Starting my L28 build, what do I need?

[Seanh]

Hey everyone. I'v finally got the money to start my L28 engine build up. I have an 81 L28 from a 280zx. I am planning on doing a cheap, but high performance rebuild on it before dropping it in. I am getting a dual webber setup as we speak. I don't know what else I need though. I want to make this engine capable of running in the 13 second range. I am also using the 5spd from the same car. I am looking to find out what all I will need to do to make this engine that fast. I plan on a complete rebuild, but I don't know where I can get the parts I need? I want a high compression head, flattop high compression pistons. What else do I need to do? I plan on haveing it balanced also in the end. I will be useing a stock flywheel, can't afford aluminum at this time. Will stock rods be alright, fitted with APR bolts? Where can I get all the parts I need? I can't seem to find the pistons anywhere...What will I need to do with the head? What head should I be using? Would the high compersion gains of one be worth the loss of better airflow of another? I can do porting myself. Any special valves I should get, or stock be alright also? Cam suggestions? Please let me know anything and everything you think I will find useful. Thanks!

[ZmeFly]

fi engines are able to put out more then a carbed engine any day. also i had a 240 that was well built and dual webers couldnt deliver the fuel i needed above 5000 to 5500 rpms.

if you have the 81 block i do believe it has flat tops in it. i would lose the head on it and get a good N42 head. port and polish new seats and valves, 460 lift 270/280 duration cam, keep the fi, with a rrfpr, balance and lighten your fly wheel, have the crank balanced.

id suggest for your bearings rod and crank only use nissan bearings. new rings, you might want to go up to 87mm pistons. you should be putting out some good power then

have the intake port matched, port out the tb and use a 60mm from a stanza, the list just goes on and on.

trust me on this cancel that dual weber carb deal. you wont be happy. keep the fi and build up on your engine

[Ed]

Sean,

I'm in the same boat. I too have an 81' L28 on an engine stand in the garage. I put new bearings in it this weekend. You have alot of questions I'll help you with what I've done so far. Stock rods should be O.K. make sure you use new bearings, check the clearance make sure they are still within specs. You should already have the flattop pistons as that is what the 81 has. Unless you got the turbo. ARP bolts are really a plus use them where ever you can. Unless you plan on using racing fuel I would suggest keeping the compression at about 10.5:1 maybe the N42 head with the flat tops. Some mild porting to remove cast flashing. And a mild cam. If it doesn't meet your expectations in the end atleast you have a good foundation to give it a little NO2!!!

[Seanh]

So I take it as there isn't much aftermarket for pistons on these engines? I was hopeing for some speedpro forged or something to the like, but oh well I guess. I am looking at the set in Victoria British, 20 over, $249, w/pins, clips, and rings. Sound good?

I would like to keep the FI if I knew how. Know of a website telling what all I need to do to make it work? Perhaps I will entertain that idea if the work isn't too difficult. If I do use FI, how is it going to like a bigger cam, or is it mechanical and prolly won't care?

I plan on doing all that porting and balanceing work mentioned above, as well as APR's wherever possible.

I always use 94 octane pump gas, so I could stand some slightly higher compression if I wanted to go that way. However I would really like that possibility of Nitrous if I am not happy with my performance once I'm done. I love NOS, had it on 2 of my previous cars, best stuff money could buy. However I want a rotating assembly that will be able to handle whatever I dish out. Thats why I'm looking for some good aftermarket forged pistons. Will stock rods handle NOS? Maybe up to a 100 hp shot, probally only about 60hp, but I want the possibility there incase I decide to.

Thanks for all the information so far. I'm really looking for places to buy all stuff from now. Any reccomendations?

HeHe, Can't wait to get my 90 Eclipse GS sold, that will give me a nice $3500 starting budget for my engine :devious:

[Seanh]

Alright, after looking around for a couple days now I think I know what I'm going to go with. I'm going to get an N42 head, mild porting, valve job, new valves, springs and retainers. Victoria British performance camshaft and new timeing chain. High volume oil pump. New Victoria Britsh 20 over flattop pistons, rings, and pins. Haveing my entire engine balanced, flywheel shaved, knife edge/lighten crank, recondition rods, bore 20 over, shave head and block. Other then that its going to be a complete rebuild, with new bearing and all that good stuff. Useing a close ratio 5spd with 4.11 rear end. Going to go with sold mounts all around, engine, trans, rearend, the works...

Should make for a pretty fast car wouldn't you think? I'm also going to run some juice just for extra insurance that I always win.... :classic: Never leave the garage without it!

[Leeroy]

Okay...not an expert, but I know a fair bit about engine especially fuel injection...everyone here is right, fuel injection is WAY(!) better than carbs (I have carbs so I'm not bragging)...simply put, a carb is a mechanical form of injection using four different sensors/ways of determining fuel delivery and delivering it, it works off of what it thinks the engine should get, Fi uses a computer which for any given point in the rev range has a pre determined amount of fuel that it knows it has to deliver to the engine, this base figure then gets messed around a little depending on the a number of factors...this is the easiest way I can explain it without going into detail....BUT, as I probably should have said earlier, your cam (if fairly lumpy[which it will need to be to run 13's]) will make your idle really bad! Black smoke will be coming out for sure!! What I recommend is this: Build your engine and get everything fitted (for bulletproof engine, get it balanced and blueprinted!) and then take your original ECU to get either reprogrammed (cheapest, but not cheap), or get a piggy-back (ie Unichip) or stand alone ECU (ie Motec). Reprogramming will do fine (really, it will) and cheapest doesn't mean bad, but an aftermarket ECU is the best way to go. If you ever do anything in future or want everything to be easily tuned and accessed then this is the way to go. The unichip would be the easiest aftermarket ECU, and simply hooks up with the old ECU, but a Motec is the ultimate (read: Can be pricey!) ECU though. The original injectors should be fine if you keep it NA, but if you ever force it you'll want bigger ones....Hope this helps (sorry its so long!).

Cheers!