What do I do with this engine??

[Valmont]

So I'm in the military, and I've going to be relocated to southern georgia very soon (aprilish), and i just found out today that the shipping company Uncle Sam uses won't ship my engine.

 

Right now, I've got a 77, with (I believe) not the original engine. I bought the car about a year ago, and have been daily drving it as is, and saving up money to execute the dream. I also dumpster dive in the local junkyards a lot, and pick stuff up when I can. So, not too long ago, i spotted what I think may be an 83 ZX, with an great looking engine in it, so i forked over some bills for it.

 

I haven't had a lot of time to work on it (or money, yay me), but upon some further inspection, it appears this engine was freshly rebuilt before hitting the scrap heap. The valve cover is polished, the oxidation all over the litterally brand new spark plugs that are in it (like someone went over them with a wire brush), new wires, good looking "clutch" (what do you call it when it's auto..?), new looking timing chain, and looking through the holes for the plugs, decent cylinder walls. So, without having taken the head off, thats what I know. The only downside it a little cancer on the camshaft right underneath the oil cap.

 

According to the junk yard guys, this engine sat for about a year or so, and ran when it got there. Their boss told them not to pull it, because it would never sell. Apparently the guy who donated it to the yard, did so unwillingly. He was a Z enthusiest, that, according to the county, had too many d@mn cars in his yard, and needed to get rid of some. This was one:

 

 

Got my engine out of her and brought it home.

 

I've saved about 4,000 or so, and my plan was to rebuild, and possibly turbocharge that motor, but do things slowly, and right. But finding out now that I'll have to spend more to get it over there than i paid for it, i just don't know what to do.

 

So, you might be able to tell, I'm new to Z's, and to engines in general, and I don't know a lot of prerequisites for working on stuff like this, so I'm about to tell you some stuff I don't really get yet (but how to modify your datsun OHC is helping me understand):

 

My new engine sitting on the stand is an F54 block, with a P79 head, and a webbed intake manifold that says W48 on it.

 

 

The one I have in the Z is an N42 block (dunno if that's right? sounds wrong from what I've been reading), N42 head, and N47 intake mani with no webbing.

 

So, the way I see it, there are 4 options, so help me out and pick one!

 

And please, if you could cheat, and let me know flat out which head is "better" and why, or what the best combo of what i have is... or any advice at all, even it it's to take my 4k and buy an LS1 (better be willing to tell me some stuff (-: ), that would be great.

 

Thanks in Advance

 

Val

[280~Master]

Quick question? Where at in GA. Ft Stewart? If so when you get here come see us www.coastalzclub.com

[Valmont]

Kings Bay, one mile from south east border (you may know it at St. Mary's, or Kingsland). So, I'm a little far. But pick me up on the way to daytona

[rturbo 930]

Thought: Take out your passenger seat, and cover the passenger area with cardboard, plastic, whatnot. Put the engine there, although you may want to disassemble it a bit to reduce the weight over there. maybe take off the head and intake and put those in the hatch and in front of the drivers seat. As for the passenger seat, unbolt the back of the seat from the bottom, and store it in the hatch area. Make sure it's all tied down and ship it.

[Valmont]

that's the most genius idea i've heard so far. One of my other questions, is this block and head worth dragging along with me? I mean, as choice one in the poll says, i could cut bait..

 

Val

[280~Master]

Kings bay. I know it, not well but have been there. So you are a buble head squid . I to was a squid a while back. If you want bring the engine somehow. There are some engines around this area but not an over flowing amount. I have one completly dissasimbled sitting in the garage.

 

Here south GA there are a lot of trucks and a 350 chevy engine is like candy in a bowl. They are everywhere.

[naviathan]

I would hold onto the engine. If you use the F54 block and pistons with the N42 head and a 2mm head gasket you will be pushing roughly 9.5:1 compression and still be able to maintain high octane pump gas (just nothing lower).

[woldson]

I would hold onto the engine. If you use the F54 block and pistons with the N42 head and a 2mm head gasket you will be pushing roughly 9.5:1 compression and still be able to maintain high octane pump gas (just nothing lower).

 

I second that!

[woldson]

Thought: Take out your passenger seat, and cover the passenger area with cardboard, plastic, whatnot. Put the engine there, although you may want to disassemble it a bit to reduce the weight over there. maybe take off the head and intake and put those in the hatch and in front of the drivers seat. As for the passenger seat, unbolt the back of the seat from the bottom, and store it in the hatch area. Make sure it's all tied down and ship it.

 

When in the navy I put a VW engine in my 86 sentra's trunk, and took it from San Diego to bangor WA.

[Valmont]

Were you moving PCS, or change of homeport? I guess i mean, did the navy move your car, or did you? I guess its incumbant on me to find a shipping company that doesn't care what you have in your car...

 

I would hold onto the engine. If you use the F54 block and pistons with the N42 head and a 2mm head gasket you will be pushing roughly 9.5:1 compression and still be able to maintain high octane pump gas (just nothing lower).

 

So I guess I'm hearing that the F54 is the block to have?

[PanzerAce]

Well, the block debate is ongoing, but I would say that ANY engine block is good to have, as it gives you options that you might not have otherwise. I personally plan on picking up a spare block so that I can reduce down time on my car (pull one to rebuild, drop the other right in).

[Valmont]

which was exactly my plan in the first place, but i also assumed i could take it with me, no problem... Looks like putting it in the Z is in the lead in the polls... I might have a crappy saturday morning where i learn more about my engine than i intended to in a day...

[gogriz91]

I tore my engine apart, cleaned it up, wrapped garbage bags around it and labeled it "lawn ornament(s)" that the movers ended up shipping for me.

 

Probably better to put it in the car though.

[dj paul]

I tore my engine apart, cleaned it up, wrapped garbage bags around it and labeled it "lawn ornament(s)" that the movers ended up shipping for me.

 

Probably better to put it in the car though.

Thats awesome!. Anyways just to clear something up quick. you dont need high octane for 9.5-1 (unless your turbo it with that for some reason) you can still use 87-89. I would try something like gogriz said. There are tons of Zs in GA you could use, but i can never throw away Z parts. You could also number the parts as well and keep a sheet seperate to see what "lawn ornaments" (parts) the numbers are. Plus taking it apart helps you learn just that much more of the layout of the L motor. You will mess something up or break a bolt that you wish you did something different on (i still do all the time). So at that point its not a big loss and you can use the knowledge for a motor you get in GA. Definately worth a try!

 

I may have rambled there for a second but i read it again and it at least made sense to me (not saying much)

[Valmont]

don't mean to be one to hijack my own thread, but all this begs a few questions:

when does a compression ratio require higher octane? (10:1, or higher?)

are there any special tools, or just tips and tricks people know, for when i rip this thing apart this weekend?

 

it looks like either way I'm going to be tearing it down, because even if I ship it seperately, I'll want to do it in pieces so it isn't this ungainly mess in a box.

 

and i realy like the lawn ornament idea. I'll hide the pistons in my sock drawer, and put my crankshaft in my fishtank and hope no one notices...

 

[Daeron]

and i realy like the lawn ornament idea. I'll hide the pistons in my sock drawer, and put my crankshaft in my fishtank and hope no one notices...

 

 

The fish might.

 

 

 

 

There is absolutely NO cut and dry rule for when you need to run high octane. The rule is that "you should run the lowest octane fuel you can run with your tuning settings without detonating." "Tuning settings" are not being changed on your car (yet) and there are many ways, with the L6 engines, to achieve a given compression ratio. that being the case, even such a bold statement as "9.5:1 compression does/doesn't require high test gasoline" is impossible. The cam, the shape of the combustion chamber, the piston.. EVERYTHING comes into play. I have a Subaru that runs 9.5:1 compression with flattop pistons and a combustion chamber very very much like that in an N42 head, and the reason THAT thing runs so well on low octane and high compression is the rod/stroke ratio!!!

[Tony D]

THe shipping company won't ship it as household goods? Or they won't ship a spare engine with your car?

 

There is a big difference. It's not uncommon for guys to ship a spare engine through the military by bolting it into the car some place...as said, the passenger's seat area is a good place for it.

 

I know someone who shipped four engine blocks in his household goods by bolting 1" thick lexan to the top and calling them 'end tables', I have seen Viper Blocks used as 'Wine Racks'...

 

But failing shipping it as part of your current car, how far are you from your maximum allowable shipping wieght? When I moved, it was $1 a pound to ship my crap from my last duty station. I would have been far better off shipping it as parcel post to my forwarding address. It would have gotten there quicker, as well!

 

Shipping it on a pallet should not be more than a couple hundred dollars, of course 'free' is better, but... I'm assumping from the above banter you're in the Navy (bremerton is another hint) and you guys got a baggage allowance for an E4 that was more than flag officers in the USAF, so that baggage limit may not apply.

 

If that is the case, CRATE THE ENGINE. If it's crated, prepackaged, and ODORLESS (meaning drain it, clean it well, and then wrap it in rags and bags) they aren't going to open it, they will just load it in the moving crate. I had suspension members, GAS TANKS, I mean, you name it, I had it in my household goods.

 

No, they won't ship vehcile parts. But they will ship crated items. High value crated items that you didn't want to risk shoddy shipping practices employed by local lo-bid government contractors, so you had it crated yourself.

 

When pressed, as above, you tell them it's a "Cast Bronze Lawn Fountian-Style Ornament, 450#"

 

Or perhaps "Livestock Watering Trough"...

[cockerstar]

I'd at least go with iron over bronze so you aren't technically lying

If there's a will, there's a way!

[garvice]

How about you buy that shell from the wreckers, put some cheap wheels on it (Also from wreckers) and tell them that it is your wife's car, or if you have no wife, your second car.

[naviathan]

don't mean to be one to hijack my own thread, but all this begs a few questions:

when does a compression ratio require higher octane? (10:1, or higher?)

are there any special tools, or just tips and tricks people know, for when i rip this thing apart this weekend?

 

it looks like either way I'm going to be tearing it down, because even if I ship it seperately, I'll want to do it in pieces so it isn't this ungainly mess in a box.

 

and i realy like the lawn ornament idea. I'll hide the pistons in my sock drawer, and put my crankshaft in my fishtank and hope no one notices...

 

I said high octane because that's what killed two head gaskets on my 81 before I figured out what was going on with it. Now with a higher lift cam I could probably knock that down considerably, but I'm not sure I want to take the chance of detonating and breaking ring lands this time instead of the head gasket. Of course I firmly believe one of the first things that needs to be replaced on a stock Z before you start going overboard with upgrades is the EFI. Either go carbed or pick up an after market system lik MS.