RB efi system retrofitted on a L28ET ?

[spiff]

Just out of curiosity, I remembered reading about a Z18ET with a CA18DET efi system (http://www.ozdat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=27957&hilit=ca18det+cas) so i was thinking if maybe the efi system off a rb25det could be retrofitted to a L28ET?

The CA and RB engines are basically the same right? And there are similarities between the Z engine and the L engine...

One would need the CAS, the maf, coilpacks with ptu, tps or the whole throttlebody for that matter, an o2 sensor.... anything else ?

 

If anybody wonders why i'm thinking this way it's because I'm looking for cheaper alternatives to a full standalone engine management, plus I like the challenge of doing somthing not commonly done. I'm not saying that a complete rb efi setup plus nistune will be cheaper than a aftermarket system but it doesn't hurt to check it out I think.

I know some people swap the ecu on the L28ET for a Z31 unit and swap the CAS disk from the VG dizzy into the L dizzy, but I have a eurospec L28ET which is about the dumbest thing around and is fuel only with no cas or any sort of ignition controll...

That means for the Z31 conversion I would need to get a hold of a complete Z31 efi setup also, which I can't find, but RB parts and wiring are easier found I see on ebay f.ex... 

[Bernardd]

I run a z32 ecu on my L28ET.  Works very well.  You have to fit the z32 cas to the distributor shaft buy drilling a hole in the L28 mounting plate and setup the cas inside the turbo distributor.  The rb ecu would be very similar.  

[spiff]

cool, I would love to hear more about this if you would elaborate a little bit ?

 

Do you have any pictures of this setup?

 

Have you done anything else to the wiring harness, what wiring harness are you using?

Are you using the stock maf or the z32 one?

 

The Z32 is a coil-on-plug type ignition, are you also using this ?

[Bernardd]

I grafted the z32 plug onto the stock L28ET harness.  I had to add some wiring for the coils and I'm using the stock z32 maf with 680cc injectors.  The coils are msd blaster ss.  

 

[spiff]

I see, I would probably have to ADD stuff to my wiring harness if doing such a thing, or find a used Rb or VG harness to hack up.

 

Did you have to flip the disc inside the cas for it to work properly on the L28 or does the stock VG CAS spin the "right" way stock?

If you are using non-oem coils are you controlling them by using the wires that would have gone to the PTU to trigger the coils?

What about firing order, both ignition and injectors, i see on the web the VG firing order is 123456, did you just rearrange the ignition and injector wiring to suit the L28's 153624 firing order?

[Bernardd]

Used RB harness would work the best.  Probably wouldn't need to change much if anything.  The stock vg cas goes against the cyl head.  The side to the cyl head now goes down onto the dist shaft.  You are correct about the firing order.  And I still use the vg ptu to fire the coils.  

[spiff]

Yes, I know how it mounts I was more curious if you had modified the internals of the CAS in anyway, like the CA18DET cam spins clockwise whereas the the Z18DET distributor shaft spins counterclokwise(and so the L-engine to right?) and therefore the disc inside the cas must be flipped for it to provide a normal signal if used on a Z or L engine.

Did you have to do this or does the VG engine spin counterclockwise?

[Bernardd]

Disc doesn't need to be flipped.

[spiff]

Ok thanks, what about idling, do you use the stock idle control or have you fitted the aac valve or something so the ecu controls idle?

[Bernardd]

I use the throttle stop screw.  I've used that since the 90's. 

[spiff]

Hehe, yeah that works too  

 

I have a friend who might be willing to sell me all the stuff on the cyl.head like coils plus ptu, cas, throttlebody with tps sensor and the maf... then I would only need the ecu, an o2 sensor and the wiring loom and that should be enough to get it running? Or am I missing something else?

Except injectors and temperaturesensors but I already have that on my car... 

[Bernardd]

That should cover everything.  I have never run an o2 other than a wideband on mine.  We don't have emissions testing here.

[spiff]

But won't the ecu throw a fault code and run in limp mode if it's not getting an o2 input? Or are you using a wideband with a simulated narrowband outbput?

[Bernardd]

You can turn off the feedback from the o2 in nistune in a number of ways.  

[spiff]

Offcourse, but I thought you only disabled it for tuning purposes. But if it can be left off to run in open loop without O2 feedback that sounds great