General |
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| 1: | Can a Z be safely converted to a V8 (or other type of powerplant)? |
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Yes! This site and the hundreds of enthusiasts that support and contribute to it are proof. And the very first thing you should do if you are thinking about a V8 swap is to purchase the definitive book on the subject from Jags That Run. |
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| 2: | Can anyone perform a powerplant swap into a Z? |
| No. You can do it if you can read, have access to a wide range of tools, and are capable of working on cars. For more esoteric swaps (Infinity Q45 V8s, Jaguar V12s, etc.) you will also need good fabrication skills. You can also pay someone to do the conversion for you. | |
| 3: | How much does it cost to do an engine swap? |
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This is almost as an impossible question to answer as: "How much does it cost to get married?" The general opinion of the members of Hybrid Z is that you can perform a bare bones swap of a stock, used Chevrolet V8 into a 240Z chassis for about $2,500.00. From there the sky's the limit. | |
| 4: | How long does it take to perform an engine swap? |
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This is another impossible question to answer. "How long does a marriage last?" Ultimately these projects are never done because there's always "...just a couple more things left to do." Best case scenario: from the time you say, "I'm gonna do it!" until you're driving around the block upsetting the neighbors - 3 months. Worst case scenario - take a look at The Marathon Z Project. | |
| 5: | How fast can a V8 modified Z go? |
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How much money do you have? One member on, Ron Jones, has a Z that runs 8 second 1/4 mile times @150+ MPH!!! Most well engineered HybridZs will run low 12s with little more than 300 horserpower | |
| 6: | What about the Z's driveshaft, differential, and halfshafts? |
| (See the Drivetrain Section
of this FAQ.)
The consensus on HybridZ is that the Nissan R200 differential is plenty strong enough and the halfshafts have been holding up well. The Nissan R180 two spider gear differential that came stock in the 240/260Zs is marginal at horsepower levels approaching 300. The key is making sure that proper pinion angle is kept between the front of the driveline and the rear differential. Typically the driveshaft from the donor engine/trans is used after being shortened. For GM swaps, there is an adapter available which allows the larger UJoint to bolt to the pinion flange of the R200. One of the key things to consider is driveshaft speed. Never exceed a driveshaft speed of 9,000 rpm with a stock (or stock based) driveshaft. How do you calculate your driveshaft speed? Easy, engine maximum rpm multiplied by the top gear in your transmission. If the top gear in your transmission is an overdrive, then divide the maximum engine rpm by the overdrive gear. | |
| 7: | Is an engine swap better? |
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No. The questions to ask yourself are:
Once you have the answers to these questions, you can start researching what an engine swap entails and the benefits you can derive from it. Only when you have all that information can you go back and answer the question above. The members of HybridZ cannot answer that question for you. Its something you will have to answer yourself. | |
| 8: | Has anyone swapped a <enter name of some obscure engine here> into a Z? |
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This is probably one of the most common questions posted on this site. And the answer is: "Probably." The more important question is: Has anyone DOCUMENTED the engine conversion you are curious about. You'll have to check the topics on this site to find out. Please take the time to do this before posting. And if you're not really serious about putting the Cummins Turbo Diesel out of your cousin Jethro's wrecked Ram 2500 into your 240Z, then post the question in the "Non-Tech Board" or "I'm Tellin' Ya..." forums. | |
| 9: | What about SCARAB and other non-JTR conversions? |
| The Scarab swap is somewhat easier since the motor mount horns on the Datsun crossmember are used without any setback plates and the stock transmission mount can be used. It does put the engine farther forward and slightly higher than the alternative JTR method. This will make it much more difficult to achieve a 50/50 weight balance. Depending on how you intend to drive the car, this may be a factor. Balancing that "penalty" is the fact that the oilpan will be farther away from the road. But, another drawback is that since the engine and transmission are placed farther forward, most manual transmissions (such as the T5 and T56), cannot be used since the shifter would be placed much too far forward inside the car (up into the console area). | |
| 1. |
Which Chevy V8 should I use? |
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Typically the Chevy 350 block is used. This block can be configured as a 305, 327, 383 and many other combinations (283, 302, etc) depending on the crank, rods and pistons used. Both the Scarab and JTR conversions use this block. The last year of production for this engine was in the 1999 Chevy and GMC trucks and heavy SUVs. The last Car application was the 1997 FBody (Camaro/Firebird) LT1. Starting with the 1997 Corvette and the 1998 FBodies, followed by the 2000 model Trucks, GM switched to a completely redesigned "modular" engine family called the LS1. In Corvettes and Camaros, the block casting is aluminum and in the trucks it is iron. All of the engines, a 4.8, 5.3, 5.7 and 6.0 liter, have aluminum heads and "composite" plastic intakes. Though the displacement numbers are similar to the previous generation engines, the mounting positions are different. Therefore the normal JTR (and Scarab) mounting methods will not work with these engines. So there is no "kit". It is also important to keep in mind that the rear of these blocks are different as well, such that there is no transmission interchange. There are distinct versions of the automatic 4L60E and the manual T56 for these blocks that are not interchangeable with the old style (LT1, for instance) engines, and vice/versa. |
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| 2. |
What headers fit? |
| coming soon! | |
| 3. | What transmission fits? |
| coming soon! | |
| 4. |
How do I hook up the electrical system? |
| coming soon! | |
| 5. | How do hook up the fuel system? |
| coming soon! | |
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| 1. | Which Ford V8 should I use? |
| coming soon! | |
| 2. | What headers fit? |
| coming soon! | |
| 3. | What transmission fits? |
| coming soon! | |
| 4. | How do I hook up the electrical system? |
| coming soon! | |
| 5. | How do hook up the fuel system? |
| coming soon! | |
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Mopar V8 |
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| 1. Which Mopar V8 should I use? | |
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coming soon! General Motors V6
Other Engine Swaps coming soon! | |