007max

I have looked at both options carefully, and I still can not decide what route to go with my car. I'm looking for 250-300 horsepower at first, with the ability to upgrade to about 350hp later on down the road, and reliability. My Z has yet to let me down when I needed to go somewhere, and I want to keep that kind of reliability no matter which route I go.

Each option has its benefits and shortfalls. With the turbo, there is a lot more wiring and plumbing work ( and boy do I hate wiring), but I do not have to pull the motor out of the car and can do most of the work myself. With the stroker motor, the plumbing stays the same and the wiring doesn't have to be changed quite as much, but I do have to have the motor pulled and pay a machine shop to do the work. Each is going to cost $2.5k - $3k to get done right.

Currently my car has the N42 block with a N47 head, so I am going to need a new head no matter which route I go. A guy in town does amazing port jobs on L-series heads, I just need to find a good P90 for him to work with.

I've still got months to decide. The Z is still my primary car while my girlfriend drives my truck. She should have her own car by May, so this summer is when the Z will be getting the major power injection, if I can decide what to do with it.

NismoPick

Wiring is cake if you get a turbo donor car... just yank the efi harness, splice like 5 wires, and wa-la!

For a turbo swap you don't have to pull the motor? Unless you do it the cheap / unreliable way of "slapping on a turbo exhaust manifold" to your current motor, you will need to pull it.

A reliable / good stroker will cost a lot more than that. There's a reason Rebello L-Series Stroker motors are $10k.

My advice... find a good 280zxt donor car, yank the motor, do the mods you want, install it into your car.

KasbeKZ

the turbo way is sure to allow you a higher limit to power. i'd say that's a bit more versatile way to go. but the stroker will sound so good and throaty!

snwbrderphat540

u can get all ur stroker part for cheap if your VERY VERY resourceful, but the machine work and balancing is gonna bust your *****!!!! honestly, your lucky if you get 300hp on a stroker. but if you go stroker, dont go turbo. almost every high HP import engine thats turbo is still the stock displacement. its telling you something there.

WildmaN

Hey man, if you need a place to yank your motor. I have an engine hoist, and stand to work with. Oh and don't worry about the wiring, that is my speciality bro'. So you say this summer? But it is all up to you. Do you want to get the power naturally? Or with using a Turbo? Of course the stroker n/a will cost you more money. But it all depends on what you want to do man. Let me know otherwise on my offer.

007max

I live in an apartment so I don't have the room to store a parts car. Whatever work I do will be done at my friend's house, but I can't keep a parts car there either. The other thing is that I'd be upgrading the turbo from stock, so megasquirt, or some other engine management system would have to be installed, which leads to a ton of WIRING!


I hope that I don't have to pull the block if I go the turbo route. I'll be pulling off the head to put a ported one on and putting in a thicker gasket to lower the compression.

I don't need a race motor that revs to 9k. Just something for the street. A diesel crank would run about $100 from a JY, rods and pistons would be another $1000, then there's the machining work and assembly, which, admittedly, I haven't priced yet.

007max

Thanks man. I was actually going to do the swap over at my friend's place that lives off of Power. He's got a garage with all the equipment I need. Lets just say I'll keep you updated on whatever option I choose.

NismoPick

I dig your idea... and it's doable. Only hang up will be the turbo oil return line to the pan. Ideally you'd want to use a turbo oil pan (to swap w/ the motor still in the car is a pain in the royal ****). The alternative would be to drill a hole in the side of your stock pan, weld on a bung & screw in a fitting (but remember there is little room to do all that).

Snw... what did you do for your turbo return line?

snwbrderphat540

got a turbo oil pan DURRRR!!!!! lol.

remove the whole engine its easy as pie its 4 bolts holding the block to the 2 mounts.

007max

Damn! I need this.

http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=130152

NismoPick

You'll need a lot more than a bone stock L28 to use that.

SHADY280

007max, from what you have said, i would prolly go turbo. ive driven my heavily built n/a for 3 years now, its great, but those dang turbos win every time. even nismopicks lightly (or so he says!!) pulled on me, and he was down a cylinder cause his cam was shot. the n/a will have more imeadiate throttle response and go, but once the turbo goes, holly crap hang on, ittl fry tires all day long. and itamakes a cool woosh noise! either way id say mega squirt, for you numbers mentioned. thats my 2 cents, but hey its your money, your car.

007max

That setup is less than 1/2 of my budget. Stock L28 not needed

NismoPick

Ah... the good ol days of MSA 07!

Well you had said you didn't want to pull the motor, so I was under the impression the bottom end would still be stock.... no?

007max

I don't, at least I wasn't planning on it if I went with a simple turbo swap this summer. But then if I go with the stroker (which everyone seems to be advising me against), I would have to have it out anyway.

I can't believe the deal on that kit for sale on HybridZ. I might be taking a trip out to Texas during spring break to pick it up if the guy is ready to part with it by then. I wasn't planning on buying the parts for a while either

NismoPick

That turbo setup on HybridZ isn't a "simple" setup... and the pressure from that turbo is going to quickly blow your motor apart.

007max

What I mean is I'll have the $ to spend on building up the motor seeing as all the turbo stuff I need to buy would cost 1/2 as much with that kit...

veyenyl

All thats needed for that setup is bigger injectors and a good tune on the megasquirt.

snwbrderphat540

who uses a diesel turbo? lol.

duowing

If you go the stroker route, I can't imagine you'd even remotely want to stay with the stock EFI system. You'd be putting in so much time and money to limit your performance due to the stock system. I may be wrong, but it seems like if you'd go that route you'd still need wiring.

The turbo car's wiring is really not that difficult, plus from the sounds of it you can pretty easily pull about 250hp from a L28ET with simple things such as intercooler, exhaust, and boost controller.

lww

Think about it... A turbo designed for a 5.9L Cummins Turbo Diesel... installed on a 2.8L Gas motor... What you have is a set of incredibly mismatched design elemenents. And the guy on HybridZ that's selling it seems somewhat surprised that he smoked his motor. Even though he was only running at 13psi, that compressor side flows as much CFM as a stock T3 running about 26 to 31 psi!

It's not just the psi, that is only part of the equation.

NismoPick

^^^ The man of wisdom has spoken it.

snwbrderphat540

like i says... who the hell uses a diesel turbo?!?!?!

NismoPick

Someone w/ a motor built for hella forced induction... or you could just use the proper turbo for the application.

snwbrderphat540

lol, can you even get a diesel turbo to only put out 10psi? swithc wastegates? lol. spools at idle.