Wierd T5 question... Wierd application ;)

[hoohaa]

I am in the process of building a Nissan Pathfinder. I know this is a Z forum, but the VG30 is common to us all. I currently have an automatic behind my VG30E, but I am thinking strongly about swapping it out for a T5 out of a 280Z. I would basically be removing the 280Z rear case and bolting a Jeep T5 rear case up to the bellhousing and center plate. This way I could run two transfer cases for ridiculously low gearing and incredible traction and control on the rocks.

 

So, to restate what I'm planning to do; I will have a 280Z bellhousing and internals mated to the rear T5 case from a jeep.

 

I have a few questions:

 

1. Is the 280Z T5 considered to be strong? What are the weak points?

2. What are the ratios of the 280Z T5 gears? Especially 1st and 5th.

3. Has anyone here rebuilt a 280Z T5? Are there stronger components available to the public? I can't farm out the work, just can't afford to do this, the doubled transfer cases will be very pricey alone.

4. I am in Dallas TX, are there any good sources for 280Z T5s you could point me to? I have talked with two guys who frequent the Nissan section of Pick 'n Pull here and they said they saw no 280Zs at all.

5. The speedo gear, I am assuming the 280Z uses a mechanical one rather than an electronic sender; does anyone have a picture or a description of the fitting? The 4x4 Nissan Pathfinders have the speedo gear driven by the transfer case mainshaft, so I would assume it's spinning at the same speed as the 280Z 5 speed output shaft provided the differential gearing is the same and the speedo gear is the same ratio.

 

Thanks for the help, I've looked around for a little while in this forum for answers but I haven't come up with anything definitive yet.

[BlackBeaut]

Well no one else is helping so I'll try a bit. Can you just clarify that you're planning on using the 280ZX T5 bellhousing? Cos the 280ZX has an L28 engine not a VG30 so I'm pretty sure that the bellhousing wouldn't mate up to the VG block.

 

Ah, I tell you what! You want to look at the first series 300ZX Z31 turbo T5, 1984-1986 I think, that's a VG30 engine so you'd be OK with that bellhousing. First gear on that is around 3.35:1. Strength wise neither of the two T5s Nissan used was that great, they're 'Non-World-Class' T5s so don't have certain stronger bearings that the 'World-Class' T5s do. What some people are doing in their Zeds is taking the 280ZX T5 bellhousing and fitting a WC T5 behind that after a little mod work to the bellhousing. That's less likely to be possible with the Z31 bellhousing as that T5 has a stupidly long input shaft and you'd have a hell of a time finding a WC T5 with a similar length input shaft to use - note I'm ignoring little things like clutch spline count.

 

Anyway, erm, that's probably less helpful than you'd really want so I'll shut up and hopefully someone more helpful will come along!

 

Cheers,

Rob

[hoohaa]

No that helps! If it's true that the 280Z T5s will not bolt up to a VG30 then I am barking up the wrong tree. There is a guy who has done a similar setup, I have seen pictures of it in his truck. He claims the T5 came out of a 280Z, but he's a truck guy, not a Z guy.