i r teh noobz

Keep us updated, especially on the turbo part. I'd like to do a turbo on mine some day. Check z31performance.com. Lots of users there that may be interested in your extra VG30 stuff.

Here's my first run in all is nighttime lame camera glory! Don't mind my mom in the background. <video removed> Doesn't seem to be running quite right, but there are no O2 sensors and the MAF wasn't installed. It starts stuttering once it warms up enough to trip the engine light. Found that the throttle isn't opening all the way either. And my steering wheel is upside down.... Hopefully the bugs will work themselves out and this thing will be ready by next pay.

<video removed>

Engine runs!!! Video coming soon. Thank you to lt1swap.com and Benwood auto parts in NY for a good engine and tuning.

Still at it. Cash is tight and time is limited. Had my PCM VATS/Emissions deleted by lt1swap.com to save time and money on HP Tuners. Engine is in and assembled, PCM fits nicely on the drivers fender/frame rail (pics eventually). Coolant tank from a 96 Saab 900 fits well in the battery tray (most 90's Saturn bottles will fit as well). Heater hoses are a bit tight to the intake, but doable. Hood is on and closes with over an inch of clearance on the throttle body. Cruise control module fits. Headers are wrapped and coated. Clutch is in and bled. Vacuum lines are in. Shifter sorted out (a bit far forward, but it will work) Down to the driveshaft, an idler pulley (f-body alternator setup would fit, but I can't seem to find one), some hoses, and a minor redo of my harness (original setup won't fit well and looks awful so I'm redoing it). I should have this thing running within a few weeks. Hopefully its drivable by mid summer.

Still working. Ran into some rust issues and found a better shell. http://tech.240sxone.com/186/lsx-clutch-hydraulics/ This clutch master cylinder adapter for a wilwood in a 240sx works perfectly in a Z31. My engine should be going in for good this week. Need a driveshaft, radiator, and HP tuners to finish my project.

The hookers fit my car pretty well. Tight on the steering shaft, but doable.

Still haven't gotten around to making my own thread, but I do have an update: Hooker LS1 block huggers fit my car quite well. They clear my engine mounts, and should clear the steering rack with a slight s-bend. I'm currently deciding on HP Tuners/EFI Live to delete the VATS and trouble codes so I can start this beast! Then I get to pull it back out for a cam swap...

Thank you for the info, I knew I had seen something around here before... Do you still have any of those manifolds? I'm looking for a stock style manifold that can be run backwards for a turbo setup in my Z31. The truck manifolds that I have almost fit, but the passenger side outlet hits the frame. A side by side with the truck and CTS manifolds would help me out quite a bit.

Is there a list of stock Gen III exhaust manifolds anywhere?

I was able to drop down enough to make it fit. I'll have to notch out some of the hood supports, but it will fit. With that autokraft pan, you should be fine. My pan requires me to mount the engine about 1-2 inches higher up, but I wanted to protect the sump, so I kept my pan. I suppose a modified f-body pan would work as well. The sloped section right in front of the sump area interferes with the steering rack unless you cut the firewall and move the engine back another inch or two. If you can weld aluminum, you might be able to cut that part out (not sure how that would affect the pickup tube). Definitely go with the car water pump and balancer. The truck pump's outlet sticks up past the ls1 throttle body and would actually require me to cut a hole in my hood to run the hose. That would get some looks .

Finally got my engine/trans mounted. My only issue with my setup is the F-body oil pan requires a high engine mount position. The upside is that the pan sits level with the crossmember so I won't have issues with ground clearance. It seems a bit high, but my stock hood will fit, so I'm happy. I've matched up my output shaft with the pinion angle and everything looks fine. The mounts need a finish weld, but I'm far enough to start my brake/fuel systems. I suppose I should start my own thread and stop stealing yours. Used stock VG30E mounts, cut waaaayyy too far, hence the giant gap.

The ARP replacement bolt was long enough to put the dampener back on with.

If its only one bank, I'd check out the O2 sensor for that side and see what its doing, it may be throwing a lean signal all the time. I think the LSx provides a seperate power feed to each coil set, so you might want to make sure that connection is clean and you have solid spark to each cylinder.

I haven't had much time to mess with the Z lately, but I have a little bit of news. I was able to push the engine back a little farther and now the LS1 throttle body will clear the stock hood. A little notching my be required to make room for hoses, movement, etc, but it does fit.

Looking for a shifter for an '85 N/A, FS5W71C transmission. PM with offers. Thanks.

The hammer work was for the bellhousing. I was able to move the engine/bell combo back about an inch and a half after pounding the tunnel and removing a pivot ball mounting boss from the the bell (I'm planning on running a hydraulic throwout setup). I'm not sure how the T56 bell compares to the old 4 speed bell.

I'm in the process of doing a 5.3/TKO600 swap on my 88' NA Z31. My driveline is hanging in the car and I'm still coming up with ideas for my mounts. I'll try to get you some pictures this weekend. I wanted to wait until the engine was mounted to start a build thread, but I guess this works. As for information, I have looked everywhere and found absolutely nothing. I pieced together what I could from the Z32 guys and figured the rest out on my own. Here's what I know so far: The truck intake and oil pan won't fit. The intake will pop up about 5 inches past the hoodline and the oil pan almost hits the ground. The F-body pan and LS1 intake fit, but I had to do some serious hammer work to the firewall to make the engine sit back far enough to clear the steering rack with my bellhousing. The throttle body still won't clear, but I may be able to run the intake backwards to make room (I really want the sleeper look, not a big cowl scoop). The alternator bracket for the truck holds the alternator up nearly as high as the funky intake, so I'm probably going to have to fab up a custom bracket for the alternator, and I want to run the stock Z power steering pump (if you use the Z alternator's pulley, it has the same ribbing as the LSx A/C belt). The engine is in the way of my A/C evaporator, so I doubt I'll be using A/C. The heater core lines are a tight fit, but should be workable. The TKO600 and bellhousing fit well (just got it in late last night, so I'm not 100% on how much clearance I have. A hydraulic throwout bearing setup looks like the only option at this point). The shifter comes up through the stock hole as I have it now, but its a little too far foreward. A little grinding and a custom shifter should do the trick. There isn't much room for an exhaust. I'll be having a friend of a friend build me a custom exhaust and headers. That's all I can remember right now. I'll try to keep you updated.

Because its laying around. I have no problem going to buy box tube, I just mocked it up with the pipe since it was laying there. Nothing is welded up yet. If I were to use box tubing, would this design be sound?

I've got a 5.3 LSx sitting on my crane in my Z31's engine bay and I'm attempting to design motor mounts for it. This is what I have come up with thus far. Please let me know if something seems like it will fail, kill someone, burst into flames, etc. Thanks. http://s148.photobucket.com/albums/s37/vgames33/?action=view&current=mountidea.jpg I'm assuming that box tubing would work better than the pipe, but I have pipe laying around, so I'd rather use it if I can.

I read somewhere that the wheel for the sensor has 12 lobes, so at 12 pulses per revolution, how could I calculate pulses per mile if I know my tire size and rear gear?

I have a GM spec TKO 600 that came with a VSS for an electronic speedo. Does anyone know what signal this thing puts out and how I may be able to make it control my stock Z31 speedo (also electronic)?

Are you dead set on an LT? I got my 5.3 with harness and ecm complete and shipped to me for 700.

My '88 300zx has some serious rust issues along the front "frame" rail near the firewall on the passenger side of the engine bay. It looks like water has been leaking into the engine bay from above the battery tray (it was rusted away as well) and dripping into a vent hole and into the whole support area for the engine bay on that side. Its right where all the fuel and brake lines exit the bay and head to the back of the car. I didn't notice the rust when I bought the car because it was sitting in some grass and had a flat tire on that side. The engine is out of the car, as I was planning a v8 swap. Is this a common issue with Z31s? Is there some sort of replacement rail I can buy? I've been told to try cleaning up the area and treating it with rust converter and then welding a support sleeve around what's left to reinforce the structure. I'm no body man, but I think that may work.

Found what I needed.