300ZX 2JZ swap project car

[WaddleDee72]

Hey guys, sorry for the delay in an update. I've been trying to fit the engine in for about a week. It's definitely been the least fun part of the project. But it finally fits!!! I'll post some pics later. The problem with the offset was that one of the freed mounts is supposed to be screwed into different holes than the original Toyota mounting brackets. Anyways, everything fits now, but I had to cut out almost the entire crossmember and a good piece out of the oil pan. Needless to say, it was a long run of trial-and-error.

To answer your question gaara4ife, I'm using a front sump, and I really don't think a rear sump will work. When I was looking at doing this swap, all of the swaps I saw other people do were front sump. The rear sump would get in the way of the steering rack and that's something you can't cut up.

[WaddleDee72]

Here are the pictures I promised:

Just got the oil pan welded up today


and here's a picture of the crossmember:



More progress to come soon!!!

[David_T]

Planning on the same swap on my next NA 2+0 5 speed, so go with a front sump?

[WaddleDee72]

yep

[WaddleDee72]

Hey all, if you've noticed the shortage of posts on this thread, it is because I am now in college on the other side of the country and can no longer work on the car on a regular basis. I hope to have it finished this winter break, but we'll have to see. The next update will be around Thanksgiving; I get back on the 26th of November. Sorry for the wait!!!

[WaddleDee72]

Alright, it is finally Thanksgiving break, and I was able to come home for a couple of days and work on the car a bit.

Installed the flywheel


Installed an oil filter and sandwich adapter for oil cooler


I also removed the shift lever retainer and shift lever housing so that I can send them off to driftmotion in order to extend them to fit the car

[t.mcginley.jr]

Looking good!! I know all too well how annoying it is to try and find time to work on your car while in college

Is there any way to reinforce the crossmember now that the engine is in? Seems like the stock one is pretty weak now with how much you have to cut out for clearance.

[WaddleDee72]

Yeah, that is definitely an issue. I was thinking about getting a strut brace in the engine bay and also maybe getting some steel welded underneath the car for added support. If anyone has any suggestions on this, that would be greatly appreciated.

Also, I am back in college now, and I'll be back on the 19th to work on the car again.

[t.mcginley.jr]

Well besides the crossmember itself, they do make other bracing parts not sure on some of the availability though. Some of the parts I've seen are like special/custom made, such as:

Fender braces:



SPL made them, not sure if they still do. I've seen them for sale recently on the Facebook parts groups.

I've also seen some undercarriage type bracing, but only on the Australian Z forums. Here's some examples:

http://www.aus300zx.com/forum/showthread.php?t=279952





http://www.aus300zx.com/forum/showthread.php?t=321912



If I were you, I would see if someone could weld a nice thick tube from one side of the stock crossmember to the other, crossing underneath the oil pan if possible clearance wise. Then go ahead and get a strut tower brace and possibly the other bracings as well.

[WaddleDee72]

Oh yeah, that's awesome. Thanks for the advice. I will definitely be purchasing one of those

[DjMdubb]

Man im loving this post just what i was looking for thanks for this..i have a favor to ask..im looking to do this swap and was wondering if u a can maybe make a list of the must have parts in order to do the and how hard or ez this is...i have a 2j non turbo already that i can just instal a turbo set up on..so beside engine turbo and transmission what else will be needed..when u get the time of course..and if so i can give email to contact me un less u rather post in thread...thanks in advance

[NolimitZ32]

i have a 2j non turbo already that i can just instal a turbo set up on..

[t.mcginley.jr]

i have a 2j non turbo already that i can just instal a turbo set up on..

[WaddleDee72]

^Haha, yeah, DjMdubb, you can't just slap a turbo on; you have to buy a turbo, buy an intercooler, either buy or make a new exhaust manifold, redo the intake system, make oil lines into the turbo, and get a new ECU and program that; it's a lot of work. It would have been much easier for you to have bought a 2JZ-GTE that already has turbos on it.

Anyways, I was going to post a parts list with cost and everything once the project was completely finished, but, since you asked, I'll post the parts list as it stands right now.

$1730 1991 Nissan Fairlady Z Twin Turbo
$2099 Toyota 2JZ-GTE engine
$ 803 Toyota R154 transmission
$ 400 Freed Engineering 1JZ/2JZ mounting brackets
$ 429 Stage 2 clutch
$ 359 Lightweight flywheel
$ 159 UDSM 2JZ Water Pump
$ 114 Aluminum lightweight pulleys
$ 166 Clutch fork, clutch fork spring, support, and bolts
$ 78 Clutch release hub kit
$2995 ProEFI Pro128 ECU with sensors
$ 373 drive belt tensioner and damper for manual transmission
$ 40 Serpentine tensioner pulley & shorter belt (need for PS and A/C removal)
$ 228 Cusco SR20/180SX engine mounts
$ 21 2JZ thermostat
$ 60 stainless steel hardline and nuts for making custom brake lines
$ 46 oil cooler sandwich adapter
$ 175 Godspeed intercooler
$ 50 oil cooler radiator
$ 175 Driftworks HICAS Eliminator kit

Combined Shipping cost: $788

Total Cost so far: $11,288

I still need to buy wheels, an electric fan, a custom driveshaft, a blow-off valve, intake and exhaust pipes, and a ton of other stuff. There are always more unexpected costs. Needless to say, this is not a project to do if you're on a tight budget.

[WaddleDee72]

Hey all, I'm back for winter break. Things have been busy with Christmas and all, but I am still hard at work on the Z.

I got my shifter back in the mail; it has been extended 6 inches


Also, I have started wiring for the ECU. This is actually the most complicated thing ever.


When I went to attach the shifter extension to the transmission, I realized that I could not fill the transmission with fluid because there were a couple holes in it. One hole is for a traction control module, and since I have no desire for traction control, I will be welding that hole closed. The other hole is for the speed sensor; without it, I will not have a working speedometer. The Mk III Supra had a mechanical speedometer, so a metal wire ran from the R154 transmission all the way up to the dash and spun around, thus spinning the speedometer. Since the Z's speedometer is electrical, I had to buy a Marlin Crawler VSS speed sensor that would convert the transmission's mechanical output and convert it to an electrical signal. Once that comes in the mail, I will finally be able to install the transmission!!! (Hopefully, unless I run into other unexpected problems)

[WaddleDee72]

Fuel lines are done, and I got a new Nissan fuel filter. The one that the previous owner put on was really crappy and made in south korea.


A solid three days of wiring, and it's almost done


I took out the ignition coils and there was oil all up in the spark plug holes, which means that the valve cover gasket needs to be replaced, so I will be doing that soon. Also, all the connectors to the ignition coils are cracked so I'll be replacing those too

[WaddleDee72]

I have been working on this car constantly for the past week or two. Trying to find a hose that would perfectly reach from the Z radiator to the 2JZ was impossible; fortunately, I found a website (http://www.jagsthatrun.com/Pages/Parts_ ... plice.html) that sells little couplers so that you can splice up radiator hoses and get the perfect size and bends that you want. Hopefully those will come in the mail before I have to leave for college again.

I'm finally going to be finishing up the gasket replacement on the valve covers today. The reason it took so long is because the Toyota dealer screwed up my order.


Also, I cut the traction control throttle body out of the intake and had the two end pieces welded together


More to come soon. Once I get the radiator and intercooler piping set up, then it's only a matter of programming the ProEFI and hopefully starting the engine before I leave for college.

[t.mcginley.jr]

Looking good man!! It's really coming along, not many people have successfully swapped in a 2JZ... most people give up halfway through.

Since the engine has been sitting a while, I would pour some oil on those camshafts before sealing them up with the new valve cover gaskets. It would also be a good idea to "prime" the engine before you try to actually start it, that way most of the engine gets lubed up before starting.

Also if the radiator adapater/fittings don't work out, they sell flexible radiator hoses in various sizes and lengths that look like this:



http://www.summitracing.com/search/prod ... ator-hoses

[WaddleDee72]

Thanks for the encouragement man, I actually went to NAPA auto parts and tried to get some of the flex hose, but they said they didn't make it in the length that I needed. They didn't have any couplers either, so there was no way I could have joined the flex hoses together.

Also, for the priming, is it as simple as pulling out the fuel relay and cranking the engine a couple of times to get the oil cycled around?

[t.mcginley.jr]

Thanks for the encouragement man, I actually went to NAPA auto parts and tried to get some of the flex hose, but they said they didn't make it in the length that I needed. They didn't have any couplers either, so there was no way I could have joined the flex hoses together.

Also, for the priming, is it as simple as pulling out the fuel relay and cranking the engine a couple of times to get the oil cycled around?

Yeah I wouldn't expect any parts places to have it, you're lucky if they know what you're talking about half the time. For longer pieces you would have to order online, but the longest I see is 33".

And yes for the oil priming it is that simple. After doing it a few times it should make enough oil pressure to at least get up into the heads, but maybe not all the way to the cams. That's why I recommend pouring some oil on them before sealing up the valve covers, just so they don't have a dry start after sitting so long.

Keep the updates coming!

[WaddleDee72]

Today I got the part of the exhaust that connects to the downpipe back from the machine shop. I had the hole machined out to 3 inches in diameter, and I also had the O2 sensor hole tapped and threaded so that the ProEFI O2 sensor would screw into it


I also got the speedometer sensor attached to the transmission.


I am also currently in the process of replacing the ignition connectors, since they are all cracked and broken. I got some replacement connectors from eBay, and, as of right now, I have installed 3 out of the 6 connectors

[dashti]

i start swap the engine this week
this some photos

[dashti]

you will need 2jz rear sump oil pan for more space in the front

[WaddleDee72]

Hey all, I am back in school, and won't be home to work on the car until March 10th. Fortunately, before I left, the radiator hose couplings came in the mail, and I was able to assemble the bottom radiator hose from multiple cut pieces of hose from an auto parts store. The top opening that comes off the engine at a 90 degree angle will need to be cut off so that a straight piece of hose can connect it to the radiator. Anyways, more progress to come in about a month and a half!

[WaddleDee72]

Hi all, sorry for the lack of pictures in this update. I was too lazy to break out the camera over spring break, but I will be taking pictures of the big things I do over the summer. Anyways, I installed all new NGK Iridium spark plugs in the engine, put all the ignition coils back, and connected the new PCV hoses I got from the Toyota dealer, because they weren't there when I bought the engine.

I noticed that the top part of the tensioner for the drive belt actually hits the drive belt, which is kind of a problem. I will most likely need to get it cut up before I can run the engine with the belt attached.

I noticed at the beginning of spring break that there was a crack in the intake manifold because I ignorantly screwed in the air temperature sensor wayyyyyy too tightly. So I took the intake manifold to a machine shop to have the crack welded and another hole tapped for the ProEFI MAP sensor. I also took my top coolant outlet to the machine shop to have the 90 degree bend cut out of it.

I also connected my ProEFI boost control solenoid. I plumbed it between the turbo source from turbo #1 (the one at the front of the engine) and the top port on it's wastegate actuator. I'm not 100% sure if that will work, but we'll see.

The ECU is fully wired up!!! All the sensors, the CAN cable for my laptop, the fuel pump circuit, the starter circuit, and the harness wires from the 2JZ are all connected. If people want, I can post detailed information on how to wire everything, because it was quite the headache figuring it out myself! I won't post the wiring guide until the engine starts though, since there is a possibility that I have something wired incorrectly, and I don't want to mislead anyone.

Finally, on the last night of my break, I was able to get the engine cranking, and what a glorious noise it was. Unfortunately, I could not get it to start, and I will need to spend time tuning the ECU settings before it will sputter to life.

More progress to come over the summer!

[gaara4ife]

Hey bud meant to post sooner but see that you have figured out most of the wiring let me know if you get it to start I have good knowledge with wiring but don't have time to do the searching in both repair books while building two other cars.
Btw looking good on the build. The transmission seems alittle tight so I'm worried about my th400 since its a lot bigger than the 2jz trans

[WaddleDee72]

Thanks gaara4ife, I am actually coming home next weekend for Coachella, so I will have a couple hours to fiddle around with the ECU settings and hopefully get the Z started. I will definitely post and let you know if that happens.

As for the transmission, yeah it does seem like it might be a little tight, but I am prepared to cut some metal out of the transmission tunnel and get it welded up later if that's what it comes down to.

[gaara4ife]

I can get the tunnel fabricated nicely by my dad so I'll be good on that but my single turbo won't fit under the hood

[louisville13]

Great post man! I have been looking to buy a 300zx for awhile now, and i think i am finally getting one this week. I love the idea of swapping a 2jz into it, especially since the stock engine has close to 200xxx miles. I have been looking for the parts you listed, and was wondering where you found a 2jz for $2000? Everywhere i have looked is upwards of $5000. Any help would be great man, and good luck with your project i cant wait to see the car when its finished!

[t.mcginley.jr]

Not sure where the OP got his, but I've seen people selling 2jz's on craigslist for $1-2k from wrecked Lexus IS300's and such. I just searched on ebay and I see JDM engines for $2300 with the trans, ecu, etc. all attached (not promoting JDM engines, but they aren't ALL bad).