Eric Hsu
www.beyondthedyno.com/blogs/eric
Eric Hsu Facts:
1. Eric Hsu can stand on no feet.
2. If you Google Eric Hsu, you'll break the Internet.
3. Eric Hsu can sit in a race car, and by pulling up on the sides of its driver's seat, lift it into the air.
4. Eric Hsu can turn left on red. There is nothing anyone can do about it.
5. The cars Eric tunes don't run on any particular race fuel. They run on pure fear.
Got a good tech question? Send it to Eric. Got one as bad as our Eric Hsu facts? Mark it "Anonymous."
questionit@importtuner.com
Old School Upgrade
I've been playing around with an '86 Nissan 300ZX for a couple of years now. I'm currently deployed in Afghanistan and am saving money for a move to the Philippines when I get out of the service next summer, but before I move, I would like to get some performance parts for my Z so I can send the parts and personal items all together. I'm not quite sure what direction I should take with the vehicle build or what parts to get for it. I have the budget and was thinking of purchasing an RB26DETT engine. I've seen previous owners swap these engines into the 300ZX and thought it would make a great upgrade. The RB-swapped cars I've witnessed had transmissions attached to them, but I wasn't sure if I could get the factory Skyline AWD setup to work on the car. Should I go with a different transmission altogether? I was also thinking of using a dry sump oil system for the engine, since they seem like a very good investment for performance.
-John A.
Via Importtuner.com
The '86 Z31 is my favorite year chassis because they still retain the original taillights before the model change, but have the wider fenders. One thing you may not know is that the '86 Z31 can also fit an aggressive wheel fitment in the rear with massive lips for potentially the meanest looking Z31 one can build. As far as the direction of the build goes, it really depends on how much you like the car and if you're willing to drop 5-6 times more cash than the car is actually worth. If you only like the car slightly, you might be better off buying another car that already has more power, looks a little more modern, and has better reliability. The RB26 engine drops right into the chassis with the Japanese RB20DET engine mounts. The RB26 is a long, iron engine, so the car will loose some of its chassis balance when compared to the original VG30DE V-6, which is almost half as long. The transmission to use will come from an RB20DET Z31, HCR32 Skyline, or ECR33 Skyline. These Skylines are rear-wheel drive so they will bolt right up to the RB26 with a transmission mount and driveshaft from the RB20DET Z31. Of course, you'll have to deal with custom wiring and run an RB26DETT ECU. Dry-sump oiling is certainly an option, but does require extensive amounts of custom plumbing. If you're planning on serious road or drag racing, a dry sump is definitely a good way to go. Hi-Octane Racing in Sydney, Australia has a complete bolt-on kit, but it is designed for the Skyline GT-Rs, although the system could work for your application with some modifications. And a lot of $$.