My engine project

[kelloggman]

So im going to pick up my l28et out of a 82 280zx it has like 124k from what the guy was telling mei know these engines last forever but should i rebuild it?

im going to upgrade the fuel system with-the 255 walbro pump-460cc injectors(somewhere in that ball park)-megasquirt ecu-possibly go with the t4 turbo

wat else am i going to need to upgrade so my car doesnt die on me?

[mikeith]

i would take it apart, clean everything, hone the block, replace piston rings and all bearings. then put it back together using arp fasterners and new gaskets. maybe add some forged pistons if you have a little $$ to spare.

would also be a good time to take your head to a respectable shop for a good port, polish, valve job and new springs

oh and reviewing your setup i would definately get a healthy intercooler, bov or recirculating valve and a GOOD wastegate

[evildky]

if you are planning 460cc injectors and a T4 turbo, you might want to upgrade to forged pistons

and a metal HG and ARP headstuds are always a good idea on a L28ET

[kelloggman]

oh and reviewing your setup i would definately get a healthy intercooler, bov or recirculating valve and a GOOD wastegate

the engine im picking up from craigslist has a intercooler thats coming with it

where would i find forged pistons my cylinder size. i beilieve the bore is 86mm.
Modified by kelloggman at 2:07 PM 6/1/2009

[mikeith]

the engine im picking up from craigslist has a intercooler thats coming with it

where would i find forged pistons my cylinder size. i beilieve the bore is 86mm.

http://www.thezstore.com/page/...-4080(i've never seen forged pistons in 86mm... you may to bore to 87)

[kelloggman]

what kind of fuel upgrades so you guys have

[evildky]

I runn a pallnet O ring fuel rail with DSM 450 cc injectors and an aeromotove RRFPR, MSD fuel pump, 3/8 aluminum feed and return lines to a sumped stock gas tank

[ARZ]

So im going to pick up my l28et out of a 82 280zx it has like 124k from what the guy was telling mei know these engines last forever but should i rebuild it?

im going to upgrade the fuel system with-the 255 walbro pump-460cc injectors(somewhere in that ball park)-megasquirt ecu-possibly go with the t4 turbo

wat else am i going to need to upgrade so my car doesnt die on me?

Everybody always seems to over look the BEST indicator of how healthy a motor is. LEAK DOWN TEST!!!! Its not to hard to do and you will know quickly know the condition of the motor. Put each cylinder at top dead center and make sure to take the wrench off the crank when you do, so you don't dump the motor off the stand, or knock it over on the floor. If the leak down numbers look good, then replace the bearings and oil pump spring (super easy and worth it).

Its also VERY easy to change the bearings in that block without doing much more than removing the oil pan. Maybe $140 total in parts, would be worth it.

Man if you knew that the motor ran recently and the leak down numbers looked good then I would just run it ASAP. If the numbers look bad and it had been sitting a while I would crack the head an the block just to look at the cylinders just to find out what the problem is.

120K isnt very much for these motors, cross your fingers.

[HowlerMonkey]

Run it first.

Taking one out and putting it back in is cake and you might find the engine doesn't need a thing.

Example:

I bought a f54 with P90 head L28et engine and, when fitting the turbo drain to the front sump, I found the parts of many piston skirts in the pan.

I had a f54 from a non-turbo that had been filled with water and sat outside for a while rusting up the bores and decided to take a chance and spray some wd40 on the bores and hammer the flattops out of the rusty block since they still had intact skirts.

Lo and behold, the pistons and rings were flawless after I soaked them in carb cleaner and cleaned up the ring grooves.

I honed the turbo engine block and installed the n/a pistons and the car runs fine burning zero oil and having perfect compression in all six holes.

Definately run the engine first before taking it apart.....unless you already know it is damaged.

[Perrenial Badass]

In my own little world it has always been better to replace things when you have the chance, rather than when you need to replace them. So my vote would be to rebuild it while it is out. It may or may not be needed, but I personally would think that the peace of mind would be worth the money for the rebuild.

[evildky]

replacing while the einge si otu if s excelent advice for a Z32, for the S30's it's nto hard to do most taskes wiht the engine in and it only takes half an hour to pull the motor