Guest cardofclubs Posted July 29, 2006 Share Posted July 29, 2006 Hi im new here, heard about the forums from some email forum i get for z cars. anyways. i have a nice 280zx that im working on i just bought it prob 3 weeks ago. i have a 300zx that was handed down to me from family(loved the car) bu ti was rearended by my idiot friend in his rx 7 totalling it. But now to the point. My l28 in the 280 runs pretty good but im looking for more power. i have ordered a nice cold air induction kit from msa. and a aftermarket exhaust also. I figuered id get her breathing right before i go for alot more power. Now what are some nice modifications i can do to the l28 for power? i wanna bore and stroke it but that will have to wait a year. any fairly reasonable options for boltin on a lil more power? If i gut my catalytic converter will it really eliminate the back pressure and give me some more power? it is legal where i live i think becuse cars before 1990 dont have to pass emissions(here). Are there any modifications or parts i could swap out from my z31 to provide my 280 with more power? also are there any supercharger kits built for the l series? i was thinking about a turbo swap but im not sure. id rather run a supercharger.,,,any advice welcome:) thanks Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr_hunt Posted July 29, 2006 Share Posted July 29, 2006 Welcome, Turbo Boost does wonders for the smile on your face when the foot is on the gas. There is alot of info around here and knowledge in the members, but I'd guess turbo is going to be the way to go, probably the easiest and cheapest, but it depends on what you want to do with the car, what kind of shape the engine is in, what trans you have, etc, etc, etc. Alot of the folks have gone with the dodge hy35w turbo, do a search on that, there are alot of other turbo's that will work depending on what you want to do. You can PM members and ask questions or you can use the search function and get hours and hours of reading and information that way which is highly recommended if not mandatory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roger.svoboda Posted July 29, 2006 Share Posted July 29, 2006 I'd look around for a 280 turbo and do a swap. I bought a 81 for $450 and an 83 for $300. Just need to keep looking. Presently waiting for breathing room to put the 81 engine in an 83 N/A that is in really fine shape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naviathan Posted July 31, 2006 Share Posted July 31, 2006 Everyone here is going to say "go turbo". Personally I prefer a naturally aspirated engine over a forced induction any day. You're in NC, what part? I'm just outside of Jacksonville, if you're close enough I can give you a hand. There is one supercharger kit for the Z, but it's not cheap. Search this forum as there was a discussion about it a couple weeks ago. The biggest restriction on the L28 design is the intake setup. Second would be the fuel injection system. It's just old and outdated. That's where I'd start if I were you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Posted July 31, 2006 Share Posted July 31, 2006 Before you do anything you need to decide how much HP ou really want and what you're willing to spend to get it. That will be a factor of intended use of the car.. Is it going to be a daily driver where reliability is a major concern or primarily a track car? Are you looking for more than 200 HP? If so you will definitely have to either boost the engine or go with a different one. Decide ahead so you don't end up spending a lot of money on things you won't need later - like an aftermarket intake & exhaust if you end up doing an engine swap. Search this forum thoroughly with each idea you have and read what others have encountered. You'll find that if you are thinking about it someone here has probably already done it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naviathan Posted July 31, 2006 Share Posted July 31, 2006 B.S. You do not have go turbo or get another engine to get over 200HP. Where do you get this stuff? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
savageskaterkid Posted July 31, 2006 Share Posted July 31, 2006 I saw that remark as being odd too, but after thinkin of it, it doesn't seem like he meant that you'd need to take the L28 out, and put in a V8 or something. I think he was getting at, N/a bolt-ons won't get him over 200hp, or atleast very easily, maybe more of a get another L28 and build it with high compression pistons, stroke.....ect Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naviathan Posted July 31, 2006 Share Posted July 31, 2006 I saw that remark as being odd too, but after thinkin of it, it doesn't seem like he meant that you'd need to take the L28 out, and put in a V8 or something. I think he was getting at, N/a bolt-ons won't get him over 200hp, or atleast very easily, maybe more of a get another L28 and build it with high compression pistons, stroke.....ect If that's the case then yes he's right, but to go turbo on an NA motor, would be a lot of hassle and I would be afraid of blowing head gaskets unless you pull the head and put in a steel gasket. I'm partial to NA anyhow, but turbo is a quick bolt on way to get a bunch more ponies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CantZme Posted July 31, 2006 Share Posted July 31, 2006 turbo on the NA block rocks! the flat top pistons cause an increase in compression over the turbo block giving u better off boost response...the block should still be good for 12-13psi and at least 250whp, of course that would mean with the turbo block components Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rztmartini Posted July 31, 2006 Share Posted July 31, 2006 of course that would mean with the turbo block components does that mean that the L28et crank and rods are different than the n/a crank/rods? if they are the same...wouldnt n/a components be better because they have probobly led a less stressful life... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naviathan Posted July 31, 2006 Share Posted July 31, 2006 The internal components are the same between a turbo and NA except for the pistons, oil pump and head. You really can't just "bolt on" a turbo and go. You'll need an oil feed/return, turbo manifold, turbo dizzy, turbo ECU (unless you go MS&S or other aftermarket engine management), tubo throttle body, turbo AFM, etc etc... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Posted July 31, 2006 Share Posted July 31, 2006 Back to my original statement - I'll clarify it a bit for you Naviathan since you seem to be pretty quick on the BS button. If less than 200 HP is ok then that can be done relatively easily and inexpensively. More than 200 HP starts to get much more complicated, expensive, and potentially less reliable from a daily driving standpoint. That is why my emphasis was to first determine the end goal and develop a plan on how to get there BEFORE buying parts that may not work out in the long run - like so many people on this forum, including myself, have done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naviathan Posted July 31, 2006 Share Posted July 31, 2006 Well I apologise for jumping the gun, but there's too many times I've heard people say an NA L28 won't make over 200HP. It can and actually easily without spending an extreme amount of money, it just takes more work to do. MS&S, port and polish, cam, header, bigger throttle body and some fine tuning can get an NA well over 200HP and still be in a budget range. You want to push 300hp then we need to get rid of that intake and more onto something that flows better. I could see pushing 200HP+ on dual carbs with the proper porting cam and some serious tuning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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