Ben

That sounds like wear in the actual 3-position switch mechanism behind the stalk. AFAIK my car had the same problem when turning right, not sure what I'm going to do about it....

That looks like a CarTech kit to me.

Quite possibly.... I've seen a 308 stuffed into a 910 Bluebird (originally a L20B).

It seems that you may now hold the title of owning the "latest body # Aussie 240Z". Your car body # is over 100 later than my '73. The indicators on the bumper is standard for the '73, in all other respecs it looks the same as a '72.

Double de-clutching is as christoph said: instead of depressing the clutch & changing into the desired gear, you change into neutral, rev to the appropriate point for the next gear and then clutch in, and make the final change. Rev matching is the next-best thing - clutch in, match revs for the next gear/shift clutch out. Double de-clutching is used in gearboxes that have no synchros (crash boxes), and is also used with dog-boxes (which have dog-rings instead of synchros). A dog box must be shifted like you want to break it, or you will break it! Gearboxes with dog-engagement are used in high-power applications where normal synchros would fail. All the Datsun L-series boxes have full synchros on all forward gears (Porsche or Borg-Warner), so double de-clutching should not be required for smooth shifts. Gearboxes with Quaife, Hollinger or OS-Giken gearsets fitted are a different matter....

The turbo manifold from the Patrol won't fit the L series engine. It may fit the RB motors, but why bother? You should fit a larger fuel feed into your existing tank & use the original feed as the EFI return. You will also need a lift-pump, a surge tank & a high-pressure pump. The R180 diff will be just fine, an LSD R200 is the top-model upgrade. Your 260Z may already have an R200 (in which case, you are set). The only thing I recommend is the replacement of all universal joints & a re-balance of the tailshaft. The OEM turbo manifold has larger runners, but the NA manifold will flow plenty. Baz has been in the game for a long time & knows plenty about datto's.

top effort mate!

Not enuf squat on acceleration - more HP required!!!!

Chances are that the EGR plumbing is completely blocked with carbon deposits.... However, if it is functioning 100% correctly, it will not hurt performance at all & will make the engine cleaner at light throttle openings. My FJ20ET has a fully functional EGR system & still goes like a rocket while using 10L/100km. The air-pump is another story & in reality doesn't make the engine any cleaner, it just dilutes the tailpipe emissions. An appropriately sized exhaust leak would have the same effect. On top of that, it sucks HP from the engine & weighs heaps. If at all possible, get rid of it. The easiest way to get away from the air-pump is to fit a L28E to the car.... (the real late model L28E's won't have EGR either)

If it looks stock & you have an ignorant inspector, anything is possible.....

Australian design rules - see http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=7459 for a breakdown :classic:

Damn, I wish that TSA had guidelines like that (defined). If you plan on changing the engine in a car in SA, you need to apply in writing & then you are notified as to the yay/nay &/or engineering requirements. Sammy if you do a search, I posted a few months back with the legal requirements that my car needs to satisfy in order to have an L28ET fitted to it. The reason that it's 100% ok to modify a 240Z L24 with a turbo is that the car doesn't fall into the ADR27 regulation. Cars pre-ADR27 (in SA) can have unrestricted modifications to the engine, providing that they maintain the PCV system. However, ADR-27 engines must maintain OEM cam, intake & emissions specs. ADR-27A engines must maintain OEM internals as well.

Sinisha's 240Z was featured in issue #1 (or was is #2?) of Zoom magazine when it had its 350+HP L28 turbo in it. That was a few years ago now! Australia has a plentiful supply of import Japanese cars & componentry. The last Skyline that was sold in Australia was the R32 GT-R (at $110,000AUD). And before that we had the R31 series ('86-'89), and there are thousands of them on the road (a bloody reliable & good car - even now). Nissan specially developed the RB30E(T) motor for Australia & it was never sold anywhere else - the R31 series came with the RB20(D)E(T) in Japan & NZ. Though it's a pity we didn't get the Turbo HR31 coupe's or pillarless 4-doors here....

Even a crappy head design will flow heaps when "under pressure". But more to the point, the P90 has a better chamber design than the N42, so ideally, use the P90. But a de-compressed N42 combo will still be able to produce 300HP with a correctly sized turbo & proper controls.

Seriously guys, get an N42/N42 combo & fit pistons with a larger dish. It will be easier than finding a genuine L28ET in Australia.

I've chatted with Simon via e-mail a few times & my parents talked to him at length at the NDSOC nationals in Shepparton a couple of years back. I still don't know how he's made the engine bay that damn tidy.....

That particular engine is still an assembled short-block in the shed..... But it should make it smoother & happier to rev. I looked at the how-to-modify book & basically did al the little things that didn't cost much. (I've been studying that book for about 15 years. Originally trying to wring some more grunt from dad's L16. He fixed that problem by fitting the FJ20E) Things to do that were easy included; balancing, the rotating masses, de-burring the block (up to a point) and I spent about $150 on getting the head mildly ported & the sharp edges taken out of the chambers (including unshrouding the valves). Other things that I recommend are getting all new uni's for the driveline & perhaps re-conditioning the diff if required. A nice heavy-duty clutch is also a good idea (but not too heavy) At the end of the day it may only be a little more powerful, but it will be a better-than-stock engine. My current L28 turbo has had no-such attention given to it. It was bought with 220,000km on the clock & received a basic re-condition, (honing & valve-grind) before being driven 3000 km more & then fitted with the T3. I should have balanced it & given the head a bit of attention, but no matter. It seems happy enough 60,000km later....

Always replace the guides, tensioner & chain. The sprockets will probably be ok, but mileage will determine that. Match-port the head & balance the bottom end. (The balancing is the priority of those two) I balanced my L24 bottom end with nothing more than a quality digital scale, an Excel spreadsheet, a bench sander & some 300-grit for finishing. I didn't remove all the flashing from the rods & then balance, I simply removed the flashing as the balance. The overall weight would be a few grams heavier, but it was a very straighforward process & I got the assembled rotating masses to within 0.5 grams of each other(piston, pin, rod, bolts, nuts). The initial weight difference between the lightest & heaviest was almost 10 grams.... As a breakdown, there was 1 gram between the bolt assemblies & 2-3 for the pistons & pins. The rest was the rods themselves.

I have no idea what head casting the L20AET had, but if it's anything like the L20AE, then the valves & ports are like pea-shooters.... As for my TT project, well it's still underway (slowly) I've got my P90 head back now from being ported cc'd & flowed. It's not a cheap project, the exhaust manifold was $1500, the wastegate $800 & the head-work $1000. I have yet to buy pistons & prep the block & rods. The intake manifold is also ported/flowed & I still plan on using my AiResearch intercooler (which should be good for about 400HP of flow). The trimming which is currently underway will cost me the best part of $2k and I want to get the car 'finished' minus the big engine before the end of the year. It will probably take me all of next year to finish the engine (and there's at least $10k of investment left in that part).

Sorry guys, been away from the PC! That looks like the L20AET located at City Dismantlers to me. The L20AET was first released inthe C210 Skyline GT-ES turbo in the late 1970's. It was the first mass-produced Japanese turbocharged engine. It was also available in the HR30 Skyline GT-ES Turbos, alongside the FJ20ET models. It's only about 100kW though, and wouldn't fare to well against a fresh L26. The only things that it's really good for are the exhaust manifold, the distributor & the rocker-cover. I'd get a new turbo, and fit it to an appropriately decompressed L28E. The end result will be much more satisfying. The other thing to consider is that if it is the engine I think it is, it's been there since City Dismantlers opened many years ago! $1000 bucks is pretty expensive for those parts, and I'm not sure if a late model turbo will bolt-on to the factory manifold.

The middle 4 look like they came out of my lawnmower.....

Kinda, but it's a bit more murky than that. The earliest 280ZXT's actually ran the N42 block & head (the automatic '81's) When the BW T5 gearbox was sourced for the manual 280ZXT in '82 the F54/P90 combo was also available. Late 280ZX's & Patrols here in Australia have F54 blocks & I believe that some of the patrols have P90 heads. I have no idea what car my P90 came from, but it was locally delivered. With suitable chamber mods (or lower-comp pistons), a stock N42/N42 L28E can be force-fed without dramas up to around 300HP. How does 170kW's @15psi on LPG sound from an internally stock L28? (no it's not my car)

Hi Sam, I'm located in the southern suburbs. We should hook-up at some stage & have a look at your car. I await the approval of your gallery sumissions & will have a close look at what you post there. The N42 block is the 1st-generation L28 casting, with the F54 being the 2nd-generation block, used from around 1982 onwards. I don't want to comment on your engine without seeing some shots :classic: BUT, converting/building an L-turbo is a piece of cake!

The OEM shock in the majority of Nissans/Datsuns are Tokico's. Actually, they tend to manufacture the entire MacPherson strut! Anyway, I've used OEM Tokico's, KYB gas (black), Koni Special-D & KYB Super-street adjustables in my Zed & Skylines. The Super-Streets are about $700 AUD/pair (ouch), the KYB Gas are about $150 & the Koni's were about $400. In a street car the KYB gas were marvelous, slightly firmer than stock, but a lovely ride. The Super streets can be made damn stiff (I need different springs in my DR30, as it axle-tramps a bit under wheelspin conditions). The Koni's are very nice too, but they must be removed to adjust them. I've also driven 1100km in one day in a 260Z coupe with Bilsteins & they were pretty damn stiff. IMHO all the brands mentioned above a just fine for a weekend warrior through to a full-on racer, the important part is buying the correct model shock to suit your requirements. My KYB gas shocks wouldn't like to be thrashed around the track every weekend - they'd die a very premature death, but the Super-Streets would be a different story.

Yeah, welcome! My first question is: where are you located?