Z23T Posted January 16, 2022 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2022 I upgraded the Z18T with a Z22S bottom end bored 1mm over, with Z22E pistons to drop the compression ratio a little. The stock head was used and I had one of the guys at the truck shop I was working at go through the head. I used the existing factory efi and ignition. The turbo was upgraded to a larger T3/T4 unit, and I added a front mount intercooler. Unfortunately I lost all of my build pics for the engine, so I just have these installed pics. 2 Quote Link to comment
Z23T Posted January 16, 2022 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2022 This is right after I got the car running again and the wiring and lots of other little things had not been finished. Quote Link to comment
Z23T Posted January 16, 2022 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2022 (edited) After I got the engine broke in one of the first things I noticed was that with stock wastegate, at it's lowest setting of only 7 lbs of boost, I was running out of fuel. It also had a shitload more torque, but as soon as about 4 or 5 lbs of boost came on the engine would go lean. Luckily I had a narrow band AFR gauge otherwise I probably would have destroyed the engine. A few years ago I upgraded to a AEM wide band AFR gauge, it's awesome. Pic below is of the old narrow band, I found the old receipt for it and I bought it back in '96 for $63. Edited January 16, 2022 by Z23T 1 Quote Link to comment
Z23T Posted January 16, 2022 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2022 (edited) I had read that the 280ZX turbo guys had been upgrading to Ford 2.3l turbo injectors found in the SVO Mustangs, T-Birds, and Merkur XR4Ti's. I found a used set on eBay, installed them, and then adjusted the spring tension on the air flow meter to compensate for the extra fuel. I also adjusted the air bypass on the AFM to clean up the idle AFR's. I have an old Trust manual boost controller and I was able to turn the boost up to 11 lbs. After I upgraded to the AEM gauge I could accurately see the AFR's and I turned the boost up to 15 lbs. Edited January 16, 2022 by Z23T Quote Link to comment
Z23T Posted January 16, 2022 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2022 After a few years the used injectors started to leak and I was able to find a set of new ones on Rock Auto. The Fords used a fuel rail with orings on the top of the injectors and Nissan was using hose barbs. If you cut the top of the Ford injector off you are left with a barb that you can connect a hose to. I used my old ass lathe to trim the plastic top of the injectors. The lower orings seated into the factory intake manifold. 1 Quote Link to comment
Z23T Posted January 16, 2022 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2022 Injector tops trimmed. Quote Link to comment
Z23T Posted January 16, 2022 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2022 On the lathe. Quote Link to comment
Z23T Posted January 16, 2022 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2022 Z18T fuel rail. Quote Link to comment
Z23T Posted January 16, 2022 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2022 The Trust manual boost controller. 1 Quote Link to comment
Z23T Posted February 1, 2022 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2022 This is pretty much what my car looks like today. The only exception is I destroyed two of the Watanabe RS-8's on my way to work one day so the car currently has Rota RB's on it. Quote Link to comment
Z23T Posted February 2, 2022 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2022 I was driving to work one day and I spun the car and hit a low center divider in the road. The a car jumped up on top of the divider, smashed my exhaust, and destroyed the barrels on two of my Watanabe RS-8's. I spun the car on a corner that I have been around thousands of times and was surprised when the car looped out. After I got the car home and was inspecting the damage I noticed that the BFG Rival tires I had on the car were as hard as a rock. They were old and I should have checked them out before I took the car out. I don't have any pics of the damage, they were on my work phone and they were all lost. I was able to salvage part of the exhaust down pipe and the section behind the rear crossmember. I welded up a new exhaust and painted it with a high temp Cerakote paint that does not need to be baked on. I also built a new transmission crossmember that would allow me to tuck the exhaust up closer to the floor pan. Quote Link to comment
Z23T Posted February 2, 2022 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2022 (edited) Edited February 2, 2022 by Z23T Quote Link to comment
Icehouse Posted February 2, 2022 Report Share Posted February 2, 2022 I love that injector mod! Also love the build!!!!!! Quote Link to comment
WAGON JON Posted February 2, 2022 Report Share Posted February 2, 2022 How does it feel now with all the mods? Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted February 2, 2022 Report Share Posted February 2, 2022 I think I have seen this car at Canby. Quote Link to comment
Z23T Posted February 3, 2022 Author Report Share Posted February 3, 2022 On 2/1/2022 at 5:26 PM, Icehouse said: I love that injector mod! Also love the build!!!!!! Thanks, it's a ton of fun. Quote Link to comment
Z23T Posted February 3, 2022 Author Report Share Posted February 3, 2022 On 2/1/2022 at 7:55 PM, WAGON JON said: How does it feel now with all the mods? With the bigger bottom end it's certainly faster, it probably makes a little over 200 hp, I don't know for sure, I've never had it dynoed. The extra added torque from the 2.2L bottom end makes it a lot more fun to drive. The car still has it's issues, but hopefully over the next couple of years I can get most of them ironed out. Quote Link to comment
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