Guest Swishsam Posted July 21, 2003 Share Posted July 21, 2003 Hi there, my name is Sam. I have been closely following this forum and using the search function but it doesnt seem to answer my questions specifically, so I am going to post here for some help. First of all, in general, what is a Z31? Is that the stock turbo from a 280ZX? Is the 280ZX Engine Carbuerated? Secondly, how easy is it to swap a 280ZX Engine into a 240Z? Would you guys suggest I do that for saving the weight? Do the 280Z have 4 seats? To achieve 300hp from the stock ZX engine, then basically I have read that the injectors just have to be changed. THen i Can up the boost on the stock turbo? What kind of numbers quarter mile would a 300hp 280ZX run? Finally, the 280ZX engine, if rebuilt how many hp would you guys say it can handle comfortably without sacrificing reliablity? And in terms of performance for money value, is a V8 option better than keeping the old motor? THANKS very much. If anyone has MSN feel free to add me as I have lots of questions, at Swishsam_and1@hotmail.com I live in Vancouver as well, so id love to talk to people who are in my area with Z's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drax240z Posted July 21, 2003 Share Posted July 21, 2003 Hey Sam, I'm just across the water from you on Vancouver Island. Welcome! I'll go through a few things: S30 = any early (70-78) Z car, their vin numbers start with HLS30. Z31 = 84-89 1st generation 300zx Z32 = 90-96 2nd generation 300zx From 75-96 all Z's were fuel injected. 280zx into a 240z is a bolt in, and if you are comfortable with tracing wires then it shouldn't be a problem. I believe the 280zx engine wiring harness is independant from the rest of the car, so it could be swapped over as well. From 74-83 there were 2 seaters made, as well as 2+2's with 4 seats. Weight savings: buy a 240z instead of a 260 or 280z. It would be possible to get nearly 300hp out of a stock 280zx with an intercooler and some inexpensive mods. (and upgraded injectors) A 300hp 280zx could likely run low to mid 13's. Any increase in power output will sacrifice reliability and engine life. With that said, I think you could run with a 300hp 280zx engine and get 100,000km+ from it if you had good fuel control and took care of it. For performance per $$$, I'd say for under 300hp the L6 turbo is better, over 300hp the V8 becomes better for hp/dollar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Swishsam Posted July 21, 2003 Share Posted July 21, 2003 Wow, crazy thanks for all the answers. That was quick and efficient. Where do you race on Vancouver Island? What does your car look like? DO you have a website?> What is a L6 Turbo? Will the 240Z frame handle about 300 hp from the 280ZX engine? Do you know of any 240Z frames someone is selling for cheap anywhere right now? Do you have msn? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
80LS1T Posted July 21, 2003 Share Posted July 21, 2003 An L6 is the engine(straight 6) in the 1970-1983(L28E/L28ET are all basically L6's) In 1984 they went to a V-6 design. So when someone says L6 Turbo all they mean is they have an L6 engine with a Turbo Charger on it. Now can a 240Z handle 300HP@ the flywheel? I say yes with a few basic mods...Triangulated front strut bars and a rear strut bar or a 4 point roll bar. If you go more than 300HP@ the flywheel then I would consider subframe connectors for sure and possibly a rollcage. Guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Swishsam Posted July 21, 2003 Share Posted July 21, 2003 Okay sounds good. Now, you guys are knowledagable, so forgive me but I may as well as some more questions. HP rated at the flywheel and at the tires and whatever other forms there will also be... Which one is the one most often quoted? Is the flywheel quote the most conservative? And in terms of the L6 engine, how much would you say it would cost for me to strengthen it up in order to throw an aftermarket turbo on it? Or, do you think the Z31 turbo would be good to run more than 300 hp. Now that I think about it, i would rather have the surge of boost rather than the torque that a V8 would provide. Does the Z31 engine rev high too?. It sounds like the Nissan engine is a lot easier to put in as well, and will yield better gas mileage. Does this all sound about right to you guys? What will be some troubles I will run into when doing the Z31 swap? Also, what is it that when modified will allow me to increase the RPMS of an engine? As you can see, I know a little about this project and have been doing some extensive reading on it this past week. Please fill me in where I am not solid. THANKS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
80LS1T Posted July 21, 2003 Share Posted July 21, 2003 I think most guys quote HP@ the flywheel because it makes it sound like their car is more beefed up! Like me I always say I have 400HP because I dont know what I have yet because I havent had it on a chassi dyno. Most guys have some idea of what their engine will put out as far as HP. Now are you going to do a Z31 engine swap or a 280ZXT(L28ET) swap? I thought you wanted the easiest to install? If so then the L28ET(280ZXT engine) will be the easiest to swap with the most HP. Guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Swishsam Posted July 21, 2003 Share Posted July 21, 2003 No I do want a L28 then. Its just the Z31 turbo I will taking i guess if it will be willing to flow more than 300 hp with the intercooler etc. Would you guys recommend a bigger aftermarket turbo? Or will the Z31 be enough? I want crazy straight line speed without sacrificing the handling. In terms of horsepower I wont want or need more than 400. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drax240z Posted July 21, 2003 Share Posted July 21, 2003 My webpage can be accessed by clicking www at the bottom of my posts, ditto for MSN. Around here we usually talk abour rear wheel hp (RWHP) instead of flywheel hp. rwhp is typically about 15-20% less than flywheel horsepower, from drivetrain losses. So a 300flywheel hp engine probably only puts down about 240hp at the rear wheels. 280zx's from 81-83 came with a factory turbo option on an L6 engine. 300zx's from 84-89 came with a factory turbo option on a V6 engine. The 81-83 is basically a bolt in to the earlier Z's, the V6 is definately NOT a bolt in, but it has been done. So grab a 81-83 turbo engine and all the parts are there that you need. There is a bit of a misconception about turbo engines not producing torque. Quite the opposite is true! One guy here recently had his L6 turbo engine dyno'd at ~300rwhp and 410+ lbs-ft of torque! Also, the stock L6 turbo engine put out maximum torque at a very respectable 2800rpm. Milage will be significantly better with the L6 turbo/EFI option if you keep your foot out of it. If you are floored all the time, milage would be only slightly better than a V8 setup. (turbos are great in that it is more or less power on demand, so if you don't demand it, the car can go into economy mode) Z31 swap will mean cutting inner fenders, possibly custom manifolds, making your own engine brackets, it isn't for the faint of heart. As for increasing RPM, there is no magic item that you can change to allow an engine rev higher, though a cam designed for higher revs will help it breathe better up high. You really don't need high revs to make a lot of power with a turbo engine. (as demonstrated by the L6 torque peak at 2800rpm) Keep reading, keep using the search function. Most if not all of these questions have been asked and answered before. Lots of info on http://www.zhome.com, http://www.zdriver.com, http://www.zcar.com as well that might help you with the specifics of each different model of Z. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Swishsam Posted July 21, 2003 Share Posted July 21, 2003 Okay I added you to my msn. Other than that, thanks for all your help guys. Ill post here if I have any more questions. THANKS again, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest silverbullet Posted July 21, 2003 Share Posted July 21, 2003 One guy here recently had his L6 turbo engine dyno'd at ~300rwhp and 410+ lbs-ft of torque! Drax240z, do you happen to remember who this was and/or the particular post? I am curious as to what this engine consisted of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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