Twisted46

JHM i have been looking through said diagram and it was a big help. Basically I compared the 240 vs 260 and what is actually in my car and was able to get everything working. I now have 12V at the distributor EDIT: when the key is turned on! not all the cabin stuff seems to be working but I don't care because racecar and most of it is still waiting to come out. Yeah I am running my fan, light bar, starter, fuel pump and alternator with new wire/fuses/relays. I'll post it up when i get it done. First order of business is to charge the batter that is putting out 8.8V during cranking... If i actually get the motor to fire I will start the process if getting every looking nice.

Thanks Miles, We labeled all the wires last weekend per the JTR book and above wiring diagram. Update: I seem to be getting power to the cabin now, just not all lights, buzzer, etc working yet. Car turns over but very slowly, wish me luck.

And on to more problems!! I hate to make another post but I am posting as much as I can when problems come up to not just get the community input but hopefully help other in the future. So the JTR book pretty much says to rip out all the engine wiring other then the 8-9 wires you need. it even includes the voltage regulator. I will make a write up at the end of all of this with 260z specific headaches. Without using any common sense I got to cutting last weekend. I deleted EVERYTHING that wasn't listed in the JTR book because my lights were not working before so i just kept the needed ignition and sensor wires listed in the swap book. Last night while wiring my starter up I though "hey how does this thing get battery power now that i ripped all this junk out." well a sanity check confirmed my fear, no power going in to the cabin. - yes battery works and seat interlock is deleted, all electrics worked before swap(except headlights.) - I DID NOT have the alternator hooked up (waiting for bracket to get here) It seems that the W/R wiring from the alternator that branches out is what supplies the power(hot) to most of the car, is that correct? If so, where do the alternator and battery connect in the stock wiring that allows charging and power before the car is started? The only crossover i can find is the shunt that is used to supply the amp meter which should not impact other systems. I attached two images of what I am using from the stock wiring and what my current setup looks like, Again the alternator is not connected. The volt sensing wire does complete the loop in the new setup but my understanding is that this wire is only used to tell the alternator what to output. from looking at the 240/260/280 to ZX alternator swaps there is talk of using the stock wiring for the voltage regulator and jumping some wires but that does not apply to the GM 1 wire setup in the JTR book. I appreciate any feedback.

Okay I got the motor and transmission bolted in, I just needed to get the passenger side transmission mount cut out which was no problem. I then figured out that the motor mount threads were all junked up (BRAND NEW!) so i had to take them off and tap them back out. Then wouldn't you know i had the motor bolted in in about 30 minutes. I cannot stress enough how important it is to check every small and insignificant before installing the motor to make life easier. I learned the hard way by wasting hours trying to get the mount bolts in.

Okay and just like that I think I found the Issue. I have an early 260z and a WC T5. The JTR book mentions that later cars with a T5 will not need the Transmission mount points on the car cut off. Well I can see that the tail housing is hitting the passenger side mount and that is keeping the motor from rotating like it needs to. I will set to work tomorrow and report back with my results.

Its a 74' 260z, I will try and get some better pictures tomorrow. I have gone around the entire firewall area and can't find any contact points. I am keeping the motor as low and possible when sliding it back but I am at a point where the whole car wants to rock. I am also keeping the motor as flat as I can to keep the distributor off the wall. headers aren't hitting on anything either. Also should have included that I am using a WC T5 and it seems to have plenty of space under the car but the shifter mount is considerably offset to the driver side, to the point that my PRO 5.0 would not clear the shifter hole. I am considering starting over but I cringe at the though lol. TLDR don't do this alone kids.

Hi All, So this past weekend I got the SBC ready to go and in the engine bay. We had a lot of trouble getting the motor back far enough and still today I am fighting to get the drivers side mount bolt in. I was able to get the passenger started but the whole motor and trans seems to be shifted and the drivers side refuses to budge back but I can't find anything blocking it. Has anyone run in to this issue?

I am sorry to bring this back up but won't the flanges on each side of the driveshaft need changed to fit the gm U joints? Seems like it would just be better to buy a driveshaft with those flanges and have it cut.

With Vortec heads and a mild cam I should have enough fun 🤗

Well I'll sell or get core refunds for anything i can't use. I bought the motor not the accessories. It would be nice of they worked but I'll just buy what I need. It looks like I can use the starter any MAYBE the alternator. Unless the answer to you question is: I am dropping it in my 260z using the JTR kit that is sitting in my garage.

I figured I would start a new topic for this one. So after scowering the many online classifieds I decided to go buy a low mile 84' Vette 350. I went with it for three reasons: 1 - low mileage (22K) and in great shape. 2 - 4 main block and decent CR (9:1). 3 - came with a performer intake and Holley carb. I paid $650 and the guy sent me off with all the accessories. However I do not think I can use ANY of the electronics. The HEI distributor is electronic only (no vacuum hub). The Alternator has 4 pins instead of 2 on the side. The starter is not mentioned in the JTR book. I will post up some pictures later today.

Okay so maybe it is best if I just make a new topic for this but after thinking things over considering budget I think I am best off with the turbo 350 instead of the T5. I also want the swap to be complete for some events late in the season and I feel that the T5 stuff is where I will waste a lot of time. Also considering the myriad of people who so the T5 will be on borrowed time behind a 300hp 350 has made me decide to go a different direction... Oh and I can't find a decent one for less than $700. I know people complain about highway rpm with the TH350 which I completely understand having had that problem with a manual swapped BMW years ago. However this is a track car and I could care less what my cruising rpm is as long and the gear combination can get me to 120 mph. So my actual question(s). -Will the T5 JTR cross member still work for the 350? (I already have my kit) -Is there a good write up on the using the T350 for the swap? JTR doesn't even bother putting it in their swap guide. It seems that it should be the simplest transmission to put in.

Okay thanks. The driveshaft was one thing I was not clear on. So if I take it to a driveshaft shop with the u-joints they should be able to fix it all up right?

Hi all, I am a first time poster but long time reader. I'll go ahead and introduce the car and background. Last year i was looking for a dedicated track car and came across a 74' 260z 2+2. I had never really looked at the S30 but got hooked pretty quick. The car was nearly rust free and drove but needed some love. I bought the car for $1500 delivered. My plan for the first track season was to freshen the car up and upgrade components thay made sense. To cut the story short i have had endless trouble getting the car running good with twin carbs on the L6. I have 3 sets of carbs right now... Worth a used 350 and transmission... Based on my future power goals and the time and money i have spent on the L6 it just doesn't seem worth it. I caved and decided that a V8 swap was in my future. So I bought the JTR manual, which I have to say for any other neebies, is mandatory. The manual is great and I am planning to get a 76-80 4bbl motor and 82+ camaro T5. My question is what driveshaft should be used with a 2+2 car?