Z-TARD Posted October 21, 2001 Share Posted October 21, 2001 I HAVE A 72 240Z THAT IS IN THE BEGINING STAGES OF A V-8 CONVERSION. MY PLANS ARE TO INSTALL A SMALL BLOCK CHEVY BUILT FOR AROUND 350 TO 400 HP (I'M AIMING FOR 400, CROSSING MY FINGERS) I'D LIKE TO GO THE EASY ROUTE AND JUST BUY THE MSA MOTOR MOUNTS RATHER THAN FABRICATE MY OWN. DO ANY OF YOU GUYS KNOW IF THESE MOUNTS ARE ABLE TO FUNCTION RELIABLY WITH OVER 400 HP? IF I DO HAVE TO FABRICATE MOUNTS FOR IT, DOES ANYONE HAVE PLANS ONLINE? FABRICATING MOUNTS WILL NOT BE A PROBLEM FOR ME BECAUSE I'M A WELDER. BUT I ALSO HAPPEN TO BE IN THE NAVY, STATIONED IN SAN DIEGO, AND MY Z IS IN ARIZONA. OBVIOUSLY THIS MAKES TAKING MEASUREMENTS INTO A VERY TIME CONSUMING PROCESS. ANY HELP WOULD BE APPRECIATED. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted October 22, 2001 Share Posted October 22, 2001 Z-tard, A local Z owner has recently scrapped a car previously modified with a MSA kit. I believe the mounts are for sale. If you are interested let me know. FYI: MSA mount specs: Set back on the MSA mounts is 2.75 inches. They are made of angle cut square tubing with a reinforcing arm welded to the tubing. It is necessary to drill a hole horizontally into the crossmember to attach the support arm on each side mount. As far as HP is concerned, the MSA kit should hold up to 400 lbs of torque,(remembering that there are no guarantees regarding use of modified or custom built parts.) The wall thickness of the square tubeing is the thinner of the two available in this type of tubing. ( approx. 1/8" vs 1/4") They appear light weight when compared to either JTR or Scarab materials thicknesses. If you are considering building your own mounts other than MSA consider these facts. The JTR kit will move the motor back an additional 1.25 inches beyond the MSA mounting point. Scarab mounts are 2" thick wall square tubing, angle cut and drilled to allow a 1.25 inch setback. Factory hood latch and V8 manual fuel pump can be retained at this location with no oil pan clearance issues. Long tube headers (Hooker)are available for this engine location. The JTR book references a 4 inch difference between Scarab and JTR engine mounting position, but the total change between the two is actually 2.75 inches. Total engine weight will be carried 1.5 inches lower in the chassis using a JTR and MSA kit with an equal loss of oil pan clearance below the car. Total improvement in PMOI and CG is unknown, but some degree of improvement is inherent by definition when using either the JTR or MSA kit. Total clearance measured under oil pan of Scarab style mounting with 24" tires and standard ride height is 4.25 inches. Clearance under header tubes (Hooker Supercomp #2147) is 3.5 inches. Choice of transmission can dictate which kit to use. T-5 Borgs require JTR. Automatics can be used in all kits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted October 22, 2001 Share Posted October 22, 2001 Another option is JTR (Jags that run) at www.jagsthatrun.com . That is the kit that the majority around here use. Its considerably cheaper (better, I donno, I havn't seen the MSA kit myself, but a member or two here have been happy with it) than the MSA kit. MSA offers probably more parts specific to a V8 swap, where as JTR gives info on what is known to work. They have a book (JTR does) that is pretty much the conversion bible around here. I used the JTR kit on mine, required little welding (except for the exhaust which I was foolish enough to do myself. Anyway, not trying to sway one way or the other, just giving you another option. I will say if you research it farther, you may run across John's Cars which has a kit as well, but you really don't want to deal with the guy, trust me (us) . Good luck with it, and keep safe, Lone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Z-TARD Posted October 24, 2001 Author Share Posted October 24, 2001 Thanks for the info. I ordered the JTR manual yesterday. Hopefully the drawings in it will be accurate enough to fabricate mounts from. Would block hugger headers maintain a higher ground clearance than the full length headers? I dont like the idea of losing my exhaust on a speed bump very much. I may be able to make the mounts to set the engine an inch or so higher maybe. I dont plan on racing the car so i think I could live with the higher center of gravity. I'm still just brainstorming at this point though. Perhaps a General Electric turbofan engine from an F-14......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted October 24, 2001 Share Posted October 24, 2001 The turbo fan sounds great, what the heck, doesn't the Navy have something equivalent to JATO pack? As for exhaust clearance, the Block huggers allow you a bit better clearance simply because there is just one tube and it can be made from a mandrel bent piece of pipe. Long tube headers have larger collectors for the four smaller pipes. But all in all, you still have to get the exhuast under the trans and by the bell housing/flywheel. The lower the motor sits in the chassis, the lower the exhaust has to go also. The crankshaft/pinion angles which should be kept parallel for vibration free operation, also dictates that the lower the engine is placed in the chassis, the lower the back end of the trans must be to maintain this geometric relationship. As the diff companion flange is at a fixed point, the number of total degrees of driveline deflection in the vertical plane also increases. Deflection degrees take HP to transfer power through. I have heard as much as one percent per degree of deflection. (old boating days when tall oil pans wouldn't let the engine far enough down into the hull for proper driveline alignment.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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