L26 vs L28 - Is it worth it?

[TBOWGN]

Hi all,

 

I'm wondering what the difference is between the L26 and the L28??

 

Obviously it's a bigger engine with more torque so it must produce more power and speed. Plus it seems every second owner does the conversion. But is it really worth it?

 

What your opinion?

 

And what sort of value does it put on your car? Would it increase the value? Or would it decrease it because it's not part of the original 260Z?

 

Cheers, Lars

[luvemfast]

Keep your original L26 to the side if originality concerns you.

 

Put an L28 in if you want more bang for buck. There must be a reason everyone does it 

[saxon]

If you are going to do work on an L series engine, one of the cheapest things will be the engine itself. I'm thinking of engine upgrades, and I don't see the point of spending 5-10k on an L26 when I could do the same on an L28 for an extra $500.

[TBOWGN]

Fair enough... Out if curiosity, what sort of horse power do you get out the 2 engines and what sort of quarter mile times would they run?

[Zedman240®]

Power wise from a L28 with 240Z carbs and electronic ignition and no other mods, around 90kw at the wheels is possible. I think an L26 can only get around the 70 mark. Quarter mile times are in the low 15-high 14's (L28) depending on the driver/chassis setup.

[TBOWGN]

Awesome! Thanks...

[260Coupe]

From the Zeds we have run on the chassis dyno over the last 20+ years  - we find most standard L24/L26 engines turn around mid 70's rwkws

 

Here are some numbers from my L26

 

Standard with standard exhaust and 240 carbs and B grind cam  - 76 rwkw

Standard with 240 carbs and headers and A grind 240Z cam - 88 rwkw

L26 refreshed with flat top pistons, elec ignition, 240 carbs and A grind cam - 108 rwkw

L26 with all the above and with tripple 44 Mikuni's - 122 rwkw 

 

As to weather you replace your L26 is a question originality - and how much $$$ you have free to spent

 

 

Al.

 

[TBOWGN]

Interesting.... Cheers Al

[Patch]

Just to put away "Bigger is better" in the standard condition out of the factories, the 1977 280z same shape as your 260z put out 170 Hp compared to only 162 hp from the 260z, but in standard form the 280 was nothing but a  pig and needed heaps spent to make it quicker, it was heaps slower, just quoting some figures.

260z 0-60 mph = 8.2 ---0-100mph 23.8 --1/4 mile = 15.7

280z 0-60 mph =9.4 ---0-100mph 30.2 -- 1/4 mile = 17.3

[luvemfast]

Just to put away "Bigger is better" in the standard condition out of the factories, the 1977 280z same shape as your 260z put out 170 Hp compared to only 162 hp from the 260z, but in standard form the 280 was nothing but a  pig and needed heaps spent to make it quicker, it was heaps slower, just quoting some figures.

260z 0-60 mph = 8.2 ---0-100mph 23.8 --1/4 mile = 15.7

280z 0-60 mph =9.4 ---0-100mph 30.2 -- 1/4 mile = 17.3

There's more to it than that.

For example...... Anti pollution gear!

 

[260Coupe]

Simon has hit the nail on the head - most of the specs you read are from US cars which where progressively strangled by emmision control gear and the requirement to run on low octane unleaded fuels. (we inherited this in the form of the L26)

 

Early 240's were good for a sub 8 sec 0-100 kph, this then slipped to over 10 secs in the 280z hence why they bolted on a hair drier to get some mumbo back in the 280zx.

 

If you can find an L28 from a local 280zx (not a Jap taxi import or a Patrol engine) bolt on some 240 carbs, a mild cam and decent extrators -it should good for nearly 200 bhp if tuned properly (Lindsay Drife was building these "bread and butter" engines 20 years ago ) without to much work on the internals .

Big horse power is exponential with ever deminishing returns for the $$$ spent..........anything over 220  bhp from a L series gets very exy .........the more you want the more you gotta spend

 

If you want to retain the L26 and stick to a bugget ( a refresh for well under $1000) then install flat top pistons- this will increase the comp to around 9.8:1 this will improve power and torque by around 30%

If you want to go beyond that build an L28 (or bigger) and start spending

 

[d3c0y]

What's with Patrol and 280C engine bashing? Put zed ancilleries on it and there isnt much difference as far as i can tell unless it's running some poxy weird head.

[luvemfast]

What's with Patrol and 280C engine bashing? Put zed ancilleries on it and there isnt much difference as far as i can tell unless it's running some poxy weird head.

I had an MQ Patrol years back. My guess is they have a different cam. Low reving, but torquey.

 

Who would "refresh" an L series for under a grand Alz

[260Coupe]

Sorry - I'll qualify that...........you can refresh a L series for under a grand if you have the ability to do the work yourself.

 

I built an L24 for my old Sc race car for around $900 this included new pistons (from Lindsay Drife) , all new timing gear, rings and bearings, oil pump, water pump etc - the head was fine. I suppose I did have the advantage of getting all the parts at wholesale prices (apart from the pistons )... so add on 20%.

 

This motor turned 140 kws on the triples

 

 

[jamo240]

The lads are right...emissions controls in the 70's and 80's drove car makers to bigger displacements to offset diminishing comp ratios and ignition timing/carburetion. The old adage that there is no substitute for cubic inches is true. If there was such a thing as an L40, we'd all have it! All things being equal, the bigger engine is a nicer thing on the street due to the torque, which is what you feel on the street. A 9.8:1 L28 with an A-grind cam and 240Z carbs is a very fun spec on a low budget.

 

Jamo

[d3c0y]

I had an MQ Patrol years back. My guess is they have a different cam. Low reving, but torquey.

 

Who would "refresh" an L series for under a grand Alz

 

Lower revving than 5500rpm   :o

 

[gav240z]

I was under the impression that some MQ Patrol L28's had the P90 head on them. Which is the head you want.

 

I didn't realise Triple carbs made such a difference in terms of HP numbers - I mean on a relatively stock motor that is no head work, no major camshaft changes etc...

[peter mc]

the L28 is a much better engine ,  , much better breathing around the valve , its 10% better stock and there is 50hp in it modified .

 

but if you wont to stay L26 ask peter hall how to do it  , he made his go like the wind

 

and most patrol engines were n42 heads with a difrent cam , some were f 54 blocks p90 heads this was a good start with a small shave of the head and a small cam this will go very well with 40s or 45s

[luvemfast]

I didn't realise Triple carbs made such a difference in terms of HP numbers - I mean on a relatively stock motor that is no head work, no major camshaft changes etc...

In my Mikuni handbook, that camearithmetic the bolt on package.

Just by putting on the triple 44PHH, they claim a 28% power increase.

[MaygZ]

I didn't realise Triple carbs made such a difference in terms of HP numbers - I mean on a relatively stock motor that is no head work, no major camshaft changes etc...

 

Gav's going shopping!?

 

http://www.viczcar.com/forum/index.php/topic,10827.0.html

[gav240z]

Gav's going shopping!?

 

http://www.viczcar.com/forum/index.php/topic,10827.0.html

 

No need already have a set of Triple Mikuni 44's at home.

 

http://www.viczcar.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=1&page=2

 

Just haven't fitted them and had them for 5-6 years now . Also have that wild camshaft but didn't see the point fitting it without the headwork to go with it.

 

I do want to go shopping for a P90 though - if you know of any knocking about?

[DatPilot]

I have here a L28 setup I dont have enough time or $$$ to play with,

Looking at ebaying it, but I'll give here a run first.

N24 block, N24 head, big single carby, perry extractors. Was fitted to 240z (sump and all that is ready to go)

It doesnt have injector notches.

I was going to put it on a stand and prep it for my HR30 skyline (which will be sold aswell) but time is ticking away till I move into 6 years full-time service....

I'll post a new thread for sale later on...

[zzzzed]

From the Zeds we have run on the chassis dyno over the last 20+ years  - we find most standard L24/L26 engines turn around mid 70's rwkws

 

Here are some numbers from my L26

 

Standard with standard exhaust and 240 carbs and B grind cam  - 76 rwkw

Standard with 240 carbs and headers and A grind 240Z cam - 88 rwkw

L26 refreshed with flat top pistons, elec ignition, 240 carbs and A grind cam - 108 rwkw

L26 with all the above and with tripple 44 Mikuni's - 122 rwkw 

 

As to weather you replace your L26 is a question originality - and how much $$$ you have free to spent

 

 

Al.

.

 

 

Sorry to dig up an old thred. Bit if these figures are correct them that changes a lot with my car.

My l26 with flat top hitachi's and all the pollution gear got 80 rwkw on its. Last duyno and that's on very d points plugs and leads. So maybe I shold measure my cam profiles before I change my cam. ?

Will my 30mm chokes in my mikuni's stifle the engine with a bigger cam? Maybe I should go back to the 34 chokes.

[Zedman240®]

I wouldn't go by dyno numbers..  just use them as approximates. There are so many variables like humidity, altitude, make of dyno etc its not funny.

Try the carbs on first and see what happens.

[zzzzed]

Carbs are already on.    I also remembered I also have lower than standard profile wheels to which might answer my question.