dexter72 Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 This is my Low, Low, Budget swap Thread. Thanks to ZGad for posting your 2jz 240z Drag Strip video, 6 Years ago.. You hooked me on this swap the first time i saw your video. Thanks to Seattle Jester, B.. For letting me bounce ideas off of you, helping me out when i couldnt get the engine running, and for him replying to my posts. I Appreciate the Interaction B.. I bought a 2JZGE from a 97 Lexus SC300 at my local pull a part, 2, 1983 W-58 5spd trannys, a shifter assembly and the front half driveshaft. All for $240.00 Half off day. Pulled all the parts on a friday eve and showed up at 6am saturday morning to be in line early and buy them. Yard openned up at 7:30am, i got the hell out of that mad house quickly, I was out of there by 8:30am with my goodies. Pulled the drivetrain out of my z 2 months later, to start selling those parts to offset the swaps cost. Just a quick start more to come:: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zetsaz Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 Subbed for progress. I've always been curious about doing an N/A 2JZ swap like this car. http://www.speedhunters.com/2014/05/s30-2jz-airbags-new-way-z/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dexter72 Posted November 18, 2015 Author Share Posted November 18, 2015 Zetsaz, Oh i have seen the car before but never that link, thanks for posting that. I did the all the work at my job, After hours and on my weekends off. Weekends i didn't have my kids. Cleaning up the pistons, head and intake ports. Engine had a ton of carbon in it. Cleaned everything up and started honing the cylinders. Crankshaft and bearings showed no wear. Camshaft journals were good to go as well. I was loving my $120 engine buy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seattlejester Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 So here's where the pictures you never sent me were, glad you finally made a build thread! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dexter72 Posted November 18, 2015 Author Share Posted November 18, 2015 Hey Brian, Lol. Did you really want engine dissasembly and cleaning pics.??... lol You were the first one to see the later pics. But I have to show the boring pics before the Sweet ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seattlejester Posted November 19, 2015 Share Posted November 19, 2015 Glad you saved them, I enjoy the process, hurry up and post! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dexter72 Posted November 19, 2015 Author Share Posted November 19, 2015 I found out that the extra oil feed line fitting that i had from my L28na turbo fit in the block of the 2J.. Nice. I was hoping it would. Since i was planning on buying a FFIM Front facing intake manifold. You need to plug the feed for EGR. Remove the Plate at the rear of the cylinder head and plug the port. I drilled and tapped the back of the head, then screwed the plug in. Now how do i make a block off plate for the Dist??... You cut the base off of another 2JZGE Distributor, remove the lower dist gear, Drill out the inside and add a threaded plug. Install a new o-ring to seal the outer housing that goes into the head and Baam.. Its done. I bought extra parts for the build during another J-yards $69.00 all you can carry day.. Dist, Valve cover, 2 extra oil pan assemblies, and a few other goodies. Sold the oil pans once i found out how much they go for on Ebay.. Extra money for the project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dexter72 Posted November 19, 2015 Author Share Posted November 19, 2015 Engine has new bearings and piston rings, painted the block gunmetal gray. Head has new valve seals with a 3 angle valve job. And lapped the valves.. 3 week wait for the Wrong Turbo exhaust manifold, Company finally tells me they cant get me the correct manifold that i ordered. So worked on how im going to run the engine. 4 week wait for a FFIM, Ebay sold out of them and one company was selling them for $800. Ill Wait. Lol They normally sell for $110. Started working on the turbo drain hole for the oil pan My extra ZXT Turbo drain pipe ends up fitting right onto the 2JZ upper oil pan. I drilled and tapped the pan for studs and put the drain pipe on. While i was waiting on my turbo parts, i started setting the engine in the car trying to figure out its placement. Trying to figure out how to do mounting plates for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dexter72 Posted November 20, 2015 Author Share Posted November 20, 2015 Build stop, Yes that is an x-ray of a quarter that my 5 year old daughter swallowed. I have no idea how it went down her throat, She could have choked to death on it and nobody would have heard her. Please tell your kids no money in your mouth at bed time. It wouldn't pass through her stomach waste opening. Doc had to go down her throat to remove it. Still waiting on my parts to show up. So i start checking on how i want the engine to set in the car. Just roughly getting an idea of how it will sit. Started putting the front of the engine back together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
champfacp Posted November 20, 2015 Share Posted November 20, 2015 Subscribed! So you bolt on the crankshaft position sensor from the GTE... What about the cam sensor? Good job!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dexter72 Posted November 20, 2015 Author Share Posted November 20, 2015 (edited) champfacp, Thank you and stay tuned. I didn't use either one. I'm an Old Guy so i like to use what i know works. Edited November 20, 2015 by dexter72 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dexter72 Posted November 20, 2015 Author Share Posted November 20, 2015 I probably set the engine in the car about 7 times checking clearances and alignment. I have to recheck everything still once the Turbo manifold and FFIM show up.. I also started painting the engine parts and cam gears and front covers. Turbo manifold showed up so I can really start to see how much space the parts are going to fill up the engine compartment. Still checking and mocking it up. Turbo showed up a few days later so i had to put the engine back in the car to take pics, I am excited by how its looking. I have got to figure out how and where to set up my engine mounting brackets now. Lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan Merrill Posted November 20, 2015 Share Posted November 20, 2015 Looking great. I stared the same way you did. I found and engine easy though but I could find a transmission for a reasonable price. Glad to see you did. Signing up for updates! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dexter72 Posted November 20, 2015 Author Share Posted November 20, 2015 Hey Ryan Merrill, Even though all i read about was how the W58 is made out of glass, Its what i could find at a good price and i know a guy who can rebuild it, if it does break. I figured if guys are turboing the Is300 with a W55 trans, The W58 will hold up as long as im not dumping the clutch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dexter72 Posted November 20, 2015 Author Share Posted November 20, 2015 I found these on a Kenworth truck at the Junkyard, they are the rear cab mounting brackets. Heavy duty steel. Part of my $69 all i could carry day. When any Junkyard has those days, just get the things you think you can use for a project. I mean no way could you buy just these for $69 bucks. I had a dufflebag full of parts, that i carried out of that Junkyard. Buddy had bought a new welder, wanted to get some more practice so i said Weld Away. lol He has done a lot welding on a jeep and mustang projects he has at his house. Great welds and free for me. So he was treated to many a free lunch. Cant turn back now, Sparks are Flying. His last words to me were, Hope that engine doesn't fall out. As im putting the engine in for the last time. Thanks Man Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nelsonian Posted November 20, 2015 Share Posted November 20, 2015 Hey Dexter, Like what you have going on here with this swap. Wondering what exhaust manifold you are using? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
makaofox Posted November 21, 2015 Share Posted November 21, 2015 Very nice! na to t is the way to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dexter72 Posted November 21, 2015 Author Share Posted November 21, 2015 Nelsonian, Its just an ebay Turbo manifold for a 2JGE. I think it was $170 bucks. I ordered this one after the other company took 3 weeks to tell me they couldn't get me the correct manifold i ordered.. They sent me the GTE Manifold twice, even though their site says 2JGE. After that crap, this one was ordered from a company in China, and it got to me in 4 Days. Talk about overnight parts from Japan. Japan aint got nothin on China. Lol I was expecting it to take 2 weeks to get to me. Everything on the shipping box was in Chinese except my name and dealership name. Makafox, I have wanted to do this swap since 2006.. Life kept getting in the way, things had slowed down for me, so i said hell, Its time. I'm 9 years late but it got done. I am posting the info to show people that you don't have to spend 12K to do a 2j swap. If you have the extra cash go for it. But for most an extra 12k is going to be spent on something else. This is just an option, I have read many a swap thread so i took things i had read and remembered options for my own swap. 9 years of wanting to do this and tons of saved thread info on my laptops, has helped keep the costs low. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
makaofox Posted November 21, 2015 Share Posted November 21, 2015 I went with treadstone log style mani. That china mani will crack on you so if you can just put a free reinforcement bars and youll be fine. Lol! Ive been collecting parts for 3 years and ive wanted to do the swap for about 5 years. So I feel your pain!My friend did a budget 2j in his 240z it is possible. What people get caught up on is the "while im here might as well upgrade this" bug. Something I spent the money on and didnt care was wiring specialties definitely worth the money in my eyes. Time is money and the one mistake my friend made was doing the wiring himself which took forever. Wiring specialties is the best! They called me several times asking about my setup since it was na-t to get the wiring perfect for my set up. Also if you want to go coil pack mojo performance has a great kit that you can look at and piece together using ls2/lq9 coil packs. Im sticking to the dizzy for now but I feel the coil packs will be a better solution down the road eventually. Especially since the dizzy limits turbo sizes. I got lucky on craigslist and found a 2jzge front facing manifold out of aluminum for $100!! craigslist has great deals at times Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dexter72 Posted November 21, 2015 Author Share Posted November 21, 2015 Makaofox, I will see when and if it does crack. I never drove the car more than 3 times a week when i had the L28NA-T setup in it, So maybe that will give me more time. Lol Stay tuned, like my start page says the engine runs and I only ran a few different wires than the L28 set up had. engine has been running since May. Driving the car for 3 weeks now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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