BRAAP

Gang, I finally got around to test fitting the SHO engine into a ’76 280 Z body. This is going to be very slow long process. I wont go into the details, suffice to say this project will not have updates for extended periods of time. Don’t worry, I plan to complete it, I also have to take care of the several other obligations I have. Back to the project. Here is a little history on the donor engine and the test fit car. The engine came from a donor car that was purchased cheap. Shifter cable was broke, tranny stuck in 1st gear. The car drove home. The car itself was cut up and hauled away for scrap. I removed the engine from the transaxle yesterday and using my trusty John Deere tractor with the Fork Lift attachment, I dropped it into one of my Z car hulks. Any how, in general the engine does fit and the hood will close! The crank height is close to optimum and set back is aesthetically pleasing, to me any how. Here are the initial issue that arose. 1) The oil filter goes right through the OE Datsun steering shaft! The fix, Relocation kit. Maybe. 2) The drivers side exhaust collector flange is right on the OE Datsun steering shaft as well. The fix: Redesign the flange, maybe. The fix for issues 1 and 2 might be able to be solved in one swoop and the benefit of less steering effort gained as well…How bout just installing an OE Ford power Rack as per Terry Oxendale which will move the steering shaft over further away from the engine all together. I have one of these racks at my disposal and I own a custom built cross member for the Z that holds this rack. I’ll post back after I try this. 3) In placing the engine as far back as I did, this puts the throttle valve in the firewall, right into the wiper motor and partly into the horizontal shelf/floor under the wiper motor. I have heard that the intake plenum on the SHO engine can be flipped around and with some mods will work. Ok, Now I have been SHOWN that the plenum CAN be flipped so the throttle valve is on the front of the engine. I would like to thank the nameless hybrid Z person that sent me those photos. 4) The oil pan does hang down below the front cross member approx ¾”- 1”. I might end up raising the engine up approx ½” when all is said and done and I’m not afraid to shorten the pan so it doesn’t hang below the front cross member. In Z that sits at stock ride height, this wouldn’t be too much of an issue but my experience with lowered Z cars, and with my Chev V-8 swaps, if the pan hangs below the cross member it will drag the ground and hit on speed bumps. I shorten the pan and clearance the oil pickup and problem is relived, tough not altogether fixed. 5) The A/C pump sits REAL close the driver side frame rail. The car that is going to receive this engine is a ’75 280 that is a factory A/C car and I hope to retain the A/C, (Getting old and now so creature comforts are taking priority over out and out race car performance, LOL). I prefer to have the engine as far back as possible but there is always going to be some compromises made in doing this. Just how much cutting welding and fabrication am I willing to do? Not a whole lot. It looks as though my SHO swap will have the front of the engine maybe an inch or two forward of where my JTR Chev V-8 swaps landed. Engine looks good in this location as well. I took LOTS of pics, oil pan below the cross member, under the hood clearance of the intake plenum, etc. and will have them up on the net within a day or so.. BTW…. I am in the market for a 5 speed with the bell housing to fit the SHO engine, (convert it to RWD). If anyone knows where I can pick one up, I can make worth their while…

Thanks for the input.. This SHO project started out from a complete SHO car, that drove. Shifter cable was broke so the car was bought at a great deal. The Powertrain and complete Powertrain wiring harness have been removed, the rest of the car has been cut up and sold as scrap, (what else is a Ford body good for, LOL). At any rate, I have the entire Powertrain complete with the ECU harness, etc. Now all I need is the rear drive bell housing and manual tranny to bolt up to it and I’m off and running.. Thanks again,

Hello guys, BRAAP is BACK!!!! Well, I’m working on a couple of project Z’s right now, LS1 power, (this project is on hold) but the other one is a go right now. Goal for this project is just to make a nice smooth zero maintenance quiet daily driver Z that is tad different from the other swaps going right now, not wild, just different. I have at my disposal a nice Taurus SHO engine that I want to install into the engine bay of a 280. Has anyone ran across anyone else converting this east/west V-6 into a north/south config and if so, what is the most common route? Thanks in advance guys…

I am assuming you are refferring to the Edlebrock Pro Flo RPM system. I have this system and from what I gathered from reading both the installation AND setup manuals is that it cannot be seperated. The programmer NEEDS this info to operate. Of course there is always the possiblitly of trying to fool the ECU into thinking the Edelbrock IGN is up nad running when infact it's not but that is another story and you should probably have already bought another EFI systems such as SDS, Haltech, etc. This is just my opnion but why would you NOT want to use the built in fully adjustable IGN map that Edelbrock already suppliese with the system? MSD is good stuff but what the Edelbrock system offers is the ability to "observe" the timing and adjust in real time from the same controller you control your fuel with. Not seperate controllers, seperate ways of controlling, etc. I am willing to bet $10 that there will be NO differene in HP and MPG with either set up once optimized. Good luck,

Howdy Gang. I am relaying this question for my father who is having trouble posting the forum. He is about to swap in a Chrysler 440 and auto tranny into his '83 ZX Turbo car. he would like to know if any one has swapped the Chrysler Big Block into a ZX and what issues arouse during the swap? His name is Ron Ruschman and he can be reached at... rock52@uswest.net Thanks gang...