Turbo Meister Posted November 26, 2003 Author Share Posted November 26, 2003 Hanns' date=' see my post about my radiator setup and experience in the double-pass radiators discussion in the High Tech forum.[/quote']Scottie, I was quite impressed with the engine setup in your Z. If the Griffin radiator works with your turbo, it should be better than the stock radiator in my Z. It looks like the upper radiator hose inlet is in the same position as the stock one. Is the lower hose also in the same position as the stock radiator? My passenger side turbo downpipe does not allow much room for adjustment in this regard. Is the Griffin radiator mounted with a JTR bracket or otherwise? Thanks for the info. Hanns Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay1970Z Posted November 26, 2003 Share Posted November 26, 2003 Beautiful car Hanns, great job on everything, it looks spectacular! I love how you accentuate the "Street Legal" part . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueovalz Posted November 26, 2003 Share Posted November 26, 2003 Very nice indeed. A twin turbo carb motor with respectable boost! Thanks so much for sharing the information on this Z. This is something I see myself doing once I'm finished painting my primer queen. It's especially nice to see the sanitary job you've done without using a hatchet to gain the necessary clearance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbo Meister Posted November 27, 2003 Author Share Posted November 27, 2003 Beautiful car Hanns, great job on everything, it looks spectacular! I love how you accentuate the "Street Legal" part .Jay,Thanks for the compliment. My Z doesn't have a hoodscoop and I wish I wouldn't have to have a rollcage so that it could be even more of a sleeper. But NHRA requires the safety equipment for my quarter mile times. While cruising on the street, a few times I noticed high performance cars behind me, that for some strange reason refused to pull alongside or pass my Z. Hanns Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbo Meister Posted November 27, 2003 Author Share Posted November 27, 2003 Very nice indeed. A twin turbo carb motor with respectable boost! Thanks so much for sharing the information on this Z. This is something I see myself doing once I'm finished painting my primer queen. It's especially nice to see the sanitary job you've done without using a hatchet to gain the necessary clearance.Terry,Thanks for the comments. Although much of my turbo system is rather primitive and homemade compared to the sophisticated turbo systems available nowadays, I'm pleased with the way things turned out and hope other hybridZ members will be encouraged to build similar systems. By the way, the mere planning of system component placement took longer than the fabrication and installation. Good luck on your turbo project, Hanns Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Les Derfler Posted November 27, 2003 Share Posted November 27, 2003 Wow!!! That is one nice job that you have done there! I have been looking over this site because I have decided to put a twin turbo 350 in my 280ZX. I was very pleased to see pictures of your car. I have a 383 chevy with twin turbo, forged crank, pistons and "H" beam rods, ported heads, turbo cam, ported performer RPM intake etc. in my Chevy pickup. I have no idea of the power output but I can well imagine that your engine would be insane in a light Z car. My p.u. has an intercooler and a lot of nice stuff but I have to admit that it is nowhere close to yours for looks... I am planning on putting my old motor from the pickup which has about 600hp intercooled , add a 5 speed behind it and put it into the Z car. I know that I might be dreaming but I hope to keep the independant rear suspension (with upgraded axles) for as long as I can as I really want it to handle, but will deal with it as I have to latter on. I have a sweet Turbo VG 510 with 5 speed that I enjoy but am looking forward to having a twin turbo Z . I really love my Datsun's Les Derfler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbo Meister Posted November 28, 2003 Author Share Posted November 28, 2003 Wow!!! That is one nice job that you have done there! I have been looking over this site because I have decided to put a twin turbo 350 in my 280ZX. I was very pleased to see pictures of your car. I have a 383 chevy with twin turbo' date=' forged crank, pistons and "H" beam rods, ported heads, turbo cam, ported performer RPM intake etc. in my Chevy pickup. I have no idea of the power output but I can well imagine that your engine would be insane in a light Z car. My p.u. has an intercooler and a lot of nice stuff but I have to admit that it is nowhere close to yours for looks... I am planning on putting my old motor from the pickup which has about 600hp intercooled , add a 5 speed behind it and put it into the Z car. I know that I might be dreaming but I hope to keep the independant rear suspension (with upgraded axles) for as long as I can as I really want it to handle, but will deal with it as I have to latter on. I have a sweet Turbo VG 510 with 5 speed that I enjoy but am looking forward to having a twin turbo Z . I really love my Datsun's Les Derfler[/quote']Les, Thanks for the compliments. Its great to hear from other Z owners who are planning similar installs to mine. This will be a challenge for you because you will be moving your turbo system from a large engine compartment to a much smaller one. But with patience and planning it can be done. I gave up the superior handling of the independent rear for the security of a Ford 9 inch rear because I regularly drag race my Z. However, if yours will only be a streeter you should have no problems. Don't you just love the incredible torque your TTv8 produces? Hanns Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaparral2f Posted November 28, 2003 Share Posted November 28, 2003 Welcome to the group. What an awesome car. How long did you spend building monster? The best part is that the rest of the car is as clean as the engine room. Nice to see that white hair.(Unless of course you're only 23 and it turned white the first time you stood on the go pedal! ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Les Derfler Posted November 28, 2003 Share Posted November 28, 2003 When I first started playing with boost I stuck a paxton supercharger on a stock small block chevy and ran 5-6 psi and it was fun! It might have added 50-70 hp but it was enough to make a big difference and I was hooked. Problem is that those old paxton's were junk and it cost me a lot of $$$ for the few miles that it lasted... So I bought Hugh McInneses book and began studying. I found a new Gale Banks twin turbo kit that had never been installed and grabbed it for $1500.00 and I have been playing ever since. My next step was figuring out "how do they get those big H.P figures that you read about ?" I eventually built an engine with "major" porting a lot of good parts in it. I have been into performance vehicles all of my life and have owned 3 VG Vegas, one with a mean 427, a 69 Elcamino with a built up 375/396 with amazing torque, have built many other cars for customers but I have "Never" experienced anything like this. The engine that you described should pump out 600- 800 hp ( depending upon porting and intercooler )as does mine, and I have no idea what something like that will do in a light car like yours. As a result of seeing your car I drug my 280ZX into the shop yesterday and have started on it. I will be using the stock cast bottom 350 end with ported "vortec" heads , Performer rpm. intake, large intercooler and will run around 8-10 psi of boost and expect to run 500-600 hp. I drove my pu that way for a couple of years with no problems. Besides for now I have a stock Camaro 5 speed ( I love a 5 speed in a sports car ) and don't want to trash it too quickly so I won't be shifting very hard. I will however enjoy that massive touque that you can only experience... not explain I guess I will take some pictures as I go. If anyone is interested I have a nice picture of my VGturbo 510 that I could post for now. It is kind of sweet. You have a great car and thanks for sharing it with us. Les Derfler 510 Funatic! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbo Meister Posted November 29, 2003 Author Share Posted November 29, 2003 Welcome to the group. What an awesome car. How long did you spend building monster? The best part is that the rest of the car is as clean as the engine room. Nice to see that white hair.(Unless of course you're only 23 and it turned white the first time you stood on the go pedal! )Thanks for the compliments. It took 18 months to build the Z in Naturally Aspirated form. I had it down to a bare shell so I could remove all insulation, rust and dirt. The engine compartment required plugging up 64 miscellaneous holes, alone. When I upgraded to the turbos it took another 3 month for the fabrication and installation. I have been cruising with, and racing the Z for a little over one year. Unfortunately, my white hair came naturally with age. But the first time I punched the turboed Z is a moment I will never forget. The thrust of the turbos planted me so hard into the seat that it felt like someone hit me in the chest with a sledgehammer. I couldn't even reach the shifter to go into second gear until I released the gas pedal. Turbos are fun! Hanns Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silicone boy Posted December 1, 2003 Share Posted December 1, 2003 But the first time I punched the turboed Z is a moment I will never forget. The thrust of the turbos planted me so hard into the seat that it felt like someone hit me in the chest with a sledgehammer. I couldn't even reach the shifter to go into second gear until I released the gas pedal. Turbos are fun! OOOOOH! Gives me shivers down my spine just reading this. I can't wait. I just dropped the 383 in my car and I just hooked up the driveshaft just an hour ago. The next step is to hook up the turbos and plumb the exhaust. It's going to take a bit of work, but I'm persistent and it shouldn't take too long. I have a question for you Hanns. I heard you made your manifolds out of square tubing. I'm thinking of something along those lines. I have tried a boatload of stock manifolds and even found a "cheap" set of stainless steel turbo headers on EBay (I hope this ends up working, but I'm skeptical). Nothing has been entirely satifactory. Square tubing seems to make sense to me. After all, it is easy to work with assemble headers from. Besides, who says all header tubing has to be round? It seems to me that square tubing would give a little more area for exhaust to flow. What are your thoughts about this, and do you have pictures? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbo Meister Posted December 1, 2003 Author Share Posted December 1, 2003 Glad to hear you are getting close to completion with you own 383 TT project. I have photos of my manifolds but I have no means to post them. However, I can send you copies if you provide your address or location to mail them. I will describe them and maybe that will be sufficient for you if you want to duplicate them. Picture 1" long 1 3/4" round header stubs extending from each port of the cylinder head flange. Then weld on a 2.5", 3/16" thick, square tube. Close off one end of the square tube and weld a turbo mount flange on the other end. You will have to add a short section of square tube before the turbo mount flange depending on how you want to orient the turbos. It looks rather plain and simple and not as sophisticated as stainless steel equal length turbo headers. But I'm totally amazed at how much power such a simple item can create. Initially, I built my prototype manifold out of PVC round plastic pipe and wood flanges to test the location and orientation within the engine compartment. However, the welder wanted too much money to weld a 2.5" round steel tube to the header stubs because all the tubing would have to be fishmouthed. I then brought him the square tubing and the welding began. The manifolds are compact enough to provide plenty of clearance so as not to damage my paint from the heat, yet not require altering any portion of the engine compartment sheetmetal. And I don't need a big scoop or raised cowl induction hood. My scientific research on what dimension square tubing to use was based on what my local surplus metal store had. My turbos are actually too large for this engine, so if yours are smaller you could use a smaller diameter tube for even more engine bay clearance. Take your time and plan well where you want the turbos to be located and you will be satisfied with the results. Good luck Hanns Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silicone boy Posted December 1, 2003 Share Posted December 1, 2003 Hanns, That's pretty much what I imagined how you would build a manifold like that. It's simple, tucks in closely to the engine, and welds up easily without having to fishmouth round tubing. Sometimes the simplest is the best (actually it came to me in a dream, and I was pleased to hear that you had made one like I had imagined it) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 240Zduz10s Posted December 2, 2003 Share Posted December 2, 2003 wowzers.. i remember that car from a while back.. i have a question about turbos and carbs... .. do you have any problems with running boost through it.? what mods are necessary to the carb ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbo Meister Posted December 4, 2003 Author Share Posted December 4, 2003 wowzers.. i remember that car from a while back.. i have a question about turbos and carbs... .. do you have any problems with running boost through it.? what mods are necessary to the carb ? The only problem I have with the turbos is that they are too large for the 383 engine. As a result there is more lag than what I would like, but they are on loan to me from a friend, so I can't complain. Also I dont need wastegates because max boost is only 15/17 psi. I recently discovered that my Greddy R Blow Off Valve had been leaking boost all along causing max boost to only reach 10 psi. My drag racing has been limited to running the 1/8 mile at Irwindale Raceway since discovering the additional boost, but my times during the summer have been in the 6.30's @ 113 mph through the mufflers. On the street the Z runs on 91 octane without problems since I generally control myself.The homemade carb enclosure works very well and minimizes the modifications necessary for the carb. On the other hand it takes me 20 minutes to remove, rejet and replace the carb in the box. I cut the carb's choke housing off, installed nitrophyl floats, and greatly increased the jetting. I don't have an intercooler but there is lots of CFM flow due to the short distance between the compressors and the carb. I modified my fuel pressure regulator by drilling and tapping a pressurized line into it from the box. This automatically increases the fuel pressure pound for pound with boost. Preconfigured fuel pressure regulators are available but I modified mine and saved $150. I'll run the Z next spring in the quarter mile with the increased boost pressure to see how much faster my times have become. I will probably get kicked out again for driving under 10 seconds without a competition license and chassis certification. Hanns Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jersey Posted December 4, 2003 Share Posted December 4, 2003 Damn Hanns, i wish i would get kicked off of a track for a reason like that with my Z Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest znow white Posted December 4, 2003 Share Posted December 4, 2003 Hanns you have a monster off a car!!! And street legal can you elaborate (sp?) on the I modified my fuel pressure regulator by drilling and tapping a pressurized line into it from the box. This automatically increases the fuel pressure pound for pound with boost. Preconfigured fuel pressure regulators are available but I modified mine and saved $150. Can this be done on EFI turbo 280zx Because the air box would act like the intake right? Can you tap from the intake to FPR through one of the many holes to choose from p90 intake? Id like to save $ 150 (but thats lond days a way just like to know if I can score on this deal heheh ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbo Meister Posted December 5, 2003 Author Share Posted December 5, 2003 Znow white, Thanks for the comments. Honestly, I am not familiar with the FI components on Z's, but basically any boost pressure applied to a fuel pressure regulator's diaphragm should cause that unit to respond and increase the pressure. However, your regulator or your fuel pump ( in my case ) requires a means to return unused fuel back to the tank. So, when I'm cruising on the street the pump sends 7 1/2 psi to the regulator and carb, bypassing most of the pressure back to the tank. At the dragstrip, at 15 psi boost, the regulator opens up and allows fuel at 22 1/2 psi to enter the carb. At that time little or no fuel is allowed to be bypassed back into the tank by the regulator. If your system functions in a similar manner then any plenum or other component registering boost should be able to send a boost signal. If my explanation doesn't help, the fuel forum, here, will surely have an answer. I agree with you, don't spend money on something if you can modify a part you already have. Hanns Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbo Meister Posted December 5, 2003 Author Share Posted December 5, 2003 Damn Hanns, i wish i would get kicked off of a track for a reason like that with my Z Jersey,Yes, but sometimes it gets to be a pain when the tech staff nitpicks my Z because they know its potential. And then they pass a car thats held together by baling wire. I have even had them pull my Z out of the return road line and reinspect it at "street legal" events. My Irwindale dragstrip 1/8 mile times have lately been the "equivalent" of high 9 seconds at over 140 mph at 1/4 mile strips. But the tech staff realizes I have a well engineered and safe car and have, not yet, kicked me out. That's why Irwindale is fun. Hanns Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cable Posted November 18, 2004 Share Posted November 18, 2004 My Irwindale dragstrip 1/8 mile times have lately been the "equivalent" of high 9 seconds at over 140 mph at 1/4 mile strips. Hanns That's my total goal, a 9 second street car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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