240z swap

[nics fairlady]

i have a 73 240z and am wanting to do a swap but dont know which way to go with it. i've thought about doing a sr, rb, or possibly the titan motor. i've heard alot of good and bad things about them all. i'm kinda stuck so i thought i'd ask someone who's good with this stuff.thanks alot

[slamn240]

it really depends what are you going to use the car for and how much you are looking to spend. i would like an rb26 in there but that is some money you are going to fork out. i own a shop in socal with justin pawlak and if you have any question feel free to ask away

[ravera]

How much money do you have?

What kind of fab skills do you have?

I'm putting a Mercedes M104 in mine, but that's a long story and a giant PITA so bypass that.

How much of a OMFG it's got a "legendary" motor factor do you want? Most people go RB or JZ for the fact of having a 'legendary' motor and being unique. They've all been done a bunch so if it's comfy go for it.

ALL the current DOHC I6's are kinda weighty though and you'll be feeling the nose not wanting to handle, should that be on your list. If you want to get one from the mother land, your bill just doubled from a USDM example if not more, should cost be on your mind.

Ever though of an L28et? direct bolt in and you can easily get 300hp, which is quite a bit in a 2500lb car.

Moving on past I6's, I'm morally against putting 4 bangers in a car with a beautifully long engine bay once filled with 6 holes. Kinda like having long legs to run fast and shooting yourself in the foot, imo. You're also going to find that the SR may not be the best handling z as has been discussed on HBZ, as well has finding out it doesn't give you that huge million pound weight saving everyone fables about being all aluminum (it's a heavy a** motor for being all Al).

To the V8's.

The VH has been done. You can find one in a JY pretty cheap and adaptors are made to bolt the Z32 gearbox to them. You'll need to make engine mounts and fab exhaust but for the majority of swaps that should be on the list anyway. You get just north of 280hp at the flywheel out of the box and a crap ton of torque. They're heavy though, don't let the alloy fool you.

The VK fits. Nobody has done it yet, and I'm not sure why. It's a tight fit but it does fit. A few companies are making manual conversions now as well so they can drift their VK's. The 56 runs out of steam pretty early considering it's design even as a truck engine so if you could throw some JWT S1 cams in there that would help you out a bunch. That said, it's lighter than a VK and would make for a silly, disgustingly quick 240Z with all that torque. That's a good thing.

The Toyota 1UZ is the only motor I know of that's got more than 4 cylinders and comes in under the weight of a stock L series at 385 lbs. For the same price as putting the RB 26 in there mostly stock after it's all said and done you could have a fairly well built UZ running the R154 'yota box and turbocharged. These motors are basically the Honda's of the V8 world and love nothing more than to rev. Personally if I were considering this again, this is where i'd go.

Other things have been stuffed in there as well. A man from norway did a Viper engine, a few have done rotaries (a 20b would be nuts), a couple did a BMW V12 (if you put a Mercedes V12 in there you would be a madman, in a good way). And of course this is america so plenty of American V8's have been nestled it the ol' S30's loins.

Take your pick, pay your money, remember it's YOUR build and don't let the cool or wow factor from someone else influence something that you're going to have to live with, and have fun while you're doing it, that's what this is all about.

[DMan II-40]

People do SR20 swaps in these, what about the KA24DE-T? I think it is pretty cool since it keep the 2.4L displacement. Personally I think SR20s are wack. Atleast with the KA you will get way more TQ, even though it is still a 4 banger. Also with all the extra room up front you could made a nice V-mount set up.

Have you guys seen a KA24DET swapped S30 before? I recently got interested in these and think that would be a mean swap and relatively inexpensive compared to others.

And about the RB26 or 2JZ being unique, it isn't really unique anymore.

[numbnuts240]

Have you guys seen a KA24DET swapped S30 before?

[evildky]

the easiest and cheapest swap is the L28ET, factory it's only 190 hp but with the addition of a boost controller and an intercooler which you'd have to do anyhow for all the other swaps you can get 260 whp, keep in mind these cars are light so you are talking whp similar to a 370Z but with 1000 lbs less weight! it's still in the L6 engine family so it's a direct bolt in

the next most popular swap si the small block chevy V8, I'm not a fan but the swap si pretty straight forward and depending onw whihc motor you use and what mods you do to it the hp is practically limitless

RB's would be the next most popular but lots of money or a little more power (the RB is the evolutionaly next inline six after the L6)

2JZ's have gotten popular recently as they offer the same performance as the RB at half the cost

KA's SR's VH VQ's even rotaries have all been done, ultimately pick the engine you are most comfortable with and best fits your budget and skill level

[DMan II-40]

Yeah I did more reading and the KA seems pretty common I guess. I still see it better than an SR20, but damn there is so many possiblities. If I had money to blow I would do an S20, those sound so sick. My fabrication and engine skills arn't quite there yet to be messing with a project like this. But one day I hope I will.

[SKITTLE]

IF you want something cheap and powerfull over stock then go with a SBC or SBF. Go to Jagsthatrun.com and they have a swap book for the SBC and as well as the mounting kit.

I'm doing a 94 lt1 with a 93 "chipped" ECU and harness (said to give me about 40+ hp and around 20 more torque.)

So far I only have 700 into it and still need to get a transmission (WC t-5 for $350). I'm getting the mounts made locally for free though!