Long-Term Z Project

Some of you know I've been dragging out a project on my Z. I just realized I haven't posted anything here. So here goes the short version.

All started because I had several seals blow, so needed to replace them. Decided to do the job myself. Car: 1983 Datsun 280ZX Turbo.

Hood off and getting ready to pull the motor. Looking pretty busy in there.


The motor out of the car. Ugh, what have I gone and done?


Blown seals - Valve Cover, Head and Oil Gaskets. OK, so that looks pretty bad.


Stripping the block - intake and exhaust manifolds gone


Engine cleaned up.


Short block painted with POR-15. Starting to feel good about this.


Add in RED paint with black accents for bling. Getting real excited now

Painted the valve cover with krinkle paint


Engine back in the car



Amazing news: It started right up and no extra parts! I did have a minor timing issue, but sorted it out right away.

After driving it, the 26 year old turbo deiced it didn't want to work anymore and it blew a seal. Time for a new turbo, so went with a hybrid T3/4 capable of 400HP. Yup, you read that HP correctly.

Old and New


To clock the turbo for my application, I had to relocate the wastegate. Made the mount shown.


Now onto the final part of this project. Hooking up the air flow meter to the turbo inlet and building a new 3" mandrel downpipe and connecting it to my 3" mandrel CAT back exhaust. The CAT will be eliminated, but possible to bolt back in via v-band clamps.

Here is an idea of how the AFM to Turbo will look. Hole In One was huge help fab'ing the SS pipe with vacuum fittings.



I'll post up some pics of the downpipe and exhaust as they happen.

Also, after this project is completed, all I have to do is change a few things.
1) Larger injectors at ~ 440cc
2) Wideband O2 sensor for tuning. The new downpipe will have a dedicated O2bung for it.
3) MegaSquirt and Spark Fuel & Spark management
All the mapping for the MSnS is easy to obtain. This will allow for the Z to be tuned to a reliable 350-375RWHP with no other mods required.

Great thread. Keep the photos coming.

sweetness!!!

so how much longer till its out and running, sans the unexpected??


and you misspelled "considered"

SMS....there's a good hundred pics of the process to this point. Thought I would spare you all my bad photography skills. LOL!

I can always go back and post some of the past ones. Definitely will post moving forward.

Dan...Maybe a week or two? I can't weld, so Larry has graciously volunteered to help me with that part. I'll have to mock up a section, cut the tubing at home, mark how it goes together, then go to Larry's shop to get it welded, then go back home for the next link in the chain.

I really need a license plate frame that reads: "Sponsored By Larry". The guy has saved my butt a few times on this project.

Mark,
I was checking Speed TV's schedule for F1 preview shows and saw they have a feature on the 240 Z coming up soon.

Here is the new and improved AFM to Turbo piping.
The stainless steel section on the left has the needed vacuum fits to run stock lines. At a future date, these can easily be removed and plugged. With MegaSquirt and Spark, an open source engine management tool, these lines are not needed.

There is a silicon hump connector that will allow some play where is attaches to the Air Flow Meter. That will accommodate the rocking of the engine on its motor mounts. The AFM is mounted via rubber mounts that will also accommodate some slight movement.


Note the larger diameter = MORE AIR FLOW into the turbo!


Now that this part is done, I can now install the turbo, attach the oil feed line and bolt a few other parts back onto the engine.

One hick-up though. One of the exhaust tubes I have is actually 0.25" SMALLER than I can use. Oh well, at least it was free to me, so no money wasted on that part. It means I need to order the correct part. No, these mandrel bend tubings are not available locally. Grrr. That's OK, I have other sections I can work on for the moment.

I'll have to try to find that to record. Thanks for the heads up!

Turbo is back in the car.

First challenge: Larger T4 side runs into some interference with the PCV with where I planned to have it clocked. After playing with it more, it looks like if I clock it to a different spot, I can shorten my IC pipe by some 1.5-2.0 feet and remove one silicon coupler from the entire line. Means I need another 90 degree silicon coupler to make it happen. So I need to return one piece of tubing that won't be needed and order the coupler.

Second challenge: I hoped to go with a 90 degree 3.0" mandrel bend right off the turbo. Unfortunately, not enough space to make it happen since the radius is just too large on a 3". Now looking to find a 2.75" or even a 2.5" with a small radius to fit into the space. Once it makes the turn, flair it to 3" for the rest of the run.

The exhaust will consist of 3 sections:
1) Downpipe = two 90 degree bends
2) Middle = long section with S bend in center
3) Rear = the existing 3" CAT back set-up I've had for years.

Each section will be connected by v-band flanges and clamps.

Today, I cut and fit the middle piece sections. This is made up of a straight, then S bend, then straight back to rear section. They are ready to be tacked together. I should be able to go ahead and have them mated to the rear section. I left the front section long so I have extra for fitting the downpipe.

Waiting for a 3" radius 3"OD mandrel bend. According to tracking, will be here Friday. This should fit the space I have. Keeping my fingers crossed. Both the 90 & 180 degree 3" bends I have, turned out to be a 6" radius. I used the 180 to make the S bend section. The center section of that may come in useful on the downpipe to give it a bit of a snake to clear everything and mate to the center+rear sections.

Sections will be tacked to make sure it all fits, then when happy, weld them up pretty.

dang man sounds like a great project...can't wait to see it when it is completed

The middle section has been fitted, tacked and cut to fit so it clears underneath and mates to the rear section. Joints need to be completely welded and the v-band flanges attached to the back of the middle and to the rear section. Then those two are done.

Then onto making the downpipe. The delivery of the part I need for that section has been delayed until Monday. Its sitting in town at UPS, but no way to get it on the weekend. I had ordered it from Summit Racing in OH. They are so close that I always get deliveries next day. Turns out they shipped this part from a warehouse in GA.

How about a few more pics of what is in process?

Here's the middle section with the S-Bend. You can see the OEM version sitting beside it.




The existing 3" rear section.




The whole section so far


Now if the bend I need for the downpipe would actually show up today, I can get on with that portion tomorrow.

UPS just dropped off the 3" ID, 90 degree, 3" radius bend. I need for the first turn in the downpipe.

After shortening up one of the legs, it will FIT! :woot:

Great stuff. Keep it coming. I love getting boxes from Summit.

SMS...When done, it will be a full 3" mandrel exhaust from the turbo back.

I'll make some more progress over the next two days.

As you folks may have noticed, I"m a dog person. Don't care for cats.

Made some great progress today. All the final welds for the joints and flanges are finished.

Still need to drill two holes for two O2 bungs and weld those in place. Also need to fab something for the EGR tube.

Here's the downpipe.

Had some progress and some set-back today.

Here's the system drawing off what I am working to adjust. Highlighted sections are involved.


I removed the EGR valve and made a block off plate.


Pick showing the -AN oil feed line on the turbo side



Downpipe installed

O2 sensor installed. Note on the left side is the plugged bung for a wideband O2 sensor. LOTS of Anti-seize used on threads.

Onto working out installing the plumbing from the Air Flow Meter to the turbo inlet.



This is the area I have run into some clearance issues I have to sort out. There is some interference issues I need to address which = space issue and the only way to resolve is via moving a welded bung about 1". Ugh. So close, yet so far. Don't you hate when math fails you? Actually, math was fine, but I missed something else that is causing the interference, so time to adjust.

Still, working on hooking up everything else I can. More work tomorrow.

Wow, you must have Beth or some little neighbor kids helping you in the garage. There is no way you could get your hands into that engine bay to do what is being posted.

Very nice work.

SMS...its an old Datsun, there is a TON of space. You can even look down from the top and see the ground underneath. Try that on one of this new-fangled cars these days.

In the pic of the downpipe in the last post, I installed it from the top. Had my right arm shoved down in between the pipe and steering linkage holding the pipe in place while my left got the v-band clamp lined up and tight.

Beth has helped bleed the brakes before, but she prefers to occasionally check on me to see if I've been squashed under the car.

I'm at a stand still until my faithful welder returns from a business trip.


Funny story sorta related to the kid comment. Shortly after we moved in, our nephews came to visit. Our neighbor said to Beth, "Oh, I didn't know you had kids, We never saw them before." Beth responded, "Oh, that's because we normally keep them in the basement." After getting a shocked look from the neighbor, she came clean they were just visiting for the weekend. LMAO!

I don't understand any of this, but glad it's coming along I changed my friend's car battery for him last week... that was easy of course, but I'm learning slowly

Andrew...change a battery here, oil change there....that's how it all starts....

That's what I'm hoping