80LS1T Posted June 26, 2007 Share Posted June 26, 2007 I figure this kind of post would answer a lot of questions on the 280ZX chevy V8 swap... First of all yes a SBC(small block chevy) does fit in your 1979-1983 280ZX/T. It will fit in your 2+2 also. If you what want a kit to mount any first generation SBC or the second gen SBC LT1/LT4, you can buy mounts from www.zcarparts.com or www.stealthconversions.com. Both kits are very close in price. If you see the term JTR used in a post they are refering to www.stealthconversions.com mounting kit. They are most likely talking about V8 mounts for a S30(240,260, or 280Z), however JTR also makes mounts for the 280ZX. The JTR kit allows you to move the engine further back than the MSA kit if you use an LT1/LT4 engine because you wont have a distributor hitting the firewall. Transmissin choices are pretty much unlimited. You can fit any tranny in the tunnel of the 280ZX, it just depends on if you will have to remove the "ears" in the tranny tunnel to make room for bigger trannys like the T56 manual 6 speed transmission. The JTR kit comes with a mount for either a 700r4 or T5 transmission. The MSA kit comes with a mount for the 700r4. You can also use a TH350 or TH400 if you want but they are less desireable because they are 3 speed transmissions so fuel milage and high speed drivability will suffer. You will have to have a driveshaft made that will work with your chevy transmssion. What you will need to do is take your driveshaft that is too long and have it shorted by a driveline shop. This is not a big deal and usually costs around $200. What most shops will do is have you put your driveshaft in your transmission all the way and then pull it out 3/4" and then measure from the u-joint center on the yoke of the driveshaft to the center of the adapter flange of the differential side of the driveshaft. This will give them the measurement that you need to make your driveshaft. Exhaust manifolds are the biggest problem with a 280ZX SBC. If you have a 280zx with a power rack and pinion you can buy headers from www.stealthconversions.com. However, if you have a 280ZX with a reciprocating ball type steering(large gear box on drivers side fender), you will either have to use ramhorn style exhaust manifolds or build a custom header for the drivers side because a block hugger will not work due to the center ports dumping right into the gearbox. You can keep your V8 cool with a ford taurus 2 speed cooling fan and a decent alluminum raditor but some guys don't upgrade from the stock raditor and seem to get by. You can retain all of the gauges, if they still work, if you have the analog gauges(not sure about the digital ones?). You can recalibrate the stock tachometer by turning the adjuster screw on the back till it reads the correct RPM's. If you have a transmission with a cable driven speedo you can get the correct gear for the speed sensor and hook it up to your speedo or if you have a transmisison with an electronic output sensor you can buy a http://www.abbott-tach.com/cablex.htm to convert the electrical signal to a mechnical signal to your speedo. The other gauges you will just have to transfer the sending units from the old L6 to your new engine and they should work. Can the 280ZX handle the torque of a V8, YES. However its probably not a bad idea to add a front and rear strut bar or even a 4 point rollbar(especially if you have t-tops). Hopefully that answers a lot of your questions on a SBC swap! Guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Z-8 Posted June 28, 2007 Share Posted June 28, 2007 Thats great to hear you have your car back from the painters, can't wait to see pictures of it. Do you know if the JTR headers come smog legal? I live in San Diego, and I've got to handle that unfortunately. I'm thinking of swaping over to the rack and pinion. I have a ram horn mainifold off of a '64 283, do you think that would work? And if I remember correctly, the stock manifold for the LT1 works, correct? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
80LS1T Posted June 28, 2007 Author Share Posted June 28, 2007 The drivers side manifold from a 93-97 LT1 will work. The manifold does have EGR ports though. I'm not sure about smog legal stuff, I live in WI and we don't have to worry about that were I live so I don't pay much attention to that stuff. Guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhaag Posted June 29, 2007 Share Posted June 29, 2007 Thanks, Guy! Great idea to post a summary on a 350 swap. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Z-8 Posted June 29, 2007 Share Posted June 29, 2007 Yeah, your real lucky about that. It's not going to keep me from continuing though. I'm going to have it smog legal. Are the EGR ports going to get in the way of anything? Thanks for all your help here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
80LS1T Posted June 30, 2007 Author Share Posted June 30, 2007 No they wont be in the way, you will just have to block them off or use them. You can do what Spdsk8r did and use the ram horns on both sides... If you have this style of manifold it will work just fine. Guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zazabar Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 NECROPOST. Just a quick question. For the 350 swap, or any SBC for that matter, did you have to modify the electrical harness, or just do the listed calibrations for the gauges you have mentioned? EDIT: And when I say modify the harness, I'm referring to the 280zx or the LT1 harness, whichever harness you ended up using. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
80LS1T Posted February 4, 2009 Author Share Posted February 4, 2009 Well you will have to remove the original engine harness(most of it). Leave the wiring for the starter and gauges. I personally no longer have any of the factory wiring in my car so I'm not much help. I installed a "painless" harness last winter and I modified the LT1 harness myself. Guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zazabar Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Its all good. I'm sure the 240z to SBC swap book will have information about the wiring that I can use in such an application. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaldranai Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 approximately how much did you spend on this swap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.