fuzzi

Okay I have a question... here .. and i know im gonna get flamed.. i have already done a search with no results but i was just wondering... Does anyone know how a turbo off a datsun 280zx (83-86) i believe somewhere in there.. holds up on a 13b... My friend (a great rotary mechanic) suggested it.. We were thinking of turboing my car this summer.. and i know everyone thinks buying a turbo II is better but ive put a lot of money into this car and it sentimental value the engine is nearly new to so ive already thought about that stuff. Anyhow my friend said that they have a 2.6 litre engine, which is similar in size to the 13b. Anyhow.. he said that the turbo has a square flange which would probably make it even easier to put on then an rx7 turbo. Welding up a manifold would be a piece of cake... Does anyone know if this would work well?? How big are the Datsun 280 turbo's , in comparison to the stock S4 rx7 turbo's ?? Only answer if you have something possitve to say.. im just trying to get an idea of what will look good..
thanks...

RETed

Too small unless you're only looking to make about 200hp...

Ok, so you're going to take a perfectly running NA and blow it up trying to retrofit some turbo of some other car?&nbsp I don't see the logic in this...

You might have a very general displacement equivalent, but it stop there.&nbsp Turbo technology has grown leaps and bounds since the 80's.

Are you saying you have the capabilities of fabricating or welding your own turbo exhaust manifold?&nbsp What is it made out of?&nbsp You expect mild steel tubes to stay intact under the intense rotary engine heat?&nbsp Can you handle stainless steel?&nbsp Are you going to depend on your mechanic to build this turbo exhuast manifold?

Put enough time and money, and you can make anything work.&nbsp I don't know what your peformance goals are, but I doubt this will make anything over 200hp...


The stock Hitachi HT-18 is probably bigger.&nbsp If I hazard a guess on the size of that turbo just by looking at the engine displacement, it's either a T25 to T3 size turbo - neither is as big as the stock Hitachi HT-18.

Now for the lecture...I do not support nor condone slapping a turbo on an NA engine.&nbsp You're talking some serious upgrades just to get the NA to handle such large power increases over stock.&nbsp The NA drivetrain (i.e. transmission, driveshaft, rear diff, and half axles) are NOT as strong at the turbo components.&nbsp The stock ECU and engine control needs to be addressed to handle the boost; don't expect to just slap a turbo on and have the stock NA ECU be able to handle the engine control requirements - it can't.&nbsp You're trying to slap too small of a turbo for very minimal power gains.&nbsp Why?&nbsp You already mentioned the car is too precious to give up - why are you trying to throw up a hack system on your precious car?&nbsp I'd recommend dropping a supercharger kit, if your car is that precious and you're looking for serious power gains.&nbsp Mind you, this supercharger kit is NOT cheap.&nbsp Bottom line...speed takes money...peformance takes money - you try and get cheap, and it'll bite you in the ***.

My suggestion (most people won't like it) is get rid of your NA and/or buy a Turbo II...



-Ted

Ranzo

Let me say first that Hardware is the easy stuff. If your friend can make a manifold then you can bolt it on to your engine not a problem. As far as turbine choice That is almost a whole nother topic. I am not sure what engines the stateside 280z had in them but the ones In Japan had the old L26. These engines as with most piston engines smaller than 2.5 litres lack the exhaust potential of a rotary and therefore will have to small of a A/R on the exhaust side to be effective at High RPM.

Secondly and Most important is, what method of engine management will you use? Your current management system( im assuming Stock) is not configured to handle positive pressures (boost) inside the engine. On top of that the rotors are High compression rotors, This will limit the amount of boost you will be able to run hence negating alot of the turbines potential.

I am not saying it can't be done or that you should try it, hell that is something I would do, but most likely if you did pull it off, the engines would not live very long.

If you are gonna go to all that trouble why not get a perephrial port, with a good sideport and run Carbs or sports injection.

Randy....

TRURX7

I sold mine on ebay 4 days ago and bought a T2. I will not guarantee that you would get the same deal I did but, Its worth it. The 87T2 I just bought will eat most cars on the road right now. ITS FAST. I modded my 87NA to about 150hp (underestimated in my opinion), and this turbo will easily, no.. more than easily.. efforlessly eat the NA. Just be patient and one will come your way. And when it does, just test drive it. First find the mistakes in it, then fall in love with it. I know I am in love. But like I say, I gave up quite a bit with the NA. Headlight conversion, full exhaust, electric fan, everything but alternator removed, my entire $1000 sound system. But I took a chance, and here I am, probably the happiest man on earth. I wake up every morning and see how my baby is doing. Its worth it man...

Anything is possible man. People said the same thing about my headlight conversion (it cant/shouldnt be done), in the end, I was happy and glad I took the challenge. I would say do it. If you have someone knowledgeable that is fully willing to help you, and you love your car that much, go ahead and do it.

Good Luck
TRU

fuzzi

Yah... like i said i would like a Turbo II but i dont think i could ever sell my N/A . Its my baby first car i have ever owned i put my blood and sweat in this car... and i love it... I already new in advance that a bunch of you were gonna tell me to buy a TII .. I was just curious how the datsun turbo would hold up... wasnt sure if anyone had tried it... But if i do do it maybe ill end up just using a turbo of a Turbo II . If my engine ever does go im dropping in a turbo engine.... As far as worrying about the drivetrain etc.. I might have some stuff from a wrecked turbo II that my friend would be willing to sell me..... I was thinking of controlling the fuel management with an SAFC or something along those lines.... I was looking at what other people are doing here in terms of conversions... My friend is the most knowledgeble rotary mechanic i know anywhere... he built my whole engine from the ground up, and gave it a port etc...good guy... he said he'll do it for me because he wants to be able to say he's done it... He comes up with some crazy stuff that works well all from scratch... example: all his intercooler piping is out of pcb piping from home depot.. total cost 3 bucks, results:priceless

lol..
anyhow.. im gonna look into a stock second gen turbo

RETed

Good luck with your newfound mechanic...
He scares me.&nbsp "PCB"[sic] (supposed to be PVC) piping is not meant for the heat that's coming off the turbo.&nbsp It'll eventually distort and melt...not to mention venting caustic clorine[sp?] gas that's corrosive enough to eay your precious aluminum parts...




-Ted

fuzzi

Actually that was an inititial concern when he first thought of doing it... but then he looked in to it more and you can get pvc pipe that is cable of withstanding temperatures in larger excess of what the engine makes.... A matter of fact he has been using it for 2 years now with no problems...

fuzzi

Oh P.S he's not a new found mechanic ... He's been my best friend since kindergarten .. and i have all the faith in the world in his skills....

scathcart

Chlorine Ted.
And PVC is PVC. Its properties do not change that way. Unless he way talking about ABS plastic, which is white (and also a bad idea), he is lying to you about higher temperature on the plastic.
Introduction of Chlorine into the engine is not a good idea.
Sean Cathcart

Josepi

Why not just goto your local muffler shop and have them mandrel bend some 2-2.5" pipe. Just draw diagrams and lengths and most shops can do it. Then just buy some silicone elbows/connectors, and you'll spend 80 dollars tops on a system that you can polish to a nice shine? I agree, plastics and heated air is a bad mix. Hell they even tell you not to use plastics for bongs, and your getting air that's just heated with a lighter for a few seconds.