/wires, turbo wastegate actuator, et cetera). Have yet to really complete the wiring, other than mounting headlight relays to firewall and creating labels for all of the toggle switches (oh what progress ). But then again, I started my student teaching this previous week and am averaging about 9 hours of work a day without homework included, not to mention the 14 hour days on Wednesday (teaching in the morning with class in the evenings). Because of this hectic schedule I have had little time and motivation to work. But hopefully I will get some progress made over Spring break, otherwise it looks like the project is on hold until summer time rolls around.

[Pharaohabq]

Hey Colin G, Any Updates?