Turbo build

[z-ya]

In your first post you said you didn't know a lot about engines. Now you are going to do a Megasquirt swap? Doing a Megasquirt swap is not easy, and even if you get lucky and you do everything correct from the start (which you probably won't), you will then have to tune it for the NA motor you have now.Tuning is best done on a dyno, but you can probably drive around town for a few years and get it running close to the way it runs with the stock ECU. This is a complete waste of time!

 

My suggestion is to swap the complete L28ET, harness, ECU, AFM, etc. Get that running well. You may actually be satisfied with the performance. You can run 10PSI with the stock setup, and it will be reliable, and fast. And, if you have problems, you can either fix it yourself using the factory service manual, or find an experienced mechanic to help you.

 

Then, if you decide to go whole hog on standalone EMS, cam, new turbo, etc, etc, you got a knowledge base to work with.

 

I have installed many Megasquirts, and other commercial standalone systems. It is not easy, and I hate to see people get over their head from the get go. It happens all the time.

 

Pete

[Boog]

Thanks for the input. I'm really trying to find a donor car at this point. It seems like the safest way to go. That way I get the power I want, with a little room to crank boost, with all the necessary parts needed. I can then swap them out with aftermarket stuff as I go, starting with a 100% 280zx setup. I have my eyes on a 280zx turbo, 1982, for 850. It is in good shape, except the owner says it starts for a minute or two and then dies. He thinks its clogged injectors, but from the sound of it there is something else wrong. Anyone have any ideas? For the price, I would love to jump on this.

[Gollum]

90% of running issues can be solved by going through the FSM checks one by one. It takes organization, and patients, but can be done with just some basic tools. Most problems are related to a bad electrical connection somewhere, which is an easy fix, just takes time to diagnose.

 

First time I went through the checks it took me about 2 hours really double checking everything since I wasn't completely sure what I was doing. Now I takes me about 30 minutes or less and I'm fairly confident in what I find.

 

Even if it runs for 2 minutes, it's definitely "okay". Odds are it's running find until it warms up. Could be a bad coolant temp sensor, wiring to it, or it could be a myriad of things affected by engine temperature. When the engine is cold it's a bit more forgiving and likely to run since the ECU isn't so picky and basically running "on the safe side".

[Boog]

Ok, so I talked to the guy on the phone about it. He says when he unplugs the temp sensor on the engine, it idles well but doesn't rev up, and still dies after a minute or two. When he unplugs it, it revs up, but still dies. He also said it was running on 4 cylinders when he got it, but didn't die. He said that two injectors were firing badly, and so when he pulled the engine to replace exhaust and intake manifolds, he replaced two of the injectors with other L series injectors (not turbo). I'm thinking the engine is dying from the sensor not working and causing it to run too lean and die. However, I think the engine would also benefit from new injectors (if he doesn't still have the old ones), or if he does have the old ones, I would just clean them out and test them properly. Any thoughts?

[Xnke]

It's a complete basket case of an engine; the PO has screwed with it and didn't get it running.

 

If you buy it, be prepared to go through one step at a time, in order, and fix everything you find IN ORDER.

 

Step one...check #1, page #1, of the FSM's diagnosis steps.

Step 2...

Step 3, problem found. FIX PROBLEM.

 

Go back to step 1.

 

Every time you find and fix a problem, GO BACK TO STEP ONE.

 

Don't just continue on, thinking that you found a problem on step 17, so all your past steps are still good. They may not be!

[br1zzl3]

I have a question about spark control with me 2 v3 main board. I'm assembling my own ms unit and am stuck. How do I build the spark control circuit to just use my dizzy for input? Do I build the vr circuit, or the hall/optical circuit. Any help would be awesome 

[Gollum]

Just build the VR circuit. That's how pretty much all MS units are set up. You can still put a Hall/Optical signal through that input. This was actually covered in a recent thread elsewhere on here...