PapaSmurf Posted September 4, 2007 Share Posted September 4, 2007 So the motor in my 280z wen't out, not completely but the engine siezed up and I decided it wasn't worth the hassle of rebuilding it. I'm currently stuck in portland because of this decision, I decided to replace it. I found a good little motor on craigs list in salem, drove all the way down paid the guy a hundred bucks for it and then I noticed the model number on the block, it said l26. The cunning bastard tried to scratch the 6 into an 8. But I was already out there and I figured I could live with an l26 for a while. I got the thing back tore off all the emissions crap from it intending to use the header from my l28. No go, of course I forgot the earlier heads don't use round ports they use rectangular ones. Anyways I'm stuck here till I figure out how to put a square peg in a round hole as the old addage goes or until I find another exhaust manifold/head Does anyone have any ideas on how to make this work? The head from my l28 is toast so I can't use it, the l26 headers have a million holes in them I need to plug from the emissions junk and the bolts that mount it into the rest of the exhaust system are broken inside the piece (another happy surprise from the seller) also the rest of the exhaust system won't match up with the l26 headers, it's a different shape and length. I am stranded a state away from home at a friends. any suggestions at all would help. Naturally this had to happen on memorial day weekend so no parts stores are open too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexideways Posted September 4, 2007 Share Posted September 4, 2007 I'm really sorry to hear that, I can't really help you but, I know what I would do to cheer myself up... I would drive back to this guy's place and dump my broken L28 on his front lawn with a little note on it : "NOW, YOU HAVE A REAL L28 TO GET RID OF LOL" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PapaSmurf Posted September 4, 2007 Author Share Posted September 4, 2007 Haha That has been discussed, it's our plan if the l26 doesn't run once we figure out the exhaust troubles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexideways Posted September 4, 2007 Share Posted September 4, 2007 LOL, I like that, let us know how it turns out... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PapaSmurf Posted September 4, 2007 Author Share Posted September 4, 2007 I'll snap a pic and post it if we go that route For now though I'm just trying to concentrate on the immediate problem which is bolting on an exhaust, I can't very well take her through any town with that much noise. So anyone livin in the portland area with some old 240/260 headers or a round port head I'll buy them! or anyone with any ideas at all please put them forward I'm loosin my mind Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexideways Posted September 4, 2007 Share Posted September 4, 2007 Portland Oregon or Main??? if it's Main, I could send you mine by express mail, it's for an E88 head and I have no use for it, you could just send me a check, whenever your able to, for the shipping costs and consider the manifold as a gift... I live just north of the Canadian boarder so, it could get to you very quickly... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexideways Posted September 4, 2007 Share Posted September 4, 2007 ...I am stranded a state away from home at a friends... Ok, stupid me... I just reread your first post and also saw from your Avatar that you live in Washington so, I guess you're in Oregon, that's a bit further than I thought... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PapaSmurf Posted September 4, 2007 Author Share Posted September 4, 2007 Yes I'm in portland oregon. It would take too long for shipment though I really appreciate the offer I'll probably walk around to some of the exhaust shops tomarrow with the header and see if I can't get a good deal I'm real low on cash but if they can prep the thing for me I'd be in a much better place. Still gotta find a way to make it bolt to the rest of the exhaust system though. I'm having a hell of a time drilling through these bolts, I tried heating it with a map torch and then with a really big one and no amount of heat made a differance so I sawed them off and tried drilling through them but I guess 30 years worth of heating and cooling has made this metal really hard to drill... I'm so screwed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexideways Posted September 4, 2007 Share Posted September 4, 2007 Once you managed to put a manifold on the engine, you could always bring the car back to the exhaust shop, I don't think that they'd charge you that much just to take care of 2 seized bolts... Or you could always tack weld the exhaust together and grind it off and fix it once you're home... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffer949 Posted September 4, 2007 Share Posted September 4, 2007 do you have a welder?? if so just put a bolt in the holes and weld them in place so its not so loud it would get you home Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daeron Posted September 4, 2007 Share Posted September 4, 2007 how bad is the mismatch between round header and square exhaust port??? I know plenty of people have run the Square header on Round exhaust port heads without difficulty.. Does it LOOK like it covers the holes fairly well? I mean, it might be FAR from ideal, but if it looks like it covers fully then it should WORK at least... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PapaSmurf Posted September 4, 2007 Author Share Posted September 4, 2007 the round port header does not cover the holes well enough even if it did it would create quite a problem with flow. We dont have a welder we're just trying to make that square port header work, we got most of the holes drilled out the trouble is trying to save the thread. That metal is really hard to drill but we're getting there slowly. I thought making it work would be impossible but its starting to just look like it's only a serious pain in the ass. We will probably have to pay to have the rest of the exhaust system matched up to the header as it's not the same bolt pattern and it's meant for headers that extend a bit further down and back. For now it's mostly under control thanks for the suggestions guys. It's always good to have someone to rant to. As a side note this steel is so hard to drill through probably due to the fact that it's been heated and cooled for 30 years and exposed to plenty of carbon. It's like high carbon tempered steel... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daeron Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 any chance you could just cutt off the bolted on flanges and use some parts store exhaust pipe couplers to hack the thing together, just to get you home? I am throwing "ideal" to the wind here and trying to brainstorm ideas to help get you and your car home; a "real" exhaust system would need to be built after that. If you can hack together something good enough to tide you over for a while by having the exhaust shop match them up, then great.. but I wouldn't pay them too much to put something together that will need to be replaced rather soon anyhow, you know? Better to do the hack job yourself for cheaper, if replacement will be needed soon in any case. I have known multiple vehicles whose exhaust systems were patched/held together with soup cans and muffler clamps; it works surprisingly well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evan Purple240zt Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 Seems like your wasting time being concerned about exhaust flow instead of getting home. bolt on your old header and go. It will work fine until you get home. Evan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PapaSmurf Posted September 7, 2007 Author Share Posted September 7, 2007 I got the square port header finished. Today I hoisted the motor in and installed everything. I prayed. I pushed the ignition button... Nothin She turned over just fine, hell she turned over like crazy, too much. The compression was bad on cyl 3 and cyl 5 I was getting Zero PSI and on all the rest of the cylinders I got about 70. The dirty son of a bitch sold me a bad motor, not just a bad motor but a very bad motor. I don't know what the hell I'm going to do now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PapaSmurf Posted September 7, 2007 Author Share Posted September 7, 2007 Next time I buy an engine I'm going to bring a battery, a starter, and the compression tester. I will test the compression of every cyl before any money changes hands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m4xwellmurd3r Posted September 7, 2007 Share Posted September 7, 2007 so, is it time to put the l26 on a crane and throw it at the guy's house? that REALLY sucks man...i'm sure something will work out though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PapaSmurf Posted September 9, 2007 Author Share Posted September 9, 2007 Found the trouble, stuck valves in the l26. I gave it a chance for the oil to sink in and checked a few things, and found that the timing belt is causing most of my trouble. The belt is very stretched and yay for me it's already on the third adjustment so I'm lookin for a good timing belt kit. However good news with some serious timing adjustments and a better distributer I managed to get her to drive to the gas station and back. And compression is back up to 120-150 psi on all cylinders. The ******* I bought the motor from told me it was running great when he pulled it. Now I can see rings corroding and going bad in a year or two of storage but I highly doubt that timing belt stretched itself while it was just sitting there. I wish sellers would just tell me what is wrong with the thing, it would have saved me so much trouble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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