Guest sigur Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 I killed the engine in my 240z and I am considering doing a sbc swap. JCI says the installation time is 40 hours. I have neither the time, facilities, nor skill to do the conversion. This would put me at $3200 in labor alone. After looking through these forums I decided $5000 is going to be my budget and I don't want to spend more then half on labor. Can the conversion be done in 25 hours by a professional and what have your experiences been like in regards to installation time of a carb'ed sbc? thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wheelman Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 Depends on all the "other" things you have done to the car "while you're at it". It's hard to say exactly how long it takes, alot depends on the condition of the car when you start and how much extra you want done. A basic SBC install using the JTR set back method could be completed in a weekend if all the parts are gathered up first. Sorting it all out afterwards can take the rest of your life depending on how picky you are. Think about installing an LT1 or LS and the time gets much longer, and if you decide to rebuild the suspension and/or rearend it gets longer still. My suggestion is talk to some local mechanics to see if you can find one that will even do it and based on their cost estimates make your decision. Wheelman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sigur Posted March 23, 2005 Share Posted March 23, 2005 I've been looking through these boards and realize I am going to be putting much more into the car over the next few years but I am only interested in the actual conversion part right now because I move in may and the car has to be running by then. I don't want to waste money on fixing the l24 when i could put that towards the conversion. I am fortunate to have a mechanic in the area who does excellent work on Z's and he is interested in doing the conversion. I already have an r200 in the car so that is one less thing to worry about. Thanks for the help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavyZ Posted March 23, 2005 Share Posted March 23, 2005 Sigur, not to burst your bubble or anything, but since you are pressed for time, your best bet is to get a 280Z or 280ZX motor and just do an easy drop in that will run for a while. Should be the cheapest way to go too. The worst thing is to find out that the V8 conversion will cost more then you estimated or take longer then you anticipated. You'll have to deal with a nonrunning car, or no money, etc. or a combo of a lot of things. This is the kind of thing you do not want to rush. If you had all the parts now for a V8 conversion, had solid quotes from competent professionals, and it was within the timeframe you set for it, you're fine. Otherwise, you're going to be screwed. You are actually better off putting a 280Z longblock in the car, selling it, and then buying an already converted V8Z. That might sound painful, but that is reality! I'm not saying this to discourage you, but just to give you a healthy bit of reality and history of what we have seen time and time again. Don't lose the car over your desire to do a conversion--beware!! Davy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
awd92gsx Posted March 23, 2005 Share Posted March 23, 2005 Yeah, according to plan, my car was done about a month and a half ago. I fired it up for the first time 2 nights ago and it's still not driveable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sigur Posted March 23, 2005 Share Posted March 23, 2005 Not being able to do a sbc swat won't be that big of a deal. I am bringing the car to the mechanic tomorrow and if he can fix it for a few hundred $ I will cut my losses and sell the car. If I need an entire new engine I am going to press forward with the SBC swap because it is going to cost me $1200 in labor to swap in an l28 plus the cost of the engine. There is no point of wasting this money when I could be putting it towards a swap. That said, if I can't get the SBC swap to come together then the car will sit until it does or I have to get a few friends and push it on a trailer on my moving adventures. I don't plan on having the mechanic start the installation until all of the needed parts are sourced and everything is "planned" out. Guess I have a bit more direction tomorrow when I find out how much it is going to cost to fix the stock engine. Thanks for your help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zfreak Posted March 23, 2005 Share Posted March 23, 2005 6 years and it still isn't done. Maybe this year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sigur Posted March 25, 2005 Share Posted March 25, 2005 Well word is my thermostat was stuck causing the head gasket to blow and foul up the spark plugs. Estimated $2-3k to rebuild engine. Definately not going to do this. What is the viability of having a v8z as a daily driver? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rival5 Posted March 25, 2005 Share Posted March 25, 2005 Depends on how you build your V8 and tranny. A mild engine can easily be a daily driver. A radical cam with a heavy clutch from light to light isn't always fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim240z Posted March 25, 2005 Share Posted March 25, 2005 I think that if the mechanic is competent and honest (2 tough attributes to find), then the conversion can be done in about 12 hours if you supply all the parts necessary at the start. The only thing you may need to farm out is the exhaust Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
80LS1T Posted March 25, 2005 Share Posted March 25, 2005 Yeah like Dave said you could buy a convered SBC Z for $5000 pretty easy. Plus you will probably get more for that $5000 than you would building one for $5000. Thats because when trying to sell a convered car you will more than likely not get what you have into it. Something serious to consider. Guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted March 27, 2005 Share Posted March 27, 2005 This may sound harsh, but V8 Z is a hobby car. It’s NOT a solution to a daily-driver problem. Some folks do drive their V8 Z’s every day, but they make that choice from the luxury of personal preference – and not from necessity. Also, do keep in mind that a V8 swap done under pressure is likely to have an unfavorable outcome. I started my V8 Z project in graduate school. Neither money nor time were particularly plentiful, but in a pinch I could commute by bicycle. So I did just that; my Z became a garage queen, and my only transportation (in Los Angeles) for six months was a bicycle. That was 1999 – and the Z still isn’t done. Oh yeah, and I had a qualified professional build my car’s chassis and do the actual swap. The point is, solve the issues of daily transportation first, then worry about the hobby car – because you might still be trying to get that hobby car back on the road, for several more decades. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tony78_280z Posted March 27, 2005 Share Posted March 27, 2005 Motor+Tranny removed in 24 hours, Motor+Tranny installed in 24 hours. Over a year to get it to run right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SmoknR6 Posted March 28, 2005 Share Posted March 28, 2005 I started in september 04, and i am hoping to have the engine running in the next couple days. but i started with a $300 Z and have been doing body and interior work along the way as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavyZ Posted March 28, 2005 Share Posted March 28, 2005 This may sound harsh, but V8 Z is a hobby car. It’s NOT a solution to a daily-driver problem...The point is, solve the issues of daily transportation first, then worry about the hobby car – because you might still be trying to get that hobby car back on the road, for several more decades. Sage advice from someone who knows what they're talking about. Davy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heavy Z Posted March 28, 2005 Share Posted March 28, 2005 Yeah, once it's DONE and the bugs are worked out you can then consider using it as your daily. Then, go for it if your lifestyle doesn't require a back seat! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
awd92gsx Posted March 28, 2005 Share Posted March 28, 2005 If all goes well, mine should be "done" this week. All I have to do is finish wiring the cooling fan, get a couple of vaccum lines for the carb, and install the plate to mount my shifter to. I think I started around the middle to end of January. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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