_X_ Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 Hello everyone Im starting a thread to show my progress on a 78 280z that will be running off a gm 5.3 Ive had the z for about a year now and Ive always wanted a gen 3 v8 in it since the day I bought it. I started work on the project recently and have been making good progress so far. I got the old l28, transmission and driveshaft out and have started sanding the body and engine bay. I also picked up a 5.3 down the road a couple of days ago My next step is to buy a transmission. My friend's friend has what I hope is a t56 in his backyard that hes going to sell to me for 400 bucks. I went and saw it a while back and saw that it had the borg warner logo on it. But I dont remember if its a t5 or a t56. Im really hoping its a t56, as Ive heard that the t5 cannot handle the torque of a ls1 style engine without making major upgrades that would put the price range of the t5 up there with the t56. I think the project will go smoothly but Im sure I will have lots of questions regarding the fuel system setup and the wiring. Ill try to post as much pics as I can Cheers! some pics of the project Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UofA_ZCar Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 Good luck! There are a lot of good build threads on here to help guide you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
240z72 Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 Keep at it bud. If your 280z fuel tank is in good condition, I belive you can reuse it with a larger pump. Use the GM C5 fuel filter/regulator. It has a built-in regulator. Also if that is a t56 get it! 400$ is cheap. Hopefully its not shot. Goodluck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_X_ Posted October 12, 2012 Author Share Posted October 12, 2012 (edited) 240z7273 : Thanks man The gas tank looks to be in great condition so hopefully I can use that instead of shelling out cash for another tank. I agree about thr trans thing. Hopefully it isnt shot UofA_ZCar : thanks man. I freakin love this forum. Hey guys. no updates yet. Im still sanding the car body. I ony have thr roof to sand down. I will post pics this weekend. I was reading thru sunnys build thread on ls1tech and some guy posted a link to a site called brphotrods.com They make a awesome looking mount kit for the ls engine. The kit appears to be well made and the trans mount looks especially cool because you dont have to drill into the frame rails to get it mounted. Has anyone used the kit from brp?? Id love to hear some product feedback on those guys. edit : I noticed the post about the brp kit relocating the engine 3 inches forward. Still, would like to hear some feedback if anyone has used this kit. Edited October 12, 2012 by _X_ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Posted October 12, 2012 Share Posted October 12, 2012 A few things. The T-56 was installed in GM automobiles in two configurations. One configuration was used in F-bodies up through 1997 while the newer version was used in 1998 and newer F-bodies. It is the newer one you want for your 5.3. The older one has a smaller input shaft and 6th gear is a .62:1 ratio rather than the .5:1 found on the newer ones. My car was the prototype for the Johns Cars (JCI) kit at www.brokenkitty.com for LS installations in the S30 body style. Mine is a late model '77 so all the dimensions would be the same as yours. You can save yourself a lot of headaches by using components that were specifically designed for your car. The installation manual you see as a sticky at the top of this board was developed using JCI components on a 1972 240Z by Grenade 300. He later sold the car to my son, DarthZ, and now that car and mine share a garage here in Yakima, WA. Anything you need to know for your conversion can be found here on this site. A word of warning, however. there are a lot of opinions expressed in the posts and some are not based on solid fact. Take your time and weed the fact from opinion and ensure a smooth project. Best of luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SUNNY Z Posted October 12, 2012 Share Posted October 12, 2012 IMO the BRP kit is way nicer, but the position is so far off its almost comical. Crams the engine bay, throws off weight distribution, moves the shifter... just doesn't make sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Posted October 12, 2012 Share Posted October 12, 2012 Haven't seen the BRP mounts but the JCI puts the engine in the right place and also accommodates the steering gear with no required rerouting. My engine sits with decent firewall clearance but only the accessory drivepart of the engine is forward of the front axle. Car handles very nicely. PMI is less than that of the L28 and center of gravity is slightly lower. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wfritts911 Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 Custom mounts ftw! Then you can build them however you want them! Spend the 400 dollars you would spend on mounts on a welder, well worth the investment. I haven't heard anything about the BRP mounts, but if it puts the engine 3 inches further forward than the JCI mounts, I would steer way clear of them. That is the glory of the V8 swap, is you can keep the weight balance good and the COG low. Plus you have a 5.3, which automatically means you need all the room in front of the engine for a set of seagull swallowers(Or just one). -Will Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 FWIW - the LS1/T56 swap in my 280Z only added 30 lbs. to the car weight - all of it on the rear axle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_X_ Posted October 16, 2012 Author Share Posted October 16, 2012 (edited) Thanks for the feedback guys. I think the smart choice is to go with the tried and true jci mounts. I dont think sacrifcing near 50/50 weight distribution is worth the aesthetic appeal of the brp mounts. @ wfritts911, getting a welder sounds like a very enticing idea. Ill look into it Edited October 17, 2012 by _X_ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattd428 Posted October 19, 2012 Share Posted October 19, 2012 I welded my mounts straight to the frame rail on my 5.3 swap. Works fine so far car is weighing in at 2700lbs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_X_ Posted October 25, 2012 Author Share Posted October 25, 2012 (edited) Not too much to report here. The t56 I went to look at was actually a t5 from a 85 mustang:(. I found another "t56" for 300 bucks on craigslist. The guy says it came out of a 2001 mustang bullitt. I googled mustang bullitt saw that bullitts only came with TR3650's. So I guess Im still on the lookout for a deal on a t56. Also sanded the car down some more and took some pics. Along with some other pics of the interior and floor board. Im getting there!!!. Just taking my time and making sure I dont break or lose anything along the way Edited October 25, 2012 by _X_ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
240z72 Posted October 25, 2012 Share Posted October 25, 2012 (edited) Good stuff keep at it. Also just keep hawking craigslist for a t56. Just make shur you get the right one. Id go for the camaro one over the gto as its shifter is better. Also learn the measurement of the imput shaft for the ls1 motor and bring a tape measure with you so you dont buy the wrong one. I like the raw metal look. Just clear it! Hahha that would be a rare sight. Id honestly just buy the JCI mounts they are well made. Unless you good at fabing metal. They also sit the motor well in the bay. I think you have the aame DA sander i have. Things awesome! Edited October 25, 2012 by 240z7273 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daz Posted October 26, 2012 Share Posted October 26, 2012 Stick with the ls1 t56 ! Any other t56 from a lt1 or mustang would have to be modified which is more expenses then buying the right one ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_X_ Posted October 31, 2012 Author Share Posted October 31, 2012 Hello Another minor update. I received my ls6 intake today!!! Im pretty happy but also a bit concerned. I asked around on ls1tech if the ls6 intake would fit on a 5.3 with cathedral intake ports before buying. Everyone said yes. Im looking at both intake and head ports and they are not exactly the same. The ls6 intake ports look more rectangular than anything. Will this be an issue? Im thinking no but I want to be sure. Also dropped the tank last night. I didn't notice any major rust inside so it may be good. Though I don't think Im going with the stock tank anyway. Welding a sump to the tank is not my cup of tea. here are some pics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daz Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 Ls6 intake is only cathedral ! Look up some pics of a ls3 or l76 intake and compare them, they are very different. I'm using a TBSS intake and it s cathedral port also ! You could also look up the part # on the manifold to make sure its a LS6. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_X_ Posted October 31, 2012 Author Share Posted October 31, 2012 The part number is 12573572. Has a flat bottom, no egr. I checked this site here where it explains how to tell the difference between a ls1 and ls6 intake. http://www.thedetailzone.com/LS6%20Intake.htm My intake has all the markings of a ls6, but no cathedral ports. freaking weird. Heres a couple more pics of the intake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daz Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 (edited) I think your good ! This a LS3 intake ! Look how big the ports are . This is a LS1 and LS6 ! They have square port but smaller. I don't think there is a big square port manifold with a TB that small ! Edited October 31, 2012 by Daz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_X_ Posted March 19, 2013 Author Share Posted March 19, 2013 Hello Its been a while!!! A lot has happened since I last posted here and I apologize for the long delay. Funds were pretty tight for a while but everything is cool now. I finally picked up a t56!!! Made sure it was from a f body camaro too. Damn those things are expensive as hell!! I also picked up a digital slr camera and I'll be posting lots of pics of the project along the way I have some more things I need to take care of this month but after that, the project will pick up quickly. . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alainburon Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 Looking good Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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