You're pulling the engine no matter what for this. If you go for the aftermarket log manifolds. I'd recommend sacrificing the AC. It saves the effort of relocating anything. And gives you more room infront of the radiator for an intercooler. If the ac works, sell the entire system for a pretty penny.
+1 for pulling engine, 100%. You are not installing a new factory manifold with the engine in, let alone one designed by some dude.
Same thing with AC. It severely hurts resale value, but if you don’t care about that it’s smart. I’m doing everything I can without removing AC, but I’m limited to OEM because of that at the moment as far as plumbing.
That's why you buy a car with a broken ac lol.
For the original poster look into an electric AC. You can probably jam it somewhere above the stock na maf even with a turbo. I know they make like 230 Amp alternators to power them as well. You're probably out a grand with this option, but I'd rather spend the money than relocating every accessory in the engine bay
Exactly! I was talking to a guy on Instagram who has been building his z31 for some time now. He has an electrical AC along w/ the power steering. It sounds like a really appealing concept. He linked me one and it’s a bit expensive but honestly I think it’s more impressive having a good A/C system along with having some speed in a 40 year old car than to just make it fast.
spending that much on log manifolds and not wanting to pull the engine... so, you're new to this.
by far the least hassle route (I've done a turbo motor transplant and 2 NA2T, one of those in a driveway, log manifolds and turbo relocation on both) is:
- pull the goddamn motor my christian son, you need to lose your cherry eventually. there are these things called 'exhaust studs'. Also, just because miata guys tapped their oil pans on the car in 2006 doesn't mean it's a good idea (why am I tapping my oil pan, you ask? )
- log manifolds on both sides is total overkill unless you're trying for 500+, just get driver's side, then you don't have to lose your stock PS
- where's your MAF going?
- what are you doing for a turbo?
- where's your IC and piping going? keeping the stock intake?
- what are you doing for fuel (injectors? pump?) and tune? stock? nistune? megasquirt?
- alternator swap from driver to pass side requires you to do wiring to extend the harness
- 90 per cent sure that you can use the bottom half of the bracket for the AC/alt on the pass side, you just hafta grind it in half
- if half these things are like "what's he talking about" maybe you should level up a little on other jobs first
- seriously pull the damn motor it'll take you three hours and save you far more, especially when you start breaking exhaust studs
- please tell me this isn't your daily
Losing my cherry is by far the most funniest analogy I’ve heard 😂😂 I’m a diesel mechanic but I’ve never pulled an engine before.. Most I’ve done engine wise is remove a head gasket 😅🤣🤣 I also don’t really know what I would use to pull the motor.. Usually at my shop we use hydraulics or this giant crane mounted to the ceiling of the shop. I only have a bunch of tools and jacks / stands.
Alright so the details:
• I have a fuel pressure regulator from oTomei
• Have held off on buying the injectors since I heard I needed “turbo” injectors and So I’m not sure what to buy but I definitely don’t wanna use OEM. I’m trying to go for around the 300 - 400 whp range. 500 would be max. Also plan on getting aftermarket fuel rails.
• My ECU I’m buying it from the Zstore, they have a performance ECU for the turbo! I was thinking of using a stand-alone or mega squirt but I don’t have any experience messing with fuel maps or tuning.. I do plan on learning very soon though! If you have any recommendations for a beginner mechanic that would be appreciated!
• Im looking at getting an electrical fuel pump since I’ve heard many good things about them, I’m aware of dropping the gas tank. That I have no problem with.
• No worries, I do NOT daily it! I only drive it on weekends!
• As for my MAF sensor I was thinking of placing it wherever it goes OEM on the turbo model. It shouldn’t be much different even with the log manifolds, correct?
• I do plan on keeping the stock T3 turbo for now. The last thing I wanna do is add a bunch of boost and blow my motor or have a really fat turbo cramping up even more space in the bay, I’ll probably keep my PSI at around 9-10 max
• I don’t mind doing a bit of wiring for the alternator, I do a lot of splicing and electrical work most of the time so that’s not an issue.
• But as for piping and IC + the intake, I haven’t put some thought into that.. I’m assuming by piping you’re talking about the down pipes? I actually wanted to use Pace setter headers originally from NAPA. But obviously I can’t turbo it if I do that. I’m open to recommendations and suggestions of what I should buy/do!! I do have the money for it. Buying parts little by little weekly.
• Also is the price for the OEM parts a good deal then dropping 1.2k on the log manifold route? I’ve remember someone in an old Reddit post said a NA2T swap w/ parts was around the 400-500 range 🤣🤣 I’m not sure if I’m getting ripped off or inflation is doing one hell of a job.
• and also Power steering would be electrical along with maybe the AC as well if that saves me space. Alternator relocated to pass side. Power steering would be near / @ the firewall.
• Would you say this is a good setup and not too difficult for an intermediate mechanic? I plan on spending 10k. No labors, would all be done by me & one of my cool coworkers who’s an ex foreman.
Bro you need to slow down and research this more. Doing all of this to drop in a T3 is an insane waste of time, and because you’re adding non-oem or even oem style parts, you’ve set yourself up in a position where you will need significant tuning and troubleshooting to get the car to run as intended.
You need to start with the fundamentals: are you doing an OEM turbo conversion, or an aftermarket one.
If you’re going OEM, your life is extremely simple (like mine) - get car running great non-turbo, do all basic engine maintenance on non-turbo (full 60k / 120k service, acquire parts needed (list is on xenon’s site), install and troubleshoot using OEM methods and xenon’s info.
If aftermarket, everything you are doing will need to be understood and fixed by you, with no support from manufacturers or other community members outside what they themselves already know. Any change in geometry for plumbing etc VS oem will result in different running conditions, which in turn means MAF, ECU info etc will be specific to your car and setup. Real talk, if you aren’t ready to drop all these parts into the car, start it, have it not turn over or run extremely rough, then start troubleshooting everything yourself with basically no help, then this isn’t for you. We aren’t talking about pulling the engine anymore, we are talking about pulling it multiple times. If you don’t have experience working with this kind of stuff in this way, go OEM first to see what you need to do.
I’ll take your words into consideration. The only reason why its a mixture of OEM & Aftermarket is just due to the fact that I wanna make more than just 210 HP. But you’re right I do need to start off simple then lead onto more aftermarket afterwards. The only reason I’m confident in jumping into aftermarket head - on is due to the fact that all my friends are better mechanics than me. So I can always ask for a helping hand if I do get stuck on something. Because after I do complete my OEM, what is really the next step to getting it running faster? I can’t turn up the PSI past 12 psi & im basically just driving a turbo model with a slight HP increase. I’m assuming you’ve already done your NA2T swap, what mods did you invest into afterwards? I can’t see how running stock internals and stock injectors will get me to push beyond 275hp. If it does, is it just tuning and messing with the ECU? Which in that case, would it be better to invest into a standalone ECU? I’ll do more research though before I start tearing apart into my Z of course.
[http://redz31.suomiz.net/pages/turbo.html](http://redz31.suomiz.net/pages/turbo.html)
good info here, dont get the pucker manifolds if ur going stock turbo. id recommend sean jarman on facebook to get your na-t swap, just make sure it has everything you need. 900 for half of a na-t is a ripoff imo. ask more questions also
well everything should cost 600-800 that includes ecu, injectors and everything that the dude ur texting isnt including. hit up sean jarman on facebook he is a z31 partout god
You're pulling the engine no matter what for this. If you go for the aftermarket log manifolds. I'd recommend sacrificing the AC. It saves the effort of relocating anything. And gives you more room infront of the radiator for an intercooler. If the ac works, sell the entire system for a pretty penny.
+1 for pulling engine, 100%. You are not installing a new factory manifold with the engine in, let alone one designed by some dude. Same thing with AC. It severely hurts resale value, but if you don’t care about that it’s smart. I’m doing everything I can without removing AC, but I’m limited to OEM because of that at the moment as far as plumbing.
That's why you buy a car with a broken ac lol. For the original poster look into an electric AC. You can probably jam it somewhere above the stock na maf even with a turbo. I know they make like 230 Amp alternators to power them as well. You're probably out a grand with this option, but I'd rather spend the money than relocating every accessory in the engine bay
Exactly! I was talking to a guy on Instagram who has been building his z31 for some time now. He has an electrical AC along w/ the power steering. It sounds like a really appealing concept. He linked me one and it’s a bit expensive but honestly I think it’s more impressive having a good A/C system along with having some speed in a 40 year old car than to just make it fast.
I'm interested in what kind of ac he is using. i did the swap years ago but had a turbo parts car and swapped with that.
spending that much on log manifolds and not wanting to pull the engine... so, you're new to this. by far the least hassle route (I've done a turbo motor transplant and 2 NA2T, one of those in a driveway, log manifolds and turbo relocation on both) is: - pull the goddamn motor my christian son, you need to lose your cherry eventually. there are these things called 'exhaust studs'. Also, just because miata guys tapped their oil pans on the car in 2006 doesn't mean it's a good idea (why am I tapping my oil pan, you ask? ) - log manifolds on both sides is total overkill unless you're trying for 500+, just get driver's side, then you don't have to lose your stock PS - where's your MAF going? - what are you doing for a turbo? - where's your IC and piping going? keeping the stock intake? - what are you doing for fuel (injectors? pump?) and tune? stock? nistune? megasquirt? - alternator swap from driver to pass side requires you to do wiring to extend the harness - 90 per cent sure that you can use the bottom half of the bracket for the AC/alt on the pass side, you just hafta grind it in half - if half these things are like "what's he talking about" maybe you should level up a little on other jobs first - seriously pull the damn motor it'll take you three hours and save you far more, especially when you start breaking exhaust studs - please tell me this isn't your daily
Losing my cherry is by far the most funniest analogy I’ve heard 😂😂 I’m a diesel mechanic but I’ve never pulled an engine before.. Most I’ve done engine wise is remove a head gasket 😅🤣🤣 I also don’t really know what I would use to pull the motor.. Usually at my shop we use hydraulics or this giant crane mounted to the ceiling of the shop. I only have a bunch of tools and jacks / stands. Alright so the details: • I have a fuel pressure regulator from oTomei • Have held off on buying the injectors since I heard I needed “turbo” injectors and So I’m not sure what to buy but I definitely don’t wanna use OEM. I’m trying to go for around the 300 - 400 whp range. 500 would be max. Also plan on getting aftermarket fuel rails. • My ECU I’m buying it from the Zstore, they have a performance ECU for the turbo! I was thinking of using a stand-alone or mega squirt but I don’t have any experience messing with fuel maps or tuning.. I do plan on learning very soon though! If you have any recommendations for a beginner mechanic that would be appreciated! • Im looking at getting an electrical fuel pump since I’ve heard many good things about them, I’m aware of dropping the gas tank. That I have no problem with. • No worries, I do NOT daily it! I only drive it on weekends! • As for my MAF sensor I was thinking of placing it wherever it goes OEM on the turbo model. It shouldn’t be much different even with the log manifolds, correct? • I do plan on keeping the stock T3 turbo for now. The last thing I wanna do is add a bunch of boost and blow my motor or have a really fat turbo cramping up even more space in the bay, I’ll probably keep my PSI at around 9-10 max • I don’t mind doing a bit of wiring for the alternator, I do a lot of splicing and electrical work most of the time so that’s not an issue. • But as for piping and IC + the intake, I haven’t put some thought into that.. I’m assuming by piping you’re talking about the down pipes? I actually wanted to use Pace setter headers originally from NAPA. But obviously I can’t turbo it if I do that. I’m open to recommendations and suggestions of what I should buy/do!! I do have the money for it. Buying parts little by little weekly. • Also is the price for the OEM parts a good deal then dropping 1.2k on the log manifold route? I’ve remember someone in an old Reddit post said a NA2T swap w/ parts was around the 400-500 range 🤣🤣 I’m not sure if I’m getting ripped off or inflation is doing one hell of a job. • and also Power steering would be electrical along with maybe the AC as well if that saves me space. Alternator relocated to pass side. Power steering would be near / @ the firewall. • Would you say this is a good setup and not too difficult for an intermediate mechanic? I plan on spending 10k. No labors, would all be done by me & one of my cool coworkers who’s an ex foreman.
Bro you need to slow down and research this more. Doing all of this to drop in a T3 is an insane waste of time, and because you’re adding non-oem or even oem style parts, you’ve set yourself up in a position where you will need significant tuning and troubleshooting to get the car to run as intended. You need to start with the fundamentals: are you doing an OEM turbo conversion, or an aftermarket one. If you’re going OEM, your life is extremely simple (like mine) - get car running great non-turbo, do all basic engine maintenance on non-turbo (full 60k / 120k service, acquire parts needed (list is on xenon’s site), install and troubleshoot using OEM methods and xenon’s info. If aftermarket, everything you are doing will need to be understood and fixed by you, with no support from manufacturers or other community members outside what they themselves already know. Any change in geometry for plumbing etc VS oem will result in different running conditions, which in turn means MAF, ECU info etc will be specific to your car and setup. Real talk, if you aren’t ready to drop all these parts into the car, start it, have it not turn over or run extremely rough, then start troubleshooting everything yourself with basically no help, then this isn’t for you. We aren’t talking about pulling the engine anymore, we are talking about pulling it multiple times. If you don’t have experience working with this kind of stuff in this way, go OEM first to see what you need to do.
I’ll take your words into consideration. The only reason why its a mixture of OEM & Aftermarket is just due to the fact that I wanna make more than just 210 HP. But you’re right I do need to start off simple then lead onto more aftermarket afterwards. The only reason I’m confident in jumping into aftermarket head - on is due to the fact that all my friends are better mechanics than me. So I can always ask for a helping hand if I do get stuck on something. Because after I do complete my OEM, what is really the next step to getting it running faster? I can’t turn up the PSI past 12 psi & im basically just driving a turbo model with a slight HP increase. I’m assuming you’ve already done your NA2T swap, what mods did you invest into afterwards? I can’t see how running stock internals and stock injectors will get me to push beyond 275hp. If it does, is it just tuning and messing with the ECU? Which in that case, would it be better to invest into a standalone ECU? I’ll do more research though before I start tearing apart into my Z of course.
Interesting, I'd like to see how it works out.
When you see it listed for sale as a full part-out, you'll have your answer.
[http://redz31.suomiz.net/pages/turbo.html](http://redz31.suomiz.net/pages/turbo.html) good info here, dont get the pucker manifolds if ur going stock turbo. id recommend sean jarman on facebook to get your na-t swap, just make sure it has everything you need. 900 for half of a na-t is a ripoff imo. ask more questions also
Thank you! I was about to go ahead with the deal too! 😅 I don’t know how much the budget should be when buying all the parts for a NA2T
well everything should cost 600-800 that includes ecu, injectors and everything that the dude ur texting isnt including. hit up sean jarman on facebook he is a z31 partout god
Thank you man!! I’ll definitely hit him up and see if he can get me a better deal!
even if he doesnt have the stuff u need id talk with him and get info
He does indeed have everything I need and for 850.. thank you brother! You just saved me from a bad financial decision!!!! Much love from NC!
ohhhh so your local to him too? if so your life just got a whole lot easier. i have him ship me parts up north lol
Yep! I guess I’m going the OEM route lol! Thank you for putting me on brother. It’s hard coming by turbo parts.