Marc280

The fun of body work.... I'm keen to see how it all turns out though. I'd love to have gone with a 260z or 240z but I've got the 280zx which is in good condition and the early zed are starting to get real pricey in Australia.... I've seen many very ordinary ones going for $6000+. I never realised rare spares did parts for the zeds but that is good to know. Just make sure you take lots of measurement if your cutting out all the floor and make sure nothing moves! I've heard of a couple of stories where people have cut out a lot of metal and things have moved out of alignment. Do you mainly want the dual exhausts for the look? I haven't had to go through the whole engineering process yet although I'm told they can be fairly strict with a lot of mods these days....

I've had to modify the sump as shown in some of the earlier pics, although the pickup is untouched at the moment and hopefully it can stay that way. I didn't really want to fabricate a sump from scratch as the gearbox bolts to it and has a lot of reinforcing and looks as though it braces the bottom of the block. Yeah I can understans not wanting to outlay the extra cash for the manual.... I was able to sell a whole bunch of 280zx parts off that I had collected for a turbo build for about $1800, then the half cut only cost $1000 so I'm not too badly out of pocket at the moment. The next steps for me are custom headers (have the flanges and bends, collectors etc just need to get it together), then wiring and all fluids like heater, radiator, power steering etc... I think I've got the wiring fairly sorted so hopefully that shouldn't take too long. The most annoying thing is I'm stuck in Perth for the next couple of months and the car is in Sydney, so probably don't expect to be done till about half way through next year....

Hey mate, thanks for posting the pic. I looks like mine is mounted much closer to the firewall, from memory I think it is about 90mm from the firewall to the head (where the clutch master needs to go anyway). I've attached a pic which give a little more idea of the clearances. I can probably move it forward a couple of milimetres but anymore than that means a new sump, pickup etc. Although I think I might have found a solution I was looking on the Tilton website and found a master cylinder that is pretty short. I come to 81mm in length which means I need to get a fitting to turn on the end within about 10mm but that seems more doable than having to go underdash pedals.... Sure there was another fellow about the place who did this conversion into a 280zx - wonder how he solved it? I've seen pics of one other guy that installed a 1uz in a 280zx but he was using the auto so didn't have these problems and I'm not sure if he ever finished it. I'm pretty keen to stay with the manual so I'll find a way to make it work! Tilton Master Cylinder.pdf

Hey mate, it all looks pretty good. So what are the next steps for you from here, wiring?

Hey thanks for the info. I'm trying to work out which would be the easiest thing to change at the moment.... before you let me know about the 2jz extension for the w58 I just assumed I would have to go with under dash pedal or pedals as the easiest option.... The only thing is if I move the engine forward I will need to make a new sump from scratch and modify the pickup, then get the extension for the gearbox shifter, and redo the engine and trans mounts.... The way things are at the moment if I got an under dash master cylinder setup working I'd only need to get that sorted to have things working. But then I don't know exactly how much stuffing around this will be yet. I should have taken some measurements around the pedal box area before I moved over to perth so I could model it up in CAD..... The other advantage is it would keep the engine back as far as possible. How is your car for clearance for the oil filter? I'll need to either do a remote mount setup or use a shorter filter as at the moment it the filter can't be changed with moving the engine. The most annoying thing is I won't be able to work on the car for the next three and a bit months! I've realised I've also left all the latest pics on my computer that is back in sydney in storage... grrr

I'm sure an auto would still be a lot of fun (and possibly better if you want to drag race it), but for me I like being in charge of the gears... I would have really liked to go for a R154 box although I just couldn't justify the extra expense. I think the T56 is physically a lot bigger so if you can find a R154 for a resonable price it'd definitley be worth while. From all the reports I hear people say a W series box holds up fine behind an N/A motor. I don't really plan on drag racing my car much, I'm intending mine to be more a fun street car with the occasional track day, so fingers crossed that the W series box will be fine. I've seen the bullet supercharger kits, and apprently they actually sit lower on the engine than the standard plenum does.... so if you've got a bit of extra cash that could be a very nice way to go. Although I'd want to go the M112 supercharger over the M90 if I were going to go to the extra trouble. Have you seen the work that Rush Imports does? I think the guy who runs it is Neil Griffiths and he's got a Lysholm twin screw kit which is able to make some really good power and torque.... take a look at this http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=iKg3XZPjK_M&feature=related Do you plan on getting everything engineered once it is all done? One thing to keep in mind is I don't think you can legally install a supercharged or turboed 1uz in a zed due to the capacity restictions (well in NSW anyway).

Hey Toncharger, thanks for the info about the w58 2jz shifter, I didn't realise that one even existed... that may solve some problems although if I move my engine forward anymore I'll need to fabricate a new sump, but then that'd be a lot better than having to do under dash master cylinders.... I'd also love to go for a T56 or Tremec or something... I'm guessing you know that you can get a kit which uses the tremec 5 speed box out of the XR6 Turbos. I'd think that would also have to be a decent step up over the W series boxes and they can also be had for reasonable prices. I paid about $1700 for my kit from dellow which included everything that is required to get it working. So that is bellhousing, flywheel, clutch, slave cylinder, throwout bearing, all bolts etc. The reason I went for the dellow kit is apprently you have to do a little grinding with the CRS kit and it also doesn't use all of the bellhousing to engine block bolt holes... I found the customer service from Dellow to be really good, they faxed me all the info about 5mins after I called. As for the exhaust I'm planning to join the pipes just after the gearbox. I've heard a lot of people saying these engines sounds a lot better with just one outlet... and then working out how to fit it all in is also a lot easier. I know it is pretty tight for header space, I just don't like how the rear exhaust runner joins into the manifold for the soarer design.... I've put up a few more pics in the thread that I've started, with some more to come. 91_4x4runner I've seen the GT8 celica a couple of times as the guy who owns it is a member of my brothers celica club, that was the car that got me loving the 1uz's. He gives that car a flogging and it has never been opened up, any engine that can put out 350-400rwkw with plenty of torque reliably on a stock engine has my vote!

and some more pics. I have some more of how the engine actually sits in the engine bay although at the moment they are stuck on my camera as I forgot to bring the cord to connect it to my computer from Sydney to Perth.... But I'll get that sorted and put some more up.

I thought it was about time to give an update on the progress so here goes. I've now got the sump finished off, the engine mounted and most of the gearbox mounts complete. The belhousing is from a company here in Australia called Dellow Automotive, so the W58 box bolts straight up. As you may be able to see from the pics the engine is mounted slightly to the passgenger side (by about 50mm at the front of the engine). This was done to clear the steering box and brake booster although this works out ok as it points the driveline directly at the diff which is mounted slightly off centre too. The main problem I have now is there is not enough room for a clutch master cylinder as it hits on the head/rocker cover... Moving the engine foward anymore will mean I'd have to build a completely new sump and also this gives some drama with the gearbox shifter lining up with the hole. I've already had to cut a little from the front to get it to fit. Although after speaking to another member on here (Tonycharger72) it appears if I get a shifter assembly from an N/A 2jz it extends back much further, so this might solve some of the problems. Unfortunately I won't be able to do any more work on it for a while as I've had to move from Sydney to Perth for a while due to work...

Hey mate, I've started a thread for my build over in the 'other v8z' called 'my 1uz 280zx swap' section although I haven't updated it in a while as I've had to move to Perth for a couple of months for work and the car is back in Sydney. Although I do have some photos of the mounts that I've used and how it currently sits that I will have to upload. it sounds like the 280zx is still very similar to the 260 then, because the diff does sit slightly off to one side in the 280zx as well (towards the drivers side for us aussie guys). I reinforced the chassis rails and then built my mounts off them. Again I'll have to post up some pics to show what I mean. I can't remember exactly how far off the firewall mine is sitting although it sounds similar to you. Mine is also off centred to the passenger side a little and from memory it is about 50mm towards the passenger side, although I have to admit I only lined mine up by eye... Currently the gearbox (I'm using a w58 box and conversion kit from dellow) doesn't line up that well with the shifter hole. I've cut a little from the front of the hole (near the dash) to get it to fit. The main problem I found is I can't put it any further back as the valve cover will hit on the brake booster.... I'm also using the rear most shifter position available for the W series boxes so I may have to extend it somehow. The big problem I'm facing at the moment is I can't fit the clutch master cylinder in as it hits the head (and as mentioned before I can't really bring the engine forward). So at the moment I either need to find a really short clutch master cylinder that will work or I'm going to have to look at an under dash set-up. I'm looking farward to seeing how you go with yours. Are you going to be making custom headers? Don't know if your aware or not but you can get a header kit from a place in melbourne that has pre-cut flanges and a all the bends that you'll need (can't remember its name right now but let me know if you want it and I'll find out).

Hey looking good so far. I've got a quick question for you as i'm in the process of doing the same thing except with a 280zx and just wondered if you've run into any of the same problems that I have. Does your engine sit in the centre of the engine bay? Just that at the moment I'm going to have to mount mine slightly off centre to clear the brake booster and steering box... Although from the look of things in the pics it looks as though you've made your own cross member so maybe this wasn't an issue for you? I've also got issues with the clutch master cylinder although if your sticking with the auto I guess you won't have to worry about that.

Like Waldson said I think you really should be looking at your oil pressure. Someone correct me if I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure if the oil pressure drops to far when the engine is running it is wired to one of the two fuel pump relays. One of the relays triggers the other and will cause the fuel pump to be stopped and will kill your engine like you have been finding. I'm guessing this is done from the factory as a kind of safety cutoff to prevent the engine from damage.

try having a search around on google for fusible links and colours. I managed to find a website a while ago that listed the coulors and their usual ratings. I'm not at home at the moment but I'll see if I can find the page tonight.

So after removing the clutch master cylinder, the sump had still needed a bit of chopping and welding to get it to sit where I want it. An entire S14 front end does sound nice... and would probably solve some of the fitment issues, although for the moment I'm trying to keep it fairly simple. The changes to the sump have taken a while as there was a lot of cutting/grinding/welding although it is almost there now. Only one more piece to weld on... I've attached a few pics to show where I'm at. Then it will be time to play with the mounts.

Yeah the motor I've got is from an SC400 and even its oil pan isn't completely 'rear sump' it is more like mid rear. I will still need to cut the corners off the bottom steel part to clear the steering rack mounts even if I remove the clutch master cylinder and get the engine right back. I'll post up some pics soon of what I mean.

At the moment the steering rack is a problem but if I can get the engine back (by removing the clutch master cylinder) it should clear easily. Besides the master cylinder it fits pretty well, if I just get that out of the way all I'll need to do to get it in there is take off the corners of the bottom steel pan to clear the mounts for the steering rack(the sump is a two piece design). I've had to move the fuel filter off the standard spot on the strut tower but that is no major drama. The only other bit of cutting is the battery tray which was in the way. I plan to use the stock computer and electronics to start with as the registration rules are pretty tight. To get it to pass without a whole bunch of emissions testing you need to use stock computer, cats etc. Gollum I have been lurking over at lextreme for a while as well and I'd tend to agree with not wanting to replace the aluminium part of the sump. It has extensive bracing and also has mounts for the transmission. I think removing this would significantly weaken the bottom end. With proper tuning these motors are very tough, there is a guy in a local celica club here that has a twin charged (twin turbo and supercharged) stock motor that is putting out about 350-400rwkw and has been doing so for some time.... I'm thinking the plan of attack for now will be to get the master cylinder out of the engine bay and go for a floor mount willwood or tilton stlye pedal and master cylinder. Hopefully this weekend I'll get some more done and post up some pics of my progress.

I will be using a w58 for now. I'd love to go for the R154 or V160 but these are just too expensive. Although when I eventually get around to going turbo or supercharged I might have to upgrade. So does anyone know of any shorter clutch masters cylinders that will work on the 280zx. I'm trying to work out some way of getting it out of the way to avoid fabricating a new sump and pickup.... The other thought was to go for a racing style clutch master cylinder that could mount under the dash although I'm not sure that they are road legal and everything will need to be legal for rego.

For now I plan on keeping the engine stock, so I can get it past all the registration hassles and keep it legal. But once that is done I'm going to go with a supercharger or twin turbos. As for the transmission I'm going with a supra gearbox mainly becuase they are cheap, strong and there is also a company in Australia that makes bellhousings so you can bolt the two together.

Thought I might just post one more pic for a bit of an overall view

Hey everyone, thought it was about time I shared a little of what I'm doing (and plan to do). I've got an '81 280zx and am in the process of beginning a swap using Toyota's 1UZ engine. For anyone that doesn't know these are a 4.0L V8 that came in the Toyota Soarer (Lexus SC400 in the states) and a few other cars. I've included a couple of pics starting with the engine fresh from coming out of the half cut and a couple of it sitting almost in place. And this is where I'm starting to have problems... If you see the attached pictures the drivers side (here in Australia) head is hitting the clutch master cylinder and the engine cant really go low enough to fit under the master cyliner. I'm already planning to modify the sump although even with the sump pan off and only room for the pickup I still cant get the engine back enough. Obviously the further back and lower the engine the better although the only way I can see this happening with the clutch master cylinder in place at the moment is to dry sump the engine or work out some other way of doing the clutch.... that is unless any of you have some suggestions that I might have over looked. Anyway would love to hear your thoughts.

sorry also meant to say once it is started it runs smoothly with no other signs of any problem, it is just the cold starting....

Basically to get to get it to start i keep priming the pump (turning from acc to on) and eventually it splutters into life. Pretty sure it is back firing out the intake when it first gets going which is what was making me think that it isn't getting enough fuel. Once it is warm it will then start first time without any worries.

Hey thanks for the reply, I've checked for leaks at as many places as i can and haven't been able to find any, so I went ahead and installed a check valve and the pressure now stays up. But it still doesn't want to start when cold.... this has got me a little confused as the only thing that has been changed since it started fine when cold is the fuel pump and pressure regulator. At the moment the pressure goes up to about 40psi when priming and cranking (seems a little high although runs at 32psi when engine is running) but doesn't kick. I've checked that it is getting spark and you can hear the injectors clicking. The strange thing is this only happens when cold, even if it is only run for a couple of minutes it will start fine after that. Anyone got any suggestions, for what I should try.

Hi, i've recently replaced the stock fuel pump in my 280zx with a Bosch 910 as i'm planning engine upgrades and the old pump was dying. The only problem i'm having now is it is really hard to start when cold. I'm pretty sure that it is a pressure problem becuase I have put a gauge in the line after the fuel filter and it goes up to about 35psi when the pump primes but then drops away. In the searches i did, someone mentioned that the stock pump has a check valve in it to prevent fuel flowing back to the tank. I would have thought the bosch unit would have this too? does anyone know whether it should or not? Did anyone else have to put a check valve after the pump when they changed theirs? Just that i've never heard anyone mention this before which is why it seems a little odd to me. Marcus

Hey DeusEx, I'm in Australia and have pretty much gone through the same thought process as you. I'm in the process of pulling the engine out now to give it a rebuild, but just starting to find it is all the little bits and pieces that are killing me in cost. My main thought/advice is just to keep this in mind as all the stuff like oil feed lines and stuff like that adds up. At least your a couple of steps ahead and you bottom end has already been balanced. Are you planning on running an aftermarket computer? I'm sure if you size a turbo right you'll gave no problems getting 250-300hp