Tx1021 Posted November 6, 2004 Share Posted November 6, 2004 About a year ago I built and installed a Chevy 383 into my jeep. I am looking at pulling it out and putting it into an early model Z preferably a 240. I have looked at the majority of the posts and understand the basics of this process. I am not too concerned with the install as I have installed several engines into vehicles they were not designed to be put into. Several questions are: 1) Will the R200 stand up to non absusive driving from a 450+ft/lb engine 2) How difficult is the R200 to install 3) A list or shops offering conversion kits, as I am not very good at fabricating, and opinions of each shop 4) Fitment of wider tires in the rear so I will be able to put power to the ground 5) I plan on using a Manual Shift TH-350, what kind of stall would be optimal for street/occasoinally drag driving 6) Some sites quote 40-50hrs of work for this swap this seems a little unreasonable what are some actual times that it takes to get a 350 block running in a 240z As of right now JTR seems like the best shop but i am sure there are many more out there. Thanks in advance for all or your help it is greatly appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wheelman Posted November 7, 2004 Share Posted November 7, 2004 Tx1021, Welcome to the board. JTR and Motorsport Automotive (MSA) are the 2 major suppliers of conversion "kits". The kits basically consist of engine mount adapters and transmission crossmembers. I would start by getting the JTR manual and then decide whether to go with their parts or get the MSA stuff. I personally went the JTR route as the parts are easy to make and if you do buy them are cheaper than the MSA stuff. As for the TH350. If you plan on little street/highway with it then you should be OK. If you do spend much time on the highway the RPMs will drive you crazy after a while. Not sure what stall to use, that depends on the power/torque band of your engine. The 240 is a very light car so a stall lower than you would use in a Camaro will work well. The R200 can easily handle the 400HP. The weak points of the rearend are the u-joints in the halfshafts. If you replace the halfshafts with CV joint axles from either a 280ZX or a 300ZX Turbo then you should be fine. The R200 install is relatively easy but you must replace the mustache bar with an R200 bar. I had a hard time finding one in my area and ended up getting one off eBay. Fortunately for me nobody else bid on it so I got it real cheap. The time required for the swap really depends on how much "while I'm at it" you fall victim to and how much rust you are forced to repair. One thing to keep in mind is that the 240 was not designed to handle the torque of a modified SBC so you will want to reinforce the chassis. Most guys extend the frame rails to connect to the rear sub-frame and also install strut-tower braces in the front and rear. Tire fitment of large tires generally means installing fender flares. Other options are available but you can only go so far with them before body mods are required. BTW: All of the questions you've asked have been asked many times before so be sure to use the search function. Wheelman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tx1021 Posted November 8, 2004 Author Share Posted November 8, 2004 Thank you for the help. I use the search function on this site religously when looking for info it is a great resource. I think i might use a 280z chassis instead because of the frame rigidity. It should hold up to the massive amounts of tourque coming from the 383 without modifying too much. I plan on highway driving occasionaly and seeing that the rpm will be close to 3500 around 70 I think i will go with an overdrive manual. Fell free to give any more advice as I am a novice when it comes to Z's, I do not think i am over looking any major problem areas but I might be. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wheelman Posted November 8, 2004 Share Posted November 8, 2004 If you do go with the manual look real hard at the T56. It's a 6-speed and will easily handle the power your engine is producing. Another option is to find a GM version of a World Class T5. The T5 is a 5-speed but is only rated to 300 ft/lbs of torque. You could get a modified T5 from G-Force Transmissions or have one modified by them to handle your power level but it would cost you about the same as a T56. The advantage a T5 has is they are much lighter and it's easier to put a clutch setup together. I went the T5 route with my LT1 but I haven't had it modified yet. My engine will be basically stock and in the light 240Z the tranny should be able to handle my power output. I had a heck of a time finding a GM WC T5. Finally found one on eBay that I got real cheap because the seller didn't know what he had. If you are planning on drag racing you might reconsider an auto and use either a 700R4 or a 200-4R. The auto will shift faster than a manual and doesn't require putting togther the clutch setup. I plan on doing AutoX with mine otherwise I would have used the auto that was in the donor car I got my LT1 from. Wheelman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikelly Posted November 8, 2004 Share Posted November 8, 2004 40-50 hours is absolutely reasonable... Lot of work goes into making the modifications to the chassis (hood latch mods, trans tunnel mods, trans crossbrace mod, wiring) and to the parts to make everything work. There is a lot of test fitting, troubleshooting, and headscratching that is required... R200 swaps are easy... Get the unit, the mustach bar, and plan to upgrade your axles while you are at it! They will fail you before the differential will... Mike 8) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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