SR20 280zx

[tonycharger72]

Was wondering if anyone had actually done this swap?

 

Thinking about doing this, but i think its not going to fit, the reason for this is assumption is the SR20 has a front mounted sump, and it looks like it would be either be impossible or atleast very expensive to change to a rear mounted sump - the sr20 will clear the engine crossmember, but it wont clear the steering rack on a 280zx because it sits behind and not in front like on earlier zeds,

 

To illustrate my point,

http://www.sr240z.com/srpictures/2.jpg

 

The 280zx's steering rack sits behind the crossmember and i think (from looking at the above pic) would foul on the sump, and it dosent look like that engine can go any further back in the engine bay,

 

Anybody with any first hand experience of whacking an SR20 into a 280zx???

[Shift]

Just guessing here, but why not trying to use the front gen suspension, assuming that strut towers and the tie rods have the same geometry?

 

Also why not recess the firewall? I don't know if they made a rear sump oil pan for the SR but see if you can gat a KA pan to fit, from a pathfinder. If anything you can always try to mod the oil pickup and mount the pan backwards.

 

Just throwing out ideas here.

[tonycharger72]

Dont wanna cut into the firewall,

 

Unless there is an off the shelf rear or even mid sump arrangement for the SR20 i think it wouldnt really be worth using this engine (if it dosent clear with the front mounted sump) making up a custom alluminium sump would be pretty expensive im thinking - its an odd looking sump - its 2 piece, little hump right at the front, then another part which spans the length of the engine, that part would have to be re-made, then you could re-use the little hump where the pickup is,

 

 

I didnt think about using the 1st gen suspension, but i think i would be fighting an up hill battle there - probably be alot easier to get the custom sump made up , im sure if it was easily swapable everyone who wanted Power Steering would be swapping 280zx front suspenion into their 1st gen zeds,

[Shift]

the way you discribe the oil pan. Its sounds alot like how the KA oil pan is like.

 

How about cutting the front sump of the pan and welding a piece of sheet over it? If it has a rear pickup then whats the point in having the front one anyways, beside holding more oil volume.

[tonycharger72]

Im not 100% certain because i havent had the sump off, but im pretty sure the pickup is located at the front of the engine,

 

I have made a diagram of an SR20 engine,

 

http://album.hybridz.org/showphoto.php?photo=8214&cat=500

 

As you can see it has an odd sump arrangement - where i have listed "Sump Pan" this is where im pretty sure the oil pickup is,

 

To change this to a rear mounted sump im thinking i would have to remake the entire "Sump" and "Sump Pan Section" then remake the oil pickup so go from the front of the engine to the new rear sump section,

[NotSuperBbutZ]

go to the nissan 4 cylinder forum, there are a lot of guys doing SR20DET swaps, and that pick of the SR, is from a guys car that has a shop that specializes in that kind of stuff, and has done several SR240Z deals. It's really a good motor, it has a 5 speed, gets reasonably over 25 MPG, you can pull around 400 hp at the wheels with stock internals RELIABLY, it weighs MUCH MUCH less than the stock Z motors and trannies, and it STOCK has 50-150hp more than the Z motors, and with the popularity, LOTS AND LOTS of parts makers. It's the total pacakge, I have a 72 240Z that I commute in and make over 350WHP on a mild build and get over 25MPG (if i stay out of boost lol) and can woop on the track! look into it at the nissan 4 cylinder forum!

[tonycharger72]

Need this bloke to chime in ,

 

SR240Z

http://www.VildiniMotorsport.com

http://www.sr240z.com

1972 240z SR20DET

1972 240z L28 3.0L

[SR240Z]

hey tony, sorry but we havent done the sr20 swap into any S130 chassis so i wouldnt be able to tell you much other than instead of going to a rear sump setup which will be a hell of a lot of work you might as well go with a dry sump setup. Anything else you need to know, feel free to ask me.

[tonycharger72]

Hey Sr240z,

 

I have been asking around I have managed to come across one bloke who has heard about someone putting an SR20 into a 720 Datsun Ute, this required the fabrication of a rear sump - but other than that i havent managed to find anyone eles who has done this ,

 

What is involved in a dry sump setup?

 

Also - the sump being a 2-piece setup - from what i have heard the first part of the sump that spans the entire engine is actually structural?

[SR240Z]

for the dry sump setup, i would ask chelle who is doin the bmw v12 velo rosa, she would be more experienced in that region.

 

And yes the 2 piece sump setup is a structural part of the engine, im thinking that you can just remove and block off the oil pan and pickup part from the front and then run a dry sump setup.

[Hugh]

Yeah, the oil pickup is right in the front area of the oil pan, pretty much. The oil pump is there in the front cover.

 

TODA has built a dry sump SR20 before, but don't know if they sell the parts off the shelf. It might have been a racing engine only.

 

Going to a rear sump... I wouldn't even know where to begin.

[tonycharger72]

I think i would be better of trying a CA18 turbo swap then the SR20, atleast with that engine I can more easily do a rear mounted sump arrangement,

 

I think i can anyways, that engine is supposed to be a 4cyl version of the RB engines right? therefore the sump wont be structurally intergral to the block like the SR20 and its not made out of alluminium either, so alot cheaper to get to fabricate a rear sump,

[Hugh]

That story about it being a 4 cylinder version of the RB.... ehhh... Its a lot of smoke being blown by CA owners to justify their engine choice.

 

The SR is more powerful than the CA with the same mods, hands down. I wouldn't run an old CA without a complete rebuild, personally. I've known far to many people with problematic CA's just from wear and tear. (they're all like 16-17yrs old now)

 

If you ran it on a standalone, eliminating the stock electronics, then you'd be cutting out a lot of the trouble.

 

 

Just to give you an idea, my old SR powered 180sx VS CA powered 180sx's could beat them when they had turbo kits and engine builds, my car was stock with a boost controller, intercooler, and other light mods. The power band on the SR is pretty fat by comparison, and the CA lags a lot.

 

 

I'm not bashing the CA, just trying to give you the opinion of someone who has driven and worked and raced many of these motors. (SR and CA)

[Gollum]

I've seen two different steering rack setups on ZX cars. One has a power steering rack that sits behind the cross member, and the other had the power steering system resting in the corner of the engine bay with steering rods tucked behind the cross member.

 

If your S130 car is the latter type (like both of my US S130 cars) then it might fit. If someone could get me dimensions of the SR motor from back of block to front of oil pan I could measure my car.