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280z V8 Swap Time's


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Hello All!

 

I was wondering the amount of time It would take me to do a V8 swap on my 280z. I know there are too many variables to list but here are the specs of my future V8 swap if it helps y'all any!

 

-Gen 1 350 V8

-Simple 4 barrel Carb

-JTR kit

-JTR radiator

-JTR radiator mounts

-JTR headers

-Muncie 4-speed (or 350 if this is too complicated...)

-Possibly JTR driveshaft

 

 

How long does it take you all to do this? I am wanting to know because as soon as I have major engine/drivetrain failure in my 280z I will be performing the swap...

 

Thanks! -Fred

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Fred, if you haven't already I would read the v8 swap faq section. Lots of info. Go ahead and buy the JTR v8 swap guide and read it through 3 times, then read it again. It took me 2.5 year to have my v8 swap done. I bought pieces as I went, and looked for deals on the classifieds board. Excluding the car I'm in for under 2k for the swap. Gather as many pieces for the swap as you can before hand. Read as much as you can in the forum before hand. Don't let things pile on. Like Jason mentioned, the "might-as-wells" get you. Above all have fun with it. Right now I am using the stock 280z radiator in good condition with the ford taurus electric fan swap and my engine runs cool. It is a mild 283 swap. I have heard of 350 swaps doing okay with stock. If you were going hot 350 or 383 you might upgrade.

Edited by emeraldlion
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Welcome.

 

Buy a copy of How to Restore your Datsun Z - Car by Wick Humble no matter what direction your project is going. Should be available at Motor Sport Auto (MSA), Black Dragon and/or Amazon

 

Also, buy the Datsun Z V8 Conversion Manual from Jags that Run (JTR). Read the manual at least five times before starting your project.

 

http://www.jagsthatrun.com/index.html

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it will be a great swap but as far as the Muncie 4-speed I think it will be a bit more than I would want to do. because the shifter sits off to the side and you would have to cut the floor pan I do believe I could be wrong though. I would recommend a T5 though.

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If I had all the parts ahead of time I could have it done in a day. It does not take much to put it in, its hooking everything up correctly, and hoping you dont have any broken parts that take the longest. I use my stock radiator with my LT1 and only time I had an over heating issue is when a hose blew a hole in it.

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I'm pleased to see that this thread hasn't been relegated to the "tool shed", as the original question is almost one of philosophy and not auto-mechanics, and such open questions receive short shrift here. That said, the most accurate answer would be the trite "it depends". Why? Because so much depends on the builder's skill and resources, the goals of the build, and in other words, on the amount of confluence between ambition and wherewithal.

 

As others have said, an experienced swapper with a full complement of parts at the ready, could do the swap in one weekend. Multiply by 10 if you haven't done the swap before, and by another 10 if parts are "being sourced" in some litany of deals, searches, swaps, sleuths and sales. Multiply by another 10 if the real goal is "restification" of a tired rusty car to competitive racing condition, or show condition.

 

And do please note: a V8 Z is not a daily driver. Some people do drive theirs daily, but more for personal satisfaction than financial imperatives, and they have at least one other backup car.

 

Perhaps it would be wiser to purchase an already swapped car, and then if necessary to modify it to one's liking?

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Are you an English major? Holy crap, I had to get out a dictionary! That was pure poetry-truly exceptional writing, except the "not a daily driver" stuff. I get way better mileage with my modern v8 than I ever did with the old L24 with carbs and a lot less fumes. The car is more docile in every capacity. I should get a tax break for all the good my swap did for the environment! Just teasing-I enjoyed your post.😄

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It's the "while i'm at its " and It's broken down to this point so I should......." that gets you. To undo work already done in 6months or 1year is your thing ,then a speedy swap is forseeable.I've been working on mine for 2 years. When finished all parts and pieces will be rebuilt,replace,refinished,repainted . I want to enjoy the build and do it only once.I can think of nothing worse than seeing it on a tow truck and out of comission after all that work and time Jim

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  • 2 weeks later...

You can do one in about 40 hours if you plan and lay out everything ahead of time and make sure you're not going to have to spend time running around to parts stores.  If you're inexperienced with swaps, plan an additional 40 hours.  When I did my first V8Z swap back in 1997  I lost a full DAY trying to get the 6 speed clutch setup working properly. 

 

Mike

Edited by Mikelly
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Took me almost 7 months, but it was fuel injection, reprogramming the ECU, pull clutch issues and designing / making all my own engine mounts, tranny mounts etc that really hung me up for time. The beauty of the GM swaps is that you can have all the mounts made up (or purchased) and ready ahead of time (which is imperative if you are currently driving your car, of course).

 

As a side note, a V8 Z, depending on how it's setup, can be a very enjoyable and practical daily driver. My wife has a Jeep, I have the Z. No backups. I didn't take shortcuts when I did anything, although it was done on a tight budget, and it has been extremely reliable. My odometer (Ford POS) isn't working, but I would guess I have about 10k in the last two years since doing the swap, and have yet to be broken down on the side of the road.

 

On the flip side, a non OD transmission paired up with some 4.11 gears would make a terrible daily driver. Always comes down to what you want to end up with, a driver or a racer.

 

PS, Don't wait for a major failure unless it's seriously inevitable. If it's still in good running shape, you should be able to make some money back on it. ($300-500 engine tranny? Not huge $$, but it'll buy you more than if it's blown up!)

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Plan the project in detail. Make a detailed parts list showing cost and source(S) for each part. This will force you to do research, plan and learn how to do the swap.

 

I have done two 1972 240Z V8 240Z projects. The first one was a basic SBC 350, Camaro T5, R200 install that took three months as I bought parts as needed and I rebuilt the brakes and suspension. That was 2002 and that car is stiil on the road.

 

My second 72 240Z 350 SBC T5 build was planned in detail and all parts were purchased before starting the project.  The car had been my daily driver for eight years. The engine/trans install was only two days, but the total time was one month because I cleaned up and painted the engine bay after pulling the stock L6. After the engine install I drove the car as a daily driver for two months to shake out the bugs and then tore it apart for paint and interior which took about three months. Most of that time was preparation for paint.  The car was planned and built to be driven daily.

 

BTW: just keep your brakes stock. Rebuild them and use good pads such as Hawk HPS and SS  braided brake lines.

 

 

Minimum things to do: repair the brakes, new shocks, stiffer springs, poly suspension bushings

 

Again, buy the JTR book.

 

 

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It took me about half a year to  put an L6 into my Triumph Stag.

 

Assuming that you have other things you need to do on occasion, work, make woopie with the wife, glare at the kids, you will be doing well to get it done in 6 months.

 

Again, assuming you have no experience of such a thing.

 

Good to be going down a path that is well trod, unlike what I attempted.   That will help.

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  • 2 weeks later...

What's woopie? Is that something you make in the kitchen? Never heard of it. How can you let something that sounds so trivial get between you and car work? I mean, how long can it take? A minute or two? Try warming it up in the microwave. Thank goodness my wife doesn't make me make woopie.

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About 11 months of weekend time and a few nights, I am not a welder so had to have a friend do all my welding and make the T56 bracket. it is the small stuff that adds the most time, first startup with overheating issues, solved, rough running with sticky injectors, solved, bad OPTI cable, solved, then the engine knock......source another engine, pull motor and trans and swap and re-install 3 weekends, clean up wiring another 6 weekends finally registered and on the street all told took about 18 months.

Of course you are never finished, you have a winter list every year and only get through about half of it.

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