Greg SmileZ Posted June 17, 2007 Share Posted June 17, 2007 My 350 into my '77 280Z was my first swap (I'm 50ish, but working on cars all my life). I agree with everything above, except I did not need a welder. For the couple things I needed welded, I had a friend with a welder do them for me. I could not justify the cost of the welder. The lift, JTR book, basic tools, a plan, budget and a realistic time table are all very important. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plague_oc Posted June 17, 2007 Author Share Posted June 17, 2007 I was kinda shocked when I saw the prices of welders, cause I was expecting my blow torch to be just fine On and thanks for mentioning that you just bought a z28, cause there are a few where I live going for 1500 Guess this is gonna be a lot cheaper than I anticipated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grumpyvette Posted June 17, 2007 Share Posted June 17, 2007 with a decent welder and some experiance and some skills you can make or modify headers exhaust systems engine mounts cross members suspensions trans mounts acessory brackets oil pans and if its on site the time and expence and constant check,measure,recheck, process is far faster and cheaper than out sourceing the procedures a good welder will pay for itself MANY MANY times over and over again, those $40 here and $100 there little mods ADD UP FAST, and are FREQUENTLY mandatory to getting the car built. besides, buy a welder like this http://www.welders-direct.com/merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=WD&Product_Code=907312 after your done with the swap You COULD easily sell it for $500 or more, but ILL bet you won,t consider it unless UPGRADEING to a better one http://www.welders-direct.com/merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=WD&Product_Code=907046 at one of the corvette clubs, they had 4 guys all chip in $500 each and buy this http://www.welders-direct.com/merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=WD&Product_Code=903868 FOR THIER EXCLUESIVE USE,with the understanding that any of them can ask out of the deal to use and partly own the welder and get $100 EACH from the other 3 guys at any time , so the most they could be out was $200, NO ONES WANTED OUT IN THREE YEARS YET! ITS MORE THAN PAID FOR ITSELF IN CUSTOM EXHAUST SYSTEMS & OIL PANS ALONE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plague_oc Posted June 17, 2007 Author Share Posted June 17, 2007 How much welding though be necessary for an engine build that I am planning? A LT1 engine into a Z, the only thing I think it would need done is the engine mounts, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
240zV8 Posted June 17, 2007 Share Posted June 17, 2007 The motor mounts are spacer type of things, so if u make them it's just cutting metal. If u make ur own trans mount then u would want a welder most likely. It might be good to get a small welder anyway because there's lots of little things u can do with one. You also might wanna get a engine with a carb instead of fuel injection to simplify the install. Installing the engine and trans is the easy part, but once u get fuel injection involved, theres things that can get confusing and difficult. But don't let that scare u, it would just take alittle more time to figure the wiring out than it would with a carb. You could do the whole swap by urself, but I did a trans swap in my dodge ram alittle bit ago, and it helps to have some extra hands to adjust the jack and things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grumpyvette Posted June 17, 2007 Share Posted June 17, 2007 that depends almost entirely on if youll use a kit for the swap,for the mounts and factory available headers and exhaust or make your own, in the case of the z/sbc its done so often that most parts are available ready for use, but be aware that while you can do it that way and have excellent results there are options and advantages to going the custom made route. since this is your first attempt the kit route does hold a strong appeal in that your far less likely to screw up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
240zV8 Posted June 17, 2007 Share Posted June 17, 2007 But once u get a welder and realize how fun it is, u'll want to make everything u can, lol. I made a straight pipe exhaust for my truck, I made the trans mount for the swap, and a couple months ago I didn't have a welder, or even know how to weld. If u do get a welder, save up alittle and get a nice one, I ended up getting a MM175 and love it, but any of the 110v one's would be great for Z work. And u can get them for 3-500 depending on the deal u get. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a6t8vw Posted June 17, 2007 Share Posted June 17, 2007 $800 got the best 110v welder i you can get. Miller 135. got everything, cart, argon bottle, wire.. etc... works great upto 1/4 inch thick then you need to run 2 pass's but penetration is good... i built a long travel toyota prerunner, 3 exhaust systems and a bmw turbo down pipe so far and i can go anywhere with it since its 110v. The only problem i have is getting it back from my friends!! my cherry picker and welder seem to be on a waiting list from diffrent friends of mine! bastards.. Plague_oc im also in OC if you want to come check out my car and ask questions let me know! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plague_oc Posted June 17, 2007 Author Share Posted June 17, 2007 OK Thanks! I live near Glendale, so it shouldn't be too far. Right now I have another problem though, the 280z that my friend would be selling me the in a week has a sunroof..that has a slight leak. At first I figured that it wouldn't be a problem with some good sealant, but then I thought, did the 280z's even come with sunroofs? Do you think it would be a bad idea to buy a car with one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a6t8vw Posted June 17, 2007 Share Posted June 17, 2007 OK Thanks! I live near Glendale, so it shouldn't be too far. Right now I have another problem though, the 280z that my friend would be selling me the in a week has a sunroof..that has a slight leak. At first I figured that it wouldn't be a problem with some good sealant, but then I thought, did the 280z's even come with sunroofs? Do you think it would be a bad idea to buy a car with one? t-tops? and no 280z's didnt come with sunroof's unless its custom or ZX's had t-tops.... glendale? not Orange county but 1 hr away maybe? closer to lbhsbZ. lbhsbz i want to come see your car! andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plague_oc Posted June 17, 2007 Author Share Posted June 17, 2007 You can barley see the sunroof from this angle but its visible and its just a 1978 280z what do you guys think Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a6t8vw Posted June 17, 2007 Share Posted June 17, 2007 You can barley see the sunroof from this angle but its visibleand its just a 1978 280z what do you guys think car looks good man, fix the sunroof. does it open? andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plague_oc Posted June 17, 2007 Author Share Posted June 17, 2007 Well honestly I was thinking about removing it completely cause it doesn't look very professional, and I would just have to seal it off anyway. I guess a welder might come in handy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bschiltz Posted June 17, 2007 Share Posted June 17, 2007 Sounds like everyone's got you off to a good start! I'd like to add a couple comments, though. You don't need a welder for the engine swap, but it will make things easier. Also, as long as you don't let the 'while I'm at it' bug get you too bad, you won't need a whole lot of shop/ storage space. To qualify those statements, let me say I converted my 79 ZX in about a year with a socket set, 8 metric wrenches, 5 standard wrenches, a drill, sawz-all (borrowed), cherry picker and engine stand, 13" jack and two jack stands. I bought the cherry picker, but I could have just as easily borrowed one from one of my shop teachers (he's a datsun nut ) and the engine stand isn't really needed, I found it in my grandpa's shed. My shop space was a single stall garage with shelves on either side and a KX125 in back. When I started out I knew nothing about cars, so anything is possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted June 18, 2007 Share Posted June 18, 2007 Some more philosophy to add to the pile.... Engine swaps are big projects. They might appear to be comparatively small to folks already well-versed in automotive craftsmanship, but especially for the fellow just starting out with tinkering in the garage, it's a big undertaking. As some testaments above have already noted, you CAN be successful with the V8 Z swap with little or no prior experience, but the key is having the right mindset - the combination of self-confidence that gets you through the rough spots, with the humilty of knowing when to ask for help and to admit making mistakes. The creativity of finding your own answers, and the studiousness of researching answers already out there. It certainly helps to have a mentor, to be part of a club or other support organization where the proverbial greybeards look out for the proverbial cubs; it helps to have a shop full of high-end tools, and the experience to use them. But mostly it's a matter of personality, of mindset. From personal experience I can attest that even if you have most of the tools and some hot-rodding experience, you will be frustrated with the engine swap if you're not the do-it-yourselfer type. Me - I'm more of the armchair theoretician. I kept getting stymied by "simple" problems that a more even hand would have detected early. Why not buy an older V8 car - not necessarily high-performance - and just spend a few months wrenching on that? Play with the timing, the fuel delivery, etc. Swap intake manifolds, and later swap cams. Get to know the engine. And then, once the "basic" mechanical stuff is under your belt, start on the swap itself. To a large extent what's hard about the V8 Z engine swap is not making the mounts or fitting the driveshaft or splicing wiring harnesses; it's the care and feeding of a high-performance engine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
240zV8 Posted June 18, 2007 Share Posted June 18, 2007 One more thing, try to have most if not all the parts on hand. That makes things go so much faster and easier. It's always one or two parts here or there that take a week to arrive which get annoying, so planning ahead is key. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V8_DatZun Posted June 19, 2007 Share Posted June 19, 2007 i agree on having all the parts on hand.. IF AT ALL POSSIBLE GET A DONOR CAR THAT IS RUNNING TO PULL THE ENGINE FROM!!! i built my engine from scratch longblock... BIG MISTAKE.. i've spent SOOOO much money on simple CRAP. throttle linkage, transmission throttle valve linkage, all the accessories (starter, alternator, waterpump etc) it just gets to be COSTLY and a PAIN IN THE RUMP! you will save ALOT of time and money if you buy a donor car that is running to just pull the engine out of. i thought "oh well im going to totally rebuild the engine anyway why not just buy this longblock" hah.. i spent too much time and money getting all the parts together for that thing. not to mention tracking down various bolt/nut sets to put the accessories on... that crap AINT CHEAP! also as they said... if you arent' GREAT at wiring.. and love the old school look go with a SBC.. later on you can beef it up nice and have a hard running car. if you want reliability, great gas mileage, and great throttle response go with the LS series engines.. either way.. you cant lose.. its just up to you **EDIT** By the way... i ALSO had a 78 280z with a sunroof.... coincidence? or did nissan actually have an option for a sunroof? it looked EXACTLY like that one too.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plague_oc Posted June 19, 2007 Author Share Posted June 19, 2007 I'm on my way to the library right now (no joke), gonna try and get the basics down on engines before I start ready the books on the small block. As for the sunroof'd Z, I'm not sure I'm gonna get it as its starting to bother the crap out of me, think I'm gonna start looking for one without the sun roof. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bschiltz Posted June 19, 2007 Share Posted June 19, 2007 ...but the key is having the right mindset - the combination of self-confidence that gets you through the rough spots, with the humilty of knowing when to ask for help and to admit making mistakes. The creativity of finding your own answers, and the studiousness of researching answers already out there. I couldn't agree more! The main reason it took me a year to convert my car was I expected it to take a year. When I started out I was expecting to take the project slow and easy, learning about each step as I got to it. Like I said, I had no previous mechanical experience when I started so I wasn't expecting a miracle to happen. Actually, I think it's a miracle that I have the car driving. There were many times when I felt like kicking the s*** out of my car, and actually broke the cam cover on the L28 in a fit of rage (hitting stuff with a hammer) but just stop everything, get a beer, and calm down when you get frustrated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
240zV8 Posted June 19, 2007 Share Posted June 19, 2007 Plaque oc- I passed on a few Z's with sunroofs, it's a shame because they were cheap and solid cars but i couldn't get over the sunroof being there. What i'm gonna do for a budget v8 swap, is get a caprice or crown vic with a 350 and swap straight over, do the driveshaft mod and ur good to go. I see retired cop cars or old lady cars with 350's for 500-1000 all the time. And once u get some money saved up, go ahead and rebuild it for some serious power. Thats my reccomendation, and what i'm gonna be doing. And yea, sometimes it's best to just take a step back, go get some refreshments, and come back later if somethings got u pissed off. I had to do that a few times in the past and it helps, along with some swearing and yelling, lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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