G-Tech Posted November 14, 2016 Author Share Posted November 14, 2016 (edited) I used aeromotive also part#11106 good for 700hp, aeromotive regulater,before and after filters, 8an feed, 6an return, and braided flex hose the whole way.i did the same thing making the feed line my return line.i didn't know much on modifying the sender so I used and external pump but my understanding with fuel pumps is they make better pushers than pullers so I put a fitting on the bottom of the tank for gravity feed. I had to drill holes in the tub inside the tank cause now my feed is outside of that tub, I put fuel cell foam in too. I eventually want to weld a sump in the bottom for better pickup, right now I cant get less than a quarter tank or it will suck air which is obviously bad. there is a thread that says how to use a autometer gas gauge for a ford to work with the Datsun sending unit but It didn't work right, I gotta play with the resistors a lil more to get it accurate.You will want all new gauges to work with the new motor, you could save the gas gauge and maybe volts and oil pressure but new ones fit perfectly in the old pods. Edited November 15, 2016 by G-Tech Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-Tech Posted November 15, 2016 Author Share Posted November 15, 2016 (edited) You might be able to use the stock master cyl. for the clutch but I went with a willwood 3/4 bore cause it wasn't too expensive and it works great. I used a cable drive throttle body, seemed easier to set up than drive by wire. My tuner guy said a stock throttle body that is port and polished is just as good as any other aftermarket. Make sure u use a good clutch cause I'm not sure you can pull the tranny by itself. I pull engine and trans as one. And last thing for now, the power steering rack (which is probably the only luxury we have that s30 guys don't)is metric so u need adapter fitting to go from metric to standard. Edited November 15, 2016 by G-Tech Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subhuman Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 I am on the fence about what to run for a pump but considered welding a sump in the tank, or running duel pumps with the two I already have, kinda redundant I guess if one will do the job. My buddy just got a TIG and I know he's itching to use it. Figured it would need all new gauges, I did a couple of searches for harness delete but didn't turn up much. I was thinking I'm just going to clean up the harness and ditch anything on the body side harness that I don't use since I'm deleting the power windows and the cruise doesn't work any ways. Figured I would keep the clutch master and try to figure out a way to be able to drop the trans with the motor in, might end up beating the tunnel in a little if that's what it takes. Ditched the PS years ago, lol. I just cut the line and looped it, I'm going to clean that up and put new bellows on it while it's out. Throttle is cable driven as well and I might just port that TB then. I finally got he body 99% stripped and the plates for the temporary braces tacked in last night. My buddy is supposed to come help me tomorrow night and get her leveled off so I can brace it up. My father in law bought my old Falcon wagon that I worked on all summer, transport is supposed to pick it up Sunday. Once that thing is gone I'm going to get a rotisserie ordered, and pull the motor on the ZX! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-Tech Posted November 17, 2016 Author Share Posted November 17, 2016 When I cleaned up the wire harness I just cut the wires that I did't need right at the computer. still running all the Datsun stuff off the old computer and have a PSI harness and Camaro computer for the engine. She even still talks to me. So I would definitely suggest just leaving the Datsun harness for whatever you can and just running the motor off a separate harness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nismoluv Posted November 18, 2016 Share Posted November 18, 2016 I have been slowly working on my 83 for a LS swap. Related to the headers that you used, I have been thinking of just adding a steering shaft joint just to get a few inches. Do you think that would work, if you got an inch or so extra clearance for the headers. Also what headers did you end up using? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
260DET Posted November 18, 2016 Share Posted November 18, 2016 Stitch welding is good as is oxy welding right around the door opening flanges, the rest is a bit hit and miss mainly because it all gets complicated and very much an individual's opinion. I had a good look at a MX5 the other day because cars that do well in racing are good chassis examples. One thing I noticed when looking down from the engine bay was the horizontal bracing from the rails to the bottom of the firewall which is going to be incorporated in the Z31 race car project. Then, with the front guards removed, a 45 degree brace from the front of the rockers to the upper front body towards the strut towers is useful, did this with the 280ZX plus a triangular strut firewall brace. The best advice is to look at modern cars like the MX5 and Toyota 86 and consider why they did what they did and use your imagination as to what loadings the 280ZX chassis will have to handle when racing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-Tech Posted November 18, 2016 Author Share Posted November 18, 2016 (edited) sounds like you have some educated advice subhuman. think i will take it too....as far as what nismoluv asked, ive seen some do the universal joint done, it would help to get the header to exit towards the fire wall. but the passenger side i didn't have room for it to exit towards the fire wall with the starter and brake lines in the way, so you would still have to run 2 different headers. also the steering shaft is so short as it is, i didn't feel safe having a universal joint. right now i have billy boat "stepped" shorties for a c5. the primaries are 1 5/8 which my tuner said it would be better with 1 3/4 but i couldn't fit them. i bought every shorty header out there and just returned them as i determined they wouldn't fit. i still had to mod the ones i have by re making the primary closest to the fire wall (which u can see in the pic)and denting in the back side by the collector a lil bit.. here are a bunch of pics. I drilled and tapped threw the shaft so I could cut that ear of for room and I also got rid of the rubber joint so that I could put a smaller diameter solid mount to get room. the manifold I had originally I cut out a patch and had a plate welded in from the back side to get room for the shaft Edited November 18, 2016 by G-Tech Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan Merrill Posted November 18, 2016 Share Posted November 18, 2016 My oil pan was $50 bucks used. Its the batwing pan from a c5. I did buy a new pickup tube. It actually sits 1" above the cross member using the CX racing motor mounts. I would like to lower the motor a little more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan Merrill Posted November 18, 2016 Share Posted November 18, 2016 (edited) double post Edited November 18, 2016 by Ryan Merrill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-Tech Posted November 19, 2016 Author Share Posted November 19, 2016 (edited) it is nice having a s30 chase Ryan Merrill, you have lots of options. that wouldn't work in a s130 chassis.it take some serious notching of the pan for the power steering rack, no way the engine would be low enuff, and it limits what headers you can use and that's already a problem with a s130. I sure didn't want to spend the money that I did on an oil pan but sure glad I did now that its done. Edited November 19, 2016 by G-Tech Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subhuman Posted November 25, 2016 Share Posted November 25, 2016 (edited) Been busy the last week but I have been taking pictures...So, as far as the cage goes I have been putting some serious thought into tying the front tubes into the towers through the firewall like you have mentioned. I have several ideas bouncing around my head but that's a ways off yet, I really appreciate everyone's input on this it's invaluable. So here I sit, I just ordered a rotisserie earlier this week (sold a old Falcon I worked on all summer and made some $$ so that has helped with this build) it should be in Tuesday or so.I have been slowly cutting rust out of the ass end since March but have been picking up steam since the Falcon is gone. Last week I had cut some 1/8' spreader plates for the temporary cross braces and tacked them in, I also finished getting the doors off in prep for the 'tisserie. Wed night I got the car up on jack stands and leveled off across the front and rear towers. Next I measured across the towers and made sure they were square before I tacked the braces in. Shit gets weird because the front towers sit lower than the rear and the cowl gets in the way. I didn't want to weld a bolt on my struts and F some thing up so I pulled a McGiver...I had some shackle bolts in the bucket from doing a lift on my buddies Jeep laying around (18mm nut, I don't know the thread pitch off the top of my head) and found some 7/16" bolts that matched the thread pitch on the struts. I ran the nut down tight then fed the bolt in and checked the angle between the two struts, they should match (which they did) so I ran with it. Marked center on the bolt (used the same one on both side, less variables) then had the wife help me measure RR to LF, then RF to LR. They came back the same so I was squared up and leveled. I Cut my braces to length and then started tacking (front tower brace was in the front prior to lifting the car), B pillar goes in first, then rear tower, then the front. Then the motor finally came out and boy did it feel good!! I got the whole rear floor pan out two weeks ago and cut some more rust out of the panel under the tail lights tonight. I need to make a run and get some more sheet steel next week so I can start getting the floor back together. I'm going to get a battery relocation kit coming from summit tomorrow. What did you guys use for a support to hold the battery box, just square 3/4" stock? I will try to be religious about posting and I'll just update as I go a long, all comments are welcome and advise is much appreciated, I have lurked around on here for years reading on this forum and it was a huge help when I swapped a turbo motor into this NA car 8 years ago. I figured maybe I could give back somehow on this S130 LS swap. Edited November 25, 2016 by subhuman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-Tech Posted November 25, 2016 Author Share Posted November 25, 2016 looking good!!! kinda jealous even. I went pretty far when I restored mine but a rotisserie I did not do. When I got rid of the spare tire the bottom of the tray was rotted so I had to cut some out ,then I just welded in a flat piece of 3/16 or 1/4 to have a flat surface. just secured a plastic batt box in after that. Keep plugging away, it seems like it never ends but one day the list will finally get smaller. if you do it right the first time (like your doing) you"ll have a brand new 280zx when your done and wont have much to do but drive the hell out of it and maintain it. awesome to see another s130 getting the full treatment. keep us posted on progress and ask any questions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subhuman Posted November 26, 2016 Share Posted November 26, 2016 My rear pan above the exhaust was rotted out pretty good and was starting to creep into the inner rear quarter. It wasn't that bad ten years ago, lol. when I got a chunk of the floor out the channel was pretty F'd in the A. The spare tire well was going and the seam under the tail lights as well so it's all out now. I'll bend a couple of 90's and tie the floor pan back into the rear rocker's and hope to have the battery box relocated and the floor back in by Christmas. The toe boards are pretty chewed up as well as the seam behind the seats tie into the K member. The typical area where the channels get crushed needs to be replaced as well. I just hate to weld over my head and figured I would spend the money rather than the time on my back. I have approached this as an investment and I'm a little ocd. When I'm done I just want to thrash it and do maintenance like you said G tech. Here's some pictures of the rot that I cut out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subhuman Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 Just realized it's been a couple months since I posted. I'm going to throw a couple posts up since I have a lot of pictures. This is some arduous stuff! I just keep finding rust in between the seams when I take sealer out so it has slowed me down quite a bit. I got into the rear passenger side rocker and it was between layers in the quarter and into the rear valance. A lot of little hand hammered pieces and rust-be-gone flushes down seams and I finally got it under control and I'm almost ready to put the rear pan back in. I have a new battery tray I bent up out of 18ga and tracked down the pressed floor pan that I didn't want to try and hammer out (keep that stock look). I still need to bend the recesses that the fuel lines and tank vent run through, should be getting to that sometime this week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subhuman Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 (edited) OK so, this is one thing I have found with relocating a full size battery to the back, putting it in a box and then building a tray for it like an anal retentive a*& hole. I had to loose a section of the gas tank. Now, I cut the old spare tire well out because it was pretty rotted anyway and the corner in that wheel well was toast (picture in the previous post). So I basically remade that inner fender wall and put a lip on it so the battery tray will be supported. Now my battery tray sits on the bottom most lip of the rear rocker, as low as I can get it with out it hanging out of the bottom of the car. Now I had to trim the lip off my frame rail because it's so tight with the tray I made (11" wide and I think 13" long), it was quite a bit bigger than the original spare tire well. So I get all of this done get my tank mocked up into my floor and now I can't get my tray in, wtf!! It turns out the tank overhangs the passenger side frame rail quite a bit, which I never noticed because the spare tire well was off set to accommodate it. I was already committed at this point so I took the tank to my buddy and he trimmed off that inch/inch and a half and welded it back up. pressure tested it too 200 psi and it held so here I am, back on track. I can get my tray in and the top of a full size battery sits about 2" off the floor, nice and tight. I don't know how other people did it, but this is the way I decided to do it. I'll run back out to the garage and get a picture of it all mocked up. *edit, added pictures of the tray, battery relocation kit and trimmed tank from a couple different angles. Edited February 15, 2017 by subhuman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subhuman Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 Last week I got the bay stitched up and plug welded all the holes, I need to get the tower knobs cut off and grind the welds flush so I can weld plates in for camber adjustments. I tied the channels into the rear sub frame around the gas tank and added 45*s as well. It was 35 today so I pulled it outside, finished stripping the under coat and bead blasted a bunch of rust off it. Just need to finish cleaning the seams out so I can weld them up and get it all the way down to bare metal. Looks promising as some of the rust I thought was really bad is only kinda bad. I got some -11cc Wiseco pistons ordered for the Lq4 today and will get my H beam Lunati rods ordered tomorrow. I scored a Monster stage II on Ls tech a couple weeks ago so when my rods and pistons come in I can get the rotating assembly balanced!! Block is at the machine shop as well waiting for a .005" cylinder cut and hone. I scored this Holset Hx55 turbo on ebay for a screaming deal to, so parts are coming in and progress is being made. A side note I am keeping the stock 3.622" crank since it was in such good shape. This motor came out of a 99 pick up so it has the long nose crank. I'm going forged internals and just decided to have the machinist cut down the nose .400" so the T56 will bolt right up and I don't have to source another crank. McLeod used to have a trans spacer to use with their flywheel but apparently stopped making it, so I figured this is easier. Well there it is for now. I'll post some more pictures when I get the rear pan in and some more work done. I'm going to get a bunch a of body panels formed then my buddy is gonna come help tig em in. i'm hoping to get the body work wrapped up next month and the motor test fitted before I have to pack for the move back to Texas the end of May. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-Tech Posted February 17, 2017 Author Share Posted February 17, 2017 Definitely the farthest I've seen someone take an s-130...Good job!!!! I don't have much to say. I have the same clutch and I love it, soft pedal but grabs firm. Chatters just a lil crushing slow threw a car show but not too badMaybe we have talked about it but I did get a willwood clutch master cylinder that helped alot. I had to make an adapter plate for the bolt holes to line up but it was pretty straight forward....Keep it up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwillie67 Posted February 21, 2017 Share Posted February 21, 2017 http://southernperformancesystems.com/Parts/BRP/75-78-datsun.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-Tech Posted February 21, 2017 Author Share Posted February 21, 2017 what is the link for "bigwillie67"???? i saw 280z stuff. didnt see any zx stuff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwillie67 Posted February 22, 2017 Share Posted February 22, 2017 www.southernperformancesystems.com They make a 280Z specific LS swap kit for $499.00. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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