L28 to 3.0 and above

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dangerZone

Forum User
Could anyone recommend a decent engine builder to modify an L28 please? I know there's a wealth of info on here but I just want someone who knows their stuff when it comes to Datsun builds. Near to London or Kent would be ideal but of course would travel. Thanks
 
Kieronpollock

Kieronpollock

Club Member
Andy who restored my car is an engine expert having built many race engines and works at a very good rate. I believe Kevin Irons just bought a race engine from him . He’s based in Devon though
 
SeanDezart

SeanDezart

Well-Known Forum User
Kieronpollock said:
Andy who restored my car is an engine expert having built many race engines and works at a very good rate. I believe Kevin Irons just bought a race engine from him . He’s based in Devon though
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He lives near Rugby, Northants way unless he's moved since late last year.
 
Fairlineguy

Fairlineguy

Club Member
dangerZone said:
Could anyone recommend a decent engine builder to modify an L28 please? I know there's a wealth of info on here but I just want someone who knows their stuff when it comes to Datsun builds. Near to London or Kent would be ideal but of course would travel.
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I’d recommend doing your home work on what you actually want built I.e fast road ,race etc etc bearing in mind full blown stroker could be around £15k plus Especially if your thinking of going injection etc etc .
Without a doubt a nicely built/running l28 will be fun but there is often a journey to travel to get there
 
SeanDezart

SeanDezart

Well-Known Forum User
Fairlineguy said:
I’d recommend doing your home work on what you actually want built I.e fast road ,race etc etc bearing in mind full blown stroker could be around £15k plus Especially if your thinking of going injection etc etc .
Without a doubt a nicely built/running l28 will be fun but there is often a journey to travel to get there
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Good points Neil - a mild L28 on twin SUs can keep a grin on anyone's face, even the wife's with your more modest budget and frugal engine.
 
SeanDezart

SeanDezart

Well-Known Forum User
Then you'll want torque and/or a low-ratio diff, lightened flywheel, reasonably sized wheels (14/15"), better tyres and don't switch your engine off asap after the run.
 
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dangerZone

Forum User
Don't get me wrong, I don't want to autocross. Just that sort of power/sound and enough HP to throw me back in the seat!
 
SeanDezart

SeanDezart

Well-Known Forum User
I can't tell how much 'power' that guy has from the video.

If you literally want to be thrown back in your seat then bite the bullet and go for a good stroker - if you were near me, I'd let you drive mine to prove the point.
 
Rob Gaskin

Rob Gaskin

Treasurer
Staff member
Site Administrator
dangerZone said:
Than you all for your responses. I'm looking to achieve something like this

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I've done tests like that in the uk. It's so easy to forget where you are and go the wrong way. That car is probably 225bhp at the flywheel - wild guess.
 
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Fairlineguy

Fairlineguy

Club Member
You can’t tell from that video if the car has a lot of hp or just a raspy exhaust note.
What have you got to start with L28 ? Block and head ref numbers ? any usable upgrade I.e exhaust ?
Checkout some of the USA engine builders websites to see the different levels of build/ hp.also Hybridz fourm
Once you have an ideal of the build you want there’s plenty of advice and views on here .
 
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dangerZone

Forum User
There's some footage in this most recent video of the engine. Video's only a a couple years old but there is another from 11 years ago with the following description


I pulled this info from various videos of his ...

72 240z, 2.8 L Motor, Webber Dcoe 40's, big cam, 4.44 LSD, Open Pipe - its a very old motorsport set 3-2-1 there is a 3 inch resonator and 2.5 inch all the way back ... the sound is the motor which is a monster

72 240z, 2.8 L Motor, Webber Dcoe 40's, big cam, 4.44 LSD, Open Pipe

we discovered the old 70's era turbo muffler was pretty restrictive. the car is a little louder now but pulls way harder all the way to redline. 2.8l block, ported head, big cam, dcoe 40's, header, msd6 al, 10lb flywheel, 4.44 plated subaru r180 lsd diff, 5 speed

cam came out of a race car

still running the old motorsport header from way back... it runs 3 into 2 then it merges just before the resonator which is half way down the car... under the drivers seat... then the pipe runs back over the axle to where an old turbo muffler was ... we saw-z-alled that off and installed a bolt on flange so we can install a muffler if we get pulled over ... from the joint it runs about 2 feet of 3inch pipe ...which really helps drop the rice out of the sound

Motor is a fully built 2.9l with webers and a big cam ... the exhaust is 2.5... until the point where the muffler used to be then its a 3 inch tip ... there is a resonator in the mid pipe

Headers into a resonator & then out to the back 2.5 inch opens up to 3.5 for the last 2 feet, the different pipe diameters and the 3 weber carbs (ITB's in modern talk ) are a big part of the sound

 
richiep

richiep

Club Member
None of that is particularly special tbh. Of course, the devil is in the details, such as quality of headwork.

What’s described is going to be 220-240hp.

Reference point: my 71 Fairlady ZL has an L28 overbored 1mm, balanced bottom end, ported head (nothing particularly special compared to what I’ve done myself with other heads since), Schneider stage 3 cam (270/280 duration, .460 lift), Dellorto DHLA40s on Harada port matched and polished intake manifold, cold air box setup, Fujitsubo 6-2 header and match twin pipe exhaust, S14a gearbox, 3.9 open diff. Power approx 220-225fwhp.

If you want to go North of that power, it becomes very expensive very fast unless you cheat and go turbo or engine swap. The highly-specced L31 that will be going in my project 240Z will probably have had 10-15k put into it (and that’s mostly at DIY rates) to get 300ish bhp (stuff like billet steel crank worth 3k, welded drag/race spec head, race cam, ITBs, etc.).

It’s possible to build a 3.0-3.1 for less that that, but without ££££ on attention to detail, it won’t get much more power than a sorted 2.8.

Basically, do lots of research here and on hybridz forum. And on the US forums don’t believe the HP claims. US ponies vs British horses…
 
SeanDezart

SeanDezart

Well-Known Forum User
richiep said:
None of that is particularly special tbh. Of course, the devil is in the details, such as quality of headwork.

What’s described is going to be 220-240hp.

Reference point: my 71 Fairlady ZL has an L28 overbored 1mm, balanced bottom end, ported head (nothing particularly special compared to what I’ve done myself with other heads since), Schneider stage 3 cam (270/280 duration, .460 lift), Dellorto DHLA40s on Harada port matched and polished intake manifold, cold air box setup, Fujitsubo 6-2 header and match twin pipe exhaust, S14a gearbox, 3.9 open diff. Power approx 220-225fwhp.

If you want to go North of that power, it becomes very expensive very fast unless you cheat and go turbo or engine swap. The highly-specced L31 that will be going in my project 240Z will probably have had 10-15k put into it (and that’s mostly at DIY rates) to get 300ish bhp (stuff like billet steel crank worth 3k, welded drag/race spec head, race cam, ITBs, etc.).

It’s possible to build a 3.0-3.1 for less that that, but without ££££ on attention to detail, it won’t get much more power than a sorted 2.8.

Basically, do lots of research here and on hybridz forum. And on the US forums don’t believe the HP claims. US ponies vs British horses…
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225whp is 270 crank....from triple 40s on an L28 ?

a billet steel crank at £3k is a waste of money imho - how many more revs are you gonna run (and where) than a stock of LD version ?
 
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