Twin Turbo L28

[24OZ]

Been doing a bit of Z reading up lately (I am a Z anorak, I know ) on different performance upgrades that specialists have offered for our Z's.

Stumbled on 1 company called Cartech in the US, apparently they offer/offered (not sure if they still do it) an L28 conversion which featured twin turbochargers feeding a plenum chamber that formed the airbox for three choke Mikuni Carbs.

Anyone else heard of them?? Anyone else got this setup?? Anyone got any links with more info??

Power is reputed to be in the 350bhp region. Why haven't we all got this?

Janspeed offered a conversion featuring a Roto-Master Turbo. Standard FI was retained with two extra fuel injectors added to the inlet manifold to prevent lean running when on boost. Output about 175bhp.

Interesting......

George.

[2ManyZs]

I have heard of Cartch, just didn't know they ever did a Datsun kit. I know they are into Mustangs etc. and they got to be quite popular in the 80's when turbo's were all the rage.

One reason we don't all have this is money! I have a feeling this would be an expensive kit, twin turbo's and all. Might even end up doing some piston and bottom end mods to keep it together with the boost that would be needed to put out 350 hp. I'd just like to find a ZX turbo with all the parts in a junkyard somewhere, that would a good step up.

Never heard of Janspeed, but if they only advertise 175 hp that isn't really much of a boost.

I'd still like to see somebody do a late model 300zx twin turbo swap. I think that would be just about perfect, plenty of power in a nice little package. Might take a lot of work to wire all the electronics in, but then, isn't that why some people put carpeting in their garages?? !

[seventhswami]

The Cartech Turbo Kits were designed for SINGLE TURBO OPERATION. It was available in two different versions. The FI version, whose ducting was geometrically correct for the stock FI manifold and throttle body, and the version you are referring to, designed to blow-thru a triple carb setup via the cartech plenum. If you are planning on buying this kit, you may wish to try Jim Cook Racing in CA if they are still around. They were the last people I knew of who sold the kit and at the time, I think they were limited to the remaing supply on-hand. If you are looking for a way to pressurize your triple carbs, I'd advise against it. Carbs are not designed for changes in atmospheric pressure and that is exactly what will happen (in a BIG way) when you add boost. Go to http://www.twminduction.com and check out their 2900 series throttle bodies. They are shaped like DCOE style webers and have the same bolt patterns. And YES they take VERY well to boost. In my opinion, this is the ONLY way to turbocharge your L-motor. I'm in the process of doing the same job, and now I need to find a plenum. I met a gentleman at a show once who had 2 of them but wasn't willing to sell either.

And on the twin-turbo subject... Lotsa turbo = Lotsa money.... and twin turbo means twice that! There are NO products out there for making a L28TT engine. It HAS been done but we're talking custom exhaust manifolds, custom piping, custom EVERYTHING.... If you're going to actually spend that kind of cash you might as well buy an RB26DETT (Skyline) engine from overseas. By the time you're done installing it, you'll probably have spent the same amount of money and you have the added benefit of Twin Cams, 4 valves per cylinder, variable valve timing, and a cross-flow design (another downfall of twin turbo'ing an L series engine is that both turbos, piping, AND induction components are on the SAME side of the motor.... you could always tilt the engine but after so many degrees, a dry sump oil system would be manditory and there goes ANOTHER couple grand right there) Plus the RB is an inline-six made by Nissan.... I think it would look beautiful in there. Apparantly the Aussies think so too because it's purportedly a popular conversion in Australia.

Hope that lengthy diatribe helped.

~ Steve

[240Zdragon72]

This is the second time I heard of this. I went to the Tuner Bash here in Florida, and met the guy who had his 1971 Skyline in the January 2003 edition of "Super Street." He has a L28 in his car. I asked him what type if setup I would need to rebuild my L28. He said that with the big bore kit and supercharger from Jim Cook, all you will put out is 500hp. (est) He said that a company in Aussie makes a kit with a twin turbo setup for the L. He suggested to use small turbos because they would spool up faster. Now, of course I would have to do some internals to the engine, but I really want to know if this company is still around. I asked the same question on Hybrid Z, but no answers yet. Help please.

Here is a pic, If I can get it to work...

Sincerly:

[PrOxLaMuS©]

That picture looks like the intake manifold was from an RB26DETT or some RB motor.. and those turbo's too.

Looks like someone swapped out Skyline parts for their L28

Check these TT L28's

http://www.eng.fsu.edu/~jthagard/

http://www.zclub.net/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=260

[240Zdragon72]

So does that mean that the intake and exhaust manifold will mate with the L? I would assume scence you say that it looks like it was from a skyline, and it is also a Nissan engine. What would the price of the manifolds and the turbos cost? (NO EXPENCE SPARED!)

Thanks:cheeky:

[Gav240z]

Now that's a clean set up on the Blue 260z. Gotta love it but I wonder what the pro's of a twin turbo over a single turbo really are?

I've always thought that it would reduce lag as the turbo's are generally smaller so they spool quicker, then you have the heat shared over two turbo's.

However I can't see anything else except that it would cost alot more for two turbo's and setting them up.

Can anyone suggest anything else that would be an advantage over using a single turbo?

[PrOxLaMuS©]

EVen though I am strongly against this...

Nitrous Oxide Injection is a good alternate....

only use it when needed and is cheap, and can give you TONS of HP

[Cuong Nguyen]

I agree with you Steve (seventhswami) those RB26DETT engines are something beautiful

check out my gallery....

[ecp48]

Harry Gershensen (sp), who owned (recently sold) the "Z Shop" in Kendall (south of Miami, Fl.), had a 77 or 78 running twin turbos in 1980 or 81. It used a two step enrichment). I watched him run in the modified class at the Bay Bottom Crawl. Extremely quick. He was also an SCCA/IMSA racer at the time in a 2.8 powered 240. I later saw him using a twin turbo 3.0 in what was to be a 240SX for SCCA (about 93 or 94). He felt that he got a much more responsive power curve with the twin turbos. At the time he would only smile when asked about peak HP.

The car recently came up for sale on ebay and the seller said Harry had retired and another guy bought the motor.

Very knowledgeable individual and might part with the knowledge now that he has retired.

ecp48

Ed Palmer

[240Zdragon72]

ECP48, what kind of intake manifold did he have on the Twin Turbo 240Z? I can't seem to find anyone to give me an answer on what types will work on the L28. Should I just find a 280ZX intake and mount a bigger throttle body on it? Oh, hell, I just answerd my oun question....:stupid: :tapemouth

Time to find me a intake manifold!!!!

Brian

P.S. On injectors...How big should I go? I was thinking 660cc? I would like to know what is the best for the TT setup. Thanks again.

[ecp48]

240Zdragon, etc.,

From a very aging memory, I would guess it was a 75-76, non EGR intake with a Weber Big Throat/mouth, whatever, throttle body. And knowing Harry it was all hogged out to the max!

I don't think the Turbo intake was commonly available at that time, 1981 probably about May or June.

ecp48