86z auto to manual swap need help???

[nismo_power]

my brother and i just swapped a 87 non turbo manuel engine into his 86 turbo auto...we got everything in, bypassed the inhibitor to see if it will start and the starter will only spin when it is bolted onto the transmission, it wont come out...i know this because we can hear it spinning but no clicking...but the thing is that when we unbolt the starter from the transmission and give power to it it will come out and click/spin...the engine started up fine when it was in the 87 shell, before we swapped it all over to the 86 shell...we have asked friends and they all dont know what is wrong so im going to try here to see if any of you guys know what is wrong with it???any input will help thanks.....

[evildky]

assuming you didn't make any boneheaded mistakes like leaving teh flywheel unbolted, it sounds like the starter is dead, sometimes they just intermitatnly fail, uit worked out of the car because it was laying at the right angle for the broken internal windings to make contact, it's not uncommon for only one function to die, are you sure taht the starrter isn't encountering any resistance? I had a Z31 taht some bonehead had done an engine swap and for whatever reason the starter was pressing against the flywheel so it would pop out but couldn't turn the flywheel that it was firmly pressed against

[nismo_power]

both starter worked fine when the engines where not swapped yet, but after the swap then it seemed to not work...so what ur telling me is that a starter could just give up just like that???im positive that the flywheel is bolted on and that nothing is blocking the starter from coming out, because i have taken the transmission off twice to make sure it was all good in there...so i both the starter r broken then if u say they will die like that???guess im going to buy a new starter to see if it will work???thanks

[evildky]

before trying another new part take a few minuted to try turning the engine by the crank bolt with the starter still in the car and the shifter in neutral, assumign the engine turns with a reasonable amount of effort, pull the starter and do the same thing verifying that the flywheel is in fact turning with the engine, next step take the starter to autozone and have them test it, their machine can repetedly trigger it and maybe show up an intermitant failure

before any of this you did hook the main battery ground cable to the starter bolt....... right? and a good chassis ground as well.....right? and the positive battery lead goes directly to the stud on the back of the starter and is tight ......right? and make sure all cable connections are free of corosion and tight

[nismo_power]

i have turned the crank and it does work fine...there was no power wire to the starter cause i just used battery cables that i had lying around to give power to the starter and gave the starter a ground...so i turned the key on, on they powered up the starter and nothing, just the spinning but no clicking...i have to double check on the battery ground to the frame...i know for sure that the ground come from the battery and goes the starter bolt but i dont think that there is a ground to the frame...would that make a difference...and ill get both starter check asap, do u know if autozone will charge me for checking my starters???thanks

[evildky]

ok I'd put a battery in the car and attach the cables properly and give ti a go, I suspect that could be the proble, the stock ground cable has a lead that hits the chassis as well, if you have aftermarket cables that lack this just take a piece of 10 gage wire and put ring terminals at each end and hook one end to the chassis and the other end to the motor, be sure mounting surfaced are clean and tight

and autozone will test yout parts for free, be sure and tell them there could be an intermitant failure and you'd like to test them repeatedly, once it's set up it's just a matter of pushing a button

[nismo_power]

any other help???

[AZ-ZBum]

have you had the starter tested?

[nismo_power]

okay i tested the starters and one is dead and one is good...plugged up the good one and for some reason is started up???didnt do that before???

now what i need to know is will the 87 non turbo differential fit into the 86 turbo place???will the axles bolt up and the whole for the diff. bolt up to the chassis of the 86 turbo??? thanks for the help guys!!!!

[evildky]

yes the diffs are interchangable, the output shafts, cv shafts and companion flanges go as a set so if you have all those parts in your car they will work with the new diff if not take them from the donor, both are R200 open diffs, I'm sure AZ will know the ratios

also the stub axles might be different if your missing some of the other parts and have to carry all the other parts over you might have to swap the stubaxles adn possible the brakes, as well, lets hope you only need the diff

[nismo_power]

im not really lookin for hope right now...i need a yes or no???all i need to know is will the 87 non turbo diff. bolt up to the frame of the 86 turbo diff. place and will my 86 turbo axles fit in to the 87 non turbo diff...so if some one can give me a yes or no it will be very helpful!!!!

also how do i take the axles out from the car???i tried to unbolt the from where they r bolted on the hub and the bolts wont budge...i used an impact gun???thanks
Modified by nismo_power at 12:07 PM 12/14/2006

[evildky]

yes the diffs are interchangable, the output shafts, cv shafts and companion flanges go as a set so if you have all those parts in your car they will work with the new diff if not take them from the donor, both are R200 open diffs, I'm sure AZ will know the ratios

also the stub axles might be different if your missing some of the other parts and have to carry all the other parts over you might have to swap the stubaxles adn possible the brakes, as well, lets hope you only need the diff

yes, and yes

[nismo_power]

so all i need is the differ. from the 87???no axles...

[evildky]

your axles should slide right in

[nismo_power]

thanks....

[AZ-ZBum]

you'll need to swap the companion flange, that's all.

[nismo_power]

thats the reason y im swapping diff. is because the companion flange is a pain to take off so i decide to just sawp diff...because the mauel drivesaft wont bolt on to the 86 differ..

thanks for the help guys, ill be putting the 87 differ. in today and hopfully i dont run into any problems...

[evildky]

you can change the pinion flange on the diff, just unbolt one a and bolt the other on

i'm confused, you can't get the companion flange off the stub axle? so your changing diffs?

[AZ-ZBum]

okay, I understand. There will be no issues. All you have to do is unbolt the diff from the mount and the crossmember. I'm not sure how easy or difficult it will be for you to the the half shafts out of the old diff. You might end up having to unbolt them from the stub axles.

Don't worry about swapping the speedometer pinion gear either. The 86 and 87 NAs were the same rear end ratio.

[nismo_power]

okay, I understand. There will be no issues. All you have to do is unbolt the diff from the mount and the crossmember. I'm not sure how easy or difficult it will be for you to the the half shafts out of the old diff. You might end up having to unbolt them from the stub axles.

Don't worry about swapping the speedometer pinion gear either. The 86 and 87 NAs were the same rear end ratio.

what???i got the diff. in and drivesaft bolted up...axles are bolted and its good...now about the speedometer pinion gear what is that???i swapped in a 87 manuel into a 86 turbo???do i have to change the speedometer pinion gear, and what is that and where is it located???

[evildky]

I think AZ said it's the same so no worry, it's attached to the flance taht your speedo cable scres onto, it's held into the trans using one bolt next to where the cable screws on

[AZ-ZBum]

what???i got the diff. in and drivesaft bolted up...axles are bolted and its good...now about the speedometer pinion gear what is that???i swapped in a 87 manuel into a 86 turbo???do i have to change the speedometer pinion gear, and what is that and where is it located???

If you want your speedometer to read accurately:http://z31.com/speedo.shtml

[nismo_power]

i got everything on and now the back tires will not spin when the tires r on tight....but when i take the tires off and the rotors are loose then it will spin....but when the tires r off and i spin one side the other side will not spin, only when i spin the driveshaft then both the hubs will spin....so what is wrong here???this is all i need to do now....

[AZ-ZBum]

You put something together wrong.clutchtransmissionetc.

[nismo_power]

but then it will spin without the tires, meaning if i put it into gear and slowly give it gas then both will spin...the olny time it will not spin is when the tires are on....

[evildky]

what wheels and tires are you using? are your wheels hitting a brake calliper? or control arm? or the body of the car? did you swap out any of the brake parts, i believe the 2 years used different offsets of the brake rotor

[nismo_power]

i am using stock rims that was on the car before it took dump and it worked fine....i used the crossed drilled rotors from the 87 and the callipers and it did not work, it had the same problem so i decided to put the stock rotors and callipers back on and it does not work no more???i was looking at it and it seems that my back brakes lock up when the rotors are tight and the brake lights are on too...how do i adjust my rear brakes, cause i think that is what is wrong(e-brake cable)....

[AZ-ZBum]

nevermind, I misunderstood what you were saying.

[nismo_power]

okay so i have been messin with it all day and i think i know what the problem is, the circle piece that u have to twist in when u do back brakes is not going back in when u apply the brakes, it just locks out whenever u step on the brakes so it stays locked and thats why i cant spin the tires....so can i fix this or do i need new callipers???

[evildky]

the callipers should stay out some but they should release the pressure when your not on the brakes, if they grab and stick then yes you need new callipers