NZeder

well you don't need a big cam or bore to get 260HP at the wheel just good head work (there is the bulk of the cost of any good strong L6 engine build) and then a bottom end to support the flow you have just got out of the head, JE's or CP but forged units, triples (44 mikuni will do it - trust me they flow better than 45 webers) and a good exhaust. You are correct not cheap - you are looking (at approx numbers) $5000 for the bottom end, new pistons, rods balanced, new turbo oil pump, comp sump, ARP rod bolts, ARP head stud kit, good head gasket aka 1mm metal reusable item, crank work (lucky for us in NZ we get LD28 for a lot less than you blokes but when you check them, radius blah blah balance it all adds to the bottom end cost. Head you are looking $4000-5000 depends hours that need to go into it. That would include new seats, SS oversize valves, new cam and work to match the lifter etc + you should lighten the lifter also the list goes on but get a copy of the Frank Honsowetz book on modifying the L series engines this does have a lot of good info in it. Now you are around $10,000 and now you build the bolt on bits ie carbs $1500 + new jets and chokes they will be wrong for the power you will be changing $800, headers and exhaust + fuel lines and pump upgrades etc So basically 250hp at the wheels does come at a cost - this is why in the US they just chuck a V8 in there for 1/2 the price you get the same power. This is also why in the US turbo is common also - they pick up a 280zx turbo for $500 and just swap that in - then do a little work to the old engine and get big numbers.

ok. 1. For a L32 you need to run a 90mm bore not that stock KA24 sizing of 89mm 2. That is a 4mm overbore I have had 2 L6 engines at 90mm and only do this if you really want the extra cc as you will go through a number blocks before you find one that will take that large of an overbore (just use any block ie L24 and sleeve it might be easier and you know what wall thinkness you will have) 3. There are many LD28/custom cranks around and a number of places in the states will make just about anything you want comes down to $$. 4. KA24 pistons are not light they are designed for a truck engine really and have large rings (good for no ring binding you get with the small stuff if not used from time to time) so this will limit the power 5. Invest in a good clutch setup from the start ie twin plate 7.25 it is worth it in the end for high HP strokers 6. If you have issues finding L16/L24 or early L20a rods (all the same spec, well some of the early L16 and L24 only have 8mm rod bolts but generally speaking they are all 133mm c to c and have 9mm rod bolts, 21mm pin) get some L24 H-Beams - they will be lighter and already balanced and have a good bush in there - they will only cost a little more that prep'n the L16/L24 rods anyway. 7. Depends on the power goals but I would consider a smaller bore 87mm as this will give you more room to move in the future with the same block + with the LD28 stroke you can still make 260HP at the wheels with bore around this size so how much do you want or need - that would be more than twice the RWHP of the factory L24 8. Have you been in a well sorted L28 on triples? You might not even need a stroker

L28 came with 3 sump configuration depending on the car the L28 was getting installed into. The 240z/260z/280zx all require rear sumps. So you need a L28 fitted with a rear sump to be a straight swap without removing the sump and installing the sump of the L24. The other sump configurations were mid sump - used on JDM sedans aka 280C/Laurels etc Then there was the Front sumps used on the later L6 power cars. Most LD28 we find here in NZ are Front sump configs as these come from late 80's Laurel aka C31

First question is do you want to install the L28 with the EFI? If yes then there is a little work around the loom/wiring and fuel area's but should be simple enough if you have some skills. Without EFI it is easier, take out the L24 install L28 with manifolds then put on the L24 manifolds ie carbs. If you want to keep it easy just swap over the dizzy also and if the timing is on the mark and you connect all hoses etc up you should be down the road in a few hours 1/2 days work. If you want to run the 280zx electronic dizzy this is a simple conversion again do able in the same 1/2 day. So real question is EFI or no EFI?

Ok so questions for you then. 1. Did they all break at number 6? ie snap the back of the crank off 2. What is your flywheel/clutch setup? 3. What is your harmonic balancer setup? ie stock unit or something else Re the question about journal size - I know that in Japan some were using the L20ET rods as these are 135mm long but on the smaller journal/big end. I believe they offset ground the crank to match the rod. At the little end they installed a bush that again was offset to increase the centre to centre length from 135mm to 137mm (or whatever the L14 rod length is I think it is 136.7mm if I recall correctly) and to take out from the 19mm to the more common L6 sizing of 21mm. However by the time you do all this work on these rods and crank to make them work you could have just purchased some h-beam in the sizing your required from the start. Trust me on that I have spent $$ on rods bushing, shot penning, balancing etc when new H-beams were only about $50 more for the set (this was due to some tricky stuff we did with the little ends )

that's what we like to see - out with the bad rusty stuff and in with the new metal - given these cars have lasted 40 years so far - and with people like Lurch and owners like Rev - the zed's will live for another 40+ years

well ended up with 95% of the parts from the olds house now in the shed with the zed Only the dash, rear window/hatch glass, original engine + carbs, wiperarms and headlights left there (not enough room in the hi-n-dry sonata company car)

lights installed, sockets installed, wiring all run, just need my mate with the ticket to connect to the mains

Ok 1 month later time for an update. 1. Cleaned and reinstalled the fuel line and rear brake lines (I don't recommend doing that in a hurry - those lines are tricky to say the least.) 2. Cleaned and re-wrapped (in the places that needed it) the stock loom and installed - yet to clip some of it down. Now time to work on connecting up the RB engine loom, upgrade the fuse link to Plug-in Fuse/circuit breakers, create a relay board/box around this location also for [*]Head light relay [*]Fuel pump relay [*]ECU relay [*]Other relays I see fit for power circuits 3. Cage has been painted Not a lot really but family things around this time of year have keep me busy. Tomorrow off to the olds place to collect more parts (were I was living when the car came to bits) so I can keep installing parts, ie pedal box, rear loom, I might collect the dash and centre console - but the focus is looms and other under car/under engine bay so I can install the motor.

This is just too funny - looks like a good stage show to see

No stick one of these in The AUTECH RB26DE 220hp 10.5:1 and still room for improvement

Yes back to the thread topic. So L28 would be cheaper to do in the long run due to the easy of install, no custom engine mounts, no custom headers (for NA application), no custom gearbox cross member for the 71C box (unless you want to run a 71C box ) and if the info about 15% larger is the case no engineer required if you start with a 260z 2 seater 2565cc + 15% = 2949cc the L24 does not get there as it is 2cc short of the stock L28 size 2393cc + 15% = 2751cc and the L28 is 2753cc So look like a 260z 2 seater would be the better base model car to start with given your local RTA rules and the 15% thing - funny really as the early 260z 2 seater shell is almost the same as the 73 240z - so how can you be ok with a 74 260z with up to a 2949cc but a 73 240z only 2751cc not even a L28

Peter can you not dig up info on the scarab given these were market in the US and sold at selected nissan dealerships with a warranty along side the stock 240z. And due to the numbers made surely you could state your car is a scarab replica and try and get it through that way? I now here in NZ going to a L28 in a S30 chassis is a non issue as nissan sold a S30 with the L28 with the same brakes and suspension (only the booster was changed) this was the US/CA 280z model. So you are only doing what the oem did in the first place.

I mounted mine on the radiator support panel ie not through like the pic above. I did have one of these kits from the US but again did not work with the G-Nose hinges so I welded up the holes and started looking for a different solution for my application - pleased with the out come from the testing I did before the car was painted (waiting for me to assemble now) - I have a steel bonnet and I can place the bonnet anywhere in the range and it will stay put. Given I don't have the stock hinges anymore you first want to work out the stroke required to operate through the range. Then I assume the forces would be same as the ones I have for a steel bonnet (I will check a strut website I found, if I still have the link, and let you know what I am using in that regard) then you just need to find a unit that will provide the stroke and force and then one that can be mounted with ease etc. I did fine that if the location of the strut mounting point was changed the forces required also changed (go figure, goes without saying really). Anyway I did find the BA boot struts were good but I could not mount them for my setup with ease - so hence Primera units will now be used with a modified bonnet (ie nuts welded in - I will get a pic of this for you and post up in this post) EDIT: Ok here is a good gas strut/spring site that lists length, stroke length and the force. The Nissan P10 strut I am using is the second unit with the 720 force rating. see http://www.piston.com.tr/p_nissan.htm other manufactures are listed so again work our the stroke and the overall length you need then get some cheap ones of those and have a play. Hope this info is of use to you. Cheers Mike

The first question is how much HP are you looking at? Then the next question is what is the budget? If you want around 200HP at the wheels then either can deliver this and the L28 is easier to install to get this vs) mount kit, custom headers (assume you want headers not the stock iron item) The cost of triple you might see as an issue then the come back from that for the RB is a good ecu replacement is the cost of the triples. Headers for the L6 are easy and available, an L28 with a/c, power steering pumps etc instock form are 170hp at the fly so cam, carbs and header and you are most of the way there. RB25DE have issues too. The rear mounted sump are NLA for nissan so that will need to be custom (there is your cost of the L28 forget the cost of the RB 1/2 cut). The early heads (none NEO) have hydrallic lifters so revs are limited by this. The later NEO are like the RB26 heads and solid lifters but the ports are not the same as the 26 or early 25's. I am installing an RB into my zed (RB26/25 hybrid one to become 26/30 hybrid) but can't compare to all the other L6 powered cars I have owned as the engine is still on the stand but an L28 would have been cheaper for the same power IMHO Cheers Mike

Guys could we use S130 to ID the 280zx and Fairlady Z 280z (JDM 280zx) and S30 for the 240z, 260z and 280z (remember the 280z was a US/CA model only too with the rest of the world still getting the 260z) after all these are the base chassis ID's for each model. S30 = early/70's Z S130 = 80's Z/ZX Z31 = 80's ZX Z32 = 90 ZX Z33 = 00 Z Z34 = 10 Z The above is approx decade.

Yes I have - and using a Nissan strut too - however I do have a G-Nose so the hinges are different ie not double acting. I have worked it all out and it works fine for my setup - I can open the bonnet at any location and it will stay put So you could just do as I did - beg borrow different struts, go to a pick-a-part and purchase different struts and test, test and test. I found Falcon BA boot struts almost worked but were too long for the G-Nose hinge. RX8 boot struts (with spoiler they are stronger than stock RX8) were too short. For my setup I went for Nissan Primera P10 boot struts and I welded a nut into the bonnet as it did not work if I tried to pick up on the bonnet mounting bolts (ie replacing one of the bolts with a 10mm ball for the strut to connect too. There was a bit of testing and playing around but I got a solution for me that worked - when I get the car together again I will get some pics for you but that will be a few months away as I have still have lots of work before the bonnet is installed again.

A bit far away but there is a LHD 240z for sale here in NZ and I don't think it sold.

Total zed km's would be 60,000km in the 17 years I have owned zeds. However that is in all of them. My only zed left in the stable is the first one I purchased 17 years ago. It had done 75,000ish km when I got her and it has done 80,000ish now but then I only had her on the road for 4 years before she was striped for some rust repairs. Now some 13 years later (and a number of othe zeds to keep me poor) she is getting put back together. So a lot more KM will be added in her future.

I have owned 2 and would do so again. I like them make a good daily and IMHO look much better than a 2+2

In oz no. Not an offical factory imported model. In NZ yes

I have RS Watanabe's in 16's they clear fine if I run a 6mm spacer. The watanabes have a flat spoke from the back (it is only the rears that need the spacer). But I don't wamt to run a spacer at all so I purchased so different calipers. The porsche runs a 1" MC factory so get a 1" patrol MC and you are done.

I have up for grabs is a complete set of Monobloc Brembo calipers of a Porsche Boxster 2.4-2.7. These are radial mounted so are perfect for a brake conversion. They comes with new road pads for the front and second hand pads for the rear. Designed for a 298mm x 24mm rotor on the front and 291mm x 20mm on the rear. Ideal upgrade for an race car project or engine conversion project to increase your brake performance. These calipers are common upgrades on the older 911 and 914 cars with a number of places in the US that sell mounting adaptors. Monobloc design to reduce flex normally found in Alloy brake calipers. I would have loved to use them on my brake conversion however they fouled on my rims with the rear rotor I chose to use (lack of room as the RIM has a very flat inside shape and I could not find a rotor that would work for my conversion that would work without fouling on the strut. I could have used a 5mm spacer and they would have worked but I did not want to run any spacer) Not very often you see these for sale Looking for $800 NZD but open to good offers - and if you are in no hurry for them I can get to Melbourne for free - ie next business trip I will bring them with me ie early 2010 I hope.

post a pic guys - I have been thinking about some 15" for my zed later with some period tyres ie 270/45/15 from Michelin my custom flares are larger than ZG so these rims might work on my car - So I am keen to get pics and specs on the rims

Not a zed mind you as you are 2 cylinders short