86 300zx na to turbo

keith'sz · Jan 9th, 2008, 11:33 AM

im interested in converting my 86 na z (automatic) to a turbo. need advice. need info on doing this crazy project. thanks

solimines · Jan 9th, 2008, 12:10 PM

Here's a link that shows you how or why to do a turbo swap on the z31. Let me know if it helps.
TURBO TURBO TURBO

BTW There are a million write ups on this, just search the different Z sights 300zxclub.com z31.com etc. My favorite is 300zxclub.com but i think it might be better for my z32 then the z31.

keith'sz · Jan 9th, 2008, 10:12 PM

huge help, thanks so much

keith'sz · Jan 10th, 2008, 10:47 AM

i see u used the na motor instead of replacing. and no inter cooler. can u explain the difference in a na motor and turbo, also how can u get away from not using an inter cooler to keep from frying the thing. I'm a novice so please bear with me.

thanks,
keith

solimines · Jan 10th, 2008, 12:17 PM

My bad I don't know the answer to your question i just found the info for you, I actually own a z32. So not sure of the specifics, but I would recommend going to one of those other sites and also maybe posting another one here, asking specifics like this.
BTW NA to turbo conversion is not a novice job beware. I also saw there are a lot of mods where you can put different types of engines, not just a turbocharged 300.

thezman · Jan 20th, 2008, 10:18 AM

well first yes you can turbo a n/a vg30e engine (stock 160hp) with no issues you can only put 6-8psi boost in it before you have to start doing major mechanical work to take the boost higher. The stock vg30e n/a engine has 9.0-1 compression the vg30et turbo engine has 6.8-1 compression this is the only difference in the engine of a n/a and turbo engine mechanically. Basically when you add a turbo you are adding somewhere around 100 hp at 6-8psi on a n/a engine. now to give it more boost you can add an intercooler as the amount of boost goes up the air going into the intake gets hotter increasing the likelyhood of spontaneous detonation. installing an intercooler cools the intake air temps meaning it takes more pressure to cause detonation. it isn't uncommon for individuals to install larger turbos getting up to 15-17 psi boost (requires major engine work) which produces around 450 hp. you have to tinker with the cams/timing, fuel pump, larger injectors, recommended is a plenum spacer to reduce intake temps, this is just the tip of the iceburg there are guys out there running twin turbo (so ive heard) i've seen TT headers haven't seen any stats for an operational TT z31 yet however. Just adding turbo to a n/a vg30e is a lot of work especially if you aren't an experienced mechanic.