L28 in 240sx?

[Ni$$@n240]

I have seen this swap done before on youtube and thought it would be a good idea. However I cant seem to find any build threads on this subject. I Heard of a company that makes custom bell housing plates to mount Z32 trans to sr's. So I was wondering why not l28 to ka trans?
I would like to keep the ka trans to keep the stock driveshaft. Or would it be easier to fab up some brackets to the frame for the l28 trans?
Thinking of just doing carbs but then again the L28et sounds interesting.
Any comments, suggestions, or links to other builds of this nature would be amazing.

[nismoracingsx]

The L28 would seem to be an under powered option considering the age of the engine and its specs..
I've seen race built L28's but it just doesn't seem practical at all?
I'm guessing that you want to do this swap for performance, so I would advise against use of the KA transmission..the driveshaft shop can hook you up w/ a custom
driveshaft if you decide to drive on w/ this swap

[Perrenial Badass]

Don't get me wrong, the L series is a good motor... just not one good enough to be worth swapping into any chassis with sufficient aftermarket to make much better engines damn near bolt in. Such as a 240SX. If you are going through the trouble of swapping in an engine and want something bigger than a KA or a SR, go for a SBC.

[AZ-ZBum]

Really? You want to go backwards 40 years in technology? The L series engine was introduced 30 years before your car was made. If you want carbs, at least get an engine with power. Buy a small block Chevy or small block Ford.

[evildky]

it's been done, I actually provided the electronic's for one swap, the oil pan for another (you need the maxima oil pan to clear the S13/14 crossmember) and did the wiring on another

bolting to the ka trans is also fairly common, you swap front cases and main bearings and you have to bore otu the counterchaft hole in the L28 case to fit the larger ka countershaft

don't get me wrogn I love the L28ET, it's one of my favorite engines, btu there are easier ways to add power in an S13/14, the VG30ET would be a better swap for that chassis IMHO

[Ni$$@n240]

Thanks for the comments. Im not going for huge power and just want to do someting different from the norm. Sounds like just using the l28 transmission is the best way to go. I have been thinking of a vg30et or even vg30dett.
Anybody know what a motorset for a l28 goes for?

[evildky]

an n/a L28? anywhere form free to $300, if it's an L28ET then anywhere fomr free to $350, seriously, these things go cheap, the cars all rusted away so everyone saved the motor, the motors last forever so their value is quite low compared to most other engines

[Ni$$@n240]

^^^ Thats what I was thinking cant be expensive at all. I was thinking that the et would bring a bit more than the n/a but good to hear not so much. As I am broke this sounds more like my chosen path for the l28 in my 240. Im not sure but I think Nistune works on the ET? I noticed you used Megasquirt on yours.

[evildky]

the L28ET will be more consistanly 300-350. the n/a's tend to be more int he 200-300 range it all depends on condition and luck, to make any real power form the l28 you ahe to spend a lot more money then the l28et, you can make 260whp on the l28et with just adding an intercooler and boost controller, to get that power fomr the l28 you'll need a fully ballanced and blueprinted and perfectly tuned carbs or aftermarket injectors and electronic's and will spend closer to $5k

the vg30et can be as cheap and like the l28et with the addition of an intercooler and boost controller you can get up to around 300 whp

romulators work on the VG30ET, but not on the L28 or L28ET, I megasquirted both the vg30et and the l28et

[Perrenial Badass]

Can always do a Z31 EFI conversion for the L28ET. But that would be a wiring f*** for the ages, an L28ET with Z31 EFI in a S13.

[Ni$$@n240]

Well right now my car is a daily driver. This winter will be the time it will be worked on. I would like it to be drivable by next spring which is why my goals for now are reasonable. I would just like to get the motor in and running stock until the time for snow comes again then start to mod.
Did you guys see the dual cam twin turbo L28? If not check it out. Hopefully in the future I could get a head made for a reasonable price like that one. .

I have a vg30e in my pathfinder and im not a fan of it. Maybe its the fact that its an automatic but the thing is a dog.

[Ni$$@n240]

Can always do a Z31 EFI conversion for the L28ET. But that would be a wiring f*** for the ages, an L28ET with Z31 EFI in a S13.

I would agree. I dont beleive I would know that much about ecu programming and whatnot to do that myself. You would be better off going megasquirt i would imagine.

[Perrenial Badass]

Did you guys see the dual cam twin turbo L28? If not check it out. Hopefully in the future I could get a head made for a reasonable price like that one.

Oh crap you are serious. First, "broke" and "swap" don't go together. Second, "reasonable price" and "OS Giken" don't go together (nor does "reasonable price" get along with "twin turbo"). And beyond that, "swap", especially one like an L28 into a KA bay, doesn't go too well with most people's definition of the word "timetable".

How much money are you willing to throw at this car to get it running with a L28?

[evildky]

yeha the twin cam head for the L6 is something of a unicorn, in the rare event that one comes up they sell for as much as the car they go in

[Ni$$@n240]

Did you guys see the dual cam twin turbo L28? If not check it out. Hopefully in the future I could get a head made for a reasonable price like that one.

Oh crap you are serious. First, "broke" and "swap" don't go together. Second, "reasonable price" and "OS Giken" don't go together (nor does "reasonable price" get along with "twin turbo"). And beyond that, "swap", especially one like an L28 into a KA bay, doesn't go too well with most people's definition of the word "timetable".

How much money are you willing to throw at this car to get it running with a L28?

Haha well we all know we have bigger ambitions than what our pocket books allow for. I am well aware that broke and swap dont go together this isnt a first for me.

[Ni$$@n240]

yeha the twin cam head for the L6 is something of a unicorn, in the rare event that one comes up they sell for as much as the car they go in

Well i can beleive that. I was talking about the head that some machine shop made out of 3 KA heads. Its on youtube. Not sure how they did it but pure awesomeness.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrZYb1a6 ... re=related

[Perrenial Badass]

That's true. Anyway, I guess the KA head method is an option but I didn't originally mention it because... I doubt that is going to be an easy, inexpensive option either. I obviously haven't done it myself, but I doubt that it's something you can take to just anybody to have welded up. I, to be quite honest, don't see how they welded it up to make use of the water passages, unless they cauterized them at the seams and drilled new feed sections to match the block. Which is also something that would take $$$ because you're not going to just take a drill to it and make it work.

I'm still curious as to how much money you think the L28 swap would cost.

[evildky]

yeah I remember the ka head buiold, actually he talked and theorized for a year or 2 before he actually started on it, it's just a LOT of work for a little reward, and all the supportign pieces had to be custome machined, the rb head swap is easier

[Ni$$@n240]

Motorset est $400? ( Most likely in need of rebuild) All depends on condition of motor.
Need the clutch pedal, New slave cylinder, clutch master cylinder. ( Cars an auto)
All depends if I would use the ka trans or not. Maybe custom driveshaft or clutch made.
To get it in and running around $2500-$3000.
Rb head? Please post a link

[evildky]

you wouldn't need a custome clutch, pretty much all nissans/datsuns use the same disk spline, I knwo for a fact the ka, l6, sr, vg both single and dual cam all use the same splining, so if the trans will bolt up the clutch will work, in your case it's easier to swap the ka fornt case than to adapt the L6 trans, which unless you gfind a t5 is kinda weak

the rb head swap is far and few between, again , very little reward for a lot of work, the head bolts on, the oil ports have to be plugged and external lines run, the cooling jackets need to be tweeked and then you have to figure out how to drive the came, the L uses chain the rb uses belt

[Ni$$@n240]

So what your saying is that I can swap the bellhousing case from the L6 trans onto a Ka one? If so I have two extra ka trans so that would be iceing on the cake.
I think im going to go the n/a route to keep things simple for now.

[evildky]

if you want simple, leave ti ka powered

[Ni$$@n240]

if you want simple, leave ti ka powered

Thats boring. Would it work to swap that?

[cachanilla86]

With time, money, patience and more money and tools you can don everything you want, including swapping any engine into any car.



This guy used the R32 x member and 240SX transmission modified to fit the L28. Its almost the same when you swap a RB, only easier because the L engine uses a rear sump oil pan.

Found the thread here: http://tinyurl.com/34gwkag

[Ni$$@n240]

Wow. great find. Clean looking too. Ive been in the mood to trade my 240sx for a clean 240z. I wouldnt want to do that to my brother since he spent all winter doing the bodywork and paint though. I think im just going to suck it up and fix the 240sx.

[yankymate!]

I think an L28 is a great install because no one else is doing it. I am in the process of swaping one into my 1991 M30.
I read the other posts and I dont know why people think that L28 engines dont make power. The L28 Turbo that I have in my 1973 240Z was dynoed at 600BHP @ the flywheel. and the NA that I built for the M30 was dynoed @ 425BHP. I think that that is more than enough for my cruiser. I guess the engines that people say only make 200-300BHP are very mild builds, or simply carb and header add on engines with minimal internal modification, and no ignition upgrades. Most people that build L28's just slap some carbs and a header on it, and usually don't even spend the extra money to have the carbs properly jetted and the proper size venturi installed for their application. Hell, an properly setup new set of webers will run you about $2000+ and between 400-600.00 for a good intake manifold. Most of the guys that I see at the track, and Datsun meets dont want to spent $13000.00 on an engine when they are not using the car for pro racing with a purse if you win. The difference between building an older L28 to make good power is you are not going to do it buying parts off the rack like everyone seems to do now days on the newer engines. There are many cam grinds off the shelf that are available, but if you want real power they are not the ones you need, Those cams are the ( simple to tune Cams) for guys that dont really do alot of their own work, so these are available so that the common Layman can install it on an average head, slap some off the shelf webers or modified SU carbs and roll!, and simple flat top pistons wont due either.When I built my NA, I spent almost $3200.00 just on the head!







This is an N42 Head, Full port and Polish. 555L 302Dur 106* 2.02SST Intake Valves, and 1.50 Exhaust valves machined and stuffed into the head!
The Cam was ground off of a Billit stock, not a regrind! Titanium retainers, Custom Manley Racing springs.















This engine Redlines @ 8250RPM
Makes power from 4000-8100RPM
12:1Comp Ratio
Carillo Rods,
Ross Custom Domed Pistons with valve reliefs.
The photo was taken with 44mm Brand New Mikunis, but I made 105 more horse power by using 45mm Webers with a Cannon manifold.
The header in the picture is a Nissan Motorsport Race header with 1.75 Primaries, but I have had to make my own custom header to fit in the car and was supprised to have gained 35 hp over the race header.
The distributor was only for the photo. The ignition system used is the Electramotive tech 1 system. A distributor would have spark float at the RPM range that my engine runs at.

[HowlerMonkey]

Yankymate knows his stuff and has only shown a small portion of his p0ker hand here.

He's just as capable of wrenching anything from a 620 truck to a garrett tpe331 engine and smart enough to wear hearing protection when running said single spool turbine.

There's nothing wrong with a L28 in a 240sx other than fitment issues.

We ran a 240sx in IMSA GTU with a L28 at "z shop of miami" as well as leitzinger and a few others in the early 1990s and it's possible that the S30, S130, S13, and Z31 unibody based race cars all experienced thier highest performance in road racing while powered by a L28 if you look at the history of successful nissan race cars.

I'm still working on making harnesses for M30, 280zx, z31 and S13/14 cars that will run the M30 ems for distributor based setups or Z32 based systems in which you can run coil on plug though all of my stuff currently runs on the distributor drive.