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So I put up a post looking for info about whether the F54/E88 combo will work for sure-- not getting replies-- and then come across your post. Tell me, is your car back together? Which E88 did you have? Which head gasket did you use? And what do you think of it? I calculate it to be around 10:1 CR. I have access to 93 octane fuel here. How about you? Any detonation problems? Finally got a chance to see and hear the video of your car that you posted a long time ago. Sounded great. If my new combo doesn't make my dual 2"s sound like that, I'm going back to glass packs. Garrett

Hi, Currently running a 77 L-28 with and E88 head. I just picked up a 83 280ZX F54 engine (Normally Aspirated with flat top pistons) and would like to use my E88 cyl head on it -- converting from the P79 and fuel injection back to the SU's for now. Looks like it will be a bump in Compression from about 8.3 to around 10:1. Anybody else out there done this combo? I'm about to buy gaskets and just want to make sure that there aren't any problems I am not aware of. Going programmable FI as the funds allow in the future, so no need to point out that going from FI to carbs is not a good idea. Garrett

Actually Gav, I am an old school NA guy that is just getting intrigued about adding the turbo. In the past, wrote off turbocharging as being too expensive and sufferering from driveability issues. I really like power to be controllable and thottle response to be quick. What are BOV's? My goal for the motor would be minimal lag with moderate power. I autocross from time to time for fun so the idea of a big turbo coming on with lots of boost after lots of lag would be totally unacceptible. I need to do more research in the archives here on turbo set ups. Obviously there is no shortage of info on the subject. Thanks for the T3/T4 hybrid tip. I'm committing that to memory as I continue researching. Garrett

The point of all this is HP of course. A bump to compression from 7.4 to 8.5 should be worth some HP, increase in efficiency, and thus, gas mileage. I am also wondering if I would get and driveability improvement-- specifically with turbo lag or lack thereof. Is it reasonable to conclude that the bump in compression would give a little better performance when off the boost? Seems like the bigger the turbo (or the more lag), the more the bump in CR would help? Sounds like the durability of the pistons between the turbo and non turbo are in question. I'll look at them next if I can. Questions would be location on the piston (how far down from the piston tops, and size of rings? Any others? Seems like nissan would use the same blank and machine the dish in the turbo piston for cost, but higher temps may have required a change in those specs. Thanks for the info, all.

Ok. I should have titled this What compression ratio to run in a turbo? :classic: Here is a compression ratio calculator: http://www.turbofast.com.au/Tfcomp.html#readme I put in the following for the stock ZX turbo: Bore = 3.39 inches Stroke = 3.11 inches Deck Height = 0 Gasket Thickness .050 inches Head Volume in cc's = 53.6 + 10.9 for the dished piston = 64.5 CR result = 7.4 to 1 Now take out the dish and you get 8.53 to 1. Interesting... WRX compression ratio is 8.0 to 1... Mitsubishi Evo is 8.8 Even the 1996 300 ZX was 8.5 to 1 :classic: I'm thinking there is no reason to go with the 81-83 ZX turbo block. Garrett

Looking at the How to Modify Your Nissan/Datsun OHC Engine, it does not appear to me that anything other than the pistons are different for 81-83 ZX turbo and non-turbo short blocks. The cranks and the rods share the same part number and so, must be identical. The block appears to be the same as well according to this taken from Honsowetz book, "On the L28 Turbo block 11010-P9080, introduced in the 280ZX Turbo in December, 1980, and non-turbo L28s in July, 1981, slits were put in the Siamesed cores to provide a coolant passage between the cylinders." On the question of strength of the pistons, hls30.com, you raise a good point. However, for what it is worth, both the turbo and the non-turbo motors use cast pistons from the factory, yes? Same crank, same rods means same pin height in the piston, right? Seems like a 10.9 cc dish is the only difference. What I have in mind is just a little different than that which is commonly done, I think... Instead of getting a ZX turbo motor and adding a bigger throttle body, and bigger turbo, and adding SDS or similar programmable electronic fuel injection/ingnition system, why not start with the NA-- higher compression short block and do those same mods? Fundamentally, what is the compression of a stock ZX NA short block with a P90 head in combination, and with the advances made in programmable fuel injection/ignition technology in the last 15 years, what CR can we safely run in a custom turbo motor setup these days? Anybody? I'll start looking. I wonder what the latest turbo cars are coming with (CR) from the factory. I bet that is a good place to start. WRX, EVO? Audi's? Garrett

Anyone have info with regard to turbocharging the 81-83 ZX normally aspirated motors vs. starting with the ZX turbo motor? From what I can see, the norm. aspirated motor for the 81-83 is an F54 block which is stronger (same as turbo), but it has flat tops. The turbo on the other hand has dished pistons. Is that the only difference in the block? Obviously the turbo has a P90 or P90a cylinder head and the non-turbo has a P79. Where am I going with all of this? With the modern capabilities of the electronic fuel injection systems we have today, can we bump up the compression ratio a bit by running the flat top ZX block and do "better" than the turbo ZX motor? How much of a bump in compression am a looking at with a P90 cylinder head on the flat top ZX block? I am thinking about that combination with a medium to small sized turbo and a cam like they are running in the project car in sport Z. Thanks.

I'm not sure what their street flare is but I got flares from them. You can see them at my website. It has some pics during installation and may give you the view you are looking for. http://members.tripod.com/Trueweb/Zcar

I've got number 5 in good shape, and I'll see if I have number 4. Minimal cost plus shipping. Hopefully I have both. Garrett

I have been PM ing a few individuals up until now with my DR experience as I haven't felt comfortable airing what I perceived to be unique issues to my dash. Having read these posts and a couple others, I feel I can bring some clarity to the discussion. First, and foremost, I have contacted Jim at DR and he has been very understanding and did not hestitate to mention that they will make it right. Here is what my experience has been: Dash was extremely well packed and protected - no problems with shipping. :nervous: Upon removing the dash from the packing, I breathed a sigh of relief as the dash looks very good. I noticed a couple of very slight indentations in 2 places (one the size of a quarter - I guess the foam had a low spot there). Having done bodywork before and seeing a couple of imperfections in the new, factory series II dash that I have, I am ok with these as I think it unfair to expect perfection on a restoration. Putting the pad back on the frame proved to be a problem. I noticed that I was having to put a fair of amount force on the pad to get it to line up with the anchor points. With each fastener, it seemed the pad was getting more stressed. I loosened all the fasteners and tried massaging and retightening, but the pad still seemed under stress. This is especially so at the lower two corners of the heater panel opening. The pads corners seem to be about 1 and 1/2 inches wider than the frame. Pushing the pad to the metal, I secured them with screws and moved on. After all the screws were in, I noticed that the area of the pad under the speedo and tach was a little distorted or wavey. Next came the guages. The three middle ones went in easily. However, the Speedo and Tach were a bitch. Now that I read MikeW's post, I see that I am not the only one. Believe it or not MIke, I was able to get them to go in from the front, but it took over thirty minutes and a lot of pulling and prying. Looking at the new dash vs. the resto, I see that the eyebrow area is substantially thicker-- making the roof of the gauge hole reduced in diameter. Once I got the gauges deep enough in their holes, they loosened up quite a bit and could be rotated to align them vertically. Checking the fit of the heater panel in the center of the dash, I saw that the top of the opening on the pad did not fit the slight curvature of the top of the heater panel. The panel has a slight arc to it on the top edge as you look from side to side. The pad is perfectly straight from side to side. Because of this, the screw holes don't line up well with the captured nuts in the frame, and the fit at the top is not quite right. Coming back to the dash after a break, I looked at the area under the speedo and tach, and noticed that one of the metal anchors had pulled loose from the pad. :sick: That is where I stopped. In my communication with Jim at DR the possibility of a bent frame came up. Jim told me that they have a jig that they put the dashes on, that they destress them (as they sometimes have been bent in collisions or over time) and that they are recovered so that they fit the factory frame the way they should. So, in theory, there should not be any difficulty in putting the restored pad back on the frame. At this point, I plan on sending mine to the US office when it gets up and running in Feb, and having it redone. I will send my frame along to be checked for bends/damage. I also will send my original pad (the one I sent them was from a parts car) with the restored pad. Finally, I will provide ample details with photos to show them what I see. I am confident that they will be able to fix the issues. :classic: Hope this helps and is not disrespectful in any way to DR. Garrett

We used Loctite (Loctite Corp-- like the thread lock) products to bond an aluminum skin to the tubular steel frame on our SAE formula race car. They should have something that will work. SAE = society of automotive engineers Check out the most recent car here: http://www.vtmotorsports.com I was on the 1991 team. Garrett

I have a series 1 car and got a new series II dash that has never been installed. PM me or email me. Garrett

I had a slight shimmy in my Z for a couple of years-- even after rebuilding the front end with everything. It was driving me nuts. From time to time, when I was in the mood, I would try to figure out what could be causing it. One day, I placed the jack under the outboard end of the lower control arm (careful- don't bend anything) and jacked a front corner up so I could do some prying. I was shocked to see the amount of play in a relatively new set of ball joints that were on the car when I bought it. They were the only parts I hadn't replaced when I rebuilt the front. Anyway, OEM were expensive at around $90 each, but I went for them and the problem was finally resolved. I have read that some people think that Z's front ends are just very sensitive and if you don't have everything (tires balanced well, tight tie rod ends, ball joints, tight rack, good rack bushings, etc.) they shimmy. At this point, I hypothesize that cheap after market ball joints could be the culprit on many Z's. My car had the shimmy so long-- obviously the previous owner had it too, that it wore down the center in the steering rack. I had to get a replacement rack when I rebuilt the front. Garrett

I just realized that this post is under Regional Discussions. My apologies. I don't know how I came across it in the first place. G

QLD would probably be Queensland? I am in the U.S., so that would be a problem. This is a secure page but if you can see it, check it out. This radiator should be really light and efficient. https://shell7.tdl.com/~jags/Pages/Parts_DATZ_Radiator.html Seems like a good option for those with easy access to them. I emailed JTR and am trying to confirm that it will fit in a 240Z without mods to the frame rails. Garrett

Hi, I checked out Jags that Run (thanks for the info Carl). Has anyone put the 4.3L GM Radiator from Chevy vans 1985-1992 that they recommend in their 240Z? I measure the distance between the lower frame rails at 25.5 inches. The dimensions on the picture of the radiator and their custom mounting bracket at their site seem a bit big. I guess I could ask them... Garrett

Do you know the part number of the Griffin radiator that will work best in a 240? Garrett

Hmmm. I didn't know that Motorsport Auto had an all aluminum one. They don't give much info on the website... Here is the one I am looking at: http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?part=GRI%2D1%2D25241%2DX It is all aluminum and crossflow. It's 189 + shipping. I guess they are tempting because of the price, but unless someone else has had luck making one fit, I'm in no hurry to fabricate everything. G

My 3 core radiator has developed a slow leak (where it was repaired once before), so it is time for an upgrade. Has anyone bought an all aluminum crossflow like Griffin that was an "easy" fit? I have some fabrication ability, but don't want to reinvent the wheel. Looks like Griffin has one that is 26 X 19 that might work. Garrett

I was just reading your original post and noticed this -- "And prior to me tuning the carbs the sudden drop off didn't exist." This is really confusing as all you did was change float height and needle height. What are the chances that something else has gotten off track during the tuning process? "At this time I have both carbs turned out 3 turns, although I can't sense any difference from 2 1/2. But with this issue I figured I'd go a little extra. Much more out and the idle becomes erratic." Not that this will fix it either, but I think you are running them unnecessarily rich by this description. I run mine leaner and leaner until I can feel the hesitation, (usually during part throttle). When I get that hesitation, I turn them and 1/8th to 1/4 turn richer and the hesitation goes away. It's too bad you are not near by. I'd love to get my hands on your car for a few minutes and see if I could find out what is wrong. Any idea what is causing the vibration? Obviously where I was headed was if you have different amounts of air going into the front vs. rear carb, then that will cause engine vibration at higher rpm and could cause the problem of running into wall at 5k rpm. Is the problem load dependent? In nuetral, sitting in the driveway will it climb to 6k and beyond quickly? What does running without the air cleaner cover and filter, but keeping the backing plate (with air horns) do for it? Do you have a timing light? Can you observe the timing marks by operating the throttle by hand from idle? What do the timing marks do as you rev? Full advance is about what? at about what rpm? Garrett

Persistance will find the problem Daniel. Keep with it. What about the synchronization of the carbs? Are you familiar with that process? Your latest note with the new bit of info about lots of vibration makes me think further about that being the possible problem. Couple of additional questions: Where you have the mixture screws set for each of the carbs: are they set the same amount of turns in relation to each other? In other words are they both set at exactly the same thing, whatever number of turns that is? And where are they: 1.5 turns out each for example... Incidently, the best way to set the needle heights (which isn't going to fix your problem) is to pull the pistons, set the needles so that they are visibly out a little bit too far, then tighted the set screw just enough to snug the needles to keep them from falling out. Next, screw the mixture screws all the in until they stop (full lean). Finally, put the pistons in the carb bodies and set them down gently. Put pressure to make sure the piston bottoms out on the carb body-- at this point the shoulder of the needle will bottom out on the nozzle, and the nozzle will push the needle into the piston, so that you have an ZERO clearence between the top of the nozzle and the shoulder of the needle. Remove the piston gently and then tighten the screw that holds the needle. Reassemble as usual-- remembering to reset the mixture screws by following the regular procedure. I had a brand new set of 4 screw SU's (never used) and I set the needle heights with the straight edge (as the factory manual instructs) and when I opened the throttle plates and provide backlighting so that I could examine the needle relationship to the nozzle, I could actually see a gap difference between the shoulder of the needle and the base of the nozzle from the front carb compared to the back carb. It is this factory machining tolerance that is the reason why the best mixture setting can be different when comparing your front and rear carbs. If you set the needles as I described above, you should be able to use the exact same setting (number of turns) on both carbs. It certainly makes it easier to remember your settings! Garrett

"The two main changes I made with the carbs apart were to reset the floats (both were a bit more than the .55" recommended in the video) and to set the needles with the shoulder flush with the piston (They weren't even close). " Is there a slot shallow slot on the bottom of your SU pistons that goes all the way across? Did you set the needle flush with the bottom of the slot or with the bottom surface of the piston? There is an even better way to set it than either of these two, but if you did it the first way I described above, please do it the second way. The second way is how the factory manual sets the height. Use a good straight edge, and set the needle shoulder flush with the bottom of the piston (not the groove, or slot). After doing this, you will need to adjust you mixture screws. Have you synched the carbs with a Uni-syn or other sychronizer tool? Reverberation: I think you can rule that out; not the problem. Set your throttle to open 102%. By that I mean, visually check that while pushing and holding the pedal to the floor, you can't operate the linkage at the motor by hand to get any additional movement. Set the pedal stop at 1 turn lower than where full throttle occurs. This will make sure that the slop in the linkage won't cause a problem. When you say you ran without the air cleaner assembly and the problem was resolved, what does resolved mean exactly? Did it weeze its way to 6 grand? or did it pull hard to 6 grand in 1st and 2nd? or did it pull past 6K? You should be able to pull past 6 grand easily. There is definitely still a problem. What brand air filter are you running? Garrett

"On the way back I experimented with turning the mixtures a full turn richer and a full turn leaner. Neither helped..." Neither helped? Was there a noticable difference in engine behavior? When I put mine a full turn leaner from where they run, about all my car will do is idle. Hitting the throttle just makes it hesitate and backfire through the intakes? A full turn richer just makes my car start fouling plugs and it loses a little bit of power-- by the way. What needles are you running? The original N-27's? Garrett

It's been my experience that the timing and mixture adjustment are inextricably linked. What are you setting the timing at? Try advancing your timing about 7 degrees for kicks and see if it changes anything. Also, you say that you adjusted the float level. Su's are very sensitive to this level. Are you positive that you set in exactly how he described it in the video? The reference point is unusual in my opinion. I set the level by cutting a small nail to the specified length. I usually miss it a bit on the long side and then grind the end to the exact measurement. The Nissan factory manual for 1972 states 14-15mm or .5512 to.5906 inches from the recessed, flat area inside the float cap to the top of the flat, metal part of the float. I modify the nail to be at 14.5mm Next, use needle nose pliers to hold the nail in place and then lift the float up to pinch the nail vertically in place, then blow through the fuel inlet tube. It is correctly adjusted when I have to put some effort into blowing through the tube, and can just barely hear the air squeeking past. Garrett