In a Datsun/Nissan sports car guide book I have, it says the 280ZX turbo ran on "regular unleaded". Can anyone confirm what kind (octane) of gas the owner's manual recommends for the 280ZX turbo? I'm already aware that modern, and modded, turbo engines require premium, but I do wonder if the relatively low-tuned stock L28ET was designed to run on the lower 87 or 89 octanes.

 

I did hear someone on this forum say they run 87 octaine on a stock 280zx turbo. You can put some in, and when you drive listen for pinging.
I get pinging in my non-turbo on 87 octaine. It runs perfect on 89 so I use that stuff instead.

 

Bleach, what kind of setup up are you running?

 

On stock boost I can run 87 octane as long as I don't floor it for extended amounts of time or cruise on the freeway and decide to punch it. (heatsoak becomes a big issue) 91 is what I use most of the time anyway since my boost is a bit higher than stock. (9-12psi) But with gas being around 2.55 for premium poo I might have to live with the stock settings for now.

 

I've mainly been running on 89 octane on my turbo ZX beater (just in case). The radio doesn't work, so I have nothing to do but listen to the sweet whine of the engine. But I don't know if I'd recognize pinging if I heard it, or if it'd just get drowned out by the noise of the engine/fan. I keep imaginging, from the word, that I should be listening for pinging like a submarine's sonar. ^^

I would imagine running an intercooler, and maybe even a fuel line cooler, I could run lower octane safer (cooler stuff = less detonation). And maybe even that MSD Boost Timing Master, that retards timing as boost pressure increases, can help with that too?

 

Pinging sounds more like a knock/rattle coming from inside your engine. Excessive knock sounds more like someone dumped a bunch of large ball bearings in it. This is caused by uneven burning of the fuel mix in low octane gas. I run 91 octane in my na Z. Detonation is the premature burn of the mix at high rpm and can mean certain death to a turbo engine. New cars have knock sensors that retard the timing instantly. You can purchase this technology in after market control systems like Megasquirt for a few hundred that do it all. Timing, fuel injectors, boost retard, knock sensor and water injection. You can program it for the entire rpm range.

 

Stock engine, bolt-on intake and exhaust junk. Stock cam. 219,000 miles... maybe carbon buildup?

P79/F54 with 8.8:1 compression

 

theramz, it sounds like you have a Megasquirt, correct? If so, how much wiring was involved? Was it like a dozen wires, a hundred, or what? Their website didn't help me much on exactly how it's applied to a ZX.

 

No I don't have one yet but I have a turbo engine I am going to build hopfully this year and it will have one or something like it. I found out about Megasquirt on eBay. You can by a simpler one from a guy on there for $285, plug and play or build your own. He also shows a lnk to Megasquirt web site with all the info. The major snag in a turbo engine swap is all those hokey ****ing wires vacuum lines and antique sensors. If you have trouble finding it let me know.

 

I've heard about people using Haltech and Electromotive EMS' also, but I don't know if those "premade" ones are any easier to install; I certainly know they're more expensive!