280zx and 300zx turbos

[280z-racer]

my question is this will a turbo from an 85 300zx bolt to the manifold from an 82 280zx turbo?

they are both T3 turbos right??

[R0N]

I believe they are exactly the same except that the z31 turbos are water cooled (coolant). They bolt right up and it's up to you to hook up the coolant lines, I would.

[Lockjaw]

They are the same, although the down pipes are different. I think thet are swappable though. The 300ZX turbo will also need to be reclocked to use it in a 280zx or earlier Z.

 

I had a 300 ZX water cooled turbo in my old 240 turbo and it was water cooled and I liked it. I took a plug right out of the side of the block behind the turbo and used a piece of pipe and some teflon tape there, and then t-d off the coolant line on the passenger side of the engine. Used regular old cast iron pipe from the hardware store and some rubber heater hose. Just tape the thing up good with teflon tape so it doesn't leak.

 

It wasn't the prettiest thing in the world, but it worked. I liked the 300 turbo better anyway. I thought the down pipe was much less restrictive since it did not have that abrupt bend that the 280 one does.

[Tony240ZT]

I'm running an `85 300ZX water cooled Turbo on my L24ET setup, swapped the back plate over from a 280ZX Turbo (which has the waste gate door), along with the waste gate accuator. Both turbos have the same specs AFAIK.

Actually any garrett T3 will swap over with ease. Ones with the T4 hybrid compressor may need to be spaced out a little to clear the ehxaust manifold.