gbabcock Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 I've been searching the forums and have seen a lot of debate on wiring harnesses for doing a l28et swap into a 240z - the most notable seem to be keeping the 280zx harness and supplementing it with z31 bits, such as the ECU. Many people seem to be going with MegaSquirt, and then I've run across some swearing by hooking up a Ford v6 system. I've heard little on how these stack up next to eachother. Given that I'm now in the process of trying to figure out a harness, can anyone help me on the pros and cons of each, or inform me of other options? I'm looking go pretty much stock l28et, though do a custom innercooler, 240sx thottlebody - smaller stuff like that - I'm not shooting for anything over 250hp. Also, I read that the fuel tank from the 240z will need to be swaped out due to possible fuel cutoffs due to the higher pressure pump. Anyhow know if this is a necessity or something you can get away without doing? thanks - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daeron Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 there are stickies in thies subforum, as well as the "turbo" and "fuel supply" (and maybe S30?) sub forums that will help if you read through thoroughly.. but basically, you would probably be OK with a stock hardware L28ET with an intercooler, some upgraded injectors, a manual boost controller, and a rising rate fuel pressure regulator. A good exhaust/downpipe and you should be set, but don't take my word as gold on this!! You ask questions of great complexity, and I deliver a simple answer. There is much more to it to make sure you get good happy vroom in the end than I might make it sound Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJLamberson Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 Lets jut say I am just about done wiring up my zxt harness into my s30 for the turbo conversion, and I simply wish I had gone with megasquirt from day one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daeron Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 Lets jut say I am just about done wiring up my zxt harness into my s30 for the turbo conversion, and I simply wish I had gone with megasquirt from day one. yes, but do you plan on stopping at 225-250 horsepower with the stock turbocharger? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJLamberson Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 Haha, no way, and point taken. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gbabcock Posted January 22, 2009 Author Share Posted January 22, 2009 Thanks. I'll look into MegaSquirt a bit more closely. I'm wary to go throwing together a hodgepodge of electronics, that in the end, might limit the overall performance. I'm seriously not looking to make huge amounts of power (I've got an LT1 260z conversion that should sate power impluses). I'm more looking to have a 'good' 225-250, good thottle response, good idle, 'problem free' Z that is easily mangable on the street (and for my girlfriend to drive, as I won't let her drive the Lt1). And, as you can guess where all my money is going, I'm trying to do this on a budget. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daeron Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 Oh, megasquirt is no hodge-podge.. its been logging trouble free m iles in fuel0-injected, L-series powered Z-cars for well over ten years now. I would say that the average MS driver/owner has more problems with initial setup, but in the long run fewer problems owning the vehicle than someone with a stock setup.. but the stock setup is certainly an easier system to build into an early Z-car for a turbo machine. In the end, the stock system is the performance limitation over megasquirt.. MS will get you into the 400 horsepower range easily enough, with a well built intake system, a good sized turbocharger, a well selected cam, etc etc. Start doing serious cam work, intake manifold. etc etc etc, and MS could potentially run one of the top-power machines... if that machine was put together by the right person. But for ease of use, with a 250ish HP ceiling, to swap into a 240Z, the stock system is hard to beat. There are those who would prefer to use it, but they are more the "build it from scratch" type rather than the Frankensteinian, "cut two cars in half, and sew one together from the bits" type. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kash Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 For 250 max hp, keep the stock zxt harness or better yet do the z31 ECU/ MAF upgrade. Much easier and better drivability for a daily driver. No need to upgrade injectors if you use a rising rate FMU. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gbabcock Posted January 25, 2009 Author Share Posted January 25, 2009 Sounds like stock is the way I want to go. Now, will an '82 harness off an l28et mate up with my '83 or should I find an '83 harness? Also, is the z31 ecu and maf just a plug'n play upgrade or do to have to mod/tune them based upon the rest of what you're running? By the way - thanks for the help everyone - this site is infinitely valuable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad-ManQ45 Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 You will get better off boost response and driveability out of a MS system than the stock one. Replacements for CAS and dizzy can get expensive. Once you put in bigger injectors you need the tunability of MS... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gbabcock Posted January 26, 2009 Author Share Posted January 26, 2009 When you say 'Replacements for CAS and dizzy can get expensive', do you mean with MS or stock? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DuoWing Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 Or you can do this, run the stock setup at least to get the car going. If you're doing this on a budget I would say that would mean that there isn't a lot of money right now to go into a more expensive setup. The stock systems isn't going to cost any extra. Then should you want to down the line you can go one of two directions the Z31 or MS, there are others but for the point. The Z31 setup is really easy to do and will give you improved driveability for every day or just regular use. Then should you want you can later on decide to go MegaSquirt when you start wanting more power or the other alternative would be something like NIStune. It gives you similar to megasquirt control. You can't control spark, but you can make custom fuel maps, timing maps, cold start enrichment, set your designated idle speed etc. This also lets you log everything from Speed, RPM, Temperature, MAF voltage etc. Just another though and Nistune is just a board that goes in the Z31 ECU, so there's no extra adjustments needed to the harness and you're running a facotry image so you can just plug it in, drive, and tune later. Just another option, it seems like a lot of people don't know about Nistune. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daeron Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 One thing that has never been made clear to me regarding the NisTune/Z31 swap is the cost.. I thought that the program for your PC was expensive? or something along those lines... I have always preferred MAF based systems (I can't tell you why, I'm actually thinking of posting a generic "why is which better?" thread on MAP vs MAF) and the all-nissan solution has had great appeal to me from the outset, but the MS has always seemed like such a simpler way to go. Now, I am not even ON the modification road at the moment, but budget is ALWAYS a factor (I'm a Po Boy) so any $400 software purchases involved and I am OUT. Even if the total cost is the same, I cannot offend my budgetary sense by spending most of my budget on THE SOFTWARE. The Inner Nerd in me won't let me (open source!!!) Maybe I need to do some more resaerch on the whole shebang myself... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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