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81 Turbo Engine into 83 N/A


Gostlrs

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I did almost the exact same swap - from an '82 turbo to an '83 n/a - both were autos. I ditched the auto for a Borg Warner T5, but still, unless you're planning on trying your luck with the n/a auto, you'll need to swap the whole drivetrain. N/a rear end is an R-180, while the turbo rear end is an R-200. This means you will also need the driveshaft for the R200, and the tranny from the turbo as well. You will need to steal the ignitor, located (I think it's part of) your ignition coil. I swapped EFI wiring harnesses and ECUs, as I found it to be pretty easy. You still will need to do some re-wiring on the '83 280zx to get everything to fire when you turn the key - it's not much, though, so don't stress it.

 

Finally, you will need to SEARCH, a lot. This has been covered and there is a good write-up on the exact swap floating around here somewhere. I also had the aid of wiring diagrams to keep me going. It's been a good while since I've completed the swap, so I don't remember too much about it...

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driveline match up may be an issue but I'd see what both cars have before you take stuff off. i think the 83 n/a also has the r200 diffy. 99% certain the 81T does (mine did). If you can find a 82 or 83 turbo distributor you can eliminate the hassles with the crank angle sensor on the 81 but wil work either way. sounds like you have both cars so you should find what you need as you go along. Find one with a 5 speed and get rid of the automatic while you are at it. T5 or the nissan n/a 5 speed will work fine.

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I thought the n/a would have an R-200 as well, but from what I researched, the automatic '83 280zx came with an R-180. Yeah, I was caught off guard when I tried to bolt the turbo driveshaft on the rear end, only to find out the companion flange was too small. All turbos came with the R-200.

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