280z project while 5022 miles away

[RainyZ]

Hey everybody,

I am currently stationed in Okinawa Japan for the next 3-4 years. I bought my 280z in Mississippi while I was at MOS school. I then attempted to drive it home to Seattle... But just short of making it home the engine ceased up. So I towed it to my parents house where it is in the garage awaiting my return.

So now you know the story, and now I'm here asking what can I do to get ready to strip apart the car and put in a l28et? What should I read and learn while I'm over here to make the engine swap enjoyable and not to stressful (it'll still be stressful). I'm also interested to know what any of you would do if you were in my position, how would you do it?

Thank you for any replies, I hope to get to know you all with time. Take care and Semper Fi.

[9rider]

Start reading by type in search : l28et swap; strip car; etc..etc.. 

For your question about what can you do to get ready, my question is: what can you do? Any mechanic background, welding, turning, swapping, etc..

[Pharaohabq]

I'd download the FSM for the S30 and for the S130 and familiarize myself with all the wiring.  Really really familiar, then when you see the threads talking about plugs 1 2 and 3 , then you'll know what they're talking about.   It's really not too hard a swap, but you'll need to know what to grab from the donor and what you don't need.  Make notes, print stuff out. Use dropbox.com or something to keep your files since you don't know where you're going to be over the next few years.  From there, soon as you get back, you can procure a donor and get to work.

[seattlejester]

Find a local friend , where abouts were you located?

 

Best thing would be to modularize. As pharaohabq suggested, get very familiar with both fsm's and divide the tasks into modules and skill groups you can read up to learn up on. That way when you return you can just take on one module at a time.

 

Like so:

 

Task: Fitting the motor

Summary: The l28et motor will physically fit into the engine bay, will need a way to remove old engine and install new engine

Skills needed: how to tighten and torque bolts

Tools needed: Engine crane, leveler, possible some wood blocks, hand tools, torque wrench.

Considerations: Mark where the bolts sit when removing hood to ensure accurate fitment. Drain and remove radiator to allow extra clearance. Will need an adequate space to raise crane to remove and install engine, check garage beams, may have to source new mounts to replace old worn mounts. May have to have car up on blocks so crane can come out once engine compresses suspension. Make sure to keep 280z engine mounts as 280zx engine mounts sit differently.

 

More complex example

 

Task: Wiring 

Summary: Wiring L28et engine into 280z harness

Skills needed: literacy with a multimeter, soldering, crimping, mapping

Tools needed: soldering iron, multimeter, FSM manual, hybridz l28et into early z car thread, extra wiring in variety of colors, crimps, long alligator clips

Considerations: May need to source new or tested backup bits, even the newest l28et is 30 years old, replacement ECCS, distributor, AFM, injectors, etc etc. Make sure to use a new battery to ensure good charge, make sure to keep battery above 12volts by using a charger if testing electricals for long periods of time. Before firing, ensure engine is in tdc as is distributor wheel and head. Make sure to crank engine without spark to cycle oil into engine and turbo.

 

Making such a list for each task or module you want to tackle will make the whole project seem very progressive. Having a list of problems that could go wrong ahead of time and the appropriate location to look for a solution will save you from panicking and waiting for help or asking questions that have already been answered.

[RainyZ]

Thanks for the feedback so far. The search bar has been helpful with other peoples swaps and other info. As for my background, most of my car knowledge came from working on my 63 studebaker so i like carbureted engines. This will be my first time doing a full on engine swap and working with a turbo. I'm going to take welding classes while I'm out here.

I will download that reference once I get home tonight. My weakest point is electrical, I just get confused with all the wires and relays and what not. So I need to read up on that for sure, I do have plenty of time.

So here's another personal question, once I get back I could buy a donor car or the engine with all the components I need or I could do a turn key crate engine. Which would you prefer to do?

Seattlejester I'm up north in lake Stevens. A local friend will be a great tool. I really like what you had to say with grouping the task, it makes the project look neat and laid out which I'm crazy about. I'm here to learn so all this is great. The biggest thing I want is to have everything planned out with a plan b and plan c, that way I don't have to come on here and bother people with a "why won't my engine work" so hopefully it doesn't come down to that and I can ask a more educated question. By the way I hope the weather is nice over there for the weekend lol

Edited November 21, 2013 by RainyZ

[Pharaohabq]

Well for a "crate engine" you'll be looking at a rebuilt one since they haven't made these engines in many many years. Companies like Rebello can certainly hook you up with an L28et that's tested tried and true, warranty included. But it'll cost ya!  The better solution is to source an 82' turbo and go from there, preferably running in the donor if at all possible.  That being said, they're becoming rare too, so whatever you can find is good, just make sure it's as complete as possible with harnesses, sensors and ECU.  Having the Donor will help emmensly, in that you can just move things over as a system and be able to label things as you go.  Look up the plugs 1, 2 and 3 and so you know what will need to be swapped.  There are few diagrams out there.

 

So yes, a donor is preferred, but a Turnkey is beautiful, with an ugly pricetag.

[RainyZ]

I found the website remanufactured.com they seem to have a good set up going. For a 90% complete engine with warranty it's about 2,400. Then they will include the wiring and the last 10% for some extra so not to bad considering some people are starting to want 1,000 just for the l28et with nothing else.

[Pharaohabq]

if you buy a remanufactured engine, a lot of time they're missing the accessories. The harness doesn't usually include the ECU.  It is still possible to find a complete donor for cheap.  With reman.com does it also include the exhaust, the turbo the rubber hoses? There's a lot of unknowns with both methods, just don't be in a rush to buy an engine, you've got time to look around. Especially since you won't get to work on it for years, long after any warranty is done.

[seattlejester]

It's dipping into freezing over here. Making working on cars a real chore.

 

2400 for a remanufactured motor with all the accessories isn't too bad at all. I would guess though that it is just for the long block, no manifolds/turbos/electrics etc. Piecing those pieces together might just pay for the donor car in the long run.

 

I've seen the ads for the l28et's over here and they are usually inflated without good reason. Unless it is exceptionally clean or built up a bit, they really shouldn't bee that high. You usually see the same ads up again and again. A few of the 280zx turbo's on the other hand I have seen anywhere from 200-700$, some even running! Getting a running car would be great since you can fix any potential problems to the driveline before swapping it into the car. 

 

Biggest advice is don't spend any money until your plan is complete to the last detail, and keep looking around. Who knows, you might find a screaming deal on something that shifts the direction of the whole project, especially being over in Japan.

 

Good luck!

[RainyZ]

Reman.com comes with the turbo but you are right and there are a lot of unknowns. Thankfully I do have a ton of time to look around and see what my options are. I can honestly say that I don't plan on buying anything until I'm either home or a few months before coming back.

 

I was on Craigslist last night for Seattle and Junkers are way more expensive compared to the east coast. Hopefully in the next 3-4 years prices don't spike upwards for these engines! But for right now I just need to set up my game plan and start studying Z knowledge. Thanks for your input and setting me up for success.