WishN4DaZ

I've been on here for the past month or 2 asking questions about all 3 diffent Z engines ( L24 L26 and L28 ) My story is like this for anyone who doesn't know.... I leav for basic training ( us army ) in 3 weeks, and when i get back, i will be getting a Z, just not sure which one =) Heres what im looking for, something i can turn into an awsome looking car ( 240 260 and 280 all fit here ) something i can perform my first engine re-buid on ( again all 3 ) something i can mod with all the neat stuff ive been reading on the web ( triple webers, converting FI to Carbs, putting in a new cam, headwork blah blah blah ) and something that will kick the living $!#@ out of my couzins RX7 and every other ricer who dares rev their 4 cycl engines at me.... this is where i need your help.... What do you think would be the best? i've read that the L24 revs faster and higher than the L28 and L26, but the L28 and 26 have more torque to speed you up faster....i dont intend to track much im a street racing kinda guy who loves to go stop light to stop light as fast as possible and look as good as i can doing it... Give me your opinions, its what i posted for, even if your opinion is " your an 18 year old punk" because thats true too =) Matt

I've been on here for the past month or 2 asking questions about all 3 diffent Z engines ( L24 L26 and L28 ) My story is like this for anyone who doesn't know.... I leav for basic training ( us army ) in 3 weeks, and when i get back, i will be getting a Z, just not sure which one =) Heres what im looking for, something i can turn into an awsome looking car ( 240 260 and 280 all fit here ) something i can perform my first engine re-buid on ( again all 3 ) something i can mod with all the neat stuff ive been reading on the web ( triple webers, converting FI to Carbs, putting in a new cam, headwork blah blah blah ) and something that will kick the living $!#@ out of my couzins RX7 and every other ricer who dares rev their 4 cycl engines at me.... this is where i need your help.... What do you think would be the best? i've read that the L24 revs faster and higher than the L28 and L26, but the L28 and 26 have more torque to speed you up faster....i dont intend to track much im a street racing kinda guy who loves to go stop light to stop light as fast as possible and look as good as i can doing it... Give me your opinions, its what i posted for, even if your opinion is " your an 18 year old punk" because thats true too =) Matt

is that your car? if it is, is there a body kit on it? What kind? where did u get it? thanks alot.. P.S looks NICE!!

the reason the 240 has higher HP numbers is because its 151 HP at the Crank, something like 120 at the wheels. When you see HP ratings, the big numbers are always at the crank for old cars, its becuase they would post these numbers, people would come flocking...blah blah blah But the goverentment cracked down and said they had to post REAL numbers, and thats where you see the 121s, and 139s, and 145 ( for the Zx ) Matt

My name is Matt i am 18 a senior in high school, and i hate ricers with a passion....which is why i have the Z I am currently an active member of the Florida State Army National Guard, i spend most of my time driving around my 85 300zx and wishing for an earlier model... My dad owned a 1979 280Z when i was born ( i came home from the hospital with the baby seat strapped to the handle for the storage bin ) and when i turned 17 and got my licence my quest for the Z began. The first car wa a set back paid $300 for a 1974 dodge dart sport that wasn't running......re-built the carb, got it running, sold it for $1250 and laughed all the way to the bank. After that was a camaro, and then....i found it, i traded a 1985 camaro for a non-running 1982 280zx turbo 5 spd, black, T-tops, and an interrior that was impossible to despypher the color of... well i blew it up and now have the 300 and i'm just waiting for my sign on bonus and then i'll have the new Z Hopeuflly a 72 73 240, or an early 260. Matt sorry so long

It has been done, it was posted on the Z car garage website, not exactly sure in which section ( performance tips? ) A Z Guru put one in the car and apparently took it autocrossing and took a few turns on 2 wheels. Matt

well i wont be doing any of this till after mid-october, I'm setting up Post Basic Training plans for my car, i intend to make my Z looks wise into the red one on the cover of MSA catalog. The engine is either going to be a early L28 block or an F54 block with flat top pistons, High compression ( either by mod to the P79, P90 head or an E31 head with 280 valves ) Eventually will be carbed, new cam ( advice on this would be great...P.S WHAT IS A HOT CAM? ) polished and chrome engine and electronic ignition. Headers and exhaust of course too Matt:D

The inside is basically the inside, not really sure, however there is an air filter on the bottom side of it, reach around and you can feel it. Sometimes those get nasty and old and need replaced, pretty sure you can pick one up at an auto parts store, not sure tho Matt:)

When you take out the EFI what exactly do you remove and how do you install carbs? I mean do you simply pull all the computer crap out of the car, pull of the injector fuel rail, and the intake manifold, replace it with a manifold from a Carbed Z car, and add some carbs? if anyone has a web site explaing how i would appreciate it.. Or is it in the "How To Modify...." book? Matt

What the canister is for is to recirculate the gas fumes as they evaporate... It hold them in the canister until such a time as they can be burnt with the rest of the gasoline. If you remove the canister you will notice 2 things.. 1. It'll always smell like gas =) 2. Your gas mileage will drop to about ohhhh 10 mpg They have carbon canisters on nearly every car, but they are called Charcoal canisters on the 300zx ( Z31 ) and not sure on newer cars. In otherwords, dont bother removing it, its serving a purpose and taking it out, well...woudln't Matt

i wouldn't know where to get them but when you figure it out post up! i think they would look sweet on the Z.. Matt

thanks

thank you Matt

thanks alot i appreciate it. Matt

The difference between doing that and using the block already installed is simply this... $$$$$$$$ i'de have to buy an F-54 block, cost is also an issue for me.... Now if i found an older car with an F54 block already installed, maybe with a blown head gasket ( which would be great cause im re-building the engine anyway ) i might just buy that and stick the head on. And as i said before, a main reason i dont want to switch blocks is because wouldnt you have to switch the wiring harness/computer from the year car you took? and as i said, i can't do electronics stuff... I look at the wiring diragrams in the Haynes i got and just go "WHA?":confused: and thats a major problem for me...as i said this is my first re-build so if you have any helpful tips or info please let me know. P.S a website with DETAILED info, like first take out this bolt then take out this bolt would be great ( already did datsun garage ) Thanks Matt

What year/make is the red car on the cover of the MSA catalog? i want it... And if anyone knows which body kit it has on it ( im sure it has one ) please lemme know.. MattROFL

The way i saw it is this..... if i re-build the engine thats already in the car it saves me from having do do the computer switching stuff... i was going to re-build the engine of the car i bought anyway, so why not switch the heads to better ones while their off... Why not throw in different pistons... I could go to a turbo engine but then im looking at a whole new group of problems and confusions, i dont know much ( actually anything ) about the electrical systems of cars, and switching a newer system into an older car would simply just be to much for me to handle, im not much of a car mechanic and this project will be my first which is why i want to do some performance, but nothing to difficult. Switching the dished to flat-top pistons would be the quickest and easiest way to add performance, but why not change to a different head while their off...thats the only reason im changing the head, becuase its going to be off anyway =) So basically what i'm trying to say in that jumble of words is that i want to go fast as easy as possible. Matt

The reason i dont just get an F54 block is because i dont REALLY want to do an engine transplant, and i'm not a fan of the ZX bodies for some reason ( dunno really why, but not a fan ) The style i like the most is the red car on the front of MSA's catalog ( don't know the exact year so if you know it would help ) The other idea i had was an E31 head with 280 valves stuck onto an L28, that would put the compression pretty much as high as i can get it on a Z block without doming the pistons and running octane booster with every tank. What do you think of that? Matt

I meant Horse Power and Torque side Matt

What kind of gains would you expect from upping the compression ratio to that? Someone on Zcar said about 20ish, i figured a 2.5 CR jump would maybe do more than that... Or would i really just noticed a helluvalot more off the line power ( torque )? Matt

Lets say i took a 75-76 280z, with its N42 cycl head and on re-build i threw in some flat topped pistons to raise compression to approx. 10.4:1 #1 would it work #2 would the engine just go boom #3 what kind of performance gains could i expect if it did work Now i assume some machine work wouldn't have to be done to the head the strengthen it a little, but the thought still stands. Matt P.S i chose the N42 over the N47 becuase of the square exhaust ports.

What if you started wiuth a 75 - 76 280z ( already has the N42 head ) and dropped in flat-top pistons ( i live in FL Smog exempt all the time ) how would that work for the engine??\ Matt

Lets say i took a 75-76 280z, with its N42 cycl head and on re-build i threw in some flat topped pistons to raise compression to approx. 10.4:1 #1 would it work #2 would the engine just go boom #3 what kind of performance gains could i expect if it did work Now i assume some machine work wouldn't have to be done to the head the strengthen it a little, but the thought still stands. Matt P.S i chose the N42 over the N47 becuase of the square exhaust ports.

Now here is a question for all you turbo junkys...... From my understand the compression on a stock turbo with a P90 head and dished pistons is 7.8:1 correct ( sorry if im a little off thats from memory ) When you mix flat top pistons with a p79 head produces an estimated compression ratio of 8.8:1..... now here is the question... What if you were to take flat top pistons and a P79 and installed them on a turbo for the compression ratio of 8.8 : 1....this would increase your torque over what you used to have because of the raised CR ( right? ) but still be a low enough compression that with an intercooler could produced the high end power of a turbo motor? now i dont know if this has been done and its just a theory on my part. Let me know what you think.... So basically im saying could you use a P79 cycl head and flat-top pistons for a turbo and produce MORE power ( torque and maybe HP ) than a stock turbo? Matt P.S sorry if i post in 2 spots, better chance of getting a good answer

Now here is a question for all you turbo junkys...... From my understand the compression on a stock turbo with a P90 head and dished pistons is 7.8:1 correct ( sorry if im a little off thats from memory ) When you mix flat top pistons with a p79 head produces an estimated compression ratio of 8.8:1..... now here is the question... What if you were to take flat top pistons and a P79 and installed them on a turbo for the compression ratio of 8.8 : 1....this would increase your torque over what you used to have because of the raised CR ( right? ) but still be a low enough compression that with an intercooler could produced the high end power of a turbo motor? now i dont know if this has been done and its just a theory on my part. Let me know what you think.... So basically im saying could you use a P79 cycl head and flat-top pistons for a turbo and produce MORE power ( torque and maybe HP ) than a stock turbo? Matt P.S sorry if i post in 2 spots, this forum doesn't get visited as often...